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108: An Eco-Thriller
Can one woman stop a chemical magnate from destroying life on Earth?
While working the night shift at a San Francisco news agency, Bayla Jeevan has a shocking out-of-body experience. Her consciousness is transported deep into an Indian forest, where she witnesses a noxious liquid spreading through the soil. At the same time, she receives a message from her father, presumed dead for fifteen years, warning her of imminent danger. Coincidence? Unlikely.
Halfway around the world, agrochemical corporation ZedChem—led by billionaire Krakun Zed—tests its latest innovation, a product heralded as the solution to topsoil erosion. But the data reveals something else entirely.
As Bayla sets out looking for answers, she learns more about her past—and her family’s connection to a secret organization with ancient roots, and to Zed himself. Will Bayla be able to stop the corporation from devastating the planet before global agriculture and human existence are ruined forever?
In this action-packed eco-thriller, the bonds of family—and the power to save Earth—are put to the test.
While working the night shift at a San Francisco news agency, Bayla Jeevan has a shocking out-of-body experience. Her consciousness is transported deep into an Indian forest, where she witnesses a noxious liquid spreading through the soil. At the same time, she receives a message from her father, presumed dead for fifteen years, warning her of imminent danger. Coincidence? Unlikely.
Halfway around the world, agrochemical corporation ZedChem—led by billionaire Krakun Zed—tests its latest innovation, a product heralded as the solution to topsoil erosion. But the data reveals something else entirely.
As Bayla sets out looking for answers, she learns more about her past—and her family’s connection to a secret organization with ancient roots, and to Zed himself. Will Bayla be able to stop the corporation from devastating the planet before global agriculture and human existence are ruined forever?
In this action-packed eco-thriller, the bonds of family—and the power to save Earth—are put to the test.
410 pages, Hardcover
Published June 17, 2025
22 people are currently reading
4250 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
March 21, 2025
I was fascinated by the conflict in this story as I am fascinated by the idea of nature as healer. The book reminded me of American and British Romanticism at war with capitalistic progress. The author reminds us how easily progress can turn on us. The narrative offers a great story and a timely perspective. I will read it again.
June 17, 2025
4 stars
108: An Eco-Thriller is an engaging tale where the reader is transported to what should be a simpler life. It is thought provoking narrative between knowledge, science, traditions, culture, ecology and collective healing between earth, body and soul and of a oneness with it all. It explores the environmental damage by big corporate greed.
If you love an immersive eco-thriller that offers a collective healing for the one’s soul and the environment, then this is a book for you.
This is the intriguing story of one person’s struggle to find a balance, make a difference and get to the core of the problem where there are secrets and lies, secret organisations, dangerous innovation threatening the world and all within it.
An interesting read.
108: An Eco-Thriller is an engaging tale where the reader is transported to what should be a simpler life. It is thought provoking narrative between knowledge, science, traditions, culture, ecology and collective healing between earth, body and soul and of a oneness with it all. It explores the environmental damage by big corporate greed.
If you love an immersive eco-thriller that offers a collective healing for the one’s soul and the environment, then this is a book for you.
This is the intriguing story of one person’s struggle to find a balance, make a difference and get to the core of the problem where there are secrets and lies, secret organisations, dangerous innovation threatening the world and all within it.
An interesting read.
May 12, 2025
108: An Eco-Thriller is a polished and engaging novel. I love reading fiction books that make me want to turn the pages quickly to see what happens next. Dheepa's writing enabled me to picture the characters and scenes as if I were watching it on the big screen. Enjoy!!
May 16, 2025
What a cool book! I've followed Dheepa Maturi's blog for many years, and as a south asian, I have always been blow away by her ability to intertwine her knowledge of Indian culture and traditions without it feeling forced. She does it seemlessly. This book, similarly, does not disappoint. If you care about climate change, and love being transported to a life that could be simpler and more thoughtfully lived, this is the book for you! I was introduced to ideas and rituals in Hindu and Indian tradition that I had not heard of before. Learning through Bayla's eyes and thoughts made traditions, like modernized yoga, feel purer. Pick this one up-you won't regret it.
May 1, 2025
Loved this book! I tore threw it in 4 days. It's a exciting and entertaining page-turner. The writer throws the reader down then caresses you as you follow the characters across the globe, interwining themselves over an intoxicating plot about Mother Earth. What a debut novel for a clearly skillful writer!
June 21, 2025
I picked up Dheepa R. Maturi’s debut on a quiet Saturday morning, planning to read a chapter before brunch. I surfaced hours later, stunned to see the sun setting and my coffee cold. *108* is that rare novel whose momentum feels effortless: every page clicks forward like a well-oiled gear, yet the story still invites you to pause, breathe, and think about the ground beneath your feet.
At its heart is Bayla Jeevan, a San Francisco journalist whose world fractures when an uncanny, almost mystical vision drags her into a conspiracy spanning continents. The mystery begins with an agrochemical giant promising to “save” the soil, but Maturi quickly widens the aperture—pulling in ancestral secrets, corporate malfeasance, and questions about how ordinary people reclaim agency when the stakes are nothing less than planetary survival. None of that would matter, though, if Bayla herself weren’t so achingly real. She is whip-smart, stubborn, and hamstrung by the same gnawing self-doubt many of us carry. More than once I wanted to reach through the page, hand her a warm cup of tea, and remind her she is enough.
Maturi’s prose hums with cinematic urgency—short chapters, tactile settings, dialogue that snaps—but she tempers the thriller pacing with unexpected tenderness. Family bonds and fraught friendships get as much oxygen as the high-octane action. The result is a story that manages to be both pulse-pounding and emotionally nourishing, a pairing I rarely see in eco-fiction. Even the novel’s environmental message never feels didactic; instead, it surfaces organically through character choices and cultural textures, particularly the strands of Indian spirituality threaded throughout the plot.
When I closed the final page, I sat quietly, noticing the quiet hum of appliances, an occasional motorcycle exhaust, and the simple marvel of breathing clean air. *108* entertained me, yes—but it also recalibrated my sense of responsibility and hope. Read it for the irresistible story; stay for the mirror it holds up to each of us and to the fragile planet we share. Five enthusiastic stars.
At its heart is Bayla Jeevan, a San Francisco journalist whose world fractures when an uncanny, almost mystical vision drags her into a conspiracy spanning continents. The mystery begins with an agrochemical giant promising to “save” the soil, but Maturi quickly widens the aperture—pulling in ancestral secrets, corporate malfeasance, and questions about how ordinary people reclaim agency when the stakes are nothing less than planetary survival. None of that would matter, though, if Bayla herself weren’t so achingly real. She is whip-smart, stubborn, and hamstrung by the same gnawing self-doubt many of us carry. More than once I wanted to reach through the page, hand her a warm cup of tea, and remind her she is enough.
Maturi’s prose hums with cinematic urgency—short chapters, tactile settings, dialogue that snaps—but she tempers the thriller pacing with unexpected tenderness. Family bonds and fraught friendships get as much oxygen as the high-octane action. The result is a story that manages to be both pulse-pounding and emotionally nourishing, a pairing I rarely see in eco-fiction. Even the novel’s environmental message never feels didactic; instead, it surfaces organically through character choices and cultural textures, particularly the strands of Indian spirituality threaded throughout the plot.
When I closed the final page, I sat quietly, noticing the quiet hum of appliances, an occasional motorcycle exhaust, and the simple marvel of breathing clean air. *108* entertained me, yes—but it also recalibrated my sense of responsibility and hope. Read it for the irresistible story; stay for the mirror it holds up to each of us and to the fragile planet we share. Five enthusiastic stars.
June 22, 2025
In 108, Dheepa R. Maturi intertwines ancient knowledge and deep human connection into a thought-provoking narrative that explores not just a serious modern issue, but how we might heal.
This isn't just a thriller; it's a meditation on the urgent need for integration—between tradition and science, body and earth, self and community. I found at the heart of the story a profound message about quick fixes at the cost of long-term balance. The symbolization of Bayla's name and the number 108 was not lost on me: the emergency number in India, the beads of a mala, and the vital energy lines of the body converging at the heart chakra, the characters show us how emergent group intention, sacred knowledge, and collective healing might be our best medicine.
The story paralleled our reductionist pharmaceutical model, much like antibiotics may kill the bacteria causing our symptoms, they also decrease protective microbes in our gut as well as shift the balance to possible fungal domination, resulting in chronic disease years later. In 108, linking environmental devastation to personal illness is an easy bridge to cross for me, the land becomes both metaphor and mirror for the human body—robbed of phytonutrients, disconnected, and withering.
Personally, I’ve discovered that small actions grounded in humility & informed by ancestral wisdom, intended to change my terrain—fermented vegetables, organic berries, daily yoga, relaxing with friends & family over a slow home-cooked meal—seem to be revolutionary in our quick fix reactive society. This novel doesn’t just entertain- it instructs: can a group of ordinary people, armed with nothing more than intention, science + nature, and compassion, undo the damage of unchecked corporate greed?
There’s a quiet brilliance to how the author weaves in elements of Ayurveda, trauma healing, and spiritual ecology, reminding us that the health of the earth, and us, is not compartmentalized. From the echoes of a global pandemic, 108 is a novel that insists on living, loving, and remembering.
Recommended for: fans of eco-fiction daring to believe that planetary healing and collective awakening lies in advocating for our environment; taking care of our mind, body, and soul using nature’s wisdom, and remembering that the earth is not just where we live- it’s our mirror.
www.functionalpharmacist.life
This isn't just a thriller; it's a meditation on the urgent need for integration—between tradition and science, body and earth, self and community. I found at the heart of the story a profound message about quick fixes at the cost of long-term balance. The symbolization of Bayla's name and the number 108 was not lost on me: the emergency number in India, the beads of a mala, and the vital energy lines of the body converging at the heart chakra, the characters show us how emergent group intention, sacred knowledge, and collective healing might be our best medicine.
The story paralleled our reductionist pharmaceutical model, much like antibiotics may kill the bacteria causing our symptoms, they also decrease protective microbes in our gut as well as shift the balance to possible fungal domination, resulting in chronic disease years later. In 108, linking environmental devastation to personal illness is an easy bridge to cross for me, the land becomes both metaphor and mirror for the human body—robbed of phytonutrients, disconnected, and withering.
Personally, I’ve discovered that small actions grounded in humility & informed by ancestral wisdom, intended to change my terrain—fermented vegetables, organic berries, daily yoga, relaxing with friends & family over a slow home-cooked meal—seem to be revolutionary in our quick fix reactive society. This novel doesn’t just entertain- it instructs: can a group of ordinary people, armed with nothing more than intention, science + nature, and compassion, undo the damage of unchecked corporate greed?
There’s a quiet brilliance to how the author weaves in elements of Ayurveda, trauma healing, and spiritual ecology, reminding us that the health of the earth, and us, is not compartmentalized. From the echoes of a global pandemic, 108 is a novel that insists on living, loving, and remembering.
Recommended for: fans of eco-fiction daring to believe that planetary healing and collective awakening lies in advocating for our environment; taking care of our mind, body, and soul using nature’s wisdom, and remembering that the earth is not just where we live- it’s our mirror.
www.functionalpharmacist.life
June 15, 2025
Dheepa’s debut novel is a compelling, multi-character page-turner that is part suspense thriller and part ode to nature. The true beauty of this book lies in the author's ability to use fiction to explore real-world ecological crises while highlighting the invisible yet profound connections between people and the planet.
Bayla, the protagonist, struggles with flashbacks, visions, and a sense of abandonment which make her both flawed and deeply relatable. Through Bayla's journey, the author gently reminds us of the dangers of eco-inertia (reminded me of my own struggles with conscious consumption) and shows us how collective responsibility can lead to measurable progress.
As someone who grew up devouring the works of Michael Crichton and Robin Cook, I found Dheepa’s storytelling both exciting and thought-provoking. I can't wait to see what else is in the works for this brilliant new author!
Bayla, the protagonist, struggles with flashbacks, visions, and a sense of abandonment which make her both flawed and deeply relatable. Through Bayla's journey, the author gently reminds us of the dangers of eco-inertia (reminded me of my own struggles with conscious consumption) and shows us how collective responsibility can lead to measurable progress.
As someone who grew up devouring the works of Michael Crichton and Robin Cook, I found Dheepa’s storytelling both exciting and thought-provoking. I can't wait to see what else is in the works for this brilliant new author!
July 2, 2025
108 by Dheepa R. Maturi is a thought provoking eco-thriller that will keep you rooted to your seat for way longer than you realized! This was my first impression of this author, and I am obsessed! While this book is compelling, engaging, and suspenseful, its also one that will make you sit and think about it long after you've read the final page. I highly recommend diving into this book, regardless of your preferences on genre!
April 24, 2025
Beautifully written, thought provoking book calling attention to the interconnection and fragility of our planet and species.
June 11, 2025
A simply exhilarating read! The author takes you on an emotional journey to understand the parallels between the Earth and humanity. The characters are delightfully complex. The twists and turns of their relationships, adventures, and purpose keep you on your toes until the end. Can't wait for the next book. Sequel please!
June 11, 2025
Loved this book, it is a thought-provoking & engaging story line! Highly recommend!
May 27, 2025
Fantastic debut novel. On one level, 108 is a satisfying race to avert an environmental disaster, with the protagonist, Bayla, on a quest to rediscover her forgotten extraordinary powers. At a deeper level, the novel coaxes each of us to quiet the noise and honor the simple truth of our interconnectedness – to each other, to the earth and to the universe. The author artfully weaves ancient wisdom with a futuristic plot to create a unique and creative story. Highly recommend!
June 18, 2025
108: An Eco-Thriller is the best kind of surprise in a novel: where you cannot imagine someone will be able to stick the landing on a book in all the areas they have incorporated but not only do they do so, but the richness of that success takes an engaging thriller with a creative premise and elevates it into something luminous and thoughtful. Maturi’s first novel takes her crisp yet descriptive language of poet and non-fiction writer and carries us along a fast-paced thriller centered around ecological loss set in an all too imaginable near future where the air has become unbreathable without personal filtration and an electronics driven reality has supplanted our roots to the earth.
I was drawn in quickly by Bayla’s story, one enriched by elements of her yogic practice, and was glad to have a nice long plane ride to not need to put it down until I finished! Often first novels feel awkward in some writing element or another, particularly dialogue, which as a reader I find distracting, but Maturi manages dialogue deftly, and balances the pace of this novel in a way that lives up to the thriller title without sacrificing depth.
Along the way my heart was touched, my spirit a little refueled without any sugarcoating of the costs of our ecological actions and our current human choices—a rare chance to read a fast paced novel for fun and find myself richer as a human for taking the ride.
True confessions I love and have read most of the books the author references in her notes as contributing to her writing journey (Gathering Moss—bestill my beating heart) so clearly I am part of a demographic that is especially ready to enjoy 108, but the novel feels rich enough in so many different ways that it’s an easy one to recommend to the casual thriller reader and the environmentally thoughtful alike but also to readers of magical realism and those who enjoy learning new ideas in their fiction reads. I finished and handed my copy to my husband to enjoy, and then ordered another copy to share!
I was drawn in quickly by Bayla’s story, one enriched by elements of her yogic practice, and was glad to have a nice long plane ride to not need to put it down until I finished! Often first novels feel awkward in some writing element or another, particularly dialogue, which as a reader I find distracting, but Maturi manages dialogue deftly, and balances the pace of this novel in a way that lives up to the thriller title without sacrificing depth.
Along the way my heart was touched, my spirit a little refueled without any sugarcoating of the costs of our ecological actions and our current human choices—a rare chance to read a fast paced novel for fun and find myself richer as a human for taking the ride.
True confessions I love and have read most of the books the author references in her notes as contributing to her writing journey (Gathering Moss—bestill my beating heart) so clearly I am part of a demographic that is especially ready to enjoy 108, but the novel feels rich enough in so many different ways that it’s an easy one to recommend to the casual thriller reader and the environmentally thoughtful alike but also to readers of magical realism and those who enjoy learning new ideas in their fiction reads. I finished and handed my copy to my husband to enjoy, and then ordered another copy to share!
June 11, 2025
Eco? Thriller? Yes and yes. I’m a fan of binge reading a good thriller, but would I enjoy an eco thriller? Turns out, absolutely. I was hooked by the excitement from the start of the book. Serenity and beauty of nature inspired beautiful passages that left me feeling connected deeply to the journey of the protagonists.
This is an easy book to get pulled into and spark imagination. Stories connecting nature to Southeast Asian culture were particularly meaningful and unique to this book. I would recommend this book to friends wholeheartedly. Also, I would recommend this as summer reading for high school students as it can speak to different generations and may be a good gateway to books in this genre.
This is an easy book to get pulled into and spark imagination. Stories connecting nature to Southeast Asian culture were particularly meaningful and unique to this book. I would recommend this book to friends wholeheartedly. Also, I would recommend this as summer reading for high school students as it can speak to different generations and may be a good gateway to books in this genre.
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June 23, 2025108 by Dheepa R. Mathuri is a unique thriller that’s both exciting and easy to read. It blends themes of nature, hope, and connection into a fast-paced story that never feels heavy or preachy.
The writing is simple and clear, with short chapters that keep the plot moving and make it hard to put down.
108 is a page-turner that gives a fresh take on eco-thrillers.
The writing is simple and clear, with short chapters that keep the plot moving and make it hard to put down.
108 is a page-turner that gives a fresh take on eco-thrillers.
Read
June 9, 2025A high-stakes thriller about one woman's quest to save the planet. This book is smart, savvy, and perhaps frighteningly prescient about where our planet may be heading. The themes of family give personal texture to the global scale of the story.
June 15, 2025
108: An Eco-Thriller is an amazing read and I would definitely recommend it! The book addresses an important issue and brings awareness to how critical Earth, nature and humans need to work together. The book also effortlessly integrates meditation, yoga and wellbeing throughout the storyline. This is a book that you won't be able to put down! A must-read!!
July 14, 2025
What an intriguing premise: Bayla has an out-of-body experience connected to her birthplace in India and to a test by an agrochemical company. Bayla’s that connected to the land and the to earth, partly through a network of people with a similar ability to reach out across the world on a spiritual plane—perhaps on a quantum level, now that we have those concepts to explain it all.
It’s a very engaging tale as she travels back to her homeland and reconnects with family, in the process resolving a deep, longstanding emotional wound and question: why her father abandoned her as a child. The trip also turns out to be fraught with danger: Zed, the billionaire owner of the agrochemical corp, is monomaniacally set on vengeance for a death in the past, and also turns out to be less-than-ethical when it comes to his methods for solving world food production.
So many cool ideas, and generally so well-written. The story, however, did get lost in the weeds sometimes, mostly in trying to explain spiritual goings-on (like how 108, the book’s title, is a kind of mystical thing), but also in trying to tie up loose ends towards the end of the book. There’s a weirdly executed love story, and one that’s suggested but never really completed. Zed is a strange figure, almost a caricature of a capitalist with an axe to grind. But like I say, there are many cool ideas in here; also many lush and vivid descriptions of place, and some genuinely touching human connections.
I like the uniqueness of this story in offering a wholly different way of saving the planet, rooted in a non-Western worldview, and how it drives home the idea that capitalism is violence. Earth and nature are considered, as in many non-Western traditions, partners to humans, and humans stewards. Animals are co-inhabitants of our biosphere. It’s refreshing to read an ecology-focused thriller that considers more-than-human perspectives, and *108* left me thoughtful. I’m really glad I read it.
Thanks to Girl Friday Productions and NetGalley for early DRC access.
It’s a very engaging tale as she travels back to her homeland and reconnects with family, in the process resolving a deep, longstanding emotional wound and question: why her father abandoned her as a child. The trip also turns out to be fraught with danger: Zed, the billionaire owner of the agrochemical corp, is monomaniacally set on vengeance for a death in the past, and also turns out to be less-than-ethical when it comes to his methods for solving world food production.
So many cool ideas, and generally so well-written. The story, however, did get lost in the weeds sometimes, mostly in trying to explain spiritual goings-on (like how 108, the book’s title, is a kind of mystical thing), but also in trying to tie up loose ends towards the end of the book. There’s a weirdly executed love story, and one that’s suggested but never really completed. Zed is a strange figure, almost a caricature of a capitalist with an axe to grind. But like I say, there are many cool ideas in here; also many lush and vivid descriptions of place, and some genuinely touching human connections.
I like the uniqueness of this story in offering a wholly different way of saving the planet, rooted in a non-Western worldview, and how it drives home the idea that capitalism is violence. Earth and nature are considered, as in many non-Western traditions, partners to humans, and humans stewards. Animals are co-inhabitants of our biosphere. It’s refreshing to read an ecology-focused thriller that considers more-than-human perspectives, and *108* left me thoughtful. I’m really glad I read it.
Thanks to Girl Friday Productions and NetGalley for early DRC access.
Read
December 16, 2025This was unlike anything I've read in a while - admittedly my first eco-thriller I think! Thank you to the publisher and author for a free print copy. I'm providing this review of my own accord <3
Bayla is an incredible main character to follow, and I loved following along her adventure and journey. She is someone who has endured so much trauma, and must confront it in order to move forward both in the book and the plot. Dheepa R. Maturi cleverly and tactfully weaves in themes of ecological grief, abandonment, collective intention, generational trauma, and repeated cycles into this adventure/thriller, and what stood out most to me was Bayla's concern for the future, rather than focusing solely on her own safety and future. She saw Earth's future as most important, and I think that's something that many people, especially big corporation, have lost sight of. Is there a way to make capitalism conscious/mindful?
I really appreciated the author's note at the end, detailing the background for why and how she wrote this book, and especially the myth, religion, and spirituality references she pulled from, like The Seven Sages and the number "108". I also was grateful to learn about the true meaning of the "divine feminine," because to no one's surprise, I've only heard of this from white women, and in a way that promotes trad wives/soft lives/conservative lifestyles. The way that the true meaning is SO different!!!! Thank you to the author for this fast-paced, action-packed thriller, and I highly recommend this to fellow thriller fans and/or Earth fans!! (so.. everyone lol!)
Bayla is an incredible main character to follow, and I loved following along her adventure and journey. She is someone who has endured so much trauma, and must confront it in order to move forward both in the book and the plot. Dheepa R. Maturi cleverly and tactfully weaves in themes of ecological grief, abandonment, collective intention, generational trauma, and repeated cycles into this adventure/thriller, and what stood out most to me was Bayla's concern for the future, rather than focusing solely on her own safety and future. She saw Earth's future as most important, and I think that's something that many people, especially big corporation, have lost sight of. Is there a way to make capitalism conscious/mindful?
I really appreciated the author's note at the end, detailing the background for why and how she wrote this book, and especially the myth, religion, and spirituality references she pulled from, like The Seven Sages and the number "108". I also was grateful to learn about the true meaning of the "divine feminine," because to no one's surprise, I've only heard of this from white women, and in a way that promotes trad wives/soft lives/conservative lifestyles. The way that the true meaning is SO different!!!! Thank you to the author for this fast-paced, action-packed thriller, and I highly recommend this to fellow thriller fans and/or Earth fans!! (so.. everyone lol!)
March 21, 2025
I've been into the concept of the eco-thriller recently - movies and books that highlight the consequences of human behaviors on our planet. This book takes that idea and throws the reader into a world of adventure and suspense, science and spirituality. 108 started off powerfully and kept me hooked througout the entire read!
The protagonist of the novel, Bayla, is a strong woman that I was rooting for from the beginning, and the author does a nice job of blending Bayla's strengths with vulnerabilities. The supporting characters weave in and out of the story seamlessly and provide depth, warmth, and intrigue to the action-packed story. The author writes beautifully and vividly, allowing me to feel the tension that Bayla feels throught the novel.
This book stayed in my thoughts even after I finished it because it impressed upon me the duality of Mother Earth - that she is both frail and enduring, but that humanity ultimately determines her fate. In 108, this duality plays out in a compelling narrative that pits human greed against human spirit, both battling for our world in different ways. I highly recommend this read, and I think I will be sticking to eco-thrillers in the near future!
The protagonist of the novel, Bayla, is a strong woman that I was rooting for from the beginning, and the author does a nice job of blending Bayla's strengths with vulnerabilities. The supporting characters weave in and out of the story seamlessly and provide depth, warmth, and intrigue to the action-packed story. The author writes beautifully and vividly, allowing me to feel the tension that Bayla feels throught the novel.
This book stayed in my thoughts even after I finished it because it impressed upon me the duality of Mother Earth - that she is both frail and enduring, but that humanity ultimately determines her fate. In 108, this duality plays out in a compelling narrative that pits human greed against human spirit, both battling for our world in different ways. I highly recommend this read, and I think I will be sticking to eco-thrillers in the near future!
June 27, 2025
This was a very interesting and thought provoking read. It is a eco-thriller so it revolves around a chemical being placed inside the soil on earth. Could this be the miracle that everyone has been waiting for or will it mean the end of human existence.
Bayla Jeevan finds herself going through an out of body experience. And experience that transports her back to her life in the past and her father voice. While she can't explain why she has gone through this one thing is clear. Something is happened, something that could potentially destroy the Earth and life as we know it. But with no idea of how her past is connected or if she can even make a difference will she be able to find a solution in time.
As Bayla digs deeper into her past and the big company that is trying to push their agenda on people she realises that their is more to her than she thought and that it is up to her to save the day.
I found this book really thought provoking in the sense that it makes you think about your choices in life and how they have lasting effects. It also shows what can happen when big companys try to overrun communities to highten their agendas no matter what the consequences are for everyone around them.
Bayla Jeevan finds herself going through an out of body experience. And experience that transports her back to her life in the past and her father voice. While she can't explain why she has gone through this one thing is clear. Something is happened, something that could potentially destroy the Earth and life as we know it. But with no idea of how her past is connected or if she can even make a difference will she be able to find a solution in time.
As Bayla digs deeper into her past and the big company that is trying to push their agenda on people she realises that their is more to her than she thought and that it is up to her to save the day.
I found this book really thought provoking in the sense that it makes you think about your choices in life and how they have lasting effects. It also shows what can happen when big companys try to overrun communities to highten their agendas no matter what the consequences are for everyone around them.
November 22, 2025
108 an eco thriller is an engaging and heartfelt thriller that mixes suspense, adventure, and environmental themes in a very natural way. From the first chapter, the story pulls you in and keeps building as Bayla begins to uncover the truth about her past and the dangers facing the planet. Bayla is a strong and relatable character, and I appreciated how the author shows both her inner strength and her moments of doubt. This balance makes her feel very real.
The supporting characters move in and out of the plot smoothly, each adding something important, whether it’s emotional support, intrigue, or new information. The writing is clear, vivid, and easy to read, making the world feel alive and the tension easy to feel.
What stayed with me after finishing the book was its message about Earth. The story reminds us that the planet can be both delicate and resilient, and that our actions matter. The conflict between human greed and human spirit is shown in a simple but powerful way.
Overall, 108 is a meaningful, exciting, and well-paced read. It’s the kind of book that stays on your mind even after you’re done. I recommend it to anyone who likes eco-thrillers, strong female characters, or stories that combine action with purpose.
The supporting characters move in and out of the plot smoothly, each adding something important, whether it’s emotional support, intrigue, or new information. The writing is clear, vivid, and easy to read, making the world feel alive and the tension easy to feel.
What stayed with me after finishing the book was its message about Earth. The story reminds us that the planet can be both delicate and resilient, and that our actions matter. The conflict between human greed and human spirit is shown in a simple but powerful way.
Overall, 108 is a meaningful, exciting, and well-paced read. It’s the kind of book that stays on your mind even after you’re done. I recommend it to anyone who likes eco-thrillers, strong female characters, or stories that combine action with purpose.
July 1, 2025
In this sci-fi thriller one woman must stop a chemical magnate from destroying life on Earth. Whilst on a night shift Bayla has an out-of-body experience, where her consciousness was transported deep within an Indian forest where she witnessed a noxious liquid spreading through the soil. At the same time she received a message from her father warning her of imminent danger, however her father has been presumed dead for the past fifteen years. Meanwhile, halfway around the world ZedChem an agrochemical corporation owned by billionaire Krakun Zed is testing its latest innovation. The company is heralding their product as the solution to topsoil erosion, but the data shows something different. Bayla discovers a connection between her family and a secret organisation with ancient roots. Her investigation then leads her to ZedChem who she must prevent from ruining agriculture globally, and ultimately devastating human existence. This action packed eco-thriller kept me hooked throughout. The intriguing storyline kept me interested and I felt engaged with the realistic and likeable Bayla. I found this to be a thought provoking read with a very clear message.
November 29, 2025
I won a copy of this book from Goodreads giveaway and giving my honest review.
This story, based on the synopsis, sounded good.
The magic systems was a bit hard for me to understand how it worked. However, what little I did understood do it, I liked because it’s a magic system that is earth based, like a web where all living beings are connected in a web of life. It’s sad but can also be true that because of one single evil person everyone else has to suffer. It’s a slow paced thriller and things/secrets reveal slowly as the story unfolds. I however, found myself not as invested in the story as I had thought I would be? I couldn’t connect with the characters especially the FMC Bayla. I kept pushing myself to read it. I am not sure if it’s because I wasn’t in the right headspace or if it was because the story just isn’t for me. At times the story sounded a bit too fantastical and I feel like it dragged in certain parts.
It’s still an interesting story and has its good parts, but maybe it’s not for me.
This story, based on the synopsis, sounded good.
The magic systems was a bit hard for me to understand how it worked. However, what little I did understood do it, I liked because it’s a magic system that is earth based, like a web where all living beings are connected in a web of life. It’s sad but can also be true that because of one single evil person everyone else has to suffer. It’s a slow paced thriller and things/secrets reveal slowly as the story unfolds. I however, found myself not as invested in the story as I had thought I would be? I couldn’t connect with the characters especially the FMC Bayla. I kept pushing myself to read it. I am not sure if it’s because I wasn’t in the right headspace or if it was because the story just isn’t for me. At times the story sounded a bit too fantastical and I feel like it dragged in certain parts.
It’s still an interesting story and has its good parts, but maybe it’s not for me.
July 2, 2025
For a debut novel, this author has written an incredible novel that immediately draws you in and you aren’t going to be able to put it down. The fast pace of the story is well paced, so you never feel like its rushed, but you can’t put the book down until you see what next, repeat until you realize you have read the entire novel. I always enjoy stories with a strong heroine, and Bayla is such a well written and complex heroine, she is stubborn, intelligent, and willing to do whatever she can to discover the truth regarding her past, her ancestors and how she can save the world, but she isn’t perfect and she struggles with self-doubt, does she really understand what is happening, is what she is doing correct, she seemed to be carrying the world on her shoulders. I found it fascinating mixing science, spirituality, along with humanity and how they can work together or what could happen when they don’t. A thought-provoking novel that stays in your mind long after you finish it.
July 3, 2025
108: An Eco-Thriller by Dheepa R Maturi. This is a new author to me and its a fast paced eco fantasy thriller that will keep you turning pages all thru the night. Its the story of Bayla who has an out of body experience while working the night shift. She remembers being transported to some far off land where there is a bad liquid running into the ground. About the same time she is receiving messages from her dead father about about danger. Half way across the world ZedChem is testing their new product which is supposed to be a solution to topsoil erosion. Bayla begins to research all this out of body experience and she finds that there is a secret organization that has ancient roots and it leads her directly to ZedChem. She knows that if she doesn't put a stop to it that it will inevitably ruin agriculture worldwide and in turn end the human race. Will she be able to save the planet. This is a fast paced thriller that I'm sure you will love!
July 2, 2025
108: An Eco Thriller by Dheepa R. Maturi
4 Star Review
Dheepa Maturi did a wonderful job in creating this page-turner of a book. 108 was suspenseful and sucked me into the story with the very first page. This is not my typical genre to read but it definitely helped me broaden my selection!
The troubles that are faced in this story are real things that are and could continue to plague the Earth if the situation continues as it is. The character Bayla became my quick hero as she faces obstacles while trying to remain calm and peaceful. She is a very likeable character, one who you find yourself pulling for more with every page.
This book is descriptive and well written. Although I haven’t yet read the previous books, this one was a wonderful conclusion to the story as I read it. I can’t wait to backtrack and read the others.
4 Star Review
Dheepa Maturi did a wonderful job in creating this page-turner of a book. 108 was suspenseful and sucked me into the story with the very first page. This is not my typical genre to read but it definitely helped me broaden my selection!
The troubles that are faced in this story are real things that are and could continue to plague the Earth if the situation continues as it is. The character Bayla became my quick hero as she faces obstacles while trying to remain calm and peaceful. She is a very likeable character, one who you find yourself pulling for more with every page.
This book is descriptive and well written. Although I haven’t yet read the previous books, this one was a wonderful conclusion to the story as I read it. I can’t wait to backtrack and read the others.
July 3, 2025
Dheepa R Maturi’s "108: An Eco-Thriller" is a riveting novel that seamlessly blends environmental consciousness with nail-biting suspense. From the very first page, the novel grips the reader with its fast-paced narrative and intricate plot twists, making it impossible to put down. The plot is both thought-provoking and engaging, weaving together themes of environmental activism, corporate intrigue, and human resilience. The author’s ability to intertwine scientific facts with thrilling fiction not only entertains, but also educates leaving readers with a heightened sense of awareness about ecological issues. The protagonist’s journey is emotionally resonant and offers readers a profound connection to the story’s environmental message. Maturi’s writing style is crisp and evocative, painting vivid images that linger long after the last page is turned.
October 28, 2025
Written in simple language yet set against a complex backdrop of futuristic ecology, the narrative of 108 offered me a refreshingly unique experience. As I read on, I found myself more intrigued by the haunting vision of the future than by the story itself. It took me a while to get into the novel, perhaps because this was my first time reading a full-fledged eco-thriller. I will read 108 again to experience more, after a gap.
The intricate interconnection between rivers, trees, and topsoil—something we often take for granted—comes alive with remarkable depth. The novel also challenges and dispels several myths rooted in mythology, which I found particularly engaging. I'm sure they are bound to initiate many dialogues.
Overall, 108 holds the potential to inspire fresh creativity in this particular blend of genres, and that feels truly uplifting.
The intricate interconnection between rivers, trees, and topsoil—something we often take for granted—comes alive with remarkable depth. The novel also challenges and dispels several myths rooted in mythology, which I found particularly engaging. I'm sure they are bound to initiate many dialogues.
Overall, 108 holds the potential to inspire fresh creativity in this particular blend of genres, and that feels truly uplifting.
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