Dollartorium

by Ron Pullins

Like Animal Farm, Catch- 22, and Gulliver’s Travels, Dollartorium is a deceptively simple story that belies the complicated truth of capitalism.

The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting screwed.

Ralph makes world-class corndogs in a small Kansas shop. It’s humble work, but honest. The problem? The bills pile up faster than the money rolls in, and Ralph can’t help but notice the widening gap between the haves and the have-nots.

Ralph’s wife has had enough. She’s determined to get rich, one way or another. So when an infomercial for the “Dollartorium” promises untold wealth through a few simple business courses, Ralph reluctantly agrees to give it a shot.

Soon he’s learning how to hire, fire, market, and hustle his way to success. When the entire Dollartorium empire inevitably collapses under the weight of its own greed, Ralph must find his way back to what really matters: honest work, family, and the best damn corndogs in Kansas.

244 pages, Paperback

First published February 10, 2026

Reviews

[Ten Cats Reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐.5

Pre-Read Notes:

I admit, the title and cover totally grabbed me. Corndogs have been a life long favorite for me. I still miss them, since I've become vegetarian 🌭😍

"“No one in America thinks a poor man is good ,” Ralph says." “I hate the rich, Daddy,” Stella says. ...“They make a person feel poor. And they make us think poor is bad....” p53

Final Review

(thoughts & recs) Well damn if this book doesn't remind me of Gulliver's Travels and Candide's slightly hysterical baby. This book made me roll my eyes and it also gave me hope. What more could anyone want from a book?

It's a clever experiment, but not exactly gripping. And I find the philosophy distracting, but unfortunately the story only exists to perform the philosophy.

My Favorite Things:

✔️ Simple style for an adult novel. It works here though, in a story about regular Joes running a small regular Joe type business.

✔️ This is an absurdist piece, and satire, and also a critique of capitalism. It's also an allegory. Maybe? That's a *lot* of concept for one book, and it turns the story into a sort of word tornado. I expect to edit this critique when I finish reading. *edit The story is not really absurd; it's got a costume on. It's standing in for philosophical concepts. (It *is* as dull as you might expect that to be.) In fiction, all things should serve the story; the story should not serve something else.

✔️ "Ralph loves Stella. She is more than his daughter. She is also his loving companion. Her voice is like his, her thoughts are his thoughts made fresh. He approves of her and trusts her opinions, something he needs— don’t we all— in a world of fakery." p53 This book is sort of hectic (of course it is; it's a representation of capitalism) and these quiet moments hit just right.

✔️ "Things are only Things. Forms are perfect. Got it now. Like shapes. Like numbers. Yes. Got it. So, what’s Good is that which never changes, is that which is eternal, immutable, like numbers, math. Got it. A corn dog is a corn dog , and corn dogs can be eaten, but Money is a Form, and Forms are what’s Real , they never change and last forever. Money is forever.’" p57 There is a lot of philosophy in this book and philosophy can be hard to write for a popular audience. If this excerpt feels like it's got a giant hole through the middle of it, that's because it does.

I found an audiobook copy of THE REPORT CARD by Andrew Clements in Libby.

Notes: animal death, butchery, capitalism, wealth disparity,

Thank you to Ron Pullins, Unsolicited Press, and NetGalley for an accessible digital arc of DOLLARTORIUM. All views are mine.

[Marissa F · Rating 2 out of 5]

When I first started reading Dollartorium, I kept thinking "this is something my dad would write". It's very steeped in Americana Boomer Nostalgia and Hallmark movie small-town vibes. The author envisions brick buildings on Main Street, full of quaint little shops "that make things, or repair shoes, or sell handmade ice cream, coffee, sodas, popcorn, candy, or notions stores that sell hankies, scarves, and other gifts for grandma." No mention of the Dollar General, McDonalds, and EZ Pawn that are modern-day small town staples.

Ralph (as the hero) is allowed to be layered, but the two women are:
1 the lazy-but-still-money-obsessed nagging wife
2 the angelic daughter/"loving companion" who calls Ralph "daddy" and whose "voice is like his, her thoughts are his thoughts made fresh".

But once the Money Master was introduced, I began to suspect that this was an allegory of a different variety. The Money Master is a tacky little charlatan, who literally covers himself in cash, brags about his "real gold", and monologues about the art of the deal and "how to fix it so you can’t lose, how to change the rules of whatever game you play". His expertise includes "how to threaten, sue, badger, cheat, and play golf". He "operates on how he feels and what works for him".

He very literally JUMPS OFF THE SCREEN to seduce Americans who feel like they're entitled to more. As Phyllis tells him (verbatim), "We vote Republican. We should be rich."

At 43%, when the "supplicants" all show their buttholes to the Money Master, who farts in order to create "movement in the marketplace", I started to wonder how high the author was when he wrote this book. And how high would I need to be for it to make any sense?

At 50%, I decided to take a break. A week later, I could not motivate myself to go back and finish this story. It's tedious.
Maybe the author brings it all back around and it returns to being a smart allegory, but I don't care enough to find out. The potential was there, but it got lost in a haze of farts and buttholes. Much like American politics itself, I guess.

I appreciate NetGalley and the publisher for access to a free digital ARC. My honest review is my own opinion.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fable for the 21st century.

This tale of a working-class corn dog business-owning American family, will lead you on an adventure through Capitalism and back again. The husband, Ralph, a traditionalist, deep-thinking, Plato reading perfectionist takes pleasure in the owning and running of the manufacturing process of his business, from growing the corn, to rearing the very pigs that will be slaughtered to make his famous corn dogs; despite it's very little income or profit. Ralph enjoys the look on his customers faces, proudly announcing the freshness of his product, as they watch him dip the corn dogs in the batter. Despite, the support of his daughter, Stella, his wife, Phyllis demands more from life. She dreams of nicer cars, bigger houses, holidays and freedom having lots of money and not needing to work. She is obsessed with money, both the physical cash and the idea of what it means, and how others see them with or without it.

During a commercial break of one of her daily gameshows that she watches whilst ringing up customers, taking joy in the handling of the very thing that could change her life, she is inticed to sign her husband up by a mystery 'Money Master' for courses at the Dollartorium to change his mindset and drive to be more money-orientated.

I feel like this could be one of the most important books to come out in 2026. I highly recommend that everyone reads it, it made me question my relationship with money, finances, savings, desires and more. I even sorted out my finances mid-book. This story is so well written and although it features a few modern references to modern technologies, could really be set at any time or place in the modern world. It's also a reflection on small business, the desire to do right, despite the lack of selfish gains, and purpose - something that we can easily lack in modern times, that can have impacts on our societal outlooks, and the way we view others "success" in this modern social-media driven world.

A few callow reviews that I read pre-read thought that this book was sexist due to the nature of the difference of characters Ralph - deep, shallow, modest where as his wife Phyllis was just filled with greed and selfish intent. I would counter these claims completely, I felt that Phyllis was the more relatable character, maybe a mirror of our more grotesque inner desires, she just wanted what was best for her family, business and self-goals. Whereas I couldn't relate with Ralph at all, he seemed old-fashioned, stuck in the past, untethered, always trying to find answers to questions he didn't even know needed answering.

I HIGHLY recommend this book, and I am very pleased that I got the oppurtunity to read it, and I hope that it does open up discussion points, and counter-opinions, like many fables and classics of the past.

[Michael Doane]

Dollartorium is a sharp, darkly comic satire that takes aim at the promises and absurdities of late stage capitalism through a deceptively simple premise. Echoing the moral clarity and allegorical bite of Animal Farm, Catch 22, and Gulliver’s Travels, Ron Pullins crafts a story that is funny on the surface and increasingly unsettling underneath.

At the center is Ralph, a skilled corndog maker in Kansas whose work is honest, modest, and insufficient in a system rigged against him. Pullins grounds the novel in recognizable economic anxiety: rising bills, stagnant wages, and the quiet humiliation of doing everything “right” and still falling behind. When Ralph is drawn into the slick, hollow promises of the Dollartorium empire an infomercial-fueled machine selling wealth through hustle and jargon the novel shifts into biting absurdism.

Pullins excels at exposing the language of exploitation. Business courses, motivational slogans, and growth at any cost rhetoric become tools not of empowerment but of erasure, stripping work of meaning while concentrating power upward. The collapse of the Dollartorium empire feels both inevitable and instructive, less a twist than a reckoning with a system built on greed and illusion.

What gives the novel weight beyond satire is its moral center. Ralph’s eventual return to family, craft, and honest labor is not framed as naïve nostalgia, but as resistance. In rejecting the false promises of endless accumulation, Dollartorium asks a pointed question: what, exactly, are we sacrificing in the pursuit of “success”?

At 246 pages, the novel is lean, propulsive, and accessible, yet thematically ambitious. Dollartorium works as social critique, cautionary tale, and dark comedy, offering readers a mirror that is both exaggerated and uncomfortably familiar. It is a timely novel for anyone grappling with the widening gap between labor and reward—and the stories we tell ourselves to survive it.

[Book Reviewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ralph earns his living in a modest Kansas shop, frying corndogs that are undeniably good and reliably popular. The work keeps him afloat for a while. It offers routine, modest comfort, and a sense of pride. Eventually, though, the numbers stop working. Sales stall. Bills pile up. Stability slips away.

At that moment of strain, Ralph’s wife introduces him to “Dollartorium,” a tantalizing promise discovered through an infomercial. The course offers bold ideas and glossy solutions. At first, it feels like salvation. New business concepts suggest a way out, maybe even a breakthrough. Then the foundation collapses. What seemed like an opportunity quickly unravels, leaving Ralph to reckon with the fallout. With the help of his daughter, Stella, he is forced to retrace his steps and search for a more realistic way forward for his family.

Dollartorium, by Ron Pullins, is a work of fiction that probes capitalism, hustle culture, and the pressures these forces place on families. Humor runs throughout the novel, but it never fully softens the sharper insights beneath the surface. The comedy entertains; the implications linger.

Pullins shows a clear awareness of how precarious financial life has become for many people. Ralph’s anxiety feels earned. His frustration resonates. The sense that the system is tilted against ordinary workers gives the story its urgency. The Dollartorium scheme itself feels uncomfortably familiar, echoing countless real-world programs marketed to those already struggling. These promises prey on desperation, and Pullins does not shy away from exposing their ethical rot.

Stella emerges as the novel’s moral and intellectual anchor. She tempers Ralph’s desperation with reason and clarity. Her perspective restores balance and nudges the story toward resolution. Yet even as the family regains its footing, the larger problem remains unresolved. The system that cornered them still stands. Pullins underscores this truth with restraint, allowing the message to land without sermonizing.

The novel closes on a note that is satisfying, though far from idyllic. That choice feels intentional. Pullins has more to say than a neat ending would allow. Through his characters, he gives voice to frustrations that have become commonplace, about inequality, exploitation, and the illusion of easy fixes. The odds remain stacked against the little guy, and the allure of grand, risky schemes proves hard to resist. Dollartorium captures that tension with clarity, humor, and an undercurrent of quiet anger that makes it linger after the final page.

[Reading Our Shelves · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review at: https://readingourshelves.wordpress.c...

We first meet Ralph, his wife Phyllis, and his daughter Stella at their corn dog restaurant. They have some land behind it, where they grow their own corn for the corn meal and raise their own pigs for the pork. They live above the shop. Ralph is obsessed with classic philosophers, and contemplates thoughts from Plato and the like while dipping the dogs in front of the line of lunch time customers. Phyllis runs the register, and is focused solely on money. Stella does a lot of the farm work, and also cleans up.

We get to know Phyllis better as she becomes enamored with the idea of making more money, specifically while she watches a TV near the register. A character called the Money Master sweeps her off her feet, and convinces her she should be rich. Now she just need to convince Ralph.

She books Ralph to attend The Dollartorium, where he’ll learn to make more money! He’s not really into this idea at first, but goes along to make his wife happy. This place is full of vapid people who are there because they also want to be rich, and they mostly just suck up to the Master in hopes that they get their turn.

The Master teaches Ralph – and the rest of the audience, listening in – about buying and selling, firing people, and other such ideas. But really, what he tries to impart is that wealth only about ideas, not tangible objects. Have a good idea for a business? Sell it while it’s still an idea, and you never have to bother with the goods at all!

Ralph does get sucked in by all this eventually, but his involvement only lasts a little while. His daughter comes looking for him, and rescues him from this topsy-turvy world of only intangible wealth. As he starts to reawaken to his own world, where he’s happy enough making a product he’s proud of, the pair run into Phyllis, who had to run the shop by herself while they were away. Crazily enough, she now also sees the value of a solid product and a hard day’s work! So they can all return home being on the same page, as it were.

There are a few zingers here and there, and a few not-so-veiled references to real people. But by and large, the writing is sparse and the allegory speaks for itself.

[Laura Flavin · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Dollartorium is a smart, darkly funny, and surprisingly heartfelt satire that takes aim at modern capitalism, wealth obsession, and the endless pursuit of success while never losing sight of the ordinary people trapped inside the system. Ron Pullins crafts a deceptively simple narrative that gradually reveals itself to be a sharp critique of economic inequality, corporate manipulation, and the seductive mythology surrounding self-made success. Much like the satirical classics it evokes, the novel balances humor and absurdity with genuine emotional insight, creating a story that is both entertaining and deeply reflective.”

“What stood out most was Ralph’s emotional journey through the chaos of the Dollartorium machine. His honest work ethic and quiet desire for stability make him immediately relatable, especially as he becomes increasingly pulled into a world of marketing promises, artificial ambition, and hollow financial fantasies. The novel brilliantly captures how desperation and economic pressure can slowly distort personal values, relationships, and self-worth without ever turning its characters into caricatures. Ralph’s wife’s hunger for financial escape adds another emotionally believable layer to the story, grounding the satire in recognizable fears surrounding money, security, and social status. The collapse of the Dollartorium empire feels both absurdly funny and painfully familiar, reflecting larger anxieties surrounding modern business culture and get-rich-quick ideology. Yet beneath the satire, the novel carries genuine warmth through its focus on family, craftsmanship, and the quiet dignity of meaningful work. Pullins manages to critique capitalism without losing compassion for the people trying to survive within it. Funny, intelligent, and emotionally grounded, Dollartorium is the kind of satire that entertains readers while leaving them reflecting long after the final page.”

[Govind · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is a satire on the "American Dream" and capitalism. The time period it is set in is unclear. It evokes a pre 90s image with the characters yearning for the suburban live and convertible coupes, but at the same time the internet and Amazon is a thing in the book. This contradiction was a bit jarring, but the plot was interesting so I kept going.

There are just four main characters. The MC, the dad, the daughter, the mom, and the Money Master. Most of the characters are a bit flat and one dimensional. The dad is shown as a plato obsessed naive hard worker who suddenly transforms into a greedy money grubber. The mom feels like a character taken straight out of a misogynistic “my wife doesn’t appreciate my work” rant. It’s almost comical how selfish she is written to be. The Money Master is an absurd character too, but I will skip any comments on them as that would be very spoilery. The author really dialed the weirdness meter of the characters up, but given it’s a satire I didn’t think too much of it at first. The daughter is the only likeable character in the book.

It starts off strong and hooks you. he setting and pacing feel a bit surreal, and then things start to get strange. I thought the sense of absurdity might get smoothed out as it went on, but that was not the case. It gets more and more bizarre, and the middle of the book is just stretched out too much. Then the last act and the resolution happen way too fast. By the end, you are just left feeling confused. The book really feels half baked. It had a lot of potential, but it was all thrown away. The author just needed to balance out the absurdity with a bit more development and proper pacing in the middle. Even with the draggy middle, it was a quick read, so that was a positive. Overall, I do not recommend this book.

Thank you NetGalley, for the advance review copy.

[Sublime Book Review · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall Rating = 3.67

Storyline & Concept = 3.5
Writing and Delivery = 3.5
Editorial = 4
At its center, this story is about Ralph, an unassuming everyman whose pride lies not in wealth or status but in crafting the best corndogs in Kansas while deciphering the wisdom of Plato. His life is modest, even content, until his wife pressures him to do better, to give them ‘more.’ The arrival of the Money Master, directly from an infomercial, marks the story’s turn from realism to biting satire and a good dose of the ridiculous.
Dollartorium is a sharp satire that takes aim at modern capitalism with an absurdity that delivers a simple message while sharpening its knife. The message: The rich are getting richer on the backs of the poor. As Ralph is pulled into a world of buzzwords, selfish strategies, and ruthlessness, the novel skewers capitalists and exposes the moral emptiness at the heart of the system. The downfall of this system is equally foreseeable and satisfying, delivering hope to the reader that systems built on exploitation eventually fail. In the end, Ralph’s return to honest work, family, and his corndogs feels quietly radical. Despite its sometimes ludicrous approach, this novel is sprinkled with present day references and will appeal to those seeking humor in today’s reality.
Sublime Line: “Uncomfortably relevant, this is a modern satire that entertains while asking hard questions about success and what we’re willing to sacrifice in its pursuit.”

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I started reading DOLLARTORIUM, I thought it was going to be similar to other satire books I've read recently, but DOLLARTORIUM really stood out to me as something different. I was drawn into this story and finished it quicker that I thought I would. 

DOLLARTORIUM is a satire that dives deep into capitalism, really building on the get-rich-quick scheme that so many people are chasing. As the story progressed, I kept nodding my head because Ron really captures the absurdity of the world we are currently living in. We really only have a few characters, but those few characters create a message that I can't stop thinking about. 

Ralph. There's a lot to say about Ralph, but what it comes down to, most of us know Ralph or we are actually Ralph ourselves. I found myself hearing Ralph's "lessons" and thinking about how I've heard those things repeated to me over and over. Ralph's wife, Phyllis, was also complex. I have so many mixed emotions towards her, but mostly feelings of familiarity. And then there's Stella- she will probably be a favorite. 

I really enjoyed the commentary that Ron wrote here, particularly towards a certain political group that is terrorizing the world right now. It felt nice to see someone else say it out loud and I could laugh for just a little bit. 

[Blue Ant · Rating 5 out of 5]

What stayed with me is how the novel uses something as ordinary as a corndog shop to expose the emotional seduction of wealth culture. In Dollartorium, Ron Pullins builds satire through exaggerated business language and self improvement rhetoric, but underneath the humor is a real anxiety about what capitalism does to people’s sense of dignity and worth.

The contrast between Ralph’s honest craftsmanship and the artificial optimism of the Dollartorium courses gives the novel its sharpest tension. I especially appreciated how the story resists turning Ralph into either a fool or a hero. His gradual drift into hustle culture feels believable precisely because it emerges from financial exhaustion rather than greed alone. The simplicity of the prose also works in the book’s favor because it mirrors the plainspoken perspective of someone trying to survive systems far larger than himself.

This will resonate most with readers who enjoy satirical fiction grounded in working class frustration and economic absurdity.

By the end, the novel feels less interested in condemning ambition than in asking what gets sacrificed when survival becomes indistinguishable from endless self monetization.

[Hoa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dollartorium is a sharp, satirical look at the chaos of hustle culture and the lure of get‑rich‑quick schemes. Ralph’s reluctant descent from honest corndog maker to unwilling participant in a collapsing business empire highlights how capitalism often pushes ordinary people into desperate choices. I enjoyed the core message and the way it exposes the emptiness behind manufactured ambition. Still, the prose can feel choppy, and the narrative leans heavily into snarky, dry‑wit humor that sometimes overwhelms the sincerity beneath the satire.
At times, reading it felt like standing in the center of an overcrowded market — too much happening, too many voices, all at once — wrapped in the unforgiving pace of a butcher shop, where everything moves fast and nothing slows down long enough to breathe. The hectic narrative rhythm matches the world it’s critiquing, but it can also be exhausting.
PS. Thank you to Ron Pullins, Unsolicited Press, and NetGalley for an accessible digital arc of DOLLARTORIUM.

[Pam]

There are four characters in the Dollartorium this fable.

Ralph is a small businessman in a small Kansas town. He makes corn dogs that folks in town line up for each day. He has a successful business and loves his work. His daughter Stella completed college without requiring school loans and now works with Ralph as they both tend to their pigs and their corn crop to present the most worthy corn dogs every day. They are both happy with the work they do by serving happy customers.

Phyllis is Ralph’s wife. She mechanically tends to the cash register and is unhappy because she wants a swimming pool and fancy clothes. She wants to be rich.

The Money Master is the fourth character. Well, maybe you know him.

It is Phyllis who gets the visit from the Money Master and convinces Ralph to see him.

Any one of us could find ourselves in Ralph’s shoes trying to satisfy Phyllis’ desires…and maybe a touch of his own? What will happen? What would you do if you met the Money Master?

Dollartorium is a great read! 5 Stars!

[Ellie W · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dollartorium is a poetically written satirical novel about capitalism. It is packed with imagery - some familiar, some fantastical - which I quite enjoyed. The unique writing style was a fun aspect of the story & I hadn’t seen anything like it before! I appreciated the messages presented within the book also, especially in regard to greed.

That said, there’s a few things I wish were different with the story. I wish that the route to the Dollartorium was better explained - how did Stella know how to get there? I also found it hard to get into reading as Phyllis is so unlikeable (for awhile). The set up before the Dollartorium was a bit long considering how few lessons there are at the Dollartorium & how quickly things go awry. I’d have liked to have spent more time inside, seeing how things work & learning about the Money Master & Sycophant.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book through NetGalley.

[Emily Bazman · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5/5 stars

In the blurb for this book, it is described as “a deceptively simple story,” though after reading, it seems it’s no deception. The book is written at a 12-year-old’s reading level, so much so that I really wondered if I was missing something deeper. Alas, my reading comprehension is still intact and I did just waste hours on a book I thought would evolve beyond farts and bared butts in honor of capitalism.

Pros:
-Undoubtedly, this book has genuinely funny moments in its satire of capitalism
-Dunking on the GOP

Cons:
-One-dimensional characters
-The lack of nuance in its morals
-Non-sensical inclusion of magical elements that in no way benefited/furthered the plot.

Despite this not being my cup of tea, I greatly appreciate Unsolicited Press for giving me the opportunity to review an ARC via NetGalley.

[Pam ☕️ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unfortunately, the most egregious thing about this story is that it is forgettable. We have the main protagonist, Ralph, who owns and operates a small town corn dog shop with his avaricious wife and saintly daughter. At the very least, Ralph is written with some depth, having a penchant for engaging in philosophic debates through internal monologues while balancing his family commitments and being satisfied with his modest living. In contrast, his wife and daughter are unlikeable and uninteresting—in that order—with the Money Master, who is supposed to be the living embodiment of the dark side of capitalism, faring no better. I would have forgiven this book more had it been either funny or witty. It's a shame too because the concept could have been stellar, but the execution falls completely flat.

Thank you to NetGalley and Unsolicited Press for providing me with an advance review copy.

[Krystin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was not for me. Based on the blurb, I expected a more realistic, satirical workplace-type read, and I got something that was either too far above my head or too far below my reading level. Truly, the verdict is still out.

Another reviewer described it as "kind of Seussian" and that about sums it up. As a writer myself, I get the device of repetition, but there's a line and it was crossed way too many times. I also wasn't expecting the... magical realism? Lizard people and weird TV gnomes? I dunno, man, I'm just clearly not the target audience on many levels.

And yet, I still wish Ralph, Phyllis, and Stella well in their corndog endeavors.

(I received a free advanced copy from NetGalley - thank you to them and to Unsolicited Press!)

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

A creative and entertaining satire. Mostly this story made me laugh because of the ridiculousness of it all, but at the same time the same ridiculousness was saddening. Even though this is a work of fiction, I really enjoyed the many quite obvious references to today’s political and economic world. This is a well written and worthwhile read. Thank you NetGalley for providing the ARC.

[Andrea Gagne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ralph runs the Corny Doo Doggery, a humble corn dog shop where they raise their own pigs, grow their own corn, and dip their dogs fresh each morning for the customers to see. But all is not well in the Doggery. Though Ralph and his daughter Stella are happy with their modest life, his wife Phyllis dreams of being rich. One day when she is watching TV gameshows at the counter, the Money Master calls to her through the screen. Hearing her hunger for more, he invites Ralph to study under him at the Dollartorium. But will Ralph get a simple business education, or will he get sucked into a rabbit hole that he may not escape from?

Stylistic choices that may or may not work for different readers: lots of references to farts, very simple characters that each represent a caricature of reality (I have seen some reviewers criticize the flat characters, but to me it just seemed like a style choice so I wasn't bothered)

What I thought could be improved in the writing itself: this was very repetitive, and I think it would have worked better as a 100 page novella if those repetitions were removed. I also thought Stella's dialogue felt too stiff and formal for a young woman talking to her parents, which took me out of the story a bit (including at the excitement of the ending). And in general, I think it would benefit from trusting readers a bit more. I like for my satire to present an absurd situation that is clearly an allegory for the messed up state of the world, but then trust its readers to make that connection for themselves. This spoon feeds everything to you when you read it, instead of pulling back a little and letting you ask questions and ponder the true meaning behind the text.

2.75 stars, rounded up to 3.

Thank you to NetGalley and Unsolicited Press for this ARC to read and review.

[Ron Nurmi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read of a morality story and the greed for money. Of late-stage capitalism and how it can and will affect people.

[Helen Blunden · Rating 3 out of 5]

Video review to follow

[Gabriella Chudy · Rating 3 out of 5]

this is kind of like if an interesting book was pretty boring