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Meritropolis #2
Meritorium
Charley has escaped from Meritropolis…but in his quest to take down the System that has taken his brother from him, he must go through Meritorium, a city where gladiatorial games of life or death combat are waged between High Scores and Low Scores, man and beast. Charley and Sandy must face man-eating plants, religious zealots, slave traders, and the ever present mutant animal combinations that roam a dystopian Coliseum presided over by Emperor Titus, the one man standing between Charley and the answers he seeks. Man is not an animal, but if they are to make it through Meritorium, will they even be able to tell the difference? The lines between man and beast, friend and foe, will blur in Meritorium, the riveting sequel to the bestselling Meritropolis.
262 pages, Paperback
First published September 27, 2015
51 people are currently reading
263 people want to read
About the author
Joel Ohman
4 books465 followersJoel Ohman lives in Tampa, FL with his wife Angela and their three kids. His writing companion is Caesar, a slightly overweight Bull Mastiff who loves to eat the tops off of strawberries.
Joel is the author of the #1 bestselling Meritropolis series—“The Hunger Games meets The Village with a young Jack Reacher as a protagonist” and the new YA release, Other Bodies.
Join the Joel Ohman Reader's Group for FREE giveaways and VIP access to pre-release books, gift cards, and special announcements. Join now at JoelOhman.com!
Joel is the author of the #1 bestselling Meritropolis series—“The Hunger Games meets The Village with a young Jack Reacher as a protagonist” and the new YA release, Other Bodies.
Join the Joel Ohman Reader's Group for FREE giveaways and VIP access to pre-release books, gift cards, and special announcements. Join now at JoelOhman.com!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
September 13, 2017
“No one deserves to die just because they have a low Score, just because you deem they aren’t useful.”
Meritorium is the second installment in the Meritropolis trilogy, and it was worthy of building upon its amazing predecessor in many ways. It continues with the beautiful theme that everyone matters, but adds in some new ones as well. Can a human being ever be considered an animal? Is it when they're screaming for the death of low Scores in a gladiator-style arena just for entertainment, or is it when they're a low Score? Should we extend grace to our enemies?
Ultimately, the answer to these questions is that everyone matters. The world is full of so much pain and suffering—so much injustice, but even these bloodthirsty people deserve grace—and even harder, forgiveness. Ohman has a way of exploring difficult themes without coming across preachy, and I love it.
Also, where Meritropolis was mostly about Charley thinking, "I have to take down the System because I'm a high Score and I have to stand up for the little guys, so they aren't put outside the gates," Meritorium takes place in an entirely different post-Event city (hence the title), and it's ancient Rome all over again—gladiator fights and all. Which means that Charley and Co. spend very little time actually fighting for the little guys, because they're too busy fighting to stay alive themselves. Too busy learning what it is to actually be a low Score.
A word of warning to the squeamish—gladiator fights were not pretty, and Ohman does nothing to sugarcoat this fact. I have personally never been bothered by blood, but I thought it was only fair to mention this fact. Especially because there was a lot—a lot—of death over the three-day colosseum event, with vicious new animal combos running around snapping their jaws, as well as desperate people and trained soldiers thrown into the mix.
But now we come to the parts that caused me to take off a star. There were various (pretty unnecessary as far as I'm concerned) sexual references. For example, a female character caught a unicorn while in the colosseum (narse—horse/narwhal combination), and the crowd jeered because apparently only virgins can catch unicorns in mythology. There were also various passing references to horrible things done to women over the centuries, and one woman in particular gave off a "anything a man can do I can do better," vibe that ultimately influenced the same female character I mentioned above in (what I view) as a negative way.
Also, I felt like Meritorium could've benefited from another round or two of editing, because it felt a little rough in some portions. (For example, some of the characters behaved a little inconsistently from time to time).
But for all of the less-than-enjoyable parts I just mentioned, Ohman really knows how to build up to the climax. The climax was amazing, and I think I almost cried at one point during it, (which is high praise coming from a person that never cries for books ever), just because of the sheer horrible beauty of if all. (You know what I mean... probably). :P
All in all, I'm eagerly looking forward to what the last book in the Meritropolis series has in store!
Meritorium is the second installment in the Meritropolis trilogy, and it was worthy of building upon its amazing predecessor in many ways. It continues with the beautiful theme that everyone matters, but adds in some new ones as well. Can a human being ever be considered an animal? Is it when they're screaming for the death of low Scores in a gladiator-style arena just for entertainment, or is it when they're a low Score? Should we extend grace to our enemies?
Ultimately, the answer to these questions is that everyone matters. The world is full of so much pain and suffering—so much injustice, but even these bloodthirsty people deserve grace—and even harder, forgiveness. Ohman has a way of exploring difficult themes without coming across preachy, and I love it.
Also, where Meritropolis was mostly about Charley thinking, "I have to take down the System because I'm a high Score and I have to stand up for the little guys, so they aren't put outside the gates," Meritorium takes place in an entirely different post-Event city (hence the title), and it's ancient Rome all over again—gladiator fights and all. Which means that Charley and Co. spend very little time actually fighting for the little guys, because they're too busy fighting to stay alive themselves. Too busy learning what it is to actually be a low Score.
A word of warning to the squeamish—gladiator fights were not pretty, and Ohman does nothing to sugarcoat this fact. I have personally never been bothered by blood, but I thought it was only fair to mention this fact. Especially because there was a lot—a lot—of death over the three-day colosseum event, with vicious new animal combos running around snapping their jaws, as well as desperate people and trained soldiers thrown into the mix.
But now we come to the parts that caused me to take off a star. There were various (pretty unnecessary as far as I'm concerned) sexual references. For example, a female character caught a unicorn while in the colosseum (narse—horse/narwhal combination), and the crowd jeered because apparently only virgins can catch unicorns in mythology. There were also various passing references to horrible things done to women over the centuries, and one woman in particular gave off a "anything a man can do I can do better," vibe that ultimately influenced the same female character I mentioned above in (what I view) as a negative way.
Also, I felt like Meritorium could've benefited from another round or two of editing, because it felt a little rough in some portions. (For example, some of the characters behaved a little inconsistently from time to time).
But for all of the less-than-enjoyable parts I just mentioned, Ohman really knows how to build up to the climax. The climax was amazing, and I think I almost cried at one point during it, (which is high praise coming from a person that never cries for books ever), just because of the sheer horrible beauty of if all. (You know what I mean... probably). :P
All in all, I'm eagerly looking forward to what the last book in the Meritropolis series has in store!
May 16, 2017
This is the second book in the Meritropolis series. It begins just as strongly as the first book, quickly pulling the reader in, as the little group of people who followed Charley after the destruction of Meritropolis decides to cut through the wild and dangerous Bramble in an attempt to shorten the journey to Meritorium, where they’ll continue their battle to overthrow the hated System. The group is tired and hungry. They quickly discover that man didn’t limit their genetic engineering only to animals.
Charley is beginning to discover more and more about himself as the journey progresses. Several other members of the group are also having bouts of self-discovery. Will they still be friends at journey’s end?
Joel Ohman has a great story in this series. He continued the tale beautifully and the story arc was progressing wonderfully, until he decided to make sure his reader noticed one character’s redemption. Instead of letting the changes in the character’s behavior speak for itself, Ohman threw in several religious discussions that were grossly out of place given the progression and conversation flow of the story through two books. The character’s actions could (and should) have been allowed to demonstrate the change, rather than including the repetitive and rather jarring religious messages. This tossed me right out of the tale and led me to believe the author felt I wasn’t bright enough to notice the changes occurring in the character without the author’s obvious help.
Except for this rather jarring mistake, the bulk of the book was quite enjoyable. The characters continued to grow throughout the book. There will be another book in the series (and maybe more), as the fight for equality continues.
Joel Ohman’s writing skill is impressive; his idea for this dystopian setting is beautifully dangerous and wild. I look forward to reading more about the people I’ve come to know as friends.
I rate Meritorium 4 explosive stars.
Charley is beginning to discover more and more about himself as the journey progresses. Several other members of the group are also having bouts of self-discovery. Will they still be friends at journey’s end?
Joel Ohman has a great story in this series. He continued the tale beautifully and the story arc was progressing wonderfully, until he decided to make sure his reader noticed one character’s redemption. Instead of letting the changes in the character’s behavior speak for itself, Ohman threw in several religious discussions that were grossly out of place given the progression and conversation flow of the story through two books. The character’s actions could (and should) have been allowed to demonstrate the change, rather than including the repetitive and rather jarring religious messages. This tossed me right out of the tale and led me to believe the author felt I wasn’t bright enough to notice the changes occurring in the character without the author’s obvious help.
Except for this rather jarring mistake, the bulk of the book was quite enjoyable. The characters continued to grow throughout the book. There will be another book in the series (and maybe more), as the fight for equality continues.
Joel Ohman’s writing skill is impressive; his idea for this dystopian setting is beautifully dangerous and wild. I look forward to reading more about the people I’ve come to know as friends.
I rate Meritorium 4 explosive stars.
November 4, 2015
“Meritorium” is the second book in the Meritropolis series. The debut book, “Meritropolis”, introduced a unique and well-developed world, along with an interesting cast of characters. Unfortunately, “Meritorium” did not live up to the original.
The characters and plot are still interesting, which is what frustrated me the most about the problems in the book. There was quite a bit of “over-explaining”, which did nothing but slow down the flow of the plot and cause me to grow impatient with it. Additionally, there were some interesting religious themes, but instead of letting the story carry them, they were also explained in too great of detail. It reduced the impact and made it read like a sermon, whereas subtlety would have given much more for the reader to ponder.
“Meritorium” had a lot of potential, but I can’t recommend it because of the reasons above. I’m still looking forward to the next in the series, as I have high hopes it will return to the writing style the made “Meritropolis” so good.
This review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
The characters and plot are still interesting, which is what frustrated me the most about the problems in the book. There was quite a bit of “over-explaining”, which did nothing but slow down the flow of the plot and cause me to grow impatient with it. Additionally, there were some interesting religious themes, but instead of letting the story carry them, they were also explained in too great of detail. It reduced the impact and made it read like a sermon, whereas subtlety would have given much more for the reader to ponder.
“Meritorium” had a lot of potential, but I can’t recommend it because of the reasons above. I’m still looking forward to the next in the series, as I have high hopes it will return to the writing style the made “Meritropolis” so good.
This review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
August 13, 2017
At the beginning of this book i thought it was not going to be as good a read as the first book but as it progressed it built up the tension to an unbearable level towards the end of the book! The gladiator style fights to the death in the arena are ruthless especially when pitting low scores with the abnormal animal combos. The low scores once marked as so fell like low scores and in the case of Sven his biggest fight was against himself, he needed to prove he was not the low score they said he was and that he was worth something! Charley and Sandy both start to feel a sympathy even for their oppressors when faced with killing them, they realise that even the men in uniform are just fighting to survive in the end as best they can. The bond forged between Charley and Shooey and it's sentient awareness which wanted to repay a kindness by another is really beautiful and is a bright spark in a world of violence and cruelty and abuse of power by a demented man - the Czar. Dying to read the third and final book in this series now, maybe finally we get to see the only end which makes sense the fall of Meritopia. Fans of dystopia this series is a must read, so go grab the books now and get reading.
December 14, 2015
The sequel starts right where the first book finished: Charley, Grigor, Sandy and the others have left Meritropolis. They are on their way to Meritorium to find and kill Orson's father, the founder of the scoring System.
The first third or so of the book went slow - too slow. Honestly, several times I was tempted to skim through the pages to get to some action. While the animal hybrids were still fascinating (and still made me grin) they were not new anymore, so the author delivered something fresh: the Bramble, a forest of all kinds of carnivorous and other scary plant mutations. Of course, our heroes had to cross the Bramble in order to reach their destination. But while the walk through the Bramble is a dangerous task, it is nothing compared to what awaits them on the other side: they reach Meritorium, but only in chains - captured and sold as slaves. As if that was not enough, they are destined to fight in gladiator-like fashion in a large arena, just to please the crowds. Who will be able to survive the orchestrated attacks of bestial animal hybrids and warriors?! This is where the story picks up pace and the action begins, with lots of fights and several new surprising and fascinating animal hybrids.
While in the first book I complained about the super-hero like main character, I appreciated that Charley did not always look and act like a hero in this sequel. His ever-present struggle against his temper and rage made him look human, even vulnerable. I also liked that Sandy and Sven had a more important role than before. The too black and white presentation of the characters from part one definitely became blurry.
The end offered a stunning revelation, rising the hybrid concept to its next level. And there is the promise that Charley and the others will return.
Meritorium is a worthy sequel in many ways, expanding and deeper exploring the fantastic universe the author created with Meritropolis. To repeat myself: recommended to YA readers (of all age...).
(I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review)
The first third or so of the book went slow - too slow. Honestly, several times I was tempted to skim through the pages to get to some action. While the animal hybrids were still fascinating (and still made me grin) they were not new anymore, so the author delivered something fresh: the Bramble, a forest of all kinds of carnivorous and other scary plant mutations. Of course, our heroes had to cross the Bramble in order to reach their destination. But while the walk through the Bramble is a dangerous task, it is nothing compared to what awaits them on the other side: they reach Meritorium, but only in chains - captured and sold as slaves. As if that was not enough, they are destined to fight in gladiator-like fashion in a large arena, just to please the crowds. Who will be able to survive the orchestrated attacks of bestial animal hybrids and warriors?! This is where the story picks up pace and the action begins, with lots of fights and several new surprising and fascinating animal hybrids.
While in the first book I complained about the super-hero like main character, I appreciated that Charley did not always look and act like a hero in this sequel. His ever-present struggle against his temper and rage made him look human, even vulnerable. I also liked that Sandy and Sven had a more important role than before. The too black and white presentation of the characters from part one definitely became blurry.
The end offered a stunning revelation, rising the hybrid concept to its next level. And there is the promise that Charley and the others will return.
Meritorium is a worthy sequel in many ways, expanding and deeper exploring the fantastic universe the author created with Meritropolis. To repeat myself: recommended to YA readers (of all age...).
(I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review)
November 24, 2015
As is becoming normal for me, I did not read the first book in the series before I jumped in on this one. I had to hunker down and concentrate in the beginning to make sure I knew who was who, what they were running from, and the dynamics of the relationships. This was all fairly easy to do with Meritorium, since the author did a good job of recapping what I missed in the first book.
There's a good chunk of reasons why this worked for me. The first was that I liked the dynamics between the characters. I liked that Charley was a hothead and too stubborn to like anyone else taking the lead, especially Sandy. I liked Grigor (who I kept picturing as the Mountain from Game of Thrones) and his unwavering ability to pull Charley out of trouble. Sven's desire for a name for himself, instead of just anonymity. Even cocky Orson and his father.
I loved the Roman/Greek themes. The gladiator fights. The reenactment of Scylla and Charybdis. The names of all these major cities. Since I love Greek mythology, I appreciated the effort it took for the author to stick all these things in a way that made sense with the story.
But the best best parts were the animal combinations. It is certainly bad enough to be faced with a crocodile. It is a thousand times worse to be faced with a vulture/crocodile mixture, or a frog/scorpion/bat combination that can fly and sting you. All the large cat mixtures were terrifying, like the bion or the lanther. And while I didn't totally understand the reason behind the score system or the animal mixtures, it made for an innovative backdrop for the characters. It was an entirely new way for them to show off their skills, and I appreciated that.
If I am being honest though, I am just always excited about monsters. Even if the monsters are animals spliced together. Monsters make everything cooler.
There's a good chunk of reasons why this worked for me. The first was that I liked the dynamics between the characters. I liked that Charley was a hothead and too stubborn to like anyone else taking the lead, especially Sandy. I liked Grigor (who I kept picturing as the Mountain from Game of Thrones) and his unwavering ability to pull Charley out of trouble. Sven's desire for a name for himself, instead of just anonymity. Even cocky Orson and his father.
I loved the Roman/Greek themes. The gladiator fights. The reenactment of Scylla and Charybdis. The names of all these major cities. Since I love Greek mythology, I appreciated the effort it took for the author to stick all these things in a way that made sense with the story.
But the best best parts were the animal combinations. It is certainly bad enough to be faced with a crocodile. It is a thousand times worse to be faced with a vulture/crocodile mixture, or a frog/scorpion/bat combination that can fly and sting you. All the large cat mixtures were terrifying, like the bion or the lanther. And while I didn't totally understand the reason behind the score system or the animal mixtures, it made for an innovative backdrop for the characters. It was an entirely new way for them to show off their skills, and I appreciated that.
If I am being honest though, I am just always excited about monsters. Even if the monsters are animals spliced together. Monsters make everything cooler.
November 9, 2015
I received a copy of the ePub in exchange for an honest review.
Meritorium is the sequel to Joel Ohman’s Meritropolis. Charlie’s dangerous journey continues with a most unlikely group of characters.
The many questions surrounding ‘The Event’ draw the reader into the dystopian world. What caused the event? Is there light at the end of this adventure?
Charlie character continues to reveal himself via his actions and powerful words—his stellar abilities make him a natural leader. The surrounding characters add complex layers to this well-written read. Once again the author has created the most unusual creatures—his attention to detail is brilliant.
In addition, the author explores complex issues including but not limited to gender, prejudice, and slavery to name a few. It is a study on survival in a challenging world. This read lends itself to further discussion on so many levels.
Meritorium is the sequel to Joel Ohman’s Meritropolis. Charlie’s dangerous journey continues with a most unlikely group of characters.
The many questions surrounding ‘The Event’ draw the reader into the dystopian world. What caused the event? Is there light at the end of this adventure?
Charlie character continues to reveal himself via his actions and powerful words—his stellar abilities make him a natural leader. The surrounding characters add complex layers to this well-written read. Once again the author has created the most unusual creatures—his attention to detail is brilliant.
In addition, the author explores complex issues including but not limited to gender, prejudice, and slavery to name a few. It is a study on survival in a challenging world. This read lends itself to further discussion on so many levels.
April 10, 2017
Thank you to the author, Joel Ohman, for gifting me with a copy of Meritorium in exchange for an honest review!
I'm struggling to articulate my feelings on this book. On one hand, there were plenty of little moments (and a few big ones) that did not sit well, however, there are a plethora of other elements that were spot on. Let me explain:
1. The characters. I did really like all of the characters. They were all well developed and each had their own distinctive personality. There are multiple POV's in this book and they are all very well marked and with those POV's, comes the extra chance to get inside the characters' heads and hear their thoughts. This is where my apprehension comes in on several accounts. First, Charlie. We're in his head the most so you really get to know his personality and he is quite the character. You can see quite clearly that he's suffering from unconscious sexism as well as narcissism and a healthy dose of arrogance, irrationality and insecurity. Now, you don't always have to love a MC which is why I'm struggling with this so much. I really didn't like Charlie, but he's a well developed character, nonetheless. I think I was hoping he would begin to identify these traits within himself and begin the process of righting those wrongs. He does some of the former but doesn't even attempt the latter. Secondly, Orson. He's quite the conundrum,. There are only a few sections in his head but I got a pretty good read on his character (which is a testament to the author's skill). However, when it came to his actions at the end, he didn't make any sense. There is a bit of a disconnect between his actions and his thoughts/feelings. The third, and last person I want to mention is Sandy. I loved her attitude. She kept her head on straight and wasn't afraid to do what she needed to do. So generally, I did like the characters and their development. It was simply coming to terms with my dislike of their characteristics.
2. The plot. This is a strong point in this novel. The author does such a good job of keeping the overall drive alive and making sure there is always an end goal to be reached. Sometimes I wish he had acknowledged the bigger picture and what would happen after everything (you can't simply focus on toppling a dictator if you don't know what comes after). However, that also plays into Charlie's character traits and his unwillingness to look at the bigger picture and temper his impatience. There's quite a nice plot structure, nonetheless, and the ending leads nicely into what I presume to be the final book.
3. The setting. Personally, while I think the author did a good job with the immediate physical spaces and their descriptions, I do wish there would have been more of the larger picture and perhaps more descriptions of the city besides the fact that it had a lot of people, etc etc. There wasn't a larger, overall picture to everything. Conversely, as I previously stated, the immediate physical surroundings of the characters are well captured and felt, especially in the battle scenes (in which physicality is extremely important). As for the atmosphere and tone, I think it was adequate. While I wasn't feeling the despair and other overall emotions jumping off the page, they were very present and I was quite engrossed in the story.
4. The animal combinations. This is the coolest part of this series for me. Before each chapter, the author has illustrations of each animal combination and what they look like which helps so much with picturing them and their interactions with the characters. All of the illustrations are of organisms that are in each of the chapters. They are also all incredibly unique and it's such a perfectly original idea.
The Final Verdict:
The originality of this series continues to be it's hidden gem. While I disagree with the morals and actions of some of the characters, they are all very well developed and 3-dimensional. The macro-world could use a bit more fleshing out., however the micro-world is well utilized.
4 stars
Quotes:
"'The present becomes the past, the future becomes the present. Life continues.'"
"As much as he hated the System, he had come to rely on his standing as a High Score in ways he hadn't fully realized. This self-realization of privilege startled him: those who have it are blind to it; those who don't, see nothing but their lack of it."
"But if she was to just pick and choose who deserved to live and who deserved to die, how was she any different than the System?
I'm struggling to articulate my feelings on this book. On one hand, there were plenty of little moments (and a few big ones) that did not sit well, however, there are a plethora of other elements that were spot on. Let me explain:
1. The characters. I did really like all of the characters. They were all well developed and each had their own distinctive personality. There are multiple POV's in this book and they are all very well marked and with those POV's, comes the extra chance to get inside the characters' heads and hear their thoughts. This is where my apprehension comes in on several accounts. First, Charlie. We're in his head the most so you really get to know his personality and he is quite the character. You can see quite clearly that he's suffering from unconscious sexism as well as narcissism and a healthy dose of arrogance, irrationality and insecurity. Now, you don't always have to love a MC which is why I'm struggling with this so much. I really didn't like Charlie, but he's a well developed character, nonetheless. I think I was hoping he would begin to identify these traits within himself and begin the process of righting those wrongs. He does some of the former but doesn't even attempt the latter. Secondly, Orson. He's quite the conundrum,. There are only a few sections in his head but I got a pretty good read on his character (which is a testament to the author's skill). However, when it came to his actions at the end, he didn't make any sense. There is a bit of a disconnect between his actions and his thoughts/feelings. The third, and last person I want to mention is Sandy. I loved her attitude. She kept her head on straight and wasn't afraid to do what she needed to do. So generally, I did like the characters and their development. It was simply coming to terms with my dislike of their characteristics.
2. The plot. This is a strong point in this novel. The author does such a good job of keeping the overall drive alive and making sure there is always an end goal to be reached. Sometimes I wish he had acknowledged the bigger picture and what would happen after everything (you can't simply focus on toppling a dictator if you don't know what comes after). However, that also plays into Charlie's character traits and his unwillingness to look at the bigger picture and temper his impatience. There's quite a nice plot structure, nonetheless, and the ending leads nicely into what I presume to be the final book.
3. The setting. Personally, while I think the author did a good job with the immediate physical spaces and their descriptions, I do wish there would have been more of the larger picture and perhaps more descriptions of the city besides the fact that it had a lot of people, etc etc. There wasn't a larger, overall picture to everything. Conversely, as I previously stated, the immediate physical surroundings of the characters are well captured and felt, especially in the battle scenes (in which physicality is extremely important). As for the atmosphere and tone, I think it was adequate. While I wasn't feeling the despair and other overall emotions jumping off the page, they were very present and I was quite engrossed in the story.
4. The animal combinations. This is the coolest part of this series for me. Before each chapter, the author has illustrations of each animal combination and what they look like which helps so much with picturing them and their interactions with the characters. All of the illustrations are of organisms that are in each of the chapters. They are also all incredibly unique and it's such a perfectly original idea.
The Final Verdict:
The originality of this series continues to be it's hidden gem. While I disagree with the morals and actions of some of the characters, they are all very well developed and 3-dimensional. The macro-world could use a bit more fleshing out., however the micro-world is well utilized.
4 stars
Quotes:
"'The present becomes the past, the future becomes the present. Life continues.'"
"As much as he hated the System, he had come to rely on his standing as a High Score in ways he hadn't fully realized. This self-realization of privilege startled him: those who have it are blind to it; those who don't, see nothing but their lack of it."
"But if she was to just pick and choose who deserved to live and who deserved to die, how was she any different than the System?
August 31, 2017
So book two in the Meritropolis series picks up right where book one ends. Charley, Hank, Sandy, Grigor, Orson, and the remaining citizens of Meritopia have fled beyond the decimated walls on a quest to find Meritorium where they believe they will find Orsons father, to once and for all exact revenge and level The System. Charley insists that all travelers are treated equally, high and low scores alike as they forage and hike their way across the unknown. In a journey fraught with danger and treachery, the group is captured, split up, and sold by a slaver to the highest bidder to compete in the annual Venatio. A gladiatorial event, the Venatio is held in a large colosseum, reminiscent of the ancient Roman games. Charley and his crew must survive the tournament while coming up with a plan to take out the Czar and with him, The System itself.
Overall, I felt this was a strong follow up to book one, Meritropolis. It was filled with action, great animal combos, and some personal character development which was satisfying. I did have a few minor issues with some aspects of this book, which could totally be a personal preference versus through any fault of the author. While I did enjoy the inner struggle that Charley often faced with tempering his anger, the morality of killing (both man and beast), and the concept of revenge, I feel it was a little to focused on the "god" aspect of these issues. The author could have easily portrayed these struggles in way that didn't come off so "preachy". Religious books/themes in general are a turn off for me, so like I said, this may not bother you in the least. While the introduction of the Circumcellion, a crazed religious cult of sorts, was a great idea and did make for crucial plot points in the storyline, I wasn't all that satisfied in the way they were portrayed. Suicidal religious zealots? Check, I can get down with that and understand their place and how they may have sprung up in this type of society. What I didn't really like was how they were touted as rapists, murders (of innocents), and druggies. These facets just don't seem to go well together in describing the movement and it's ultimate purpose. The story could have been written just as effectively with them omitted, or perhaps a little better fleshed out as a whole. I will say the battles of the Venatio were well written and exciting to read, all the various animal combos were great additions. The ending was a slam dunk for sure! Shocking and unexpected which definitely left me eager to start the finale book in the series.
Overall, I felt this was a strong follow up to book one, Meritropolis. It was filled with action, great animal combos, and some personal character development which was satisfying. I did have a few minor issues with some aspects of this book, which could totally be a personal preference versus through any fault of the author. While I did enjoy the inner struggle that Charley often faced with tempering his anger, the morality of killing (both man and beast), and the concept of revenge, I feel it was a little to focused on the "god" aspect of these issues. The author could have easily portrayed these struggles in way that didn't come off so "preachy". Religious books/themes in general are a turn off for me, so like I said, this may not bother you in the least. While the introduction of the Circumcellion, a crazed religious cult of sorts, was a great idea and did make for crucial plot points in the storyline, I wasn't all that satisfied in the way they were portrayed. Suicidal religious zealots? Check, I can get down with that and understand their place and how they may have sprung up in this type of society. What I didn't really like was how they were touted as rapists, murders (of innocents), and druggies. These facets just don't seem to go well together in describing the movement and it's ultimate purpose. The story could have been written just as effectively with them omitted, or perhaps a little better fleshed out as a whole. I will say the battles of the Venatio were well written and exciting to read, all the various animal combos were great additions. The ending was a slam dunk for sure! Shocking and unexpected which definitely left me eager to start the finale book in the series.
August 28, 2017
Title: Meritorium - Metropolis Book 2
Author: Joel Ohman
Publisher: Joel Ohman
Published: originally published 9-28-2015
Pages: 262
Genre: Post Apocalyptic
Sub-Genre: Dystopian, Action & Adventure, Science Fiction, Coming of Age, Clean language, Wholesome Fiction, Young Adult, Science FIction, Fantasy, Genretic Egineering
ISBN: 9781514818183
ASIN: B015WRLGRG
Reviewed For NetGalley and Joel Ohman
Reviewer: DelAnne
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Under the System everyone is assigned a numerical Score that decides their worth to society and whether they live or die.
Charley has escaped from Meritropolis...
but in his quest to take down the System that has taken his brother from him, he must go through Meritorium, a city where gladiatorial games of life or death combat are waged between High Scores and Low Scores, man and beast.
Charley and Sandy must face man-eating plants, religious zealots, slave traders, and the ever present mutant animal combinations that roam a dystopian Coliseum presided over by Emperor Titus, the one man standing between Charley and the answers he seeks. Man is not an animal, but if they are to make it through Meritorium, will they even be able to tell the difference?
The lines between man and beast, friend and foe, will blur in Meritorium, the riveting sequel to the bestselling Meritropolis.
The author describes the beast to be found on the way to confront the czar over the rating system. The confrontation is the first of many to come. Charlie and his friends begin the battle, but will they win the war? Strong bold characters that bring the story to life. With only one book left in the trilogy I will be interested to see how the war for change ends and who will come out on top.
My rating of "Meritorium - Metropolis Book 2" is 4,5 out of 5 stars.
Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015WRLGRG/...
B&N Link: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/meri...
Books-A-Million Link: http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Merito...
Google Play Link: Not Available
Indigo Link: Not Available
Kobo Link: Not Available
GoodReads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
The Reading Room Link: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.ph...
Twitter Link: https://twitter.com/DelAnne531/status...
Author: Joel Ohman
Publisher: Joel Ohman
Published: originally published 9-28-2015
Pages: 262
Genre: Post Apocalyptic
Sub-Genre: Dystopian, Action & Adventure, Science Fiction, Coming of Age, Clean language, Wholesome Fiction, Young Adult, Science FIction, Fantasy, Genretic Egineering
ISBN: 9781514818183
ASIN: B015WRLGRG
Reviewed For NetGalley and Joel Ohman
Reviewer: DelAnne
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Under the System everyone is assigned a numerical Score that decides their worth to society and whether they live or die.
Charley has escaped from Meritropolis...
but in his quest to take down the System that has taken his brother from him, he must go through Meritorium, a city where gladiatorial games of life or death combat are waged between High Scores and Low Scores, man and beast.
Charley and Sandy must face man-eating plants, religious zealots, slave traders, and the ever present mutant animal combinations that roam a dystopian Coliseum presided over by Emperor Titus, the one man standing between Charley and the answers he seeks. Man is not an animal, but if they are to make it through Meritorium, will they even be able to tell the difference?
The lines between man and beast, friend and foe, will blur in Meritorium, the riveting sequel to the bestselling Meritropolis.
The author describes the beast to be found on the way to confront the czar over the rating system. The confrontation is the first of many to come. Charlie and his friends begin the battle, but will they win the war? Strong bold characters that bring the story to life. With only one book left in the trilogy I will be interested to see how the war for change ends and who will come out on top.
My rating of "Meritorium - Metropolis Book 2" is 4,5 out of 5 stars.
Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015WRLGRG/...
B&N Link: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/meri...
Books-A-Million Link: http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Merito...
Google Play Link: Not Available
Indigo Link: Not Available
Kobo Link: Not Available
GoodReads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
The Reading Room Link: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.ph...
Twitter Link: https://twitter.com/DelAnne531/status...
June 15, 2017
These books are pretty violent. If they were movies, I wouldn't want to see them.
Charley and his group, along with dozens of Low Scores, have left Meritropolis behind and set out for Meritorium. They want answers and revenge on Orson's father (particularly Charley). On the way they are captured by slavers who are from Meritorium.
In Meritropolis, they put Low Scores out of the gate. In Meritorium, they put them in an arena. It's very Roman-gladiator style, with all the blood and gore to accompany it. Despite all that, there are some really great, deep themes that Ohman puts into this book.
A huge emphasis is still on the fact that every life matters. Period. Charley and others are struggling with anger and revenge; with the idea of grace for themselves and others. Sandy's struggle with killing the emperor is similar to people's moral and ethical dilemmas with other evil rulers in history.
Joel Ohman doesn't offer pat answers to the characters' struggles. Sandy ultimately decides that the emperor needs to be taken out; Charley, Hank, Grigor, and others kill in defense and in offense. Charley and Sven make decisions that probably aren't right. The characters are messy and flawed. But here and there, the Gospel is presented by Grigor or a stirring of conscience. Charley isn't quite sure what to make of Grigor's faith, but he has a well-developed sense of right and wrong. All the characters have to wrestle with how their own actions make them different from the people they are angry at. Are they different? It's some serious stuff.
I think it's hard to write strong female characters without making them "anti-male" and right now, I'm not too happy with Sandy, but, I think she's trying to figure stuff out as much as Charley and the rest of them, so for now, I'm going to suspend my opinion of her.
As violent as these books are, I want to know the end, so I'm going to buy the last one.
Charley and his group, along with dozens of Low Scores, have left Meritropolis behind and set out for Meritorium. They want answers and revenge on Orson's father (particularly Charley). On the way they are captured by slavers who are from Meritorium.
In Meritropolis, they put Low Scores out of the gate. In Meritorium, they put them in an arena. It's very Roman-gladiator style, with all the blood and gore to accompany it. Despite all that, there are some really great, deep themes that Ohman puts into this book.
A huge emphasis is still on the fact that every life matters. Period. Charley and others are struggling with anger and revenge; with the idea of grace for themselves and others. Sandy's struggle with killing the emperor is similar to people's moral and ethical dilemmas with other evil rulers in history.
Joel Ohman doesn't offer pat answers to the characters' struggles. Sandy ultimately decides that the emperor needs to be taken out; Charley, Hank, Grigor, and others kill in defense and in offense. Charley and Sven make decisions that probably aren't right. The characters are messy and flawed. But here and there, the Gospel is presented by Grigor or a stirring of conscience. Charley isn't quite sure what to make of Grigor's faith, but he has a well-developed sense of right and wrong. All the characters have to wrestle with how their own actions make them different from the people they are angry at. Are they different? It's some serious stuff.
I think it's hard to write strong female characters without making them "anti-male" and right now, I'm not too happy with Sandy, but, I think she's trying to figure stuff out as much as Charley and the rest of them, so for now, I'm going to suspend my opinion of her.
As violent as these books are, I want to know the end, so I'm going to buy the last one.
November 12, 2015
Title: MERITORIUM
Author: Joel Ohman
Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian Fiction
Length: 262 pages
Release Date: September 27,2015
Publisher: Whitefox Publishing Services
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~ I received a free electronic copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
"More often than not, change comes because of little choices we make daily. It comes because of a patient and faithful commitment to a different future, and the willingness to do all of the little things, the unglamorous, the dirty, the mundane. It doesn't usually come about because of one dramatic sacrifice, which is easier in many ways."
This is the second book in a wonderful new Young Adult Dystopian Fiction series written by the extremely talented Joel Ohman. *** See the post before this one to read my previous 5 Star review of Book One: MERITROPOLIS.
MERITORIUM begins one week after the end of MERITROPOLIS. Charley, Sandy, Orson, Grigor and a group of approximately one hundred other Meritropolis residents have left the city. "Those not still with them had either succumbed to injuries inflicted in the battle of Meritropolis or had simply found the long trek through the wilderness too difficult and turned back, intent on begging their way back to the leeks and cucumbers of Meritropolis."
The ruler of Meritropolis is traditionally the person with the highest score. At present, that person is Charley. Meritropolis's citizens all had their scores encoded into their DNA and their score number appears on their arm. The higher the score, the higher the person's wealth and social status.
Charley wants to put an end to the scoring system, once and for all. However, he is learning that it is easier said than done. "It was one thing to complain about the System in Meritropolis while in a classroom, but he was fast learning the truth of all political dissidents: it's easy to point out the problems of the other side; it's much harder to find the solution."
Orson is part of Charley's group. He used to be the leader of Meritropolis and his father was the person who created 'The System.' The group is travelling to find and take him down. They believe that Orson's father is located in the next nearest city: called Meritorium, so that is their destination.
Author Joel Ohman has created a believable and maybe even inevitable future for mankind. The Event that decimated their world came about because "...someone - or more likely, a group of someone's - unaffiliated with any sort of pre-Event government that we know of, caused it. Because of that we still don't know what exactly their intentions were, or even if it was planned. But we do know that they released these chemical reactions into the wild and - the wild went wild..."
The consequences of these chemicals being released include erratic weather, and strange animal combinations, such as the Bion that Charley fought in the first book.
What the heck is a Bion, you ask? Well that is a new creature with DNA from two different animals that has combined to create an entirely new species. In the case of the Bion, it is a combination of a bison and a lion. There are no animals left that are pure, but there are thousands (perhaps millions) of newly combined animals. For example, the group had been eating Durkey, which is a combination of turkey and deer and Charlie had been hunting a llamabill which is a combination of a llama and a spoonbill bird. While these combinations must sound ridiculous, they come across in the story as perfectly plausible.
The group's chosen path to MERITORIUM is fraught with danger and they face many unique and terrifying situations along the way.
The author has included some very interesting observations about human nature in this book. These observations can apply not only to the world the story is written in, but also apply to our world today. For example: "Sometimes it's easier to wish you were in charge than to actually be in charge..."
Will Charley and his group survive the the trek and the man-eating plants on the way to Meritorium? Will they find Orson's father? And what are they going to do about the gladiator style games that use Meritorium's low scores as bait and to fight the animal-combinations for the entertainment of others?
I love the fact that Joel Ohman employed an artist for this book and that he has included small sketches of these bizarre animals along with the story.
This book is packed chock-full of adventure, strange creatures, battles between good and evil and even a bit of romance all set in the most unique post-apocalyptic world that I have ever had the pleasure to read about.
I absolutely recommend this book. It is categorized as a Young Adult novel, but it would be a complete shame if adult readers did not also have a chance to read this series. This series has the potential to be as widely read and universally loved as "The Hunger Games."
Joel Ohman has not only created an incredibly unique and vivacious world, but he also has a talent for creating both memorable and believable characters that readers will fall in love with. This book is a skillfully written thrill-ride that will keep readers engrossed right to the final page.
I rate MERITORIUM as an enthusiastic 5 out of 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
In addition to the pure entertainment value of this book, it can also be seen as a warning. One of my favourite quotes from the book is:
"I think that when we reduce life to its physical components, mechanize it, act like we're nothing more than the sum total of what we can see - a wing, a leg, an eye, or whatever - and we bring it under human control and design it, then the result is that life is engineered in man's image and not God's."
With the way that the science of genetic engineering is heading, it is not inconceivable that creatures and mutated plants such as those in this book will exist in the near future. This book can be seen as a warning that sometimes science can go too far. Whether the current generation of humans will heed the warning is still to be seen.
Something else that I loved about this book was the author's use of uncommon words. For example, he uses the word "venator" which is the Latin word for hunter. Building a reader's vocabulary is always beneficial.
If you do not get sucked into this book then I suggest you 'give your head a shake'. It is an amazing read and I will be eagerly awaiting the next book in the series.
"But remember this: dying for something is easy, because you get glory, and then it's over. But living for something - that's the hard thing."
To read more of my reviews visit http://amiesbookreview a.wordpress.com
Author: Joel Ohman
Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian Fiction
Length: 262 pages
Release Date: September 27,2015
Publisher: Whitefox Publishing Services
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~ I received a free electronic copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
"More often than not, change comes because of little choices we make daily. It comes because of a patient and faithful commitment to a different future, and the willingness to do all of the little things, the unglamorous, the dirty, the mundane. It doesn't usually come about because of one dramatic sacrifice, which is easier in many ways."
This is the second book in a wonderful new Young Adult Dystopian Fiction series written by the extremely talented Joel Ohman. *** See the post before this one to read my previous 5 Star review of Book One: MERITROPOLIS.
MERITORIUM begins one week after the end of MERITROPOLIS. Charley, Sandy, Orson, Grigor and a group of approximately one hundred other Meritropolis residents have left the city. "Those not still with them had either succumbed to injuries inflicted in the battle of Meritropolis or had simply found the long trek through the wilderness too difficult and turned back, intent on begging their way back to the leeks and cucumbers of Meritropolis."
The ruler of Meritropolis is traditionally the person with the highest score. At present, that person is Charley. Meritropolis's citizens all had their scores encoded into their DNA and their score number appears on their arm. The higher the score, the higher the person's wealth and social status.
Charley wants to put an end to the scoring system, once and for all. However, he is learning that it is easier said than done. "It was one thing to complain about the System in Meritropolis while in a classroom, but he was fast learning the truth of all political dissidents: it's easy to point out the problems of the other side; it's much harder to find the solution."
Orson is part of Charley's group. He used to be the leader of Meritropolis and his father was the person who created 'The System.' The group is travelling to find and take him down. They believe that Orson's father is located in the next nearest city: called Meritorium, so that is their destination.
Author Joel Ohman has created a believable and maybe even inevitable future for mankind. The Event that decimated their world came about because "...someone - or more likely, a group of someone's - unaffiliated with any sort of pre-Event government that we know of, caused it. Because of that we still don't know what exactly their intentions were, or even if it was planned. But we do know that they released these chemical reactions into the wild and - the wild went wild..."
The consequences of these chemicals being released include erratic weather, and strange animal combinations, such as the Bion that Charley fought in the first book.
What the heck is a Bion, you ask? Well that is a new creature with DNA from two different animals that has combined to create an entirely new species. In the case of the Bion, it is a combination of a bison and a lion. There are no animals left that are pure, but there are thousands (perhaps millions) of newly combined animals. For example, the group had been eating Durkey, which is a combination of turkey and deer and Charlie had been hunting a llamabill which is a combination of a llama and a spoonbill bird. While these combinations must sound ridiculous, they come across in the story as perfectly plausible.
The group's chosen path to MERITORIUM is fraught with danger and they face many unique and terrifying situations along the way.
The author has included some very interesting observations about human nature in this book. These observations can apply not only to the world the story is written in, but also apply to our world today. For example: "Sometimes it's easier to wish you were in charge than to actually be in charge..."
Will Charley and his group survive the the trek and the man-eating plants on the way to Meritorium? Will they find Orson's father? And what are they going to do about the gladiator style games that use Meritorium's low scores as bait and to fight the animal-combinations for the entertainment of others?
I love the fact that Joel Ohman employed an artist for this book and that he has included small sketches of these bizarre animals along with the story.
This book is packed chock-full of adventure, strange creatures, battles between good and evil and even a bit of romance all set in the most unique post-apocalyptic world that I have ever had the pleasure to read about.
I absolutely recommend this book. It is categorized as a Young Adult novel, but it would be a complete shame if adult readers did not also have a chance to read this series. This series has the potential to be as widely read and universally loved as "The Hunger Games."
Joel Ohman has not only created an incredibly unique and vivacious world, but he also has a talent for creating both memorable and believable characters that readers will fall in love with. This book is a skillfully written thrill-ride that will keep readers engrossed right to the final page.
I rate MERITORIUM as an enthusiastic 5 out of 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
In addition to the pure entertainment value of this book, it can also be seen as a warning. One of my favourite quotes from the book is:
"I think that when we reduce life to its physical components, mechanize it, act like we're nothing more than the sum total of what we can see - a wing, a leg, an eye, or whatever - and we bring it under human control and design it, then the result is that life is engineered in man's image and not God's."
With the way that the science of genetic engineering is heading, it is not inconceivable that creatures and mutated plants such as those in this book will exist in the near future. This book can be seen as a warning that sometimes science can go too far. Whether the current generation of humans will heed the warning is still to be seen.
Something else that I loved about this book was the author's use of uncommon words. For example, he uses the word "venator" which is the Latin word for hunter. Building a reader's vocabulary is always beneficial.
If you do not get sucked into this book then I suggest you 'give your head a shake'. It is an amazing read and I will be eagerly awaiting the next book in the series.
"But remember this: dying for something is easy, because you get glory, and then it's over. But living for something - that's the hard thing."
To read more of my reviews visit http://amiesbookreview a.wordpress.com
May 5, 2017
The adventure to take down the System continues! Wonderful read
Joel Ohman begins and incredible adventure in the first book of this series, Meritropolis, and continues it in Meritorium. After the walls of Meritropolis fall Charley and his friends head out to find Orson's father. But it's not just Charley, Sandy, Hank, Grigor and Orson this time... they have a whole group of Low Scores tagging along that they have to protect. Their trek to Meritorium is fraught with dangers and the little task of staying alive without the protection of the walls. When the group meets up with some hunters from Meritorium they strike a deal to help them capture an illusive animal combo, but find themselves the prey of con-artists instead. Now reduced to nothing more than slaves and back under the hand of the System, Charley and his gang must find new ways to survive in a gladiator style fighting arena.
The action just keeps getting better as Joel Ohman continues his story. He even keeps the theme of right and wrong and blurred lines going as each character questions his/her actions to stay alive and bring down the System. All the same main characters are back and even better in Meritorium. I again, couldn't put this book down and found it to be an incredibly easy read. It is full of adventure and imagination and is great for readers who are older elementary students and up. I highly recommend this series. Although there is some mild violence, it is much less detailed than one might expect for a gladiator fight. I found the theme to be similar to that of the Divergent series and The Hunger Games, but more tame and less violent. An absolutely amazing read!
Happy Reading.
Joel Ohman begins and incredible adventure in the first book of this series, Meritropolis, and continues it in Meritorium. After the walls of Meritropolis fall Charley and his friends head out to find Orson's father. But it's not just Charley, Sandy, Hank, Grigor and Orson this time... they have a whole group of Low Scores tagging along that they have to protect. Their trek to Meritorium is fraught with dangers and the little task of staying alive without the protection of the walls. When the group meets up with some hunters from Meritorium they strike a deal to help them capture an illusive animal combo, but find themselves the prey of con-artists instead. Now reduced to nothing more than slaves and back under the hand of the System, Charley and his gang must find new ways to survive in a gladiator style fighting arena.
The action just keeps getting better as Joel Ohman continues his story. He even keeps the theme of right and wrong and blurred lines going as each character questions his/her actions to stay alive and bring down the System. All the same main characters are back and even better in Meritorium. I again, couldn't put this book down and found it to be an incredibly easy read. It is full of adventure and imagination and is great for readers who are older elementary students and up. I highly recommend this series. Although there is some mild violence, it is much less detailed than one might expect for a gladiator fight. I found the theme to be similar to that of the Divergent series and The Hunger Games, but more tame and less violent. An absolutely amazing read!
Happy Reading.
August 30, 2023
I will hold my hands up and say this sequel to Ohman's Meritropolis is miles better. Meritorium really expands on the world building and utilises the terror and spectacle of the gladiatorial combat in Ancient Rome to up the peril our band of heroes is in.
Meritorium uses the same harsh scoring system as Meritropolis does only rather than banishing its Low Scores it assigns them to combat in the arena, slavers roam the area around the city to capture anyone, regardless of score, to increase the entertainment of the combat for the masses and people flock from across the world to witness the spectacle.
Where this book, like it's predecessor, suffers is the main character. Charley continues to be completely unlikable and an absolutely terrible protagonist. Literally any of the other characters would be more interesting. Sandy is much more likeable - although it's difficult to tell if Ohman is buying into or laughing at the feminist agenda of the band of warriors Sandy falls in to - and her prowess with the bow is under utilised in the story. Sven and his crew of Low Scores are more likeable and in a system that oppresses them they're much more interesting to follow than Charley and his whining when he experiences any of their hardship. Even Orson has a much more compelling backstory to why his character is on this path. Of a book with a decent amount of complex side characters it's the main character - and the God and grace current running under the book - that let this down.
Meritorium uses the same harsh scoring system as Meritropolis does only rather than banishing its Low Scores it assigns them to combat in the arena, slavers roam the area around the city to capture anyone, regardless of score, to increase the entertainment of the combat for the masses and people flock from across the world to witness the spectacle.
Where this book, like it's predecessor, suffers is the main character. Charley continues to be completely unlikable and an absolutely terrible protagonist. Literally any of the other characters would be more interesting. Sandy is much more likeable - although it's difficult to tell if Ohman is buying into or laughing at the feminist agenda of the band of warriors Sandy falls in to - and her prowess with the bow is under utilised in the story. Sven and his crew of Low Scores are more likeable and in a system that oppresses them they're much more interesting to follow than Charley and his whining when he experiences any of their hardship. Even Orson has a much more compelling backstory to why his character is on this path. Of a book with a decent amount of complex side characters it's the main character - and the God and grace current running under the book - that let this down.
November 11, 2015
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~ I received a free electronic copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
"More often than not, change comes because of little choices we make daily. It comes because of a patient and faithful commitment to a different future, and the willingness to do all of the little things, the unglamorous, the dirty, the mundane. It doesn't usually come about because of one dramatic sacrifice, which is easier in many ways."
This is the second book in a wonderful new Young Adult Dystopian Fiction series written by the extremely talented Joel Ohman. *** See the post before this one to read my previous 5 Star review of Book One: MERITROPOLIS.
MERITORIUM begins one week after the end of MERITROPOLIS. Charley, Sandy, Orson, Grigor and a group of approximately one hundred other Meritropolis residents have left the city. "Those not still with them had either succumbed to injuries inflicted in the battle of Meritropolis or had simply found the long trek through the wilderness too difficult and turned back, intent on begging their way back to the leeks and cucumbers of Meritropolis."
The ruler of Meritropolis is traditionally the person with the highest score. At present, that person is Charley. Meritropolis's citizens all had their scores encoded into their DNA and their score number appears on their arm. The higher the score, the higher the person's wealth and social status.
Charley wants to put an end to the scoring system, once and for all. However, he is learning that it is easier said than done. "It was one thing to complain about the System in Meritropolis while in a classroom, but he was fast learning the truth of all political dissidents: it's easy to point out the problems of the other side; it's much harder to find the solution."
Orson is part of Charley's group. He used to be the leader of Meritropolis and his father was the person who created 'The System.' The group is travelling to find and take him down. They believe that Orson's father is located in the next nearest city: called Meritorium, so that is their destination.
Author Joel Ohman has created a believable and maybe even inevitable future for mankind. The Event that decimated their world came about because "...someone - or more likely, a group of someone's - unaffiliated with any sort of pre-Event government that we know of, caused it. Because of that we still don't know what exactly their intentions were, or even if it was planned. But we do know that they released these chemical reactions into the wild and - the wild went wild..."
The consequences of these chemicals being released include erratic weather, and strange animal combinations, such as the Bion that Charley fought in the first book.
What the heck is a Bion, you ask? Well that is a new creature with DNA from two different animals that has combined to create an entirely new species. In the case of the Bion, it is a combination of a bison and a lion. There are no animals left that are pure, but there are thousands (perhaps millions) of newly combined animals. For example, the group had been eating Durkey, which is a combination of turkey and deer and Charlie had been hunting a llamabill which is a combination of a llama and a spoonbill bird. While these combinations must sound ridiculous, they come across in the story as perfectly plausible.
The group's chosen path to MERITORIUM is fraught with danger and they face many unique and terrifying situations along the way.
The author has included some very interesting observations about human nature in this book. These observations can apply not only to the world the story is written in, but also apply to our world today. For example: "Sometimes it's easier to wish you were in charge than to actually be in charge..."
Will Charley and his group survive the the trek and the man-eating plants on the way to Meritorium? Will they find Orson's father? And what are they going to do about the gladiator style games that use Meritorium's low scores as bait and to fight the animal-combinations for the entertainment of others?
I love the fact that Joel Ohman employed an artist for this book and that he has included small sketches of these bizarre animals along with the story.
This book is packed chock-full of adventure, strange creatures, battles between good and evil and even a bit of romance all set in the most unique post-apocalyptic world that I have ever had the pleasure to read about.
I absolutely recommend this book. It is categorized as a Young Adult novel, but it would be a complete shame if adult readers did not also have a chance to read this series. This series has the potential to be as widely read and universally loved as "The Hunger Games."
Joel Ohman has not only created an incredibly unique and vivacious world, but he also has a talent for creating both memorable and believable characters that readers will fall in love with. This book is a skillfully written thrill-ride that will keep readers engrossed right to the final page.
I rate MERITORIUM as an enthusiastic 5 out of 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
In addition to the pure entertainment value of this book, it can also be seen as a warning. One of my favourite quotes from the book is:
"I think that when we reduce life to its physical components, mechanize it, act like we're nothing more than the sum total of what we can see - a wing, a leg, an eye, or whatever - and we bring it under human control and design it, then the result is that life is engineered in man's image and not God's."
With the way that the science of genetic engineering is heading, it is not inconceivable that creatures and mutated plants such as those in this book will exist in the near future. This book can be seen as a warning that sometimes science can go too far. Whether the current generation of humans will heed the warning is still to be seen.
Something else that I loved about this book was the author's use of uncommon words. For example, he uses the word "venator" which is the Latin word for hunter. Building a reader's vocabulary is always beneficial.
If you do not get sucked into this book then I suggest you 'give your head a shake'. It is an amazing read and I will be eagerly awaiting the next book in the series.
"But remember this: dying for something is easy, because you get glory, and then it's over. But living for something - that's the hard thing."
May 18, 2017
Charley’s adventures and challenges with Orson, Grigor, Sandy and the other escapees from Meritropolis continue in this second book in an incredible series! Charley continues to lead, and be led on the journey to Meritorium where he and the group with him plan to overthrow the system and get revenge for those they have lost.
Charley and the rest of the group are faced with dealing with plants and animals that would like nothing more than to devour them. The danger doesn’t stop Charley and the rest of them from pressing on. They know there is a goal to achieve and a new life waits in Meritorium.
I cannot say enough about this book. The unusual animal combinations are interesting, humorous and frightening at times. I’ll admit I’d love to get the chance to see one of the “unicorns” that exist in this book. Granted the idea of facing a special breed of toad that has bat wings and a scorpion’s stinger does not appeal to me in the least.
I love all of the adventure, the twists, the challenges, and all of the obstacles Charley and the rest of the group have to face in hopes of finding a peace in their life. As much as I don’t like cliffhangers, and this is, I cannot wait to read the last book in the series!! If you like dystopian stories that deal with incredible life or death challenges, or want to read about a new age version of the life of a gladiator when thrown into the Colosseum, check out this brilliant book in John Ohman’s Meritropolis series.
Charley and the rest of the group are faced with dealing with plants and animals that would like nothing more than to devour them. The danger doesn’t stop Charley and the rest of them from pressing on. They know there is a goal to achieve and a new life waits in Meritorium.
I cannot say enough about this book. The unusual animal combinations are interesting, humorous and frightening at times. I’ll admit I’d love to get the chance to see one of the “unicorns” that exist in this book. Granted the idea of facing a special breed of toad that has bat wings and a scorpion’s stinger does not appeal to me in the least.
I love all of the adventure, the twists, the challenges, and all of the obstacles Charley and the rest of the group have to face in hopes of finding a peace in their life. As much as I don’t like cliffhangers, and this is, I cannot wait to read the last book in the series!! If you like dystopian stories that deal with incredible life or death challenges, or want to read about a new age version of the life of a gladiator when thrown into the Colosseum, check out this brilliant book in John Ohman’s Meritropolis series.
January 17, 2018
This second book in the Meritropolis series does not disappoint.
Charley, with the help of his friends, continues to right the wrongs deemed necessary by The System. Each step he takes towards success leads him to a new lesson to learn.
I am enjoying this series. I love the imagination involved in creating the various animal combinations and plant mutations. The storyline has kept my curiosity and anxiety at an all-time high. My favorite aspect, however, is watching the growth of Charley. He is constantly questioning himself. What makes his choices different from those he despises? Who determines the definition of monster? Many times, Charley is given mere moments to make life-altering choices.
The Venatio is the visual representation of humanity at its lowest. High Score prejudice against Low Scores. Women striving for equality. Slaughtering of animals merely for the entertainment. Three days of killing. Three days of greed-driven murders. The final battle on the final day decides the fate of those who remain alive. This final battle unfolded perfectly.
The book ended with a lesson found throughout the story, you are the culmination of your actions. Who is the real monster?
Charley, with the help of his friends, continues to right the wrongs deemed necessary by The System. Each step he takes towards success leads him to a new lesson to learn.
I am enjoying this series. I love the imagination involved in creating the various animal combinations and plant mutations. The storyline has kept my curiosity and anxiety at an all-time high. My favorite aspect, however, is watching the growth of Charley. He is constantly questioning himself. What makes his choices different from those he despises? Who determines the definition of monster? Many times, Charley is given mere moments to make life-altering choices.
The Venatio is the visual representation of humanity at its lowest. High Score prejudice against Low Scores. Women striving for equality. Slaughtering of animals merely for the entertainment. Three days of killing. Three days of greed-driven murders. The final battle on the final day decides the fate of those who remain alive. This final battle unfolded perfectly.
The book ended with a lesson found throughout the story, you are the culmination of your actions. Who is the real monster?
June 4, 2018
The Event occurred 12 years ago. An unknown group released chemical reactions into the wild, in order to use nature against man. It resulted in aggressive animal hybrids. The Event ended up out of control and changed the world, but the aggressiveness was planned. Civilization collapsed and mankind was left living in a few small cities. Charley is travelling with Orson, Grigor, Sandy, Hank, Sven, and numerous low scores to Meritorium in order to find Orson’s father, kill him, and overthrow the Scoring System. However, they get captured by slavers and are forced to fight against people and animals in the Venatio; a gladiator style competition. If they win they win their freedom. Whereas in Meritropolis the Low Scores were sent out of the gates to die, in Meritorium they die in the arena and thus are useful as it brings in revenue from both admission prices, and betting. As they compete, they learn lessons about privilege, leadership, and God’s grace.
January 25, 2019
Meritorium is a dystopian book about what would happen if the world was ruled by animal combos and people were judged of a single score they were given. This book is about Charley, someone with a very high score who wants to destroy the system that puts low scores out to die and makes high scores hold all the power. After escaping Metropolis he and his camp of rebels go to Meritorium to kill the czar who created the system. Before they get there they get captured and sold as slaves to be put in the venatio, a Rome like gladiator fight. Well he's a slave he sees the injustice of what the low scores go through, but also realizes that everybody, even monsters, deserve grace. I liked this book because it had a lot of interesting animal combos and pictures of them at the beginning of each chapter. I recommend this book to anyone who likes dystopians because it is very interesting and has a lot of hard questions.
July 21, 2017
SURVIVAL OF THE STRONGEST. Meritorium is the second book in the Meritropolis series. Yes this is a young adult dystopian novel, but it is not the typical storyline associated with that genre. You should not read it as a standalone as it starts where Meritropolis ends and does have a cliffhanger ending for the next book. There is a lot of graphic violence
The book blurb adequately describes the storyline so I'm not going to repeat all of that info here. High scores in Meritorium don't always mean freedom. Here Charley and the others who escaped Meritropolis are literally fighting for their lives. He is still determined to overthrow the system and free the people. As usual, everything and everyone is not as it seems.
I received a copy of this book from the author and chose to leave a review for other readers.
The book blurb adequately describes the storyline so I'm not going to repeat all of that info here. High scores in Meritorium don't always mean freedom. Here Charley and the others who escaped Meritropolis are literally fighting for their lives. He is still determined to overthrow the system and free the people. As usual, everything and everyone is not as it seems.
I received a copy of this book from the author and chose to leave a review for other readers.
August 2, 2017
Kindle Unlimited, little too hunger games for me, but then didn't like that show either that much
Charley has escaped from Meritropolis… but in his quest to take down the System that has taken his brother from him, he must go through Meritorium, a city where gladiatorial games of life or death combat are waged between High Scores and Low Scores, man and beast. Charley and Sandy must face man-eating plants, religious zealots, slave traders, and the ever present mutant animal combinations that roam a dystopian Coliseum presided over by Emperor Titus, the one man standing between Charley and the answers he seeks. Man is not an animal, but if they are to make it through Meritorium, will they even be able to tell the difference?
Meritropolis
Meritorium (Meritropolis Book 2)
Meritopia (Meritropolis Book 3)
Charley has escaped from Meritropolis… but in his quest to take down the System that has taken his brother from him, he must go through Meritorium, a city where gladiatorial games of life or death combat are waged between High Scores and Low Scores, man and beast. Charley and Sandy must face man-eating plants, religious zealots, slave traders, and the ever present mutant animal combinations that roam a dystopian Coliseum presided over by Emperor Titus, the one man standing between Charley and the answers he seeks. Man is not an animal, but if they are to make it through Meritorium, will they even be able to tell the difference?
Meritropolis
Meritorium (Meritropolis Book 2)
Meritopia (Meritropolis Book 3)
December 3, 2017
I downloaded this from KU and thought this was a great story, one that middle school age on up would love to read. It has lots of action with many of the original caste of characters in Meritropolis. Grigor is a great teacher not just with ways to fight but also with words of wisdom. And Charley learns a lot from him. I love the way this author has brought in some crazy combinations of animals which he describes very well, some of them almost comical and others so scary I would shake in my boots (or high heels) if I had to face them. The battles in the arena have you sitting on the edge of your seat rooting for the good guys wondering how they are going to get through it alive and in one piece. This is a great learning experience not only for the characters but also for the reader as they bring up some very evocative questions that one can think about and learn from.
August 5, 2017
A continuation, following the party that left Meritropolis at the end of the previous book - who trek towards Meritorium. They discover (the hard way) that this city has a slave based economy - and Low Scores are expected to contribute by appearing in fights to the death in gladiatorial bouts in the Arena.
Meritorium has other links to Rome - as it is ruled by an Emperor. We learn more about the world as it is now and something of Orson's father as the group become embroiled in local politics.
The world is intriguing, though some of the hybrid animal combinations seem unlikely. My beef about the previous volume has been addressed in this - the illustrations are now better placed so that the captions can be read.
Meritorium has other links to Rome - as it is ruled by an Emperor. We learn more about the world as it is now and something of Orson's father as the group become embroiled in local politics.
The world is intriguing, though some of the hybrid animal combinations seem unlikely. My beef about the previous volume has been addressed in this - the illustrations are now better placed so that the captions can be read.
September 14, 2017
Book 2 in this awesome series finds Charlie and Sandy along with Orson and Sven and others on their way to the city of Meritorious to face off against the czar, Orson's father and the creator of the system. In this city the low scores aren't Zeroed they're used as bait against the creatures and high scores in gladiator style action. The an who runs the city calls himself the emperor if that tells you anything. This book is even more action packed and they face even more dangers than book 1. I really enjoyed this and can't wait to read book 3 I have to know what happens to Charlie and company.
Independent reviewer for Romance Authors That Rock.
Independent reviewer for Romance Authors That Rock.
February 1, 2019
I think "Meritorium" was written very descriptively and smartly. Joel Ohman told details very slowly and gradually to make things very suspenseful. One strength of the book is the ending. I love how there is a lot of action and you can easily imagine it in your head. One weakness of this book is that sometimes its hard to follow. One point they are sleeping, and the next part they are somehow trapped in flowers! Otherwise the confusion, the book is easy to enjoy. I would recommend this book to 8th graders and up, however, because there is very big and confusing words that I didn't understand.
February 15, 2018
This was a great follow up to Meritropolis. I will say the author has a very vivid imagination. Makes the story even more interesting. The action never lets up. Something is always happening and usually not for the best. In this one they have to fight like gladiators against guards and some really weird cross animal combos. Before they get to Meritorium there is tragedy at Meritropolis. Later they cross the bramble. It is a large area with very alive plants that attack. Hats off to the artist that made pictures of the different types of wild animals. They looked really awesome.
January 25, 2019
At first I did not like this book. It was kind of confusing and not very interesting or exciting. But as I continued to read I started liking it more and more. It is very intense and is filled with lots of action and fighting. There were still some confusing parts but for the most part I really liked it. I really hope Charley and the others find the czar and take down the system. I cant wait to read the second book to find out what happens. It is inspiring to read about how all of them are standing up for what is right even tho they might die in the process.
February 24, 2017
Meritorium - Meritropolis bk2
The second book is every bit as exciting as the first book, maybe even more so in a morbid short of way. I am thrilled that our author continues to gives us drawings of these beasts, not for my lack of imagination, but Shi that I can see it through the writers eyes. I would have loved similar drawings for some of the arena events.
Some of our mysteries are revealed from book one, answering so many questions, but not destroying the readers need for more. Leaving you on baited breath for the next book.
If your a dystopian lover like me, this world is a whole new take on our 'future' that you really don't want to miss. I love having new and fascinating takes on how our world could go so wrong with human tinkering where they shouldn't.
VERY excited for the next installment, this has been added as one of my new favorite series too read and I can see myself reading it again.
Editing is good.
The second book is every bit as exciting as the first book, maybe even more so in a morbid short of way. I am thrilled that our author continues to gives us drawings of these beasts, not for my lack of imagination, but Shi that I can see it through the writers eyes. I would have loved similar drawings for some of the arena events.
Some of our mysteries are revealed from book one, answering so many questions, but not destroying the readers need for more. Leaving you on baited breath for the next book.
If your a dystopian lover like me, this world is a whole new take on our 'future' that you really don't want to miss. I love having new and fascinating takes on how our world could go so wrong with human tinkering where they shouldn't.
VERY excited for the next installment, this has been added as one of my new favorite series too read and I can see myself reading it again.
Editing is good.
May 31, 2018
This is a solid YA dystopian novel that deals with some very important themes. What makes us human? Are some individuals inherently worth more than others, or do we all matter as beings created in God's image? How can we hold on to our humanity in the face of unimaginable evil? Mr. Ohman tackles these and other questions in a tasteful yet entertaining manner. I am looking forward to Meritopia, the conclusion of this interesting trilogy!
April 2, 2018
A little too much over explaining, and the Christian message felt a little too pushed. Really disliked Shoeey. First of all, the name is terrible; second of all, I really hate the whole Mc-saves-animal-which-eventually-saves-MC-several-times cliche, and you could see this one coming miles away. The twist at the end was good.
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