Escape From CorpWorld

by Jason Srebnick

"The Corporation comes first. Always. The needs of the Corporation come before my own. I exist for the Corporation and the Corporation exists for me. I will obey and honor Corporate law. One Corporation under the mighty Credit." - from The Corporate Pledge Reminiscent of stories such as 1984, Fahrenheit 451 and Brave New World, Escape From CorpWorld is a timely tale that is at once terrifying and amusing, thought provoking and heartwarming. The city of New Boston... In the world of Aaron Cogwell going to work at his Corporation seven days a week for a minimum seventeen hour work day is the norm. Weekends are an archaic thing of the very distant past. Now there are workends: Four hour work stoppages every thirty-six days. The Corporations are nothing if not efficient. People are judged by marks such as Corporate status, the size and class of their residence and by how much "stuff" they have in their display chambers. And this information is all very public and available for viewing on the HRN. Government still exists but is a small and meaningless footnote in a very large Corporate world. People now pledge allegiance to their Corporation. Aaron is more than happy with his life like this. He's thankful to his Corporation for all it has given him. For all of the stuff that he and his wife have been able to accumulate. They were given this life by the Corporation. And they are forever loyal for it. Then again this is all Aaron or anyone else in CorpWorld has ever known. There are no alternatives. At least that is what Aaron believes. Until one day a major event changes his life's course and he meets a mysterious stranger who helps him to realize that, indeed, there is a choice.

Genres: Young Adult

280 pages, Paperback

First published February 9, 2014

Reviews

[Mike Zinn · Rating 5 out of 5]

First - I got this book for free. But that's beside the point. This is the second book in a row that I won and read and was totally amazed at the quality. This one I would give more than 5 stars to if I could. Yes - it owes a lot to 1984 and Brave New World - but it is so influenced by the world today that it took me way beyond those two books. This darn thing was so believable. Better yet - it was so much fun. It's not often that you think of a dystopian novel as fun, but to me - this was it. I don't like to tell much about what is going on because I hate spoilers, but I'll just throw this out. Imagine if the world was run by 10 corporations and that number was shrinking as the more successful corporations were swallowing up some of the less profitable. If you want to work - you worked for one of the corporations. That's enough. The only other thing I have to mention is that this book could have used a more thorough proofreading - which usually bugs the heck out of me. But this was so good that I was willing to ignore the issues and just roll on. Great books are built around great stories - and in my opinion, this is a great book. Welcome back science fiction.

[Kerri · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was excited to open the mail and learn I was selected as a First Reader through the Goodreads giveaway program. Especially, since I was drawn to the story by the beautiful cover and the excerpt on the back of the book.

"The Corporation comes first. Always. The needs of the Corporation come before my own." This is Aaron Cogwell’s reality as is everyone's in New Boston - a world where you spend 17+ hours, with little to no contact with other humans, working for the Corporation. Force fed propaganda constantly through video and audio streams that your sole purpose is to make the Corporation thrive. You are essentially numb and a widget in the Corporation's wheel.

But due to a "tragic" accident, Aaron's exposed to entirely different world. Through the patience of a friend and her library of books, Aaron awakens and believes he and his family could exist in this world but first he must convince his family and find a way out of the grips of the Corporation.

The story is relatable and offers hope to those that unbeknownst to themselves are actually very much like Aaron. I enjoyed the book and would recommend it!

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imagine a world where your life is dedicated to the Corporation you work for, where you have to work a mandatory 17 hours a day, where the only break you have is a work-end, which lasts for four hours and occurs every 36 days, where the advances in technology run your entire life, and where you never communicate with your co-workers and barely communicate with your family. This is how Aaron lives in Bookworm by Jason Srebnick. He loves his Corporation and is grateful to them for everything he has, partly because it has been ingrained in his head since birth. Aaron, and every other citizen in this Corporate-run world, is completely loyal to the Corporation and puts the Corporation’s needs before his own. Since this is the only way of living he knows, he is more than happy. However, his life soon changes drastically in the blink of an eye, and he begins to learn that there is another way to live. He meets a puzzling outsider who shows him that he has a choice and that his life’s purpose does not have to be to serve the Corporation.

What I found particularly eye-opening about Bookworm is that this world and way of living is not as far-fetched as we’d like to think it is. The idea of working to live can so easily become living to work. Some people in our society spend too much time on their work and not enough time with their families. Not to mention the rapid growth of technology, which is very much a part of our lives and our kids’ lives. As I was reading this incredible book, on an e-reader by the way, I felt like I could be reading about our future. Jason Srebnick is a great writer. He took this concept and this world and made it completely real. Not only is the setting frighteningly credible, but the characters are as well. With so much technology embedded in our lives, we can easily relate to Aaron, who felt like something was missing and that he needed to be a husband and father instead of being brainwashed by corporations and the technological world. In addition to believable characters, the plot was exciting with a couple of twists and turns, and the writing was fantastic. I definitely recommend this to anyone interested in a little sci-fi with a very important message. One thing I will walk away with after reading this book: while technology has its benefits, we need to read REAL books and spend as much time as possible with REAL people. Thank you, Jason Srebnick for writing this amazing, thought-provoking book.

Reviewed by ME for Readers' Favorite

[Lisa Lucas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Won this book in goodreads giveaway 12/31/15 received 01/09/2015. Spoilers below the main paragraph so please read with caution.
.............................
Giving your all to the corporation? Everything you do in life is to advance yourself up the career matrices, to get more money, to buy more stuff, to fill your residence with useless things that will earn you status & prestige and make your peers jealous? Have a family, but barely spend time with them; the children spend their time engrossed in electronics; you're engrossed in your electronics as well, bombarded by ads, videos, stories; plus working all day and going home and still plugging away.....Sound familiar? We are not as far from this story line as I would like to believe.
....................................

Possible spoilers below
.......................
Aaron, with the patient help of an outsider, realizes that he strives for more than just acquiring more stuff. Family is more important, and he struggles to break away from the brainwashing of the corporate world and convince his family to do the same. That same outsider was once a part of the corporate "live only for the corporation" attitude and broke free. She wasn't able to convince her family to go with her, so she pushed Aaron to never give up. Ending is beautifully worked out.

A few things that bothered me that kept me from giving this a 5* review...
Aaron's pod "malfunctioned" twice in the same day. The first time being the video and audio all quiet, then the second when it crashed. This is never explained. In a world of NO mistakes allowed, this second malfunction would never happen as the first one would have been detected and fixed immediately. Is this a more common occurrence than what Aaron thinks it is?? Has it happened before, possibly to those no longer deemed fit to be productive in the corporation? Also, the coincidence of it being Aarons pod crashing down, out of hundreds of thousands of other pods, is a little unlikely. Also, it is never explained how the 3 "wise men" happened upon the same location that Mary lived (or vice versa). Where did the Wilson's come from? It was said that they were born there, and if that's the case, how did the parents get there? Where are the parents now? What about the other "residents" of that area of the forest that Aaron glimpsed? Where did they come from? Were these more "pod crashes/malfunctions"?

All I all I really enjoyed this story, read it in one sitting, stayed awake all night to finish it. Thanks for choosing me as a winner!!

[Debbie Payne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book from a Goodread's Giveaway in lieu of an honest review. I can honestly say that I really enjoyed this thought-provoking book and have given it a five-star rating.

It's beginnings were a bit slow and the life Aaron lived with his family seemed so structured and was downright depressing. There was no time for living and sharing time with each other. Everyone was like gerbils running in circles in a cage. Every day was just like the other. But as soon as Aaron crashed his pod and fell to the ground below I was hooked. I knew that his life was going to change for the better. The ending was satisfying. After all, some books CAN change lives and give us new perspective.

This book is a cautionary tale of what our own lives could become if we somehow destroy our future. Already, books are being replaced by devices and if our devices crash... well, we might not have any books anymore. One of the most powerful and thoughtful gift is one of a real book. As soon as you buy it, it is truly yours to do with as you wish. You can take it anywhere. You can read it alone, you can read it to someone, or you can share it without fear of copyright. You can cherish it.

Don't get me wrong. Technology can be both bad and good. I used to review much more than I do now due to an eye problem. Lately, it is easier to read on a Kindle or my iPad or phone. I can change font, dim or lighten up the page. When all else fails, I "read" an audiobook from the library. People with vision issues are so much better off with technology we have today. But, if given the choice, I would rather read the book. Does anyone"s mind wander when they listen to an audiobook? I know mine does.

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book! really great!
Right away Bookworm had that feel of a beloved book like 1984, Phillip K Dick (without the muddled confusion he tends to write in his books), or many of the other science fiction classics I have read over the years...beautiful writing, well edited, and a great plot that flows well....Bookworm will stand the test of time...
It was so refreshing to read a newer science fiction/dystopian book that did not have a cheesy romance or any of the nonsense I tend to see these days...Instead there is real emotion that grows in a true and believable way...
The setting is believable and quite creepy since I could see humanity taking a turn like this...people living to work instead of working to live...being so wrapped up in their corporation that life has no true meaning for them...
I think my favorite thing in the book was how Srebnick described books and the joy of reading...it was beautiful to see in words my own joy for the smell, feel, and that experience of just "5 more minutes"....his love for books was very apparent throughout...
I got this book through Goodreads First Reads in exchange for an honest review...almost did not enter to win it b/c the description was just an excerpt from the book, and I am so glad that I decided to enter!

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to receive this through the Goodreads Giveaway program.

If possible, I would give it 20 stars!

If you love any of the following books; 1984, The Giver, or the Book Thief, you will find this book fascinating. Within, there are so many subtle comments on the future compared to the present, that you'll start to question your own ideas about filling your display case(s) or an obsession with electronic devices and media.

Tension fills the pages as you cheer for Aaron and his understanding of the human spirit. Mary guides you towards a path to follow, as you plan your own future, stressing especially the importance of reading across a broad spectrum of genres. Imagination and creativity are to be valued while material possessions may be viewed as hinderances.

I wonder how many of us have already bought into the Corporate Pledge and are on the path towards the culmination of our own retirement circle.

A fantastic introduction to the mind of Jason Srebnick!

[Jk · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book through the Goodreads First Reads program and would like to thank the author and everyone else who made that possible.

I loved this story! There was phenomenal world building and detailing of a bleak and horrifying world of the distant future, self-discovery, tense action scenes and an ending filled with bright hope - what more could you ask for? I loved the footnotes - what a fun and clever world-building device! The book could use a bit more proofreading - there was a minor consistency error at the beginning and small typos spread throughout but nothing that majorly impacted my reading enjoyment. Overall a great and uplifting read!

[Michael Dally · Rating 4 out of 5]

Won this book through a goodreads giveaway.

Always nice to read a book that reminds you to stop and look around and appreciate the smaller things in life, and this book certainly does that. There isn't a whole lot of character development outside two main characters, but they are done well, and the rest working 17 hours a day 7 days a week don't really have much character to develop. The world is brought to life through the very descriptive writting. Overall, a very enjoyable read and highly recommended.

[Paula Ackley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! I was hooked by the description from the back cover. "That's a book." "A book? What does it do?" "It doesn't do anything. You read it." "Oh, it's a reader? But how?" I am a dinosaur. I still like to read paper books. I don't own a Nook, a tablet, an ereader, or a Kindle. Bookworm shows what happens when technology goes to the extreme and we lose our humanity in the process. Fast paced, exciting, thought provoking, well written and original. Scary because I can see it happening somewhere in the not too distant future. Well done Mr. Srebnick

[Val Silver · Rating 4 out of 5]

I pledge allegiance to the corporation - sounds far-fetched, but is it really? What this book so well illustrates in the futuristic extreme is not that far off in principle for those climbing the corporate ladder today - live to work and get more stuff at the cost of their lives. Bookworm is a thought-provoking, enjoyable read that contrasts two ways of life, awakening, and making choices through the experiences of Aaron Cogwell and his family. Beautiful ending.

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the premise of this book but found most of the characters and their dialogue to be a little wooden; kind of felt as if reading a young adult book. Hope this author sticks with writing, though; I'd like to see what other ideas he comes up with.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked it. It was unlike any book I have read so far.

[Brad H · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very 1984-esk.