Sunlight 24

by Merritt Graves

"Teen-centered, future-shock tragedy of a high order, a literate upgrade over standard gamer-hacker sci-fi...The wonder-filled, terrible future the author invokes feels uncomfortably real, inhabited, and just around the corner." --Kirkus, Starred Review

"A brilliant look at the future where genetic mutation and nootropics rule the day . . . Sunlight 24 is a fast paced, roller coaster ride." --Macsbooks

"The Catcher in the Rye meets A Simple Plan in this winding tale of teenage angst gone so, so wrong." --Kristina Reads

How far would you go to stay relevant in a world that's passing you by?

Confused and deeply alienated, Dorian Waters is part of the ever-expanding portion of humanity who can’t afford the nano-implant and genetic augmentation regimen known as Revision. And because he can’t afford Revision, he can’t get into college. He can’t get a job. And when he sees the brilliant and mesmerizing Lena for the first time, he knows he doesn’t have a chance with her, either.

Thoroughly lost and exasperated, Dorian starts robbing houses with his best friend, Ethan, taking so little each time that their targets don’t notice. Still, it's unsettling, and he realizes he needs to slow things down and figure out the kind of person he really wants to be. But with the police one step behind them and a contentious relationship with his brother, Jaden, threatening to unravel everything, it’s the expedient choices that Dorian's finding himself more and more compelled to make.

464 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 30, 2019

About the author

Merritt Graves lives in Los Angeles, CA where the alternative rock band he co-founded, Trapdoor Social, is based. The band collaborated with him on a soundtrack to his debut novel, Lakes of Mars, that can be heard here https://soundcloud.com/trapdoorsocial... In addition to playing music, Merritt enjoys reading, writing, hiking and gardening.

Reviews

[Mackey]

A genre that I’ve lately found intriguing is “near-future” fiction. It’s not always dystopian in nature, nor does it fall into the realm of sci-fi, or perhaps it does. Regardless, I like books that take an event or scenario happening currently and run it to its natural conclusion. If you think about it, that is basically what Orwell did with 1984, or was done in Brave New World. The authors viewed the effects of the Industrial Revolution and allowed their imagination to see the ultimate end-game: and they were too accurate for comfort. Sunlight 24, a young adult/new adult thriller, does exactly this using nanotechnology and gene splicing as well nootropic supplements and their effects on the human brain.

Sunlight 24 is a fast paced, roller coaster ride and one heckuva a great read! Set in the near future, in a world where the climate and robots have completely altered the daily lives of humans, man has found ways of making themselves less redundant: Revision. Simply put, they are altering their DNA using gene therapy, nano-bots and nootropics to make themselves faster, stronger, and definitely smarter. The drawback is that only the most wealthy can afford these “revisions,” creating a world where the haves and have-nots are clearly separated with only the “haves” succeeding. Enter Dorian whose family is barely getting by and cannot afford revision. Without revision, Dorian cannot get into a good university and without a degree in Nano-technology, he will be shackled forever by his limitations. But, Dorian has a plan to steal from the wealthy in order to afford smaller increments of revision. Each revision influences his next choice of revision until, ultimately, he realizes he is losing a bit of his own self, what makes him Dorian. He also does not suspect that his brother, a psychopath, is doing the same revisions as Dorian, also funded by nefarious means. The ultimate conclusion is explosive – literally – as well an eye opening look at the monster we are creating.

Merritt Graves, author of the cult thriller “Lake of Mars,” has created a brilliant look at the future where genetic mutation and nootropics rule the day. As someone who already takes nootropic drugs, I found the ultimate conclusion of this book to be frightening as well as enlightening. In the end, I was questioning what we already are doing, what we could do and what will remain of our own humanity when we do. If this sounds confusing, it isn’t really. Graves is a masterful story teller and, although the tale became a little over the top toward the end, Graves deftly keeps the story on track to its horrifying conclusion.

Admittedly, the book is a little too long and could use a good bit of editing. There were times when I felt parts of the story weren’t necessary to the overall story-line. It also helps to remember that this is told from a high-schooler’s point of view because it is a young adult thriller. As such, you aren’t going to get the thoughts and concerns of the parents, teachers, scientists, etc. This is, ultimately, Dorian’s story and is told from his point of view only. That didn’t diminish my enjoyment of the book in the least and I heartily recommend it for those who enjoy this type of genre.

Thank you to #Netgalley #merrittgraves for my copy of Sunlight 24.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one roller-coaster ride of a book! Set in the near future, it tells of a society that has all the technological advances we might imagine--including drones, robots, and even medical Revisions which will enhance your body and psyche. But of course only the very rich can afford these Revisions so there's a clear line between the wealthy and the middle class. Enter Dorian, the main character and his brother, Jaden (whom we know is a psychopath but can't afford a Revision). Dorian and friend Ethan have been robbing houses and taking a little here and there to be able to get their own Revisions. And of course it's relatively easy for teens to case the houses with drone activity and social media announcements about where and when residents will vacation. Things get dicey when the police discover the robberies and Dorian suspects others of committing the crimes as well. Plus there's a romance in store for Dorian. While the technological details got a little too much for me, that's probably because I'm old. But if you want a fast-paced, dynamic sci-fi adventure, this one is for you!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

[Rachel Barnard · Rating 5 out of 5]

“You need power to be heroic, but there’s no way to get it if you’re shackled. So, you have to start as the villain, grab the power, and then put the shackles on.”

Dorian Waters, along with the majority of humanity, cannot afford the nano-implants and genetic augmentations that are now available. Without Revision, Dorian, will never be as smart, as fast, or as good at anything as those who can afford to Revise. He, along with many others, is fast being left behind. Not only can he not compete in the same sports leagues, but he is fast losing any prospects for a job, a career, or a worthwhile life. And that’s no way to live. But Dorian has one trick up his sleeve. All he needs to do is get enough money to Revise and then the smarts that come with that upgrade will help him buy more Revisions. All he needs is that first push, that first bit of cash, to get him started. After that first Revision, there’s no going back and it’s like Dorian has pushed himself down a steep slope and with every passing moment, every little Revision, the momentum pushes him further and faster toward the bottom. And there’s no stopping, only an imminent impact.

Ethan is the partner in crime – willing to take everything to its farthest – which makes him the greatest partner, but also the worst in the end. Ethan will pull Dorian in, but he will also pull him in so far that neither of them will be able to crawl back out.

Dorian is smarter than he gives himself credit for and he gives himself enough quite a bit of credit. It’s just not enough to compete with the Revised… Being your best and trying your hardest isn’t enough because the rich kids can purchase better genes and are suddenly twice as good without even trying.

I fell in love with more than just the characters. Their situations and how they felt about their own lives was so tangible, so real that I empathized with them and their actions. Dorian IS a good guy. He spent five years trying to help a guy who had crippling anxiety. He spent years helping his brother pretend to be empathetic and cope with who he is.

I didn’t know what was coming, but I knew something was coming. Something big that was going to blow everything up for Dorian. The ending was everything I wanted it to be and more.

I was so intrigued with everything Jaden… Jaden is this black hole that is drifting closer to planet Dorian, ready to swallow him up.

I loved all the little details of this book and can’t wait to read more by Merritt Graves.

[Elli (Kindig Blog) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sunlight 24 tells the story of Dorian, who belongs to the underclass who can’t afford to Revise – permanently change parts of their body and mind to become more relevant to a society mostly made by AI. So when he starts robbing houses to get the money he needs it spirals a catch-22 situation that will change his life forever.

I found Sunlight 24 quite hard to review, on one hand I liked the dystopian future aspect. I liked the idea of having to have money to improve yourself and this creating two different classes of people. I liked the character of Dorian and his friends and I liked the progression of the story.

I think my main problem with it was kind of the lack of context. I wanted to understand more about what Revision entailed, how it worked and a little bit more about the wider world outside of the two schools mentioned. We get glimpses of it with the police involvement and the talk about the climate and their parent’s jobs but it isn’t enough to sufficiently build the world in your mind. I find that good sci fi works when there is an element of truth about it which is pushed to its extreme – like 1984 with governmental surveillance. Sunlight 24 was interesting in the way that machines had taken over most of the jobs and humans were trying to enhance themselves to keep relevant but the actual gene manipulation and the more sinister aspects of this are very far removed from our world in general. I think it would have had more of an impact if the style of writing and narration had changed each time Dorian is revised but I felt that it just seemed like he was the same character throughout, even with the enhanced mental processing.

The story itself is also very long – there is a lot in here that a good edit would easily sort out and there was too much discussion of philosophers that I’d never heard of and didn’t seem terribly relevant to the plot. Some of the characters also seemed too one-dimensional – his brother Jaden just seemed to be the epitome of evil rather than well-rounded. The love interest was also a bit wooden which was a shame as she’s the only female character in the book.

Overall I think Sunlight 24 is an interesting concept but badly in need of an edit to shape into something a little more interesting and hard hitting. Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Eldon Farrell · Rating 2 out of 5]

**I would like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review**

I was hooked when I first read the blurb for Sunlight 24. The idea seemed so original that I just had to read this book to find out more. And it started good. At the beginning, I would’ve rated this book a 4, and if I didn’t have to finish it, that’s what it would’ve gotten. Unfortunately though, by the middle of the book it was down to a 3 and then after the ending, well, you see where it lands.

So what didn’t work for me? My expectations for this one were for an original sci-fi story that could examine the repercussions of a class system. An examination that would, as all good sci-fi does, shine a light on our modern society. What I got was sci-fi lite. What I got was more of a YA book about whiny, privileged teenagers. I wanted to be shown more of the fascinating world Merritt Graves created. You know, the wide world beyond high school walls.

But right to the end, the reader is never shown this. We see nothing beyond the bland existence of a main character who lusts after a girl and uses genetic revisions and nano-implants to somehow be worthy of her. It serves as a weak storyline that portrays one of a very few female characters in a shallow light. And then there’s the antagonist for our angst-ridden MC who adds no depth to the tale at all. We’re told he’s a psychopath and that’s why he does everything he does. It’s too easy, and this reader would’ve appreciated more reason.

I wanted to like this book for its original concept. But in the end, what could’ve been revelatory descended into just more of the same.

2 stars.

[Nic Zimmermann · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting YA book grappling with the ethical dilemmas and repercussions of gene editing amongst the haves and have-nots in the near future. Enjoyable but not spellbinding. I felt the first person narrative probably narrowed the scope of the book. More perspectives may have helped bring the book alive a bit more. The best character was the evil psychopathic brother Jaden. I feel like he could have been fleshed out more. The book also lacked any female presence as it mostly followed the young boys in the story. The action scenes were where Sunlight 24 really came alive but there were too few of them especially in the first two thirds of the book. Over all it was enjoyable though and I will definitely be reading more by Merritt Graves.

[Katerina Pritz · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing here has strokes of genius, I admire the author’s mind and language abilities. Beautiful sentence structure and imagery too.
The story isn’t as strong: the solid beginning was promising yet it devolved into stereotypes and canned plot lines that seemed to be transparent attempts at philosophical points. Not that conveying philosophy via plot is bad! But were I the author, I would lean in on my language abilities and rework the weaker attempt at philosophy. May I humbly suggest a more fleshed out/mature story to carry the ideas?
Can’t emphasize enough how beautiful some of these author’s imagery is, though, I think the book is worth checking out if just for the first chapter.

[Shaela · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book a bit more than I did but felt that it could have used a bit more editing for continuity and conciseness of content.

First, what I liked: This book did a great job of boldly portraying the harsh navigation of Interpersonal relationships in a world of such disparity. The intersect of classism and futuristic themes was flawless. I found the futuristic components, including same-day gene editing, effortless spying, consistent access to knowledge, etc unnervingly relevant to today. I also appreciated all of the details of what might be found in the world of the future: VR, drones, etc to be seemlessly placed - made to feel so day to day I was intirely immersed in the setting. I also appreciated the main character who, although very flawed, was also altruistic and wholesome with spiky edges of twisty, Robin Hood-esque morals.

I struggled a bit with the story itself, which at times stalled out and became more a chore than an engaging read. At times, the storyline felt drawn out, and unnecessarily so. At others, the story felt like two different plot lines that didn’t quite speak to each other.

Despite the criticism, I still look forward to what this author can accomplish.

[TheDigressiveApproach · Rating 4 out of 5]

This ARC was provided by the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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Sunlight 24 follows Dorian Waters, whose makes expedient decisions to reach the same level as the Revised people, and then to keep himself several steps ahead to evade the police and his brother's unknown agenda.

Graves' last book, Lakes of Mars, was an absolute delight to read and I was expecting the same with this one. I was not disappointed.

I read this book over the span of a couple of weeks due to being busy with other matters, and yet not once did I feel as if the pace had slowed or that it could use some work. I feel that the best way to organise this review is to list the things I enjoyed and the few points that I thought could have been done a bit better.

Here's what I enjoyed:

1. The writing is the perfect style that I adored in Lakes of Mars. There are no info-dumps, no two-sentence conversations interrupted by long passages of description or anything really that could distract or jar the reader. Everything is seamlessly integrated. Once again, despite the story being told from only one perspective, the reader is as familiar with the side characters as the protagonist is. Dorian's observations about his friends and about himself never feel strange or self-absorbed. In fact, I find that this sort of introspection and observation is very realistic in the way it reflects the thought process of many adults and near-adults nowadays. The theme of discovering oneself and coming to terms with one's desires and goals is prevalent throughout this book and is one of the things I loved the most. There is a long scene of Dorian trying to escape and I found myself reading each word with anticipation and nervousness, the action in this book is perfectly written.

2. The setting is near future and the way that technology and its interaction with/role in the lives of human beings is depicted is well executed. I really liked the scientific explanations of the Revision process, they were well thought-out and perfectly developed to justify the kind of obsession they triggered in humans.

3. The characters were very well-developed. I did like the protagonist and his relationship with his friends but. most of all, I loved his relationship with his brother. Jaden is a quietly terrifying character and a well-written one at that. His interactions with the protagonist were my favourite and I especially enjoyed the almost Monster-esque (Naoki Urasawa's manga) dilemma that Dorian faces near the end of the book. I won't spoil this part but let's just say that I loved it.

Here are a few things that I think could have been executed better:

1. Dorian's reaction to something that happens to Jaden. In my opinion, Dorian was not shocked enough by it.

2. Dorian's fixation with Lena. I think the romance aspect was handled somewhat better in this book than it was in Lakes of Mars, as Dorian actually knew a little about Lena and her personality. However, I do think it could have been done even better than this.

3. The ending is a perfect cliffhanger but also a great conclusion. I have an inkling about what Jaden's plan was but I wish the ending had told us a bit more about it. Lastly, Dorian's final decision about Revision was very intriguing and, once again, I hope there's a continuation of this series to show us what happens after the ending.

Overall, this was a great read. Merritt Graves is quickly becoming one of my favourite authors and definitely someone to look out for, especially in these genres!

Rating (out of 5): ⭐⭐⭐⭐
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Short review on Litsy

Book is not available in Litsy's catalogue.

[Sue Blanchard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thankyou to NetGalley and the author, Merritt Graves, for the opportunity to read an advanced readers copy of Sunlight 24 in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
I was initially drawn to this book by the premise of the story. I found it intriguing.
The storyline was well thought out and fast paced. It was a rollercoaster ride that held my interest from start to finish.
Well worth a read.

[Evan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an action-packed take of teenage a fast, set in the future. This book will take your for a ride through the struggles of power, of first times and the emerging technologies within their time period. There must come a time where you must make a choice....will Dorian make the right choice or will everything come undone?

This book was given to me by Net Galley in e change for and honest review.