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Barriers

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Note: Barriers is now under the new title: Sanctuary 87

In a nightmare dystopian future, those who can't prove their worth are put to death.
One father will stop at nothing to save his son.


In the near future, invisible Barrier domes shield Earth's wealthiest cities from catastrophic solar flares, but only the healthy elite are granted protection. Those who are unable to prove their economic worth are sent to live in the Sanctuaries — camps outside the Barrier domes where residents have little-to-no protection from flares. It’s brutal living there.

Nathan Gallagher is one of the lucky ones who lives inside a Barrier. But his luck runs out when his adopted son suffers a paralyzing accident. He’s taken from his parents and sent to the Sanctuaries where it’s only a matter of time before he is euthanized.

With only days until another flare is due to strike Earth’s Sanctuary cities, not only does his son’s life hang in the balance, but the fate of a quarter billion people.

307 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 2, 2019

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25 people want to read

About the author

Patrick Skelton

6 books30 followers
Patrick Skelton lives in Columbus, OH with his wife. When he isn't writing, he's playing the guitar, singing and recording.

Visit Patrick Skelton at:

www.patrickskelton.com

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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
Profile Image for Nikki Mitchell.
Author 11 books31 followers
April 9, 2019
60 years into the future, and the Earth has been tormented by the sun for the last 49 years. Something caused it to destabilize at that time, and since then has been bombarding the Earth with powerful solar flares, baking the land and killing off its inhabitants. Luckily, a scientist was able to create a Barrier system, which now protects certain cities from the sun’s harmful rays. Unfortunately, those Barriers come at a steep price, and do not cover even close to the entire world. In order to supposedly fund the Barriers and their upkeep, the government has strict regulations on who is able to be a Barrier resident, meaning that residents over the age of 12 have to be able to earn a meaningful income. Ian, a newly paralyzed 14-year-old kid, does not fall within those terms. As such, he is forcefully relocated to a Sanctuary (Barrier-less city akin to a slum). Nathan’s father has the key to Ian’s safety, a synaptic device that will hopefully grant Ian back the use of his limbs, but he dies before it is finished. At his funeral, Nathan is approached by a man who may have some answers for him… With a little detective work, can Nathan find what he is looking for before Ian’s clock runs out?

The entire plot of this novel is one giant twist. Each time I think that I uncovered a clue, something else happens to completely throw me off. Who are the good guys and who are the bad? The crazy twists and unpredictability of the plot keeps the story moving at a quick and exciting pace, and I actually finished this 273-page novel in about 4 straight hours. I simply had to know the ending! There were a plethora of cliff hangers and I never knew what was going to happen next, successfully convincing me to keep reading. I will say that it took some getting used to, because I was decently confused in the first 3rd of the book. I was unsure of what/who Nathan was fighting against, and who exactly held the power. But I will admit that this confusion actually enhanced the rest of the book!

With the multiple POVs strewn throughout the book (though the main POV is through Nathan’s eyes), I was able to see many different parts of the plot simultaneously. This helped propel the story, as I gained different insights into what was happening and not just Nathan’s plight. I was aboard a spaceship, on another planet, within a governmental top-secret council meeting, traveling between Barrier cities, and even got into the mind of Rankcon’s head guy. I was able to glimpse the actions and thoughts of both the good and bad characters, never knowing who’s side I should be on.

I really loved the futuristic Sci-fi technology that Patrick Skelton effortlessly embedded within this novel, especially as he interwove the lack of some technology that we currently take for granted on Earth (i.e. cell phones and cars). The juxtaposition of the technology served to create a futuristic, yet nostalgic feeling to the story. There were Syncsheets akin to a tablet with constant wireless access, LifeTracker chips embedded in citizen’s thumbs to manage their every move, energy force fields, cryotechnology, and much more. But what made these amazing technological advances so amazing was how believable they were. This is set 60 years into the future, and I could believe that we make these advances within that time. I could also believe that the sun destabilizes and throws our planet into peril. The entire story is so believable, so realistic, that I find myself dreading the future that is to come… I find myself believing that this is a prophecy, almost. There’s even time-travel, for Pete’s sake, and it is explained so rationally that I believe the possibility! I would recommend this novel even for non-sci-fi people, because Skelton does such a fantastic job rationalizing all of the unfamiliar technology and sci-fi-esque elements that one can simply lose oneself within the story and take all the sci-fi for granted.

The characters are all beautifully fleshed out with poignant backstories and emotions driving their actions. Nathan is–of course–the main protagonist, but with the multiple POVs, we readers are able to glean so much more from multiple characters. I love that everyone has a reason behind their actions, and as I gained a stronger understanding of each of the characters, I was able to somewhat predict their reactions. I love this kind of cohesiveness in a story.

I really don’t have anything negative to say about this novel, except above when I mentioned being confused in the beginning (which actually turned out to be a positive thing in the long run). The prose style is impeccable, the plotline and characters are moving and entertaining, my emotions were constantly stretched taut and in danger of breaking into desperation, and the dialogue realistic. Everything about this novel was great if not fantastic, and I cannot wait to read the sequel whenever it comes out!
Profile Image for Elena Alvarez Dosil.
876 reviews14 followers
January 17, 2020
This is the year 2079, and most cities are under a dome to protect their inhabitants from the terrible solar flairs that have been active for the past 40 years. To be able to live in a dome each person needs to demonstrate that they are an active part of society. Nathan and Sarah’s child, Ian, became tetraplegic due to an accident some months before, and as he was adopted, he is cast out of the dome where the family lives and into a sanctuary with precarious living conditions. Nathan asks his father for help, and discovers that there is a conspiracy that goes beyond what they could imagine.

This was an interesting dystopian story with additional elements, and I got sucked in completely from the start. The characters were not fully developed, but the events were interesting enough to keep me engaged. There were several twists and the intrigue was well built up from the beginning. The first two-thirds made this book a page-turner for me. Somehow, I lost interest towards the end. It might have been due too many genres mixed up in this book, and that things seemed less and less plausible. There were minor issues that I felt were stronger towards the end, like the fact that the story has an old fashion feeling, like old pulp novels. I think this is due to the lack of character development and the fact that most characters in the story with more than a couple of lines are male. Women were useful mostly to pack their husband’s suitcases. Dialogues sounded forced, but again, I think this was more patent towards the end, probably to the change in events. There were also a couple of things defying the laws of physics like a transmission from a microphone placed on a person on another planet. How much power did that microphone transmitter need?

It was an interesting book, and it will definitely delight fans of old sci-fi novels.

The fact that the story grabbed me from the start was a key point for me to stick with the audiobook, as I found several issues with the narration and audio production. The first chapter, especially, has a disturbing beeping noise. I am not sure about the source but it sounded like interferences in the sound equipment. The quality of the recording is not great, but it felt worse at times. There is also a bit more reverberation than what we usually hear in general in audiobooks. The narration was okay, but it was a bit on the monotone side, and although the character’s interpretations were good, they often sounded quite similar, so it was difficult to follow some dialogues. I found the overall narration distracting from the story, but as the premises were interesting, I was able to stick with it.

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Profile Image for T.M. Kohl.
Author 6 books38 followers
June 10, 2020
Barriers a near-future post apocalyptic story about a normal guy who must do the extraordinary to save his son. Solar flares have bathed the Earth in deadly radiation for decades, and the only truly safe place to live is under a Barrier. The catch is that you must be someone who is capable of being "productive." The main character Nathan's son is paralyzed and deemed not productive, so he is taken outside a Barrier to live out the rest of his days in a run down sanctuary. The stakes are high for Nathan, and he would do anything to save his son.

The plot follows a twisty, curvy path as it follow Nathan trying to get his son back home. It ends up culminating as a complex tangle of different factions using the barriers to either doom the world or improve it. Everything gets resolved neatly in the end, but not without sacrifices and facing terrible decisions. The most powerful theme I found throughout this book was the battle of doing what's right for the world and what's right for your family, because they are frequently put at odds. Many characters' family members were used as leverage to make them do terrible things--something quite prevalent in a society as corrupt as this world's. Though there were plenty of betrayals, there was also room for forgiveness.

The worldbuilding was certainly interesting. It is a mystery as to why such deadly solar flares began in the first place, and over the course of the book the mystery is slowly unfolded. Two major and very different settings were both utilized, and I wonder if it would have been better to keep it "down to Earth" so to speak. The story had enough going on with the governmental/corporate corruption that I felt adding a layer of cosmic fantasy and mystery a little disorienting. However, it did reasonably tie in to the central plot. I also found it a little unbelievable that things like baseball and football teams would remain the same (or even exist at all) after such a devastating event like near global destruction and ensuing wars. This might have been a good opportunity to come up with some new kind of entertainment based on the technology available and aligned with the new culture born from the strife of the prior decades. To sum it up, I thought there was a strange mix of too much changing in this near future and yet not enough.

Overall, if you like dystopian fiction, post apocalyptic fiction, or even a story where family is a strong central theme, you would likely enjoy this story.
Profile Image for Roxie Prince.
Author 9 books69 followers
February 25, 2019
Read this review and more on my blog at [Roxie Writes].

‘Barriers’ by Patrick A. Skelton
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
Finished on February 15, 2019
FREE on Kindle Unlimited | $.99 on Kindle | $6.99 in Paperback

BOOK DESCRIPTION:
In the near future, Barrier domes shield the planet's wealthiest cities from destructive solar flares, and only the healthy elite are granted protection. Those who are unable to prove their ability to work are sent to live in the Sanctuaries — camps outside the barrier domes where they have little-to-no protection from flares. It’s brutal living there.


Nathan Gallagher is one of the lucky ones who lives inside a barrier. But his luck runs out when his adopted son suffers a paralyzing accident. He’s taken from his parents and sent to the Sanctuaries where it’s only a matter of time before they kill him.

With only days until another flare is due to strike Earth’s Sanctuary cities, not only does his son’s life rest on his shoulders, but the fate of a quarter billion people.

MY REVIEW:

This post-apocalyptic, sci-fi, thriller has an interesting premise. Fifty years ago, something injured the sun resulting in a series of catastrophic solar flares that have devastated the world. Humans, ever-adaptable, have found a way to survive. They’ve built a series of protective domes over major cities.

There’s a couple of problems with this solution, though. A single company owns the rights to these barriers, and they use their power to their advantage. They get to decide who is worthy to live under their protection and who isn’t.

While this is a story of a father’s love and his willingness to fight for his family, it’s also a story about corruption, power, and greed. I felt Skelton did a good job of melding these subjects together.

There’s a lot going on in this book. Sometimes, I found the switching of plot lines a little dizzying, but for the most part, I enjoyed Skelton’s writing style. I don’t think I could have read this in a single sitting, though. There’s quite a lot to absorb and make sense of.

Overall, this is a compelling, original story, and I’m glad I read it.
Profile Image for Mandy (MP Book Reviews).
4,958 reviews46 followers
April 14, 2019
By the year 2079 Earth is suffering from destructive solar fares and so a class system has arisen on the planet with the healthy elite getting the protection of barrier domes of protection and the sick and the poor are outside of those areas in Sanctuaries within badlands. Nathan Gallagher is a journalist with a disabled son who is in a Sanctuary and that means that Nathan and his wife Sarah's fight to save their son and find a cure classifies them as noncompliant citizens and that starts a string of events as Nathan becomes involved in a mission of a global magnitude as the next global flare is only a few days away and the fate of not just his son but the rest of the world's citizens rests on his shoulders - can he hold his nerve and find the right solution in order to save everyone?

The start of this book was quite confusing as it moved between the present and the past. However, if you can get past that it is a really clever story with some good ideas on what was quite a feasible idea for a story set in the future. I like the parallels between society today in the ways there was the haves, the have nots and the sick. I liked the concept of how they reduced the numbers of sick which neatly dovetails into some of the popular fears around voluntary euthanasia today. I liked the final solution to all of the problems and loved the method used for the final end to a few of the characters. Nicely written it is definitely worth a shot if you feel you can cope with the time shifts at the start.
Profile Image for Carrie Westmoreland Kurtz.
319 reviews10 followers
May 30, 2019
The Beginning of this book pulled me in almost immediately. I was a bit confused but still very interested. I do have to say that I don't love it when books move back and forth between the past and present but that didn't stop me from being drawn in.

Now, I despise the fact that they basically kill people wo are unable to contribute to society. Their thought is that they save the Barrier resources for the people that are healthy and productive. And, because of this, Nathan is on a mission to save his paraplegic son from being euthanized.

I did enjoy most of this story. However, I must say that there were several times when I just couldn't follow. I felt a bit simple minded while reading some of the technical/science-y things Hahaha! But for the most part I understood and enjoyed this book!

*Note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for R.S..
Author 6 books1 follower
March 17, 2020
Patrick Skelton does a masterful job creating a world of have's... and have-nots! And the have's live under a protective bubble, that protects them from the sun. The have-not's... well, you get it. Nathan, the main protag, has to juggle a life that involves his disabled child, as well as his genius father. Very on in the book, you are thrown into a powderkeg as the government makes a move towards his son, and Nathan is forced to take matters into his own hands. From there the book speeds up, as we are thrown into the greatest conspiracy of all time.

It was refreshing to read a book with an original concept. Skelton's pacing is excellent, and we are treated to an ending that NO ONE saw coming. This is a great book.
Profile Image for Deedi Brown (DeediReads).
896 reviews168 followers
March 16, 2019
All my reviews can be seen at https://deedireads.com/.

Thanks to the author, Patrick Skelton, for the review copy of this book!

Fun fact about me: I read my Kindle on the treadmill at the gym. (Yes, people give me funny looks when I tell them that.) Barriers was a perfect treadmill read — the story was engaging and kept my attention held (away from my imminent cardiac arrest).

In the dystopian future of Barriers, the sun has started flaring, so it’s unsafe to be outside unless you live inside a Barrier. They helps to block the rays and protect people. Problem is, Barrier technology is owned and controlled by some seriously evil dudes. The main character, Nathan, is desperately fighting to save his paraplegic son from euthanasia (because they essentially kill off people who can’t work — saving the Barrier resources for healthy, productive people).

Aside from Nathan and his son’s plight, the evil dudes are also planning other nefariously evil stuff, and eventually, Nathan gets tangled up in the resistance efforts enough for him to try to help save the world.

The writing style is straightforward and a little unrefined, but not bad. Some things that I had understood implicitly ended up being stated explicitly, which was a bit “Yeah, okay, I got that.” Still, the story concept was good and quite exciting at the end. The twist definitely got me.

PSA: This book is available on Kindle Unlimited, if you have that!
Profile Image for M. Brown.
Author 1 book
March 6, 2020
This might be a utopian story for those living under the protection of the barriers, but it’s a dystopian story for the poor and weak forced to live in the solar badlands. Nathan’s adventure begins with his son, then expands to his father, then his father’s friend, and the mystery is on its way to being solved, but add in betrayals and unexpected twists and you’ve got a thriller that drives all the way to the final chapters. I couldn’t put it down.
Profile Image for NormaCenva.
1,157 reviews86 followers
January 25, 2020
Actual Rating 3.5 Stars

Great to see Sci-Fi with more disability representation! it was a good story and interesting variation on what can possibly happen. I really liked how the world building would reveal itself throughout the story. Overall a good read indeed!
39 reviews
April 29, 2019
Excellent post ap book

Great characters and plot line. I could see something like this happen in our near future. Read and enjoy! You will not be disappointed.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews

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