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Ethic
In a future where homelessness is an illegal status, and those living on the streets are registered into "Sponsorship" programs, crime and abuse runs rampant. Keegan Smith rejects the idea of the system, but finds himself inheriting one of the largest Sponsorship programs in the nation from his late father. Faced with bankruptcy, Keegan is forced to begin working in the system and oversee the wicked financial kingdom he had left behind. When he finds an illegal fighting ring linked to sex trafficking and other atrocities within his own corporation, he is trapped between protecting his family and buying in, and adhering to his own morals by fighting back.
202 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 13, 2019
18 people are currently reading
207 people want to read
About the author
Megan Stockton
51 books275 followersMegan Stockton is an indie author who lives in rural Middle Tennessee with her husband and two children. She primarily writes, horror, thriller, dystopian, and science fiction/fantasy novels that are character-driven and immersive. She is known for delivering works that are raw, thought-provoking, brutal, and cinematic.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
May 8, 2023
I really enjoyed the unique premise here. I do think it's only a matter of time before we experience a future where criminals are put on reality competitions to try and gain freedom, and other forms of barbaric slavery-like ideas are enacted. Yeah, I know I probably sound a little paranoid and whatever, but look at how far reality TV and the news and the rest of the world have come in recent years. Is it really that far-fetched? So here, we have a new society where homelessness is illegal. These people are arrested, sold, and it's more or less a modernized version of slavery. Very difficult to read certain portions, but I think that Megan Stockton really nailed the struggle of our one main character, 713, experienced, being part of the trade. Now Keegan, our other lead, is a privileged man, who is unaware of his recently deceased father's business. As he finds out more and more about the unsavory and disgusting dealings, he is conflicted with what to do. His wife wants him to turn his head and maintain their cushy life, but he just can't do it. So he puts everything on the line to right some wrongs, helping 713 in the process. Speaking of Julia, his wife, I really didn't care for her at all. I understand that she was meant to be written as a snooty, affluent type, putting her own well being above others, and she met that criteria. Staying with the family dynamics, I feel like while Keegan's internal struggle raged on, there were some missed opportunities to parallel his strained relationship with his son, Evan, as it related to a similar situation with his father, too. I also wanted to know a lot more about why society devolved into what it became, with maybe a few chapters or sections dedicated to just that. The author kept a very narrow focus on the characters, which was fine, but it needed something else worked in to break up a bit of the monotony. However, Stockton took some risks here and I appreciated her efforts, even if not totally on the mark at times. This was a well-crafted story with many positives that kept itself novel, and far from falling into the abyss of dystopian future plots.
January 7, 2024
A dystopian Spartacus-ish 'history-repeats-itself'
I'm a sucker for dystopian stories with an interesting plot! And I liked it a lot, but wanted something more. This is probably a personal bias as I really love dystopian plots both in literature and on the screen, and way too often I'm left with a feeling that it doesn't dig deep enough. I want it all! I want the whole society in every little detail fleshed out to a degree there's no more flesh left lol. I don't think it's fair to put my exaggerated need upon any author or director, so I'm trying to rate and review as fair as I'm capable of.
That said, I do wish Stockton had focused a bit more on the characters back stories giving the reader some more to get attached, bonded, connected with.
I feel this story has a lot of potential to get a prequel. I would love that, especially if it would be in a slower pace with lesser action, but more focus on how the society got to this point and how it affects the lives in the different social classes.
I'm a sucker for dystopian stories with an interesting plot! And I liked it a lot, but wanted something more. This is probably a personal bias as I really love dystopian plots both in literature and on the screen, and way too often I'm left with a feeling that it doesn't dig deep enough. I want it all! I want the whole society in every little detail fleshed out to a degree there's no more flesh left lol. I don't think it's fair to put my exaggerated need upon any author or director, so I'm trying to rate and review as fair as I'm capable of.
That said, I do wish Stockton had focused a bit more on the characters back stories giving the reader some more to get attached, bonded, connected with.
I feel this story has a lot of potential to get a prequel. I would love that, especially if it would be in a slower pace with lesser action, but more focus on how the society got to this point and how it affects the lives in the different social classes.
April 17, 2019
This book was an excellent read!! From the first pages to the end it will have you really wondering: what if this was our future? What would I do in this situation. Compelling characters, great writing, heart, sadness. It has a little bit of everything! I recommend picking up a copy today!
January 6, 2022
I snagged this book from a recommendation from the BoH FB page. I went in relatively blind, but was pleasantly surprised by this dystopian-esque thriller/horror set in the not so distant future. This is definitely an author I will be watching for more from!
January 31, 2020
Very powerful story and very easy to get drawn in.
To me, this novel almost read like a cautionary tale, the way that people interpret 1984. When our MC takes over the job of running his father’s corporation, he has to make the difficult choice between supporting his family and doing what’s right. That type of struggle is definitely one that comes from the heart and no matter what the circumstances, it can’t be an easy choice to make.
Especially when the possible consequences are so dire.
This novel certainly lives up to its name with the variety of different ethic concerns addressed. A dystopian novel, but the situations painted in it become truer and truer every day. The novel revolves around the idea of the rich and famous and their like for everything dark and twisted. With the Jeffrey Epstein ordeal, it is very easy to see something like this happening in the near future.
The narrator has a very good, even, and easy to understand voice.
This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.
To me, this novel almost read like a cautionary tale, the way that people interpret 1984. When our MC takes over the job of running his father’s corporation, he has to make the difficult choice between supporting his family and doing what’s right. That type of struggle is definitely one that comes from the heart and no matter what the circumstances, it can’t be an easy choice to make.
Especially when the possible consequences are so dire.
This novel certainly lives up to its name with the variety of different ethic concerns addressed. A dystopian novel, but the situations painted in it become truer and truer every day. The novel revolves around the idea of the rich and famous and their like for everything dark and twisted. With the Jeffrey Epstein ordeal, it is very easy to see something like this happening in the near future.
The narrator has a very good, even, and easy to understand voice.
This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.
June 6, 2023
'History is written by rich white men...Those same old bastards rule the world.'
Enter a world where homelessness is illegal, and those who are can be sold like cattle. The idea is to get people back on their feet and for them to become contributing members to society again. This doesn't always go to plan. Corruption is a cancer running rampant throughout the city and outside of it.
Keegan's father, who owned a massive homeless center, dies, and Keegan is forced to pick up where his father left off. What he finds within his own organization will completely change his life.
What is more important to Keegan, protecting his family or protecting one of the men who was sold?
This is a fast-paced page turner that clocks in at just under 200 pages. Tension builds with every page turn, like a rollercoaster working its way to the tallest hill before you're barreling down it at top speed. The character development is top-notch.
Enter a world where homelessness is illegal, and those who are can be sold like cattle. The idea is to get people back on their feet and for them to become contributing members to society again. This doesn't always go to plan. Corruption is a cancer running rampant throughout the city and outside of it.
Keegan's father, who owned a massive homeless center, dies, and Keegan is forced to pick up where his father left off. What he finds within his own organization will completely change his life.
What is more important to Keegan, protecting his family or protecting one of the men who was sold?
This is a fast-paced page turner that clocks in at just under 200 pages. Tension builds with every page turn, like a rollercoaster working its way to the tallest hill before you're barreling down it at top speed. The character development is top-notch.
December 17, 2022
Ethic was a very intense book about a not to distant future where homelessness is outlawed and a sponsorship program has been created where men, women and children are offered a roof over their head and food for labor but not everything is as it seems. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it!
March 7, 2023
Stockton's take on a dystopian future was fun. I thoroughly enjoyed the story, Megan is an author to keep your eyes open for!
August 15, 2023
How do you define what's ethical?
How far would you go for your ideals? What would you be willing to risk for what you think is right? These are questions I repeatedly asked myself while reading Ethic. It's easy to say "that's not right, someone should do something about that." But it's another thing entirely to BE that someone.This novel presents a chilling dystopian vision that seems alarmingly possible. Megan Stockton has a gift for writing complex, realistic, and often deeply flawed characters. The use of alternating perspective gives readers the chance to see what this terrifying world looks like from both ends of the spectrum, while also offering glimpses into the thoughts and motivations of both main characters. This allows the characters to show us who they are, rather than having the author just tell us about them. I felt this added a layer of authenticity which gripped me from the start and kept me invested in the outcome until the very end. If you haven't checked out Megan Stockton's work yet, you are missing out.
How far would you go for your ideals? What would you be willing to risk for what you think is right? These are questions I repeatedly asked myself while reading Ethic. It's easy to say "that's not right, someone should do something about that." But it's another thing entirely to BE that someone.This novel presents a chilling dystopian vision that seems alarmingly possible. Megan Stockton has a gift for writing complex, realistic, and often deeply flawed characters. The use of alternating perspective gives readers the chance to see what this terrifying world looks like from both ends of the spectrum, while also offering glimpses into the thoughts and motivations of both main characters. This allows the characters to show us who they are, rather than having the author just tell us about them. I felt this added a layer of authenticity which gripped me from the start and kept me invested in the outcome until the very end. If you haven't checked out Megan Stockton's work yet, you are missing out.
April 22, 2022
Honestly cannot praise this novel highly enough.
The descriptions of this slightly future world are so spot on, that it felt like you were actually there in the book. The characters are written with a skill that borders on genius, as Megan creates people that you genuinely care for, and grow attached too, while also giving life to some of the foulest characters that I have ever read, characters that you want to come to a brutal and violent end.
This was my first read by Megan, and I am already three quarters of the way through my second by her. I can see me being a lifelong fan of her work. Highly recommended.
The descriptions of this slightly future world are so spot on, that it felt like you were actually there in the book. The characters are written with a skill that borders on genius, as Megan creates people that you genuinely care for, and grow attached too, while also giving life to some of the foulest characters that I have ever read, characters that you want to come to a brutal and violent end.
This was my first read by Megan, and I am already three quarters of the way through my second by her. I can see me being a lifelong fan of her work. Highly recommended.
July 11, 2024
“To save a life is a real and beautiful thing. To make a home for the homeless, yes, it is a thing that must be good; whatever the world may say, it cannot be wrong.” Vincent Van Gogh
In the future homelessness is illegal (it's starting now) and people who have no housing are rounded up and forced into “sponsorship” programs. The people are waiting in a warehouse-type situation until someone comes to pay for them. People buy maids, workmen, and worse, as you can imagine.
Our MC Keegan Smith recently inherited his father’s business, a large and very busy Sponsorship Program. As a lifelong opponent of the sponsorship system, he is horrified by what he sees, and every bit of information he finds out about his father’s organization leads him deeper into the depraved world he never knew existed.
The book features sex trafficking, prostitution, and violence; so be aware if any of those topics may trigger you.
The first star for this book goes to the basic outline. A future with criminalized homelessness is not at all unbelievable when it is already happening to people in many states. As well as the Supreme Court’s recent decision that “The US Constitution does not protect homeless people against cruel and unusual punishment, even when they have no choice to sleep in public using things like blankets or pillows.” (homelesslaw.org)
This concept is what made me choose this book in the first place, add in an underground fight club as well as trying to stop a sex-trafficking ring and I’m in. This felt much like reading The Handmaid’s Tale for its relevance to women’s issues. The fiction and nonfiction parallels are frighteningly close.
The plot moves at a steady pace, I never felt the story drag. I finished quickly because I was immediately hooked and couldn’t wait to discover more. Perfect for when you want an expeditious read to sneak in between more dense reads.
The reader discovers how bad the sponsorship program is from the outside along with the MC. But we also see some of the depravity from the inside, as we follow the journey of a specially selected fighter bought from Keegan’s business. This perspective was more effective for me because I felt like we were getting more inside information, and from a stronger character. The MC was a bit whiny for me.
The MC also meets a side character couple that steals the show for that portion of the story. I don’t want to spoil anything, but they become important to the final confrontation. I would read another book just on the one side character alone.
In all, this was a great book, and I recommend it. This is my first from this author, but I will look into more from her soon. 4 Stars.
To find out what you can do to help the real homeless in your community, please visit this site: https://endhomelessness.org/actions/t...
In the future homelessness is illegal (it's starting now) and people who have no housing are rounded up and forced into “sponsorship” programs. The people are waiting in a warehouse-type situation until someone comes to pay for them. People buy maids, workmen, and worse, as you can imagine.
Our MC Keegan Smith recently inherited his father’s business, a large and very busy Sponsorship Program. As a lifelong opponent of the sponsorship system, he is horrified by what he sees, and every bit of information he finds out about his father’s organization leads him deeper into the depraved world he never knew existed.
The book features sex trafficking, prostitution, and violence; so be aware if any of those topics may trigger you.
The first star for this book goes to the basic outline. A future with criminalized homelessness is not at all unbelievable when it is already happening to people in many states. As well as the Supreme Court’s recent decision that “The US Constitution does not protect homeless people against cruel and unusual punishment, even when they have no choice to sleep in public using things like blankets or pillows.” (homelesslaw.org)
This concept is what made me choose this book in the first place, add in an underground fight club as well as trying to stop a sex-trafficking ring and I’m in. This felt much like reading The Handmaid’s Tale for its relevance to women’s issues. The fiction and nonfiction parallels are frighteningly close.
The plot moves at a steady pace, I never felt the story drag. I finished quickly because I was immediately hooked and couldn’t wait to discover more. Perfect for when you want an expeditious read to sneak in between more dense reads.
The reader discovers how bad the sponsorship program is from the outside along with the MC. But we also see some of the depravity from the inside, as we follow the journey of a specially selected fighter bought from Keegan’s business. This perspective was more effective for me because I felt like we were getting more inside information, and from a stronger character. The MC was a bit whiny for me.
The MC also meets a side character couple that steals the show for that portion of the story. I don’t want to spoil anything, but they become important to the final confrontation. I would read another book just on the one side character alone.
In all, this was a great book, and I recommend it. This is my first from this author, but I will look into more from her soon. 4 Stars.
To find out what you can do to help the real homeless in your community, please visit this site: https://endhomelessness.org/actions/t...
March 15, 2023
A timely warning
I chose this book for a reading challenge because from my late teens until my mid-20's I was homeless. I started in Iowa and hitchhiked to Los Angeles. So the themes and premise of this book really piqued my interest.
The plot revolves around a good, but timid man, who owns a facility for "streeters", in a not so distant future where textbooks have been rewritten to edit out the "bad" history (much like Florida and other states are currently trying to do), and homelessness has become illegal. If you are caught, you are sent to a facility to hopefully be "sponsored" (basically bought by a person to hopefully help you get on your feet, but instead is used for slave labor.) Keegan has taken over the facility after his estranged father's death, and we enter when he's meeting with a very high profile client for the first time.
Already there's an argument to be made over just how ethical the system is, before our main character realizes that this client has been acquiring streeters from the facility for many years, under the table, to be used in various illegal and abusive practices, even including children. Keegan struggles with that knowledge and decides to help the newest victim.
The story is very compelling and although I'm not a fan of the author's writing style, I was hooked from the beginning. It's a very strong warning to our present world with the direction we're going. As Keegan repeatedly states, if we don't recognize history, we will make it happen again.
Overall it really hit a specific fear I have for the way this world is going, especially for all vulnerable populations.
I chose this book for a reading challenge because from my late teens until my mid-20's I was homeless. I started in Iowa and hitchhiked to Los Angeles. So the themes and premise of this book really piqued my interest.
The plot revolves around a good, but timid man, who owns a facility for "streeters", in a not so distant future where textbooks have been rewritten to edit out the "bad" history (much like Florida and other states are currently trying to do), and homelessness has become illegal. If you are caught, you are sent to a facility to hopefully be "sponsored" (basically bought by a person to hopefully help you get on your feet, but instead is used for slave labor.) Keegan has taken over the facility after his estranged father's death, and we enter when he's meeting with a very high profile client for the first time.
Already there's an argument to be made over just how ethical the system is, before our main character realizes that this client has been acquiring streeters from the facility for many years, under the table, to be used in various illegal and abusive practices, even including children. Keegan struggles with that knowledge and decides to help the newest victim.
The story is very compelling and although I'm not a fan of the author's writing style, I was hooked from the beginning. It's a very strong warning to our present world with the direction we're going. As Keegan repeatedly states, if we don't recognize history, we will make it happen again.
Overall it really hit a specific fear I have for the way this world is going, especially for all vulnerable populations.
January 12, 2023
I think fans of the huge hit from last year, Tender is the Flesh, will find a lot to be interested in, here. Like that book, we are presented with a modern society with a modern problem. The powers that be bring a draconian solution to the table. Homelessness is criminalized in the U.S. and "sponsorship" programs begin growing in popularity. Essentially, these programs take homeless folks out of prison and place them in indentured servitude. Horrible already, this is only a tip of the iceberg, and the inheritor of one of these sponsorship businesses will discover just how ugly trading in humans can be. Reading this book, I couldn't help but think of our very real, current prison system, in which poisoners actually do find themselves laboring for the state for pennies. It feels like an all too possible future given society's regular poor treatment of the less fortunate.
March 23, 2022
I wish I could give this book more than 5 stars. This book made me cringe (several times), it made me laugh, it made me want to cry. It brought out so many emotions and made me ask myself hard questions. I left feeling incredibly satisfied and in love with some of the characters.
August 7, 2019
Such a cool story and engaging characters! Read this, you won't regret it!
April 22, 2020
Excellent book by a talented author. Read it in one sitting.
April 5, 2022
I really enjoyed this book. A new author for me. Takes place a bit in the future and one you could envision happening sadly. Loved all the characters and the acts of courage.
December 18, 2022
Wow, that was a strong and tragic story. Really enjoyed it.
July 12, 2023
A very emotional yet excellent read.
June 14, 2024
In a world where homeless people are treated worse than animals one man’s discovery leads him to make a stand for what’s right , this book is fast paced and an excellent read , the characters and story just gel and it’s one of my favourite stories
December 24, 2022
Absolutely loved this book. Was gifted a copy by the author and I really enjoyed it. As much as you can enjoy a book of such a topic haha. Had me in tears at the end.
June 17, 2023
I really enjoy books set in a dystopian future, reading about all the ways we destroy our future. The premise of what we do with the homeless in the future was intriguing.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews