The Roark

by Wesson Renick

After years of grinding it out in the service industry, Gabby was thrilled to land an entry-level dream job with a young startup. Based inside the Roark, a brand new sixty-six-floor mixed-use high-rise, the job came with stable hours, better pay, an attractive benefits package, and, best of all, an opportunity to start down a real career path with growth potential. Her dream of joining the middle-class was finally becoming a reality.

But that dream is dashed when the building goes under a strict lockdown to contain a blood-thirsty mob. Worse still, her new employer is somehow at fault, making her a target. Hampered by unchecked anxiety while lost in an unfamiliar setting, Gabby finds herself desperate to return to her former life of simple drudgery, and to kick her aspirations of class ascension once and for all.

But first, she’ll need to survive.

THE ROARK is a fast-paced thriller for the on-the-go reader. It touches on class, mental health, the influence of Big Tech, and our peculiar fascination with billionaires.

196 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 1, 2021

Reviews

[Kevin Farren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not only does this book pass The Bechdel Test; it does so in a multi-use, multifunction skyrise - full of psychos!

A win for women, and for zoning laws!

[Peter McKenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you think that you’ve ever had a bad day at work, Gabby’s first day at her new job beats your worst day by a long shot. She’s not entirely sure what her new job even entails, just that she’s to report to the 31st floor of the Roark building, a sixty-six story multipurpose office building which doubles as a hotel. This is where she begins her first day in the midst of an ill-conceived trial for an antipsychotic drug that has the added effect of unlocking dormant parts of the brain. Of course, the building’s wealthiest residents, who reside in hotel suites of the Roark’s upper floors, jumped at the opportunity to enhance their already presumed massive intellect. Gabby is thrust into an overbooked waiting room full of angry clients, all there to receive their second dose, when it seems as if there isn’t any to be had, which only infuriates them further. It soon becomes apparent that the drug, marketed as an antipsychotic, seems to be having the complete opposite effect, making them all irrationally angry and incredibly violent. It isn’t long before they begin directing that anger outwards and no amount of customer service experience could have prepared Gabby to defend herself and fight for her life to survive against the wrath of an angry, godless, homicidal mob.

“The Roark” by Wesson Rennick was an absolutely wild read from beginning to end. Rennick’s writing was hilarious, bordering on ridiculous at times which made it all the more endearing. The overall narrative was incredibly interesting and original which made it difficult to put the book down and I actually finished the whole thing in just two days. The fast-paced action and thrills kept the pages turning furiously, ultimately culminating into a literal climax of the most carnal proportions like you wouldn’t even believe.

[AL · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thriller with memorable characters. This book would make great movie.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an excellent novel that was unlike anything I've read before. It was suspenseful and also really funny at times. I really enjoyed reading it and recommend it to everyone.