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Assimilation: A Fast-Paced, Suspenseful Dystopian Drama About a Family in Turmoil
There is no escape when they come for you.
For years, society has limped along, progressing and living life with a plague in their 1 in every 5 teenagers will wake up one morning between 15 and 17 years old, wanting to kill everyone they can—their family included. Brains turned to mush, they have to be locked away and put down, their young lives stripped away.
The Morgans are feeling the pressure, terrified of what might happen to their 17-year-old daughter and 15-year-old son each night they go to sleep, but still trying to live their lives like everyone else.
One morning, though, everything changes. When the safety measures people had put in place to keep the monsters at bay fall apart, they watch helplessly what happens when the fragile nature of our society is starkly revealed. And everyone seeks their own measure of escape, wherever that may lead them.
For years, society has limped along, progressing and living life with a plague in their 1 in every 5 teenagers will wake up one morning between 15 and 17 years old, wanting to kill everyone they can—their family included. Brains turned to mush, they have to be locked away and put down, their young lives stripped away.
The Morgans are feeling the pressure, terrified of what might happen to their 17-year-old daughter and 15-year-old son each night they go to sleep, but still trying to live their lives like everyone else.
One morning, though, everything changes. When the safety measures people had put in place to keep the monsters at bay fall apart, they watch helplessly what happens when the fragile nature of our society is starkly revealed. And everyone seeks their own measure of escape, wherever that may lead them.
342 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 12, 2021
About the author
Jeff Haws
11 books44 followersJeff Haws is an award-winning journalist whose writing has appeared in the Washington Post, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Miami Herald, Arizona Republic, New Orleans Times-Picayune, and many other publications. His dystopian suspense trilogy "The Alessandra Chronicles," along with standalone novels "The Little Tragedy," "Assimilation" and "Killing the Immortals" are available in print and digital at Amazon. He also has a novella, "Tomorrow's News Today," and a short story called "The Slingshot" on Amazon Kindle. He lives in Atlanta.
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
November 23, 2021
An entertaining read
A great story, engaging characters, well written and edited. I absolutely loved the ending! This is the first book by this author that I've read and it won't be my last.
A great story, engaging characters, well written and edited. I absolutely loved the ending! This is the first book by this author that I've read and it won't be my last.
January 3, 2023
“Nature always won over love.”
Assimilation is a dystopian drama whose setting spans from the metro areas of Atlanta to northern Georgia. Throughout the book, we follow the journey of a family of four as they aim to survive a growing apocalyptic scene at a time when teenagers between the ages of around 13 - 18 are at risk of turning “feral”, where an individual reverts to an animalistic state and loses all sense of who they were. Once in this state, these teens will even turn on their loved ones if the chance presents itself. In the book, we are introduced to the Morgan family, a seemingly “normal” nuclear household with a cheating mom, a dad with a subtle inferiority complex, a melodramatic daughter, and a gamer son. Just picture-perfect. However, when a growing number of teens continue to turn feral, and seem to be smarter than previously thought, the family must band together to survive.
Enjoyed!
I found my favorite part of the book was how Haws sets the Morgan family as the main cast and switches the point of view among them. Haws provides a holistic view of the situation by allowing the reader to hear from each of the characters and their internal dialog. The occasional use of the text message format was successful in adding a touch of immersion for the reader. Personally, I found that I like the father, James, the most. He was a grounding figure throughout the story, however, I have to admit there were moments where he could have utilized a bit more cathartic emotion to aid in his character development.
What I also enjoyed was the presence of two other families. The Dunhams and the Warners are two families that were introduced as having a relationship with the Morgan family and I found it interesting how each of these families was showcased. While the Warner family was open to helping the Morgans, the Dunhams quickly declined to help. Throughout the book, I found myself trying to compare them in small ways (i.e The Dunham had three children, the Morgans had two, and the Warners only 1).
Surprised!
I was surprised by how much importance cars had within the story. This makes the book cover mean so much more as, throughout the book, the mobility, shelter, and safety cars provide are repeatedly emphasized. As well as the use of highways and road signs. I was also surprised by how much empathy I felt for Amy toward the end of the book. Initially, I viewed her as a very winy teen, but Haws fleshes her out significantly. It is through interactions with other characters that we get a full view of who she really is. Amy was the passion and emotion within the book, and something I didn’t know I needed.
Left Wanting More!
Towards the end, I did finish the book wanting more! The ending felt a bit rushed, and the decisions made toward the end did not feel quite believable for a family that could overcome various other challenges earlier in the book. And the resolution, while interesting, didn’t seem earned. I would have loved to see the analysis hinted at more throughout the book rather than consolidated within the end scene.
In all, Assimilation, at a macro level, provides contemplation on society and the contrast between evolving and devolving. It also speculates on the struggle between humans vs nature and war. As stated in the book,” Was this what the beginning of assimilation looked like? Both sides taking on more characteristics of the other?”
On a micro level, it gives the reader relatable touch points that keep you invested in the success of the Morgan family. Even when society is crumbling, Haws finds a way for the reader to share empathy towards marital dilemmas, teenage romance, and the joys of a hot shower!
Rating: 4/5
Assimilation is a dystopian drama whose setting spans from the metro areas of Atlanta to northern Georgia. Throughout the book, we follow the journey of a family of four as they aim to survive a growing apocalyptic scene at a time when teenagers between the ages of around 13 - 18 are at risk of turning “feral”, where an individual reverts to an animalistic state and loses all sense of who they were. Once in this state, these teens will even turn on their loved ones if the chance presents itself. In the book, we are introduced to the Morgan family, a seemingly “normal” nuclear household with a cheating mom, a dad with a subtle inferiority complex, a melodramatic daughter, and a gamer son. Just picture-perfect. However, when a growing number of teens continue to turn feral, and seem to be smarter than previously thought, the family must band together to survive.
Enjoyed!
I found my favorite part of the book was how Haws sets the Morgan family as the main cast and switches the point of view among them. Haws provides a holistic view of the situation by allowing the reader to hear from each of the characters and their internal dialog. The occasional use of the text message format was successful in adding a touch of immersion for the reader. Personally, I found that I like the father, James, the most. He was a grounding figure throughout the story, however, I have to admit there were moments where he could have utilized a bit more cathartic emotion to aid in his character development.
What I also enjoyed was the presence of two other families. The Dunhams and the Warners are two families that were introduced as having a relationship with the Morgan family and I found it interesting how each of these families was showcased. While the Warner family was open to helping the Morgans, the Dunhams quickly declined to help. Throughout the book, I found myself trying to compare them in small ways (i.e The Dunham had three children, the Morgans had two, and the Warners only 1).
Surprised!
I was surprised by how much importance cars had within the story. This makes the book cover mean so much more as, throughout the book, the mobility, shelter, and safety cars provide are repeatedly emphasized. As well as the use of highways and road signs. I was also surprised by how much empathy I felt for Amy toward the end of the book. Initially, I viewed her as a very winy teen, but Haws fleshes her out significantly. It is through interactions with other characters that we get a full view of who she really is. Amy was the passion and emotion within the book, and something I didn’t know I needed.
Left Wanting More!
Towards the end, I did finish the book wanting more! The ending felt a bit rushed, and the decisions made toward the end did not feel quite believable for a family that could overcome various other challenges earlier in the book. And the resolution, while interesting, didn’t seem earned. I would have loved to see the analysis hinted at more throughout the book rather than consolidated within the end scene.
In all, Assimilation, at a macro level, provides contemplation on society and the contrast between evolving and devolving. It also speculates on the struggle between humans vs nature and war. As stated in the book,” Was this what the beginning of assimilation looked like? Both sides taking on more characteristics of the other?”
On a micro level, it gives the reader relatable touch points that keep you invested in the success of the Morgan family. Even when society is crumbling, Haws finds a way for the reader to share empathy towards marital dilemmas, teenage romance, and the joys of a hot shower!
Rating: 4/5
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews