Just City

by Olga Tymofiyeva

Just City is a story of 21-year-old Nathan who dreams about creating a cool start-up with his friend Jack. To get money for the start-up Nathan starts playing a virtual reality game as part of a scientific experiment. The game forces Nathan to discover what it is like to be in the skin of somebody else, for whom the cards have been dealt differently. The depressing experiences of playing the game make Nathan question his belief in meritocracy and pick a fight with Jack. What is just and what do we really deserve? This is only the beginning of Nathan’s search for a new life credo that will have both love and reason at its core.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction

175 pages, Paperback

Published December 5, 2022

Reviews

[Olga Tymofiyeva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dear Fellow Humans,

I'm a scientist by trade. And I'm the author of Just City. Just City is my first and my last fiction book.

I HAD to write this book. Through this book I said to the rest of the world all that I had to say. I'm done. I have nothing else to say.

Originally, when I came up with the idea, I wanted to create an actual VR game. I wrote to political philosophers, game developers, and even President Obama :D It probably was too ambitious anyway. So, I came up with a realistic, low-budget version: to write about the game AS IF it existed (also known as fiction :) ). I realized that it may even be better because I can describe the experience exactly the way I wanted it to happen to the players (which wouldn't be guaranteed with a real game, of course).

It took me over 4.5 years to write the book. When a friend of mine asked how I managed to "write this book next to a neuroimaging professorship at UCSF and to 'running' a family (I had a baby during that time), I replied that:
1) I really needed to write this book
2) I had a book coach and had to submit 10 pages to her monthly (or I would lose money :D)
3) I had “writing buddies” – we would meet on Zoom and write with camera on/sound off on our separate projects
4) I embraced the idea of “microwriting” :D
5) I used Lisa Cron's "Story Genius" technique, which is basically like a formula for writing a captivating story https://www.amazon.com/Story-Genius-S.... It was very comforting to hear Lisa repeat that a good story always beats beautiful writing (which, let's be honest, wasn't going to happen :D).
There is also a bunch of other productivity tips I hope to share on TikTok one day :)

I'm not a native speaker of English but I had a lot of help! I had so much help with so many things. Below I'm posting my Acknowledgements from the book. An additional mention goes to everyone who shared/posted their review of the book. It's like having conversation with all those amazing people! The depth of thought in many of the reviews I received blew me away. Some people understood my book better than I did :D

Of course, there are also other opinions :D I couldn't help but make a TikTok video, which shows how I'm "After 14 outstanding editorial reviews reading on Goodreads that my characters were 'quite unbelievable and unlikable'" :D https://www.tiktok.com/@olgatymofiyev... . This video is, of course, meant to be a kind of “humble brag” but even more so a humorous commentary on 1) the fact that people are all different (thankfully!) and not everyone will like our work, 2) that there is thankfully freedom of expression, and 3) that even when we understand all this we often suck at taking criticism non-personally :) I’m so grateful to Goodreads, by the way, for this opportunity to freely review my own book (while giving a full disclosure it’s my book, of course).

With this book, I (ambitiously) hope to raise $5,000 in royalties for my home country, Ukraine. Thank you for reading this long review, for maybe giving the book a chance, and for contributing to this goal.

With Love and Reason,
Olga

P.S. Acknowledgments

I want to thank everyone I have ever met, interacted with, agreed with, or disagreed with. As Chuck Palahniuk said, “Nothing of me is original. I am the combined effort of everybody I've ever known.” It becomes even clearer if you look at it from the connectomics perspective.
I want to thank K.C. Karr, my book coach and developmental editor, for her immeasurable contribution to this work. K.C.’s genius questions and suggestions shaped this story, and her coaching brought me here to a completed book.
I want to thank Kim of 100 Covers for the amazing book cover design.
I want to thank my editors, Grace Brown, Jennifer Dean, Alyssa Kruse, and Dr. Vonda, for their wonderful help.
I want to thank Lisa Cron for her genius book, Story Genius: How to Use Brain Science to Go Beyond Outlining.
I want to thank my husband, Ricardo Lemos, for his love and support and the extremely helpful discussions, comments, and ideas incorporated into this book.
I want to thank my personal assistant, Caron Barks, for her super helpful edits and much-needed encouragement.
I want to thank my sensitivity reader, Matthew Broberg-Moffitt, whose precious input made a huge difference in what became of StreetPal.
I want to thank my beta readers, Zira Takahashi, Lesley Dooley, Jonathan Pagel, Gonçalo Puga, Carol, and Angela Jakary, for their invaluable input.
I want to thank Suleiman Ocheni, Alexa Whyte, Kristina Marija Vella, Kim Stear, James Scott, Nathan Herring, and Brittany Beville for helping improve the manuscript.
I want to thank Brian Berni for his outstanding help in bringing this book to the reader.
I want to thank my sister, Iryna, and my friends, Johannes and Anna, for all the important discussions about life.
I want to thank my “writing buddies” and friends, Angela, Prasanna, and Kay—it was always so much fun to write together!
I want to thank Professor Sandel for his mind-blowing introduction to the philosophy of John Rawls in his freely available course of lectures titled Justice.
I want to thank Professor Novella for his course on Your Deceptive Mind.
I want to thank Professor Sapolsky for the phrase that became the key message of this book: ‘You don’t have to choose between being scientific and being compassionate.’
I want to thank Wayne Brittenden, the creator of the Political Compass.
I want to thank Jamie Woodhouse, a community builder for Sentientism, for beta-reading the book, providing terrific comments, and discussing the idea of how the veil of ignorance thought experiment might work if the veil also obscured species.
I want to thank Vio for the beautiful book trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkRUu...
I want to thank my students who discussed the notion of free will with me.
I want to thank all my friends with supernatural beliefs. Please stay my friends.
I want to thank anyone who may be looking for their name on this list—you deserve an acknowledgment, and it is not made explicit purely for technical reasons.
I want to thank you, the reader, because that’s the whole point.

P.P.S. As mentioned earlier, I'm eternally grateful for the amazing editorial reviews I received (more details and links to the actual reviews can be found here https://www.olga-tymofiyeva.com/just-... ):

“…life lessons that all adults should be reading about…”
San Francisco Book Review *****

“…a story that inspires…
...engrossing self-exploration…
…a powerful lesson on free will and human interconnectedness…
… an illuminating read…”
BookLife by Publishers Weekly

“…a beautiful story…”
Readers’ Favorite *****

“…gripping, moving, and thought-provoking…”
The Prairies Book Review

“…powerful social, philosophical, and psychological…”
Midwest Book Review

“…achingly real…”
BookView Review

“…brilliantly written…”
Readers’ Favorite *****

“…a fascinating character study…
…with deeply emotional moments and highly intellectual conversations…
…perfect for readers who are ready to engage and question their own privilege, empathy, and belonging…
…readers will be left in awe…”
The Book Review Directory

“…if you love deep philosophical discourse, you will love Just City…”
Readers’ Favorite *****

“…a degree of introspection that would impress deep thinkers…”
Readers’ Favorite *****

“…perfect for young adults and teenagers (questioning) what they can do to improve (the world)…”
Literary Titan *****

“…a unique storyline…
…made me look at my own life and question what I could be doing differently…”
OnlineBookClub *****

P.P.P.S. I hope you'll also subscribe to my monthly Gratitude Newsletter and we'll stay in touch :) https://www.olga-tymofiyeva.com/grati... . When you sign up you also enter a drawing to receive a signed paperback copy of Just City. You can check out the last issue here to decide if it's something for you: https://mailchi.mp/ffa4d3780e8a/welco...

[Jeneane Vanderhoof · Rating 5 out of 5]

An original and fresh story emerges in Just City, by Olga Tymofiyeva, an amazing work of art that, no matter the age of the reader, all will be led to questions by the story, questions about their own life, after reading. Just City is told through Nathan, a college student, when he begins to question all that he believes, things that he thinks to be true and rational, everything that has been hidden under his veil of ignorance, when he is presented with a different life, one very unlike his own. His eyes opened, Nathan sees the world as it really is, warts and all. Tymofiyeva is able to deliver a cognizant story that does this so well, is so enjoyable, that you are going to want to read this book again and again, look deep into yourself and share it with others, whomever they may be, whatever you may find.

Nathan is the typical white, middle class teen. Coming from an intelligent and successful family, the only way he has ever seen trouble in his life, is as a passer by. When his grandmother develops a VR (virtual reality) game and asks him to participate in the beta testing, everything is soon to change. And, though I’m sure Nathan would have done it for free, the compensation that could be awarded for testing the game, by being one of the first players, up to $10,000, could help him out, be the very money to fund his start up company, with his very good friend, Jack; whom, since meeting, Nathan likes to emulate. With Jack’s start up idea being a tracker that keeps shopping carts from being stolen by the homeless, who the boys think wouldn’t be in their position if they were only motivated enough to work, readers can get the type of ideas rolling around in Nathan’s head, and things he believes, so ignorant of life and others, at this time, before the game is played.

Nathan and all his friends become part of the Beta testing. And, when the veil of ignorance is lifted and the random dice are rolled, Nathan and his friends are consigned to lives very much like their own. So, of course, on this first round, Nathan does well, succeeds and hopes to make as much money as he can, for his and Jack’s start-up idea. However fate is not so kind the second time around and, as the dice are rolled the next few times Nathan begins to experience life from different perspectives, the stories he and his friends are placed in, ones that are actual life experiences of others. And, for the first time in Nathan’s young life, the veil of ignorance lifts from the boy and he sees that life is not as easy, not so cut and dry, as those who work hard get all the best rewards for it.

From a reader’s perspective, delving into a story in which they begin to see life without a veil of ignorance, was very personal for me. I don’t believe many people really ever have this veil lifted, know what it is like to be at the bottom, even care what it’s like to be at the bottom, even when that person is not at the very top., reigning over all. It seems like, no matter wherever one is, that, throughout life, there are blinders on us, especially when life, for the most part, contains no hardships.

While I can't say I started out with the best of the best of everything, nothing terribly bad happened until my twenties, when I lost my first child. The first loss of life I ever experienced, not even a grandparent had passed, all four still in my life and, when others had died in my childhood, I had been sheltered from these sad facts (Which is never a good idea as a parent and creates future problems). So, when I was going to be a mother, had my son at five and a half months, when he lived for three days and passed; losing him, I realized that yes, bad things do happen and there is simply nothing we can do about it. My veil was lifted, if only, partially.

After that, life took a different turn for me. There were places I went, things I did, people I met and interacted with that showed me a whole different world than the one I thought I lived in. And I learned many things over the years. Things that Nathan deals with, in Just City, that I dealt with for long periods of time. Because, when you see the world as it is, when you take away all the blinders you put on to rationalize why the world and the despair in it is there, when you don’t see the despair, then you can begin to build up true beliefs, a system for yourself that makes you a better person. And, in this book, Just City, that is what Nathan begins to do, after he has the veil lifted in the game he plays, trying to figure out the man he wants to be, in the future.

Tymofiyeva presents many ideas in Just City, a few being, ‘synchronistic’ coincidences, Occam’s Razor, critical thinking, things that are present in biology, psychology, philosophy, philosophy of science, and of course, among many others, her area of expertise, neurology (She is a Professor of Neuroimaging). One of my favorite parts of the book is when Nathan, unable to be the voice of his character at certain points of the game, turns to his grandmother, upset. When she had to explain that certain things wouldn’t or couldn’t be said by the character he was playing in the VR game, for many reasons, one big one being, the brain, the story began to unfold, for me, at this point.

Nathan’s grandmother talks of a pedophile who, after having a tumor removed from his brain, had all those thoughts and feelings stop until the tumor grew back. And, while I have a hard time sympathizing with a man who has thoughts of little children or does things to little children, if there is a true medical reason for these thoughts happening, as hard it is for me to say, to admit, there is reason to pity the man. Especially if he fights these thoughts from the deepest part of his soul. And, only this thing that grows on his brain, that will not go away, keeps coming back, gives him this hellish existence he has to continue to live in. Because, if those were not feelings you ever wanted to have, if you were disgusted by your very thoughts, how could a person not sympathize? It is only one of the first lessons Nathan learns about judging others without knowing the whole story.

Of course, after the game is played, when Nathan’s friends turn their back on him, unwilling to lose their own points to help him out of “cruel fate” the dice consigned him to, Nathan turns away from them and meets a new group of friends, at his new work. And, while we would consider Jack and Nathan’s former friends on one end of the spectrum, when it comes to what kind of compassion they have for people and their belief system, the new friends Nathan meets, his boss Alex, his sister, Maria and her friend Lora, are at the complete opposite end.

At one point in the story, when Nathan questions something Maria says about chakras, when she seems to search and cannot find an answer she says, “Look, the need for your mind to question everything is what stands between you and peace.” And, while it is an answer, it really is no answer to a question at all and one Nathan had once heard said by their medication teacher. And when Maria’s daughter, Nathan’s god daughter gets sick, Maria does not blame it on the fact she does not believe in vaccinating her child, but, on the fact that the healer Maria had him visit said he was the cause of the girl’s illness, making the comment that “One should live cleanly.” As Nathan obsesses on how he could be the cause of the girl’s illness, what the healer meant by her remark, the absurd fact that Maria told him this, believes this herself and, so does the rest of the group, it seems, he realizes what it means to have blind-faith, question nothing and accept all as truth. The exact opposite of where he once stood, before the VR game his grandmother developed and Nathan played.

Just City, Nathan, the main character, makes this book the great read that it is. In the end, despite the plans he had with Jack, the newfound knowledge of the world, and his recent experiences, leads Nathan to come up with a winning idea for a startup company much different from what Jack had initially proposed, and he wanted to partner on. Overall, the best thing, however, is that it leads Nathan to begin to develop a belief system far beyond his years, one in which he feels comfortable with himself and those in the world around him; where he is working toward a greater good for all and developing a sense of purpose in the world in conjunction with this outside world.

I have heard it said that, to an author, a book can be like a child. Olga Tymofiyeva can be proud of hers, Just City, and Nathan, and the world she creates for readers to help them find a way to a better understanding of all, which will only lead to a better understanding of self.

It’s crazy how things work out like that? An understanding of the outer, of the broad, leads to an understanding of the inner, of the narrow, of self. And, we all need to read books like this, at times in our life, when they appear to us, as if for a reason. I am so glad that this book appeared in my life, when it did. I needed to see Nathan and what a person can be capable of being, being a good person, doing good things, wanting to be a good person. Because I thought that was lost. In Just City you just don't only find Nathan and the questions he has for his own life, but questions and experiences that provide reflection for your own life and who you want to be in it.

Happy reading!

[READER VIEWS · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Olga Tymofiyeva is a scientist by trade. Using her background, professional experience, and own hopes to create a virtual reality game such as the one portrayed in “Just City,” Tymofiyeva has instead crafted a “Ready Player One”- esque read. Admittedly taking four and a half years to draft this book, Tymofiyeva heroically wrote around becoming a new mother and working as a neuroimaging professor at UCSF, all while writing in English, her non-native tongue. All that aside, the concepts and deeper thought this book drags out of its readers are impressive in their own right.

Nathan is in need of $10,000 to enter his idea into a startup incubator competition. Alongside his friends, he agrees to be a tester for his neuroscientist grandmother’s new virtual reality game, Just City. In what he hoped would help him make a quick buck, Just City changes the trajectory of his friendships, his life motto, and his relationships. Through the game, Nathan is placed in the body of a homeless man. This experience changes his perspective, teaching him empathy and causing him to reassess his friendships and views on the world, and ultimately leading him to change directions on his startup idea.

The shift in Nathan as he leaves one friend group and finds another entirely opposite friend group is vast. Readers are shown an entirely different perspective, different culture, and different beliefs and ways of seeing the world. Author Olga Tymofiyeva does an incredible job rooting readers to Nathan’s story. We quickly become engrossed as he is determined to follow his dreams at all costs, even as his views and beliefs begin to expand as a result of the game. However, despite the shifting ground beneath Nathan, Tymofiyeva expertly provides readers with Nathan’s grandmother as the ever-constant reminder of his previously rational way of thinking as he slowly blends his pre-Just City ideologies with those post-Just City learnings.

“Just City” offers a philosophical, relatable, and yet futuristic storyline as readers are taken through the life questions and deep shifts in Nathan’s way of thinking as a result of his grandmother’s virtual reality game. As a reader, I couldn’t help but feel like “Ready Player One” was being revamped into a more thought-provoking and realistic reality. The relationship between Nathan and his grandmother was the perfect complement to the story as Nathan reconsidered deep-seated beliefs and friendships.

The ride “Just City” takes readers on is an important one. Causing profound reflection and diverse worldviews, Tymofiyeva does a great job of opening the minds of readers and giving us a story we can fully embrace.

Just City

Olga Tymofiyeva

Independently Published (2022)

ISBN 979-8365536807

Reviewed by Jill Rey for Reader Views (1/2023)

5* a philosophical, relatable, and yet futuristic storyline causing profound reflection through diverse world views

Author Olga Tymofiyeva is a scientist by trade. Using her background, professional experience, and own hopes to create a virtual reality game such as the one portrayed in “Just City,” Tymofiyeva has instead crafted a “Ready Player One”- esque read. Admittedly taking four and a half years to draft this book, Tymofiyeva heroically wrote around becoming a new mother and working as a neuroimaging professor at UCSF, all while writing in English, her non-native tongue. All that aside, the concepts and deeper thought this book drags out of its readers are impressive in their own right.

Nathan is in need of $10,000 to enter his idea into a startup incubator competition. Alongside his friends, he agrees to be a tester for his neuroscientist grandmother’s new virtual reality game, Just City. In what he hoped would help him make a quick buck, Just City changes the trajectory of his friendships, his life motto, and his relationships. Through the game, Nathan is placed in the body of a homeless man. This experience changes his perspective, teaching him empathy and causing him to reassess his friendships and views on the world, and ultimately leading him to change directions on his startup idea.

The shift in Nathan as he leaves one friend group and finds another entirely opposite friend group is vast. Readers are shown an entirely different perspective, different culture, and different beliefs and ways of seeing the world. Author Olga Tymofiyeva does an incredible job rooting readers to Nathan’s story. We quickly become engrossed as he is determined to follow his dreams at all costs, even as his views and beliefs begin to expand as a result of the game. However, despite the shifting ground beneath Nathan, Tymofiyeva expertly provides readers with Nathan’s grandmother as the ever-constant reminder of his previously rational way of thinking as he slowly blends his pre-Just City ideologies with those post-Just City learnings.

“Just City” offers a philosophical, relatable, and yet futuristic storyline as readers are taken through the life questions and deep shifts in Nathan’s wayas a result of his grandmother’s virtual reality game. As a reader, I couldn’t help but feel like “Ready Player One” was being revamped into a more thought-provoking and realistic reality. The relationship between Nathan and his grandmother was the perfect complement to the story as Nathan reconsidered deep-seated beliefs and friendships.

The ride “Just City” takes readers on is an important one. Causing profound reflection and diverse worldviews, Tymofiyeva does a great job of opening the minds of readers and giving us a story we can fully embrace.

[Sarah Woods · Rating 4 out of 5]

The premise of this book really intrigued me as the idea of meritocracy seems to proliferate amongst the most fortunate.
I was a little disappointed that the game itself takes such a short part of the story and I would like to have seen each level explored in more detail and with more emotion. That said, there's plenty of emotion throughout the remainder of the book.
The ideas introduced really got me thinking and I liked that. The book itself is almost a combination of a fiction novella and a non-fiction exploration of society and critical thinking. Definitely quite different to anything else I've read recently and I'm glad I spent a few hours immersed in it.

[Sam Porter · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book didn’t flow. Everything felt rushed. The storyline was boring to me. There wasn’t any depth in the characters either. Not my kind of book.

[Book Reviewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This gripping story follows Nathan, a hard-working young man in San Francisco with a dream to become an entrepreneur. He and his friends need $10,000 to enter a competition in order to win a startup opportunity. Nathan's grandmother, a neuroscientist, presents the young entrepreneurs with the chance to fund their goal by participating in a VR simulation called Just City. This experience snowballs into self-discovery and reflection - contemplating earned success, privilege, and values. Nathen looks for identity reflected through various relationships. Ultimately, he arrives at a place of contentment, knowing that he is being true to himself through love and reason.

Olga Tymofiyeva creates a compelling narrative in Just City, where the main character must walk between two worlds. The ideas explored are complex and meaningful to the character's growth. The concept of privilege and empathy are timely to society without being devoid of hope.

Nathan begins with a view that lacks humanity but ends with a balanced position capturing the inherent worth of those around him. Nathan's grandmother acts as a loving sounding board during his paradigm shift, honestly guiding him while respecting his personal exploration. A relatable aspect of this book is the evolution that Nathan's relationships undergo as he searches to define his worldview.

The narrative feels blocky at first glance but feels more appropriate as you get to know Nathan and his internal dialogue. Nathan approaches everything analytically, and it is reflected in how his thoughts are organized. Nathan is self-centered at first, which might feel slightly off-putting. However, his growth journey is relatable to many who have encountered challenging information. Especially if the world's cruelty has quieted the child-like compassion in all of us.

Just City is a compelling coming-of-age young adult novel about self-discovery. The journey the protagonist embarks on is relatable to teens, and virtual reality makes the message more relevant in this age of technology. This thought-provoking novel is perfect for young adults and teenagers who may question how the world is changing and what they can do to improve things.

[Olga Tymofiyeva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dear Fellow Humans,

I'm a scientist by trade. And I'm the author of Just City. Just City is my first and my last fiction book.

I HAD to write this book. Through this book I said to the rest of the world all that I had to say. I'm done. I have nothing else to say.

Originally, when I came up with the idea, I wanted to create an actual VR game. I wrote to political philosophers, game developers, and even President Obama :D It probably was too ambitious anyway. So, I came up with a realistic, low-budget version: to write about the game AS IF it existed (also known as fiction :) ). I realized that it may even be better because I can describe the experience exactly the way I wanted it to happen to the players (which wouldn't be guaranteed with a real game, of course).

It took me over 4.5 years to write the book. When a friend of mine asked how I managed to "write this book next to a neuroimaging professorship at UCSF and to 'running' a family (I had a baby during that time), I replied that:
1) I really needed to write this book
2) I had a book coach and had to submit 10 pages to her monthly (or I would lose money :D)
3) I had “writing buddies” – we would meet on Zoom and write with camera on/sound off on our separate projects
4) I embraced the idea of “microwriting” :D
5) I used Lisa Cron's "Story Genius" technique, which is basically like a formula for writing a captivating story https://www.amazon.com/Story-Genius-S.... It was very comforting to hear Lisa repeat that a good story always beats beautiful writing (which, let's be honest, wasn't going to happen :D).
There is also a bunch of other productivity tips I hope to share on TikTok one day :)

I'm not a native speaker of English but I had a lot of help! I had so much help with so many things. Below I'm posting my Acknowledgements from the book. An additional mention goes to everyone who shared/posted their review of the book. It's like having conversation with all those amazing people! The depth of thought in many of the reviews I received blew me away. Some people understood my book better than I did :D

Of course, there are also other opinions :D I couldn't help but make a TikTok video, which shows how I'm "After 14 outstanding editorial reviews reading on Goodreads that my characters were 'quite unbelievable and unlikable'" :D https://www.tiktok.com/@olgatymofiyev... . This video is, of course, meant to be a kind of “humble brag” but even more so a humorous commentary on 1) the fact that people are all different (thankfully!) and not everyone will like our work, 2) that there is thankfully freedom of expression, and 3) that even when we understand all this we often suck at taking criticism non-personally :) I’m so grateful to Goodreads, by the way, for this opportunity to freely review my own book (while giving a full disclosure it’s my book, of course).

With this book, I (ambitiously) hope to raise $5,000 in royalties for my home country, Ukraine. Thank you for reading this long review, for maybe giving the book a chance, and for contributing to this goal.

With Love and Reason,
Olga

P.S. Acknowledgments

I want to thank everyone I have ever met, interacted with, agreed with, or disagreed with. As Chuck Palahniuk said, “Nothing of me is original. I am the combined effort of everybody I've ever known.” It becomes even clearer if you look at it from the connectomics perspective.
I want to thank K.C. Karr, my book coach and developmental editor, for her immeasurable contribution to this work. K.C.’s genius questions and suggestions shaped this story, and her coaching brought me here to a completed book.
I want to thank Kim of 100 Covers for the amazing book cover design.
I want to thank my editors, Grace Brown, Jennifer Dean, Alyssa Kruse, and Dr. Vonda, for their wonderful help.
I want to thank Lisa Cron for her genius book, Story Genius: How to Use Brain Science to Go Beyond Outlining.
I want to thank my husband, Ricardo Lemos, for his love and support and the extremely helpful discussions, comments, and ideas incorporated into this book.
I want to thank my personal assistant, Caron Barks, for her super helpful edits and much-needed encouragement.
I want to thank my sensitivity reader, Matthew Broberg-Moffitt, whose precious input made a huge difference in what became of StreetPal.
I want to thank my beta readers, Zira Takahashi, Lesley Dooley, Jonathan Pagel, Gonçalo Puga, Carol, and Angela Jakary, for their invaluable input.
I want to thank Suleiman Ocheni, Alexa Whyte, Kristina Marija Vella, Kim Stear, James Scott, Nathan Herring, and Brittany Beville for helping improve the manuscript.
I want to thank Brian Berni for his outstanding help in bringing this book to the reader.
I want to thank my sister, Iryna, and my friends, Johannes and Anna, for all the important discussions about life.
I want to thank my “writing buddies” and friends, Angela, Prasanna, and Kay—it was always so much fun to write together!
I want to thank Professor Sandel for his mind-blowing introduction to the philosophy of John Rawls in his freely available course of lectures titled Justice.
I want to thank Professor Novella for his course on Your Deceptive Mind.
I want to thank Professor Sapolsky for the phrase that became the key message of this book: ‘You don’t have to choose between being scientific and being compassionate.’
I want to thank Wayne Brittenden, the creator of the Political Compass.
I want to thank Jamie Woodhouse, a community builder for Sentientism, for beta-reading the book, providing terrific comments, and discussing the idea of how the veil of ignorance thought experiment might work if the veil also obscured species.
I want to thank Vio for the beautiful book trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkRUu...
I want to thank my students who discussed the notion of free will with me.
I want to thank all my friends with supernatural beliefs. Please stay my friends.
I want to thank anyone who may be looking for their name on this list—you deserve an acknowledgment, and it is not made explicit purely for technical reasons.
I want to thank you, the reader, because that’s the whole point.

P.P.S. As mentioned earlier, I'm eternally grateful for the amazing editorial reviews I received (more details and links to the actual reviews can be found here https://www.olga-tymofiyeva.com/just-... ):

“…life lessons that all adults should be reading about…”
San Francisco Book Review *****

“…a story that inspires…
...engrossing self-exploration…
…a powerful lesson on free will and human interconnectedness…
… an illuminating read…”
BookLife by Publishers Weekly

“…a beautiful story…”
Readers’ Favorite *****

“…gripping, moving, and thought-provoking…”
The Prairies Book Review

“…powerful social, philosophical, and psychological…”
Midwest Book Review

“…achingly real…”
BookView Review

“…brilliantly written…”
Readers’ Favorite *****

“…a fascinating character study…
…with deeply emotional moments and highly intellectual conversations…
…perfect for readers who are ready to engage and question their own privilege, empathy, and belonging…
…readers will be left in awe…”
The Book Review Directory

“…if you love deep philosophical discourse, you will love Just City…”
Readers’ Favorite *****

“…a degree of introspection that would impress deep thinkers…”
Readers’ Favorite *****

“…perfect for young adults and teenagers (questioning) what they can do to improve (the world)…”
Literary Titan *****

“…a unique storyline…
…made me look at my own life and question what I could be doing differently…”
OnlineBookClub *****

P.P.P.S. I hope you'll also subscribe to my monthly Gratitude Newsletter and we'll stay in touch :) https://www.olga-tymofiyeva.com/grati... . When you sign up you also enter a drawing to receive a signed paperback copy of Just City. You can check out the last issue here to decide if it's something for you: https://mailchi.mp/ffa4d3780e8a/welco...

[Anthony · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Review

The author did such a stupendous job of crafting a YA read that felt both entertaining and enlightening all at once. The thought-provoking themes of social status and what it means to be human are quite profound throughout the novel and keep the reader invested in the narrative as the line between reality and virtual reality blur for the characters.

To me, the heart of this story rests in the loaded character development the author brings to life in the narrative. The evolution of Nathan’s journey was remarkable to see, as he begins as a pretty ignorant and closed-off-minded individual but through the events of the novel he finds his world opening up far greater thanks to this virtual world. The tension that stems from his friendship with Jack and the others in his group as he befriends others who share his new views were profound, and yet it was his bond with his grandmother who kept him grounded and gave him a great philosophical inner monologue throughout the novel that made his story so moving and engaging.

The Verdict

Hauntingly beautiful, entertaining, yet thought-provoking in its delivery, author Olga Tymofiyeva’s “Just City” is a must-read YA novel! The heart and passion for which the author wrote this book seeped their way into every chapter, and the profoundly moving themes elevated this narrative to new heights as each twist and turn in the plot kept the reader on the edge of their seat.

[Alisha Copas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was very excited about this book just based on the cover and even more excited when I read the description. The cover reminds me of ready player one and I was very interested and reading about the game that this author created. I do wish the video game was expanded on and more prominent in the book. This book really makes you think about the differences in life and was a very good read. This book wasn’t exactly what I was expecting to read but it was a good book and will definitely have you thinking about life from different angles. I would definitely recommend reading this book. The author really did a really wonderful job writing this book.

[Asma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading Just City was a wonderful experience. At every turn, I was excited for what would happen to the main character. It was also delightful to find that the author’s philosophies on life reflect so much of my own. The author managed to delve into so many profound observations without being too philosophical, yet at the same time question the basic perceptions of life. I found it a very enjoyable, concise read. I promise you won't regret reading Just City.

[Peggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just City is an easy to read story the reader can embrace. The futuristic storyline will open your mind and have you looking deeply into yourself. I found myself reading a few short chapters at a time so I could reflect to question my own life, what is just and what is deserved. I enjoyed this quick read and highly recommend it.

[Bailey Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just City is a thought provoking, coming of age, engaging, transformative, educational, and moral based story. This book will challenge the readers to reflect on their morals, the way our society is structured, social stigmas, and so much more. As a future social worker I could not love this book more. It is one all youth should read. It will undoubtedly cause them to think critically about situations and hopefully inspire empathy.

[Sarina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it! It's a coming of age book that tackles the big questions in life, like what to make of free will, how to navigate opposing forces in life, and how to develop valued principles as a scientist/atheist. It's a quick read and has already inspired some changes I want to make in my life!

[Bridgette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just City is a well-written, thought provoking coming-of-age story. It is a fairly small book, but it really makes you think and I found myself thinking about it long after I finished reading it. Highly recommend.

[Albert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not really a science fiction. But still a readable, enjoyable tale of self introspection and improvement. I would recommend this to any young person.

The story flows and I think I would enjoy reading another story by this author.

[Tamikan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this in a Giveaway!

Quick YA read that's a little bit preachy, but I think the themes were important. I wish there had been more Just City in the book, as Nathan is done playing the game a quarter of the way through.

I will definitely leave it in my Little Free Library for someone else to discover.

[Sheri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good little thinker book.

It's not very long, but it will truly make you think about things more or differently. It's a good pallet cleanser so to speak before you read a heavier book.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book about a virtual game that lets you experience how different people live. How would you like to be homeless? Or on death's row? Doesn't sound like much fun and it is just a game after all. But it does help people learn about and have empathy for those less fortunate than themselves.

[Claire Preston · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rather thought-provoking book. It was an enjoyable quick read that was very different from my usual books. Would be an interesting concept to have in the real world so that some closed-minded people might step into other peoples shoes for a few days via the world of VR.

[Kellianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

pleasantly surprised on this one. I didn't think negative of the synopsis by no means but the story telling was engaging. you also can almost fully emerse and see how this is can be close today. I'm not a big fan of spoilers so it's hard for me to share deep inputs. but I did enjoy how the mmc experience certain scenarios. thank you for this book.

[Sherry Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all the book cover is wonderful and so is the book!!! The book was intriguing, and a page turner from beginning to end!

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

My only complaint about this book was the length, I wanted more of it! Such an interesting premise/take on the world view change that so many of us go through

[Dee Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Goodreads for a copy of this book. A wonderful read that really leaves you thinking about your own values and self imposed rules that you live by.

[Barbara Waloven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just City is a virtual reality game. The player chooses the social concepts (abortion, immigration, mental health, access to health care, homelessness, etc) then unveils their character. The character lives by those social concepts. This idea is brilliant and I would play that game if it existed.

The book’s main character goes through much self reflection after playing the game. There is a lot of educational “-ology’s” (sociology, psychology, even biology) in this story that make you think.

Absolutely loved reading. Highly recommend.

[Jill Rey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Olga Tymofiyeva is a scientist by trade. Using her background, professional experience, and own hopes to create a virtual reality game such as the one portrayed in “Just City,” Tymofiyeva has instead crafted a “Ready Player One”- esque read. Admittedly taking four and a half years to draft this book, Tymofiyeva heroically wrote around becoming a new mother and working as a neuroimaging professor at UCSF, all while writing in English, her non-native tongue. All that aside, the concepts and deeper thought this book drags out of its readers are impressive in their own right.

Nathan is in need of $10,000 to enter his idea into a startup incubator competition. Alongside his friends, he agrees to be a tester for his neuroscientist grandmother’s new virtual reality game, Just City. In what he hoped would help him make a quick buck, Just City changes the trajectory of his friendships, his life motto, and his relationships. Through the game, Nathan is placed in the body of a homeless man. This experience changes his perspective, teaching him empathy and causing him to reassess his friendships and views on the world, and ultimately leading him to change directions on his startup idea.

The shift in Nathan as he leaves one friend group and finds another entirely opposite friend group is vast. Readers are shown an entirely different perspective, different culture, and different beliefs and ways of seeing the world. Author Olga Tymofiyeva does an incredible job rooting readers to Nathan’s story. We quickly become engrossed as he is determined to follow his dreams at all costs, even as his views and beliefs begin to expand as a result of the game. However, despite the shifting ground beneath Nathan, Tymofiyeva expertly provides readers with Nathan’s grandmother as the ever-constant reminder of his previously rational way of thinking as he slowly blends his pre-Just City ideologies with those post-Just City learnings.

“Just City” offers a philosophical, relatable, and yet futuristic storyline as readers are taken through the life questions and deep shifts in Nathan’s way of thinking as a result of his grandmother’s virtual reality game. As a reader, I couldn’t help but feel like “Ready Player One” was being revamped into a more thought-provoking and realistic reality. The relationship between Nathan and his grandmother was the perfect complement to the story as Nathan reconsidered deep-seated beliefs and friendships.

The ride “Just City” takes readers on is an important one. Causing profound reflection and diverse worldviews, Tymofiyeva does a great job of opening the minds of readers and giving us a story we can fully embrace.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! This was such a different take on a virtual reality book. I will say up front that this book does not stay in the virtual reality world for too long so if that is what you are looking for this may not be for you. Our main character needs money in order to enter his startup into the competition to be picked up by a company so he agrees to help his grandma out by being a participant in her study testing out her virtual reality game. There’s for rounds total and at the beginning of each round you get the opportunity to shift they ways the rules are which will affect you character. Our main character believes the rules of society are pretty great so for the first round he doesn’t touch them and he fairs pretty well. But after that things get drastically worse for his character finding out the system doesn’t play in his favor when he’s a teen boy who’s been arrested and a homeless man. And asking his friends who are also players in the game for help didn’t go to well and have some real life consequences. When the game has finished Nathan has a different outlook on a lot of topics in society starting with revamping his startup as a way to help people who have fallen into homelessness.

[Kindlelover 1220 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nathan is in a need of money because he needs to find funding for a start up with his friend Jack. He is given an opportunity to try an experimental virtual reality game, in exchange for money. A fast paced story with a well written plot and characters. An entertaining story about reality vs virtual reality.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[✨ ੈ✩‧April ♡ ʚ♡⃛ɞ✨ · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Just City" by Olga Tymofiyeva presents a dystopian vision of a future where societal norms and technology converge in unsettling ways. The novel follows [briefly summarize plot without spoilers], exploring themes of ethics, artificial intelligence, and the consequences of unchecked technological advancement.

Tymofiyeva’s writing style is descriptive and immersive, effectively creating a vivid and atmospheric setting for the story. The world-building is intricate, depicting a future society where virtual reality and surveillance play central roles in everyday life.

While "Just City" tackles thought-provoking themes and presents a complex vision of the future, some readers may find the pacing uneven or the narrative challenging to follow. The novel’s structure alternates between character perspectives and timeline shifts, which can disrupt the flow of the story and detract from the overall cohesion.

Critically, while the novel raises important questions about ethics and the impact of technology on society, it may not offer groundbreaking insights or originality in its treatment of these themes. Readers familiar with the genre of dystopian fiction may find familiar tropes and narrative devices that fail to distinguish "Just City" from similar works.

Moreover, the character development in "Just City" may feel limited, with some protagonists and antagonists adhering to predictable archetypes rather than evolving into fully realized individuals. This aspect of the novel could diminish emotional engagement for readers seeking more nuanced or deeply developed characters.

Overall, "Just City" by Olga Tymofiyeva presents a competent exploration of futuristic themes and societal challenges. While it may appeal to fans of dystopian fiction looking for a thought-provoking read, its execution and narrative structure may not fully satisfy readers seeking a more cohesive or innovative storytelling approach.

[Rating: 2.5/5 stars]

This rating reflects the novel’s strengths in world-building and thematic exploration, while acknowledging its potential drawbacks in pacing, narrative coherence, and character development.

[Eugene Ozhinsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great debut novel from a Californian neuroscientist who grew up in Ukraine. Without spoiling too much, the book is styled as a diary of a young man that got to participate in a virtual reality experiment that made him question his beliefs. This format makes it very easy to read a lets the author present pretty profound ideas through the thoughts of her character.

The first few chapters reflected the original libertarian beliefs of the character and his friend. These beliefs sounded a bit like a caricature. It was obvious that the author considered them problematic and wanted to convince the readers not to trust them. The disadvantaged characters that the hero met also sounded a little two-dimensional.

But I am glad that I kept reading despite that. I was expecting the whole book to be about the experiment, but it gave me much more than that. The plot, thoughts and feelings of the character in the later part of the novel felt really sincere and profound. I really liked how justice was presented not as something you do because of guilt, but because you can really imagine being in another person's shoes. It was clear that the author has spent a long time thinking about these issues.

This book is written for young adults. I am not one of them, but I really enjoyed reading it! I am looking forward to the author's next work!

Disclosure: I have known Olga for many years and received the book as a gift.

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nathan and Jack have three months to create a start-up for the New Entrepreneur Incubator but Nathan needs funding. His grandma has created a VR game which Nathan thought the idea had died, but she is paying people to test the product for the research study. Nathan jumps at the chance of being among the test subjects and encourages Jack to participate. However, not long into the game, the character starts to act on its own and Nathan loses his free will. This is how the game should be but Nathan doesn't like it. The game intervenes in his real life and Nathan learns his and the true feelings of those around him.

The story is less about playing the game but applying the lessons to real life. And even though this was the grandma's idea to create the VR game, her vague opinions after Nathan's game leave him unsettled. The book is written in the present tense so readers read the narrative in real time. This is a personal pleasant way to read since nothing in the future can be foreseen and readers learn what happens at the same time as the characters. The story reads like a VR version of SIMS as Nathan and Jack play as a random person and live lives within a simulation, which Nathan applies to real life, and later follows Nathan's lessons about free will.


I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.