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The End of Marking Time

by C.J. West (Goodreads Author)

3.68 of 5 stars 3.68 · rating details · 409 ratings · 134 reviews

Gifted housebreaker, Michael O'Connor, awakens inside an ultramodern criminal justice system where prison walls are replaced by surveillance equipment and a host of actors hired to determine if he is worthy of freedom. While he was sleeping, the Supreme Court declared long term incarceration to be cruel and unusual punishment and ordered two million felons released. The re...more

Paperback, 284 pages

Published May 22nd 2010 by 22 West Books

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Mar 11, 2011 Cher rated it 3 of 5 stars

It's frustrating when you feel like you have seen the same movie or read the same book a dozen times, just with different characters. What initially drew me to "The End of Marking Time" was the originality of the plot, and it didn't disappoint. The novel moves along at a nice, quick pace with humor, mystery, and suspense all thrown in together. The concept of a future prison system will have you questioning yourself about if that would be a better way to do things, and would it be a possible way...more

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Feb 22, 2013 Kelly rated it 1 of 5 stars

I really want to like this book, but I'm about half way through and can't decide whether or not to finish. It's just not good. I got it as a kindle daily deal, so only paid something like $2. I can't decide if stopping is worth the $1 wasted or whether finishing is worth the 3 hours wasted.

The concept behind the book is fascinating. A career burglar is shot while being transported to jail. He wakes up five years later to find that the criminal justice system has changed. Instead of jail, crimina...more

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Jul 25, 2012 Melissa Etheridge rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: it-was-ok-but-no-more-by-this-autho

"The End of Marking Time" starts off by introducing us to an expert house burglar who makes the mistake of robbing the home of a local district attorney. Of course, Michael (the thief) is arrested and sent to prison~only he's accidentally shot on his way to prison and in a coma for four years. Upon awakening, he learns that the penal system he knew before his coma is no longer in existence. Criminals are now re-educated by private companies who install tracking devices into their heads to monito...more

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Apr 11, 2012 Desiree reilly rated it 5 of 5 stars

I GOT THIS BOOK FORM CJ WEST AND THEN THE FIRST LOOK AT THE COVER IS WOW.I t a unusual cove and then you think to your self what happening . Well i would agree to do this with the way the jail is not and the prison is full.HERE it up to the judge to decide if you go and get time or do you get the other punishment .The story take you form a car thief who is making good money stealing others things and then re pawn them or take them to the big guy who take care of them.Here is robber in your
house...more

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Sep 26, 2011 Al rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2011, kindle

"The End of Marking Time" is a thriller, but a different kind of thriller. Although it might be set in the future, it could also be an alternate reality. Nothing in the technology or setting seemed beyond the reach of what is possible today, or at least what might be shortly. The only significant thing that had changed was our approach to “rehabilitating” criminals.

The premise the book is built on is that while the protagonist, convicted criminal Michael O’Connor, was in a coma, the U.S. Supreme...more

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Aug 12, 2011 Emily rated it 5 of 5 stars

Although presented as a political thriller, I'm going to open by saying that this book has "dystopian" written all over it. Gritty and realistic, this book proposes a lot of really uncomfortable questions; I found that the answers I came up with weren't necessarily ones that sat well with me, and to me that's the mark of a good dystopian.

Michael O'Connor is a living, breathing gray area. With no education, no skills, and no assets that he can see, he supports himself by breaking into houses and...more Although presented as a political thriller, I'm going to open by saying that this book has "dystopian" written all over it. Gritty and realistic, this book proposes a lot of really uncomfortable questions; I found that the answers I came up with weren't necessarily ones that sat well with me, and to me that's the mark of a good dystopian.

Michael O'Connor is a living, breathing gray area. With no education, no skills, and no assets that he can see, he supports himself by breaking into houses and fencing the stolen goods. A job goes bad, and Michael finds himself arrested for the crime for the first time ever. Found guilty and sentenced to prison, Michael doesn't actually make it to the prison facility; assaulted on the way there, he falls into a coma, and while he's in the hospital, the Supreme Court declares that long-term incarceration constitutes cruel and unusual punishment and two million incarcerated inmates are turned out in the street as a result.

When Michael comes to, he's enrolled in a reeducation program whose goal is to teach him all the things he didn't learn on his own, starting with basic academics and morals and ultimately leading to how to have healthy relationships, getting his GED, and having marketable job skills. Michael doesn't take this all that seriously because after all, if it's not jail, it's not a punishment. Little does he know that everything he does and every decision he makes is leading up to the big moment where his very existence is on the line.

I freely admit that while reading about the first phases of Michael's reeducation, I had some very self-righteous and indignant thoughts. Why shouldn't Michael have to make a legitimate contribution to society? Having to get his GED, learn how to have relationships, and pay child support for the son he didn't know about? What's wrong with that? The government oversight here is extreme, but insidious- it isn't until later that the reader fully realizes just how much control has been assumed, not just over the convicts, but really, over everyone. What price are you willing to pay for security?

More than that, what is the price of a human life? Horton and his Whos taught us that "a person's a person, no matter how small," but when placed in the position of having to determine if a life has been worthwhile or not, how would you rule? Michael is pleading for his life from the first page of the novel until the end, but the revelation of who was serving as his judge, jury and (perhaps) executioner was one that I did not see coming.

Like any good dystopian, this one left me itchy, because while the oppressive regime and government spying may not be in full force today, the social issues highlighted by Michael and his "reeducation" are very real. I had to examine my own beliefs and prejudices and I came out at the end a different person for having read the story.(less)

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Jan 16, 2011 Kyle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Is there ever a time when it is right to do wrong? How do we determine if a person learned from their mistakes, and how many chances do we give a person? The End of Marking Time explores these questions as the story of Michael O'Connor unfolds.

Without giving away the ending, I thought the premise of the entire story was a bit unbelievable especially when it comes to crime and punishment. There is a saying about the "the punishment fitting the crime", and I think this is crucial to understanding...more

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Jan 13, 2011 Brenda Whitner rated it 4 of 5 stars

I thought this was a good book. Michael is a lifetime criminal. He has been robbing houses for years and he finally gets caught and gets what’s coming to him. He is on his way to serve out a five year prison sentence and he gets shot on the bus putting him in a coma for four years. When he awakes he finds out that the whole prison system has changed. There are no more prisons. Instead, he has become what is known as a re-learner. He must wear an ankle bracelet and watch videos to get retrained t...more

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Dec 21, 2010 Maddy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010-reads

THE END OF MARKING TIME by C. J. West
PROTAGONIST: Michael O’Connor

When Michael O’Connor was thirteen, his mother put a gun to his head when he stole a can of peaches. When he was fifteen, she tried to shoot him. That was what caused him to leave home and go out on his own. He turned to burglary, a mostly victimless crime, as a means of supporting himself. He’s incarcerated and shot in the head while on a prison bus. Four years later, he comes out of a coma, only to find that the world has drama...more THE END OF MARKING TIME by C. J. West
PROTAGONIST: Michael O’Connor

When Michael O’Connor was thirteen, his mother put a gun to his head when he stole a can of peaches. When he was fifteen, she tried to shoot him. That was what caused him to leave home and go out on his own. He turned to burglary, a mostly victimless crime, as a means of supporting himself. He’s incarcerated and shot in the head while on a prison bus. Four years later, he comes out of a coma, only to find that the world has dramatically changed.

The most important difference to him is that the Supreme Court ruled that all convicts should be let out of prison. Most of these individuals go through a process called “relearning”, where they are assigned a team who works with them to transition to a crime-free life. The government puts them into apartments and pays them a $40,000-a-year salary. Michael has a team of counselors, with Wendell being his lead, the one who develops an instructional program that will teach Michael the skills that he needs to be a productive citizen. Wendell really cares about the convicts who have been assigned to them. Much to his surprise, Michael finds himself developing some social conscience. He is also learning to read at a more than elementary level and surprisingly, finds that he enjoys the task and that the world is opening to him as a result.

Michael goes through his lessons, both formal and informal, and sees that others haven’t been quite as lucky as he has. In particular, the hardest core criminals are assigned to what is known as “cat baggers”, which subjects them to appalling living conditions and almost always results in suicide. As Michael begins to adjust to life in this new world, he finds that Wendell has not been treated fairly by the system. He takes it upon himself to prove that other counselors are cheating to get the easier-to-convert criminals, while Wendell handles some of the hardest cases. Unfortunately, many of the things that he does in his quest are illegal and only serve to damage his rehabilitation. His worst fear is being released from the program and assigned to a cat bagger. His fate is at the hands of others who must determine if he deserves to continue as a relearner or suffer severe punishment.

West has done an excellent job of creating the new world that Michael inhabits and presenting an intriguing and thoughtful view of the society that supports it. It was frustrating to see Michael continually do stupid (albeit well-meant) things without any thought about the consequences of his acts, but that was a large part of who he was. I was somewhat disappointed in the resolution, where the author wrapped up the narrative with a startling surprise. I felt that the conclusion would have been better served by allowing the story to follow its natural course without the unnecessary surprise.

Nonetheless, I was fascinated by the whole concept, the implications of a society where people don’t have to worry about going to jail anymore and the whole construct of the relearning process. THE END OF MARKING TIME is a combination of crime and science fiction, and West has done a great job of creating a thought provoking and engrossing read.
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Oct 28, 2010 Melissa rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book was pretty hard for me to get into. At first I was like why should I care about the main character? He doesn’t seem to care about anyone, he pokes fun at his friends for wanting to settle down (I am in the process of settling down myself at the moment), he breaks into people’s houses, and is really kind of cocky about the whole thing. When he gets arrested I was like good – you got was you deserved. That said, I have always had a bit of a soft spot for dystopian literature and I really...more

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Jun 08, 2010 Debbi rated it 5 of 5 stars

Imagine waking up from a coma to a world you don't recognize. When you went under, you were bound for prison. Now the prisoners have all been released – at least ostensibly. There's just one catch. You're under continual surveillance. You're being watched and judged everywhere you go. The so-called freedom you enjoy is non-existent.

This is the intriguing and frightening premise of THE END OF MARKING TIME. The main character Michael has made a lifetime occupation of burglary and other types of pr...more

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Mar 16, 2013 Emily rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was a really interesting read. Though it's set in the future, it's not so much of a dystopian society story as it is a story about one man struggling to find redemption in a system where the odds are stacked against him. I have to suspect this is a deliberate commentary on the current criminal justice system, done to point out just how hard we make it on people to be successfully 'rehabilitated and reintegrated'.

The story itself is quite interesting, for the most part. There were a few pla...more

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May 07, 2012 Nena rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: indie-books-good-and-bad, 2012-reads

Kindle Edition:

Utopia or Dystopia, it depends on how you look at it when it comes to describing this book.

The book grabbed me from the first paragraph. This is set in the future where our entire penal system has collapsed and been restructed. All criminals are released from prisons and the prisons converted into "useful" buildings. All criminals are made to wear ankle bracelets and monitored. That is all you need to know about this book. In fact, the less you know, the better a ride it will be...more

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May 21, 2012 Julia rated it 3 of 5 stars

I would give this book 3.5 stars. I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. A criminal undergoing rehab just didn't seem that interesting. But I found that it was interesting. The book takes place in a near future society, where the legal system has been entirely revamped.

I thought the protagonist, Michael, was basically a good person, with his own kind of warped logic. Unfortunately, years of living in near poverty or on the streets has changed the way he thinks about life. It seems the...more

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Mar 10, 2012 Valerie rated it 4 of 5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed this read. The surface story is about a guy who is going to prison for stealiing but gets shot in the head on the way there and wakes up 4 years later to a completely changed penal system in which there are no longer any jails, but convicts wear an ankle bracelet. The story is his way of navigating through the system and trying to figure out when, if ever, he'll be considered reformed and able to get out.

But the underlying story about the power of our government, and it's at...more

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Oct 09, 2012 Emily rated it 1 of 5 stars

I really don't understand all the good reviews for this book. I thought it was far-fetched and preachy. I feel like most of the reviews are based on the shock value. "I was four stars not expecting that ending." Well, probably not. Different strokes and all that.

Anyway, I just can't buy into that kind of change in four years, but I think that's one of it's lesser failings. I also can't buy into the kind of planning that must unfold just so for each prisoner's "relearning." Please.

Or that incarc...more

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Mar 03, 2011 TC rated it 4 of 5 stars

I found this book being promoted on a forum and the product description sounded interesting so I thought I'd give it a go.

Michael O'Connor is a thief who has never needed to find work, having started stealing to support himself in his teens. He specialises in home breaking, and has sucessfully evaded the law, until he robs a man with clout when he is finally arrested and imprisoned. During the course of his sentence however the Supreme Court declare long term prison sentences a cruel and unsual...more I found this book being promoted on a forum and the product description sounded interesting so I thought I'd give it a go.

Michael O'Connor is a thief who has never needed to find work, having started stealing to support himself in his teens. He specialises in home breaking, and has sucessfully evaded the law, until he robs a man with clout when he is finally arrested and imprisoned. During the course of his sentence however the Supreme Court declare long term prison sentences a cruel and unsual punishment and they are abolished. Instead felons are placed in re-education programmes with a black box and a team of counsellors to teach them the important lessons they missed earlier in life. The book paints a bleak picture of a society in which law abiding citizens live in fear of re-learners as there doesn't appear to be any effective deterrent to prevent crime. Michael however is being put through the wringer in order to graduate and recover his freedom.

The theme of future alternatives to imprisonment is not dissimilar to that of IVRRAC which I read last year, but this story had a darker more sadistic edge. It certainly provides food for thought on contemporary issues such as human rights, privacy and alternatives to the present overloaded prison system.

The book is written from a first person perspective and in parts Michael is addressing the reader directly. It is an effective device as creates a connection with him and it gave those parts even more of an impact. I found myself struggling to figure out how I felt about Michael, who on the one hand had no compunction about breaking into peoples' homes and taking their money and possessions, but who on the other hand was forced by circumstances to support himself from an early age. Within the programme I couldn't decide if he was taking on the challenges in order to change or purely to finish the programme.

I thought this was a clever book with an interesting subject matter. I was totally conflicted as I read it, trying to figure out how I felt about Michael and the new system, which didn't make for a light read but it certainly made me think. I see that as no bad thing. However I did find the end a little disappointing. After so much build up to the final scene and with the revelations made I felt it was a bit rushed and didn't feel quite like it was up to the same standard as the rest of the book. Overall though it was a good thought-provoking read, well edited and a bargain if you were to pay 71p rather than request a free copy.

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May 24, 2010 Spuddie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Standalone thriller that I would classify as dystopian fiction, set in the near future in a time when all prisoners have been released from their physical prisons and forced to undergo "Re-learning" through a variety of programs. The story is told from the point of view of Michael O'Connor, a twenty-five year old professional burglar who was injured in a police chase and spent several years in a coma, waking up to find a very different place than when he went to sleep.

Gone are the jury trials,...more Standalone thriller that I would classify as dystopian fiction, set in the near future in a time when all prisoners have been released from their physical prisons and forced to undergo "Re-learning" through a variety of programs. The story is told from the point of view of Michael O'Connor, a twenty-five year old professional burglar who was injured in a police chase and spent several years in a coma, waking up to find a very different place than when he went to sleep.

Gone are the jury trials, plea bargaining and time off for good behavior. Instead, you're electronically monitored 24/7 and given lessons and tasks to complete and learn before you can move on--and the punishments for not completing them or for re-offending are...shall we say, severe. Michael, after strengthening his muscles so he can learn to walk and move again, is set up in his own apartment--which he thinks isn't going to be so bad. He's beaten the system before, after all. But the system has gotten a whole lot sneakier while he's been asleep, and the rules have changed. As he careens from one mistake to the next, he's not sure who his friends are (if he has any) nor is he even certain what the objective is that he's supposed to be aiming for.

I'm a bit of a fan of dystopian fiction, so the idea of this book really appealed to me. The storyline is very creative and the world Michael now lives in just as uniquely horrific as many other books of this type, where there has been plagues, wars or social upheaval. However, the book had one major problem (at least, it was a problem to me!) which distracted me quite a lot from the story itself. Writing a book in first person singular is not an easy thing to do effectively. The key is to tell the story in an interesting way from the point of view of the main character without over-populating the prose with the word "I" in all its various forms. Unfortunately, this book was written in just that style, with the opening paragraph containing "I" thirteen times, and which continued on throughout the book.

While the story itself was interesting, I could only read a few short chapters at a time without having to put the book aside to read something else for awhile--which is just a personal thing, since the "I" overuse is something that drives me particularly crazy. I'm afraid I wanted to hit that red button rather early on, as the "I" thing makes the protagonist seem very self-centered and much less engaging than he could have been, and I would have rated the book much higher if not for this one thing.(less)

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Sep 09, 2012 Lance rated it 5 of 5 stars

I purchased [[ASIN:097677884X The End of Marking Time]] expecting a futuristic version of how criminals would be punished. It turned out to be just that...and a lot more! The story is told from the viewpoint on a chronic homebreaker, Micheal O'Conner and during the story, I was alternately cheering for him and wishing he would be caught and sent to the cat baggers. That was supposed to be the cruelest form of punishing criminals who could not be re-educated.

The ending, however, is what really co...more

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Jan 23, 2011 Christa rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Everyone who likes books that make them think.

Shelves: reading-in-2011, fic-scifi

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Nov 12, 2010 Elizabeth A. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Ever imagine what would happen if all the people in prison were released at the same time? Author C.J. West has, and his latest novel, The End of Marking Time, is a look at just such a scenario.

Michael O’Connor ended up alone on the streets at age 15 and turned to a life of burglary in order to keep himself fed. He became quite skilled at his chosen profession, and was careful to never commit a violent crime. After unknowingly stealing from the home of the District Attorney, however, Michael’s l...more Ever imagine what would happen if all the people in prison were released at the same time? Author C.J. West has, and his latest novel, The End of Marking Time, is a look at just such a scenario.

Michael O’Connor ended up alone on the streets at age 15 and turned to a life of burglary in order to keep himself fed. He became quite skilled at his chosen profession, and was careful to never commit a violent crime. After unknowingly stealing from the home of the District Attorney, however, Michael’s luck runs out. He’s arrested, tried and convicted, and sentenced to prison.

During the course of a breakout by a fellow prisoner during their transportation to prison Michael is shot in the head. When he comes out of the resulting coma four years later the world is a very different place.

Shortly after Michael entered his coma the Supreme Court declared long term incarceration to be cruel and unusual punishment. As a result, two million felons were released. Not just left to run wild the relearners, as they are called, are monitored 24/7 via a chip implanted in their heads and an electronic ankle bracelet. Additionally, they must complete an individually tailored education program before they will be deemed reeducated and released from monitoring. Sounds straightforward and relatively benign, right? Not so fast.

As Michael quickly learns, there is more going on in the reeducation programs than the public has been led to believe. The relearners’ programs are administered via a black box connected to their TVs, one that has the capability of administering electric shocks. Further, some of the programs’ instructors aren’t above extorting favors from the relearners in exchange for assurance of good performance results. Refusal results in the lessons increasing to an almost impossible level of difficulty and no hope of ever graduating.

Additionally, in exchange for their “freedom” relearners have lost all rights. Should they be arrested for a subsequent offense there is no jury trial, no presumption of innocence, no appeal. If they’re lucky, they are returned to their program for a second chance. If they’re unlucky – or have already blown their second chance – they get sent to one of the last ditch reeducation programs… programs from which no one ever graduates because, as Michael discovers, relearners sent to those programs are subjected to experimentation and torture so severe that if it doesn’t kill them outright the person eventually goes insane and commits suicide.

Told by Michael in the first person in the form of a speech – a plea, really – he’s delivering to an unseen panel he believes has the power to set him free, The End of Marking Time is a fascinating look at a dystopian future in which the public is willing to turn a blind eye to the methods by which criminals are controlled in exchange for a virtually crime free society.

The End of Marking Time will challenge your beliefs about the criminal justice system. Are long term/life sentences cruel and unusual? If so, what’s the alternative and, as presented in the book, is it really any better or more humane? This is not a book for those who want to breeze through some mindless entertainment. Far from it. It is, however, a thought provoking read that presents questions and scenarios that will stay with you long after you’ve turned the last page. I highly recommend this one, especially for book clubs / discussion groups.(less)

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Sep 23, 2012 Roselover24 rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really want those half stars goodreads because I would give this book 4 1/2 stars

this book stayed on my mind so much I woke up thinking about it. that was, well, annoying ,
no no annoying is not the right word for it. This book is like that song that plays over and over in your head and wont go away. I found myself frantically reading to find out what was happening without paying any attention to the things I usually read for(punctuation is not something I ever read for BTW because that is ob...more I really want those half stars goodreads because I would give this book 4 1/2 stars

this book stayed on my mind so much I woke up thinking about it. that was, well, annoying ,
no no annoying is not the right word for it. This book is like that song that plays over and over in your head and wont go away. I found myself frantically reading to find out what was happening without paying any attention to the things I usually read for(punctuation is not something I ever read for BTW because that is obviously NOT my forte)

because this was not a romance which is what I usually gravitate toward there were none of those cliches that Im used to. I was using this book as a pallet cleanser so to speak from time to time when i get sick of reading the same kind of thing over and over I use either a book from a different genre or a fic from a different fandom to make me like the stuff i usually read

this book just makes me want to read more of what this author has written it was so well done and while reading I was agitated and felt so paranoid just like the main character because you do not know who you can trust the whole time you are going through this experience with one set of beliefs and in many cases the instincts that would normally work and make you feel safe are exactly what could get you killed
the hard part is being able to tell what is really happening or what is a set up just when you think you have it figured out something else happens
I felt bad for the main character and then felt bad for feeling bad because he is a criminal and not sorry for what he is done and while he did not commit any violent crimes he still committed crimes

I cant really talk about what actually happens in the book because I fear that I will give away too much of the story. The adventure of it all had me frantic I was worried that every little detail would be the end of this characters life

All in all I thought this was a fascinating look at what could happen everything in this story is a very plausible outcome for a change in our justice system. You really feel for the main character being thrown into this new world without being prepared for it in more ways than one

I am not expressing myself well so I will just say what I said on twitter
ignore my silliness and just go read the damn book if you think Im wrong come back and yell at me
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Jan 23, 2011 Ari rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ebooks, read-in-2011

Wow, what a book! I received this book because the author was on the Facebook Amazon Kindle page, giving away copies of his book and I can't ever seem to pass on a free book. I figured maybe I'd read it, probably not because... well... it was free so how good could it be

REALLY good, apparently. I hadn't read the synopsis of the book before I started reading (and now that I read it I feel that it gives away something that blew my mind) and totally loved the concept of the future without prisons,...more

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Dec 12, 2010 Martina Mc rated it 4 of 5 stars

I REALLY enjoyed this book. I thought the concept of a dystopian universe with an alternative approach to the judgement and punishment of wrongdoers was interesting and thought provoking.

The writing was imaginative and well put.

The protagonist, Michael, evolves steadily throughout the book. As he goes through the criminal system and is 'reeducated' his thought process alters and he becomes more likeable. A point is definitely made about the current punishment faced by criminals and the potenti...more

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Nov 09, 2010 Darcia Helle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebooks, fiction, suspense-thriller-mystery, indie

The concept for this book is both fascinating and troubling. C.J. West set this book in the near future, at a time when our justice system has been dismantled and replaced by a whole new program with a whole new set of rules. Michael, the main character, is a career criminal. His crimes have all been nonviolent, yet it is questionable as to whether he will be able to conform to society.

West did a great job of portraying Michael, forcing readers to look at him as the troubled young man he was an...more

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Aug 02, 2011 Jeff Greene rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Finished “The End of Marking Time” by C.J. West. I recieved this book for free off the author's web site.

The Story: The book is set in the not so distance future. In this time the criminal justice system has radically changed. There no longer exists prison, but criminals are put into a reeducation program of a sorts. The premise of the book is fresh and unique but the execution is a tad lacking.

Supposedly the reader is part of a jury sitting behind a glass partition listening, watching the mai...more

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Apr 11, 2011 Sarah (Workaday Reads) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2011, 5-star-in-2011

Michael is a robber who breaks into houses, and has never been caught. When he is finally caught, he is involved in a automobile accident on the way to prison and is left unconscious for four years. During that time, the entire legal system changes. Incarceration is declared cruel, and all felons are freed. Chaos ensues, but by the time Michael wakes up, order has been installed through reeducation programs. Michael must work his way through it, but will he survive the new rules?

This is an adult...more

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Jul 05, 2011 Deodand rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, science-fiction, usa, kobo

3.5 stars. I enjoyed this book about a drastic rearrangement of the American penal system. It's written with a very simple prose style that suits the story. This is a book that benefits from NOT reading the reviews that basically tell the whole story. I was very interested to see what was going to happen next and the author has done a good job with the suspense.

I do worry about this book experiencing context rot. It's set in "now", yet there are a few details that are going to seem like anachron...more

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May 18, 2011 Larry Marshall rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction

This is an excellent use of the science fiction genre, which to me is most powerful when authors take a social subject and explore it without being fettered by current societal biases.

C.J. West does just that by having the court system eliminate the traditional penal system. Havoc ensues as all the criminals are released but West begins this novel after private enterprise has developed several competing methods for handling those who don't fit into conventional society. I won't tell the tale but...more

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Nov 19, 2010 Georgiann Hennelly rated it 5 of 5 stars

Michael O,Connor is a skilledhouse breaker.But when he is arrested for breaking into a district attorneys house and stealing his mercedes and credit cards. He is sent to prison. On his way to prison there is an attempted jail break. Which puts michael in a coma for four years. When he wakes up he finds the justice system totally changed criminals are now called releaarners and are assigned to re education programs that keep track of their successes or faolures in navigating their lives in the ou...more

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Science Fiction

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Thriller

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Suspense

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Mystery

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Science Fiction > Dystopia

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Drama

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Thriller > Mystery Thriller

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Adult Fiction

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Contemporary

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About C.J. West

CJ West writes thrillers set in New England. CJ has just launched his 7th novel, Dinner At Deadman's, a mystery set in the world of antiques and collectibles.

Vist CJ anytime on Facebook.

CJ's first Randy Black Thriller, Sin & Vengeance, was optioned for film.

A Demon Awaits, the second book in CJ's Randy Black series was published in October 2008. The series takes a surprising turn and readers a...more

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8258320-the-end-of-marking-time?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348930523l/8258320.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8258320-the-end-of-marking-time?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The End of Marking Time by C.J. West[/url]

The End of Marking Time

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