Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.

Start by marking “Meritropolis (Meritropolis, #1)” as Want to Read:

Other editions

Enlarge cover

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Open Preview

Meritropolis

(Meritropolis #1)

Joel Ohman (Goodreads Author)

3.63 · Rating details · 864 ratings · 256 reviews

The year is AE3, 3 years after the Event. Within the walls of Meritropolis, 50,000 inhabitants live in fear, ruled by the brutal System that assigns each citizen a merit score that dictates whether they live or die. Those with the highest scores thrive, while those with the lowest are subject to the most unforgiving punishment--to be thrust outside the city gates, thrown t ...more

Get A Copy

Paperback, 226 pages

Published September 8th 2014 by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

More Details... Edit Details

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about Meritropolis, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

Highly recommended

85 books — 33 voters

Overpowered Fantasy Characters

180 books — 80 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

Showing 1-30

Average rating 3.63 ·

Rating details

· 864 ratings · 256 reviews

More filters

Sort order

Start your review of Meritropolis (Meritropolis, #1)

Feb 23, 2015 Madeline rated it did not like it

Shelves: crap-tastic, science-fiction, ugh, don-t-send-me-your-book

flag 41 likes · Like · see review

Oct 11, 2014 Wart Hill marked it as gave-up

Shelves: netgalley, arc2014

I was intrigued by this for the most part, and I was willing to push through the occasionally frustrating writing, until A MOB BOSS told our (clearly super speshul) MC IMPORTANT INFORMATION at their first bumping into each other.

Random kid on the street.

Gets convenient information from a source that makes no sense.

flag 11 likes · Like · see review

Oct 26, 2014 Rae King rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2014, young-adult, dystopian, r2r

received this book in exchange for an honest review

Submitting to the system provided the best chance of collective survival. Of course, there are always those who refuse to submit.

This wildly addicting dystopian novel follows a seventeen year old, Charley, who lives in a city called Meritropolis. Their community is ruled by a certain system that is basically the survival of the fittest. It's based on a scoring system with low scores getting 'zeroed' out of society - thrown outside the gates ...more

flag 8 likes · Like · see review

May 28, 2017 Caleb rated it did not like it

Shelves: young-adult, science-fiction

Ohman should take a hard look at everyone around him. Every friend who read a page and said it made sense. Every reader who smiled after finishing a chapter and told him that he was on the right track. Every editor who pretended to read his sentences and chose not to correct anything in this hare-brained book. He should look at all of them and immediately zero them from his life.

The only redeemable piece of this book is the System premise. That's where it ends. Literally before the first senten ...more

flag 8 likes · Like · see review

Aug 30, 2017 Katelyn Buxton rated it really liked it · review of another edition

“Everyone matters,” he murmured. “Even the unwanted, even the unborn, even the disabled.”

That is the message in this wonderful, fast-paced bit of not-super-depressing dystopia. When I read that line, I knew I was in love with this book. So much of the genre is bent on overthrowing the Government just because "it's wrong." And "oppressive." And those things may be true. But this book shows us the why of it all as well. People's worth can't be defined by the Score their government assigns them. (I “Everyone matters,” he murmured. “Even the unwanted, even the unborn, even the disabled.”

That is the message in this wonderful, fast-paced bit of not-super-depressing dystopia. When I read that line, I knew I was in love with this book. So much of the genre is bent on overthrowing the Government just because "it's wrong." And "oppressive." And those things may be true. But this book shows us the why of it all as well. People's worth can't be defined by the Score their government assigns them. (In Meritropolis, High Scores have a pretty good life. Low Scores get shoved out the gates to be eaten by creatures lurking in the forest, which I'll go into more later).

Charley, the super handsome and athletic 17-year-old High Score protagonist, lives in a walled city called Meritropolis (hence the name). All the familiar hallmarks of dystopia are there—a Wall, the Government, AKA The System—even an egotistical ruler called Commander Orson to boot. But that is where the similarities end.

Meritropolis was written by a Christian, and it shows. Ohman wove in the beautiful message that everyone matters—even the unwanted, even the unborn, even the disabled—without coming across preachy at all. There are very few books like that. When I read the line at the beginning of this review, (which came about halfway through the book), I had to stop, take a deep breath, and let the fact that I had just read that line amidst the pages of a pretty standard dystopia sink in.

But there are other reasons I loved this book. The characters! Honestly, the way each and every character was drawn up reminded me a little of J.K. Rowling. They were so vivid! And though Charley seemed to have everything going for him (good looks, athleticism, smarts, and a High Score), he still has one major fault: an explosive temper. But he isn't angry for just any ol' reason, either. He has reasons. (Which I won't mention because of spoilers).

There is also a very generous dose of fantastic creatures. They're pretty much what The Hunger Games labels "mutts." For example: Snicks, Bions, and Chimpanzelles. (Which are snipe/ticks, bull/lions, chimpanzees/gazelles respectively). Plus each and every one of these animal combinations hate humans through every fiber of their being... so that makes things interesting.

But now we come to the stuff I wasn't so crazy about... the reason I gave it four stars instead of five. There was a smattering of mostly mild language, (maybe four instances the whole book through), and what I thought was a pretty unnecessary conversation about mating. Most of that latter issue was carried out in a "Wait, what?" kind of awkward teenage conversation that was not serious in its intent at all, but it was still uncomfortable. There was also a woman that was a complete expert on using her feminine charms to mesmerize and control men (which included an uncalled-for-kiss in an alleyway). And there were several times I came across words, and thought, "I'm not really sure that word means what you think it means." There was also one small subplot that was never resolved, which naturally left me hanging.

But overall, I loved this book, and am definitely going to read book 2 as soon as I can! ...more

flag 8 likes · Like · see review

Sep 20, 2014 Aurélie rated it did not like it

Shelves: 2014

"Submitting to the System provided the best chance of collective survival.
Of course, there are always those who refuse to submit."
- Joel Ohman, 'Meritroplis'

DNF at 60 %

Thank you CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform for providing me with an advanced reading copy for review.

I can't remember the exact reason as to why I ever decided to request 'Meritropolis' from its publisher. I seriously wonder now though, because it surely wasn't the premise. I didn't have much hope for this novel, because from what I've read this book seemed like yet another wannabe-dystopian. I wasn't surprised when I decided to just stopped reading. There is literally nothing interesting in here.

The writing style definitely needs some getting used to. There was an overuse of strange terms without explanation and it definitely gave the impression that the author wanted to have a beautiful but sophisticated writing style à la Markus Zusak or John Green. It wasn't flowing in any way and needs all the improvement it can get. Because the writing itself was just trying too hard for my liking, I had a great deal of trouble trying to stay focused on the story. If I can even speak of a real one.

Even though this book consists over two hundred pages, I don't feel like anything special happened. I was almost crossing my fingers in the hope that I won't stay like that for the rest of the book. There could have been such a great storyline filled with action, rebellion, mystery, plot twists, even a spark of romance. It disappointed so much.

I can't really talk about any of the characters, and I have a great explanation for it. I honestly can't remember any of the characters, nor their names, except for Charley. I bet it's rather easy to guess that none of them really stuck with me enough to remember them. They didn't make a great first impression. It doesn't happen often, but when it does, it also implies that I had zero interest in getting to know them or to learn about their lives. Other than that, I found them to be shallow, lack in depth, were completely unbelievable and they did not have such thing as a personality. I'm sad I don't like any of them, because now the characters are yet another aspect which made the book not really likable.

Despite the book being labeled as a 'dystopia', there is zero world building in this book. The only aspect that may count as world building, is the system of Scores. However, I already lost count on how many times the main character keeps being proud of his Score and talk about his Score and his Score only. There is no explanation whatsoever about the System itself, nor on what these Scores are based on, how it's possible to get a High Score. It's a must that every dystopia at least has a controlling system, and preferably a system with a little more depth into it.

After all, 'Meritropolis' is yet another dystopia with a serious lack of world building, believable characters and something like a plot. Do not waste your time reading this if you're looking for a refreshing dystopian novel, because you won't find anything here. ...more

flag 6 likes · Like · see review

Sep 15, 2014 Karla rated it it was amazing

Shelves: a-favorite-fantasy-dystopian-sci-fi

Brilliant, absolutely brilliant. Action packed, fast paced, easy read. Characters and world building were spot on. The story line was intriguing. It has everything I want in a dystopian novel.

Looking forward to book 2, the adventure is far from over.

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Nov 08, 2014 Frank Errington rated it really liked it

4 of 5 Stars

Meritropolis had a lot going against it. First novel from a writer with no track record. Self-published. Somewhat derivative in the dystopian genre. But guess what? Meritropolis manages to overcome all of those obstacles and stand tall as an entertaining YA novel that tells an all too believable story

It's the year AE3. Three years after the nebulous Event. From the book description on Amazon. "Within the walls of Meritropolis, 50,000 inhabitants live in fear, ruled by a brutal System ...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Sep 27, 2014 lastpage rated it it was amazing

I'd give this book six stars if I could! I read it in the space of two days and I really didn't want it to end!
I found that I really empathized with Charley's character as he developed throughout the book- the addition of some of his memories from the past were a thoughtful touch- making the him seem more rounded person. I thought that although the book is set in a fantasy futuristic world- the actions and feelings of all the characters were all entirely plausible. I think it's Joel Ohmans skil ...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Sep 18, 2014 Milo rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction, notable-2014-releases, 2014-releases-read, young-adult, dystopia

THE REVIEW: http://thefictionalhangout.blogspot.c...

In Meritropolis everyone is assigned a numerical Score that decides their worth to society and whether they live or die. After a young boy is killed because of a low Score, his brother plots to take down the System.

Meritropolis first grabbed my attention due to the fact that it was billed as The Hunger Games with a young Jack Reacher as a protagonist. I’m unfamiliar with the other comparison, The Village, listed in the quote provided on the blu ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Apr 30, 2015 Laura rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, dystopias, ya, romance, fantasy, r-r-s, science-fiction

Thank you to the author, Joel Ohman, for gifting me with a copy of Meritropolis in exchange for an honest review!

You know, I'm really feeling lists today... let's make a list of awesomeness for this book!

1. The concept. This whole book revolved around the fact that general human society imploded and it affected both the environment and the remaining humans. Animals started breeding with other species so there are all these crazy hybrids running around. Everyone (or everyone that the MC's know of ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Dec 15, 2014 Charlie rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, dystopian, sent-for-review, own-on-ebook

First of all, it does annoy me when I see comments such as 'yet another YA dystopian book' in reviews. If you're sick of reading a specific genre, stop reading it! Reading it just to whine about how you're bored of the genre in place of a real review for the individual book does no one any good. That aside, yes Meritropolis is YA dystopian fiction, there are a lot of them out there but I happen to enjoy them and so I knew what I was getting myself into when I started reading this book.

Despite i First of all, it does annoy me when I see comments such as 'yet another YA dystopian book' in reviews. If you're sick of reading a specific genre, stop reading it! Reading it just to whine about how you're bored of the genre in place of a real review for the individual book does no one any good. That aside, yes Meritropolis is YA dystopian fiction, there are a lot of them out there but I happen to enjoy them and so I knew what I was getting myself into when I started reading this book.

Despite it being in the same genre as a lot of YA books recently, I really enjoyed reading it. As far as YA dystopians go, this had a few unique elements that really held my interest. While it wasn't the most developed idea, it was very enjoyable. I found it fast paced and read it in two sittings, I genuinely didn't want to put it down which is always a good sign.

While the characters didn't seem particularly fleshed out or unique to me, the world was definitely intriguing. The idea that a person's worth and ultimately their right to life, is determined by their usefulness to society (main attributes being intellect, physical fitness and beauty), is difficult to stomach. I live in England and we have a national health care and social caresystem that aims to support everyone, regardless of their ability to contribute. The killing of mentally and physically disbaled children in this book was disturbing but in true dystopian fashion, it gave us a reason to rally round the hero and root for the fall of the ruling government.

The animal combinations were brilliant. Creepy as hell, but really interesting. I liked the idea that they were created deliberately and not just some random consequence of the 'event'. Someone actually thought about which combinations would be the most terrifying and they actually went out of their way to create these viscious monsters. Some were quite comincal but the majority would have me screaming in the other direction.

This was a really enjoyable read for me. It wasn't entirely unique and there are of course a few similarities to toher books in the genre but if you enjoy YA dystopian fiction, this is worth a read.

**This book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review** ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Oct 07, 2014 Anna (Enchanted by YA) rated it really liked it

Shelves: action-packed, impossible-not-to-love, needed-more-pages, twists-and-turns, ultimate-cliffhanger, review-copy, male-protagonist, great-characters

***I received the eBook free as a review copy from the author in exchange for an honest review***

Meritropolis is a riveting dystopian book which even at its somewhat-short length captured my attention. There was so much plot intrigue to sink my teeth into as well as enough action to go around. I did find that it overpowered the evolving romance and I know a lot of people prefer reading romance to action, but it wasn’t too noticeable for me personally.

Saying this however, it was very much a chara ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Oct 08, 2014 Elke rated it really liked it

Shelves: teenagers, series, sci-fi, review, post-ap, first, free4review, e-mobi, bostick

In Meritropolis, each week people are marked with a merit score determining their value to society. Those with a too low score are sent outside the city walls, where sure death awaits them. Then one day a young man stands up against the injustice.

While the basic idea of a rebellion against a class system is not new, Meritropolis manages to tell it in its own original voice, delivering a fascinating and fast-paced read. It has some fresh ideas like very strange animal hybrids. Though the descript ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Jan 02, 2018 Beth Wangler rated it it was ok

I was really excited about this book. The premise had a lot of potential, and I'd heard good things about it.

Consequently, I was sad to feel disappointed, and stopped reading half-way through.

NOTICE: There will be spoilers in this review; continue reading at your own peril.

*spoiler warning* *spoiler warning* *spoiler warning*

The characters were very underdeveloped and seemed more like plot devices than people. I noticed this first about the female characters. The few that are present are either ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Oct 10, 2015 Nancy (The Avid Reader) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: dystopian, post-apocalyptic, read-2015, read-october-2015

I received a free copy of the book from the author for my honest opinion.

Charley has just turned seventeen years old and has been moved above ground to live now. Charley lives inside the walls and gates of the city Meritropolis where everyone is assessed each week. They are judge on their worth to society and are given high or low scores according to what they can or can’t do. They are judged on how smart they are and what kind of shape they are in. Like if they are strong and can fight or hunt I received a free copy of the book from the author for my honest opinion.

Charley has just turned seventeen years old and has been moved above ground to live now. Charley lives inside the walls and gates of the city Meritropolis where everyone is assessed each week. They are judge on their worth to society and are given high or low scores according to what they can or can’t do. They are judged on how smart they are and what kind of shape they are in. Like if they are strong and can fight or hunt for food. They are also judge how what their health if they are sick or not. If they get a low score and are not capable of taking care of their selves or anyone in the city then they are put outside the gates to live or die all alone. It is not likely that they would ever survive for long on the outside with all of the hybrid animals running around and are always looking for their next meal.

All of the children live below ground and are not allowed above ground until they are old enough to take care of their selves. Charley lost his little brother when they were both just little kids. Charley’s little brother Alec scored a low score when they were small so therefor he was put outside the gate. Charley anger has been growing ever since and his driving force to put an end to the system. He has been building his own score so that he could one day hopefully get revenge for what they did to Alec.

Charley’s only reason for living is to take down the system and destroy it and whoever created it. Charley as well as all of his new friends that he has made since being moved topside believe that people are worth more than a score no matter what is wrong with them. Charley and his friends are finding out that everything that they were raised to believe are all lies.

I liked Charley he was very smart and strong and cared a lot for human life. He cared more for other people than he did his own self, he had one big ole’ heart. I liked Sandy as well I just that she and Charley could have had more time alone with each other. But I was really hoping that Charley would get together with Elena, the girl whose little sister Bree was put outside the gates too. I hope that we get to see more of Elena and learn more of her story and who she is in future books. I hope to see more of the main characters in Meritropolis as well. But there was a few background characters that I would like to have known better.

I can’t wait to read the next book in the series Meritorium and hope to see and learn more about the system and the people who started it and why. I am going to miss Charley, Sandy and a lot of the other characters too. I loved that we got to see the story through each characters pov. I love getting inside each character’s head and knowing what they think and feel.

I am so glad that I finally gave Meritropolis a chance and wished that I had given it a try a lot sooner. If you love a good dystopian story then you are going to love Meritropolis. It will grab you right from the beginning and won’t let go even when you read the last word because you are waiting for more. Meritropolis is one of those books that you don’t want to put down and wished that you never have to. So if you have not read it then I highly recommend it to all dystopian book lovers.
...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Sep 28, 2014 Cathy rated it it was amazing

In Joel Ohman’s Meritropolis, everyone in the city of Meritropolis is assigned a numerical score by the System that decides their worth to the community. This score is based on intelligence, health, talent, physical strength and anything else that would make the individual valuable to their society. Thus, the higher the score, the more likely the person to survive. The lower the score, the higher the chances of the individual being tossed out of “the gates.” The score is not based on age and any In Joel Ohman’s Meritropolis, everyone in the city of Meritropolis is assigned a numerical score by the System that decides their worth to the community. This score is based on intelligence, health, talent, physical strength and anything else that would make the individual valuable to their society. Thus, the higher the score, the more likely the person to survive. The lower the score, the higher the chances of the individual being tossed out of “the gates.” The score is not based on age and anyone is at risk of receiving a low score.

In the beginning of this story, Charley, the main character, remembers when the System snatched and killed his older brother, Alec, for having a low score because they believed he was “diseased.” Being only eight years old at the time, Charley felt helpless and frozen with fear. With his parents deceased, Alec was all Charley had left and he vowed to someday hold the System accountable for their despicable actions.

When a young girl named Bree is chosen to be thrown out of the gates for having a low score, Charley becomes enraged and tries to find a way to save her. This is the start of Charley’s disobedience with the System. He was young when Alec was killed, but now that he is older, he is also smarter, stronger, extremely agile and athletic, and he can use his good score to his advantage. He will no longer be the cowardly little boy that didn’t put up a fight when Alec was taken. He can’t help but think of the memories of his brother and he seeks revenge on the guards and the System and vows to change what has been happening.

As the story progresses, the author introduces more characters and briefly shares their thoughts through their perspectives. We learn how all these characters are intertwined and what their experience has been with the System. It is not until Charley is allowed to step outside the gates that this novel really surprised me. It was really interesting reading about the fantastic creatures and their roles in this society. I loved the development of the main character as he learns exactly how the System is trying to scare him into believing that their tactics of imprisonment and use of the scores are rational. Above all, we always know Charley’s goal and never forget how much he loved his brother.

This novel is fast-paced, suspenseful, and beautifully written. As a reader, I felt that I was right there with the protagonist, dealing with his ethical issues as my own. I felt a deep sense of connection to his feelings, especially his desire for vengeance against the System. I would highly recommend this novel to others who enjoy reading fantasy and sci-fi. I hope to read more work by Ohman.
...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Oct 09, 2014 Leigha rated it liked it

Shelves: 5-owned-physical, first-reads-goodreads-giveaway

~~~I won this in a Goodreads giveaway! Thank you very much to whoever it was who picked me to win~~~

Here are some of my thoughts while reading this: (I must apologize that I am not the most elegant when it comes to reviews.)

Currently on page 42/chapter 4.
Here are my first impressions:
* Well written, though every now and again sentence flow is a little off, but that is my personal opinion as I am no expert on writing.
* The author writes action scenes really well. I really enjoyed them.
* The plot ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Oct 13, 2014 Heather Taylor rated it it was amazing

Your worth depends on your age, health and social contributions. It’s tattooed upon your arm and fluctuates each assessment day. Sound harsh?? Well Joel Ohman has created such a world and what a dark world it is, it’s filled with forced abortions and disability discrimination.

The story follows a young lad, Charley, who’s reached the city’s adulthood age and is coming to terms with the grim reality that comes with living in Meritropolis. Meritropolis is a city that was formed 3 years After The Ev Your worth depends on your age, health and social contributions. It’s tattooed upon your arm and fluctuates each assessment day. Sound harsh?? Well Joel Ohman has created such a world and what a dark world it is, it’s filled with forced abortions and disability discrimination.

The story follows a young lad, Charley, who’s reached the city’s adulthood age and is coming to terms with the grim reality that comes with living in Meritropolis. Meritropolis is a city that was formed 3 years After The Event, A.E, 50,000 human survivors settled and followed rule under the System. The System defines your worth with a numerical score and decides who exceeded their social usefulness and to but put Out of the gates, the gates which protects the city from the animal combinations that have taken over the Earth.

Charley is a high scorer and you follow him on his journey of either accepting his place in society or to revolt against the System. The story is fast paced and as a reader I found myself yearning for more, turning each page with anticipation. As I read I found myself empathising with charley and questioning what I would do if placed in the same situation, how it would make me feel and examining if I am a follower or a leader, which was rather rare to find in a young adult fiction.

As enthralling as the book was I did however find myself questioning elements of the world and its believability. There is no clear explanation to what The Event was, only it being caused by man, and the main story is set 12 years after this had happened and 9 years after the towns creation. The time scales seemed far too short for people to be so compliant with such brutal measures to control the population of Meritropolis. There’s still a lot of mystery surrounding why the town was created and what the world is like beyond the walls, however 50,000 people settled in that city and only 9 years after its creation are accepting the elderly, the sick, the disabled to be ruthlessly cast aside without any petition. If it were set 30 A.E I’d find it easier to believe, although I am aware that the following books may answer this question and so it doesn’t affect my enjoyment of the book.

Overall I found this book very easy reading and action packed with a surprising moral undertones. I look forward to the next instalment!

Thegeekwithredhair.wordpress.com
I received this copy in return for my honest opinion ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Dec 09, 2014 Tara rated it it was amazing

As the mom of special needs children, this book was somewhat difficult to read at times. But that's kind of the point of dystopian fiction – it's not meant to make you feel warm and fuzzy inside. In the world of Meritropolis, all citizens are assigned a Score based on their worth to society – being smart, healthy, and attractive nets you a High Score; being disabled, unattractive, or ill drops your Score. And if your Score drops too low? Well, then you're put outside the gates in a special cerem As the mom of special needs children, this book was somewhat difficult to read at times. But that's kind of the point of dystopian fiction – it's not meant to make you feel warm and fuzzy inside. In the world of Meritropolis, all citizens are assigned a Score based on their worth to society – being smart, healthy, and attractive nets you a High Score; being disabled, unattractive, or ill drops your Score. And if your Score drops too low? Well, then you're put outside the gates in a special ceremony… and left to fend for yourself against the aggressive crossbreed genetically mutated animals that roam free outside the walls of the city.

There's definitely a "Hunger Games" type of feel to this book - not in a rip-off sort of way; this book is unique unto itself - but as a YA dystopian novel with smart, strong teenage characters trying to change what they know to be wrong with the damaged world they live in.

One thing I particularly appreciated about this book is that the characters aren't "all good" or "all bad." The leader of the bad guys, Commander Orson, isn't pure evil. Many times the antagonist of a story is purely evil with no redeeming characteristics, but Commander Orson has some good qualities (albeit not many of them). He's in charge of all of Meritropolis, but he has his limits as to how far he'll use his power to get what he wants. And as the story progresses and the reader learns some of the motivations behind his choices and actions, you almost feel something like sympathy for him. Likewise, the protagonist, Charley, is a "hero" – but he's a flawed hero with his own dark side.

As a fan of George Orwell, I also liked the small nod to Animal Farm: Charley thinks of himself as Commander Orson's "prize-winning bull," and then thinks to himself that "under the System's human farm all were equal, but some were just more equal than others."

The ambiguous ending definitely leaves itself wide open for a sequel, which I'm very much looking forward to reading!

I received a copy of this book for review purposes; all opinions are my own. ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Oct 09, 2014 Lynxie rated it liked it

Shelves: post-apocalyptic, dystopian, romance-ish, editing-required, fantasy, indie-author, ya, indie-review-copies, 3-star-review, sci-fi

Meritropolis, the hunger games meets The Village, with a young Jack teacher protagonist.

Well that's the line Joel is trying to sell us, I don't think he quite gets there.

I liked the scoring system, it made me think of the Justin Timberlake movie 'In Time' with the branding and worth of humans being placed heavily on the brand.

I had some issues with Charley. Despite his dramatic childhood, he still seemed to get through everything with relative ease. Yes, he'd been fighting since a kid, but there ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Oct 06, 2014 Taylor rated it liked it

Shelves: netgalley

Meritropolis is a dystopian adventure with unique qualities, which is hard to come by these days.

I wasn't sure if I'd be able to get into this at first, mainly because the writing felt somewhat forced at times. But that was usually easy to overlook with the constant action and excitement of the plot.

It was a lot of fun to read. You really get sucked into the world. The plot is action-packed, the world-building is unique, and the characters are likeable. I loved Sandy, she was hilarious and sass ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Nov 11, 2014 Ellen Allen rated it liked it

Shelves: debut-authors-2014

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I liked this book. Joel Ohman knows how to pace a good story and he brings multiple characters in very early in a way that is clear and exciting. The book is reminiscent of Divergent and The Maze Runner with a little Tolkien mixed in - with many of the same eternal themes (I won't say which, because I don't like to give things away). I was really engaged by the lead, Charley, and I raced through the book in a day - it's a very ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Sep 16, 2018 Hufflepuff Book Reviewer rated it liked it

Shelves: dystopian, indie-authors, young-adult-speculative

I originally decided to read Meritropolis because I’d heard great things about it and I loved the idea of the ambitious message that it was trying to convey—about everyone (including even the unborn) having value and worth from a Christian perspective. I dug the concept of incorporating such deep, important, and timely themes into a Hunger Games-like dystopia. And I’m giving the book a solid three-star rating largely due to its ambition. I have nothing but respect for the author and the wonderfu I originally decided to read Meritropolis because I’d heard great things about it and I loved the idea of the ambitious message that it was trying to convey—about everyone (including even the unborn) having value and worth from a Christian perspective. I dug the concept of incorporating such deep, important, and timely themes into a Hunger Games-like dystopia. And I’m giving the book a solid three-star rating largely due to its ambition. I have nothing but respect for the author and the wonderful messages that he strives to send through his fiction. They are messages that this world needs desperately to hear. And presenting such themes to young people, wrapped up in an engrossing Dystopia, is the perfect way to accomplish this.

Having said this, Meritropolis does have quite a few issues, and I can fully understand why the book is so divisive. Probably the biggest issue is that there’s just way too much telling and not enough showing. I am usually prone to argue that the phrase “show don’t tell” is overused and that a great author ought simply to know when to tell and when to show. However, Meritropolis showed me the danger of excessive telling. This is evident from the very beginning when the first paragraph tells the reader directly about the world and the underlying conflict of the novel. I would have been mostly okay with this if it had been necessary and if there had been no other way to easily inform the reader of such things early on—but, only a few pages later, we learn all this when we enter the mind of Commander Orson. Suffice it to say, I was a bit irked from the very beginning of the novel. The excessive telling also gives rise to excessive reiterating the underlying themes and conflict of the novel. I would have loved for Meritropolis to be a bit more like Hunger Games in this regard. In Hunger Games, we see how the government is undervaluing human life primarily through the plights and the actions of the characters that are being oppressed. There are a few treatises, and there are times where the characters voice their grievances, but these treatises ultimately take a backseat to the plot. As another reviewer stated, authors ought to trust their readers to pick up on the themes of the book without having to remind them every five minutes. However, I must acknowledge that the amount of reiterating the same themes does decrease a fair amount as the novel progresses. I hope that Ohman continues to strike a better balance between showing and telling in the trilogy’s other installments!

The characterization also struck me as rather hit-and-miss. Charley’s rage at the system and his tendency to act without thinking was interesting enough, but I ultimately felt just like he just needed to be given a few more quirks and interesting qualities to make him a thoroughly engaging protagonist. Sandy’s sassiness was fun, but she otherwise just struck me as your typical love interest character. Sven had potential—as his story arc seemed quite interesting on the surface—but way too much of it was told and/or summarized rather than shown. However, I really, really liked some of the secondary characters—Gringor and Chappy, in particular! I loved how Gringor looked scary due to his deformities and how he even worked for the System—but he was still soft and caring on the inside, secretly loathing the System that he worked to keep alive. And Chappy struck me as quite a mysterious and multi-faceted villain that I look forward to discovering more about! I tend to really dig crime-lord villains, but Chappy seemed especially unique to me in that he sometimes worked for the "good guys" in this installment in order to further his own agenda. He could possibly become one of my all-time favorite villains!

My other major issue with Meritropolis would be that—while certain aspects of Ohman’s world were severely over-explained—other aspects left me still confused by the end of the novel. I still don’t quite understand exactly what is meant by “underground.” It seems like perhaps all young people are raised underground and come up when they become adults? Honestly, I don’t really have any clue beyond this—and yet I don’t feel like Ohman intended to leave me in the dark, either. Which is frustrating.

However, for all my complaining, there are most certainly great things about Meritropolis. The themes are golden. The plot is quite entertaining. The ending is genuinely very, very engrossing and exciting. It left me invested in the series and interested in probably reading the next book! As far as Dystopias go, it was way, way better than Divergent. All these positive qualities earn Meritropolis three stars for sure! I just wish the book had been more polished and the characters had been more well-rounded. ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Dec 17, 2014 Samantha rated it it was ok

Shelves: scookie-reviews

Recommend: Males who like dystopian fiction and action.

The Rating Breakdown

Enjoyment: 3 I enjoyed it a lot at first, but the plot and concept issues got to me.

Writing Style: 3 A bit ‘tell’ heavy but well structured in most places.

Plot: 1 Too much crammed in, poor structure, anticlimactic, and underdeveloped.

World & Concepts: 2 Interesting ideas executed poorly.

Characters: 2 Some good, some forgettable, and too many guards.

Finish: 3 I love the cover, the writing is mostly error free, but it ne ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Mar 28, 2017 Phillip III rated it it was amazing

A friend bought me a copy of this book. Thought I would enjoy it. I appreciate him introducing me to a new author worth following. I would be remiss if I then, in return, didn't try and do the same for all of you! Please, let me take a few minutes and tell you about Joel Ohman's MERITROPOLIS.

In the self-contained city of Meritropolis population is limited to exactly fifty-thousand. A body more and the balance could be upset. The balance, otherwise, is maintained by the System. People earn a numb A friend bought me a copy of this book. Thought I would enjoy it. I appreciate him introducing me to a new author worth following. I would be remiss if I then, in return, didn't try and do the same for all of you! Please, let me take a few minutes and tell you about Joel Ohman's MERITROPOLIS.

In the self-contained city of Meritropolis population is limited to exactly fifty-thousand. A body more and the balance could be upset. The balance, otherwise, is maintained by the System. People earn a number. The higher the number the better. Through inking, the number is displayed on one's forearm, unhideable. The lower the number the more in-danger one's continued existence within the city becomes.

Lower numbers are not killed. They are banished, forced to live outside the fortress walls. Those banished tend to be the sick, the young, and the elderly --those less likely contributing the better of the society, the better of the System. Raised to believe only vicious creatures live beyond the surrounding walls it is obvious anyone surviving more than a night or two is unlikely.

Building on the loss of his own little brother, Charley (a high number), is revolts before witnessing the banishment of a young crippled girl. He intervenes, regardless of the consequences he may face. Only thing is, his bravery is rewarded instead of punished.

The Commander of Meritropolis promotes Charley to a Hunter. During Charley's training more truths are revealed. There is more to the city than meets the eye, and more beyond their city than everyone has been lead to believe. Additionally, there are more people against the System than initially suspected. This means, Charley is not alone. It also means that the time is NOW to start a revolution.

Ohman has dragged me into his MERITROPOLIS world, and I am enjoying myself. There is a second book in this series, and a whispered-about third on the way. I will be ordering the second book today. I need to see what happens next. The world building Ohman did was taut, and compelling, believable, and probable. I enjoyed the artwork beginning each chapter giving us a visual starting point for the mass of new, introduced creatures found outside the MERITROPOLIS walls. Looking for the next YA dystopian adventure --the next Hunger Games, or Divergent-- worth reading? This book just might scratch your itch!

Phillip Tomasso
Author of the Severed Empire Series,
and The Vaccination Trilogy ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Jul 30, 2018 Rosemary rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: fans of The Hunger Games and dystopian sci-fi

Shelves: apocalyptic-sci-fi, epic-adventure-thriller

Meritropolis - a review by Rosemary Kenny

In a dystopian future a cataclysmic event has necessitated the population of the eponymous city be kept to 50,000 - no more/less. To keep the balance between survival of the fittest and sufficiency of food and other necessities to keep the citizens happy and productive, the ruling System (in a similar manner to The Hunger Games), holds periodic 'elimination ceremonies', that assign points to each in order to weed out the elderly, disabled, sick and rebell ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Aug 12, 2017 Lana rated it it was amazing

wow i just finished reading the book almost in one sitting and now i can finally breath, such an exciting read about a dystopian community of people who are graded with a score inked on their arms and those who score the least are thrown out of the gates to be devoured by the genetically modified abnormality of animals which in themselves are so interesting a mix but so scary! the whole concept of the system is like something from George Orwell however as in all tyrannically run systems somethin ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Jun 21, 2018 Steven rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: joel-ohman

Awesome!!! I won this action packed, thrilling, & imaginative title on the Goodreads giveaway and...I had a blast reading it. I am definitely a fan of this author's writing style and will read the second title in this series. ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

May 24, 2018 Misti rated it it was ok · review of another edition

I really like the idea of this book, but it ended up being kind of disappointing. It was hard to take some of the animal hybrids seriously, and the characters were somewhat one -dimensional for me. I’m a little curious about what happens in the next book, but I’ll probably get over it.

flag 1 like · Like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Desperate BookJun...: Meritropolis Discussion (possible spoilers)	1	1	Jul 06, 2018 04:08PM

Readers also enjoyed

See similar books…

Genres

Science Fiction > Dystopia

34 users

Young Adult

22 users

Science Fiction

20 users

Fantasy

16 users

Apocalyptic > Post Apocalyptic

6 users

Suspense

4 users

Fiction

4 users

Romance

3 users

Christian

2 users

Audiobook

2 users

See top shelves…

About Joel Ohman

Joel Ohman

471 followers

Joel Ohman lives in Tampa, FL with his wife Angela and their three kids. His writing companion is Caesar, a slightly overweight Bull Mastiff who loves to eat the tops off of strawberries.

Joel is the author of the #1 bestselling Meritropolis series—“The Hunger Games meets The Village with a young Jack Reacher as a protagonist” and the new YA release, Other Bodies.

Join the Joel Ohman Reader's Group ...more

Other books in the series

Meritropolis (3 books)

Books by Joel Ohman

More…

Goodreads' Staff Recommends Their Favorite Audiobooks

Listen up, because our colleagues here at Goodreads have some excellent audiobook recommendations for you! Of course, the books they've...

Trivia About Meritropolis

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

Quotes from Meritropolis

“He couldn’t change the past, and he couldn’t control the future. But he would beat the present into submission.” — 11 likes

“The question everyone debated while we were underground was always something like, “What does it say about the System if it sanctions the killing of innocent life?” but I think the real question is, “What does it say about us, if we see it and do nothing?” — 6 likes

More quotes…