Access Restricted

Word$ #2

by Gregory Scott Katsoulis

At the end of All Rights Reserved, Speth and her friends freed the city of Vermaine from Silas Rog and his oppressive litigation. But now, with the Wi-Fi untethered, the citizens of her city are looking to Speth to lead them. Just as Speth never intended to lead a rebellion of Silents, she has no idea how to begin putting Vermaine back to rights. All she wants to do is break out of the dome and track down her parents, who were sold into indentured servitude years before. Leaving the care of the city in the hands of her friend and mentor, Kel, Speth and a few friends embark on a journey to explore the rest of their world and spread the cause of freedom.

Genres: Young Adult, Dystopia, Science Fiction, Fiction, Audiobook, Fantasy, Family

478 pages, Hardcover

First published August 28, 2018

Reviews

[Sandra "Jeanz" · Rating 5 out of 5]

I approached reading Access Restricted with mixed feelings as I had totally loved All Rights Reserved and told every book lover I know how amazing it was. I find that sometimes the second book isn’t always as good as the first, and as I totally adored All Rights Reserved, Access Restricted has a lot to live up to, to be as good.

This book, once again has a bold and bright cover. This time it is orange, and has metal chain with a padlock prominent on the cover which I'd say fits with the title of the book. The chained padlock also fits in with a scene from within the book.

I think the colour will make this book cover stand out on a shelf, though I think anyone that read All Rights Reserved would be eagerly awaiting this title.

The genres I have seen listed for this book are Sci-Fi, Dystopian and YA which all fit the book well though once again I should point out that I am waaay past the YA age group and still read and loved this book.

In this book Speth and her placer friends are still causing mayhem for the powers in charge! However because Speth & friends have freed those that live under the rule of Silas Rog, the people of Onzieme still look to Speth for guidance on what to do next. It was never Speth's intention to become a replacement leader, all she wanted to do after freeing her neighbours and friends from Silas was to go find her parents, free them from their indenture and run away together somewhere and start their new life together. When Speth leaves to try to escape the dome and find her parents it is Kel that steps up and tries to help the people now they are free.

There's plenty of action from the placers, though redundant from placing items now the town has been freed they go on helping wherever they can. Some of them end up accompanying Speth when they are in a car chase, though they would have wanted to stay behind. They accept the situation and agree to help as much as they can. Whilst Seth's unplanned car chase means she cannot go and collect her sister Saretha from the hospital, in fact Speth almost doesn't go, she finally leaves when Kel promises to watch out for her sister. Kel also tells them to make contact with Kiely, the placer who trained her, as she may be able to help them in someways.

Though Speth flees Onzieme and the dome that surrounds it there is no guarantee she will find her parents and free them. In fact she may get caught and taken back to Silas Rog or his sister, Lucretia. Lucretia seems to be obsessed with capturing Speth and not just because of what Speth has done to Silas, Lucretia's brother, it seems to be something even more personal the way Lucretia doggedly tracks and chases Speth. Speth & the group begin to realise the sign of zipped and locked lips has spread much wider than they could ever imagine. Every where they go there seems to be silents willing to help them on their way, and to intervene in the chasing and potential capturing of them.

We also learn why Indenturing is so widespread and seemingly being done more. It seems that any children that are born to parents already indentured become the property of the Rog's. So as soon as these children are old enough to walk they are put to work. Then if they have children the cycle continues over and over. In fact some of the characters liken it to slavery.

Of course I still love Speth for her determination, bravery and selfless acts of sacrifice just made me like her even more. Speth always seems to be blaming herself for things in this book. Be it for her friend and family losses to being willing to go ahead and sacrifice herself for the good and well being of others.

I also immediately took to Mira who is Margot's younger sister, and so sweet, yet sassy at the same time. Margot is also really protective over Mira so it's quite funny when she tells Mira off for things. The amusing thing is Mira usually gets her own way anyhow.

I also had a new favourite smaller character who I instantly liked despite her surname being Rog was Victoria, who was a younger, affluent, sheltered character became so brave and became defiant as well as supporting the underdogs in the book.

The two characters I loved disliking were Silas and Lucretia Rog, the way they offer a "fair" trial and it turns out the unbiased judge is someone who turns out to be much closer to the case which would make them truly biased before any statements have been made. I loved the way Silas and Lucretia thought they could win no matter what evidence was available against them. If they dislike something they just change the parameters of the law within their dome.

We catch up with a lot of the characters from All Rights Reserved in this book, as well as meeting new characters such as the family of those who chose to commit suicide and/or family of those that have recently been indentured. Speth is a little shocked that most of these people seem to support her rather than blame her for their family members death such as Beecher's father, Mr Randall and Mrs Croate (Sera's mother).

So I feel I really don't want to say any more as I always try not to give away spoilers. There is happiness in this book as well as sadness when we lose well liked characters. . . and I totally didn't see one of the losses coming at all.

I just want to add that I loved the way the names/titles of each chapter had their cost for saying them eg, "Out Of The Dome: $8.96", "Into The Fire: $9.97" and "Keene: $10.99".

My immediate thoughts upon finishing reading this book were, "Wow amazing!"

I can definitely say Access Restricted is as good as All Rights Reserved. I would highly recommend reading this book series. It has an amazing plot, a well created dystopian society and is a fantastic read! When I finished reading All Rights Reserved I felt I wanted to shout about how great it was from the rooftops, well Access Restricted left me feeling the same way!

[Nemo (The ☾Moonlight☾ Library) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on The Moonlight Library
I'm really sad this is over.

I can't believe how much I fell in love with this world and Speth and all the characters and just everything.

I mean, it's horrific. It's awful. But I was just wondering yesterday if it was weird that we pay for phone calls, we pay to send letters to each other, so is it really that different to paying for the right to speak? I know that what we are paying for is the service, but we're still paying to communicate. Some of us spend outrageous amounts to communicate with each other. I would know, I probably spent around $1000 on long-distance calling cards from Australia to England over a 2/3 year period before Facebook invented its messaging service.

I think whether you enjoy this series will hinge on a combination of being able to suspend your disbelief and accepting that this could actually happen, as I believe it could. I don't mean that it WILL happen, just that I already believe that we currently live in a world where it is extraordinarily difficult for the poor to get out of poverty, where you need money to make money, the gap between rich and poor is expanding, people try to make money in the most outrageous ways, and people accept the society in which they are raised. Not to mention bystander syndrome being an actual thing. Innocent people die every day. People are shitty and that is why dystopian fiction is so awesome. It's not such a huge jump to believe that one day ads will chase people down a street and those who can't pay won't have the right to see something and that people will try to make an obscure word common in the hopes of making money from its usage. I mean come on, what was up with 'on fleek'?

This book is vastly different to the previous one. There's a road trip, a courtroom scene, and other things I don't want to mention for fear of spoilers. I loved how Speth was trying to make the best of a very bad situation, and she didn't even want to lead a revolution but she didn't really have a choice. They stumbled over some good fortune, faced terrible ordeals that made me cringe in sympathy, and fought for what they believed in: that their world was fundamentally wrong, even the laws, and it needed to change. I also liked how the adults weren't simply erased in this like they are with a lot of other YA: Speth wanted advice from an adult, she wanted to turn to someone, and they were there when she needed them. It made the world feel more real and less kid-adventure.

I thought once again how talented Katsoulis was to make me believe in this horrible future. The worldbuilding was sublime and although there were times when I reached the limit on my suspension of disbelief, I just went with the flow and accepted it as part of this bizarre over-capitalised nightmare. Speth's limited knowledge, for example, helps the reader learn as she does, about geography and history that has been out of reach for her because of her poverty.

I loved seeing the relationships between the characters, too. Not only between Speth and the people who orbit her like her own sister who isn't as smart as Speth and kind of wants everything to go back to the way it was, but also between Margot and her spunky and adorable little sister, and Speth's other friends like Nancee and Norflo.

I also noticed, as I did in the first book, that Katsoulis loves words and names that begin with S. It's as noticeable as JK Rowling's love of the letter H, and I wonder why that is.

Overall, this is a brilliant duology, and I wish there was another book coming out after this, even though almost everything seemed pretty wrapped up to me. I'd love to see how the consequences of the final scene play out across this world. In the meantime, I'm going to track down some paper copies so I can get the full impact of reading this instead of listening to the wonderful audiobook.

[Jessie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A worthy successor to All Rights Reserved. While it took a little bit for the plot to get going, and there was a certain repetitive quality to much of the dialogue, I can overlook it for the fascinating world-building Katsoulis has done. It was great to see the America(TM) outside of Speth's dome. And the ending was excellent and well-earned (a huge improvement over the rushed and abrupt ending of the first novel).

[Harlequin Books]

Miniseries: Word$

Categories
Young Adult Dystopian, Young Adult Social Issues, Young Adult Family, Young Adult Science Fiction

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the innovative and thrilling sequel “Access Restricted” which I won through Goodreads Giveaways the symbol of Silas Rog’s power has been destroyed after the WiFi was taken down in Portland. The “Silents” look to Speth for leadership although their first priority is getting the food printers up and running so no one starves. But with her brother Sam dead, Saretha in the hospital with shattered knees, all Speth wants to do is flee the dome and track down her parents in Crab Creek, Carolina.

With the Affluents creating a WiFi bubble at the southern entrance and the emergence of Lucretia Rog who’s determined to capture Speth and retake Portland, she decides to escape to find her parents with her friends, leaving her sister Saretha under the protection of Kel an attorney and leader of her Product Placer team. Little do Speth and her friends expect that they will have to face adversity and heartbreak as they journey across the Outlands from D.C. to Crab Creek and onward into Téjico, only to have to confront the power, cruelty and scheming of the Rog family once again in a court of law.

Fast-paced, the action never slows as Speth faces car chases, snow and capture as she and her friends struggle to find a route across a hostile landscape to Crab Creek. Intensity and suspense mount as the story heats up when she and her friends are captured, she returns to being silent, and an unexpected twist helps in her escape. The tension builds in a gripping plot that reveals background information about Speth’s world, the emergence of the Word$ system and the Rog family’s autocratic control. Skilfully developed and realistic, as events unfold the story progresses to an electrifying conclusion that changes Speth’s world forever.

The characters continue to be compelling and complex like impulsive, brave and inventive Speth Jiménez whose guilt-ridden by her mistakes as she struggles to change her world for the better and to be with the family and friends she loves. Margot Chem is roguish, sarcastic and prickly but smart, steady, and protective of her sister Mira. The only romance in the story blossoms between seventeen-year-old Margot and loyal, gentle, earnest and heroic eighteen-year-old Henri Sinclair only to end tragically. Sera Croate, once a thorn in Speth’s side tries to change, struggling to find redemption for her actions and to resist her fear only to revert under torture. Loyal, trustworthy and humorous Norflo is one of my favorite personalities with his quirky use of words, intelligence and perceptiveness. Yet it’s the cold, cruelty of schemers Lucretia and Silas Rog, as well as the outright corruption of their father the Judge that adds a frightening chill to the story.

I thoroughly enjoyed “Access Restricted” an exciting and gripping sequel with colourful characters; a page-turner from beginning to end as Speth learns the importance of Words and their high cost.

[Madison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Access Restricted is the sequel to the amazing and scarily possible All Rights Reserved. With just as much action and intrigue, Access Restricted once again delves into a world where every form of communication is owned and fees charged accordingly, where history and knowledge have become propriety information only accessible to those with wealth and standing, where one girl unwittingly became the leader in an uprising, and where that girl must once again risk everything for a chance of a better future.

There has been much debate in my high-schoolers book club, who all adored All Rights Reserved, if a sequel was needed. The first book could, arguably, be concluded and left as it was. Others suggested they were happy with the ending, and that any more could possibly ruin the awesomeness of the first book. Others still, myself included, desperately wanted more -more of Speth, more of her accidental rebellion and uprising, and more explanation of the world in which she lives and the consequences for her actions. Would everything she had already done and sacrificed really change things? Had it really made a difference?

Access Restricted picks up almost immediately after the conclusion of All Rights Reserved. The WiFi is down in the Portland Dome where Speth lives, taken out when Speth blew up Rog’s tower. People are free from the system that controls and charges for every word they speak, every gesture they make - for now. The race is on to crack the DRM on the food printers so that the population doesn’t starve, and Speth knows that there will be people coming to seek revenge for her actions. Others, especially the groups of Silents, are looking for Speth to lead them, to tell them what comes next, but Speth just wants to flee with her sister to find her indentured parents. With a small group of friends, Speth manages to escape and for the first time see the world beyond the dome. But there is so much more at stake than her freedom.

Access Restricted continues the brilliance that is All Rights Reserved. One thing that continues to resonate with the many readers who I’ve seen devour this book is how very real it feels, how very possible, and that makes it very scary. And, as the author notes in his acknowledgements, it seems the world is ever marching towards this reality. In the first book, Speth started a rebellion with her silence. Now she has taken down the WiFi and Silas Rog’s control of the city, she has the power to speak and she’s not sure what to say. One thing I have especially loved about these books is Speth. She’s not hero material, not your typical amazingly gifted, ‘of course she’s going to save the world, she was born with that sole purpose’, chosen-one hero. Instead, she’s just a brave young girl who desperately wants to save her family and doesn’t know how to do that. She makes mistakes - some of which have cost her the very people she wants to protect. But she’s also clever. I love the way she pieces information together and creates solutions.

The first half of Access Restricted was a little hard to get into, not for lack of action, because there are plenty of high action and high tension scenes, but due to indecision. Speth isn’t sure what to do and the things she and her friends do do, happen mostly because they have no choice. But as they continue their journey outside their dome’s borders, a clearer picture of what America has become and why emerges. I enjoyed seeing the bigger picture and the backstory to Speth’s world and the Word$ system. The last half of Access Restricted was impossible to put down. As things heat up, as the tension mounts and as I despaired that there was no way it was going to end well, Speth, her friends and their determination and resilience never failed to amaze.

There are so many things I loved about this book, outside of the cleverness of the story, especially the focus on family and what it means, and that there is no romantic subplot for the main character. Seriously, and it doesn’t need it!

If you a looking for a YA dystopian with a difference, for a book that captures your imagination, and for characters that are both relatable and easy to root for, then look no further than the Word$ series. This unique and cleverly crafted duology is very highly recommended.

The publishers provided an advanced readers copy of this book for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.

Find more reviews, reading age guides, content advisory, and recommendations on my blog Madison's Library

[Emily Mueller · Rating 5 out of 5]

The climax felt a little rushed but I'm a sucker for a happy ending, so overall I really enjoyed this start to finish. This book in particular did an amazing job of fleshing out some of the overlooked minor characters from its predecessor. The series is definitely worth a read. Excellent piece of dystopian fiction.

[StarMan]

2+ YA stars, bumped to 3 because I'm not a YA.

[Katelyn Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars! This was a great sequel to "All Rights Reserved." I throughly enjoyed seeing the character and world development because there was so much more to explore. This book was adventurous, filled with action, friendship, and loss. I think each character brought something new to the story and I enjoyed the interactions between them all. This book I think is very important now a days, because the idea of people copyrighting everything is not a fair fetched thing that could happen. It is eerie to think something along these lines could happen, but I love how the characters fought for what was right. This was a roller coaster and truly showed the ups and downs, and the sacrifices that need to be made. His writing is amazing and I think this is an important to story to read. I'm not sure if there will be another book, but I hope there is! Even though the ending was sort of wrapped up, I would love to see where the characters go from here! I loved the ending, but you know me, I will never turn down more from a story I love! (I've heard there might be a third book, not sure) A very powerful and important read, highly recommend!

[Megan (ReadingRover) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fabulous sequel to the first book. This series is such a wake up call for what can ultimately happen when freedom of speech is regulated to an extreme or taken away. It’s a great series to read in this day and age. In this second book the characters gained some more depth and background. Speth has evolved into someone stronger and braver than she ever thought she could be. The pace in this book is fast and the action is nonstop. It’s a very quick read and a lot happens in a very short amount of time. I definitely recommend reading the first book All Rights Reserved before this one. It will make things much easier to follow. I’d like for this series to continue as more than just a douology but to be honest I don’t think that it has to. If it ended right here I would be quite satisfied. I’m almost worried that if it goes on it might not be as good. I’m not gonna lie though. If there’s another book I’ll be the first to grab it!

[☘Misericordia☘ ⚡ϟ⚡⛈⚡☁ ❇️❤❣ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Q:
I thought you were awesome. Your courage was inspiring. I thought you were...” His voice dropped off. He turned away and leaned forward on the bar. “I just don’t get it,” he said finally, head bowed. “You started a whole revolution, and you’re really, really clever, but that was your best idea?” (c)
Q:
“She makes one awful decision after another, and I honestly just want to scream at her sometimes.” (c)
Q:
“Thinking things through might not be my strongest suit,” I admitted. I’d made a lot of decisions I felt terrible about.
“No one gave you the tools,” Mr. Stokes said. “That’s why it’s important to learn.” (c)
Q:
My heart longed for music and the ocean. What it got was the thin sound of a thousand drones and shuffling people making the maximum amount of noise legally allowed.(c)
Q:
...an Ad for Arkansas Holt appeared. I swiped it away, but I had to admire his ability to keep afloat. (c)

[Janelle]

DNF @ 50%.

I adored the first book but this sequel didn’t feel necessary. There was too much going on and yet it wasn’t holding my attention at all.

I loved the tension of the first novel, but this was more of a roadtrip adventure and it was too long and lacking in tension. After 200 pages the characters shouldn’t be fumbling around still! Also there were wayyyy too many characters.

[Jalil Omarov · Rating 5 out of 5]

That was the most satisfying ending I could ever imagined for the series. With every chapter I felt a keen interest for reading another page, then another. I need to admit that I am a slow reader, but the plot made the difference and I finished earlier than usual. Thanks for creating this great world and I hope you will continue creating such masterpieces so that I can devour them.

[Bella · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rare instance of a sequel being as good (better, even??) as the first book. An excellent conclusion to an excellently built dystopian world.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Still love that this author doesn't play, he will gut you and murder all of your favorite characterS with no mercy. Fantastic writing and storytelling.

[Ruthsic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Warnings: descriptions of torture, drugging, slavery, mention of sexual assault (implied) from first book

Access Restricted continues the story of Speth and the people of Portland, who after the WiFI going down at the end of the previous book, have freedom but still problems as to how to run the city's machines (including the ones that prepare their food) amidst a shutdown. Speth and her friends want to take this opportunity to free their parents from Indenture, but getting there is half the journey. The world's most impulsive and spontaneous road trip takes them through the country they didn't know much about, through domes with slightly different lives but the same kind of oppression, to the farms where tens of thousands of people are being kept in legalized slavery. As they go, they see hints of the past, but they don't really get answers until they find an ally so that they can try to beat the system at its own game.

On this journey are Speth, Margot and her little sister, Henri, Sera and Norflo. To say they were unprepared for the long journey is an understatement. Starting from having no geographical knowledge, to no clue of the system that Affluents use (they use Silas Rog's SquelchMobile for their daring road trip), and are basically making up destinations as they go. The more they learn, the more impossible it seems to bring everything down. But also the more they see in the other cities, the more we realize how much the Silent movement has spread. The journey also works to rebuild their relationships, from past hurts and betrayals, and utilizing their freedom to speak to make amends. It brings another facet of freedom of speech we don't consider - not just the right to speak, but the liberty to express ourselves, our feelings to bridge connections with people.

Much of what happens in the later stages of the book can't be discussed here as it would be a big spoiler as to the nature of the world. Succinctly, all I can say it directly challenges the root of such a system - unfettered capitalism that allows the oppressed to stay down, the idea that having billionaires in a world where people are dying due to lack of basic needs is normal (side eyeing some top CEOs for this one), and complying with an unjust system because it doesn't harm you - it particularly takes recent contemporary examples (at one point a character even says 'liberal fantasy') and folds it into the narrative, advocating for a kinder, more socialist world.

Maybe the only parts that take it from being perfect are the conveniences that the group encounter in their quest. Considering the insurmountable odds, it felt things were just happening as per plot convenience. They are hungry? The one delivery truck they stop happens to have food! They are breaking into a real estate agency? The only bystanders happen to be Silents! Not that it was a smooth journey for them - they have their fair share of loss, and tough decisions to make. The ending is won through hard work, sharp wits, and some helpful allies.

Overall, an apt sequel to All Rights Reserved, and a book that drives home its point well.

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review from Harlequin Teen, via Edelweiss.

[Justine]

dnf-ed at 28%

i decided to dnf this book because it was so boring and it was not capturing my attention at all. i was just forcing myself to read it for the sake of actually finishing it and i am so eager to read another book besides this one. such a shame because i actually enjoyed the first book. oh well

[Teenreadsdotcom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gregory Scott Katsoulis introduces brilliant sequel to ALL RIGHTS RESERVED from the world with where every word has a price, ACCESS RESTRICTED.

The tower of Silas Rog, fostering the overruling WiFi to Speth’s home in Portland is finally destroyed, freeing her from her long reign of silence, but now what? Affluents roam the street, helpless without their money and power. The poor seek retribution for every wrong against them, attacking almost anyone they can find. Finally, the city is free, but without someone in charge, everyone is looking to Speth for answers she can’t provide. After all this time, the only thing she wants is to reunite her family, but as the government begins to regroup, that future is looking harder and harder to reach. As the government begins to restore and rebuild Portland, Speth and her friends are left with no choice but to leave the city, hoping to find her family. As they venture further and further away from the only home they’ve ever known, more secrets about their world are revealed, each more horrifying than the last. Quickly running out of options, Speth realizes the only way to find her family, and live in a world where she can finally be free is to fight for a way to save it.

Yet again, Katsoulis delivers a masterpiece of the written language, combining the words so valued in this dystopian world into something magical. After the first book in this series, I had countless questions about how the sequel would turn out, worried it would fall short of the first, but it did anything but. The high action and constant surprises joined together with a brilliant voice and writing style produced a most compelling sequel, packed with enough excitement that often found myself lost in the words. A common fault among YA novels is the overwhelming romance leading to lack of plot, but ACCESS RESTRICTED never had this problem. Over and over again, each problem that the characters faced seemed realistic, instead of being clouded by forced romance, and their reactions to these situations even more genuine. Making a reader empathize to a world that they aren’t in is a hard challenge for fantasy or sci-fi writers, but Katsoulis’ world, action and characters make this easy.

One of the most captivating aspects of this novel is the way that it mirrors present day and real life issues into their own form in this dystopian world. From immigration, to slavery to class inequality, I constantly found comparisons in the novel that made the complications in the book all too real. Katsoulis has no problem addressing things many writers are too scared to approach, wielding the magic of for entertainment and information, so wonderfully integrated that I almost couldn’t find the difference between fiction and real life.

In contrast to the magnificent effect of silence in the first novel, Speth’s use of dialogue through speeches or conversations is enthralling and eye opening. Katsoulis blends together ideas and action, silence and words, creating enough power in simple words to make me feel the aftershocks down to my bones. Not only in these moments, but the dialogue between characters brought life into the pages, like Norflo’s use of shorted, previously cheaper, words. Seeing things like this made the characters seem real, as they had to face the aftermath of the world that they grew up in.

Words are a commodity that we take for granted, but after reading ACCESS RESTRICTED, all of that will change. Any fans of sci-fi, or lovers of the first book, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, must check out this novel, to learn what can really happen when a rebellion begins by silence.

Reviewed by Jessica K., Teen Board Member

[Zo-Yi Siew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review: “Access Restricted”
[sequel to “All Rights Reserved”] by Gregory Scott Katsoulis

“Access Restricted” is the sequel to the book “All Rights Reserved”, both written by Gregory Scott Katsoulis. These two books take place in a futuristic, dystopian world where all citizens aged 15 or older must pay every time they talk or use gestures to communicate, meaning that only the rich can afford to speak. In a world where communication is a luxury, the books follow the young protagonist, Speth Jime, and her rebellion against the government that rules the lives of the citizens. “Access Restricted” is the sequel to “All Rights Reserved”, so in order to fully unAccess Restrictedderstand the complexity of the characters’ lives and the gravity of their situation, I would definitely recommend to start reading “All Rights Reserved” before “Access Restricted”.

I personally loved this book, especially because of the characters and because of how deeply the laws and society they live in affect each and every character. Gregory Scott Katsoulis has done an amazing job at exploring deep social issues that still exist today, racism being a particularly large one. I was very impressed with how he was able to portray how the government erased the identities of so many people and how it affects them. This added another layer to an already thick and complex plot. The way that Gregory Scott Katsoulis brings Speth to realise that her history has been buried and reduced to nothing but genetics truly horrified me the way it horrified Speth. The plot was both driving and emotional; I literally cried when I found out about Speth’s parents.

I love each and every character, but I really, really loved the way that Speth developed as a character, eventually bringing herself to forgive and accept those she once loathed and maturing as an individual. As much as I love Speth, my favourite character is Norflo because he is able to make the readers really see what the government has really done to the lives of the citizens. Even though he appears to be less educated than other characters, he is able to draw connections and make introspective comments, as well as his ability make people feel better just by being there. While all the characters are unique and diverse, Norflo stood out to me in particular.

The only thing I didn’t really like about the book is that I have a lot of trouble grasping for the words which tell me where everything is and what it looks like, although this is most likely my own fault. I understand that the placement of where objects are and what they look like is not important as far as the plot goes. This is not really a big deal; I still loved reading “Access Restricted” as it has far more amazing qualities that outweigh this small pet peeve.

In conclusion, “Access Restricted” is an amazing book that explores many deep and complex social issues, which exist within our own society today, as well as remarkable and unique characters that I fell in love with. I would definitely recommend reading this book (starting at “All Rights Reserved” though) to anyone, especially people who have a passion for dystopian fiction. I love this book and give it a 5 out of 5 stars!


Gregory Scott Katsoulis: Gregory Scott Katsoulis
Book: Access Restricted

[Niki Flowers · Rating 3 out of 5]

***POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING*** First I want to say that I did like this series overall. I also want to say that in theory there could ultimately be a third book that washes away all of my issues with the series, but I have heard zero word on that, so working with the information I currently have: The primary messages were clear, and ultimately, that is what's important. Cultural erasure, keeping major elements of history secret, making sure citizens remain ignorant and compliant with the provided world, without enough knowledge to fight back. The problems of what can happen in a world where money and belongings are the be all end all. And the premise for the story itself is interesting as heck to me - obviously, otherwise I wouldn't have picked up the book.

All of that said, my biggest issue with this book is that it does not seem like it was edited properly. Several things are said and done that would seem of consequence within the book, but then those same things are brushed over and never mentioned again. ***SUPER SPOILER WARNING*** For instance, when Speth is captured by Lucretia and Lucretia implies that Speth's friends were captured, but Andromeda throws Speth a bone and says "both" of them so that Speth will know how many were captured, but then the only one mentioned is Sera. The gang says Henri was killed, but they make a point to say they didn't see his body and the only "proof" is the fact that Lucretia paid Henri's father - which doesn't prove anything. On top of that, when they're having the trial, Speth notices a bodyguard that she feels looks so much like Henri, but she ignores it because she thinks it could be a trick (fair assessment) THE THING IS THOUGH as we never actually know for sure that Henri is dead, that could have easily been Henri, just genetically modified. We know they like to do that so why not? Plus she also notes that he moves "like a placer" but then it's just ignored. It's never brought up again, which blows because his survival could have made for a happy ending for Margot and Mira (whose end in the story makes them seems super irrelevant and unnecessary, this would help with that). Speaking of, they also make a huge deal out of Margot agreeing for her and Mira to be DNA tested, but nothing comes of that either. And when Speth erases the costs of words in the end and we find out the Rogs' father was connected to the Word$ Market, we don't even find out how or why. There's an entire story just from that that we don't get any answer to. There's a bunch of information that, as a reader, I would have loved to know about this world they live in, but we don't get that because the majority of this book is spent with them in the car trying to decide where to go and when they finally do get down to the action, it's rushed and the reader isn't given the right backstory they need. The first book gives us a lot of background on Speth and her life and family, and even though she's silent through most of that book, we get to know her through her thoughts, and that's great! But it would have been excellent for the second book to give us more information about why this world is the way it is, but instead we have to guess at it. There's also lots of unnecessary words (ironically) and structural issues with several sentences. There are things said in the book that are overly repeated or seemingly forgotten about altogether. WAY too many characters with not enough explanation.

Basically, the series has a great premise, I just wish it had been edited or at least edited better than it was.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm going to make this relatively quick, because I wasn't really planning on reviewing this book, and then I finished it and I was like I kind of feel like reviewing this. So yeah. Here's the review (spoilers for All Rights Reserved):

This book was much better than All Rights Reserved. This reaffirms the speculation that having Speth not speak for the entirety of the first book made me feel closed off from connecting with her or any of the rest of the characters. I thought the relationships were much better developed in this book, and I cared for the characters a bit more.

Where All Rights Reserved started off with breakneck pacing and only slowed down from there, Access Restricted stayed relatively consistent throughout. In fact, I would argue it was even a bit slower at the beginning than in the rest of the book. When I first started it, I was still a little annoyed by how much the first book had disappointed me, and I was wondering why this book had to be over 470 pages, but it actually ended up pulling through in the end, and I really liked the way it closed off.

One major critique I have is killing off characters for shock value. It happened in the first book, and then again in this one. It feels cheap and useless, and honestly, it wasn't even too shocking. I won't name which character because of spoilers, but I think the book could have gone on without very much deviation in the plot without their death.

Lastly, one pet peeve I had was with the character names. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but it really got on my nerves (I might have even mentioned it in my review for the first book, but I don't think so). In the first book, we had siblings Speth, Saretha, and Sam. Sam died in the first book, but in this book we're introduced to the surprise secret brother, Santos. (and I know he was named after the company that owned him, but would it have been so hard to pick a different company or something? Or name the company something that didn't start with S?) And then there's Sera, the only other S name... which is fine, although if I was reading quickly and both she and Saretha were on the page I sometimes got confused... and then the end came. And Speth declared Sera her 'sister'. Which, again, fine. I like Found Family. But seriously?Everyone in that family has a name that starts with S. And Margot's younger sister is names Mira. Seriously?

This wasn't a major issue in the book, and I'm mostly fine with siblings in books having names that start with the same letter, this just felt a little excessive at times and really got on my nerves.

Because I wasn't super invested in the first book, I wasn't as invested in this one as I could have been. However, it was still a solid, enjoyable read. Speth was much more likeable of a main character in this book. The ending felt clever and it was built up to well. If you were disappointed by All Rights Reserved and are debating picking up the next book, I would say why not. And if you really enjoyed the first book, I think you will be pleased with the ending and execution of this one.

[Ayra · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is part of my "going back to book series I didn't finish" list but I did not reread the first one before jumping in to this one. I was confused with some of the other characters and events they were referrencing at some parts but I managed.

Since this is the second book, the world building part was slightly less and that saddens me because that was my favorite part of the first book. There were still a few new explanations on the world but it isn't exciting. And I don't really like new world one. But the additional exposition in terms of what's really happening outside of Speth's area and how Affluents like Lucretia treats everyone is a really nice touch. I'm just not a huge fan of dystopians where they're in a dome and separate from the rest of the world or like they're being observed/experimented *ahem divergent*. I feel like it's a let down from all the exciting actions just to find out that it's normal everywhere else.

The side characters are a good mix of annoying and adorable. The main squad - Margot and Henri and Mira - were the only ones tolerable, imo. It does bring out a balance of not every friend group is perfect and the dynamic that they're not even a real group of close friends. And now that I'm thinking about it, it is sad that most of it is because they were very limited in terms of fostering friendships with one another. Got to say I was almost irritated with Norflo with all his talks about Tejico because it was like pointing out the obvious like okay I get it, you're going to Tejico.

The sisters - Speth and Saretha's dynamic - was irritating but very understandable. It's nice to see that they have differing views sometimes and that a lot of it comes from environmental factors of that upbringing. Same goes with Speth and Sera too.

Ending Spoilers: I have mixed feelings about the ending. I was excited about the #lawyered part of it (giving me Legally Blonde energy), but also kind of disappointed that that was the solution we got. Technically it was just part of a grand plan, but I guess I'm kind of expecting an action-packed sequence. I love the side by side of the final battle in a courtroom and exchanging legal terms and then bringing down the system that is built on words and rights. I guess it made sense that the final battle is more word-oriented now that I think about it. It does remind me of Twilight: Breaking Dawn book where they just talked lmao. I didn't like what happened to Lucretia and how Victoria bargained for her, but I guess we have to know that Speth is not an evil person. I like it when main characters, especially teenagers/ya steps out of the stoplight after the "revolution" part of every dystopian novel because they know that they've done their part and for the world to actually be better, some older/wiser/more experienced person can handle the reins.

Overall, I realized I like this novel more as I'm writing this review. Maybe I'll give it an extra half star. It was not the best most amazing book out there but the ending was pretty solid despite the slow paced parts scattered throughout the beginning and middle. Glad to have ticked this off my list!

[Sherry Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Speth Jime ends the tyrant Rogs’ oppressive hold over Portland with a resounding boom. As a result, in a futuristic, dystopian United States, where all forms of communication is owned, Portland’s citizens are hoping the “Silent Girl” will guide them in their quest to be free from word and gesture oppression. Speth and her friends make a getaway from the dome on the “Outer Ring” while the government is trying to restore Portland’s Wi-Fi and bring order. Unfortunately, Silas Rog’s sister, Lucretia, and her lawyers are close behind the escapees.

Speth is not sure what to do next, but she wants to locate her parents, who are “Indentured”, working as legalized slaves, in Crab Creek in the Carolina dome. To find them, she and her friends must cross the country outside of the regional domes. On their journey, they face challenges, adversity, and danger but learn that Speth has helpful supporters in other domes.

Once reunited with her parents in Tejico, formerly Mexico, Speth and her sister, Saretha, face a grueling, prejudicial trial back in Portland, where they will try to prove that the Rogs stole Saretha’s likeness for use as a famous movie star. Even though she dreads and fears returning to Portland, Speth realizes that the trial is about more than her family—it is about freedom.

Access Restricted, the second and final book in the Word$ duology, begins moments after the first book, All Rights Reserved, ends. The chapters are titled with words and phrases, many of which are trademarked, listed with their costs, which get increasingly larger as the story continues. The reader learns that many names, especially those of foreign origin, have been shortened, both because they cost less and also so that people will not learn about their ancestry.

The characters are fascinating and multi-layered. Speth, the main character, is a strong, reluctant heroine, not expecting to cause a rebellion, or even be a part of one. The minor characters have distinct personalities and play a large part in the plot. The Rog family members are evil, manipulative villains--cold, calculating, and controlling. The author is especially gifted at world building, creating a vivid technology-enhanced world, where advertisements play constantly on screens in citizens’ homes and inside the domes.

The plot is mesmerizing and engrossing, filled with nail-biting action, thrilling chase scenes, and spy drones flying around. This series is very timely because it is certainly something that could eventually happen. Although some backstory is given, it is my recommendation that readers read the first book before reading this installment.

I highly recommend Access Restricted and the Word$ series for middle school, high school, and public libraries, and especially for collections where libraries have purchased All Rights Reserved. It is a real page-turner!

[Sydney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jun. 2021: 4.25⭐️

snuck in the socialism with this one, we love to see it

themes and things I liked:
- culture under an oppressive regime — how culture is eroded to divide people and keep them submissive
- erosion of truth — what does reality mean when everything from laws to people's voices to what you see with your own two eyes can be fabricated and changed in an instant?
- finding community under an oppressive regime and how doing so is an act of rebellion
- the further development of Speth's character and how she had to grapple with never intending to lead a revolution but acknowledging that she has and being responsible for that. Speth's character and her growth is definitely one of my favorite things about these books because she totally subverts the typical YA dystopian protagonist. Especially in this book, Speth never acts alone. Though she starts the movement, she does not singlehandedly bring down the government. She heavily relies on her friends and complete strangers to accomplish their mission. AND while she fights to end these systems of oppression, her end goal is always to live safe and happy with her family. She is content to acknowledge the work she's done and let others carry on the movement she began.

I hated Sera for most of this book, and while I ultimately ended up appreciating her storyline + the exploration of how people in similar circumstances can be taught to hate each other, I'm still so frustrated that no one besides Speth ever really acknowledged Sera's role in Sam's death. And it always seemed like Speth was the asshole for being angry with Sera? And everyone else in the group would kinda take Sera's side without knowing or wanting to know about the circumstances of Sam's death or Speth and Sera's relationship growing up? So yeah I was sitting there fuming for a lot of this book. But anyway I still really enjoyed this would recommend.

[Jaime Ann Sanborn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This final novel in the Word$ Duology packs a powerful message. In his Dystopian Cautionary Tale, Gregory Scott Katsoulis makes evident why equitable access to unbiased information is one of the most important rights we have as Americans. Our Public Libraries, schools, and neutral media sources protect us from unchecked corruption and the complete domination of society by the wealthy few.

In Access Restricted, society is an Oligarchy in which the average person will, at some point in their life, be forced into slavery. The sick part of this is, it is 100% legal. The Affluents own the rights to all words and gestures. In order to communicate, every one must pay the Rightsholders. For those who cannot afford this, it means indentured servitude to pay off their "debts."

Speth Jime, a 16 year old poor girl from the Dome of Portland, has had some success in fighting against this regime. In the first novel, All Rights Reserved, she delivered a powerful blow to the oppressive rulers of the United States of America East through her silence and rage. However, that victory was only one small battle in a much bigger war. In this second novel, that one strike isn't enough. The entire societal construct must be destroyed.

Speth and her friends have to find a way to take down the corrupt ruling family, The Rogs, and make their way to the freedom of Tejico. This plan will involve danger, torment, and major sacrifice, with a small chance of survival.

Speth never asked for any of this but, like it or not, she is the face of the revolution. She is the Silent Girl.

Ages 12+

[Bre]

First let me say that I should have known about Word$ series way before now. About a month ago, on one of the Facebook book groups I follow, someone posted about All Rights Reserved. The person gave a quick synopsis and it sounded really good. I took a screenshot of the post and saved the book on my TBR list. I got into a bookfunk and was trying to find something to pull me out. I went looking through my book screenshots, saw the saved post, and began looking up All Rights Reserved. That’s when I saw that Access Restricted was about to come out. I quickly got a copy of All Rights Reserved from the library. This book quickly pulled me into this new world.

The Word$ series is a young adult dystopia series. It is set in a future where everything you say and do costs you. This in turn creates a corrupt system in which only the wealthy can get by. Thanks to Speth in the first book, a revolution takes place to try to change the system. Access Restricted follows Speth on her crusade to right the deceptive system.

Honestly, I was hesitant to begin the sequel. All Rights Reserved was really good. Often with these lesser known series, the subsequent books are not as good. I knew there was so much that needed to be covered in the second book, and I was worried it would not have the same feel as the first. Katsoulis did not let me down! It picked right up where the first book ended. I did not feel like I had missed anything. I was able slip right back into Speth’s world.

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brilliant sequel to All Rights Restricted, picking up very soon after the end of that book. However, while it's been mere hours for the characters, it's been much longer for me and I found myself struggling to remember exactly what happened to what character when. A recap of some kind would have been very welcome.

That aside, though, this is a fantastic read. Speth's world expands in this one and we get to see a lot more of what's left of America. Saretha seemed much younger than her age this time, griping and complaining at Speth all the time. It grated on me but it never made me stop reading.

I think the series is over now; it seemed the right stopping point. But I'll be watching out for more by Scott.

Be aware the main character and others are tortured with electric shocks and nauseating patterns and sounds.


Receiving an ARC did not affect my review in any way.


"How do you know? A name could be anything."
"Nah. They took our names, priced 'em out. You ever look at the Spanish Word$ Market? See what they charge? They don't want us to have a history. They don't want us to know each other and don't want us to know ourselves."
...
"Friends. Family. Words. Even our past. Cut us off from everything. Want us to have nothing, so we'll feel like nothing. They don't want your fight. S'why they hate you so bad. When they come to Indenture, they don't want anything left but strong hands and backs."

[Witchy Reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

Please check out my full review at My Website

Obligatory shout out to Gregory Scott Katsoulis, Harlequin Teen, and Net Galley for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Being honest and keeping it short, I was disappointed.

I am not shocked by this. I wasn't over the moon for the first one, though the book worm in me wanted to continue the series making me pick up the next book.

You see, I wanted it to get better.

I can acknowledge that what I read is probably not the final version as I saw a few things that could use a good polishing, but I still feel that even if that is done it isn't the story I hoped for.

This dystopian society relies too heavily on the compliance and lack of resistance in people, which I am a firm believer just would not happen in the real world.

And if it did, the system that would take over would not be so embarrassingly easy to dismantle. These characters are not smart and yet they manage to take down the government of the US. I call your bluff, this would not be a thing.

Not sure if there will be another one, but - maybe enough time will pass that I'll be inclined to pick up a third one if it comes about.

[Maureen · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this sequel to All Rights ReservedAll Rights Reserved, Katsoulis brings Speth Jime's adventures to a conclusion, unless another YA trilogy is created with the obligatory third book. Katsoulis develops the characters a bit more, and further imagines the setting within a dystopian America. The plot seems a bit unwieldy at times, but manages to bring a few different storylines together in the end.

The world that Katsoulis imagines should be completely unthinkable - a world where corporate greed is unfettered and the common people pay the price; a world where words, thoughts, even gestures are controlled by the wealthy, and have prices attached to them. A commentary (or cautionary tale?) about free speech, climate change, inequality of wealth, impartiality of the justice system are all topics that Katsoulis takes on.

A solid choice, especially for readers who are futurist at heart.

[Courtney Lavallee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book for a read and review. This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2018. This is the sequel to All Rights Reserved and will drop on September 01,2018.

Sadly I was let down by this book, I love the premise and what it all stands for. Sadly this book did not have that Oomph I was looking for. It could be a reading funk as well, so I might try to reread this at a later date.

I still love the world in the book as it is brilliantly built, the political aspects are amazing as well. Gregory has an amazing enticing writing style, this is why I believe it may be a reading funk for myself. I could not put down book one. This book starts right where book one left off which was a nice change of pace from other sequels.

The characters fell flat for me, I was expecting much more from them then I was given. Of course I only made it in total to about 25% before I decided to put it down for the time being. I would still recommend this book because the premise alone is enough. I will be posting a review up on my blog (courtney2028.wordpress.com) and it will be available on Wednesday July 18, 2018.