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When Stars Go Out
The dawning of a new order casts a shadow across a whole nation. GRO, the government's Great Reorganization Operation, is turning American society upside down as it seizes teenagers and throws them into compounds across the country. Behind the speeches and programs, a darkness stirs. Reed can feel it. Taken from his home and dropped into the compound of "The Hill" in central Virginia, he can't escape the feeling that evil hangs over him night and day, watching his every move. Something is preying upon the teenagers of the Hill. An entire city lies paralyzed under the iron fist of a shadowy government agency and its cruel police force. Spies lurk among the crowds of frightened teens, ready to pounce at the first sign of dissidence. Fear keeps a choking hold on every soul--almost.
When he makes a new friend, Reed begins asking questions and stumbles upon a different side of this dark reality--a world of secrets where the light still lingers and hope burns in the hearts of a few. It's a strange world where everyday teens are fugitives playing a high-stakes game of cat-and-mouse with the secret police. But it's fascinating, thrilling, and it all seems to revolve around a single figure--one man--who ties Reed's parallel lives together. Though dangerous to be around, this man seems to hold the answers Reed needs to make sense of the insanity around him. But he is being hunted, and the secrets in his past may be darker than anything else that haunts the Hill.
Caught in a crossfire of warring ideals, Reed faces an agonizing choice and a single path of escape--but is it worth what it will cost him?
When he makes a new friend, Reed begins asking questions and stumbles upon a different side of this dark reality--a world of secrets where the light still lingers and hope burns in the hearts of a few. It's a strange world where everyday teens are fugitives playing a high-stakes game of cat-and-mouse with the secret police. But it's fascinating, thrilling, and it all seems to revolve around a single figure--one man--who ties Reed's parallel lives together. Though dangerous to be around, this man seems to hold the answers Reed needs to make sense of the insanity around him. But he is being hunted, and the secrets in his past may be darker than anything else that haunts the Hill.
Caught in a crossfire of warring ideals, Reed faces an agonizing choice and a single path of escape--but is it worth what it will cost him?
240 pages, Paperback
Published June 5, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
September 30, 2019
The end definitely started picking up more than the beginning. You start to like some of the main characters pretty easily but sometimes the book just moves too fast. The intense moments could be more drawn out, and the difficulty at which people give up information or confide in each other should realistically take longer than it did in the book.
July 5, 2019
By the title, I was expecting the story to be about a world with no electricity, but it wasn’t about that. It reminded me of the Agenda 21 novel by Glenn Beck, but I liked that one better because it was more applicable to real life, more likely to really happen.
Characters in this book were flat. Elijah was predictably a Jesus-like character. Perfect even in his appearance, despite the Bible saying Jesus was nothing special in that department. The Christian characters were all pure good and free of judgment, and the non-believers were all shallow hedonists. Take one look at the Internet and you’ll see that the reality is most Christians are full of judgment and just hypocrites, the very people Jesus preached against. Only in fiction are Christians so good!
There is an obvious message of “The world is in decline because of the decline of Christianity. This would’ve never happened if Christians were in charge. Christians are being persecuted by evil people being controlled by Satan.”
Characters in this book were flat. Elijah was predictably a Jesus-like character. Perfect even in his appearance, despite the Bible saying Jesus was nothing special in that department. The Christian characters were all pure good and free of judgment, and the non-believers were all shallow hedonists. Take one look at the Internet and you’ll see that the reality is most Christians are full of judgment and just hypocrites, the very people Jesus preached against. Only in fiction are Christians so good!
There is an obvious message of “The world is in decline because of the decline of Christianity. This would’ve never happened if Christians were in charge. Christians are being persecuted by evil people being controlled by Satan.”
December 28, 2017
Excellent dystopian/fanstasy/christian novel for young adults! This author's use of description is phenomenal. Highly recommend this book.
December 6, 2022
no character development, just stages of finding sake within christianity. the potential for a dystopian setting and some actual good thoughts were totally wasted
March 29, 2018
Full review at: https://rhythmicbooknerd.wordpress.co...
I liked that the story is told in Reed’s secular perspective, seeing his thoughts on what Elijah and the others talked about was interesting and I found them realistic.
Reed’s character was likeable and relatable, he’s just your average guy with good looks and tons of friends. When he encounters Nathan and his group he starts to open his eyes and see his errors and the lies he’s been told. His character was realistic in that he was apprehensive in the beginning and didn’t like being told that what he was doing was wrong. He had the most character development by far and it was nice to see him become a better person as the story went on.
I loved the setting in that it could actually be real considering our current United States and how the government wants to take away our rights. Mr. Grey’s descriptions were excellent and I could visualize everything perfectly. The story was pretty fast paced though the story starts off a little slow. There was a lot of action and sneaking around and it really kept me on my toes.
One other thing I liked was the author’s subtlety. The cussing was almost non-existent and the two kisses didn’t go into detail which I deeply appreciate. A huge thanks to Mr. Grey for creating an enjoyable but clean book!
All in all I really enjoyed and loved this book, if you haven’t read it go check it out immediately!
Rating: 5 Stars!!
Recommendation: ages 12 and up
(This book is meant for teens but any age can enjoy this gem!)
FTC DISCLAIMER: I received this book in exchange for an honest review
I liked that the story is told in Reed’s secular perspective, seeing his thoughts on what Elijah and the others talked about was interesting and I found them realistic.
Reed’s character was likeable and relatable, he’s just your average guy with good looks and tons of friends. When he encounters Nathan and his group he starts to open his eyes and see his errors and the lies he’s been told. His character was realistic in that he was apprehensive in the beginning and didn’t like being told that what he was doing was wrong. He had the most character development by far and it was nice to see him become a better person as the story went on.
I loved the setting in that it could actually be real considering our current United States and how the government wants to take away our rights. Mr. Grey’s descriptions were excellent and I could visualize everything perfectly. The story was pretty fast paced though the story starts off a little slow. There was a lot of action and sneaking around and it really kept me on my toes.
One other thing I liked was the author’s subtlety. The cussing was almost non-existent and the two kisses didn’t go into detail which I deeply appreciate. A huge thanks to Mr. Grey for creating an enjoyable but clean book!
All in all I really enjoyed and loved this book, if you haven’t read it go check it out immediately!
Rating: 5 Stars!!
Recommendation: ages 12 and up
(This book is meant for teens but any age can enjoy this gem!)
FTC DISCLAIMER: I received this book in exchange for an honest review
March 27, 2019
When I picked it up I didn't realize it was a teen book. Tried to adjust expectation based on that once I figured it out. But it was still only OK.
July 3, 2018
I found this book to be a real page-turner, written with descriptive detail and realistic dialogue. I'm not a huge reader, but the book never felt dull or tedious - the plot kept my attention, and it is thought-provoking too. Basically, it takes the unique approach of portraying "underground" Christianity in the not-too-distant future from the perspective of a non-believer who's looking for answers and purpose in a godless/humanistic culture. It's a pretty fast read - you can get through it in less than a week if you ready an hour or two each day. I would consider it a good addition to the summer reading list for teens and adults alike. All in all, I give it two thumbs up, and I look forward to Ransom Grey's future works (hopefully a sequel?).
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews