The Fall

by Chad Doellinger

"The worst kind of tyranny is when subjects don't know they are being oppressed."
-Dr. Babbage

Life in New America is seemingly perfect. Crime, terrorism, unemployment, and drug abuse are things of the past, thanks to the Government's technological marvels. But seventeen-year-old Ami doesn't like this perfect world. She is troubled by everyone's obsessions with social media and fame, and the Government's watchful eyes on everything.

Following a chance encounter, Ami is confronted with the dark secrets that could destroy a nation. Pursued by those who will do anything to keep them, Ami struggles to come to terms with the truth and decide what do to with it. Can she win the race against the ticking time bomb that New America has become, or will society be torn apart when the truth of THE FALL is finally revealed?

THE FALL is a modern take on the classic novel 1984 and paints a realistic and troubling picture of our future based on the intersection of social media, big data, privacy, technology, fake news and election-influencing. Drawing from current headlines and existing technology, THE FALL is a fast-paced, thought-provoking political thriller intended for readers from middle-school to adults.

"Fascinating book that leaves you wanting more!" Amazon verified purchase review.

"An excellent, thought-provoking read." Amazon verified purchase review.

"Anyone who enjoyed 1984 or the Hunger Games will find this fast-paced novel compelling." Amazon verified purchase review.

"This book is amazing!" Amazon verified purchase review.

"Not every book deserves a great review, but The Fall is not every book." Amazon verified purchase review.

"This story is a testament to independent thinking in that it demonstrates how mindlessly accepting the status quo can lead to dire consequences. And by featuring a young woman as the heroine, it paints a picture of female empowerment that will inspire both genders and all ages." Amazon verified purchase review.

"A fun, fast-paced, modern take on 1984 and Fahrenheit 451." Amazon verified purchase review.

Genres: Fiction

234 pages, Paperback

Published May 10, 2018

Reviews

[C.E. Clayton · Rating 3 out of 5]

“The Fall” is a modern take on the classic 1984, and boy, how is it! This story is very much a social commentary on the current world we live in (2017, though it still very much applies in 2020) where the populace is controlled by their technology, digesting only the news the government feeds them, preferring to lose themselves in social media platforms and trying to get a larger following, then noticing that the idyllic world they live in is anything but. The parallels to the world we have now (in America anyway) are uncomfortably obvious, and Doellinger is a very talented writer not only to bring all this together, but to craft such a twist and bittersweet ending. But I had a hard time really getting into the book.

My problem wasn’t that “The Fall” closely resembles our current world with how little people care about anyone other than themselves. It wasn’t the main character, Ami, who is brilliant and stumbles on the truth when no one else is paying attention. I think it was the timeline of events and how quickly the entire population succumbed to the government controlled media. How quickly everyone got implanted with their Clips and Bits so everything they did, saw, their health, everything could be collected by the government and used in a sophisticated algorithm in order to control them. 10 years. 10 years was all it took to not only leash everyone, but make them feel and think like this level of control was always in effect. It just happened so fast, so easily, with no resistance that I just couldn’t fully buy it. I’m sure that’s probably the point, how easy it was to create such a dictatorship, but I just couldn’t suspend my disbelief enough for that. Also, while the author is a fantastic writer, there were long sections that were rather info dumpy that took me out of the story, and so I never got to a place where I particularly felt like Ami was doing much to end the dictatorship her country was under.

This isn’t some Hunger Games-like book. While the main character is a young woman trying to get her country to rise up against a dictator, the populace, for the most part, doesn’t really care. This point felt so spot on with how things are currently that it was both terrifying and wonderful at the same time. It was really well presented! And the fact that this wasn’t some brutal dystopian like most of us are familiar with really helped sell the twist ending. It was sad, but in a perfectly believable way that I really enjoyed. But because so much of the book was pretty slow and I had a hard time believing that a dictatorship like the one Ami is in was so complete in only 10 years (I had this exact same problem with The Handmaids Tale honestly) that I’m giving this book 3 stars. I definitely do recommend it to fans of 1984 and The Handmaids Tale though! And thanks to the author for providing me with a copy for an honest review.

[Trudie Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very good book. This is not the type of book I usually read. I like fantasy, gruesome horror, a good mystery, especially if there is a twist, but when someone recommended this book, I decided to give it a go. It is very loosely based on 1984, but the author has made the story completely his own. It is well thought out and captivating. The worrying thing is that it is all too easy to believe that it could actually happen.

The history is provided by means of flashbacks and this works really well. You are taken on a journey with the main character and you start to really care about what happens. Though I am not a fan of this genre, I would happily read more by this author and I would recommend this book to anyone, regardless of the sort of books you prefer.

[Quinn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this YA Kindle book from Goodreads.com in exchange for an honest review. The story revolves around a futuristic United States or New America as it is in this book. Many things rang too close to home - the reliance on social media to feel part of something; everyone have a marketing brand that they are so willing to share. New America was created after four nuclear bombs went off around America. Biochips and Clips were inserted in people to monitor everything about them and “keep them safe”. The Clips were used to bombard people with the “true news”. I thought this was a thought provoking novel. There were a lot of truths involved in the plot.

[Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won a free copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway, so many thanks for that to the author and sponsor. I got interested in this story right away as I found the premise and future setting of this story very original and unique. The way New America is governed and the technology described are what kept me reading, along with a fiesty, smart, young heroine. I thought the middle of the book dragged a little, but there was a twist at the end to bring an eye-opening conclusion to this story. I would definitely recommend this book to other readers.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Near future political thriller that tightly draws readers in as the story progresses. Not my typical read but good nonetheless. The story leaves you with much to ponder as our times have changed and ideologies presently existing could provide a foundation for a similiar environment to become realistic. 4 star recommended read.

[Kathy Church · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Book

This was not my normal read, but interesting none the less. I won this from Goodreads and I always like trying something new.

[Pam Cunningham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book

This story was great. It was hard for me to put the book down. The year that the story takes place in, hit a little to close to home but I believe that it could happen.

[Nichole · Rating 4 out of 5]

No Spoilers is had

Without spoiling this I have to say that the premise is not new but definitely updated in a manner to make this a great read and worth it.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Doellinger provides an alternate future setting where the USA is stateless, fully unified and constantly monitored by technology. People's decisions and habits are fully influenced by their social networks, including information pushed through by the governing body. The reader tags along as the protagonist tries to decipher a code that will reveal secrets that may have the power to unhinge the republic. Probably most aptly classified as young adult, this book does deal with realistically potential future issues. It moves along at a good clip with a fair amount of action, rendering it a quick read.

Thanks to Goodreads/Kindle and the author/publisher for providing me with a digital copy through the Goodreads Giveaway program.

[Judy]

I received this from Amazon kindle giveaway through Goodreads. I am sorry to say, I did not finish reading this book. I tried but it was not my type of story and I did feel like it was more for a younger audience. thank you