Twenty Five to Life

by R.W.W. Greene

Life goes on for the billions left behind after the humanity-saving colony mission to Proxima Centauri leaves Earth orbit ... but what's the point?

Julie Riley is two years too young to get out from under her mother's thumb, and what does it matter? She's over-educated, under-employed, and kept mostly numb by her pharma emplant. Her best friend, who she's mostly been interacting with via virtual reality for the past decade, is part of the colony mission to Proxima Centauri. Plus, the world is coming to an end. So, there's that.

When Julie's mother decides it's time to let go of the family home in a failing suburb and move to the city to be closer to work and her new beau, Julie decides to take matters into her own hands. She runs, illegally, hoping to find and hide with the Volksgeist, a loose-knit culture of tramps, hoboes, senior citizens, artists, and never-do-wells who have elected to ride out the end of the world in their campers and converted vans, constantly on the move over the back roads of America.

Genres: Science Fiction, Dystopia, Cyberpunk, LGBT, Young Adult, Science Fiction Fantasy, Fiction

336 pages, Paperback

First published August 24, 2021

About the author

R.W.W. Greene is the author of "The Light Years" (Feb. 2020)," "Twenty-Five to Life" (Aug. 2021), "Mercury Rising" (May 2022), and "Earth Retrograde" (Oct. 2023), all from Angry Robot Books. Member of SFWA.

Reviews

[Richard Derus · Rating 4 out of 5]

AUTHOR GREENE SENT ME A DRC OF THIS TITLE AT MY REQUEST. THANK YOU.

My Review: You know that itchy little something that lives in the back of your brain? The one that says "...but...wait...what was...?" in a still, small voice but never quite speaks what it is you've forgotten? That's what happened to me with this book. I knew I wanted it...go look at my review for The Light Years ...but forgot it was coming out this month. Completely. Until about a week ago.

Way too late to hit up the publisher, in other words. Fuck!

But given that Rob and I follow each other on Twitter, I used my privileged access (snort!) and DMed him to beg for a DRC in my preferred format. Next thing I knew it was in my inbox and I was off to the races. A week, though, isn't a lot of time to read something for a review. Contrary to the openly expressed opinion of a Famous SF Writer who, on Facebook, called my reviews "mediocre," I do expend a goodly amount of effort to engage with what it is I think the writer is trying to do, and if they've succeeded at it, in my opinion. Are there longueurs of style, are there errors of fact, and how exactly did I end up feeling about the story I was being told?

The news is good, readers. Author Greene does it again. He's made a post-apocalyptic future of Left-Behinders not only readable but fun.

Julie, twenty-three, is on her way into an underage person's rave-type party as we meet her. Mother signed off on her attendance..."just don't let anyone film you!"...and here she is, ready to have all the pharma-fun she can! The state wants people happy, so there are implants that go in as soon as possible; they give out SSRIs like they're nothing because, well, that's what the people Left Behind on Earth can expect: Nothing. The planet's given itself a terrible fever to get rid of the infection of Humanity, and it's working. Hence the Best and Brightest going to the Stars.

Julie, goddesses please bless her, wants...something. It's not going to happen if she stays where she is, so she makes the changes necessary (hello, drug withdrawal aka "brain zaps"!) and joins the Volksgeist. They're the few remaining souls who'd rather experience life instead of simply existing through it. Julie joins their caravan of fools (das NarrenVan?) and begins Life with Ranger, an older woman who takes her in and renames her "Runner." (It really fits.) And the novel goes On the Road!

The way things unfold is partly a commentary on the difficulty of detoxing from the astonishingly complex cocktail of brain-altering stuff we routinely ingest. This means Runner has periodic, what to call them, lapses? lacunae? in her sense of time and in the narrative of the story. Since that means some sorts of things don't get described (a party is simply not dealt with, only its aftermath, for example), it can feel a bit frustrating. I wanted to, like Runner herself, experience it all...but what happens in the telling is that I was given the sense of experiencing it as Runner did herself...a subtle, but bold, decision on Author Greene's part. I think it was successful in reinforcing my sense of Runner's reality, her actual experience, though I might've chosen a different course given the chance.

What do road novels do best? They give you a broad spectrum of experiences...and that's here, as well. The community of the Volksgeist is one amorphous, boundary-permeable entity. The places it rests are both changed by the experience of the group being there and the group is changed by additions and deletions of personal choices to remain or join. It makes the entire novel feel as though the goal is Canterbury, and the Wife of Bath will be here momentarily. While I'm medievalizing, since we've already got the Ship of Fools and the Pilgrim's Tale, let me point out that this is very much a morality play as well. Ranger and Runner, the Odd Couple in a way, are experiencing in unmediated form the consequences of my generation's criminal neglect of the warning signs of catastrophe to come. There's not a single thing that happens to the Volksgeist that isn't perfectly possible to believe is happening now, or to see how it will in the term left to me of my own life.

It doesn't look good. It doesn't make my generation look good. And it makes for one helluva good story.

On sale the 24th, tomorrow from when I'm writing this; preorder it now. You WILL want to have it ASAP.

[K.J. Charles]

Sort of like Cormac McCarthy was fun to read: a dystopian tale set in a climate-collapse US, where under-25s have been stripped of legal agency, mood implants and VR keep the population numb, and everyone knows the world's on its way out. This is pretty damn bleak reading especially in the first few chapters, but we're sustained when Julie finally makes a break for freedom and hits the road with old hand Ranger. It's picaresque rather than plot-driven, taking us on a road trip just because, but this is an intriguing world to spend time in with a very likeable main character growing into herself.

[Justine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. I really liked this.

Imagine the excellent film* Nomadland set in the near future as the environment continues to collapse, and society inevitably follows along, stumbling and unwinding. It's not a nice thought, but it's also already here if you choose to look.

So, what does a young person do in such times? Take a moderately comfortable if restricted lifestyle, live online and turn inward because the view outward is just too much to deal with? Or do you go on the road and see what there is still left to see, dangerous, polluted, decaying though it may be?

Twenty-Five to Life is the new kind of coming of age story, where growing up means deciding how you fit into a world where everything is crumbling fast.

Despite the obviously depressing and oh so realistic vision of our near future, there is still an air of hopefulness in the story. The notion that there will always be something you can do to help those around you, and you can choose to live that truth rather than fall away with the rest.

*The excellent film was of course inspired by the book Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century

[Dannii Elle · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story begins as the world is ending. Julie Riley is still two years shy of being classed as an adult and yet has no hopes of a career, a home, a family, or a world to live in once she comes of age. Her hopeless situation is shared by the billions still left on planet Earth. A pharma emplant and virtual reality numb the pain of such an existence but for Julie this is not enough.

She finds a group of travellers who live a life on the road. It is free and it is wild. It comes with all the smells, the pollution, the thugs, and the suffering that Julie has been taught to fear but it also delivers all the thrills, the freedom, the character, and the exhilaration that she is seeking as well.

This really is a road trip book like no other. I appreciated how the constant travelling allowed for an ever-increasing understanding of the geography of this future version of our world to form. I also loved how the exploration of this bleak dystopian landscape revealed the communities and individuals that worked hard to thrive inside of it. It was a novel initially full of much desperation and despondency, but this soon gave way to much heart and humanity.

The focus remained on the meaning of life. When society crumbled and the prospect of the much promoted, traditional landmarks of adult life were no longer there, each individual was left to discover what they longed for and what they were made for, by themselves. Society might have expanded past its parameters and become unable to continue flourishing in the face of rising sea levels, dwindling resources, viruses, climate change, and overpopulation but that did not mean the individual also had to whither along with it. Right at the very end of the world, when each was facing their own mortality every single day, was when Julie and those she travelled with learned the most about what it truly meant to live.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, R.W.W. Greene , and the publisher, Angry Robot, for this opportunity.

[8stitches 9lives · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twenty-Five to Life is an exciting alternative history with aliens, an immortal misanthrope and sci-fi tropes aplenty. Set around seven decades from now, America has been hit with cataclysmic climate change and has limited the ability of those under the age of 25 to vote and receive full citizenship. Apparently, this is to solve some of the first world problems currently blighting the country and to protect the job market, lower the extreme shortage in housing and to help an overwhelmed infrastructure run more smoothly. The elite are to be ferried away to Proxima Centauri, their new home planet by six colony ships. However, the rest of humanity is left behind to die out including 23-year-old Julie Riley. 10 billion people left to just fade away, disintegrate.

The bulk of the story is about Julie’s attempts to survive and to push the thought of the apocalypse she is experiencing to the back of her mind. This is a compelling, thought-provoking and thoroughly original science fiction novel peopled by engaging yet flawed and authentic characters who inhabit a well-built world. It's dark, but the humour and optimism brighten the mood every once in a while, and I found that it was a stark reminder of what is to come for our species if we don't start making changes regarding climate. If you're looking for plenty of action and thrills then this is not the book for you, however, if you enjoy books that consider and ruminate upon deeper real-world issues in intriguing contexts then this will be as captivating to you as it was for me.

[Anj✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Humanity is doomed, some are living on the moon, some are traveling in space with the high hopes that they can establish colonies, while most are left on Earth, slowly dying of poisoning.

Enters Julie, two years shy of being classified as adult with no hopes of a job or even a world to live. Her helpless situation made her want more... She finds herself joining the Volksgeist, people who live on the road. And the road trip like no other begins.

Twenty-Five to Life really surprised me (in a good way). It's more than an apocalyptic road trip book and the usual "Earth is dying, we gotta move to the next planet" trope; it's a coming of age story where it focuses on the meaning of life, survival, and hope. Knowing it's from ARB, I shouldn't have been surprised coz they always publish great books 💯

It's character-driven, thought-provoking, and original. Twenty-Five To LIfe examines people's reasons for leaving a life of convenience behind, what happens if society crumbles, and what it really means to live. The book perfectly balances hopelessness and desperation of humanity and adds humor, so it wouldn't be so bleak. It was slow paced, but it was a contemplative and enjoyable one. If you're looking for an action-packed book, this is not the one.

The characters are likable yet flawed. At each stop that Julie and Ranger makes, there are always new learning we can glean, from learning to drive, to making soap, and learning something from communities they meet along the way. The dynamics between these two is heartwarming and well-written.

Overall, this was an enjoyable and interesting read. It's well-written, thoughtful, and optimistic.

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love when a book surprises me, and that’s exactly what happened with Twenty-Five to Life. At first glance, it seems to be your typical “the Earth is dying and can no longer sustain life, so let’s launch some generation ships into space and colonize a new planet” story. I mean, those are a dime a dozen, right? But instead of focusing on the spaceship and those lucky people who were chosen for the journey, R.W.W. Greene tells the story of the ones who were left behind, specifically a group of vagabonds who have eschewed living in tiny government issued cubes, and instead have hit the road to travel across a barren United States, stopping at campsites along the way, learning how to survive with limited resources and food, and basically living off the land on their own terms. This isn’t an action or plot heavy story, but wow did I have fun with it!

Julie is twenty-three, but in the eyes of the law she’s still a minor. In this future United States, the 30th Amendment has changed the legal age from eighteen to twenty-five, supposedly as a way to conserve resources and protect the job market. Julie has barely any rights, and her mother treats her like a teenager and won’t allow her to make any big decisions about her future for another two years. When she makes an announcement that they’re leaving Julie’s beloved childhood home and moving to the big city, Julie decides to run away—an illegal move that could land her in prison if she’s caught. 

Julie is fascinated by a movement called the volksgeist—where people who are disillusioned with the restraints of modern life travel the country in beat up vans and trucks instead of settling down. Once she hits the road, she meets a woman named Ranger who agrees to take Julie to meet up with a large caravan. Traveling in Ranger’s old van, which she calls Juniper, Julie learns how to survive without modern conveniences. Life on the road is dangerous, but it’s also made up of a community of friendly people who are willing to help those in need. But is this the life that Julie really wants?

Twenty-Five to Life is sort of an unusual coming of age story. Julie isn’t a kid in our eyes, but in her world she’s treated like one. I loved the author’s decision to make this a road trip story and have Julie go through lots of growth and changes over the course of about six months. And she has plenty of hurdles to jump. First, her best friend Anji is one of the lucky ones on the journey to Proxima Centauri, and not only is she missing her, but she feels bad about being left behind. When she runs away and meets Ranger, her life goes from one of safety and ease to one of danger and uncertainty. On the road, you eat whatever you can catch or trade with other travelers, you risk running into gangs and other unsavory characters who might want to kill you, and heaven forbid your vehicle breaks down and leaves you stranded. It’s a harsh life, but it gives Julie the opportunity to finally make her own decisions.

This is a character focused story, and luckily all the characters are really well developed. Julie seems younger than her age, but I think it’s because society has told her she’s basically still a kid. She starts out fairly immature, but grows up on the road, learning all sorts of survival skills she probably thought she’d never need. Ranger was a fantastic character as well. She’s been on the road for years, and when she meets Julie, she’s headed West to the ocean. At first she doesn’t care if Julie sticks with her or not, but as time goes by, the two develop a nice friendship. My other favorite character was a woman named Gretchen who is a friend of Ranger’s. She’s a hacker and runs her own computer network. She’s also a mechanic and honestly can do just about anything, and she’s sort of a lifeline for Ranger, helping her out from time to time from her secret home base. Many of the people they meet along the way are simply side characters, introduced for brief scenes and then gone forever, but overall it made sense for the rambling, ever changing life they live on the road.

I absolutely loved Greene’s worldbuilding. Some things feel familiar, like a devastated United States, ruined by floods, earthquakes and climate change, and an internet-like online space called ThirdEye. But I also enjoyed Greene’s unique touches, like the "emplants" most people get that deliver a steady stream of drugs to your system—for pain or to balance your mood or even to keep you from getting pregnant. What I really loved, though, is that as soon as Julie meets Ranger, the story takes on a really cool Wild West vibe. It isn’t illegal to become a vagabond, but there are rules that state how long you are allowed to stay in one place. Most caravans stop in large, abandoned parking lots to set up camp for a few days, in order to rest and recharge. It’s also a great opportunity to make new friends, and there’s always a campfire burning to greet newcomers—it’s polite to announce “Hello, the fire!” when you arrive. I loved the feeling of camaraderie among these “tramps” as they’re sometimes called—they trade food and other goods with each other, share tips about road conditions, and yes, even enjoy hook ups at times.

But the vast stretches of roads are also full of looters, gangs and other dangerous characters. Everyone carries weapons and has lookout drones, and you better be ready to fight if you run into one of them. Julie and Ranger have a few dangerous and gruesome encounters themselves, and these sections were pretty tense and exciting! Despite these dangers, though, most people on the road will agree that it’s worth the risk to be free and doing their own thing, rather than living a predictable life in the city.

If you’re looking for a more grounded “dying Earth” story about the people left behind, you’ll probably love Twenty-Five to Life. I’m so glad I got the chance to read this book, and I look forward to reading more from this author.

Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.

[Reese Hogan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read an ARC of this for a blurb, and thoroughly enjoyed it! Here is the quote I provided:

Following a timeless search for individuality and meaning amid a stark and relatable future, Twenty-Five to Life explores the fine line that separates segments of society living a dystopian reality from those living a post-apocalyptic one. Engaging and memorable.

[T.O. Munro · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to get an ARC of this book which I really enjoyed.
A full review can be read on the Fantasy Hive here

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has been on my shelf for something like two years! I always had it on my TBR pile but never got around to it, so, finally, I … got around to it! And I’m glad I did, as Twenty-Five to Life is an engrossing novel that was much more contemplative than I expected.

This novel features an unending road trip - a life constantly in transit.

It’s also a novel about protest, going against the expected grain, and finding adventure despite the risk. Julie decides she doesn't want to live a life only plugged into the VR world, escaping the mundanity and doom around her, and that she’d rather be uncomfortable and have genuine experiences than be comfortable and suffer ennui. She also learns a great deal about herself, society, and growing up. It’s one of those novels with a younger protagonist but it’s not a YA - the novel doesn’t skirt over the dangers of living on the road, but it also shows how most people do look out for one another.

I would almost call this novel pre-apocalyptic. While the world isn’t destroyed, it is environmentally bleak and a great deal of the population has moved to cities, leaving behind abandoned buildings and towns. Cops use drones to patrol these areas, kicking out anyone who tries to squat, but there are a lot of apocalypse tropes in the novel, enough that I think anyone who likes that genre will enjoy this book.

I loved the characters. Julie is naive and a bit sheltered, but she’s determined to prove her worth and value to herself and her driving partner, Ranger. The latter holds her cards close to her chest, but as Julie gets to know her, so do we. We don’t know her as much as we do Julie, but she serves as a great mentor character to Julie. It sometimes feels like we’re learning the ropes of the transient lifestyle as much as Julie is.

One thing I also really enjoyed was the concept of upping the legal age to twenty-five. Julie can’t do all the things she wants to do: move out on her own, get a job, etc, because she’s not allowed. This, while not entirely realistic, works more as a parallel to the situation of many young people today - those who want to work but their fields are full of those who won't retire (or companies who only hire contract employees), young people who can’t afford housing or even rent, and young people who are held back by the coddling bestowed upon them by their parents (and who are then blamed for it). Like a lot of people today, Julie feels trapped by society itself. It’s an understandable issue - I think anyone, even those who grew up in affluence, understands being in your early twenties and just wanting to get out and explore.

Speaking of exploration, all the action aspects of the novel move at a good pace and it's clear what's going on. Nothing felt too over-the-top (either in the dangers they face or how they escape situations), and it was wholly engaging. It was also nice to have a story about a young woman - especially one written by a dude - where romance wasn’t her end goal or even a part of the story.

Overall, I really enjoyed this novel. I stayed up way too late reading "just one more chapter." I definitely recommend this novel, which is what seems to happen when you leave things to ferment on your TBR!

[Shannon Miz · Rating 5 out of 5]

You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight

I know that this is my type of book, no question there. But I had no idea how hard I would fall for it, either! I loved this story, in that special way that leaves you satisfied at the end, but also a little sad because you just don't want it to end. It's a "oh crap, the apocalypse is nigh" sort of situation, with our main character Julie watching her best friend set off for planets unknown, leaving Julie behind stuck on a dying Earth. When Julie's mom announces that she's selling their home, basically sentencing Julie to live her days in a cube existing on virtual reality. This doesn't sound like a real way to live to Julie, so she gets out of there, stat. 

Only problem? At twenty-three, she's still considered a minor in the eyes of the law. She has few resources, and knows no one, but has heard of a group of nomadic folks who refuse the VR life, too, and hopes to connect with them. And when she does, the real magic begins. Oh, and I should mention, people aren't exactly allowed to roam freely around the country. The government put the kibosh to that, so they have to keep moving. And while there is a lot of travel (in the form of road trips, which I adore) in the book, it's definitely more of a focus on Julie, the characters she encounters, and the world in general. And yes, there are all kinds of threats along the way, no question! It isn't a slow book by any means, but it is a very thoughtful and heartfelt one, and it gives us such an incredible insight into Julie and the world around her. 

Bottom Line: I loved every single minute of this thoughtful and eerily plausible adventure.

[Permanently_Booked · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a genre merging mix of dystopian sci-fi that focuses on found families and finding the courage to embrace life when the world is at its end.

Reading this made me think of Mad Max meets The Road. Julie lives in a world that is dying of pollution and disease. As the selected few are being whisked off on a generation ship to start life over, those left behind either choose the VR Cube life or risk life outside that protection.

I liked the pollution riddled world building and different types of off the grid groups Julie meets as she makes her escape out of safety. Ranger is by far my favorite character. She's hardened, street smart but also has a big heart. The unlikely duo between Julie and Ranger sets the character growth and depth of the novel for me. Something I can see being a movie.

This novel is a slower build of character driven story line. The reactions and scenarios are realistic, the idea behind the story is creepily possible in certain aspects and the breakdown of humanity at the core makes you consider current day situations. A road trip down the lane of survival and possibility.

I'd recommend this to readers who enjoy the more "on the road" dystopian novels with sci-fi elements. Special thank you to @angryrobotbooks for bringing another new author to my shelves and satisfying my eclectic genre tastes.

[Athena (OneReadingNurse) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Posting reviews for the blog tour on the 31st!

Definitely a good one for ppl who like dystopian / speculative / climate change / deep thoughts

[Tom Bookbeard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Synopsis

There’s the lucky few who boarded the colony ships bound for Venus. Then there’s the rest of us left behind to either stim the days away in cubes or hit the open road with the Volksgeist and ignore the fact Earth is dying.

For Julie, life in the ‘burbs is a string of medicated monotony. Not yet considered an adult despite being in her early 20s, she attempts to leave the technological comforts of the ThirdEye network behind. She escapes to enter the world of the caravans and the volksnet, riding with the world-weary woman who calls herself Ranger as they rub shoulders with travellers, raiders, seniors, and wanderers of the back roads.

Review

Hello, the fire!

Wow. This book hooked me. Greene’s not-too-distant dystopian future really hits home. He drops us into a world ravaged by hurricanes, pollution, and 90 variants of COVID without so much as a functioning airbag to cushion the fall.

Neo-millennial Julie’s struggle to break out of the boredom and hopelessness of her existence is one we immediately emphasise with. Everyone feels stuck at one stage or other and Julie is no different. The crude removal of most of her emplant (social media and pharmaceutical dispensary all together in one subdermal device) sees Julie physically and symbolically free herself from the oppressive society left back on Earth by the privileged few exiting the planet on colony ships.

We follow Julie as she is then transported to the world of the caravans. There unfurls a sci-fi homage to Kerouac’s On the Road and classic King coming of age stories. Travellers go by their road names; Julie receives the name “Runner” from her wizened old road mentor, Ranger. The duo meets so many colourful characters perfectly-summarised by these road names: Kinks, Coop, Crunch, Fire and Ice, the Dame; you name a character, and you’ll find them outside the ‘burbs. It’s such simple yet brilliant characterisation.

With much of the book set either in Ranger’s clapped out van or caravan camps, Twenty-Five to Life is incredibly dialogue heavy, with the story advancing through the many campfire conversations and road trips. The voices are clear and distinct as Greene examines people’s reasons for leaving modern convenience behind. Julie herself grows in confidence as she quickly adapts. Each campsite brings new characters and personalities to discover, as well as scenarios and dangers Julie and Ranger must overcome. Gangs, cult suicides, guns, and reality TV; it’s a post-apocalyptic Americana and it’s all portrayed brilliantly under a rusty lens.

Summary

I like what the book is trying to say, and it accomplishes this well. It’s eerie how close we are to ravishing our own planet and here Greene is showing us the results. The desire to leave everything behind and hit the road will always be a prevalent part of human culture, no matter how advanced modern convenience becomes. The wasteland is stark but wonderful. The road is long, it’s unforgiving, but there’s a lot of beauty we can find along the way. Welcome to the park!

[Junkyard Attic · Rating 5 out of 5]

The spaceships have left for Proxima Centauri, carrying the lucky few who get to leave climate-devastated Earth. The rest of humanity can hole up in the government sponsored cubes and spend their lives logged into Third Eye, or if they're a little more reckless, join the Volksgeist, a network of caravans and tramps slowly traveling what remains of the USA. That's what Julie does, two years before she reaches the age of twenty-five, when she will officially be considered an adult.

It's weird to describe a dystopia as optimistic, but that's how this book made me feel, mostly because of Julie's relationship with Ranger, the highly capable woman who takes Julie onboard her van, the skills they use to survive, and the community they meet along the way. I would happily read more stories set in this future.

File Under: Science Fiction [ #VanLife | Driving Out and Growing Up | No (wo)man left behind | Cube Route ] -- Edelweiss summary copy

[Patrick L · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book as an ARC

That being said, I can't wait until August to get a hard copy of the book. In a near future ruined by basically everything we do today, and where legal adulthood doesn't start until you are 25, life kind of sucks as a 23-year-old. When everyone is either trying to eke out life in the burbs before they end up in a cube in the city on the government dole, what are you supposed to do if you want more from life? Do you try and find the weirdos that have turned their back on that cube-city life and caravan across what is left of the US? OF COURSE YOU DO!

This book is as much about how we are pretty close to a crap future if we don't get our stuff together, as much as its about growing up in a time where things are probably just going to stay bad (which hits kind of close to home). I loved this book and if you have a chance, you should read it, too.

I am keeping this short because there is too much that would give away the good parts, including the author poking fun at himself. Buy(or borrow) this book and enjoy the ride--pun intended.

R.W.W. Greene's second book is a fun and exciting read right from the start and you won't be disappointed.

[Jenny (ofproseandspells) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to thank Angry Robot Books for hosting this book tour and providing the review copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Just when I thought I was getting a bit tired of reading dystopian novels, Twenty-Five to Life by R.W.W. Greene rekindled my love and interest for this genre. Both thought-provoking and engaging, it was a coming of age story where one sought their purpose in life while stubbornly holding on to hope despite the worst situations.

The story followed a 23-year-old Julie Riley. Determined to avoid living the rest of her life wasting inside a cube, she decided to run away to join the Volksgeist: people who travelled the country in their beat up vans and trucks instead of settling in one place. Later on, she met a woman named Ranger. While travelling, Julie learned to survive without the luxuries she had while growing up, met different people, and learned their stories. Life on the road was definitely not a walk in the park, but was this the way of life Julie trying to achieve?

As a character-driven plot, this novel did not have much action. Most of the novel were conversations and interactions with people the main characters met during their road trip. I found these conversations fascinating as they also became a big factor for Julie’s growth and development. They also highlighted how even when all were facing this one whole problem, not everyone was on the same boat. Each had their own struggles and burdens but still trying to survive. On the other hand, I liked how the author balanced the depressing atmospheric feeling with that undying flicker of hope throughout the novel. The worldbuilding was well-crafted as it felt foreign yet at times familiar. The overall setting was a little bit frightening because it might happen in the future.

Characterwise, I really liked both Julie and Ranger and their partnership. Julie’s character growth was so well-written. She started as quite immature and had the know-it-all attitude, but as she hit the road with Ranger, her eyes opened to the dangers and reality and slowly learned survival skills and right attitude. Ranger was an incredible character as well. She knew the nook and cranny of the road, and she was a good mentor and dependable partner. Julie and Ranger’s dynamic was on point, and it really gave off a lot of feminist vibes.

Overall, Twenty-Five to Life by R.W.W. Greene was more than just a coming of age story: its story started in the dying world only to let individuals discover how they wanted to live. With its riveting plot and relatable, flawed characters, this novel conveyed an unforgettable story. I highly recommend this novel to people who enjoy dystopian stories!

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

One hundred years into the future, and Earth is past the point of no return. The Mars colony can’t sustain itself, and the best and brightest have been shipped out of the solar system. Twenty Five to Life is about the people left behind. Julie is sick of her prospect-less life with the only future left left to her is a cube with a VR addiction. She runs away and joins The Volksgeist, a loose band of misfit caravaners that roams what’s left of the United States.

When describing Twenty Five to Life, I think zombie apocalypse without the zombies or Ready Player One but about the people who’ve shunned the OASIS. This book exemplifies the philosophy of “It’s about the journey, not the destination.” This is a road trip without a set route or a fixed destination. We follow Julie as she meets up and exchanges stories with a wide range of characters on the road. Through trials and conversations, Julie learns to see past her poorly informed beliefs and prejudices and discovers that there may still life worth living in a hopeless world.

I probably would never have picked up Twenty Five to Life as it’s not the typical book I usually read (and the loss would have been mine). It is not a giant science fiction spectacle, but rather a slice of life that explores the world we may very well see in the not-so-distant future. It never gets preachy and doesn’t aim to lecture. It is a short, thought-provoking read that delivers on its premise and leaves us wondering what we would do in this near-dystopian world.

I received a physical copy of this book from Angry Robot Books as part of a book tour in exchange for a post.

[Jacey · Rating 3 out of 5]

When a humanity-saving expedition to Proxima Centauri leaves the Earth taking one of Julie's close friends with it, Julie is left behind, one of the billions on the dying Earth. Oh, it's not about to explode tomorrow, but the air is full of dangerous particulates and most people have been housed in cubes, kept doped up to the eyeballs by constant attachment to virtual reality feeds. When Julie's mother decides to move out of the family home in a failing suburb, Julie, still a minor at 23, is faced with life in a city cube… or… she can go on the road and hope to fall in with the Volksgeist, groups of tramps, hoboes and free citizens in their collection of ramshackle campers, and converted vans. So she goes on the road. Since she's not a legal adult until she's 25, Julie is a runner. Luckily she meets up with Ranger, an experienced road warrior whose lungs are none too healthy. There's a lot to learn, from driving (which she'd never been allowed to do) and how to pack the van to making soap and bio diesel from used cooking oil.

It's a coming of age story, but it's also a travelogue of this dysfunctional, dystopian world. To be honest it doesn't really have a plot other than, 'Julie goes travelling and meets a lot of people, some good, some not,' but it's an interesting read with, on balance, more good folks than bad. Julie is an engaging protagonist and Ranger is an interesting character who becomes Julie's mentor.

[Matt Shaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is not exactly "Thelma and Louise" meets "Damnation Alley," it is certainly not that monstrous, but then again it's not exactly anything else either. Greene's Twenty-Five to Life is an engaging, dark, buddies-on-the-road tale across a post-environmental-collapse landscape of anarchy and Buggets (little "meat" nuggets apparently made of processed insect protein). The close interplay between the two main characters, Ranger and Runner, is credible and engaging; they carry the reader through the text even when the plot itself is dragging or thin. The world of 2090 or so is pretty well-imagined, if nigh hopeless for those left on Earth, and the reader gets to know pretty much just what the characters know; that limited perspective is a strength of the book really.

Having deeply enjoyed Greene's debut, The Light Years, I dove into this book with high expectations. This book is competent and intelligent, but doesn't really sparkle with originality or dynamism in plot or character growth. Twenty-Five to Life is quite good and I'd suggest it to someone looking for another post-apocalyptic journey, but it doesn't tell me anything particularly new.

[Beth Mowbray · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

📚B IS FOR BOOK REVIEW📚

📔Title: Twenty-Five to Life
🖋Author: R.W.W. Greene
🗓Pub Date: 08.24.21

🗂Genre:
Apocalyptic fiction, Cli-fi, Sci-Fi

📖Plot:
In a not-so-distant future, the Earth’s climate has been damaged beyond repair. (Imagine that!) The U.S. government is shutting down suburban sprawl and encouraging people to live in urban centers packed with small pods (read: shoebox size apartments) equipped with VR to entertain (read: distract and subdue) the masses. Meanwhile a last-chance mission has begun, sending a select group off to colonize Proxima Centauri in hopes of saving the entire human race. Julie Riley, not yet 25 and therefore not yet able to make her own decisions as an adult, has decided she is tired of just waiting around to see what will happen. So, she takes matters into her own hands, running off to live among the Volksgeist, a group of wanderers who have decided to live out their remaining days on the road. Julie soon finds out, though, this lifestyle isn’t what it seemed from the outside …

🗝Themes:
Survival, examination of humanity, environmental stewardship, finding oneself, coming of age, friendship

💭Thoughts:
I’ve always loved apocalyptic fiction. There’s something about the examination of what happens to human nature under the most dire of circumstances that continually appeals to me. Greene has crafted a beautifully wandering tale here. Unlike many apocalyptic books, sure there is action, but it takes the back seat to the characters in this novel. Julie and the friends she makes on the road are well-developed and you will quickly find yourself pulling for them. If you are looking for a bit of a different take on a familiar genre, this one may just be for you!

🗣Recommended for those who like:
Zone One by Colson Whitehead, The Passage by Justin Cronin, Anthropocene Rag by Alex Irvine

Thanks to the publisher for gifting me an advance electronic copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

[Leon Perniciaro · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is apocalyptic, but we live in apocalyptic times. Still, it's about finding community (even when everything is falling apart), about not accepting the roles we're given, about hanging onto hope and fighting for a future, even a little one.

If you liked Cory Doctorow's Walkaway, you'll like this book (they have somewhat similar premises and political outlooks, but the stories are very different).

(I got this book as an ARC through NetGalley.)

[mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jack Kerouac meets Neal Stephenson for an ad hoc road trip in near-apocalyptic dystopia, and all the usual suspects are there: adventure and danger; cyberpunk-esque tech, society and subcultures; sex, drugs, and rock and roll; and lots of interesting characters.

[Reid Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finding a SF book that presents the reader with something new and thought-provoking seems to be R.W.W. Greene's forte - Twenty-Five to Life takes the classic "the Earth is dying so we must escape" trope and flips it on its head. Greene continues to show why he is one of the better writers pushing the bounds of SF; his characters feel authentic, lifelike and flawed, and he does an admirable job of just allowing them to live within the world he's defined. As you progress through the story, Greene presents the reader with situations and ideas that are slowly expanded and mulled over, allowing for thought and internal conversation without ever feeling heavy-handed. With The Light Years (Greene's first novel) having been one of my favorite books of 2020, Twenty-Five to Life is presenting a strong case for a repeat.

[Marian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a cheerful read, but a good one.

I can't say this was a fun book to read and, in fact, I was deeply depressed with the beginning which was hitting too close to home, I guess. But Julie's journey was interesting and I ended up with a more hopeful feeling.

[Charles · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cyberpunkish, Dying Earth, Road Trip novel, set 50+ years in the future. In the remanents of the United States, Just Before the End of a Gaia's Lament-type collapse a young woman becomes a Defector from Paradise . Along the way she acquires a Cynical Mentor to help her on her journey.


Ranger's ride named Juniper, when she was new and just "off the lot"?

My dead tree copy was a modest 318 pages with a US 2021 copyright.

R.W.W. Greene is a Science-Fiction Writer, Recovering Journalist and Teacher. He's the author of four novels of science fiction in series and standalone. This was the first book I've read by the author.

TL:DR

The effects of: pandemics, super-viruses, pollution, and global climate change have mutilated and depopulated the suburban and rural United States. Julie Riley has not yet reached the future age of majority (the titular 25-years old) when she "hits the road". She joins the Volksgeist:

A rolling freakshow, a home for runaways, criminals and anyone who didn't fit into or want to live in a cube.

A cube was the windowless, 100 square feet (9 sq m), that along with Universal basic income and a free, addictive form of VR in the lower levels of environmentally secure, inner city, residential towers was the entitlement of unemployed or unemployable US citizens. ( panem et circenses ) The wealthy, and the employed have windowed, larger accomodations higher in the towers. (Julie was also a Child of Privilege.) The unemployed were most folks. This was due to Job-Stealing Robots and AI leaving fewer jobs and their Long Lived elders hanging-on to those few available.

Serendipitously, whilst "on the run" Julie makes the aquantnce and becomes the mentee of Ranger. She's a legendary wagonmaster of Volkgeist caravans traveling north-south and east-west on the byways of the rump-United States. Ranger becomes Julie's Sink-or-Swim Mentor in her Coming of Age Story as a Volkgeist tramp at the ripe, old age of 23.

Greene's worldbuilding was inspired. It also came with its many subplots. Fortunately, they blended well with Julie's Road Trip 'A' plot through most of the book. However, the pacing was a tad off. This was a short book, but the ending needed an additional 30-50 pages to complete the final plot movement. Greene Struggled to tie-up the subplots which stole attention from the climax. He might have been setting-up for a series? However, that wasn't clear from the furball at the end either.

The Review

I found a new (to me) Indie Bookstore. The owner of it, despite making money hand-over-fist selling Romantasy novels to young women of indeterminate age, and non-fiction to near-geezers, reads a lot of science fiction. He engaged me, when he saw the sneer on my face, whilst reading his handwritten recommendations for sf books I'd ground my heel on, in review, here at GR.

He's a canny old sod. He quickly realized I wasn't a starry-eyed, booblehead content just to have finished a real book. He pivoted to his shelves with books from Angry Robot Books . They're an Indie Publisher I was only vaguely aware of. He started putting handfuls of books by unknown Millennial sf authors and a few greybeards I recognized, into my arms. For every three he loaded me up with-- I put two back. Eventually, with an armful, I cried No más!

This book was one of the better I escaped from the store with, along with a US$10 handwritten coupon for my next purchase.

Full disclosure, I'm a fan of the near-defunct genre of Cyberpunk limping along on life support at the fringes of modern sf. This cyberpunk novel had my attention.

Greene is a polished author. The book was written in the professional, slightly too, regimented-style of the MFA badged, Millennial, although he's a late Gen-X. The writing was technically good. Prose was written in a clear fashion. I did not find any typographical or grammatical errors and only a few repetition errors.

Both dialog and descriptive prose were of the hipster, tech-style of the nouveau-Cyberpunk. Dialog was good. In particular, Julie's inner dialog displayed the jejune attitude of someone incarcerated in a long, legal adolescence. In places I chuckled, although I never laughed-out-loud. The descriptive narrative was good, although it may be too technically complex to some folks. However, I recall the few info dumps and technospeak to have been brief and well-within the cyberpunk genre's bounds. Frankly, I really liked the dialog and descriptive prose. It was: wry, savvy, technical, and profane. However, it was mildly profane without the Shit, piss, fucks. I liked what I read.

The book contained 55 chapters. Assuming a Three Act structure, the first two acts proceeded really well. It was in the Third Act that the Pacing Problems appeared. While the chapters were generally short, the final chapters were brief. The last 50-pages amounted to a Bum's Rush to the door, with Greene duct taping and zip tying story lines into place. It was not a good look. This was also a short book at 316 pages. He could have added another 30-50 pages to the book’s third act, to avoid the dry hump of the ending. After all, a >400 page, doorstop of modern, storytelling is common fare now in sf?

There was a single POV in the story—Julie Riley, the protagonist. She also answered to the Volkgiest sobriquet “Runner”. Julie starts out the story under the age of majority which by law was 25. (This reduced the demand for jobs in the rapidly shrinking jobs market.) She's in conflict with both society (Woman against society) and her famous and wealthy mother, head of their single-parent household. Her Goal In Life was ambiguous and limited by circumstances. The worst that could happen was to resign herself to a cube. She's also remarkably unexceptional. In addition, I was surprised how well (a man), did with his rendition of a Gen-Z woman (albeit transported 50+ years into the future). It wasn't completely perfect, but she didn't walk like a woman and talk like a man but vice-a-versa.

Ranger AKA Shannon was Julie’s mentor. She's the older, badass, lesbian, Volkgeist legend. Their relationship develops into the Master-Apprentice Chain . She also owned a vehicle (Juniper). A reliable “ride” was an essential accoutrement in the out-of-doors. Ranger “knows a guy or gal", or "knows a guy/gal who knows a guy or gal” when needed. Most Volkgeist either know or had heard of her.

Carson S, Julie's mother figures largely in the story's beginning. She's a beautiful, almost eternally young via the best healthcare money can buy woman, famous in media. She's doing her narcissistic best, with minimal effort to raise her only child. She also can't wait for Julie to turn 25, so she can unencumber herself.

The antagonists in the story mapped or partially mapped into all the primary literary conflicts. There was Woman vs. Woman with Julie and her mother, "Carson S" of media fame. There was Woman vs. Society with an enforced adolescence and a potentially jobless cubed future. Eventually this segues into the Wild West of the Volkgeist and the Volkgeist-adjacent groups. Woman vs. Nature was survival on the poisoned planet. And finally, Woman vs. Self as Julie unlearns her programming as a child of airconditioned privilege in the great outdoors.

There were numerous NPCs. They were thick-enough for their limited roles. Out-of-doors, they were stereotypes from New Old Western : bandits, saloon keepers, mechanics, and folks in wagon trains. In-doors, they were stereotypes borrowed from the cyberpunk genre: Hack0rs and Hackettes, AIs, sociopathic Soldier, and Salarymen/women.

The story contained: sex, drugs, and rock'n roll in an agreeable amount and form, at least for me. Julie was bisexual. She had occasional sex, both virtual and physical. All the sex was tastefully done, and of the fade to black variety. Marijuana and synthetic drugs were consumed. Folks hacked their embedded drug pumps to get high. Craft beer, home brewed was popular amongst the Volkgeist, as were Pruno-like intoxicants and industrial ethanol. Music references were appropriate for the mid-2050’s and later. Present day music was lumped into "Classic Rock". Greene put more thought into the music aspect of world building than most authors of future history.

Violence was: physical, blunt and edged weapons, and futuristic firearms. There were futuristic stunner and small arms gun battles. It was moderately descriptive. Armed drones did a lot of the dirty work. Note that violence both real and threatened against woman, due to the main characters being women, was involved. Julie was worked-over for her trouble. She proved to be moderately resilient. Ranger was too savvy to get hurt seriously. Body count was high.

Locations of the story were: Massachusetts to Georgia outside of Atlanta, west into the heartland Ohio rustbelt, south then west via the Oklahoma panhandle, the west coast with mention of Portland. Most of the eastern seaboard had a new shoreline. Some of it was hundreds of miles inland from the present. Most scenes took place on abandoned suburban and rural locations like disused mall parking lots and state or federal parks adjacent to the distressed secondary roads. Volkgeist vehicles not being rated for the existent, automated superhighways travelled on the collapsing secondary road network. Most urban scenes reminded me of either the upper floors of Trump Tower, or the confines of an internal cabin of a cruise ship.

This story was a mild techno-fest. Automation and AI was abundant. In major cities everyone had access to an immersive, free VR. Accommodations ranged from the airconditioned palatial to the air conditioned cell-like cubes. Out-of-doors, folks camped in a toxic miasma. Having a "camper" AKA Campervan was common. Where the fryer oil converted into bio-diesel that kept the non-EV rides on the move, and produced "French fry scented exhaust", came from involved some hand waving. A lot of food was synthetic or vegan. "Real meat", like Beef and pork were almost unknown, whilst poultry and fish were very rare. Even out-of-doors bushmeat could be contaminated. "Maker" printers produced most consumable goods, like clothing and spare parts for tech repairs. Where the "Maker Stock" came from or purchased wasn't mentioned? Cellular communications, including data was ubiquitous. (Everyone had mobiles.) Folks ranged in spectrum from completely wired to complete Luddites. How the 'campers' received a steady flow of technological consumables to survive in the contaminated: air, water, and soil was a tad vague. However, in general Greene's futurism was very good, and credible.

Summary

This story was a cyberpunkish combination of Mad Max: Fury Road and The Road .

I liked most of it. Folks having an interest in the near end-game of the climate apocalypse will find it a good read.

That the main characters in the story were women, and written by a man interested me. I typically find male authors end-up creating "boys with breasts" in the attempt. Although this story's characters were more like LGBTQIA+ pioneer women, hardened by the road, with Action Girl attributes, I didn't need a serious suspension of belief.

However, the more I like a book the more critical I become. This book had strong story plotting most of the way through, only to disappoint in the end. An extra 30-50 pages would have smoothed-out the third act.

If a cyberpunk, cly-fy, apocalyptic novel is your jam, you're going to like this. It’s hip, dense and technically accurate in places, and somewhat plausible. I'm putting Greene's Mercury Rising (First Planets #1) on my TBR.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just think for a moment of all the things you did before you were 25 that you couldn't have done if you lived in Julie's world. "Twenty-Five to Life" was a very thought-provoking story as well as being a thoroughly enjoyable one. The writing is perfect, the characters are not (they are far too real to be perfect!). I absolutely loved this book and think everyone should read it!

My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.

[Midu Hadi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I requested this book on Netgalley and I’m so glad that I did!

A good book for readers who don’t want to fully immerse themselves in a new universe but still want to enjoy road trip-based dystopian stories. Even so, I had no trouble caring for the protagonist. That said, I did feel a need for more explanation about why the world was the way it was.

In some ways, this book reminded me of the movie, Lou. If you haven’t seen it, do it now. Y’know those movies in which a cynical, retired spy who is living at the edge of the world is drawn into a last fight because of a naïve, innocent single mom and her abusive, murderous ex? It’s that but the spy is Allison Janney and not a male actor. She gives back as good as she gets and we also get a not-too unexpected twist at the end. In Twenty-Five to Life, we have a Lou-like Ranger who takes our protag under her wing. I liked her immediately!

Be warned, the going is slow and there isn’t much of a plot, except for a teenager runs away and faces the harsh reality.

[Jenny (ofproseandspells) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just when I thought I was getting a bit tired of reading dystopian novels, Twenty-Five to Life by R.W.W. Greene rekindled my love and interest for this genre. Both thought-provoking and engaging, it was a coming of age story where one sought their purpose in life while stubbornly holding on to hope despite the worst situations.

The story followed a 23-year-old Julie Riley. Determined to avoid living the rest of her life wasting inside a cube, she decided to run away to join the Volksgeist: people who travelled the country in their beat up vans and trucks instead of settling in one place. Later on, she met a woman named Ranger. While travelling, Julie learned to survive without the luxuries she had while growing up, met different people, and learned their stories. Life on the road was definitely not a walk in the park, but was this the way of life Julie trying to achieve?

As a character-driven plot, this novel did not have much action. Most of the novel were conversations and interactions with people the main characters met during their road trip. I found these conversations fascinating as they also became a big factor for Julie’s growth and development. They also highlighted how even when all were facing this one whole problem, not everyone was on the same boat. Each had their own struggles and burdens but still trying to survive. On the other hand, I liked how the author balanced the depressing atmospheric feeling with that undying flicker of hope throughout the novel. The worldbuilding was well-crafted as it felt foreign yet at times familiar. The overall setting was a little bit frightening because it might happen in the future.

Characterwise, I really liked both Julie and Ranger and their partnership. Julie’s character growth was so well-written. She started as quite immature and had the know-it-all attitude, but as she hit the road with Ranger, her eyes opened to the dangers and reality and slowly learned survival skills and right attitude. Ranger was an incredible character as well. She knew the nook and cranny of the road, and she was a good mentor and dependable partner. Julie and Ranger’s dynamic was on point, and it really gave off a lot of feminist vibes.

Overall, Twenty-Five to Life by R.W.W. Greene was more than just a coming of age story: its story started in the dying world only to let individuals discover how they wanted to live. With its riveting plot and relatable, flawed characters, this novel conveyed an unforgettable story. I highly recommend this novel to people who enjoy dystopian stories!

I would like to thank Angry Robot Books for providing the review copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This and more reviews at superstardrifter.com!~

This is the story of Julie Riley who lives in a fairly far-flung future United States where the world is more or less doomed, and humanity has both had people living on the moon, and sent out colony ships to Proxima Centauri.

Julie runs away from her cushy but restrictive life and joins a culture of tramps and hoboes in their caravans of campers, befriending a woman named Ranger who acts as a sort of caravan guard for the various groups that they come across. 

I liked Julie and cheered for her pretty easily. Ranger was also a cool character that I liked. The mentor/mentee relationship that evolved between the two of them was well written and kept me engaged with the story. I could see myself in Julie in a lot of ways.

There were a lot of little details that helped make this story seem more realistic. For example, when she runs away, Julie has an implant removed that had been steadily supplying her with antidepressants, and after a few days she starts having withdrawal symptoms. It was one of the most realistic descriptions of SSRI withdrawal (a symptom called 'brain zaps') that I've seen, and again, it helped me relate with Julie, because oh boy Julie do I know those feels. Seeing the consequences of her running away was very cool though. 

A lot of this book is paced rather slowly (by nature, I think), and occasionally it would have little time skips in it. So, Ranger and Julie would find a place to camp and be told that the next day there was going to be a big party, and I would get a little excited for the shenanigans that would inevitably go down at a big party of tramps and hoboes, only for the party to never be described. They'd go to bed and it would be two days later when the story continued. I found these annoying at times, because as I said, I'd be looking forward to hearing about whatever it was that was going to happen.

All told, it was a rather optimistic look at a dystopian United States. We see a group of people, or perhaps a class of people that are all in different groups, surviving what is essentially 'the end of the world' in their own way, and Ranger and Julie meet many, many different and unique characters on their journey. It was a slow ride, but I quite enjoyed it.

Thanks to the author, as well as Angry Robot for the review copy!~