Z’s Reviews > The Merge > Status Update

+VA’s
+slow burn w constant tension
+great twists
+emotional
+great sci fi themes to ponder
-needed more time w group members
-needed more inner conflict/rebelliousness from Amelia

Self ID, consent and sacrifice but set it to a medical background so you’re on edge always

4.5 round to 5 because honestly I enjoyed this and despite little things here and there I was here for the ride. And I still think of Laurie.

Annie spoke up at the conference in front of reporters! I mean that’s a badass who doesn’t give af, Alby has been fighting his way to Amelia the whole time and even got Eliza on board but Amelia…. Her journey couldn’t include these acts out of self-preservation but I wanted more at least inner conflict

We don’t get a strong rebelling from Amelia post op, at least for sci standards, it’s more be quiet and behave to get out so having her say okay at the end to pushing one last time didn’t feel quite so earned. And while not all rebellious acts are loud so to speak, it didn’t feel satisfying I think. Because Lara had her moment when she told Laurie in secret about her plans to self exit,

I think that the tech might have been better served if it were in even earlier trials than it actually was, and any use of it would be speculative like hey if this works imagine what we could do w it instead of it already being done. Cuz one billionaire against all religions doesn’t make sense to me. But alas, the book focuses on the characters not the background so I’ll let it go. I jsut needed to say it.

I think my only actual gripe is it’s kinda made out to be that merge tech is commonplace, many merged ppl exist etc etc. so seeing a merged speaker at their pre-op sessions shouldn’t surprise them and leading up to going Amelia’s life seems unaffected by climate change; there was also a mention of merging inmates… that seems like you’re making a person doubly capable of crime or dissent

I wish we had more time w the other group members pre op but I guess then the book would be 2 long. I got enough to distinctly know them but I think I wanted a little more. Especially since Ben/Annie were the least interacted with or shown but Annie is the one sitting w her in the end

I don’t think the twist on merge tech takes away from any of the character story or the problems they faced coming to their decisions

After the big reveal I felt so deflated. I knew something was coming and ofc didn’t guess that, but when Laurie stopped being a voice in her head I just knew. And I felt terrible. I had to stop because Laurie. Poor Laurie.

The book uses the merge as merely background setting and focuses on the characters and I loved it. I knew so much about the world but we didn’t live there for any of it. We were in the facility 90% of the time

After Jay’s jump I was shocked. Even though it’s “setup” this self exit through Lara’s own wishes, it still got me right through the chest. And now having finished, it hurts tenfold.

It touches on all the good little themes sci fi can hold a magnifying glass to: control, love, sacrifice, consent, and the most important self. Sprinkle in eugenics and you got yourself a stew! These topics are not explicitly delved into but just surfacing enough that it would make a great book club discussion

Review:
Yeah, that was great. The VA of Laurie was so loving in her memories of her daughter and I felt the pain in the memories with her own mother

I was on edge and anxious throughout but the uneasiness was so subtle but it’s there. You feel it. Something isn’t right. Amelia never outright addresses it but she can feel it too in her own subconscious ways