Et cetera : What We're Reading: The Merge

Looking for an original dystopian novel to kick off the New Year? I’m about halfway through 'The Merge' by Grace Walker, and wow—she has created an incredible, unsettling world.

Set in the near future, the planet is dangerously overpopulated, essential resources are scarce and expensive, and climate change has devastated entire countries. Enter a powerful company that develops a radical solution: new technology that allows two beings to merge into one in order to reduce the population.

As you can imagine, things quickly spiral. The government seizes control, and citizens who resist merging face severe consequences—their homes are confiscated, they’re taxed into poverty, and many are pushed into homelessness and unrest. It’s bleak, disturbing, and frighteningly plausible.

Walker’s imagination is wild, and this story has been keeping me up at night, unable to stop thinking about where it might go. I don’t know how it ends yet, but the possibilities are endless—and terrifying. If you’re in the mood for a dystopian tour de force, definitely check this one out.

Happy reading, friends.

~Heather