Review of The Dividing Line

[Okafor Prosper]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Dividing Line" by Blayne Brooks.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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It is over a decade into the future, and things are as unrecognizable as they have ever been. Humanoid androids, commonly known as Andys that were programmed for advanced functions with highly efficient self-learning capacities, are in complete control of the world and have subjected humans to living under their thumb, despite not having the capacity to harm humans, due to a code in their system. Isaac Clarke, a vinyl record merchant, finds himself in the most dangerous of situations when he is declared wanted by the Andys not just for his suspected involvement with an organization looking to overthrow the androids but also for his possession of a strange hard drive. Nevertheless, Isaac is mostly clueless about the whole situation, and just like him, we are left to ask the questions, how did he find himself in this situation, and why is the hard drive so important to the Andys?

Set in the United States of America, The Dividing Line by Blayne Brooks introduces readers to a scary, fictional world that is not difficult to imagine, especially with the technological advancements in the world today. The author has done a brilliant job of painting vivid pictures of both the positives and negatives of the world he has created. For example, through the rise of the Andys, they ensured world peace and disbanded all military units. Nevertheless, this peace comes at a great price, as humans' free will is basically nonexistent.

I thoroughly enjoyed how action-filled the story was, especially with the author's focus on providing detailed descriptions of each scene, just enough for us to visualize them. The author's brilliant execution of the suspense in the story was one of my favorite features, especially with the inclusion of close shaves that were in abundance since Isaac was constantly on the run from the all-knowing Andys. The stakes get even higher when you discover what the hard drive contains, and you will be left wondering the lengths the Andys will go to get their hands on it. In this regard, Blayne Brooks introduces an intriguing twist that I never saw coming, and the unpredictable twists keep on coming throughout the story.

As themes of friendship, love, power and the true meaning of humanity are explored in the story, there is a lot for readers to think about. I continuously questioned what values make us humans and if an android can be considered human if they possess such values, and the author provided a satisfactory answer through this story.

The Dividing Line is also a professionally edited book. The few errors I found did not have much impact on my reading flow. Concerning what I did not like about the book, it is hard to pick a fault in this book. If I had to be overly critical, I would point to how quickly Isaac and his love interest Annilee's relationship advanced, especially since Isaac had a girlfriend who they both didn't seem to be bothered about.

All things considered, I rate The Dividing Line four out of four stars. I considered reducing the rating for the minor faults I discussed, but ultimately, the book's fast-paced, suspenseful, and thought-provoking nature convinced me otherwise. Readers who enjoy sci-fi novels and thrillers will find a lot to enjoy in this book.

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The Dividing Line
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[Ekezie1998]

Quite an intriguing plot here. Would definitely love to have this one on my shelf. Great review.

[NetMassimo]

It's not easy to create a good story out of a trite premise (Isaac Clarke makes me think of Isaac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke...), so it's great to see that this one was successful. Thank you for your great review!

[Immaculate06]

It is not easy to create a fascinating book that would be engaging to readers. The book involves many themes. Good review.