Official Review: The Wagon Driver by David Berardelli

[Bonnie Shelby]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Wagon Driver" by David Berardelli.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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We offer death - quick and painless. What could be easier? When you’re in pain, do not fear, Stoner and his band of death-dealers are near.

The world’s gone to hell. The U.S. Government now controls every aspect of every single thing and has little-to-no regard for human life. The country is overcrowded, filthy and cruel, and in order to attempt to manage the population, the Government puts into place a new healthcare system. You receive a non-fatal injury but don’t have enough points to cover medical assistance? The ambulance and wagon drivers are called, you’re euthanized, and your body is taken to the rendering plant.

The only job available to eighteen-year-old Kyle Sonnet is that of a wagon driver. Tasked with carrying out cadavers and transporting them to the plant, Kyle is unprepared for the level of violence he faces on his first day of work. He's not simply dealing with dead bodies as he’d previously thought. Rather, he witnesses several cases in which people are injured and instead of giving aid, his fellow employees put them down like animals.

Do as you’re told, they tell Kyle. Don’t ask questions, don’t think, accept things the way they are and always do as you’re told. It should be easy, what with Stoner, a tough-as-nails ex-Marine breathing down his neck. The problem, however, is that Kyle can’t stop thinking, can’t and won’t accept the things that violate his moral sense of right and wrong. So the question becomes, when too many irreparable lines are crossed, will Kyle be able to escape from under the seemingly infinite reach of the Government?

The Wagon Driver by David Berardelli is an action-packed story set in the not-so-distant future. It begs you to ask questions and to think about where our country is headed. What happens when the Government gets too big for its own good? What happens when the Constitution is no longer upheld, when freedom and privacy are stripped from us like meat from a bone? What happens when people are forced to look out only for themselves, and kindness, creativity, and human decency are things of the past? The result - described in this book - does not inspire a world in which I’d wish to live.

This book was essentially a story of survival and an in-depth look at the challenges associated with maintaining your principles in a cruel and unforgiving world. The author’s descriptive and slightly sarcastic writing style drew me in, along with the fast-paced plot and engaging storyline. Each character also had a distinctive voice; they were well-drawn, realistic and in some cases, relatable. In others, not so much, which was presumably the point.

There was a great deal to learn about the way things were in this futuristic world, but the information was almost always interspersed in conversation, so it wasn't hard to follow and didn’t seem like a chore to read. The only thing I was confused about was the main character. When we were first introduced to Kyle, he came off as a sarcastic and flirty eighteen-year-old boy. Soon after, however, he was described as an inexperienced, quiet and introspective guy who had an interest in the lost arts - such as music, books and movies with real actors. Despite this small inconsistency, for the most part, I liked Kyle. He was an intelligent guy, struggling to cling to his values and independence when his peers and superiors were forcing him to conform to a thoughtless modern society.

As far as editing issues go, there were quite a few instances where too many spaces were used between words. There were also numerous cases where paragraphs weren’t indented properly. Either there was no indentation, there was too much, or not enough. Aside from that, the book was extremely well written.

Unfortunately, I believe the formatting issues were great enough to force me to dock a star. Therefore, I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. Since it's categorized as a sci-fi/fantasy novel, I'm convinced it would appeal to a broad range of readers. Aside from some violent scenes, there’s nothing to discourage young adult readers who're looking for their next dystopian fix to pick it up either. Within its pages, there was much food-for-though, plenty of action, and of course, life lessons. The biggest being, never, ever, do as you’re told...

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The Wagon Driver
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Like Bonnie Shelby's review? Post a comment saying so!

[stbrians]

Is the story so scary? I think so. It is a good review you have written here. The Wagon Driver by David Berardelli day seems an interesting read

[Cecilia_L]

I'm not a fan of sci-fi or survivalist stories but I do appreciate your interesting review.

[Qordinates]

Wonder what Kyle is going to do with himself if he eventually gets in too deep and can't come out...captivating review.

[EllieAfter]

Wow, great review. Over the past few years, I have developed a taste for books set in the future, and I will be adding this to my to-read list. Thank you!

[AmySmiles]

Nice review. I'm not a sci-fi fan, but this book caught my attention, well your review did anyway, the cover not so much. I know, don't judge a book by it's cover. Thanks for the review.

[Rosemary Khathibe]

I feel bad for Kyle. I can't stop wondering if he was able to quit his dangerous job without even a scratch. I would like to read this book to find out. Thanks for your intriguing review.

[Bonnie Shelby]

Is the story so scary? I think so. It is a good review you have written here. The Wagon Driver by David Berardelli day seems an interesting read

It was definitely an interesting read. You should give it a try! Thanks for commenting

[Bonnie Shelby]

I'm not a fan of sci-fi or survivalist stories but I do appreciate your interesting review.

Thanks for stopping by

[Bonnie Shelby]

Wonder what Kyle is going to do with himself if he eventually gets in too deep and can't come out...captivating review.

Thanks for commenting! You should read it to find out

[Bonnie Shelby]

Wow, great review. Over the past few years, I have developed a taste for books set in the future, and I will be adding this to my to-read list. Thank you!

Hope you like it! Thanks for commenting

[Bonnie Shelby]

Nice review. I'm not a sci-fi fan, but this book caught my attention, well your review did anyway, the cover not so much. I know, don't judge a book by it's cover. Thanks for the review.

I agree about the cover. I thought it was a little weird and didn't like it either, but thankfully, the book wasn't bad Thanks for leaving a comment!

[Bonnie Shelby]

I feel bad for Kyle. I can't stop wondering if he was able to quit his dangerous job without even a scratch. I would like to read this book to find out. Thanks for your intriguing review.

If you do read it, let me know what you think! Thanks for the comment

[jcoad]

I had no idea what this book was about so was completely taken by surprise by your review. Sounds like a great concept for a book. I can't imagine being in that scenario and I'm really curious to see how it is handled in the book. I really appreciate your review and will be adding this book to my list.

[Fu Zaila]

Great review! Too bad the editing wasn't proper. I'm not a fan of sarcastic tone, so I'll pass this book. Thank you for your review.