Review of Moth City

[Nzube Chizoba Okeke]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Moth City" by Kenneth James Allen.]

---

3 out of 4 stars

---

Share This Review

---

Emerson Barnes has only grainy memories of his childhood. However, what stands out for him is when he lost both his parents to operatives of the Child Relocation and Protection Agency (CHIRP). CHIRP has come to symbolize everything that is not right with his authoritarian society. The "child first" laws, the sweeping reforms, and the frequent arrests of uncooperative parents have become the repeating highlights of his daily existence. He must decide if he will become a part of the disturbing cycle or refuse to conform to the order of the day.

Moth City by Kenneth James Allen is a dystopian science fiction story reminiscent of the classic "Big Brother" stories made famous by George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four. It follows the main character's growth and evolution as he slowly understands the governance system he is unfortunate to be born into. It does not typically follow the expected storyline of the individual versus the collective, which makes it a unique book.

I like how the author tells this story. It doesn't carry the monotone that one will expect from a book of this nature. It ebbs and flows in synchronicity with the different incidents in the book. The author's attempt at displaying the human flaws of his principal character is nothing less than impressive. As diverse as they are, the characters still have their individual background stories well sorted out, and the author does an impressive job of displaying each character's motivations without making them too obvious to the reader. The book within a book is also a fascinating touch. At times, the different sections give one the impression they are following two very similar stories in one book.

If you are one of those readers who are into conspiracy theories, this book will appeal to you. Science fiction genre followers will be particularly interested in the book's storyline. There is just about a hint of a romantic story beneath the real story. It is a recurrent theme in the book such that I daresay romance genre readers will take more than a passing interest in the book.

With a graphic storyline that peels out like the different layers of an onion, you can be sure you will be interested in what Moth City has to offer. The only issue I have is the number of errors. The editing is a bit of a letdown, but it doesn't take too much from the book's enjoyment. The author's style of storytelling is quite smooth and comfortable to follow. Because of these reasons, I rate the book 3 out of 4 stars. Kenneth James Allen delivers an exciting book well worth a reader's time.

******
Moth City
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

[Helen Akoth]

I always like the ideas presented in dystopian novels, and 'Moth City" sounds like a novel I can enjoy. I like the fact that author delivers an exciting book well worth a reader's time. Thank you so much for the informative review!

[Blessing Odii]

This fiction sounds like the kind of book I would love to read.

[Amy Luman]

These “child first” laws sound like the way our current society is headed. I would enjoy seeing how Emerson fights what he feels is unjust. Thanks for the review!

[Patty Allread]

As an advocate for Parent's Rights, this book seems very relevant to me. I also like that it doesn't follow "the expected storyline of the individual versus the collective." Thanks for a good review!

[Aisha Yakub]

Sounds like a great book. Thank you for the review.

[Kehinde Hussein]

This book seems like an interesting one. Some organisations with the power do things that may affect the state of being of the citizens at times.

[NetMassimo]

I'm not sure I want to read a dystopian story right now but this one seems well structured with well-developed characters. Thank you for your great review!