Orange City by Lee Matthew Goldberg

 

Thirst drives us.

Thirst for water for physiological reasons of course, but on a deeper raw note it is a different thirst that controls us.

The thirst for POWER.

Imagine a dystopian world where this thirst for power consumes and creates unimaginable levels of madness.

Orange City by Lee Matthew Goldberg is a book that explores this inane thirst for power that mankind has.

So imagine a city obscured to the outside world. Filled with felons and outcasts, all wanting a second chance. A city you can never leave.

A dark tower looms over this city in the shape of an “Eye” peering at you in an ever omnipresent way. Cameras switch on and off at every step or move you make. All of these are controlled by “The Man”. A half man, half robotic creation, greatly resembling a monstrous spider, whose sole aim is to control everyone around him and be the Supreme power.

It is here that the book reaches out and grabs you at your throat. And just like the protagonist, advertising executive, Graham Weatherend, your hand also starts reaching, reaching for that can of fizz.

POW!  And just like that you are gone. Down this twisted surreal book that you want to both throw away yet devour.

Lee’s mastery at psychological analysis creates for a very interesting read into life, for the way “The Man” wants to control people is absolutely diabolical.

Through their Moods.

For if you control how a man thinks and feels you can get him to do anything.

Moods, drugs that enhance your feelings, are secretly ingested into POW soda’s to create flavourful manipulation– Orange for passion, Lime Green for Jealousy, Blue Raspberries for calmness and hopelessness and Cherry Pow for anger and rage.

And to get the mix just right these are tested out on a human subject – Graham.

Just like a can of soda, emotions that are bottled up inside us bubble to the surface like fizz and then explode out.

Revealing below our raw-selves. Our emotions bared clean with no cover-up at all.

A thirst for power so raw that it just cannot be quenched. And we drink Up, can after can and slowly lose our grip on what is real and what is fabricated.

If you are in advertising or love roller-coasters, psychological thrillers and anything sci-fi you will absolutely love going on a ride of Orange City. It’s a trippy read that might make you look at soda’s in trepidation or like me gulp them down faster.

Can’t wait for its sequel - Lemonworld.

 

So glad I got this ARC, it was a zany read. Hope you liked my fair and honest review.

Happy Reading☺