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The Office of Mercy by Ariel Djanikian
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Natasha has grown up in America-Five in a world that does not want anyone to suffer. She lives in a sterile, clean environment. There are many different offices in her world and the Office of Mercy is a coveted promotion Natasha enjoys as well as her relationship with Jeffrey who has been her friend since childhood and shown her special attention. But Natasha has always had tentative thoughts about the people outside the walls of America-Five and questions why those people are targets of the nova(s) that will take away their suffering; in other words, kill them. There are others in America- Five who are opposed to putting these tribes out of their misery (they are reviled) and when on a fact finding expedition outside the dome of America-Five, Natasha makes a mistake and is taken hostage by the clan. It is while she is their captive that she learns they think she will help them continue to live “free” and not be vanquished as “suffering” and to make things more difficult, Natasha sees they love their life and are not hungry, suffering, and in need of America-Five’s novas. Natasha is challenged throughout by her beliefs, her feelings, and her empathy towards these settlers; what will this mean for her future and her happiness? I couldn’t put this dystopian novel down.


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