Author: Avery Sawyer
Publisher: Planet Explorers Publishing
Published: August 1, 2012
Format: ebook* 46 pages
Rating: 4/5 stars
Get It: Amazon
In the very near future, the country is plunged into drought and unrest. Scare resources and constant heat are making life completely miserable. Casey doesn't think she can stand slugging back another gel pack or working one more shift at the wells. Fortunately, there's a solution: anyone over the age of seventeen can sign the Forever Contract and enter a utopian paradise. While people's minds take a permanent vacation, their bodies get warehoused and hooked up to a complex array of sensors and feeding tubes. As Casey's brother says, "You upload your consciousness to the system and you're free to live as long as you want, however you want. No more pain, no more heat, no more awful dust, no more work. Just pure thought. It's what our species has always been meant for. Suffering is for philosophers. Not for me."
Casey's ready to sign--a permanent vacation is just what she needs. There's only one problem: her boyfriend James doesn't trust it.
Would you sign the contract?
My thoughts, feelings, and reactions
In this short novella, The Forever Contract, we dive into a dystopian world where the country is experiencing the worst drought human kind has ever encountered, where the water is so scarce trees and plants are a rarity to be seen. Following the water wars, a system was created as an alternate paradise where you can live an immortal life, pain free, work free, and with all the food and water you could possibly want. However, this paradise has a price. A dangerous price.
The Forever Contract was one intense book! I was impressed with Avery Sawyer’s ability to create such a great storyline in a very short read. She had me from the first page right down to the very last and even then I was wanting more. The world she built in The Forever Contract was well developed and explained thoroughly. The best part about this world was that it was realistic and believable. I could definitely imagine something like this happening in our world with the rate in which we are using our resources and the way technology advances so quickly. The Forever system was the most fascinating about this world. Although I slowly got to learn the truth about how it really works behind the scenes, Sawyer still piqued my interest and made me want to experience it the way Casey wanted to.
Another aspect I loved and enjoyed in this book was the split point of view between Casey and James, our two loving and amazing protagonists. Casey was a lovable and brave young lady. She was bright and open to wanting a new life, but she was stuck with going after her brother in the system or staying with her parents and James who never planned to go in. James was an intelligent and passionate person who was devoted not only to Casey, but to bringing down the system and the government in charge. He did everything he could, never wavering from his beliefs. I adored his determination, his willingness and his sacrifices. He was my favorite and I admired him so much.
The ending of The Forever Contract is one that will surely make your heart race and keep you at the edge of your seat. It ends abruptly with a hint of bittersweetness that left me hanging by a thread. Despite the very quick pacing, I very much enjoyed this novella. I’m hoping Avery Sawyer will continue this journey between Casey and James because I’m itching for some kind of resolution and even more so, retribution.
Overall, The Forever Contract is definitely one novella you don’t want to miss out on!
*Thanks to Laura Schaefer (Avery Sawyer) for sending a copy for review
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