Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an arc copy of The Warehouse in exchange for an honest opinion. Review to come!

I really liked, and was terrified by, this book. It seems all too plausible to see this kind of set up actually being real. And the kind of people who would populate this place, from managers to employees and even the super secret back room types.
There were parts of the story that lagged a bit, but I really enjoyed the book. Some of the best stuff was not so much the action, but the language. This author sure does know how to write for the more self serving in our society.
The sanctimonious hypocrisy of the founders was sooo familiar, i loved the pickle parable, the 'owners of the means of production, thanks mr. marx, and all the other clever references. All designed to justify the oppressive control of the Cloud.
Although I have to confess the Cloud burger source was a favorite.

I can see how this story would lend itself to a movie, it will be interesting to see how it's made.
Fun to read, pretty fast- and utterly justifies my reluctance to deal with Amazon.

This novel imagines a world of global warming and Amazon taken to extremes. Corporate spy, company control of all aspects of your life, lots of familiar elements. The story, too, fell a bit flat for me.

What one word describes feel about this book? Disappointment. There were all the makings of a great story: a man who owns a company bigger and better than Amazon, a man who is bitter because that giant company effectively stole his invention, and a corporate spy. There was a lot of potential. Instead the just plodded along with me most times having to force myself to read it. Obviously the author has talent- the plot line was very creative- but the execution was just bad.

Ahoy there me mateys!  I received this sci-fi eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  So here be me honest musings . . .

the warehouse (Rob Hart)

Title: the warehouse

Author: Rob Hart

Publisher: Crown Publishing

Publication Date: TODAY!! (hardcover/e-book)

ISBN: 978-1984823793

Source: NetGalley

This book was a very fast read with a bit of an agenda against big business and guns.  The setting is in a company called "Cloud" which is basically a stand-in for Amazon.  So what happens when Amazon takes over the world?  This book is an excellent look at a very negative future where this occurs.

In this story ye follow two folks.  Paxton was a small business owner until Amazon . . . I mean the Cloud . . . forced him out because he couldn't compete with the pricing and contracts.  And then, with limited options, Paxton has no real choice but to take a job with said Cloud.  He goes in with the hope of getting some kind of revenge.  Only he has no idea what kind or even how to go about it.

Zinna is focused, driven, and on a mission.  Money is at stake and so she is determined to get into Cloud, finish her task, and get back out again.  But success is more elusive than she would like.  She discovers that Paxton may be the key to accomplishing her goal.  But both Paxton and Zinna find that their time within the Cloud and with each other starts to change the way they view the world and their places in it.

The Cloud itself was kinda fascinating.  The company is set up to be a utopia.  Employees live, work, and play in one complex.  It was designed to "save America" and be geared towards worker's rights.  Only, like in most utopias, human greed, sloth, and apathy get in the way.

Both the systems in place and how they are failing were interestingly juxtaposed.  Part of this was in the employee structure.  Zinnia finds herself in one of the lowest positions, a picker responsible for putting ordered goods on the correct conveyor.  Paxton finds himself in security and in the midst of bureaucratic politics and power struggles.  Neither wants the roles they have been given.  I absolutely loved following their thoughts, daily struggles, and shifts in emotions towards the Cloud and each other.

The utopian ideals are wonderfully portrayed in the form of blog entries from the dying company founder.  Interspersed within the overall plot structure, these musings helped cement and articulate both the brilliant veneer and the seedy reality.  This only furthers the absurdity and desperation of this version of future America.

I really did find this book to be a fun and slightly alarming look in the potential future of big business.  The negative for me was the last several chapters of how Zinna's mission resolves and the subplot of revolt.  Neither of these elements worked in terms of plot resolution.  It felt too Hollywood in its ending and I would have preferred a much more nuanced take.  The ending in particular fell completely flat.  For all of me dislike of the end of the book, the concepts, characters, and Cloud made it totally worth reading.

And for the record, I love Amazon.   Arrrr!

So lastly . . .

Thank you Crown Publishing!

Goodreads has this to say about the novel:

Gun violence, climate change and unemployment have ravaged the United States beyond recognition.

Amidst the wreckage, an online retail giant named Cloud reigns supreme. Cloud brands itself not just as an online storefront, but as a global saviour. Yet, beneath the sunny exterior, lurks something far more sinister.

Paxton never thought he’d be working Security for the company that ruined his life, much less that he’d be moving into one of their sprawling live-work facilities. But compared to what’s left outside, perhaps Cloud isn’t so bad. Better still, through his work he meets Zinnia, who fills him with hope for their shared future.

Except that Zinnia is not what she seems. And Paxton, with his all-access security credentials, might just be her meal ticket. As Paxton and Zinnia’s agendas place them on a collision course, they’re about to learn just how far the Cloud will go to make the world a better place.

To beat the system, you have to be inside it.

To visit the author’s website go to:

Rob Hart - Author

To buy the novel please visit:

the warehouse - Book

To add to Goodreads go to:

Yer Ports for Plunder List

disclaimer: i received a copy of this book via crown publishing in return for an honest review.

the warehouse was an engaging, relatively quick read. at several points i did the traditional (for me, at least) 'let's see what happens in one more chapter' dance.

author rob hart really excels at world building once you accept the idea that cloud *is* the world. and it's easy to embrace that concept given the direction that technology is headed in today's world.

part of what made it easy to accept the world and made the character development so engaging, was hart's focus on three main characters. of course there were other characters, but they were only supporting players in this journey.

there were a few events mentioned that occurred prior to cloud's real transition into the juggernaught it becomes that i'd have loved to have more details about, but i understand hart's decision to keep them murky.

the upside to all of this is a captivating story that juggles three first person points of view easily. the downside? it's absolutely easy to see a company like cloud in our lives, if not now then soon.

four out of five stars

Set in a slightly distant dystopian future - where an Amazon-like conglomerate controls everything - this book had me talking about it to friends and family. The premise is fascinating, and the structure of the story-telling is interesting. I did feel a little bit cheated at the end - where it seemed like everything was resolved in the last 2 chapters - but its been optioned to be developed into a film by Ron Howards' production company, so maybe the film will flesh that out more. Worth the read.
I provided this honest review in exchange for a free advance reader's copy.

Yikes! This was an eerie look at a kind of plausible future of Amazon meets The Circle with a little of the Doctor Who Kerblam! episode thrown in.

Two strangers apply for a job at Cloud. Cloud is an Amazon-like company where the consumer can order pretty much anything, and the product is whisked to them via a drone. Cloud is a self contained city within itself where the employees live, eat, and work. Paxton is hired and becomes a blue shirt, security. Zinnia is hired and becomes a red shirt, a picker.

Interspersed with Paxton and Zinnia's POV chapters are Gibson's chapters. Gibson is the gazillionaire that invented Cloud.

This story was definitely satirical, which I typically am not a big fan of, but in this case, I really enjoyed. It was a bit scary to see a possible future dystopian where this company takes over everything, including government. I found it very intriguing and inhaled this book!

One last note... Cloudburgers... Nom nom nom!

*Thank you to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for the advance copy!*

Book Review: The Warehouse
Author: Rob Hart
Publisher: Crown Publishing
Publication Date: August 20, 2019

Paxton, Zinnea, Gibson Wells, and all those working at the Cloud, a monster of a company. Almost frightening how close it hits home.

Very interesting premise that is pretty well executed. Well-written characters and good dialog help make this and engaging book with a good plot. Recommended for dystopian sci-fi thriller fans.

I really appreciate the complimentary copy for review!!

Top stars on this one. This was fun - silly, strange, convoluted but in a good way, and all the characters were so well done. Paxton, Zinnea, Gibson Wells, and all those working at the Cloud, a monster of a company. I loved it so much I wanted to start a book blog just to sing its praises. I won't sully it with, "Oh, this could happen with Amazon," or "We're not far from our own Black Friday massacre," or anything silly like that. I went into this with the expectation of sci fi/fantasy, saw it as such, and thoroughly enjoyed myself all the way through. There is humor, a bit of mystery (but not so much you get irritated over it - this book never sings, "I've got a secret and I'm not telling!"), some action, some drug issues, a troublesome love affair, corporate spies, strange recipes at fast food joints, and so much more. Top notch.

Wow. This book. Get ready to explore themes of the greater good, challenging the status quo, and what happens when corporations gain too much power. Is it better to be safe or free? Convenience vs value? How much do you care about your privacy?

I loved that The Warehouse makes you think while entertaining you at the same time. Like many thrillers, it’s told from different characters’ perspectives, but it made sense in this story and helped build tension. There are some surprising twists and turns, and I found the ending satisfying and appropriate. I wished there were more opportunities to connect with Zinnia and Paxton emotionally, but the book excelled in other areas: world-building, suspense, sci-fi elements, pacing, conflict, and so on. I give it 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5.

You’ll like The Warehouse if you enjoyed Dark Matter or Recursion by Blake Crouch, or The Handmaid’s Tale.

ARC from NET GALLEY

A good weekend book here, why? Because that will be all it takes once you start. A cautionary tale that soon may be true when lives are lived on phones and all other deceives. It is similar to the big hit "The Circle" but still genuine on its own. I don't want to spoil your read just let me say to be ready because you are already wrong.

I received this book from Netgalley for a honest review. Cloud is like a future Amazon. This book gave me lots to think about. It was a very thought provoking book. As powerful as 1984!

Copy furnished by Net Galley for the price of a review.

Look around you.  The charming Mom & Pop shops of yesteryear are a rarity now.  Brick and mortar chain stores are closing down at an alarming rate.  It's less and less safe to leave your home.  It's the perfect storm.  Online shopping, drone delivery, instant gratification.  Can one mega-corporation really service all your needs?  <i>'The market dictates.'</i>  If this tale doesn't give you the shivers, then you haven't been paying attention.

This near-future dystopia is a mashup of cli-fi and corporatocracy: The world has become a hellish hot desert in which the only employer (if you're lucky enough to get a job) is the company store, a thinly-veiled Amazon called Cloud, where upbeat corporate messaging hides the fact that the workers are essentially slaves with high-tech shackles. Set against this backdrop is a story of three people: Paxton, whose small business was destroyed by Cloud and who applies for a job there as a last resort; Zinnia, a professional industrial spy, whose job is cover for ferreting out Cloud's secrets; and the Sam-Walton-esque Gibson Wells, the dying founder of Cloud, who is visiting all of his company's sites one last time.

It's a bit heavy on the author's message (that is: we did this to ourselves by purchasing the cheap things we could point and click and have delivered) but it's entertaining and easy to read. But the story falls apart a bit toward the end; Zinnia's first discovery is truly shocking, but the climactic revelation is...a bit of an anticlimax. It felt to me as though the various plot bits didn't really line up toward the end, that things happened because the author wanted them to happen rather than because they made sense. But it was a fun ride (and a cautionary tale) up to that point.

Thanks to Mr. Hart and Crown publishing for the Advance Reader Copy of The Warehouse by Rob Hart. No Spoilers, There is a dedication at the end of the book that as Mr. Hart writes, "Beats at the heart of this book" and when I read it, it made an already powerful book into an emotional hammer. As we know, characters are what drives a great book, The Warehouse has character development that is off the charts. We hear the phrase, the characters stick with you, and sometimes we roll our eyes, but in this case for me, Paxton and Zinnia will live on in my memory. Themes of freedom and whether you would give up those freedoms to a Government or Corporation made me really think, especially in these times. Metaphors are perfect including a book that is referenced that ties into the story at the end. A really perfect ending, but don't be in a hurry to get there! Enjoy the characters and their growth and the adventure! My Favorite book of the year, can not wait for August for the rest of the world to enjoy and discuss this story. #thewarehouse #crownpublishing

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to preview The Warehouse by Rob Hart. Wow - this is a book that will have you thinking when you purchase from one of today's big box stores. Futuristic, scary, and thought provoking are the words that come to mind when you reach the last page of this thrilling novel.
Two young people are on their way to a new job for Cloud - the only "game in town'big box store where you can buy anything your heart desires. When you order ANYTHING, it is delivered by drone to your home in no time at all.
America is no longer a place that has choices for buying anything - CLOUD has the monopoly on everything.
Titus and Zinnia, two new recruits to the CLOUD workforce, meet by chance on their way to Cloud - where workers live, work, and play at the Cloud facility. Both have been hurt by CLOUD and have their own personal reasons to work there and their plans are in part to bring it down.
But can this congolomorate be broken down? Can one person single handedly take down this giant? Well both have their reasons, but it will take time and will each of them get caught up in this cult like facility to meet their end game? Well, you just have to read this and find out.
Fast and furious reading on this one - 4 stars. RECOMMEND.

Imagine that Amazon eventually takes over the world and government. People live, work, eat and spend their free time all in the bubble that is Amazon and the world outside the bubble is ravaged by crime and climate change. This is The Warehouse.

Cloud is the retail overlord in <i>The Warehouse</i> that has taken over the world. Drones deliver packages all over the world. The people that live inside Cloud are sorted and given jobs upon intake. Paxton, former prison guard with an axe to grind with Cloud CEO, is put on Security detail. Zinnia, corporate spy and trained killer, is put into the warehouse.

I wouldn’t call this one a thriller, more dystopian but it was eye opening and thought provoking. Some parts were monotonous, but it was intentional. Some plot twists at the end you might not see coming. This novel is definitely a great look into our current business models and the way major corporations are and can truly take over the world.

This book is terrifying and engrossing all the same time and it makes me scared for the future, but also hopeful that this isn't it.

Cloud is like a future Amazon, but much more including live in compounds and branding itself as the place that saved the world from gun violence, poverty, and much more.

Here we find two new employees; Paxton, whose life was ruined by Cloud when they priced out his product, and Zinnia, who is working undercover to destroy Cloud. The two of them take drastically different paths in Cloud yet somehow they keep being drawn to each other.

This book does a very interesting job at creating a world that is both unthinkable and yet completely probable at the same time. I was very drawn into the characters and loved getting to hear from the CEO of Cloud at the same time.