Rob Hart has written a impossible to put down book of espionage and intrigue so eerie such a compelling read.I read Ron Howard is making this into a movie can’t wautbto see this book come alive on screen,

This tale is disconcertingly realistic. From the corporate interview via tablet in a large group, complete with DNA and drug testing, onward with other sophisticated features, working for Cloud, a monster-sized company isn't like working anywhere else. Scarily, the interview process actually makes sense and I could see this being done online at people's homes, minus the body hair medical testing. I'm sure there's a workaround for THAT in progress.
George Orwell would be right at home in this world.

Where to start? This gave me a lot to think about. Also, I might be seeing my obsession with Amazon for what it is and might be in the future. No cloud burgers for me. Lol

This was an extremely interesting concept. I don't understand why anyone would want to live where they work, but that's just my opinion. I guess if the world was as bad as the author made it seem, I might have moved in, too. I'd like to think I wouldn't but humanity's need to be safe and secure is a powerful thing.

Great book, kept my attention throughout and there were some thrilling moments.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

So, if the corporations Amazon and Apple one day merged together to form an elite, futuristic and all inclusive company then that would be The Cloud; the biggest retail and cloud computing company in the entire world. At first I thought I would totally want to work there, and then things started to get a little dark. If you’re a fan of Black Mirror on Netflix, I think you’ll find this read to be interesting and fun. The Warehouse, has a slower start but I found myself craving to know more about this sensational mega company known as The Cloud and the people who work for it. The book picked up as parts of the story became unveiled but never fully reached the peak I was hoping. I enjoyed that it was told through three very differing character perspectives, and the author did an excellent job making them each come to life. This essentially is a story of entrepreneurship in a dystopian world and the downfalls of “big brother” that can arise as technology advances. I rated it a 3.5/5 but rounded up to 4 for this review. Ron Howard has already claimed the film rights for this book and I’m excited to see where that goes. Anyone hungry for a cloud burger?! Lol

This is a good book. A damn good book. A hell of a good book.

I may be slightly prejudiced, having read a really bad book just before this one.

I used to tell my students that some novels are plot books; some are character books; some are setting books. The Warehouse is a setting book. What it is "about" is a dystopic world, dominated by a nightmare version of Amazon, with a few Trumpish features just to make it more horrifying. That's not to say it doesn't have a strong plot, but the plot serves to illuminate the soul-killing world of MotherCloud. And it has characters: real, three-dimensional ones, who develop, both in the sense of our learning more about them, and in changing themselves. They have serious flaws, but we can hope they succeed. We cheer for them to overcome their own weaknesses.

And that's the real conflict in The Warehouse: finding the strength to resist the quicksand of pressure and rules and need for approval and economic dependency. The real horror is that everyone is trying to do the right thing. The few villains are bit players, just irritants in this nightmare.

This is how Franz Kafka might envision the future of e-commerce.

Can a company become too big, too powerful, and too. controlling? In a fictional story that may be too close to reality, the reader is confronted with these questions in what starts as a case of corporate espionage.

The Warehouse by Rob Hart is an unnervingly realistic view of a foreseeable future. All are going with the flow and are definitely up the "River" without a paddle. Beware - pink is not what you think. Realistic, reliable characters, Paxton and Zinnia are realistic in their actions, strengths and weaknesses. Gibson is charismatic but his flaws are easily seen. One of the best futuristic corporate control takeovers story I have read and the one with the grossest ick scene. Highly recommended.

Thank you to Crown, Penguin Random House Publishers, Rob Hart, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

Rob Hart has written a thrilling story of corporate intrigue and espionage in The Warehouse. A real page-turner!

Review Copy

4.5 stars

I've spent a good while trying to decide how to rate and review THE WAREHOUSE. First, let me say that I think author Rob Hart nailed his characters. His people acted liked I would have expected people to act. The were true to form and that was very nice.

This is a dystopian tale in the vein of 1984 and BRAVE NEW WORLD. To those people who would say we're not close to being in a live-work situation and wonder who buys the warehouse's product, I would suggest that that this is where the rich/poor divide really comes into play. The rich are outside buying and poor are inside working. Scary? Yes. This. is. horror. Take the time to read read and digest this. If you can...

Highly recommended and available this summer. Ron Howard has optioned this for Imagine, so read it quick! (less)

The Warehouse was an interesting take on a near future dystopian society, where one company has a monopoly over everything. The concept isn't a particularly fresh one, but I still found it interesting how Cloud was developed as a workplace with living accommodations. I liked the mention of well-known dystopian books and the particular references to The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas. I also liked how there was some made up history in the novel with the Black Friday Massacre. For me, the strongest aspect of the novel was the perspectives from characters with different views.

I think this book fell short in making me feel something. I was hoping for a big moment or for me to feel something for the characters, but the big moment never really came (although there were a couple of good little twists) and I didn't end up getting invested in the characters. I also felt like the ending could've been stronger, because while the ending was appropriate, I did end up saying, "that's it?" out loud.