"Rockstar Ending" by N.A. Rossi is a striking debut novel in the dystopian genre that presents a chillingly realistic vision of a not-so-distant future. The story is so plausible that it might make some readers, particularly the younger generations, uncomfortable with its all-too-familiar themes. This is dystopian fiction that hits close to home, presenting a world that feels just a few steps away from our present reality.

The novel hooks readers from the beginning with its well-drawn social and political issues that are, unfortunately, all too conceivable. One of the most disturbing aspects is the disregard for the elderly and infirm, a disregard that transcends social and economic status. The story unfolds with an unsettling sense of detachment, both from the powerful figures behind the Yuthentic movement and from the young individuals who seem to accept it as the norm. The indifference and complacency of the younger generation are particularly distressing, making it clear how easily people can adapt to even the most ethically questionable practices.

The narrative builds upon a backdrop that explores the sinister implications of wealth distribution, which can easily be translated into food distribution, presenting a society where survival becomes a matter of "survival of the fittest." The Yuthentic movement, reminiscent of ideologies from history's darkest moments, raises unsettling questions about how such horrors can unfold.

The plot comes to life with the introduction of Lexi and Bob and their involvement in the PACE movement (People Against Coercive Euthanasia). Bob's background in cyber-security and Lexi's role as a teacher provide the perfect blend of skills and perspective to challenge the system. The story masterfully intertwines various threads, creating an intricate tapestry of characters and subplots that come together in a compelling and thought-provoking narrative.

N.A. Rossi's storytelling skills are evident throughout the book, offering an intellectually stimulating and emotionally charged reading experience. The characters, from the heroes to the perceived villains, are richly developed and beautifully flawed. The intricate interconnections between the different perspectives create a narrative that keeps readers engaged and invested.

"Rockstar Ending" is an eerily chilling and compelling exploration of dark themes, a tale that confronts readers with a chilling vision of a society on the brink. As it delves into the implications of unethical practices and the perversion of ethics for personal gain, the novel provokes deep reflection on the state of our world and how easily we might slip into dystopia. This book is a powerful and haunting read that resonates with our times.

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC of Rockstar Ending by N. A. Rossi.

A scifi dystopian with some heavy hitting and bleak themes told by multiple point of views.

A book that made me think.

I usually like dystopian fiction, but I think I just was not in the zone for this book. It's well written, and did its job well, which was kind of the problem. It's so bleak that it took me several attempts to read it because it just made me miserable.

A very good read. I highly enjoyed the places this book took me. I'll definitely be on the lookout for more from this author in the future.

I'm not a fan of Handmaid's Tale, but I liked this. It didn't seem to move along very quickly, but that didn't stop it from being interesting most of the time. Although set in the future, it seemed quite realistic, which added to it's impact as a story. Good stuff. Recommended.

I really appreciate the free review copy!!

I just couldn't get into this book. I felt like I was never able to grasp the world and I didn't care for any of the characters.
(arc from netgalley)

I don't know if I skipped reading the summary and just picked this book because of the cover. The story inside completely surprised me. The author did a good job of telling the story through several different characters. I liked that I was interested in everyone and their feelings and views about the social and political world the book was set in. The ending was not what I was expecting, which in this case is a good thing. I never knew what to expect or where the story was going. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Ahhhh, Dystopian Fiction. Oh how I love thee.

When I was far younger and beginning my journey into the twisting disillusionment of how society could potentially crumble upon itself, the general themes of Dystopian Fiction were either rooted in the past (e.g. post-World War II era), or set just out of reach in the near future.

I feel, now, that advances in consumer digital connectivity have bridged that gap and make Dystopian Fiction that much closer to a current theme than we could previously visualize. I’m not even going to touch on how modern politics pushes hard against those previously fictional themes.

That’s where Ms. Rossi slides right into the picture with Rockstar Ending. The setup is completely plausible. Our story opens with Meg: a woman approaching 85 who has lost her husband, has grown kids who have moved away, and is now approaching the cutoff of NHS benefits due to her age.

In Meg’s world, the “Yuthentic” movement has taken over the political climate in the UK. Younger people, who have become politically active, and see the older generation as more of a leech on the system than a resource for inspiration, have set into place laws that, effectively, remove health and welfare benefits for all citizens over the age of 85, and increasing restrictions for those over the age of 70.

The icing on the cake is the new “benefit” the government — and the corporation — are pushing as the “One Last Gift,” a.k.a. sanctioned euthanasia.

Rockstar Ending tackles the development, marketing and sly execution (if you’ll pardon the pun) of a complex, and very technology-driven, propaganda machine targeting UK’s aged population: leveraging hopes and fears, and exploiting some very grey areas of ethics.

At the same time, we have the story of Lexi and Bob: two (among many) individuals who are trying to fight the system against all odds.

I’ll leave the synopsis at that because this is a novel that is well worth discovering on your own.

Ms. Rossi is a natural storyteller. While there are, seemingly, many threads winding about the London setting of the story, all slowly begin to weave together in an intricate interconnection that pivots viewpoint and reader perspective. It’s a device that I absolutely love from authors like William Gibson, and Ms. Rossi uses the mechanism deftly.

Another thing I greatly appreciate is the likability, but also fallibility of just about every character we come across. None of the heroes are particularly shiny, and the villains (if there really are any) aren’t really the puppy-kicking variety. Rockstar Ending is a grand example of the snowball effect of bureaucracy and how the bounds of greed and success are not necessarily defined by ethical borders.

I feel like this was a very relevant novel to read, and gave me pause many times to consider how such steps were taken, and how they could easily be actualized.

Ms. Rossi has already written two sequels to Rockstar Ending, and you are damn sure that I’m going to be reading them very soon.

This is the first book in a series, queued up to be released as a TV series, and set in a dystopian England where retirees are encouraged to plan for death with dignity and avoid those taxes they hate. One exciting premium package for the elderly is the edgy, glittery Rock Star Ending!

In this debut novel, the author disrupts the narrative with subtle techniques that create some lasting, uneasy feelings of disquiet. This style deeply connects to her underlying message about consent, coercion, cancel culture, victimization, and their outcome. That being said, the prose could use a lot of tightening up. A lot. Pruning a third of the text would sharpen the focus. EG too much description of minute actions and things especially everyone’s stylish clothing. Reveal character motivation through action, not a data dump. Cut some—not all—of the repetition.

The author has published an accompanying playlist on Spotify. Dunno why, but I can only play preview snippets of each song, web or app. Hope you have better luck than I!

Rockstar Ending playlist on Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0yHChmj7qM6l8eUppa0nhA

The concept of assisted suicide is pretty bleak...but if you throw in a user-friendly app, a futuristic stretch limo, huge tax breaks for your kids, and a little bit of rock 'n roll, it starts lookin' real nice.

Set in the near future, Rockstar Ending centers around the exploitation of the elderly and the commercialization of death. The younger generation has instituted a new political party, Yuthentic, which has determined that the wealth of the older generations should be redistributed to the young. To private sector companies, that translates into coercing the elderly into an early death with promises of going out with a (head) bang. 🤘🏼

At first glance, the plot completely fascinated me, mainly because it paints a detailed picture of a frighteningly possible future. There are sci-fi books with spaceships and aliens, and then there are sci-fi books like these that sit right in the uncanny valley of what society might look like with just a little push. It's damn near unsettling to think that we are well on our way to making the plot of this book a reality, which is what makes it nevertheless enjoyable. Beyond telling a story, Rossi uses heavily debated topics to force the reader into considering the orientation of our current society and how their own ethics and moral philosophy fall into that space.

The writing itself flowed nicely, switching perspectives between various characters in the story. Usually, I'm not a huge fan of more than a couple of perspectives, but in this case, I think it was almost necessary to show the differentiation of thoughts and opinions to establish a spectrum of moral convictions. However, I wish the character switches were more obvious as they tended to happen within chapters and made the narrative a little chaotic.

The one disappointment that I did have was that I assumed a certain level of thrill and excitement as suggested by the synopsis, and it didn't really live up to expectations on that front. Scenes that I expected to be colorful and sharp came across as somewhat muted. Don't get me wrong, exciting events definitely ensued, but the execution of them wasn't what I had hoped. I'm not sure if that's attributed to writing style, plot development, or a bit of both, but since this is the first in a series, I don't hold it against the book as much as I normally would.

Long story short, I enjoyed this book immensely, not only in its ability to entertain but also morally challenge. Also, as a huge fan of all things rock and roll, the added musical references were a nice touch.

Thank you, NetGalley and Cameron Publicity & Marketing Ltd., for providing the e-book!

P.S. The entire time I was reading this book, I could not stop thinking about the episode of Futurama where Professor Farnsworth schedules to be picked up by a robotic grim-reaper and taken to the Near-Death Star (Season 7, Episode 10 if you're interested in watching).

Link to Goodreads review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4499429013