Thank you to J. Michael Straczynski (author), Stacy Gonzalez (narrator), Blackstone Publishing - Audiobooks, and Netgalley for this free advanced listener copy of "The Glass Box" for an honest review. A massive fan of JMS' Babylon 5, Jeremiah, and all of his plethora of comic series, I had to jump on this like white on rice the second I saw his name on it, and it a smash-bang hit for me. I love seeing JMS turn himself to another new sci-fi space opera world, and this felt so realistically gritty. I love how brought, tumble, and independent Riley is while continually still having a sense of humor. I hope he continues to write stories within this world (or more new sci-fi worlds)!

I was a huge fan of the Babylon 5 science fiction series which J. Michael Straczynski wrote and so immediately wanted to read/listen to THE GLASS BOX. The main character Riley is a force to be reckoned with and has a strong sense of justice with a snarky wit. I also loved all the pop culture references.

Unfortunately although I love the concept and premise of THE GLASS BOX, I'm disappointed with the amount of f-words used by multiple characters MANY times throughout each chapter. I've given it until 30%, but I'm unable to finish it due to excessive language. Perhaps it would be different if I was reading the physical book and could skip over the offensive words, rather than listening to the audio and hearing the foul language repeated so often.

The narrator Stacy Gonzalez gave a great performance, and I had no trouble distinguishing between voices. She deftly conveyed emotion and did a great Irish accent!

Since I must give a rating, I'm going with a middle of the road rating of 3 stars. Otherwise, I do not rate titles I DNF.

Thank you to Blackstone Publishing for the gifted audiobook.

Wonderful is how I describe this book. I was immediately hooked on the story, impossible to stop.

I loved the permission and the story was really well constructed and lived up to everything the premise promised.

Characters are very strong and realistic.

As for the writing, it is very fluid and it is very easy to get into the story. I highly recommend it.

If you’re a conspiracy theorist such as myself (are they really theories though 🤔😂) This book will get you thinking! It was a fast paced thriller, I remained engaged the entire book and couldn't wait to find out what happened. The author has a great writing style. The character development was on point, really has a way that makes you loathe certain characters and love others!

Thank you netgally!

it was okay nothing great I am glad I didn't buy it for myself. Mystery thriller not one I would recommend

I’ll start by saying I love JMS. His run on Spiderman is legendary. So knowing his history I went in prepared to live this book…. And I did.

It’s very policial while also not pushing any one side. Government backed insane asylums that criminals can opt into for “re-education” instead of jail. How could that possibly go wrong?

He made me believe that Riley is a born freedom fighter. With very little effort I was completely enthralled by her plight of not only getting free but also exposing a tyrannical government

My only complaint would be that it, aping with so many other audiobooks, could use a second narrator. At least for the opposite sex.

It’s been a week or two since I finished it and I can’t stop thinking about it. I’m hoping we get something more from this dystopian universe.

The Glass Box gets all the stars from me.

This book hits heavy and strikes real deep rooted fear in me the way no horror book could ever hope to. This story touches on some of my biggest fears- for example being institutionalized where you have absolutely no say or power over what is happening to you. The idea of a perfectly healthy individual being "trapped" in a mental health facility and trying to prove their sanity only to be further proven to be "unstable" Add in the sort of, but not quite dystopian future where the peoples rights are slowly getting taken away...

The fact that the Emergency Detention act of 1950 is REAL?!? Is absolutely terrifying. I think this book does a phenomenal job of showing how easily things that we think are impossible, or illegal or would NEVER happen can and WILL if we stand by idle.

I really genuinely loved the characters in this book especially that of "Frankenstein" and his relationship with the main character. I think that might've been my favorite part of the whole book actually.

This book has left me haunted and will stay with me for a very long time.

* I listened to the audio of this one and the narrator was phenomenal. I highly recommend this book in physical, audio or ebook format- just read it.

Thank you to NetGalley for the audio advance reader copy of this book. Wow! I loved all the characters and the premise of the story. Not usually a science fiction fan, this book was a bit out of my comfort zone, but I very much enjoyed it. The premise and how they handle those that fight back was unique and refreshing in an odd sort of way. The narrator was clear (even on faster speeds) and pleasant to listen to.. This story is one that can be listened to from start to finish in one day as the reader NEEDS to know what happens next. 4.5 stars!!

I listened to this on audio, and I thought the narration was very well done. This was a good story. I have never read this author before, but I'm inclined to look into other books by him. Riley is our main character, and after being involved in a protest, she and others are put into a government run program to "re-educate" them in their thinking. There is gross misconduct, and Riley manages to use her wit to outsmart those in charge. It was a great story and kept me engaged throughout. I'd recommend the audio.

This book spans genres from thriller to sci fi to dytopian fiction. It is gripping, quick paced and thought provoking. I enjoyed seeing the relationship between Riley and Frankenstein grow and found it both heart warming and heart wrenching. A well-written novel that readers will enjoy.

Imagine if Marvel's Jessica Jones starred in a cross between 1984 and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and you'll scratch the surface of The Glass Box. In a not-too-distant future where the government controls dissidents by giving them the option of "voluntary" admission to a psychiatric hospital instead of prison, protestor Rylie Diaz finds herself trapped in a situation where she can either submit to the doctors' manipulations and surrender the names of her co-conspirators, or stick to her beliefs and get treated as if she's truly, dangerously "crazy".

Rylie is wonderfully, obnoxiously sarcastic while constantly battling her inner voices (a favorite part is when she repeatedly thinks "Hate you, hate you, hate you") while trying to convince herself to keep fighting against the machine. Yes, there are some spots where she has to rely on others for help, but that's sort of the point in that no one can really defeat a conspiracy alone. There also some lengthy monologues that feel unrealistic (a little bit of interruption or internal dialogue would've helped) and some unnecessary repetition like reciting entire passages from a government policy...twice, but for the most part the story keeps trucking along to its final climax that isn't particularly shocking, but is satisfying. Stacy Gonzalez does an amazing job narrating. Thank you to J. Michael Straczynski, Blackstone, and NetGalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This was my first book by J. Michael Straczynksi. I read so many good things about this author and wanted to try the book out. The Glass Box was an interesting mix of hospital stays, government gone a little extreme and wild story lines. The Glass Box piqued my interest because of my interest in dystopian stories. I was hoping for the just right mix of reality with "the world is coming to an end" vibe. I was excited to read this book. And for good reason, there were many things that were amazing about the book.

The Glass Box starts off with a bang, we learn about the environment that Riley is exposed to. She is living in a world where groups of more than 10 people are not allowed to gather or there would be legal repercussions including jail time or hospital institutionalization (the American Renewal Centers - ARC program). This is all in fear that people will stand up against the travesties that are being instilled upon citizens. Including illegal incarceration (just because you know someone that the government deems "bad" this could warrant a breach of civil rights and incarceration for an unnamed amount of time). Well Riley gets caught at one of these protests and decides to go the mental institution route instead of jail time. We learn about the other hospital patients that were admitted through the ARC Program and patients, like Frankenstein, that were committed prior to the ARC Program started at the location. Although the mission of the doctors at the ARC program is to brainwash the inmates to go back into civilization Riley refuses to compromise her will or beliefs. Riley meets her match with a psychotic doctor that uses manipulation and gaslighting as forms of therapy. In her refusal to lose herself Riley stirs up a rebellion with the other ARC inmates. Will the inmates be released? Will Riley be able to win back her civil rights? Will the evil doctor win?

I enjoyed the character development in this book. The backstory for Riley was dramatic and made me feel for her. I also felt like I was trapped in the mental hospital with Riley. There were very few people on her side and the walls felt like they were caving in. But what I enjoyed most was her relationship with Frankenstein. This part of the story was like a love story without the romance and I wanted so much more of that. There bond was special. I also liked how the different doctors in the story were developed. I appreciated some more than others. And the relationships to other movie and book characters was amazing. Another thing I enjoyed was the relation to current issues. There were a lot of similarities to how life is now, but it was not shoved down your throat. I liked the dystopian flare this book had while still adding in contemporary writing. I listened to an audio version of the book and I liked the

Although I enjoyed a lot of things about this book there were a few things that I did not enjoy as much. There were parts of the book that were super slow and I felt like a lot of things were repeated over and over again. Like Riley's backstory, this was repeated several times in the book. I wanted more for the ending. It just seems like not much improved.

Overall, I would recommend the book, I think this is more of a YA book and teenagers will enjoy it. I give it 3.5 stars. I am giving my own opinion. Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

Sometimes I find it so hard to read books like this because of how easily it could become reality! This was really interesting and a worthwhile read. The narrator did a good job.

This is a dystopian story about a future America where you can get arrested for expressing yourself. Instead of a Constitution with protections for every citizen, you can get in trouble for something as simple as protesting.
Our main character is in a psych ward for 6 months as her sentence, and this is where I think it's interesting. She meets with others who are experiencing the same thing, and you as a reader are asking yourself: What would I do if faced with these kinds of circumstances? The different personalities are what made it for me, and I think readers may feel uncomfortable if they are honest with themselves.
I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator was perfect -- she got the assignment. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me listen to this audiobook

In this alternate America, people who protest are not just arrested but demonized, touted as almost un American, and sent to “American Renewal Centers” which our protagonist Riley Diaz finds herself committed to. She thought that opting for a 6 month stint in a “psych ward” would beat prison time, until she gets there to find that her wing of the hospital is run completely separate from the rest of the rules and regulations of the institution, and that a sadistic psychologist is given ultimate control over their release and everything up to their release.
In this alternate America, people have no rights to free speech nor freedom of assembly and fear overrides our rights. This regime also intends to move the psych wards to internment military camps similar to what we actually had during WW2 with Japanese American citizens! Riley’s family reared her in the art of protest, her mother an Irish ☘️ nationalist and her father a Hispanic American - both very politically active. Riley was taken to protests at a young age and taught the rules of engagement. She learns mostly to never give up, never back down, and never make the first move. Never give them anything to point at as illegal action, but to never back down and let me tell you, Riley’s character is #Badass !! I loved her defiance and refusal to cower when threatened. I loved her fighting the good fight. She was a natural born leader and the others take courage in her defiance and learn to stand up for themselves as well.
This book was fantastic and would be a great companion book to #ProphetSong which just won the Booker. In that book it was militarization of Ireland turning it towards dictatorship. In this book it was America and swung towards #communistic bullshit like “reeducation camps”. Both books are a look at where government can slip to when it gets out of control of the people. I highly recommend this book and the audiobook was fantastically done by @stacygonzalezbooks !! I highly recommend the book and the audiobook. Many thanks to @blackstonepublishing for allowing me an audio arc of this story in exchange for my honest thoughts and feelings! I’m so glad that I loved it. Check it out!! See cmts ⬇️

This book is a difficult one to review because it just wasn’t my type of Book. It is kind of dystopian in the sense that it’s about a future governed by a shadowy manipulative government where such crimes as protesting and having a voice is a criminal offence. But instead of prisons they are put in Arc facilities which are like psychiatric facilities for mandatory reeducation with forced therapy and medication to be basically brainwashed or compliant in return for freedom. The story is about Riley who declares a one woman war against the doctors and collaborators. It was quite heartwarming in places and I enjoyed the friendships forged but there wasn’t a lot else to get me wanting more. Described as a One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest type story and I would agree, also described as action packed but I didn’t think so until near the end where there was a little action. I thought it more about friendships and coping in an institution run by a nasty bit of work. An easy listen but just not for me.

Good read, decently quick read as well. I think I'll recommend it to some of my friends who like this vibe

I really enjoyed this dystopian scifi novel. It's set in the future, and the main character Riley Diaz is sent to an American Renewal Center (ARC) for reprogramming. She resists the gaslighting and fights to keep her convictions and her own mind. I loved that her friend in the ARC was named Frankenstein, who in another book was a monster. I recommend this story to anyone who likes rebellion, mental health, sci-fi, government conspiracy, etc. I listened to the story in audible format and really enjoyed the narrator as well. I want to thank the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for giving me a copy of the audiobook, in return for an honest review.

Riley to one of the new detention centers know as an ARC. These are specialized centers set up for those who protest what the government is doing. Riley tries to escape. She he can not find a weak area in the perimeter and even the fortress has no weak areas. Riley realizes her only way out may be right through the middle of the building, Riley was a protestor and the government is taking away the right to free speech and the right to assemble. Because of her involvement, she is in what most of us would call today a mental institution. This is her story to get out if it and fight for the rights of the people and never give up your beliefs.

First off I have been a fan of J. Michael Stracynski’s for years and this new book does not disappoint. It had me from the first chapter to the end of the book. This was a fantastic books and a bit scary at the thought of some freedoms being taken away.
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Life in the United States has changed a lot in this dystopian story. What would you do if the right to free speech was met with martial law? Or the right or freedom to assemble is outlawed and will result in an incarceration in a prison style camp? What would you do if those little freedoms we take for granted, are now outlawed? Would you fight or capitulate?

In this dystopian story, we are shown some things that could happen in such a world. Riley has been spiraling since the death of her parents. Maybe her need to protest the injustices of the world is ingrained in her dna from her Irish mother, or maybe it’s her upbringing, and seeing that fighting for what is right is deeply woven into her, but she joins the protests. Unfortunately, that gets her incarcerated in one of the American Renewal Centers, or ARCS. She is forced to participate in therapy, where the therapist try to get the participants to implicate others. As her confinement continues, she is forcibly medicated, placed in solitary confinement, and has her food restricted to an amount that will slowly take away her last bit of resistance.

What Riley doesn’t count on, is the connections she begins to make with the other prisoners. As the story continues, they realize they are better together than apart, and that even the smallest punishment , reaffirms their desire for freedom and the reestablishment of their rights. She refuses to surrender, or betray those that are willing to stand up to the repressive government.

The author weaves an amazing tale that evokes thought. I enjoyed the characters. They were well developed, and some characters stand out more than others. My favorite is easily Frankenstein. The storyline is easy to follow. You feel like you are right there in the hospital. The details make it very realistic. The story provokes thought, and makes you view events, in our current world, in a different light.

I received this in exchange for an honest review. I listened to the audio book and loved the narrator, although Irish accent was my favorite.

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