Thank you for the opportunities to read this book. I have attempted it on a number of occasions but unfortunately I haven’t been able to get into it.

When I saw the blurb for this book on Netgalley I was immediately intrigued. A world where you're charged for every word spoken and action used after the age of 15. Like that is copyright and marketing gone crazy, and is just not a world I could envisage living in.

However, I found the execution of this novel lacking, it just didn't feel like it fully lived up to its potential. Something felt lacking, although I can't quite put my finger on what that something is.

I thoroughly enjoyed the "Placers", and the art of "product placement" especially considering the Influencers of the Internet it was just quite funny. I loved that they were practically these mythical ninjas, since they weren't supposed to be seen by anyone. It was a cool concept!

The lawyers were super intense and just could not wait to sue people for any and all infractions. To the point they would sue people for the infractions of their ancestors, they have no proof...but still sue and send family members to work on farms to repay their debts. Its horrendous. I did not expect some of the darker moments in this book, it was very eye opening and heart breaking.

Also 15 seems like an odd age for something like this to be implemented, it should be like 18 or something where you are considered an adult...When you become an adult, independent and responsible for your actions!

Some moments were quite intense and gripping, but there were also long stretches of the novel were it felt flat and the story plateau'd. This book is full of conspiracies and its a world that isn't as impossible as I would like it to be.

There is also a sequel in the works, which I don't feel is completely necessary and I won't be reading. The only way it could work is if expands the world to those outside "the dome", otherwise it it will just be the same as so many futuristic dystopian books where they decide to rebuild their civilisation... but they are being lead by a 15-year-old so I doubt anything will change.

Damn it, I was halfway through this book and then my e-galley expired. Super sad because I was really enjoying this book- the world building was great and the Placers were a really interesting gang and I'm really frustrated I didn't get to finish reading this book.

Full review (including relevant quotes and proper formatting) can be found at 100% Rock Magazine:
http://magazine.100percentrock.com/reviews/book-reviews/201708/233480


Even before the start of this story, readers are shown a glimpse of the world they’re about to enter, in the form of a copyright page as it might look in the State of Vermaine, the place where Speth lives some time in our future, where freedom of speech is no longer a thing and special permits need to be bought just to maintain ownership of a physical book.

And to be sure, there is a lot to take in with regards to the dystopian world Katsoulis offers up, so this is a nice primer for readers who won’t dismiss this offhand as uninteresting copyright information. For the most part it is evident that a lot of thought has gone into the building of this world, and fans of Black Mirror are bound to feel a little familiar with some of the technology holding people to ransom, with the familiar pattern of things that are already bizarre to those of us in 2017 being pushed further and further, and with certain handed-down stories that assure readers this is set in our future, not some alternate universe.

This is a world in which a FiDo (a WiFi outage) is the only time parents can tell their kids how much they love them without being plunged into debt. A world in which most parents are carted away as soon as their kids are old enough to be left in the hands of paid caregivers. A world that is without new and better inventions as a result of all the legal turmoil.

A world in which the phrase “Freedom of speech” is bound to cripple the speaker financially.

There are some good messages in the book about freedom, expression, and standing up for what you believe in, it is a pretty quick read with lots of action and rather short chapters, and I haven’t come across a book that deals with something as important as words being charged. But it’s not entirely unique, in that it shares some of its worldbuilding with the movie In Time (but with words instead of time, obviously), and it is not without its flaws.

But despite these issues and despite the huge suspension of disbelief required to get into this story, it is an interesting idea and enjoyable enough that the time spent reading it doesn’t feel wasted. I will likely continue the series but won’t exactly be counting down the days until the next installment is available. This is not a compulsive like The Hunger Games, Unwind, or even Divergent, but I will be keeping an eye out.

While the ending was rushed and there were plenty of things left unexplored, this does read well-enough as a standalone. People who like technological cautionary tales, à la Black Mirror, but without the brain-mush hangover should consider giving it a shot.

This was a creepy and awesome dystopian novel, set in a future where every word is copyrighted and once you turn 15 you have to pay the rights holders every time you speak! So Speth goes silent, and accidentally starts a revolution.

I loved the idea of the mysterious product Placers :) But even including them the whole world this portrayed was just so creepy! I loved the bit where someone was reading a book called 1984 too and you think it's going to be THE 1984 and how relevant that would be as there's no escaping the wifi tether/big brother in this world... but then no it's just an old yearbook ;)

A unique take on a dystopian world that might actually become reality (although I hope not), All Rights Reserved is set in a world whereby every word, every action, is chargeable. And if you can't pay your debt, well, you end up dragged away from your family and your home to work it off.
Speth was a fascinating main character with an interesting outlook on life, and she became even more curious once she 'zipped' her lips shut for good.
The world building and character development in this novel were great, and the world was continually expanded upon as the book progressed. It ended on a satisfying note, but yet left the story wide open for a sequel.

All Rights Reserved is a clever and timely dystopian novel that introduces a world where speech and communication is controlled and monitored for capital gain. It is scary in its portrayal of a future world that is all too possible. With characters who quickly garner the reader's support, All Rights Reserved is a highly thought-provoking novel.

Speth knows that at the exact moment of her fifteenth birthday every word she says, every gesture, every move of affection will be monitored, recorded, and she will be charged accordingly. But when her friend suicides just moments before her Last Day speech, Speth is horrified and knows no other option than to remain silent. She unwittingly creates a silent revolutionary protest. But it is hard to lead a revolution when you have no plan and can't communicate. With her family falling apart around her Speth knows she must never stop fighting if she is to save herself and her family, or if she is to hopefully affect some change in her society.

This book captured my imagination. It's one thing to have a dystopian novel where characters are forced to kill each other for entertainment of the population - sure that might happen - but a world where everything is copyrighted, a world where you can sue someone with a touch of a button on the electric cuff wrapped around your wrist? - now that is something I can totally see happening. It's scary!! Everything in this novel was just one step advanced from our current technology and politics. Houses are now printed, as is food. There is a stock market for words. The polarisation of wealth has increased. The Cuffs that control Speth and her friends' every word and moments are not that far removed from the bands and watches available now that monitor everything from movement to heart rates. Scary! And that's exactly why this is such an important book.

This book is a important conversation starter. As a society, we need to discuss how we want our world to look like now and in the future and it is important to consider how every little step now impacts that future. Copyright, food production, technology, privacy, censorship and surveillance are all key themes raised in this book.

Injustice makes me all sorts of angry, and there was so much injustice in this book. At times it felt claustrophobic. The book is truly evocative. I felt as if I was right there alongside Speth, who has no way to communicate, no way to protect her family, no real options, no plan. At times I was frustrated by this lack of a grand plan. Just when things seem to move forward or Speth has an idea it always peters out or it is unobtainable. But I suppose this is highly realistic of Speth's situation. There is no shortage of tension and heartbreak in this novel. There is also plenty of action to supplement the storyline.

All Rights Reserved is a timely and important book and a very worthy addition to the dystopian genre. I can't wait to share this with our readers, and while the ending is satisfying, I know that the Word$ series has so much more to offer.

The publishers provided an advanced readers copy of this book for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.