Imagine a world where Amazon controls pretty much everything (its really not hard to do, right?). They are the only large employer, and they have managed to put just about every other retail company out of business. Most folks who need employment have to head to their nearest Cloud center (Amazon = Cloud), apply, and hope against hope they are accepted. This is the fate of our two main protagonists, Zinnia and Paxton. Paxton wants more than anything to keep his head down until he can get patent money for his invention, a business that was going well until Cloud forced him out of business. Zinnia’s reasons for working at Cloud are a bit more inspired (it would depend on your perspective) as she’s been hired to try to take Cloud down from the inside. As Paxton and Zinnia are thrown together, both will come to realize that the Cloud was more insidious than they thought and they’ll have to sacrifice more than they’re comfortable with the bring it down.

I read this book right after watching John Oliver’s sendup of this sort of corporate culture and dang, Rob Hart did his research. His version of Amazon matches quite closely with what Oliver presents as the actual version of Amazon. I mean, it’s not great. Its really fascinating to read this near-future take on what Amazon and their ilk could mean for our country and economy as, like I said, this is a future that is really easy to imagine.

The book takes turn between Zinnia, Paxton and Gibson Wells’ (think Jeff Bezos) narratives. The characters are believable and likable enough (save Wells, but that’s obviously intentional) that I was not overly fond of one perspective over the other and never found myself racing through one perspective to get to a different one. Nonetheless, the book ends up being a quick read. It was sort of John Grisham meets Brave New World, and I was not mad about it. It’d make a fantastic movie, and clearly someone agrees with me as the author thanks Ron Howard and Bryan Glazer in his afterword.

If you are looking for a quick summer read that’ll make you think (but not too hard), this dystopian thriller will suit your needs. 4 stars – I really liked it!

Thanks to Crown and Netgalley for the free eARC which I received in exchange for an unbiased review. The Warehouse will be release on 20 August, and you can put your copy on hold today!

Distressing! This dystonia is very close to home. Like "Vox," by Christina Dalcher, it aptly explains how this world could become a reality. In fact, we may already be halfway there. Haunting and compelling.

Imagine if Amazon had wiped out almost all other retail, so that the only options left were to starve or work in one of Amazon's vast, city-like warehouses. In this tale of modern-day indentured servitude, the inhabitants of Cloud's warehouses across the country are trapped in a cycle of mind-numbing work and meaningless relationships. Deep in the bowels of Cloud's premier warehouse lurks Zinnia, who has been sent to Cloud by an unknown source to get inside the machine and see what makes it tick. Inadvertently aiding her in this mission is Paxton, a one-time prison security guard and failed small business owner who reaches a dead end at Cloud, and finds salvation from the mediocrity of Cloud life with Zinnia.

Fascinating precisely because it hits so close to home, Warehouse will make you think twice before you hit "add to cart."

The Warehouse
Rob Hart

Imagine a future where, because of violence and mass shootings, malls and larger department stores no longer exist. Everything you need can be ordered from a worldwide fulfillment facility called Cloud, the brainchild of Gibson Wells, a mad genius who is dying of cancer. It is not only the safest way to shop, but to work and live. Cloud has facilities all over the world. Employment at the Cloud is highly sought after because of a wonderful sense of security. One never really has to leave the Cloud. As Well's Cloud grows, he successfully privatizes more services supplied by the government – including the FAA.

Sounds ideal, yes? Well, maybe. Is it a utopia when your life is controlled by your employer? Or, is it a dystopia? Are you willing to sacrifice your freedom for comfort and security?

I read an ARC of this contemporary and frightening Orwellian thriller courtesy of NetGalley and Crown Books. I was completely captivated by the story and its characters . The pacing is taut throughout and Hart's writing is vivid and strong. It is easy to envision a blockbuster movie coming soon to a movie screen near you!

Paxton, a former prison guard whose small business was financially destroyed by the Cloud has really no choice but to take a security job with the Cloud. He meet and falls in love with Zinnia, a corporate spy with deadly skills whose employment at the Cloud is only a means to an end.  Together they try to unravel the secrets behind the Cloud and its founder Gibson Wells. What they discover could change the world. If they are allowed to live.

Hart successfully and seamlessly intertwines Paxton's and Zinnia' stories with that of Gibson Wells and everyday life in the Cloud. There is a lovely flow to the book's structure. Much Like H.G. Wells's The Shape of Things to Come: The Work, Wealth and Happiness of Mankind, Hart's novel is eerily prescient in its presentation of a dystopian future - think the retail domination of Amazon.com and its forthcoming drone delivery. Think the current US administration and the slow death of our nation's urban spaces. One of the joys of reading The Warehouse is that the world Hart creates is thoroughly believable. It CAN happen here. I highly recommend the book , just be prepared to be reading until the early morning.

Part dystopian/part thriller but it doesn’t feel like there was a clear plot line or resolution. Well written but something was lacking, as if I couldn’t figure out the point of the novel.

There were a lot of things I liked about this book...
- Zinnia is a badass character that I adored!
- The concept is amazing and (sadly) realistic.
- It's monotony makes you feel like you are walking right alongside the characters.
Things I hated...
- The monotony is necessary and relatable, but it's also really hard to trudge through.
- I hate unanswered questions...
of this there are many when the book abruptly ends.
That kind of shit drives me bananas.
Thank you NetGalley and Crown Publishing for my ARC.

Great book from Rob Hart. Smooth writing, not formulatic.
Great concept with well developed characters
Highly recommend!

The Warehouse, by Rob Hart, is the type of Science Fiction I enjoy most. Reading The Warehouse you know it's not possible..... yet. With technology what it has become a place like The Warehouse could exist in our not too distant future. I was given an early copy to review.

Dave Eggers wrote a metaphorical novel in 2015 warning about the control users eagerly provide social media start-ups and search engine giants. In The Circle, employees live, work, eat, and play within a professional compound where their lives are transparently transmitted in return for likes and retweets. Rob Hart taps into that zeitgeist with The Warehouse, which is more thriller than notice. He presents a future where the world’s all-consuming online retailer, The Cloud, provides their employees work, housing, and healthcare to feed their consumption while video monitors proselytize the gospel of consumerism and fresh burgers ground out contentment.

Eggers’ Circle is Spielberg’s Minority Report (minus the chase scenes and Tom Cruise’s hair); Hart’s Warehouse is Michael Bay’s The Island with all the chase, hair, and explosions it can muster.

Aside from the PSAs and scripted commercials, which make for a jarring read but will work spectacularly in the upcoming Ron Howard adaptation, Hart splits the narrative between three main characters: Paxton, a former CEO now working the Cloud security beat; Zinnia, a corporate spy with killer looks and moves; Gibson Wells, the Bezos-ian All-Father of the Cloud, dying of cancer. Each have their own voice, a separate pattern that makes for an enjoyable read: Paxton’s defeatism; Zinnia’s mission-oriented goals; Gibson’s Republican rhetoric. Paxton and Zinnia learn to say hello to the Cloud, and each other, while Gibson embarks on his final victory lap.

Hart builds within the Cloud an environment that is both SciFi cool and hauntingly wanting. Whereas Eggers’ Circle wants to keep their drones happy and active and fresh, the Cloud provides the basest of lifestyles. And aside from its energy and news-based initiatives, the Cloud solely seems focused on consumerism – not media or communications or even space travel that all Prime members now expect. Hart digs deep into this environment but in doing so ignores any outside industry, religion, or even sports, which all must surely exist yet are never touched. Instead he presents a question. Does menial work, stable pay, and basic housing equate happiness? Zinnia’s answer is a rocket-fire of a no. Paxton’s response is murkier. Hart’s follow-up is even deeper. Can freedom be minimized in favor of security? The Warehouse is a surprisingly entertaining ride of an answer.



Thanks to NetGalley and Crown for this ARC. Wasn’t sent to me via drone, but I guess it’s all only a matter of time now…

I'll be honest - although the book description intrigued me, it was Blake Crouch's recommendation that made me want to read this novel. After finishing, I had to sit with it a few days because I honestly didn't know how I felt about it.

Few people will read this description and not immediately think of Amazon. The Warehouse is a cautionary tale, albeit extreme, that paints a harrowing futuristic picture. Cloud controls or has influence over nearly everything - the business environment, laws, politics. Seemingly nothing is out of its reach.

I didn't particularly care about these characters, but their moral ambiguity was intriguing and held me enthralled. Paxton harbors feelings of anger and retribution after his small business is crushed by Cloud - and yet he finds himself working for the tech company. Zinnia will sacrifice anything or anyone to accomplish her goals. And Gibson Wells, the multi-billionaire owner of Cloud, truly believes everything he's done has made the world a better place.

This is a well-paced thriller with some suprising plot twists, and the sections showing the monotony of Paxton's and Zinnia's lives are brilliant. The Warehouse is undoubtedly one of the most thought-provoking books I've read this year. It will leave you feeling unsettled, and I guarantee you'll still be thinking about it days after reading.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is a thriller set in the future, but not so far in the future that we can't exactly picture a business just like this. Global warming has proceeded, there is hunger, heat, millions of people displaced by rising water and few jobs to be had. One company has continued to thrive, Cloud. Three people tell this story: Paxton who needs a job after his company is forced into bankruptcy, Zinnia who has already been hired to obtain a job at Cloud and the man who started Cloud, Gibson.
It's a cautionary tale, it's a corporate spy thriller, it's a smuggling ring, it's a sci-fi book, it's an absolute page turner!
Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this early. I recommend this book!
#TheWarehouse #Netgalley

I saw the author interviewed on television alongside other authors and found his description of his book “The Warehouse” a fascinating premise. So due to NetGalley I have had the opportunity to read this book and came away with the following conclusions: (1) The premise is even more interesting than described by the author; (2) The author, Rob Hart, is a gifted writer who can develop his story clearly, albeit not too concisely; (3) Many years ago I taught a high school English class on comparative utopian novels and “The Warehouse” should be added to stories such as “Brave New World” and “1984;” and (4) “The Warehouse” can, and should, serve as a cautionary tale for the growing fear of mega-technology companies overarching power over the individual in the second decade of the 21st century. Readers should wake up, stop fearing the targets of the “Fake News” media, and actively push back against the monopolistic multinational tech companies that are managing way too much of our lives! Well done Rob Hart.

I received an ARC of The Warehouse at BookCon directly from Rob Hart, signed and all. BookCon was for sure the ComicCon for us book nerds! I heard many things about The Warehouse being the next big YA Thriller, there was some big hype to live up to. Did It?

I believe it did. I had to be in the right mood to start The Warehouse but once I was I finished it very fast. It took me awhile to digest the book, I was really thinking “WTF Rob?” The scary part is I could see what happens in The Warehouse actually happening to us in the world if things continue as they have been. Cloud is only too close to a certain online retailer that is currently taking over our world. Consumerism is key and that is the driving force behind what keeps Cloud in business.

The story is told through multiple viewpoints. Paxton and Zinnia who go to work at Cloud and the owner of the company. There was decent character development and the secret behind Cloud was sort of science fictionish but it made sense in the context. You won’t expect some of the events that occur in The Warehouse. I hope you’re like me at have a WTF face.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 out of 5 stars) Not many books have taken me this long to digest.

Paxton didn’t want to work for Cloud. The superstore ruined his life and put him out of business. But he needs a job and Cloud is hiring. Zinnia is on a mission. She needs to infiltrate Cloud, and she can’t get caught. She meets Paxton, who has been selected to work for security. Soon, Paxton and Zinnia become embroiled in a scheme that will shake Cloud to its very foundation.

When I started reading The Warehouse, I was expecting it to be a book that explored how an online business ran with a dash of mystery thrown in. I was not expecting this book to suck me in from the first page. I finished this book within 2 hours. So yeah, it is a fast read. It also had a well-written plotline with almost no lag. There was a tiny bit of lag when Paxton and Zinnia took their trip, but the author was able to bring plotline back.

I liked Paxton. He seemed resigned to the fact that he was going to work for Cloud. He didn’t hold any resentment towards Cloud for making his business to go under. I thought that he was blind to Zinnia’s schemes. How could he not pick up that something wasn’t quite right with her? I mean, he walked in on her using the hospital computer after her accident!! That drove me nuts.

I didn’t quite like Zinnia, but I also didn’t dislike her either. Her reasons for infiltrating Cloud weren’t clear at first. I wasn’t happy that she was using Paxton, but if I were in her situation, I would have done the same thing. She was a strong individual, though. The beatdown that she gave that one guy was epic.

The mystery angle of the book was well written. While the middle of the book did Zinnia’s first part of her mission, there was a second part to it. The twist to that took me by surprise. I wasn’t expecting who it was!!

The dystopian angle of the book, I had no problem believing. I can picture what happened to the world in this book (climate change, gun violence, unemployment) happening in real life. I also have no issue seeing an online company (who I will not name) taking over the world.

I do want to add that I was grossed out about the burgers. I threw up a little in my mouth when it was revealed what they were made of. Talk about gross!!

The end of The Warehouse was pretty standard. There were no dropped storylines. But, I did wonder what happened to Zinnia. I was also thrilled for Paxton and a little mad. What happened to him was not right. I would have flipped my lid if that happened to me.

I would give The Warehouse an Adult rating. There is sex. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread The Warehouse. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

The Warehouse is a sort of 1984 or Brave New World, updated and revisited. The premise of this page-turning easy-to-read story is that perhaps we are further along that path than we care to admit and we are going there willfully gladly and without much thought about the consequences.

We already live in a world where mom and pop shops are disappearing from main street, U.S.A. In fact, many cute main streets boast stores that are more welcoming to tourists than to locals' needs and the amazing thing is you can go into almost any mall or shopping center anywhere and find pretty much the same stores and same products. And, this is both great and crappy because we get the products everyone wants but perhaps not the endless variety we might want. For that, we only have to dial up the great web and there is one company with lots of warehouses that has everything we could want and can nearly instantaneously deliver it. And, we might not be okay with governmental surveillance of everything we do, at least Big Brother style, but we seem to be okay with giving up our privacy to Google, to Amazon, to Apple. Your phone tracks wherever you go. Your internet provider and search engine knows whatever you post, whatever you read, whatever you buy, whoever you interact with. And, we know that even now, Google at least and probably the other big guys too, censors things and makes things disappear from searches. Don't like what you see, just wait till they mess with the algorithms again and point you in the preferred direction. It's happening now as you read this. Your preferences and desires are being noted.

Hart gives us a story where one giant corporation controls nearly all commerce and employs thirty million people in its cloud villages where drones are sent out from warehouses every minute to everywhere to deliver product. And no other companies can survive the competition. Outside is a wasteland where global warming has baked everything beyond perfection. And, inside the Cloud village, conformity is the name of the game and go along and get along is the motto. Drudgery, being tracked by the watches, afraid to step out of line lest your star rating goes down. But, the price of giving up your freedom to roam, to think, to live, is to get a decent apartment and cloud burgers (although those are the subject of another treatise and i will not waste your time on it now).

Using several alternating voices is the latest rage by all modern authors, but here it actually works well and we get to know our characters and see the world through their eyes. Very enjoyable and easy read that makes you wonder where we are headed.

Many thanks to the publisher for providing a copy for review.

I thought the premise of this book was very good, and the plot clever, although I was unimpressed with the writing which made for a dull read for me..

This book is an unsettling glimpse of the very near future, although in many ways it's a view of our present because...."the market will dictate". This is a line used repeatedly to describe the surreptitious way certain companies have infiltrated and run so much of our lives and we have allowed it, A day without Amazon or Apple is nearly impossible. They offer us ease and mindless convenience that we have come to rely on, putting smaller and less innovative businesses in jeopardy. It's the American way.

In this novel by Rob Hart, Cloud (sound familiar) is the company that runs and owns everything. No one can compete. The world has become a place where everyone must live inside because of global warming. It's too hot to be outside. Coastal towns and countries are under water. Cloud offers a green solution in delivery drones and no one has to leave home for anything anymore. You can even live and work at Cloud where it is perpetually air conditioned and everyone wears Cloudbands, which are a lot like the Apple watch you have buzzing on your arm right now. These Cloudbands control where people go, what they have access to and tracks their every move.

The plot begins when the founder and CEO announces that he has pancreatic cancer (sound familiar). The two protagonists, Paxton and Zinnia, have just been hired at Cloud, but for very different reasons. A good portion of the book is devoted to describing the monotony of their lives living at and working for Cloud.

I'm a Sci-Fi and dystopian fiction fan and I thought this novel holds it's own against Handmaid's Tale, Brave New World and Fahrenheit 451 (which are all mentioned in this book). This novel as well as the newly released The Farm by Joanne Ramos shows us the not so distant future. I highly recommend them both.

Thank you NetGalley and Crown Publishing for my digital ARC in exchange for an honest review! This book is set to be published on 8/20.
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Cloud, a warehouse and housing complex, is the perfect place to live and work—or so it seems. Paxton has chosen to move in because it’s the only option he has left. Zinnia is a corporate spy sent to uncover the dark secrets Cloud seems to be hiding. How far will Cloud go to keep their secrets?
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I loved everything about this book! I was hooked from the beginning and could not put it down. I would categorize this book as a dystopian thriller, but also a cautionary tale because it involves frightening parallels with our world today.
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It doesn’t have chapters, but rather sections that alternate between the blog of Cloud’s founder, Zinnia’s perspective, and Paxton’s perspective. I felt bad for Paxton because he was wronged by Cloud in the outside world but came to work for them. There was no other option because the American job market had fallen apart due to events and circumstances I won’t give away here. I loved seeing a woman, Zinnia, portrayed as a tough-as-nails, cunning spy! She knew her stuff.
The idea of an enormous, live-work complex like Cloud, while intriguing, is totally frightening given the level of control they had over the employees/residents. The expectations for the majority of the employees were wild.
There are some surprising twists, a high level of mystery, and heart-pounding action. I highly recommend this book!

I love these kinds of stories. I liked thinking how cool it would be if Amazon or Wal Mart delivered stuff by drone. Anyone a fan of Black Mirror will definitely enjoy the hell out of this.

Thank you Netgalley for the Arc

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC. This was recommended to me by the publisher because I enjoy books by Blake Crouch. It’s interesting, this didn’t remind my of a book by Crouch, Hart definitely has his own voice. This story follows Paxton and a company called The Cloud, which definitely reminded of another large, technology-based company that exists today. Paxton can’t believe he is actually working and living at The Cloud ( they have a work/live sector). Next comes Zinnia. She is undercover to find out information about The Cloud. This story is fast-paced and I do think fans of Crouch will like it even though it is quite different than his books.