Loved the first half of this book and then it got too complicated for me to keep track. The book was doing too much when it could have been spilt into two books and would have worked perfectly

This book was gripping and brought me into the world quickly and wouldn’t let me go. I can’t wait to find out what happens next... if the book continues into another.

Thanks to Net Galley for an ARC

Four stars due all the veiled 'trump dumps' through out the book; otherwise a good story

**I received a copy of The Wall from Sideways Books and Net Galley in exchange for a voluntary and honest review. My opinions were not solicited in any way.**

The Wall by N. J. Croft was a rather eye opening book with not only the current government, a pandemic, racial inequality, upcoming Presidential election and the world in general. It will keep you transfixed and page turning all the way to the final page. It was hard not to compare President Harry Coffell Jr. and our own fake news, tweet loving one. I've have read only one other book by the author and my interest is very intrigued now.

Take one computer geek, artificial intelligence loving, aspiring astronaut Kate Buchanan who has followed the party line but now has A LOT of questions especially since her AI Auspex program started giving percentages on alerts. Since her job is with Homeland Security and with only one political party that's not above making dissenters disappear who can she tell without being reported? Then her sister is killed and leaves her a message saying that she needs to get a hold of Gideon Frome who's a military hero, former boyfriend and new Secret Service agent. Which in turn opens up old wounds with both of their families as well as a other friends and coworkers who die suddenly.

All of this will take them both on a eye opening wild ride to a climatic finish to the end or is it?

This thrilling book is almost ripped from the headlines. It tells of an alternative future in the US where there’s no democracy, a wall, and a firewall to prevent the US signal from reaching the rest of the world. All of this seems at least somewhat worth the trade off, until Kate discovers her sister was raped by the president at the age of 15. Then, all bets are off, and she and Gideon enter a world from which there’s no return.

The ending felt just a bit rushed and convenient, but other that that, that was a great story. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC. This review contains my honest, unbiased opinion.

Good stuff. Enjoyed the plot, the wring style, and the characters. It is quite engaging. This is a talented author. Recommended for scifi fans.

I really appreciate the review copy!!

A political thriller that hits close to reality. The world we live in is open to information, disease, and the decisions of many powerful people. Imagine America surrounded by walls, internet cut off, and a president that reigns under the guise of a popularity contest. That would be The Wall, a world cut off from other countries for fear of pandemics and crime. Freedom with a high cost. As you read about the characters struggling with tough choices think about the America we have now and the lives risked everyday. I’ve enjoyed Croft’s earlier books so I requested this one from Netgalley knowing I would enjoy it. I had not expected such a riveting story with powerful ideas and emotions.

Talk about prophetic fiction! This book was giving me the heebee jeebies at how on point it was and the direction the USA is currently heading.

What happens when the Donald's wall becomes a reality? Well, this book gives a glimpse of the future the USA could be facing. Loyalty to one party if you want access to anything worth having. Anyone else is a traitor and denied access to health, education, and other services.

Another crackpot President Harry Coffell came up with the idea of the Loyalty Party and after he had to step down his son, Harry jr takes on his mantle. But absolute power corrupts absolutely and there are more than a few skeletons in the cupboard! But the wall isn't just physical, its also technological - no outside news, internet or media. Sound familiar????

Kate deals with threat assessments for Homeland Security but is really using her employment as a way to hide her work on an AI. But when she realizes just what happens with the gradings that the algorithm decides on, she wonders what else has been lied about. Her little sister is the real tech genius but can she involve what little family has she has left?

Gideon is Kate's ex. A former soldier he is newly inducted into the Secret Service. He was essentially blackballed after his brother was labelled a rebel so he is wondering why he has been granted such an honour!

Power, corruption, technological lockdowns, forbidden media - all very current issues. I cannot believe how timely this novel is! It's a definite eyeopener as to what could happen if the USA continues on the slippery slope #45 has put them on.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to preview THE WALL by NJ Croft.
The current President is the son of the past President - they have a new political party which serves those who believe in their policies of a conservative nature. The President believes he must keep America safe and to do so a wall must be built - to keep those out who jeopardize the safety and security the American people need and believe in. But with that wall comes a stark realization and soon the liberties they enjoy may not be what was hoped for.
Not sure about this book and i DNF - not my cup of tea..

I liked The Wall by N.J. Croft a lot. The author crafted a great storyline and one that had me saying at some points, "This could really happen."

The author was masterful in creating a world that is eerily close to what is and may happen in our future. I liked all the characters (even the evil ones). They were each unique and had me invested in their stories and what would happen. I also liked how the plot unfolded and the resolution.

It seems there may be more books to come (maybe a series). I hope so. I want to read more about these characters. An important and true line and what feels like is happening in our world today is, "All it takes for evil to prevail is good men to do nothing."

I would highly recommend this book. A great storyline and solid characters, and good action and intrigue.

24 years ago, the father of the current president broke away from the Republican Party and started his own loyalist party with strong ties to the conservative church. Martial law is declared, supposedly for a short time like a year or so. A wall is built on the borders with voluntary labour (maybe an idea for the current president?), first in the south and later also in the north. Illegal aliens are rounded up and get deported. News from the outside world doesn’t get in anymore. Why would Americans be interested when they have everything themselves? But also domestic unnecessary travel is banned. A massive firewall goes up to block foreign enemy propaganda coming in and research into AI and prediction computer-programs are absolutely forbidden. Even a breeding program is installed to avoid congenital diseases. Most Americans are not averse to these measures as they live in peace and have free healthcare and education. Life for the average Joe isn’t too bad or so it seems in DC, where the privileged families live. Those things are all temporary measures that will be revoked when democracy is restored.
Since the son took over, things have gotten worse; more checking points, compulsory portraits of the president in every room/office and church services before work (don’t miss them or you get a black mark). He promises the return to democratic elections, but only when he’s guaranteed to win. To win he must be loved. He’s obsessed with being loved and will do ANYTHING to achieve that.

If anything, this is a disturbing and frightening read. Some of the elements in this book come scarily close to things we see happening now and in the past. I must declare strongly that I do not think that the recent Covid-9 restrictions on travel or freedom of movement do not have anything to do with the restrictions that are mentioned in the book, and I do not think that it was the author’s intention to criticise those. If anything, those measures were too little, too late and released too soon. It would have been good if we could count on common sense and civil responsibility of the average citizens but unfortunately, reality proves that there’s little of that to be found (and not only in the USA).
This story paints a bleak picture of America’s possible future. One that’s constructed from real circumstances and practices borrowed amongst others from Stalinist USSR, DDR’s Stasi, and North Korea’s Kim Yong-Un. Most frightening is that this prognosis for the future skirts the edges of reality in several places and is even plausible when taking into account the shenanigans from USA’s current president (he would love, to declare martial law) and the logical reasons given for the initial measures. The author describes a world that’s our own but as if it’s in a nightmare. It poses a number of very serious and difficult questions. How far would you have gone in the creating of this new America and how long would it take before people’s eyes would open up? And as you see what happens today, you can fool an awful lot of people for an awfully long time. It also contains a ‘hidden’ warning against the unlimited experiments with AI and similar technology/science that can unleash something that may soon spin out of control. Freedom and liberty mean different things to different people, but freedom of speech happens to be one of the most essential freedoms of our western civilisation. But this also includes that you can criticise those in government and those holding the popular/politically correct opinions. And I see that those last things are creeping into our daily life.

Personally I don’t think that Americans will give up their sacred freedoms as easily as happened in the book, but given the right amount of severe calamities coinciding, you’ll never know.
The main characters of this story belong to 2 privileged families. The Frome boys and Buchanan girls grew up in the shadow of the white house with fathers that were friends of the old president and they all believed strongly in the ideals of the Loyalist Party. But when Aaron Frome disappeared, he was assumed to have joined the rebels and the family fell from grace, they were interrogated (tortured) and the dad committed suicide eventually. Gideon joined the army and was sent to fight on the wall (yeah like Jon Snow) and now returned as a hero. He’s popular, what makes the president jealous and brings him a wicked idea.
Kate Buchanan works for Homeland security and monitors the chatter on their internet and dutifully reports encrypted threats. In secret, she has built an AI machine that can predict the future better than humans. When 1 day her sister is mentioned in one of the alerts, the computer predicts a nuclear attack in 3 weeks time with an increasing possibility rate. She deletes the name from the report but the Secret Service disregards the alert. As this prediction machine is illegal, she can’t tell anyone about it.
Every chapter starts with a relevant quote from famous Americans. I can’t say that I agree with every single one of them, but there’s food for thought in most. It also proves that when you take a quote out of its relevant context, it can be used to illustrate or support the opposite of what was originally intended.
The last chapter feels a bit rushed as if there was a deadline waiting. I suppose it was the only way to get the SS out of the way but it's not an elegant solution. The book has an open ending, a cliffhanger even that leaves ample room for a sequel.
This is certainly one of the best books that I’ve read this year (not all of them new though) and the suspense creeps to incredible levels. Just one of those books that I could not put down until my tablet battery ran empty.
I thank NetGalley and Sideway books for the free ARC they provided me with; this is my honest, unbiased review of it.