Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me a free eARC of this book to read in exchange for my review!

This book had a fascinating concept, however, I did not like the revolving points of view. The characters felt too similar for me to distinguish between them. I enjoyed the concept and the premises but overall the presentation did not vibe with me

This is a story about the cost of humanity.

I thought this was a super interesting concept, and the way it’s done was deeply unsettling… I wanted this to feel like a far fetched story, but instead found something that felt startlingly realistic. After all, there are only so many places for late stage capitalism to go.

Thank you so much Drexel Books & Netgalley for the eArc!

the prologue grabbed my attention!! what a great opening scene, very reminiscent of stalking jack the ripper... however i was not hooked by the first chapter... so unfortunately i had to dnf it

Unfortunately this book was not for me. Other readers may enjoy it more, but I could not get into it and ultimately did not finish it.

This is a dystopia that does not read like one. I want to begin the review by stating why I am rating it the way I am. I found the book sluggish to get through. By the time I finished, I really enjoyed the experience, but I think it could have been shorter. I would have rated it a whole star higher if that had been the case.
The time is the US in a not-so-distant future where people's lives are what companies bid on. Their eventual prosperity is the profit that companies hope for. This idea is taken to the extreme with health and behaviour also factoring into the narrative. Our main narrative voice is Sasha Cross, a child artist with a famous mother whom she, unfortunately (for her), resembles. We have people directly connected to her and others who are not as close.
We are given a very believable scenario of the public outcry that several years of this process would obviously instigate. What happens next is partly expected and partly not. I liked the book and would read another by the author. But as I mentioned earlier, it took a while for the story to settle into a groove that I liked, which is a personal preference. I would recommend this book to the more serious, economical dystopian fans.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

The Auction by Tom Galvin takes place in a dystopian future where parents’ retirement is the hands of their 22 year old children’s future value to seven companies. These companies bid on the rights to their future earnings. A standout kid can make a family, but many aren’t that lucky. This one reminded me of the Hunger Games in the best way!

i loved the use of auctions in the future. This story was really well done and I was captivated from start to finish. It was a really well done read.

Thank you to Girl Friday and NetGalley for the eARC!

I'd actually give this 3.5 stars.

The premise was interesting, but this book was INCREDIBLY exposition heavy. There was an excessive amount of telling and not much showing for over half of the story. It felt more like an explicit political commentary than a thriller, and I couldn't quite figure out what exactly the plot / purpose of the story was for a while (which isn't a bad thing, it just didn't match my expectations).

There were, however, several aspects of this book that I enjoyed. While the large cast of characters was initially confusing, I really appreciate the diversity of race, gender, socioeconomic status, and physical ability that was presented across the various POVs. I also really enjoyed the last three chapters -- they were much more fast-paced and contained the action and plot that I had hoped for throughout the rest of the story. Additionally, the setting felt realistic. The novel is set near enough in the future that many readers will likely be still alive then, and the grip that capitalism has on this futuristic society doesn't seem all that far-fetched.

Overall, this is a good political commentary and a realistic depiction of the road that capitalism might take us down, but not quite as thrilling as I'd expected or hoped.

content warnings: physical violence, death, stalking/harassment

Exposition for days. Not much happens in the first half of the story because so much time is dedicated to explaining the details of this new society. For all that effort to detail why the system works, there are still holes in the premise which might not have been so glaring if the author was not trying so hard to explain them away.

At the age of 22 people are auctioned off to investment companies. The companies will assist their assets as they see fit, and take 25% of the assets earnings for their lifetime. The assets legal guardians receive the payment for however much their child's future is "bought" with a minimum payout of $50,000. The premise is that this pay out system has created financial security to elders to retire. However, this theory is not supported within the story. We see that it continues to be a cycle of generational wealth and the auction does nothing to provide financial security to those who were not already wealthy. The other benefit of the auction is that many government services are now paid for by the companies that purchase the citizens financial futures which has resulted in very low tax rates. But wth 25% of earnings going to the investment companies, that is the new tax rate. The auction maintains the status quo for the wealthy while marketing to the less fortunate that the American Dream is still alive.

A lot of work has gone into making a commentary on capitalism, but it is hitting you so hard in the head with the point that the story does not work as entertainment.

3.5 ☆s rounded up!

The recommendation for Hunger Games fans is absolutely correct, though I think slightly older dystopian readers will appreciate the political undertones even more. The premise of The Auction is clever and realistic, almost scarily so. A world where promising young individuals and their future contributions to the workforce are auctioned off to the "Big 7" companies poised to benefit from their success doesn't seem so far off when we think of the big companies of today. It's the sort of dystopia that brings us to reflect on today and the short journey that could potentially take us from here to there.

The narrative follows the sometimes-intertwining stories of various characters and I'll admit that I found myself more invested in the stories of certain characters over others that didn't resonate with me as much. Jason's story was particularly heartwrenching as he is constantly living in the memory of his parent's fatal car crash. Though I did wish more time was spent developing certain narrative streams over others, that is mere personal preference and I know all readers will appreciate various elements of this story. It's the kind that keeps you thinking and makes you more aware of certain elements of life today. A fun read!

Many thanks to Tom Galvin, Drexel Books, and NetGalley for this ARC! Review also posted on The StoryGraph.

Engrossing. Great dystopian read. Perfect for fans of the Hunger Games. Surprisingly close to our own reality today where large corporations are king. Scary to think this is how our society could end up.

Tom Galvin has taken several of today's most pressing societal questions and painted a future where they have come frightfully full circle. Today's too-powerful Google, Amazon, and Facebook have become "the big 7" largest corporations in Galvin's fantastic tale of a world where the social safety net has crumbled. Private companies now run many services once provided by the government. In this future, young people strive to increase the cash bids the big 7 will place on their earning potential in The Auction – because their parent's retirement security depends on it. Galvin's tale confronts the moral implications of valuing people's futures and weighs that against the real benefits that may come from such a dystopian system of stratification between the valuable and less so in society. Though claiming to be set in the future, it feels less far off than the author suggests.

The Auction shocked the hell out of me. I didn’t expect how a future society, just warped a bit more than it is today, could be so disturbing. The scary part of The Auction, set 30 years in the future, is how it feels like today and then totally different at the same time. In this world, when you turn 22 you get evaluated and then bid on by corporations that control America. The winning bidder owns your future. The story has a Ray Donovan feel in that the corporations protect their assets. Sasha Cross is the main character, but for me the story hits home even more deeply with Jason Harris, who’s trying to redeem his family after an accident killed his parents. If he’s successful as an e-gamer, his family will be financially set, but there is so much anguish, pressure, and ultimately betrayal, that he keeps getting knocked down. I appreciate that I was able to read an advanced copy of The Auction and can’t wait for a sequel.

I was hooked on The Auction from the first few chapters. I enjoyed the characters struggles against a system of the Big 7 companies and their bidding for candidates. The author has imagined a 2050 dystopian future in the same vein as The Hunger Games. As I kept reading I imagined the scenes similar but Tom Galvin takes a less tragic view for The Auction. There are tradgedies though. I recommend this to any sci-fi and dystopian fans as well as readers interested in what consumerism and capitalism may look like in the not too distant future. Great read, 5 stars.

Thank you to author Tom Galvin and NetGalley for this ARC.
I loved the economic dystopian concept of this book, but it is not really a thriller in my opinion as much as it is political sci-fi, which is not my usual reading subject.
That stated, I appreciated the message of warning of the book of what the socio-political future of this country could look like if Capitalism continues on its course. So many features of this story are already present in our society: private ownership of resources and education, parental success related mainly to offspring competitive advantage, working-class revolt.
I did find fault with some of the structural format and grammatical errors of the book.
Three stars.

You know, this was weird. But in a good way? It was pitched for "The Hunger Games" lovers and while I agree, I also want to take THG expectation out of it. It had the dystopian feel you want but it could've been darker.