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

Quick read but felt very predictable to me. I liked the idea of it, and some parts were great but didn't really hit me that much.

Oh how love a good post-apocalyptic dystopia! This was a fun read with minor editing problems and a cliffhanger ending. The journey to the cliffhanger was so fun tho, I really need to read the next installment, assuming there is one.

In Community 215, defiance is not an option. Follow the rules or be cast out from the safety of the community walls.

I had a great time reading this book. I wish i had gotten to it sooner. Gripping read, i just couldn't stop reading once i hit halfway, and I think this book deserves way more recognition than it has! I really hope we get more of this story in the future!

Thank you to Netgalley, Defiance Press, and M. K Black for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This started off really strong with The Grace Year vibes, but was really slow going and then ended on a huge cliffhanger which I was not expecting. Not sure if I’ll read the sequel (if one’s coming?) but maybe.

I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are my own opinions.

First off I must say I read Community 215 in one go, but I'm still not sure that I enjoyed it. It is the oddest thing, I could not put the book down, but I also found it slow and repetitive. Bizare first for me

I love a good dystopian read, and this book didn't disappoint me. I highly recommend this book for any fans of the genre.

"As long as you are part of a Community, you are safe. As long as you are never an Outcast, you are safe. As long as you never try to change things, you are safe. Just never challenge the way that things are, and you are safe."

Community 215 is a fast-paced YA dystopia where the world has been divided into Giver-esque "communities" that are devoted to a long list of rules meant to control them. Personally, I found it to be a bit lackluster compared to the long list of other dystopian books I've read.
I think my main issue with the book was the characters. None of them were really fleshed out, even the two main POV characters. Brooks was a bit more dynamic, but he almost instantly fell in love with Rhea and he was a very generic "rebel" character. Rhea, on the other hand, was one of the most brainwashed characters I have ever seen. It wasn't until about 85% of the way through the book that she finally realized her community wasn't as perfect as it seemed...despite the fact that Brooks had been telling her that from chapter one.
The world-building is a bit vague, with characters citing obscure "wars" fought for "unknown reasons" in the past as reasons for the existence of the communities. The plot, while fast-paced, is relatively generic, borrowing concepts from The Maze Runner and The Giver, to name a few.
That being said, Community 215 is still a decent read, especially for those looking for a short book to test out the dystopian genre. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC.
3.5/5

Defiance is not an option. It is simply something not taught within the walls of Community 215, and punished severely when it happens. Rhea has only ever known this way of life. The council selects what your occupation is, who you wed, how many children you have, how much you need to eat, and where you live. There is no choice, only blind obedience. It’s better than living amongst the outcasts, those who live in the forest not in any community, operating as savages who hunt and kill and choose everything for themselves, and are a force to be feared.

But are they?

Rhea saves a boy when she is 10 from being outcast and is branded as disobedient via an iron brand on her neck. 8 years later she and the boy (Brooks) are ready to spend their week outside the walls to prove they can be useful contributing community residents. Things don’t go to plan; does Brooks really want to go back? Will Rhea get what she wants? Will Rhea open her eyes to the truth about her life and what she has been taught?

The premise of Community 215 is really interesting, a mix of dystopia, brainwashing, and dictatorship used to keep the population under the thumb of the rich. I enjoyed the book but thought it was a little sparse in the text for me, there just wasn’t enough depth in the characters or the world building to leave a lasting impression.

Gael was a potential side story narrative, however he seemed to disappear about halfway through the book which was disappointing. Maybe he will come back around in the next book if this is a series – which I hope it is, because otherwise the ending was just cut off with no resolution.

This was an enjoyable read, and could be improved by more character depth, motive, and world building. Overall, I liked it and would read the next one if there was a sequel.

The concept behind this novel held a compelling promise - the exploration of diverse communities each governed by their distinct rules and responsibilities. While the potential for world-building was certainly there, I found it to lack the profound depth I was hoping for. Additionally, the narrative, while intriguing, felt somewhat a little lacking, I would have enjoyed more detail in the story. The characters themselves were flawed and while sometimes unlikeable, were also very relatable. The ending leaves enough room for further novels in the series and I will pick up the next one to see what happens!

I read this book as a ARC and thank the author for the opportunity.

The story was entertaining, but there are a number of typos and my overall impression was that the book was let down by the absence of a quality edit. I presume there’ll be a second book at some point, but if not, then the ending disappointed me as it felt incomplete and rushed. Rhea was an interesting character, particularly the way she came to realise the true nature of the Communities. Gael seemed to fade away in the last third of the book, and perhaps a sub-plot opportunity was lost there. Overall, a decent read that would be improved greatly by a further round of edits before publication

The premise of this novel was very interesting… the evolution of different communities with different rules and obligations. The world building was promising however I didn’t feel it had much depth and the narrative was also a bit slim for my tastes. Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

If dystopianism needed an extreme, your about to meet it... Welcome to humanities worst nightmare

This novella, paints a picture that is very bleak indeed. Humanity is on the brink, and has been for quite some time. In fact there are very few who know what it was like before. And, they do their upmost to make sure that it isn't known by the masses.

We all know that power corrupts, and its still true. Reverberating across communities.

Those in communities have been brain washed. Out of the safety of the communities walls, all is unwell. Those not in communities are there to kill, to steal, leading a life of debauchery and lawlessness.

Just how is it for those of age, who have to spend a week on the outside of the communities walls. What will come of them and how will it shape them?

This hopefully, is the start of what could become a very, very good set of books.

The characters are all strong, and the plot line flows through the tale.

Whilst only young, some have been through much more than others. And, life skills learned are only going to give the upper hand.

It flows almost effortlessly, and I soon found myself becoming engrossed in what was happening. The interactions, friendships formed and just how much brainwashing had, had on some.

I only hope that this is not the end, as it has left many questions unanswered. Hopefully its not the end, and we're eagerly awaiting the next instalment.

Status: Completed

Rating: 4.9/5.0

Actually this book make me think about fallout game series and the vaults, each community is like a vault and the social experiment that takes place is different in each community, each think the way they do things are the right one. Our main character Rhea, was born in one community, and she is completely brain washed about what is the right way to live in the community and their abusive rules, and to be really honest, I don’t know how she got to be disobedient in the beginning of the book…

I really thought that the truth about what going on would slap her in the face that much sooner, and she would wake up, but that is not entirely the case, Rhea could be a case study of a manipulated person, she completely believes that the way the community 215 lives is the right one. Brooks our second main character, he was born in the outside of a community, he is what the communities call an outcast, and he really sees what is wrong inside the community 215, Brooks actually came into the community with a plan that he put aside during 7 years, but I really think you should read and take your own conclusions

I did enjoy this book, I only didn’t love the ending because it was way more open ending than what I am used to, but I wont comment about it, because that would bring spoilers and that is not what I want to do.

Thank you NetGalley and Defiance Press & Publishing, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), for the free ARC and this is my honest opinion.

Community 215 worked well in the scifi genre, I was hooked from the first page and thought it worked well together overall. The characters were everything that I wanted and thought it had everything that I was hoping for in this genre. M.K. Black has a great writing style and it left me wanting to read more from the author.

Wow, I don’t think I disliked a main character this much before - probably it’s because of my personality, but Rhea’s character had me rolling my eyes constantly.
The plot is interesting, the writing is enjoyable and it kept me wanting to read until the end.
The ending of this story seems abrupt, but I hope this is just a beginning of a series.

Thank you for NeGalley and the author for allowing me to read this book!

Rhea's entire life has been lived behind the walls of her community, where kids are given their jobs and partners at 17 years old. No one leaves and no one comes in, But when she's 10 years old, Rhea helps a boy (Brooks) from beyond the wall and because of that, she is branded as "disobedient".

Years later, when she and the other folks of her community are set free, Rhea is having a hard time adapting. It's frustrating to read pages and pages about how Rhea doesn't believe that people should have their own opinions, choose their own profesions, and choose their own partners. She's so brainwashed, she just believes that the way of her community is the "right" way. And she refuses to listen to reason.

I realized a bit too late that this must be the first in a series, because this book does not have an ending and I found that very frustrating.

Brilliant! I won't summarise what the book's about as the blurb is more than sufficient and I wouldn't want to give anything away. I read this in one sitting but looking back, it doesn't feel as though I only entered this world a few hours ago. The author has created this vast, incredible world with a history and social structure that are so cleverly thought through. I was reminded of many brilliant books (Day of the Whale - Rachel Delahaye, Urgle - Meaghan McIsaac, The Wall - John Lanchester, Wolf Brother - Michelle Paver) but the story still felt so new and original. I hope that there will be more in the series as there is so much more that I want to know about in this world.

Community 215 by M.K. Black.
Defiance is not an option. In Community 215, forbidding walls keep the Residents contained and obedient to the absolute power of their carefully selected Council. Those within the walls are told where to work and live, who to wed, when to have children, and even how much to eat. The slightest hint of disobedience is punishable by being branded with one’s offense or worse, being declared Outcast, banished beyond the walls to almost certain death. This way of life is the only that Rhea has ever known. While she is an obedient child, she can’t help but glance at the seemingly impenetrable walls and wonder what lies on the other side.
I really enjoyed this book. Gripping read. I loved Rhea. Brooks grew on me. I didn't like Gael or Lila. I do hope there is more to come. 5*.