Ironically, I’m of two minds on this book. The book itself seems to be the same way.
The start of the book has a very classic literary fiction feel. It establishes a great atmosphere and sense of dread. But about 25% of the way into the book there’s a twist that makes the tone closer to a thriller.
Then again, halfway through the book it switches back to a more introspective perspective. The remainder of the book plays out like this. This is where the book shines. Something really interesting is done with the grammar which works amazingly.
There is another twist at the end which almost annoyed me? It doesn’t completely come out of nowhere, but it feels like it comes from another book.
The ending is also very opened ended, in way that, after the final twist, did not feel earned. I just got the feeling while reading that the book was unsure of itself. It felt like there was a struggle between being a thriller, suspense novel or leaning into the more popular literary fiction genre. It is a short read and if the prompt interests you it’s worth the read for the concept.

If you’re a fan of Blake Crouch or the show Severance, this book is for you! Interesting premise and honestly a terrifying thought. Sci-fi meets thriller and kept me guessing the entire time. The first 50% was definitely slow but the second half was so interesting. I’m assuming there’s going to be a sequel based on it not being wrapped up? I need answers!

An interesting look into a future in which two minds can be melded together, THE MERGE asks the question of what to do in times of overpopulation.

Rating: ★★★½

Grace Walker's *The Merge* is a compelling & thought-provoking dive into the possibilities—& perils—of human-technology integration. Set in a not-so-distant future where the merging of minds is becoming a reality, the novel intricately explores significant themes through a tightly woven narrative & richly developed characters.

The story centers around Laurie, a 65-year-old woman whose battle with Alzheimer's is deeply felt, & her daughter, Amelia, who is consumed by grief. In a desperate attempt to preserve her mother's essence, Amelia enrolls in a groundbreaking merging program that intertwines their consciousness. Joined by other participants—Lucas, Ben, Jay, & their respective merging partners—they enter The Village, a luxurious rehabilitation center where unsettling questions about identity & autonomy begin to surface.

Walker’s premise is both fascinating & equally unsettling, particularly as society adopts a controversial solution to reduce the global population—merging two consciousnesses into a single body, effectively discarding the “weaker” physical form. This concept raises profound questions about identity, ethics, & the evolution of technology, making the narrative feel eerily relevant.

The timeliness of the book is striking; the stakes are high & disturbingly realistic. Walker excels at world-building, crafting a society that feels not only plausible but also hauntingly close to our reality. The ethical dilemmas surrounding identity, privacy, & autonomy are approached with nuance, compelling readers to engage with the text on an intellectual level.

The protagonist’s journey is both emotional & intellectually stimulating, leading to a deeper questioning of what it means to be human in an era of rapid innovation. *The Merge* is completely mesmerizing—horrific & heartbreaking, with an Orwellian undertone that lingers long after the final page. The unexpected reveals throughout the narrative shatter expectations & provoke contemplation about the future of humanity.

In conclusion, Grace Walker's *The Merge* successfully blends a gripping narrative with profound philosophical inquiries, securing its place as a noteworthy read for those intrigued by the intersection of technology & humanity. It's a book that will resonate with readers & spark conversations well beyond its pages.

I was gifted an ARC from the Author @gracewalker && Publisher @harpercollins @marinerbooks of this book in exchange for an HONEST REVIEW via #NetGalley!

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For fans of Black Mirror. This kept me on the edge of my seat! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.1

In the not so distant future, resources are dwindling due to overpopulation. Enter a procedure that allows two people to combine consciousness and share one body. For the sacrifice of one of their bodies, Combines are rewarded with more affordable lifestyles, and those that don’t combine are struggling to even survive. Amelia and her mother, Laurie, see this as a perfect opportunity dur to Laurie’s recent dementia diagnosis. This way they can always have each other. However, things may not be what they seem.

Thank you Mariner Books, NetGalley, and Grace Walker for this ARC!

I really enjoyed this book. I couldn’t put it down, just waiting to see what happens next. I struggled in the beginning with the multiple story lines and keeping up with the characters. Glad I continued with reading because it really was such a great read.

In a future plagued with overpopulation, the controversial procedure known as the Merge is raised as a solution. Two consciousnesses are blended into one body. It’s offered as a cure for diseases as well. We follow a mother, Laurie, and daughter, Amelia, in the novel as they have their own reasons for looking into the procedure.

The novel has a through-line of questioning identity and sense of self. I believe this one is going to go over well with fans of unreliable narrators. There are layers of thoughts, actions, and memories to navigate.

Like the process of merging, the writing’s pacing feels disjointed in some parts, the cuts to the next scene weren’t seamless. I don’t know if that was an intentional reflection of the world they’re in, or simply just awkward cuts. I ended up loving the last third of the book more so than the beginning. The action and pacing feel more solid and exciting than everything else.

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins for my ARC.

This book was so timely it kind of scared me. The stakes were so high, and so real, and it was hard to put down, but also hard to pick up, in the best way. Completely mesmerizing, horrific, heartbreaking. A bit Orwellian. The reveals shattered me. Subverted all my expectations. Is there a sequel planned? The ending was a little confusing, or I "missed" it, but either way, wow. What a debut. I can't wait for a sequel, if there is one, or Grace's next book. Stunning. Thank you so much to HarperCollins and Mariner Books for this arc e-galley.

Thank you to Mariner Books and Grace Walker for the advanced reader copy of The Merge! This book was a wild ride and kept me glued to the page. I raced through this book in one sitting! In a world where you can “merge” with another person a mom with Alzheimer’s and her daughter go through a program to ready themselves for their impending merge. In order to combat the memory loss and slow fade with Alzheimer’s, the daughter (Amelia) wants her mother to merge with her to save her mind. This story speaks of four groups on their journey to merge for various reasons. In a future where climate change has ravaged the globe, lessoning your impact on earth by merging is seen as a status symbol with many benefits. Despite opposition, it becomes popular to do. The overall concept of this book felt original and intriguing. As someone who loves dystopian books, I was engrossed in this. I loved the perspectives throughout the book of different characters. The reveals were shocking, pacing was good, and the ending left me hungry for a sequel. An enjoyable book to zoom through with a thought-provoking premise!

The Merge is a thrilling page-turner dystopia with themes of Eco-fascism and psychological manipulation. In a near-future world that is suffering from the effects of climate change, a revolutionary new "solution" to overpopulation is discovered and rolled out in the UK: The Merge. The rationale is that by merging two consciousnesses into one body, fewer resources would need to be consumed and the sick could be made well again by merging with healthy people. The main character is Amelia, a stubborn former Anti-Merge activist who signs up for the Merge to save her mother, Laurie, from losing all her memories to Alzheimer's. Despite the friendly staff, inviting atmosphere, and support from fellow participants they meet on their journey, Laurie and Amelia slowly discover that the Merge is not exactly the miracle cure it was advertised as. The story builds tension brilliantly as the mystery unfolds, foreshadowing the eventual devastating twist. The depiction of Alzheimer's through Laurie's character was especially apt, allowing readers to share in her confusion and distress upon forgetting important events and people. I only wish that the book had been more intersectional in its exploration of these topics, such as by touching on how the Merge's societal impact would affect people of color, transgender and queer people, and disabled people much more than the middle class cisgender white people who make up most of the characters. I also felt that the ending left me a bit confused and could have wrapped things up in a more satisfying way. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from this author in the future!

Grace Walker's The Merge is a compelling and thought-provoking dive into the possibilities—and perils—of human-technology integration. Set in a not-so-distant future where mind-machine merging is becoming reality, the novel explores big ideas through a tightly woven narrative and richly developed characters.

Walker excels at world-building, crafting a society that feels disturbingly plausible. The ethical questions raised around identity, privacy, and autonomy are handled with nuance, and the pacing keeps you turning pages. The protagonist’s journey is both emotional and intellectually engaging, making you question what it truly means to be human in an age of rapid innovation.

Thanks to NetGalley and Mariner Publishing for the ARC.

The Merge is available Nov. 11, 2025

4.5 🌟 An original and thought provoking read!
The Merge explores a futuristic clinic called Tower Group, where psychiatrist Eliza oversees a radical procedure that combines two people into one shared consciousness. Marketed to the masses as a cure for disease and a solution to overpopulation and climate issues. This process lures in Laurie, who has Alzheimer’s, and her daughter Amelia. But when they try to walk away, the story raises concern. What is really going on behind closed doors, and is any of it truly ethical?

Grace Walker’s The Merge presents a fascinating and unsettling premise: in a future effort to reduce the global population, society adopts a controversial solution—merging two consciousnesses into a single body, essentially discarding the "weaker" physical form. The idea alone is compelling, raising questions about identity, autonomy, and the ethics of technological evolution.

At the heart of the story are Laurie and Amelia, two individuals forced into this new reality. Their emotional and psychological struggles are the driving force of the novel. What makes their dynamic so engaging is their sincere attempts to understand and compromise with each other, despite the unnatural circumstances. Their relationship captures the reader’s empathy and adds a layer of human complexity to the broader sci-fi narrative.

While the book maintains intrigue throughout, the final chapters become increasingly abstract and difficult to follow. The pacing quickens, and the philosophical implications begin to overshadow the personal stakes that grounded the earlier parts of the novel. By the time the conclusion arrives, I was left uncertain—not just about what had happened, but about how I was meant to feel about it. The ending left me with more questions than answers, which may have been intentional, but it felt somewhat unsatisfying.

Overall, The Merge is a thought-provoking read with a unique concept and emotionally resonant characters, though it may leave some readers puzzled by its ambiguous conclusion.

4 stars

In the near future science will now all two consciousnesses (is that right? It doesn’t look right.) to exist in one body. Laurie, 65, has Alzheimer’s and Amelia, 23, her daughter, who was once an activist against the Merge, can’t bear to let her go, so they are preparing to be the first pair to undergo the merge where one of the two participants has Alzheimer’s (and things are reeeeeeally sketchy on how, exactly, they expect this to work so that, in the new version, neither has Alzheimer’s. I understand the cancer brothers, the addict family and the baby couple, but this one doesn’t make any sense from a purely medical standpoint. You know, if you’ve bought into the Merge.). Anyway, Laurie will be transferred into Amelia’s body.

They join other Merge participants; teenager Lucas who will merge with his brother Ben who has leukemia, Ben who will merge with pregnant fiancée, Aimee and Lara, an addict who will merge with her father, Jay, all are experimental, like Laurie and Amelia. The group prepares for the procedure and the move to the Village, (The Villages? Ha! That would explain a lot! I kid my southern Florida retirees!) a fancy rehab center for those who have undergone the Merge. However the group starts to wonder if everything is as it seems.

The POV shifts between Laurie and Amelia, and the book takes a Quick Look at economic realities in Western nations (this is in the UK) and class divides, but mainly examines the ethics of this whole thing. It’s very good, if a bit depressing, and the end is excellent. An easy 4 stars.