Meritropolis Series by Joel Ohman

In Meritropolis everyone is assigned a numerical Score that decides their worth to society and whether they live or die. After a young boy is killed because of a low Score, his brother plots to take down the System. “ The Hunger Games meets The Village with a young Jack Reacher as a protagonist... moreIn Meritropolis everyone is assigned a numerical Score that decides their worth to society and whether they live or die. After a young boy is killed because of a low Score, his brother plots to take down the System. “ The Hunger Games meets The Village with a young Jack Reacher as a protagonist.” - Donny Meader “Meritropolis is a superior read with a powerful protagonist that brings readers along for a ride which will prove wild at times, always involving, and filled with depth and ethical insights. An absolute standout from the masses of post-apocalyptic survival works permeating today's market.” - Midwest Book Review less

Charley has escaped from Meritropolis…but in his quest to take down the System that has taken his brother from him, he must go through Meritorium, a city where gladiatorial games of life or death combat are waged between High Scores and Low Scores, man and beast... moreCharley has escaped from Meritropolis…but in his quest to take down the System that has taken his brother from him, he must go through Meritorium, a city where gladiatorial games of life or death combat are waged between High Scores and Low Scores, man and beast. Charley and Sandy must face man-eating plants, religious zealots, slave traders, and the ever present mutant animal combinations that roam a dystopian Coliseum presided over by Emperor Titus, the one man standing between Charley and the answers he seeks. Man is not an animal, but if they are to make it through Meritorium, will they even be able to tell the difference? The lines between man and beast, friend and foe, will blur in Meritorium, the riveting sequel to the bestselling Meritropolis. Interview with the Author Q - What or who was your inspiration to write about post-apocalyptic, dystopian, sci-fi? I’ve read a lot in the YA dystopian genre so I would say it's a mix of a lot of different things. I really just wanted to explore this question of, “What gives a person their worth?” Is it their usefulness to society? Is it because someone loves them? Is it because of how they look? Is it because of their health or ability? As a Christian, I believe that everyone has worth because they are made in the image of God so I wanted to explore some different takes on this question. I think that the post apocalyptic / dystopian / sci-fi-ish genre was the best vehicle to tackle some of those deep philosophical questions in a fun and interesting way. Q - Okay, so you're a Christian... Well, I don't like reading Christian fiction so interview's over, I guess— Not so fast. I am a Christian, but this is most definitely NOT Christian fiction, at least in the technical sense. There are certainly some Christian themes like courage in the face of evil, grace to love and forgive even when someone doesn't deserve it, and the biggest themes of identity and worth, the value of a person, as mentioned above, and it's a very CLEAN book, which a lot of parents have told me they really appreciate. That being said, this is very much a secular YA dystopian fiction series, and one that I think hits a lot of the tropes and conventions in the genre, but in some new and interesting ways that might just surprise you. For those who care to look there are also some deeper philosophical underpinnings floating just below the surface of a book that is almost pure action. Just wait until you meet Charley, he's more of an "act first, think later" type of person, if you know what I mean—in other words, your typical teenage boy... Q - Where can we learn more about you and your other books? If you visit my website at JoelOhman.com, I've currently got some free Kindle eBooks that I'm giving away to everyone who subscribes to my newsletter. Honestly, I hardly ever send out emails unless it's to give my readers free Kindle books, Amazon gift cards, and other prizes and giveaways so head over to JoelOhman.com and subscribe for free! Meritorium Young Adult Dystopian Series eBook Categories - Dystopian - Post-Apocalyptic - Action Adventure - Science Fiction - Coming of Age - Clean Fiction - Young Adult less

In this thrilling conclusion to the bestselling Meritropolis trilogy, Charley and company chase the Czar to Meritopia, a utopian city set among celestial heights in the mountains. Just to get near the city, Charley will have to brave terrifying new animal combos roaming wild among the stark wilderness, and if he succeeds in summiting the peak, there’s no assurances that he will even be able to gain access... moreIn this thrilling conclusion to the bestselling Meritropolis trilogy, Charley and company chase the Czar to Meritopia, a utopian city set among celestial heights in the mountains. Just to get near the city, Charley will have to brave terrifying new animal combos roaming wild among the stark wilderness, and if he succeeds in summiting the peak, there’s no assurances that he will even be able to gain access. Meritopia might deign to be a perfect society based on merit, but that doesn’t mean everyone’s invited. But Charley’s not the kind of person who waits for an invitation to do what needs to be done and this is his last chance to zero the System and avenge his brother’s death. Interview with the Author Q - What or who was your inspiration to write in this genre? I’ve read a lot in the YA dystopian genre so I would say it's a mix of a lot of different things. I really just wanted to explore this question of, “What gives a person their worth?” Is it their usefulness to society? Is it because someone loves them? Is it because of how they look? Is it because of their health or ability? As a Christian, I believe that everyone has worth because they are made in the image of God so I wanted to explore some different takes on this question. I think that the post-apocalyptic/dystopian/scifi-ish genre was the best vehicle to tackle some of those deep philosophical questions in a fun and interesting way. Q - Okay, so you're a Christian... Well, I don't like reading Christian fiction so interview's over, I guess— Not so fast. I am a Christian, but this is most definitely NOT Christian fiction, at least in the technical sense. There are certainly some Christian themes like courage in the face of evil, grace to love and forgive even when someone doesn't deserve it, and the biggest themes of identity and worth, the value of a person, as mentioned above, and it's a very CLEAN book, which a lot of parents have told me they really appreciate. That being said, this is very much a secular young adult dystopian fiction series, and one that I think hits a lot of the tropes and conventions in the genre, but in some new and interesting ways that might just surprise you. For those who care to look there are also some deeper philosophical underpinnings floating just below the surface of a book that is almost pure action. Just wait until you meet Charley, he's more of an "act first, think later" type of person, if you know what I mean—in other words, your typical teenage boy... Q - Are there any books that have inspired you at any time while you’ve been writing? I read a LOT in many different genres so there are many different things that have shaped my writing over the years, but I wouldn’t say there was any one particular book, or books, that I was consciously looking to for inspiration while writing Meritropolis. Looking back though I can definitely see different threads of influence in almost everything I have read over the years that contribute to make Meritropolis what it is: the strong protagonist of Lee Child’s Jack Reacher series, the philosophical bent of C.S. Lewis’ fiction where there are layers upon layers of meaning, the bleak dystopian setting of Hugh Howey’s WOOL series, and many more. Q - Where can we learn more about you and your other books? If you visit my website at JoelOhman.com, I've currently got some free Kindle eBooks that I'm giving away to everyone who subscribes to my newsletter. less