Book Review: The Price of Rebellion

Reviewed by Melissa Suggitt

 In an America overflowing with corruption, one man’s rebellion will unite the oppressed to rise.

The Price of Rebellion is a disconcerting look at what can happen when society becomes complacent about those in power. How far are you willing to allow your government to go in the name of protecting its people?

Dray Quintero is on the run from The Agency (formerly the NSA), and he and his rebel companions, including his daughter Raven, aren’t safe for long.

The world experienced a deadly pandemic, and with no cure in sight, scientists took a radical step by installing implants into the entire population’s eyes to neutralize the virus. The use of these implants took a dark turn when the same government who swore the implants were for the greater good began to use them to spy without consent.

After his broadcast exposing the United States government for violating its people and their privacy, Dray is public enemy number one. The Agency will do everything in its power to discredit and silence him, while he will do everything in his power to bring justice to the masses.

Hitting hard and fast with the action, the story begins with a shot of adrenaline as Dray and his crew attempt to extract information about The Agency, with nearly dire consequences. This sets off a chain reaction that pushes Dray further apart from the rebel cause he has joined, aptly named The Founding Fathers. As his ideals clash with theirs, and The Agency is hot on their heels, Dray and Raven will be forced to face their past and their demons. Will they succeed in their mission? Can they earn back the trust of the public and bring down the oppressors? Or will they fail, dooming Americans to a life “shackled to surveillance?”

Action-packed and bursting with high-tech gadgets, robots, and plenty of fight scenes, author Michael C. Bland has created a thrilling and provocative dystopian tale.

As a reader who tends toward horror and thrillers often, I read a lot of dark and dreary things; very little gets under my skin. However, The Price of Rebellion made my skin crawl more than once—there’s just nothing quite like a government conspiracy. In this case, the knowledge that as a citizen you have very little power over your own life, and your privacy, is one of the most terrifying things I can think of.

At multiple points throughout the story, the reader is told that if the government continues with its plan, it will control generations. I get literal shivers at the thought of losing freedom over my mind and body like that. The worst part is I don’t know if this is fiction or reality. Government surveillance already exists, who is to say this concept isn’t that far off?

Bland does an incredible job of conveying emotion throughout the novel, particularly in the most heartbreaking moments. Considering the story is full of high intensity for much of the plot, that’s not an easy thing to pull off. His dramatic timing and ability to build tension throughout chapter after chapter is remarkable.

This book is Tom Clancy meets George Orwell, and I don’t know if I can think of a more bizarre, yet perfect combination. I eagerly await the final book of this trilogy.

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