★★★★★ Moral Authority by Jacob Z. Flores ★★★★★

The Blurb…

Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are prescribed ideals in America of 2050. The Moral Authority, the nation’s newest branch of government, has virtually eliminated crime, poverty, and most social ills, but it also rules the land with a tyrannical fist, championing ignorance and brandishing fear.

Mark Bryan is a gay man whose existence brands him an outlaw; Isaac Montoya is a charming stranger, who entices Mark to defy moral law; and Samuel Pleasant runs the Moral Authority and plans to punish moral offenders and a rebellious uprising—no matter the cost.

Will liberty and justice return for all?

So what did I think?

The blurb does not do justice to this intense and engrossing story. It gives no indication of the harrowing and intense journey that is the fight against the Moral Authority.

Set in the future, the United States is ruled by the Moral Authority. Society is now bound by rules which dictate acceptable behaviour and enforce punishment on those that do not abide by them. Moral police are on patrol everywhere and the concept of freedom and free speech no longer exists. Homosexuality is illegal.

The story follows Mark, a young gay college student, who is entrapped by the Moral Authority and sent to a detainment camp. The experiences at the camp are told in graphic detail as the detainees are kept in horrific conditions and treated appallingly. This is a world of torture and death.

The obvious comparison of the world presented in this book is to the Nazi concentration camps. In reading this book be prepared for this type of environment. Much of the book shows brutality in the appalling treatment of people.

The book is intense. It paints a grim picture of a world gone too far, where behaviors are controlled to the extreme. The book provides detail of the political landscape – the President, the Moral Authority and the Human Rights Campaign. The HRC are an underground movement of people preparing to fight for what is right and give people back their freedom.

I was a little concerned that this book would just be a strong political statement but it does not come across like that. There is mystery and drama, twists and turns, and characters that invite you on their journey.

There is hope. Mark and the friends he makes refuse to give in to their captors, remaining strong in spirit. The Human Rights Campaign is full of good people fighting the cause. There is also love, a love that Mark finds during this very dark time in his life.

This book is a powerful story, an intense and compelling read. It was very difficult to put down. There is definitely no happy ending for Mark in this story. There is perhaps hope for the future but the ending is abrupt and leaves so many questions unanswered. I felt a sense of shock to reach the end, with an outcome I was not hoping for and desperate to find out the conclusion to the war, answer some questions about certain characters and find out what happens next for Caleb, Aaron, Isaac and Gabe. If there was a sequel I would be starting it right now!

Once again, just to repeat, this book does NOT have a happy ending.

This book was kindly provided by the publisher for an honest review – and I am so glad it was as I don’t think I would have chosen to read this book based on the blurb alone.