Review: Bravo! I love Breakey's world!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 10 17, 2012
If you could peek into the future, would you?KM Breakey gives much more than that with this story.The year is 2083. Of the 16 billion people who inhabited Earth, only a little over one billion remain.This extermination was not done by the Hand of God, nor was it done by Mother Nature. No. this was done by men.That's no surprise. We are one of the few living creatures on the planet who regularly wage war on each other. But this was not caused by war. Rather, it was by design. One man's attempt to stave off humanity's very extinction.There were too many people on the planet. people were starving, wars were rampant and the violence and corruption were pandemic. Something had to be done. Hence the culling. Fifteen billion lives were extinguished in the name of Earthism - The Greatest Good for the Greatest Number.But greatest for who? If you were a P-Classer(slang for the People), you can say ignorance is bliss. They have no idea of the existence of C-Classers(the Creator Class). However, the C-Classers are very aware of the People. They keep close tabs on all of them, using PST's or Personal Safety Trackers, which all P-Classers are required to have.There are one million C-Classers and one billion P-Classers. The C's keep the People ignorant of their existence. They look on them as necessary to keep the gene pool fresh. To ensure man's survival.  And the C's have it pretty good. Living large, enjoying  all of the benefits of the upper class. Enjoying freedom. Sound familiar? Not all of man's foibles were left behind.For the P-Class, life is much different. Creative thinking is discouraged. There are no competitive activities, no one is allowed to stand out, stand apart. The Creators fear we would just make the same mistakes all over again.The population in all of the 450 Areas, spread world-wide, are tightly policed. Culling is done to keep the ratios of boy, girl, and young to older in balance. Pregnancy is controlled and encouraged, as long as you don't go over your quota. If you do, the offender is culled. Nice word, eh?One young man is breaking all of the rules in P-Class. Shawn, a perfect male specimen, athletically built, handsome, and intelligent, is cursed. He's cursed with a curious and questioning nature. He's also a bit of a rebel as he thinks for himself. Free thinking is a big no-no. He's already been flagged numerous times for his damning statements. Too many more, and he'll be subject to termination, but he just can't help himself. Curiosity killed the cat. Satisfaction brought him back. But does Shawn have nine lives?The specter of a dull life loomed. A life of meaningless tedium was impossible to embrace, but his recklessness wouldn't be tolerated forever. Others had vanished without a trace. The risk of termination was real. Or worse. The rumors were discussed in whispers. Conscription into dentured servitude. Slavery. But for whom? The mystery (and fear) ate into his soul.Was his restlessness intrinsic? Or the result of careless commentary by an anachronistic grandmother? Didn't matter. It was there. And strong. Not to be denied.In a few weeks, Academy would start. Not less than two years, not more than four. His window was closing. Wheels were turning. A spouse would arrive(okay, there was a thrilling aspect to that; he had an eye trained on multiple candidates). Then children, middle age, and....There had to be more.Didn't there?Shawn is soon to find out the answer to that very question. Two men are waiting for him in his house. Pedro and Sarge are from Protective Services. They are there for Shawn. But this is an unusual task for the two men. Their orders were explicit. Do not terminate. Extract the subject and transport him safely to C-Class. He is being relocated.Good for Shawn. He's not being terminated. Bad also. He has to leave right now, taking only what he can carry. He does manage to leave a hidden message for his family stating that he is alive and will be okay. Not much, but all he could do at the time.Now Shawn will see what he knew deep down inside. There is more to this world. So much more. Will this be the happiness he wished for, or the crushing of his soul?This is the second book by KM Breakey I've read. The World Clicks was fascinating.I had no idea what this book was about when KM sent it to me. I loved his first book, so I didn't hesitate to read this one.This is not my usual genre to read. It's Action/Adventure, Science Fiction and YA all rolled up in one.  I got into the swing of it and was captivated.KM does a superb job of world building. It's amazing how he was able to make me visual it and become involved in each different class they live in. His story has a ring of truth to it. Our society is guilty of many of the prejudices and indulgences that occur in this book. The politics are not too far-fetched either. I could see it happening.Shawn was my favorite. He is the main character in this story and quite the rebel. The author weaves many colorful characters into this adventure. Some of them are self-centered and act entitled and snobby, some are quite funny and made me laugh a lot, and some of them were despicable and dirty dealers.It's odd that I was drawn to two of the characters, Pedro and Sarge. They are Protective Services Officers and, for the most part, the bad guys. I must have connected to them because of how well the author wrote them in.There is something for everyone in Creator Class. It is very unique and fresh. There are dark periods in it, but also much humor and empathy. This book reads like real life. Life in a near future.It makes one ask the question, "Will man ever learn?"