Rob Hart's The Warehouse is a gripping and thought-provoking dystopian novel that provides a sobering commentary on the perils of unchecked corporate power. The story is set in a near-future world dominated by Cloud, an all-powerful online retailer that has become the de facto government of the United States. The novel follows the intersecting stories of three characters who work for Cloud and their struggles to navigate the company's cutthroat culture and the hidden dangers lurking behind its polished facade.
Hart's writing is engaging and immersive, painting a vivid picture of a world that feels disturbingly plausible. The characters are well-drawn and sympathetic, and their arcs are satisfyingly resolved by the end of the book. The pacing is brisk and tense, with enough twists and turns to keep readers on the edge of their seats.
At times, the novel's commentary on corporate greed can feel heavy-handed, and some of the plot developments strain credulity. However, these flaws are outweighed by the book's strengths, including its strong thematic resonance and its compelling characters.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was an intriguing read. I went into this book not knowing too much, but I liked how intense it was. I didn't really like the characters, as I couldn't connect with any of them, but I liked the story and the ending, so this was a fun and compelling read!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an arc!

This is stunning and clever book. Hart has taken an all-too-real prospect of a certain global shopping merchant, and pushed it to the extreme. The story itself is thought-provoking and causes us to question how our reliance on technology might just be removing the qualities that actually make us human. A fantastic hook and a great read!

I’m not normally a sci-fi fan, yet I really enjoyed this book. It’s inventive, original and thought provoking, I read this book a while ago, however it has stayed with me.

Not normally a sci-fi reader but I was interested to try something new as we were all plunged into the unforeseen drama of a global pandemic where of course huge companies like Amazon and google thrived whilst everyone else suffers. It’s freaky because it feels entirely possible that the world could become this dark. It was fun to shake up my reading list a bit, some holes in the plot though.

Throughout I could only think of one company and the eerie similarities between Cloud and them and their desire for world domination and how close they are. Unimaginable wealth and the desire for more.
How far are we away from this and how much are we all responsible for letting it happen?
How long have we got before this is the ‘life’ we are all living?
Very foreboding tale of control, greed and the ultimate need for power all hidden under the guise of we can and are helping the planet.
Scary

Brilliant, inventive and compelling. A real page-turner with some deeper messages that really makes you think about the world we live in, the power of corporations and the scary places this might lead.

Thanks to Transworld Books for an early paperback of ‘The Warehouse’ by Rob Hart.

I’ve seen and heard much about this book and in fact I’ve had an e arc on my kindle since it was released in hardback of August 19 but for various reasons I’ve only got around to it now.

What have I missed!

Set in the very near future USA, a huge conglomerate is now running the world so to speak, having pushed small businesses under, this behemoth now supplies the world from its ‘motherclouds’.

Producers Delivered by drones, packed from the warehouse by intensely overworked staff who now live on site, existing basically to work....

This absolutely frightening yet saddening observation on our lives today is a staggering achievement by author Rob Hart.

This Book is compulsive, engaging and completely gripping.

Whilst the characters are possibly hugely irritating they don’t distract from this excellent piece of dystopia that I can only see following The Handmaids tale on to a tv screen soon... not sure it will be on ‘Prime’ though....Netflix I imagine.

Relevant, thought provoking, but also with a great plot and paced to keep you racing through, this is a little bit special from Rob Hart.

Highly Recommended

5🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

a thought provoking book that gives us a view of what the world will look like in the future with a corporate company empire like amazon,

the story is told from a few different perspectives, one of the owner of the company and the good intentions of the company and why targets are set in the way that theyare.

We then follow a worker who is pushed to use unsafe practices due to struggling to meet the targets and how the targets that were set for good purposes end up causing injurys and issues.

The system of rather than salary, the workers are paid in credits for services available on campus which in principle again was created for good but through disconnect from the top down it is actually prohibitive for the workers.

it is a fascinating read that is an intriguing read

The premise and eerie seduction of The Cloud organisation reminds me of The Circle. A company that can provide you salvation from suffering, but at what cost? Another great concept for dystopian fiction. The pace of this novel was unpredictable, however the lack of explosive action actually favoured me more

Great concept and interesting characters. Storyline beats felt a little bit off - too slow and then too quick.

The Warehouse is terrifying in just how realistic it is.

A plot that grabs hold of you and doesn't let go. The subject matter is just far too close to home and the characters are the kind that you genuinely care for.

Genuinely scary in its realistic writing and (often uncomfortably) real subject-matter. It mixes a thrilling plot with good writing and great characters - the definition of a literary thriller!

It reminded me of The Circle in it's fearless take on the world we live in and how it could all go terribly wrong.

I can't wait to read more by Rob Hart.

Thanks to Random House, Transworld Publishers for the chance to read and review this book.

In a not too far distant future the US has been taken over by Cloud (a company similar to Amazon), that has taken control of the economy and the government. Towns and cities alike have been destroyed by Cloud. There are few jobs and people will do anything to secure one. Everything is controlled by Cloud in one way or another. The outside world is not a place you would choose to live, with climate change etc.

Rob Hart has created a future that is scarily plausible. Into this world enter two new recruits, Paxton, an inventor whose company was pushed out of the market by Cloud, and Zinnia, hired to infiltrate the company to find out its darkest secrets, the plot unfolds at a fast pace as Zinnia and Paxton learn the ropes in the Cloud and Zinnia tries to find weaknesses in the Cloud's security that will let her get to the heart of their operations.

It's thoroughly readable, and slightly reminds me of "The Store" by James Patterson, which I also enjoyed. However I felt that the ending of this book was a little rushed and could have done with another several chapters. I's give this a 4 star rating

8/10

This one caught me by surprise. I liked the concept enough to request it from NetGalley but the execution was top notch where it could have been anything but. The idea behind a firm pretty much running the world (looking at you, Jeff) and people being so reliant on it that you have to work for them and live in their structure whilst buying from them was a perfect blend of fiction and an ominous glimpse into a potential future.

The setup of the novel was a show don’t tell approach so I never felt like i was bombarded with too much info into this world but it was teased out throughout with two POV’s but also an online journal of the founder of this company. I liked the two protagonists; a former CEO acquiescing to the powerful company and their hold over any meaningful existence and an undercover corporate spy trying to gain some meaningful evidence to destroy the company whilst blending in as a regular employee. They merged well together and mixing it up between the two meant there was plenty to keep things fresh.

The best thing I can say about this is that I didn’t want to stop reading even with heavy eyes at the end of the day and I found I was thinking about what could potentially happen when I wasn’t reading it. The setting was interesting and allowed for plenty of exciting plot points to be explored. Great start to the year with this one!

Worth a read if you like distopian futures coupled with stories about work could be like under the control of our future bosses. I enjoyed this.

Another good future technological look at the world. With modern-day observations and unfair treatment, this book gives the reader at a very plausible look at what the future maybe.

Great for fans of Zed.

The Warehouse is a dystopian thriller. Set in a world that is very recognizable, it is atmospheric and thought provoking. A brilliant read.

This book reads more like a non-fiction tale than the dystopia it is. It is not an unlikely situation and might be the bleak future that might actually unfold. It was very popular around the time of its publication, and I have only just gotten around to reading it.

It did not go the way I expected it to, and the ending leaves a lot to our imagination but the author's note to supplement the facts used in the tale add an extra edge to the storyline. I did identify the warehouse run since I have seen the documentaries on youtube before. It is ironic to be reading the story on a kindle given the circumstances. For those who are unaware, this tale is of a future where one big company buys others out ruthlessly until they are the only ones standing. The company has spread its wings to create a situation where everyone lives on the campus, and their entire lives are dictated by the routine of the company and their role in it. We get to see the two lead characters, Paxton and Zinnia who are there for their own reasons but over time are influenced by the routine and the hold it has on them.

It is a thriller of sorts, and I did not see some of the intricacies of the solution coming. The narration is not description heavy and can be read in one sitting. I would recommend this book to those who like a slower-paced dystopia which leans heavily on real facts.

I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

Imagine Amazon takes over America. Amazon warehouses grow so much that they are the only place to work, and live. They become like small towns with all their workers living, eating and never leaving there. People are afraid to leave their houses to shop, so they order everything online. The rest of the country is like a wasteland of desolate towns and deserted businesses.

That is exactly the basis for this book, and to be honest I could see it happening. Although obviously the book is about Cloud, not Amazon, because that would probably be defamatory and breaking all kinds of intellectual property laws. It could actually be any retail company with huge warehouses and drone delivery services, but it's impossible not to see the similarities.

Paxton's life has been ruined by Cloud. The company destroyed his business and left him with nothing. To add insult to injury, since he had no job, no money and nowhere to live, he had no choice but to join the other desperate people trying to get a job there. On the way he meets Zinnia, who has her own reasons for wanting to get a job at Cloud, and her own reasons for making friends with Paxton too.

The story is told from the point of view of both Paxton and Zinnia, and since their thoughts and experiences in Cloud are pretty different this gives you a full picture of everything that's going on with both characters. Their stories cross frequently, but their ideas of what's happening aren't always the same.

I really enjoyed this book. There are a few different elements that come together to make the story and it works really well. The whole concept is well thought out, and a scary look into our possible future. The story isn't fast paced, but there is a lot going on and it is quite exciting at times.

All in all, I can't think of anything I didn't like about this book. It was really well written and the plot and characters are well developed. I would definitely recommend this book!