An advanced copy of this book from Random House via Netgalley which is appreciated but I guess is one of the scariest books I have read in a long time and I got through it super fast to find out who the instigator who employed Zinnia was. The writer has created an amazing if scary read and I would like to think that the premise is wrong for the future but I would not bet on it. I have always wondered what the future would hold for our young generation and I really hope it is not as bad as described. Paxton and Zinnia bounced off one another really well, she playing it cool and then him doing the same. The life they led in such a closed environment with no outside would be difficult and I get the feeling from the book that people accepted their lot as the alternative is not worth considering. The book makes you feel really seriously about what global warming, ghost towns and general unrest would be like at this moment in time and again I do hope this is so way into the future as to never happen. The writer has a fascinating take on the corporate world far better that the average person and the synopsis at the end makes interesting reading. A great if scary read

There are several fictional new releases with the premise of Mega-corporations contributing to the demise of society and the rise of Orwellian 'utopias'. The Warehouse is a standout in this genre. I couldn't put it down and it is one of my favourite reads of the year. It is a fascinating read, well written, engaging and will linger with you long after you have finished reading. Hart's depiction of the mega-corp cities with their surveillance techniques, behaviour manipulation, propaganda and censorship is eerily accurate. This isn't the future, this is happening now.

In this dystopian world, there has been a widespread collapse of the economy, taking all Government services and a lot of jobs with it. Cloud is still thriving, however – so its employees are hugely grateful for the accommodation, medical services and meals that go with the job. Surely working hard in return makes it a reasonable bargain…

Hart uses three protagonists to demonstrate just how the system works – Paxton, whose own small firm was squeezed out of existence by Cloud, who also took over his own nifty invention for a pittance; Zinnia, who has been employed as an undercover agent; and Gibson, founder and figurehead of Cloud, who has his own reasons for reflecting upon his life’s work.

As I continued to read, I felt a chilly recognition. I happen to be a historian by training and one of my study areas had been the early Industrial Revolution when runaway capitalism stripped workers of any rights and turned them into foundry-fodder. It took years of grinding poverty and degradation before workers in this country were able to band together and win back the dignity of a fair day’s wage in return for a fair day’s work.

Without any kind of political spin or widening the scope of this story, Hart skilfully depicts what happens when there aren’t any checks and balances on any large conglomerate where the profit margin is the sole goal. I couldn’t put this one down as the plausible chain of events led to a state of affairs that seems unstoppably to be just over the horizon. And neither can I forget it. I find myself less enthusiastic about online shopping, these days. The ebook arc copy of The Warehouse was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest opinion of the book.
9/10

On the surface, an excellent story, although I did find the ending seemed a little rushed, hence four stars. Before that, the book had been absolutely fascinating, although somewhat chilling and terrifying.
It reminded me of a 1984 of today, with a touch of Soylent Green (but not quite so awful, just a little disgusting!). However, overwhelmingly you get the feeling that this is so very pertinent to life today and so plausibly real for the near future.
This was definitively one of the most thought provoking books that I have read in a long time, and I read many books.

The Warehouse is probably one of the most terrifying novels I’ve read as it feels so plausible and that we are only a few years behind when this will be our lives…..

We nearly all rely on certain large e-commerce companies and the boxes they deliver to our doors…..from cotton wool balls to bookcases and everything in between……as Will Smith so succinctly puts it in iRobot ‘shitting on the little guy’.

The Cloud is one such business, it’s employees work, socialise and live in the same complex..cash is obsolete and CloudBurgers are the best food around…..(that still makes me shudder)…..

Paxton, used to have a company of his own but now applies for a job at cloud with the intent of meeting Gibson, the creator of Cloud…..

Zinnia, is a corporate spy…she has applied for a job at Cloud….as she is being paid to get secrets…

These two meet and have a relationship…..each keeping secrets from the other…they are only there for one reason, but is life in Cloud all bad? The world outside, it’s trouble with global warming, poverty, unemployment, the gun violence and hate that seems to be taking over (sound familiar?) seems so far away in the cocoon of Cloud.

The chapters are written from three perspectives, Gibson, Paxton and Zinnia and tells how and why Cloud was created, it’s plans for the future….it’s all one big ‘family’..it gives their inner thoughts and plans…will they carry these out or will they settle into Cloud life? Red or Blue shirt….just not Pink!

All is not as it seems though in this dystopian tale that feels prescient and the power these companies wield is what makes this so utterly scary. Will Zinnia complete her task, Will Paxton become a company guy? Just how far will Cloud go to keep its secrets?

A completely mesmerising and compelling tale of our possible future…..absolutely petrifying and brilliant……a MUST read cautionary tale.

Thank you to The publishers, the author and NetGalley for a free copy of the ebook and this is my honest, unbiased review.

My thanks to Random House U.K. Transworld Publishers/Bantam Press for an eARC via NetGalley of Rob Hart’s ‘The Warehouse’ in exchange for an honest review.

This is an intense techno-thriller set in a near future USA ravaged by gun violence, economic decline and climate change. An online retail giant named the Cloud dominates the economy branding itself not only as a storefront but as a global saviour.

Into this seemingly perfect sunny world comes Paxton, a former prison guard and owner of his own company that has failed due to competition from the Cloud. He needs a job though never expected to be moving into one of the Cloud’s live-work facilities. Although he had hoped to be assigned to the Picking section, his experience sees him joining Security.

The other protagonist is Zinnia. Although she appears to be an ordinary applicant, we quickly learn that she is actually a corporate spy at Cloud on a mysterious assignment. Zinnia and Paxton paths first cross during their application process and they grow closer despite her secret agenda.

The narrative switches between Paxton and Zinnia with the occasional input from Cloud CEO, Gibson Wells. I grew very fond of both Zinnia and Paxton, who were both well-realised characters.

I found this a brilliant and a well crafted novel. It flows very well, detailing the daily grind of such employment but then ramping up the tension effectively as the situation comes to a climax.

As with dystopian classics such as ‘1984’ and ‘Fahrenheit 451’ what makes this so powerful is that its premise is all too plausible given the direction our society appears to be heading in.

Hart’s inspiration for writing is detailed in his closing ‘A Letter from the Author’. I had not heard of Maria Fernandes and her death but his reasons for dedicating the novel to her was very moving. He also writes: “I wanted to write an issues book wrapped in the language of a thriller. I wanted to pay tribute to my literary heroes, like Ray Bradbury and Margaret Atwood and George Orwell and Ursula K. Le Guin, who used stories to examine social issues and warn us of the things they saw on the horizon.”

In my opinion he has succeeded in his goals and that ‘The Warehouse’ deserves to stand alongside the works of his literary heroes.

Highly recommended and I hope that it reaches a wide audience.

I really enjoyed this book- I wished there was more to it- almost like a prequel to see how the world had ended up like this, as an actual story, rather than the 'flashback style' of the business owner. Not quite dystopian, and not completely outside of the realms of normality- I spent the pages on the fence between 'this is a great idea' and the abject fear of a big brother type world. Brilliant book, will definitely be recommending this one!

The thing with dystopian novels is that they are meant mostly as cautionary tales of what could happen if we, as a society, maintain our present course. However, the world is currently in such a damn awful state that what could seem like a future shock, as in 'it could happen in maybe 20-30 years' now seems like a sideways step from where we are right now. As the meme goes, George Orwell is pictured 'saying' that '1984' was not meant as an instruction manual.'

And that is what makes 'The Warehouse' so terrifying.

It is way too close to home. The idea of a massive, tax free corporation that has taken over America with its 100 Mother Cloud bases seems so relevant, so visual, so doable that you hope that no one with power in Google or Amazon is skimming it for ideas. Because it is terrifying. And what makes it so terrifying? The rationale behind it is so reasonable.

The story is split between three narrators-Gisbon Wells ('call me Gibb),Paxton , a newly recruited security worker and Zinnia, a packer.

Paxton and Zinnia arrive at the same time, on the same day, bussed into a recruitment drive for Cloud, survival of, literally, the fittest as they run to get into Cloud before the gates close on those who cannot get from their bus in time. This leaves a disabled man shut out as he cannot run fast enough, and is a throwaway line of a character which speaks volumes on how we exclude those who cannot keep up-they end up shut out of opportunities.

Paxton needs this job-his previous role as a prison security guard was merely a time filler for him to get his business off the ground.Except Cloud undercut him so badly that his business folded and he now finds himself, cap in hand, to the company which destroyed his life. His allocation to security detail seems logical,but is he a Trojan horse, someone with suspect motives trying to bring Cloud down from the inside?

Zinnia -not her real name-is undercover which the reader knows right from the start.Her yet to be revealed employers have sent her in to investigate and expose what energy sources Cloud are using-they get tax free status due to their environmental engagement but it is impossible, as Zinnia and the reader quickly realise, to run a compound as large as Cloud without using non renewable energy. It is this knowledge which she is hoping to uncover to bring Cloud down but she needs someone with security clearance to help her get closer to the truth...

Gibb is the founder of Cloud, and he is dying of cancer. Doctors predict he has a year left to live so he is going on a road trip to see as many of his Mother Clouds in action before he dies. His grassroots business model, Cloud, is the solution to everyone's problems-he has, since childhood , been able to see gaps in markets and exploit it for his own gain. From running errands as a child in his neighbourhood for those too busy to do so,to being in charge of a multi billion dollar industry by completing deliveries made by drones for those too busy to shop, he is the living embodiment of the American Dream.

Work hard and this could be you too!

Seems so very simple, supply and demand. People have precious little time. Their high streets are closing down as the internet makes things cheaper, quicker to find and fast to deliver. We have seen this happen in our own town as it has moved from a market town, which supported local businessess and farms, to a satellite town where vast amounts of incomers, who cannot afford to live in cities, move here, yet work elsewhere and spend their money elsewhere.

Houses upon houses are being built with no facilities to support the people moving in so they go elsewhere. And then you see the boarded up cafes that used to sustain themselves with business courtesy of the footfall from library being in the centre of town,closed because the council moved the library out of town to a leisure centre-swim, get a beauty treatment, pick up your books, all at the same time,it's a great idea! Except no buses go past it, it's a long walk with library books so the footfall has decreased. Car owners can access it , but what about those on foot? Immediately a two tier system has developed,but that's ok, you can visit virtually and download audiobooks and ebooks.So convenient! Excpet that means that there isn't the need for so many librarians so there goes more jobs..

The haberdashery has gone, everything is so much cheaper online! No bookstores so Amazon it is! Or add an extra ten pounds to every book you want to buy in a physical bookstore for the train/bus/petrol you spend getting to a brick and mortar shop. On a micro level we are witnessing shops shutting every day, people staying at home waiting for the deliveries of online goods, the postman etc so we don't go out as much. And it's all for our convenience isn't it great!On a macro level, the hours we are working and not working are blurring in order to keep up with supply and demand of a 24/7 society.

Added to that you have the social aspect of Cloud-Rob Hart drops into the narrative names like 'Black Friday Massacres' and the 'Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire'. Shopping in person isn't safe any longer. Apart from the risk of being shot in present day America whilst doing your daily business being high enough as it is, it is not much of a reach to imagine this taken further,especially after video footage of the apalling behaviour witnessed in real life over subsequent 'Black Friday' shopping events.And the sheer hassle of dealing with real life people. Cloud has everything you need-reasonable prices, drone delivery, avoids waiting in all day or travelling to find what you need, quick , convenient and sustainable. What could be wrong?

This is the problem which niggles away at you-the need for convenience to fit a 24 hr lifestyle, the outsourcing of thinking whilst pretending it is opening up new avenues of information, the general seeping mistrust of people in power, fake news and who is watching you. The Cloud bands which have to be worn to save you carrying money,and record your work progress etc seen as  convenience yet is constantly spying on you.

How far are we, as people, supposed to go in this bid to free up our time whilst having our every actions and deeds spied upon?

This is the underlying creeping horror of 'The Warehouse'-on a micro level it is watching the colour coded people of the story running around like Pacman trying to meet quotas and targets whilst Zinnia and Paxton plot and scheme to stay one step ahead as Gibbs gets closer and closer and closer...

On a macro level you are seeing a fearful dystopian America outsourcing its people, its ideas, everything to a cpmpound which is parsed as having everything you need there-education, health facilities, food-so you don't need to go anywhere. They have you trapped by need and trapped by greed.

And it is a terrifying notion. People are colour coded to denote roles yet it's dehumanising. They exist to fulfil the need of those outside the Cloud who are those who want strawberries in January and don't care about the environmental damage it does.Just deliver it as quickly as possible. And the tech is too close to home to not be scary-our mobile phones are very rarely used for calls,they are mini computers for our convenience yet how many times have you disabled functions on it, only to see on Facebook a sponsored ad for something you were talking about, to your husband,in the security of your own bedroom? Last time it happened to me was yesterday.

Oh boy. I have just scrolled up and seen how long this review is-apologies!-to boil it all down to a nutshell, 'The Warehouse' is a warning, a wake up call to us before we let a giant coprporation outsource our very lifestyles and thoughts. The tension is ramped up beautifully through the novel as all three narrators get closer and closer to the heart of what is going on to the point of a shattering climax and finale.

Cloud is such an innouous name-at once insubstantial in nature but it covers all of us and contaisn so much of our knowledge, deeds, pictures, infromation, essays...how many times in a week do you backup your images to the cloud and think it's safe? It's made me think about every time I did that to save an assignment at uni, that sigh of relief that your work is safely locked away and not subject to the whims of electricity or hardware, never once thinking who else had the keys to the locker you thought was just yours, and who else might be reading your work.

It is impossible not to read this book and shudder, it is all too believable, and the line between fact and fiction seemed to be reaching blurring point quicker all the time. In this stunning dystopian novel there is a highly visual metaphor for today's society-mass convenience, but at what cost individuality and conscience?

Bravo Rob Hart, you have left me with so many things to think about with regards to freedom of choice. In choosing America,' the land of the free and the home of the brave' as the base of The Cloud, you have challenged notions of what being individual autonomy is, and it looks an awful lot like a warehouse where we are running down designated paths in designated colours with every move, thought and action being monitored.

Terrifying, prescient and timely, this is a novel which is going to hit that dystopian sweet spot for thriller lovers, and I predict it is going to be a massive, summer hit.

4.5 stars.
Apart from being a cracking read, this is quite a scary, precautionary tale of how things are actually going on in real life. You can't open the papers without reading of another small store being forced to close due to the behemoths that appear to be taking over the world. That or tales of workers conditions and the, almost, achievable targets they have to meet or face penalties. All at the lowest wages possible - and now many of them are being forced to take new contracts or be let go. Scary times indeed...
This book features one such corporation - the Cloud. A monopoly with fingers in many pies who claim to "care about their workers" and pretty much everyone wants to work for them as they promise security in the market, something that is now lacking in the world of work these days. Cloud has pretty much taken over retail as many people are scared to leave their houses so all take advantage of quick, speedy delivery by drone rather than face the outside world. All with practically no thought to the people who have to fulfil all these orders. People working 7 days a week, more than 10 hours a day, with obligatory overtime, paid in credits rather than money so basically, once you're in, it's hard getting out without ruining your reputation for future work. We follow two new employees, Paxton and Zinnia, both with their own reasons for wanting to work there. We also hear from the current CEO of Cloud, Gibson Wells, as he reaches his final days and is arranging his replacement. And that's pretty much all I can say about the story without spoiling things apart from saying that Wells is a bit delusional as he claims what he is doing is good for the world, blinkered or what!?
I work in the motor trade, for a small, independent company and I am seeing more and more of our market share being taken by big corporations who, on the face of things, care little about actually serving customers and more about just getting deals over the lines. We however pride ourselves on the personal touch but it is so easy to "shop online" these days that even our most loyal, repeat customers are testing the water before coming to us which means it is getting harder and harder to keep our heads above water. The same thing is happening with pretty much everything these days and this is why this book is so spot on with its observations along the way. That and the sheep mentality of people generally moaning about things but not having any power individually to do anything about it, and not having the wherewithal to combine and conquer. Well, until now...
The world building was excellent, as was the characterisation. There was quite a bit going on both within and without the actual work being done and that was very intriguing. As was Zinnia's motive for her presence and how she got her side of things done.
The intrigue builds up layer by layer as the story progresses and, although I did guess a few things along the way, there was enough I didn't to keep me going. I did however feel that the end let the whole down a bit as it was a tad rushed and there were a couple of weird things that came a bit out of left field but, on the whole, it did leave me satisfied. And scared!
All in all a shocking read which I thoroughly enjoyed. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Loved this!! Fantastically dystopian novel set in the near future where an Amazon-like company called Cloud, essentially runs everything.

Resources are scarce, jobs are hard to come by, so luckily the Cloud is there to employ the chosen many to work for them - in return they receive food, lodgings and security, as well as a salary. However, as Paxton, an ex-CEO and prison guard, and Zinnia, a corporate spy, find out, all is not golden at Cloud.

This is a satisfying thriller, well-written with a fast-moving plot. And it has some depth too, There is some obvious and genuine anger from Hart behind the scenes describing the worker drones and how subscribed and controlled their lives are. They may have security, but they don't have freedom.

At one point, I did think Hart was going down the Soylent Green route, but luckily (or not, depending on how strong your stomach is about the actual alternative) this turns out not to be the case.

Would definitely recommend if you like your dystopian novels (as I do!).

Paxton and Zinnia have achieved employee status at Cloud. Cloud is a global corporation, with many many different business lines, pushing down costs for the consumer, and making every employee as efficient as possible with residency in the MotherCloud, and tracking their every move.

Zinnia works on the coveted red picking line, spending her days running up and down the warehouse, but looking for knowledge about Cloud and how it works. Paxton is assigned to blue, security, and hence has privileged access. Together they must question where they've found themselves and the cost to global society that the disposable workforce ethic brings.

In the acknowledgments at the end of the book, Rob Hart talks about wanting to highlight the issues and the true cost of this system. Does he achieve this? Yes, I think so, and wrapped up in a compelling and thought-provoking read. I enjoyed it immensely.

An extremely well thought out dystopian novel. Cloud has taken over America. It's the online store of your dreams, stocking everything, products sent to you by drone so they're with you almost before they're needed. Cloud now employs most of America, and its CEO controls the government as well. Although he thinks of it as 'advising'. He only wants the best for everyone, after all.

My favourite thing about this fantastic novel is the watch that buzzes on different side to direct the workers. It's such a tiny detail, but it fits and it really shows the work that Rob put into imagining this increasingly possible future. A fantastic read, one that everyone should try.

I absolutely love books that are set in a future that is all too realistically possible and ‘The Warehouse’ provides just that kind of read. This book could easily be a look into our future maybe 20/30 years from now and it’s a bit of a shock to the system!

Paxton is at a crossroads in his life. His dreams of being an inventor were scuppered by ‘The Cloud’ and in a way to fight back he decides to get a job at the Company which destroyed his. What he wasn’t counting on was meeting Zinnia. Zinnia has jointed The Cloud for other reasons entirely and whilst not on the look out to make friends or acquaintances she finds herself warming to Paxton and they develop an unlikely relationship. They are both motivated by entirely different perspectives and this makes them very interesting characters to read about.

This book has a really unique way of wrapping up some serious social issues into a gripping story and one I personally did not want to put down. I really hope there is some kind of sequel to this because there are not enough books that fit into this particular genre out there are the moment.

I found this to be a pretty good book - was a fun story and easy to read. Have recommended to friends who like there post-apocalyptic future a little more marketable!

A terrifyingly plausible read. The Warehouse is set almost totally on the campus of an Amazon-type company that runs almost all of America. Their huge warehouse campuses include living areas, recreation and stores. You never need to leave. All your needs are catered for. After all, Cloud is a family.


A really creepy, messed up family. At first things don't seem too bad; messed up and unfair, but not awful. But they gradually get worse. A chapter in the middle of the book exemplifies this perfectly; it's just a series of entries on our two main characters, showing how their other interests gradually drop away until they're working, eating and sleeping and nothing else.

There was a point where I thought it was going full-on Soylent Green. Happily, it didn't get quite that far. I also thought something quite different about the big reveal.

The characters were intriguing too. No one was really much good, apart from Paxton. Gibson had good ideas, but everyone was too eager to bend the rules for an easier life. It's probably true to life, but it's very upsetting.

I'd love to read about what happens after the end of the novel - there's definitely scope there for a sequel. Let's hope.

This book is extremely important, it's written as a fast paced and entertaining thriller but it has a really dark core. The characters are relatable and I really loved the dynamics between them, especially Dakota and Paxton. The whole thing is terrifyingly believable and to be honest, it feels like a glimpse into the future.

I actually cried a little at the end of this book, in the author's letter to the reader there is a dedication to a lady called Maria Fernandes, and others like her. It is appalling and abhorrent that things have only gotten worse in the last five years.

Gun violence, climate change and unemployment have ravaged the United States beyond recognition.
Sound familiar?
This is the future if we keep America going in its current state and The Warehouse is a sci-fi thriller that is only on the edge of actual fiction and could easily tip into reality.
This is a nightmare that one day could be your reality.
In The Warehouse - The Cloud rules the world. If you took Amazon and Walmart and put them together alongside corrupt lawmakers and desperation- you have the future.

"Cloud isn’t just a place to work. It’s a place to live. And when you’re here, you’ll never want to leave."
Imagine a world that is run by a huge corporation instead of a Government- this is Cloud.
Could not put this book down! It was so scary to read- knowing this could one day be a reality (except for the Cloud Burgers- that is one step too far!).
EVERYONE should read this book.

This is a story which raises awareness of Corporate crimes in their treatment of their employees. A very emotive story which raises questions to which there are difficult answers. I found the book fascinating and very frightening. Great conclusion.

I really enjoyed reading this book.I thought it was a great example of a well thought out dystopian world ,and it was really different to anything I have read recently.I also really liked the main characters and found it all to be very believable.Thanks for the ARC in return for an honest review.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this thought provoking book

this is futuristic, this is now....we have already started this journey....

it started small a young boy just going to pick up shopping and along the journey he would pick up other peoples shopping for them and so it began

this is a place where you work and sleep, everything is catered for you...the idea being that everything you could ever want will be in the cloud.....drones make the deliveries for you

its seems ideal but whats the story...this book grabs you and though you think it will never happen it is already...we are buying items online and having it delivered right to the door...everything is made easy but working in that environment, well thats where it gets interesting...

i loved this book and how the author writes...i was held captive by the two main characters wondering what was going to happen and what a journey...though i have to admit i wont be eating burgers in the future...not a cloudburger anyway...

gonna be adding this author to my ever growing list of authors to keep an eye out for...