The Undying Tower

Yes, yes, YES! I loved this! This was such an enjoyable read from start to finish and I can’t wait to read the sequel! I loved Welliver’s writing style and characterization, and I definitely will be reading more from this author!

I gave this book a chance even though it didn't have cover art available yet because the story sounded that interested to me. It was well written, unique and keeps you wanting to read more. Hopefully Ill get to read more!

This impressive debut opens a trilogy set in a dystopia that is maybe one hundred years into the future. England is now part of the Avalonia Zone, with parts of it, notably London, out of bounds due to high levels of radiation. A series of bitter civil wars have rendered religion and monarchy obsolete, so obsolete that references to them have become taboo - “Kings and Queens!” is considered obscenely sweary.
The habitable parts of the country have become dangerously overcrowded, partly due to a fringe of the population known as the Undying, who can live indefinitely without looking older than their early twenties. The Undying are a societal scourge, a persecuted minority whose response is to perpetrate acts of terrorism. Society’s response is public hangings, which seem to be compulsory for the general population to attend.
Sadie Abbott, a sixteen-year-old girl, follows the rules. A talented artist, she hopes to get into an exclusive Art Stream if she works hard enough. She cares for, and worries about, her ailing father, who’s on the list for a heart transplant. Her constrained but comfortingly predictable world is upended when, in the confusion after a bombing at one of the public hangings, or “corrections,” she is mistaken for one of the Undying and finds herself imprisoned in a sinister facility, the Undying Tower.
Deftly, Melissa Welliver sets out the internal logic of this nightmarish future, often through the device of having Sadie describe school history lessons, so that it never feels laboured or information dense. The ending wraps up sufficient loose ends to feel thoroughly satisfying, while leaving enough dangling to ensure an eager readership for parts two and three of the trilogy.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

What happens in society when people stop ageing??

We meet our main character Sadie - the 16yr old all rounded, good girl of school and her family at a 'Correction' - A hanging of an undying person. Not your 'normal' night out, but when WW3 has happened and areas of England are no longer accessible, these 'corrections' soon become the norm.
A big incident happens at the 'correction' and Sadie takes the fall for the bad guys. Things don't go as planned for Sadie and she finds out the awful truth about how the undying are treated.

The story is a slow burner but keep on with it as it does get better an the twists make you want to read more! I cannot wait to read the second book and find out what happens next!

In a world where there are too many people and too little space and food, the Undying are blamed for society's problems. Never ageing, and recovering quickly from illness or injury, they're seen as a drain on the country's resources and forced into ghettos.

Sixteen year old Sadie tries to stay out of politics though - she's concentrating on looking after her elderly sick father and working hard at her artwork. But then she gets caught up in a terrorist attack and ends up in the Tower, a sinister correctional facility. Sadie starts to wonder if the authorities really do have her best interests at heart, and what the purpose of the Tower is...

This book really stands out. The author does such a good job of creating the atmosphere of the Tower - starting out innocuously and building creepy clues until the true reality is revealed. Sadie is an excellent character, gradually awakening to the way the world around her really works. I also loved the friendships which emerged which emerged through the story. This is one of a series and I can't wait for book two!

I really enjoyed this dark, post-apocalyptic YA book.

The main character, Sadie, finds out some uncomfortable truths about herself, her friends, her family, and the world she is living in, and is forced to confront those truths, picking sides in a battle between the Undying and the normal civilians, where the Undying have few rights, live in ghettos, and live on starvation rations.

The plot is fairly predictable at times, but it doesn't take away from the overall story. It's quick and easy read that will appeal to those that love this genre. It will also appeal to those who can draw parallels to history about marginalising sections of society.

The Undying Tower is a great YA dark, dystopia fiction that will grip readers from start to finish. Dealing with the issues of changing society and marginalization in society as it falls apart from war and environmental destruction, the main character undergoes a series of events which lead her to being part of the 'underclass' she never thought much of before. Fan of dystopian fiction? Don't miss this one - you won't want to wait for the next one!

This weekend I was DELIGHTED to have been granted early access to read the first instalment of Melissa Welliver's 'The Undying Tower'.

Here is what I thought...

I absolutely loved 'The Undying Tower', so much so that I read it in an entire sitting and just could not put it down! The writing is jam packed with twists and turns whilst tackling issues of social classes and world conflict.

The concept is really interesting, set in a post-conflict England, where a minority of the population cease aging at 25. Known as 'The Undying' - these people are shunned by society, given the most dangerous jobs & punished for the simplest crimes either by public execution, or by being sent to 'The Tower'. When 16 year old Sadie is framed for a terrorist attack and is sent undercover in the Tower, she is forced to reconsider everything she believed to be true.

'The Undying Tower' is reminiscent of earlier YA trilogies such as The Hunger Games and Divergent, books that I have loved previously. I have been searching for a great YA series for a while, and I may have just found it!


So, what's it all about?

Set in a future dystopian England, where a small amount of the population - deemed The Undying and banished to the fringes of society - has stopped ageing, The Undying Tower introduces us to Sadie, a sixteen-year-old who suddenly finds herself separated from her ailing father and life as she knows it.

I’m already looking forward to the sequel! This book was incredible. Character development was rich, I could almost feel Sadies synesthesia. The story was well paced and gripping. The twist at the end has me dying. Ive already recommended this to everyone I know!

The Undying Tower is the first in a YA dystopian trilogy set in a future where a group of people, known as the Undying, cannot age. Immediately from starting this book I was hooked! The writing is fast-paced, throwing us instantly into action, with plenty of twists and unexpected reveals that truly made this a gripping read. The thing that most stood out to me about this book is it’s ability to discuss important themes of discrimination and inequality in a dystopian society that has hauntingly similar elements to our own.

I read this in one sitting because I couldn't put it down. Loved the idea of it and it kept me on tenterhooks at times. Great story line with some twists and turns thrown in
Really hope there will be a series and will follow this author

Firstly I must state that I am an absolute sucker for dystopian YA books. The blurb for this book had me immediately intrigued and if it wasn’t for my pesky job I would’ve finished this book the same day I started it. Instead I finished it the following day and was then extremely annoyed with myself for not savouring the story. While I am very grateful to NetGalley for giving me an arc in exchange for an honest review, I am now experiencing the one downside to NetGalley and have to wait wait for any scrap of news in regards to the sequel - something I am eagerly anticipating.

I enjoyed the fact that that the main character Sadie didn’t start off as your typical strong-willed dystopian main character and instead had a more honest and realistic response to the uncomfortable truths with her society.

Also as someone who loves to draw, Sadie’s synaesthesia was a fantastic element that I thoroughly enjoyed visualising.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me an arc in exchange for an honest review.

The Undying Tower by Melissa Welliver is another YA dystopian novel, but this one stands heads and shoulders above the pack! Ms. Welliver has woven a tale of suspense, intrigue and horror at what people will do to one another in order to stay alive and relevant in society.

Sadie is part of the upper classes and is working hard to get into the Art stream in order to excel. She's also taking care of her ailing father, who needs a heart transplant. When she attends a Correction, which is a hanging of a person from the lower class (The Undying, who by some miracle of nature(?) don't age past their twenties and don't die by natural means, becoming a drag on society's resources), a bomb goes off and Sadie is caught in the aftermath and accused of setting it off...and being one of the Undying.

As Sadie is transported to The Tower, she meets some Undying teens and spends the next weeks learning about what actually goes on in this prison for them. It's a horror, one that she shouldn't be a part of as she tries to find out more about The Tower, the Undying and those that are in charge.

An incredible novel, one that I couldn't put down! I can't wait for the next two books in the series and just hope that the author follows through with the excitement and there is no disappointing, throwaway ending (I'm looking at you, #hungergames!) Thank you to the author, Netgalley and Agora Books for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Avalonia is struggling. The population numbers are exceeding food and other resources. Not only this, but about 5% of the population are the undying; that is, although mortal, they can live indefinitely. So they are viewed with contempt, required to fulfil the most unpopular and dangerous low paid jobs and essentially discriminated against.
Sadie is on a journey of self-discovery. Born privileged, she is beginning to understand the politics of the world she lives in as well as the unjust treatment of some people. She is framed for setting up an explosion at a public event, learns she is a hidden undying and blackmailed into agreeing to be a spy whilst sent to the Tower- a detention centre for the young undying, too young to hang. What transpires is a bizarre and scary exposure to the strange goings on in the Tower.

This is a strong debut YA dystopian read, which is heavily political with a focus on persecution and exploitation. Sadie is a bold, yet modest individual who is learning on her feet. She needs to find out what happens in the Tower, who she can trust and make a call to escape when she can fulfil her quest. The story with its risk and fascinating world quickly hooks you in and sustains your interest as the story progresses. Often tense, it was thoroughly absorbing. Great supporting characters that are memorable and interesting. The 1st in a trilogy, so scope for further character and world building development, it proved a cracking read, with a satisfying denouement in readiness for book 2.

WOW! From the heart-stopping opening, to the thrilling finale, this book does not stop surprising or enthralling. Engaged from page 1, the turns and twists will keep you reading on your Boke long after your lamp should have gone off! I only have one question? When can I read book 2!??

LOVE THIS BOOK!

I whipped through this book in a couple of settings. What a fantastic start to a new dystopian trilogy. I loved the main character Sadie. She had a really interesting character arc that was well delivered in all the right places. I loved that she had synaesthesia as I do too! It gave extra depth to her character and me the opportunity to identify with her more. This book is moving and emotion with all the right twists and turns. The plot races along never leaving a moment to put the book down! Can't wait to read the rest of this trilogy!

A great start for a new distopian series. A page turner with a great world building, interesting and fleshed out characters, and a compelling plot.
The author is a talented storyteller and i can't wait to read the next book in this series.
any thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I love dystopian novels and this is one of the best I've come across. It really gives a fresh take on the genre, with brilliant, fast paced writing that kept me invested in the characters and wanting more!

It's set in a post apocalyptic world in a place called the Avalonia Zone. The Undying Tower is the first part of a trilogy and it is perfect for fans of Divergent series and Hunger games. This first installment sets up the series well and left me desperate to find out what's next for Sadie.

'The Undying Tower' is Melissa Welliver's first novel and wow does she deliver a thrilling ride. From the first words, the reader is catapulted to a dystopian future where there is a division between 'normies' and a rising immortal portion of the population called 'The Undying'. These humans stop aging at age 25, but rather than celebrated for such an amazing scientific marvel, they are oppressed, villainised and subjected to gruelling labour and early deaths due to the overpopulation and pressure on waning resources. The world building here is really intriguing and I just know there is a lot more to find out in the sequels about these amazing immortal humans.

Our protagonist is Sadie Abbott who has been raised in a charmed life, suddenly propelled into a prison for teenage Undying on a dangerous undercover mission. On her way to weeding out a terrorist cell, she discovers truths about society which changes her fundamentally as a person. Her character arc is brilliant here, the reader convinced she is genuinely on a journey which is shaping her as a person and forcing her to grow up. The structure of the novel is clever to support this development, flashing back to pertinent moments prior to Sadie's incarceration. The twist this was leading to felt obvious from the outset but it did not undermine its power and my love for Sadie and Jasper as a pair.

Overall, this is an action packed first novel and I am impatient to read the sequels, especially after THAT ENDING. The array of characters, the world building and the underlying corruption bubbling through it all made this an excellent read. Please release the sequel tomorrow.... ;)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.