THE CONCRETE PALACE

In Charag’s debut dystopian novel, a man discovers there may be something sinister at work in the protective world in which he lives.

Remi Jones has lived all of his 43 years surrounded by concrete walls and ceilings in a structure filled with labyrinthine corridors and tramways that the mysterious Titans built long ago. Its greatest purpose, it seems, is safeguarding humanity from the “all-consuming” darkness outside the walls. Meanwhile, life goes on inside, and Remi heads to his regular job each day at the Work District, Unit 5—more specifically, the Suicide Division. His latest case is 17-year-old Milly Sanders, who intentionally electrocuted herself. He quickly attributes this death to the Outrebs, or the Outside Rebellion, a radical group that reputedly ensnares “impressionable youngsters” and somehow convinces them to commit suicide as part of their cause. The Outrebs’ goal is finding a way into the Concrete Palace, a command center that will give them access to the outside. Remi’s investigation into Milly’s death leads to run-ins with the group, which soon has him questioning things, such as the chip inserted behind everyone’s left ears and the gray-blob food that tastes like whatever flavor they assign it (courtesy of those head chips). His bosses aren’t happy about his inquisitive nature, but that doesn’t mean they want him to stop looking into the Outrebs. Many people are convinced the group has something planned, and a surprise explosion is only the beginning. Whether Remi sympathizes with them or thwarts their plan, things are sure to turn violent.

Charag’s story relies on keeping Remi and readers in the dark. This strange world, however, isn’t entirely unfamiliar. Remi, for example, lives in the San Francisco District in the America Zone, while the other Zones include Brazil, China, Africa, and Europe. Moreover, the author builds a recognizable place with meticulous details of Remi’s tiny but cozy apartment and scenes of his initially humdrum workdays, including prolonged tram rides. Questions arise throughout the novel, and any character with an inkling of the truth is evasive; Milly’s friend, when asked why the teen committed suicide, tells Remi, “You wouldn’t understand.” But Charag doesn’t make readers wait for every answer, as it’s clear early on who, essentially, the Titans were, and Remi unwraps another mystery well before the end. While this protagonist is often literally clueless, he’s burdened by ill will from Outrebs and superiors at the Work District, and not only at the Suicide Division. Even his councilwoman mother and his physician father treat him with indifference, and his fiancee, Porcia, doesn’t appear enough to offset all this negativity. At the same time, Remi digs into Milly’s case without much urgency, giving the narrative a somewhat low-key pace. This considerably benefits the mystery side of the story, making it easier to settle into the lengthy exposition that accompanies illuminating moments. The tension effectively surges in the final act, and although bits of the ending are predictable, it offers a stellar payoff.

A dark, diverting futuristic tale with an appealing hero and a dense mystery.