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"Rising Up"
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“A man’s gotta live, right?”
There are two types of people in this world. There are those who live in Tranquility, and there are those who live on The Outside looking in. For those who live in Tranquility, the most important value above all else is happiness, so every citizen is fashioned with a device called an “Alt”. This device measures the physiological output of each individual continuously around the clock and keeps an account of their emotional wellbeing. When a “Trank” named Ember struggles to maintain a state of positivity, after the untimely death of her mother, she comes into contact with the hometown hero (Will). She’s his first case as a new first responder for residents dealing with severe emotional crisis. If civilians fail to maintain a happy and positive outlook in Tranquility, then they risk being exiled to The Outside. A place that lingers on the back of any would be social outcast’s mind, like Xander, who marches to the beat of his own drum. When each character uncovers a piece of a conspiracy stemming from the highest levels of power in this world, they must find the courage within themselves to stand up for what they believe in before “Rising Up”.
There are two types of people in this world. There are those who live in Tranquility, and there are those who live on The Outside looking in. For those who live in Tranquility, the most important value above all else is happiness, so every citizen is fashioned with a device called an “Alt”. This device measures the physiological output of each individual continuously around the clock and keeps an account of their emotional wellbeing. When a “Trank” named Ember struggles to maintain a state of positivity, after the untimely death of her mother, she comes into contact with the hometown hero (Will). She’s his first case as a new first responder for residents dealing with severe emotional crisis. If civilians fail to maintain a happy and positive outlook in Tranquility, then they risk being exiled to The Outside. A place that lingers on the back of any would be social outcast’s mind, like Xander, who marches to the beat of his own drum. When each character uncovers a piece of a conspiracy stemming from the highest levels of power in this world, they must find the courage within themselves to stand up for what they believe in before “Rising Up”.
Readability
This first book from the “Tranquility Series” focuses mostly on world building. The pace is pretty slow going and the action didn’t really pick up until I was about two thirds into this novel that’s over three hundred pages. However, I never really felt as though I was slogging through the story, because the chapters were short enough to consume several in one sitting. I found the writing style easy to follow. The narrative develops through a third person perspective that revolves around the storylines of three distinct characters that are accented with the occasional journal entry written in the first person by a central figure in the overall plot. There were some creases in the material that I think needed more ironing out, but the story does maintain a comprehensive structure even when it seemed like it was a stretch.
Creativity
“Rising Up” features a color-coded caste system within the city of Tranquility. Someone’s status level is based on the amount of “Alt Points” they have accrued. Each status level is supposed to represent a specific value that someone devotes special attention to. Some of these individual “values” struck me as redundant in the grand scheme of things (i.e. peace, conformity, & obedience all being in similar fashion). There’s no need for me to nitpick on this concept too much, because it’s really not relevant throughout the story except in the superficial sense of what color fabric each level can fashion themselves with. I find it entertaining when authors craft their own cultural manifestos within stories, and Ross includes something like a Bill of Rights that governs the citizens of Tranquility. Instead of amendments there are ten “accords” that give the reader an outline of how the state operates. Unfortunately for me, it ended up raising more questions than it answered when it came to understanding the modus operandi of Tranquility’s socio-economic structure. There were ideas that seemed implausible to me due to my understanding of the human condition and economics, but again (just like the caste system) it was as if the whole thing was put in the story just for surface level effect, and then it’s never really addressed again. Don’t get me wrong. There are concepts at play within the setting that I really liked, but I think the narrative actually suffered due to the fact that the author made the bold choice of outlining the rules almost as if she were daring the reader to pick them apart. For those who read the story here’s one that you may recognize as being somewhat problematic for the overall plot:
“The Magistrate holds his term for life.”
I wish the rules had been: (A) more refined and (B) had a bigger impact on the plot (alluded to through events that take place instead of listed out like an info dump). This being said, the reader could go without knowing the ten accords and the story itself would still work, because ultimately “the accords” are not what the plot is structured around. So I guess, when in doubt, less is more in this regard. Complex vs Convoluted.
Delivery
The “Alt” was literally a plot device, but I thought it was the most integral aspect of the whole narrative. The device itself is something that characters wear on their wrist and is compared to a smart watch but it’s capable of measuring an individual’s emotional state. Here’s a short description about the kind of people we’re dealing with here:
“This cutting-edge device was what set Tranquility apart and made its citizens special. The people’s ability to control and eliminate negative emotions was the key for people to rise up in society. The happier someone was, the more points would appear on the Alt.”
I give Tanya Ross credit for shining a spotlight on one of the most prolific social issues of our age. Toxic Positivity! In “Rising Up” the characters are repeatedly invalidating how they really feel in order to maintain appearances among all the rest of the people pretending to be happy in Tranquility. The people who were genuinely happy under such stuffy and suffocating circumstances turned out to be some of the fakest and most unreliable individuals (go figure). I personally cannot stand when people feel the need to put a positive spin on everything. It’s so phony, and that is shown through some the character interactions in this novel. The reader gets to see how behaving like an ass kissing fraud or deluded to reality is not only harmful for one’s character but also for their health. I always say, the quickest way to get under my skin is to blow smoke up my ass!
Each of the three main characters (MWM, because you can’t call it Y-A without a love triangle cliché) comes to terms with the smoke and mirrors in their own way. Ember “was every guy’s fantasy” who harbors a deep seeded emotional secret. Will is the hometown hero and all around “good guy” who wrestles with ethics. Last but not least there’s Xander (you guessed it) the rebel “bad boy” who discovers that his true happiness comes at a price.
This first book from the “Tranquility Series” focuses mostly on world building. The pace is pretty slow going and the action didn’t really pick up until I was about two thirds into this novel that’s over three hundred pages. However, I never really felt as though I was slogging through the story, because the chapters were short enough to consume several in one sitting. I found the writing style easy to follow. The narrative develops through a third person perspective that revolves around the storylines of three distinct characters that are accented with the occasional journal entry written in the first person by a central figure in the overall plot. There were some creases in the material that I think needed more ironing out, but the story does maintain a comprehensive structure even when it seemed like it was a stretch.
Creativity
“Rising Up” features a color-coded caste system within the city of Tranquility. Someone’s status level is based on the amount of “Alt Points” they have accrued. Each status level is supposed to represent a specific value that someone devotes special attention to. Some of these individual “values” struck me as redundant in the grand scheme of things (i.e. peace, conformity, & obedience all being in similar fashion). There’s no need for me to nitpick on this concept too much, because it’s really not relevant throughout the story except in the superficial sense of what color fabric each level can fashion themselves with. I find it entertaining when authors craft their own cultural manifestos within stories, and Ross includes something like a Bill of Rights that governs the citizens of Tranquility. Instead of amendments there are ten “accords” that give the reader an outline of how the state operates. Unfortunately for me, it ended up raising more questions than it answered when it came to understanding the modus operandi of Tranquility’s socio-economic structure. There were ideas that seemed implausible to me due to my understanding of the human condition and economics, but again (just like the caste system) it was as if the whole thing was put in the story just for surface level effect, and then it’s never really addressed again. Don’t get me wrong. There are concepts at play within the setting that I really liked, but I think the narrative actually suffered due to the fact that the author made the bold choice of outlining the rules almost as if she were daring the reader to pick them apart. For those who read the story here’s one that you may recognize as being somewhat problematic for the overall plot:
“The Magistrate holds his term for life.”
I wish the rules had been: (A) more refined and (B) had a bigger impact on the plot (alluded to through events that take place instead of listed out like an info dump). This being said, the reader could go without knowing the ten accords and the story itself would still work, because ultimately “the accords” are not what the plot is structured around. So I guess, when in doubt, less is more in this regard. Complex vs Convoluted.
Delivery
The “Alt” was literally a plot device, but I thought it was the most integral aspect of the whole narrative. The device itself is something that characters wear on their wrist and is compared to a smart watch but it’s capable of measuring an individual’s emotional state. Here’s a short description about the kind of people we’re dealing with here:
“This cutting-edge device was what set Tranquility apart and made its citizens special. The people’s ability to control and eliminate negative emotions was the key for people to rise up in society. The happier someone was, the more points would appear on the Alt.”
I give Tanya Ross credit for shining a spotlight on one of the most prolific social issues of our age. Toxic Positivity! In “Rising Up” the characters are repeatedly invalidating how they really feel in order to maintain appearances among all the rest of the people pretending to be happy in Tranquility. The people who were genuinely happy under such stuffy and suffocating circumstances turned out to be some of the fakest and most unreliable individuals (go figure). I personally cannot stand when people feel the need to put a positive spin on everything. It’s so phony, and that is shown through some the character interactions in this novel. The reader gets to see how behaving like an ass kissing fraud or deluded to reality is not only harmful for one’s character but also for their health. I always say, the quickest way to get under my skin is to blow smoke up my ass!
Each of the three main characters (MWM, because you can’t call it Y-A without a love triangle cliché) comes to terms with the smoke and mirrors in their own way. Ember “was every guy’s fantasy” who harbors a deep seeded emotional secret. Will is the hometown hero and all around “good guy” who wrestles with ethics. Last but not least there’s Xander (you guessed it) the rebel “bad boy” who discovers that his true happiness comes at a price.
#LFLR Indie Rating: 5/10
I thought “Rising Up” touched upon quite a few familiar themes that I’ve come to expect from dystopian novels, which checked off enough boxes for me to call it a good story. I didn’t particularly find the overall plot to be that compelling, though. I thought the stakes seemed too low for the size and scope of the narrative, and as a result the ending felt like it was blown way out of proportion. I think the conspiracy theory could have been resolved in one book, but perhaps the characters end up facing bigger challenges in book two of Tanya Ross’s Tranquility series, “Facing Off”, which is set to release June 30, 2021.
I thought “Rising Up” touched upon quite a few familiar themes that I’ve come to expect from dystopian novels, which checked off enough boxes for me to call it a good story. I didn’t particularly find the overall plot to be that compelling, though. I thought the stakes seemed too low for the size and scope of the narrative, and as a result the ending felt like it was blown way out of proportion. I think the conspiracy theory could have been resolved in one book, but perhaps the characters end up facing bigger challenges in book two of Tanya Ross’s Tranquility series, “Facing Off”, which is set to release June 30, 2021.
THIS BREAKDOWN IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE #LFLR NETWORK.
