They gave them choices. They were all lies.

Dystopian fans–this is your book! The first page grabbed me, and I could not put it down. Here’s a taste, from the back cover:

They gave them choices. They were all lies.

In the isolated city of Seraphis, love is a calculated algorithm and choice is an illusion.

Calla and Zeph have grown up believing the Department of Life Structuring knows best—assigning careers, dictating daily routines, and most importantly, selecting their perfect life partners. But as their rites of passage into adulthood approach, cracks begin to show in their meticulously ordered world.

When Zeph receives a shocking Work Assignment that defies all logic, and Calla discovers a way to breach the city’s omnipresent surveillance, they glimpse something their society has forbidden: genuine connection. Their stolen moments together reveal a dangerous truth—they’ve fallen for each other in a world where the heart has no say.

In the shadows of Seraphis, the Choose Movement is stirring. This underground resistance promises something revolutionary: the power to choose their own destinies.

As Calla and Zeph are drawn deeper into the uprising, they must decide what they’re willing to sacrifice for love and freedom. Because in a society built on control, the greatest act of rebellion is following your heart—even if it destroys everything you’ve ever known.

Some choices are worth the consequences.

Many dystopian books feel dark and contain a lot of suffering or violence. I appreciated how this futuristic thriller moved fast but without a dark heaviness.

Author Victoria Kimble weaves tension and mystery in a plot that kept me guessing. I felt Calla’s confusion. She was used to living by rules. She’s unsure of who to trust and what to trust. After all, she’d been told the system had created a perfect community, and she was destined to live a wonderful, happy life.

The book raises great topics for discussion, especially regarding the role of government and personal choice and freedom. As Calla converses with Zeph, she questions what relationships should be based on. Feelings? Physical attraction? Again, this book is thought-provoking.

The ending doesn’t leave the reader hanging, but since Kimble has written other trilogies, I’m hoping Kimble continues to unfold this story with a sequel. Readers who enjoyed The City of Ember will love this book. No violence/clean romance is limited to mutual attraction.

What They Let Them Choose is available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle

More books by Kimble: A speculative Young Adult trilogy filled with characters navigating high-stake adventure and family relationships : The Hurricane Keeper, The Eyewall Seeker, The Storm Breaker

Leave a comment and let us know a great book you’ve read this summer.

Happy Reading – Gretchen Carlson