"This superior dystopian thriller takes on AI, climate change, and pressing issues of freedom." Booklife, Editor's Choice
"Embark on a whirlwind of feverish exhileration in this post-apocalyptic page-turner." Independent Book Review, featured in Best Books We Read This Year (2022)
"Welcome to the Free World might start off as a standard dystopian sci-fi adventure, but Lloyd Raleigh's debut novel quickly transforms into a satisfyingly unpredictable page-turner." Indie Reader, Indie Reader Approved, Best Reviewed Book, November, 2022
"Raleigh's smart apocalyptic novel delves into a credible near future in which climate change and AI reshape the world and call the very essence of humanity into question...A thought-provoking and plausible speculative tale." Kirkus Reviews
"Raleigh's debut novel will appeal to fans of dystopian novels, along with fans of the metaphysical, with timely subject matter that forces readers to consider how far they would be willing to go to remain true to themselves." Booklist
Who knew that escaping reality might just be the way we destroy it?
Will Robin does what no one should: pluck microchips from people's heads.
In an age where AI has been fully integrated with human life, Will clearly sees what everyone else doesn't; that it's a ploy for control and power. What started out as using his skill to exercise his own free will quickly became a passion and a mission to free the world around him. Even if it's just one pluck at a time.
When the government gets wind of this, they target Will, and it sets off a cascade of events that threatens to take the one thing that he values most: his freedom.
But that won't be the only price he pays.
As Will's life spirals out of control and is consumed by mayhem, he must deal with ruthless government agents, cutthroat corporate assassins, and an AI named Aja who's willing to torture him into submission. Amid all this chaos, the Earth is falling apart; and while their world burns, the people revel in the metaverse as a brief escape. Water turns to dust, living becomes a struggle, and people claw at each other just to survive. Will knows that everything is connected but proving that is hard and stopping it is even harder.
Welcome to the Free World is a powerful, thrilling new adult novel of a young man's awe-inspiring journey as he faces climate change, escapism, and oppression. With our uncertain and anxiety-ridden near future as Will Robin's arena, this startling story shows us the power one person can have during our darkest hours.
Join Will on his journey as he aims to topple authoritarian governments, malicious corporations, and break the shackles they use to bind us. Yet, despite these pure intentions, the cost and loss may just cripple him.
