Sunset Rising

by S M McEachern

Overall, I like this story, the Author did a good job of describing the society and how things are run. There are two sides of the people living in a bio-dome. Those who live in the Pitt, which is underground and those who live above in the Dome. The people in the Pitt are basically slaves and do most the work to keep the Dome running. They have no rights and are treated poorly.

The story is from the POV of Sunny, who gets caught up in a plot and ends up wanted for treason. I won't spoil anything but the story picks up from that point forward.

There is one part about the book that might make others feel uneasy and I haven't really seen any reviews mention this aspect of the book. But one feature of the society of the people living in the Dome is that they take young girls from the Pitt (about 12-17 years old) and they get sent upstairs to be sex slaves to the men in the Dome. The girls can't say no and will be severely punished if they try to.

I was really uneasy when reading this in the beginning of the book and had to stop and read several reviews, because usually somebody will mention something like that. I saw nothing so I continued to read. Well, nothing was witnessed by Sunny, but it is said what happens to the girls who go up to the dome, not implied like other stories. They say things like the girls have bruises on their bodies, they've lost that look in their eyes, and it is out right said by the girls that they are forced to have sex with the men.

Sunny never saw anything, she just hears these things. However, I thought I would mention it, since some people don't like to read or hear mentioned rape or any sexual abuse. It's not described overly much, it's just one of the hideous things that go on in the Pitt. I've read popular Dystopian novels and while it might be vague or hinted at or people assume that these things go on, this is the first novel I've read that out right states this is what goes on to the lower class.

There is the typical violence, fighting, and etc, that is in typical dystopian novels.

Despite this, it did not stop me from continue reading on and I'm about to start the second novel in the next day or two. I would like to see what happens to Sunny and company and whether she can help the people in the Pitt.

I was given this book from first reads in exchange for an honest review.