The Fellowship Dystopia
by
Size: 5.50 x 8.50 in
Size: 5.50 x 8.50 in
Pages: 520
Size: 5.50 x 8.50 in
Pages: 518
Miranda has three days until she must surrender control of her own life forever.
In 1961 Fellowship America, obedience isn’t just expected—it’s enforced by law. Unable to bear the weight of that future, Miranda makes a desperate choice.
She escapes. Sheds her old identity. Searches for the life she wants. But freedom comes at a brutal price.
The Fellowship’s merciless enforcers—the “Angels of Death”—hunt her through a world more dangerous than she imagined. Each step toward freedom unravels national lies, suppressed personal traumas, and dark family secrets.
When she meets a fierce rebel fighter who might hold the key to her survival, Miranda refuses to back down. She’ll risk everything to prove herself worthy of training—even if it means facing the Angels of Death alone.
Now Miranda faces an impossible choice: retreat to the suffocating safety of her old life, or join a resistance that could cost her not just her independence, but her family, her future, and possibly her life.
My Soul to Keep is a powerful exploration of resilience, identity, and the courage to chart your own path in a world determined to dictate your destiny. In a world where conformity means survival, what would you sacrifice to keep your soul?
Editors:
Cover Artists:
Genres:
Tropes: Clones, Conspiracy, Dystopian Governments, Training
Word Count: 112200
Setting: Eastern and Midwest United States
Languages Available: English
Series Type: Continuous / Same Characters
Tropes: Clones, Conspiracy, Dystopian Governments, Training
Word Count: 112200
Setting: Eastern and Midwest United States
Languages Available: English
Series Type: Continuous / Same Characters
Jim Cox on MidWest Book Review wrote:My Soul to Keep by Lynette M. Burrows is a hard-hitting dystopian story set in a very different version of America to the place it was in 1961. This is a world where cruel leaders force everyone to follow strict rules and punish those who don't. Miranda is a young woman caught in the middle of these rules and punishments, so she decides to run away when she realizes she won't be allowed to make her own choices anymore. But during her escape, Miranda finds out about the terrible secrets of her country and faces painful memories from her past. She has to make an impossible choice: should she return to her old life where others control her, or should she risk everything, including her life, to fight for freedom? There are dangerous people called the Angels of Death who hunt down anyone who breaks the rules, so Miranda must be extremely careful. To stay alive, she needs to be smart about who to trust and find strength she didn't know she had. The dark reality of this different America comes through clearly, making readers think about how our world could change under similar harsh control.
Author Lynette M. Burrows captured my attention with a version of America that feels frighteningly real when you look at the world today. I could picture this oppressive world because of the atmosphere and mood the author created. Miranda starts out desperate but grows into a determined fighter who cares about freedom and the truth. Burrows shows this change powerfully whenever her speech and actions are described, The story is sometimes intense and gripping, and at other times everything slows down so that we have time to explore Miranda's inner struggles. This got me thinking deeply about freedom and what it means to be true to yourself, even when you might face consequences for it. The relationships between the different characters are moving, showing both the best and worst of what human beings might do to each other under extreme pressure. The writing details the physical and mental difficulties of living under oppression and yet still keeps a thread of hope in the darkest moments. Overall, I strongly recommend My Soul to Keep to anyone who enjoys powerful dystopian books about fighting against oppression with heroes you can easily root for.
The first volume of a trilogy, "My Soul To Keep" by Lynette M. Burrows is the story about a woman who dares to break the rules of her society. But in the dystopia of 1961 Fellowship America, those rules aren't optional -- and they are enforced with a deadly vengeance. As an author, Burrows raises her dystopian novel to an impressive level of literary excellence. With misogynist elements that are easily extrapolated from the politics of Christian Nationalism of today, "My Soul To Keep" is a chilling but inherently fascinating read from start to finish. While especially and unreservedly recommended for both community and college/university library Literary Fiction and Science Fiction collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of anyone with an interest in dystopian fiction and the struggle for women's rights
My Soul to Keep is an exciting adventure story, a powerful alternate history, and most of all a multi-layered story of the personal growth of a young woman. Miranda sacrifices a life of privilege to rebel against social constraints and to understand painful personal mysteries about her life, revealed only by flashes of memory and confused dreams. As she fights back against the restrictions and hypocrisy of society, she also discovers the secrets of her life and her family, and chooses the values that will drive her actions—and she refuses to “print the legend.”~William F. Wu, author of Hong on the Range
