Description

‘Grace Walker creates an uncanny world so rich and all-encompassing that it’s hard to believe it’s not real … it’s clear that Walker poured her all into this future classic of the genre.’ Jodie Matthews, author of Meet Me at the Surface

Once the process begins, there can be no going back, we will always be together…

Laurie is sixty-five and living with Alzheimer’s. Her daughter Amelia can’t bear to see her mother’s mind fade. Faced with the reality of losing her forever, Amelia signs them up to take part in the world’s first experimental merging process for Alzheimer’s patients, in which Laurie’s ailing mind will be transferred into Amelia’s healthy body and their consciousness will be blended as one.

Soon Amelia and Laurie join a group of other merge participants: teenage Lucas, who plans to merge with his terminally ill brother Noah; Ben, who will merge with his pregnant fiancee Annie; and Jay, whose merging partner is his unwilling addict daughter Lara.

As they prepare to move to The Village, a luxurious rehabilitation centre for those who have merged, they quickly begin to question whether everything is really as it seems.

Publisher Review

'Grace Walker creates an uncanny world so rich and all-encompassing that it's hard to believe it's not real ... it's clear that Walker poured her all into this future classic of the genre.' Jodie Matthews, author of Meet Me at the Surface. 'An arresting, deeply imaginative debut. The Merge is both a gripping speculative drama and a moving meditation on memory, family and control. Grace Walker also asks what we're willing to surrender for those we love and her questions linger long after the final page.' Freya Bromley, author of The Tidal Year 'With The Merge, Grace Walker takes a clever speculative premise, and creates a dystopian world that feels frighteningly plausible; filled with compelling characters struggling to come to terms with the new reality. Terrifying and fascinating.' Guy Morpuss, author of Five Minds 'Chilling, claustrophobic and deeply unsettling, The Merge is a brilliant, unforgettable exploration of memory, control and freedom.' Carole Hailey, bestselling author of The Silence Project 'I read The Merge in one frenzied weekend ... Walker has a frighteningly good imagination, but the most frightening thing of all is that the world she's created doesn't feel all that outlandish... This is a story that will stay with me. Timely, important, and beautifully written.' Silvia Saunders, author of Homesick 'A heart-wrenching exploration of the struggle for autonomy amidst dwindling resources, The Merge perfectly captures a modern world obsessed with controversial solutions for problems it has created. Grace Walker depicts all too clearly the impossibility of aging with dignity in a society that doesn't value life, and I was riveted from the first page to the last.' Ling Ling Huang, author of Immaculate Conception and Natural Beauty 'A disturbing, heartbreaking and gripping read, which manages to explore capitalism, technology, personal identity, climate change, human rights and over-population without ever losing sight of its central characters and their vividly drawn lives.' Jo Harkin, author of Tell Me an Ending 'This thought-provoking debut for fans of Never Let Me Go, The Testaments and The School for Good Mothers.' Bookseller 'Walker debuts with a frightening glimpse into a near-future London... Walker effectively blends climate dystopia and body horror, especially in the novel's chilling final twist.' Publisher's Weekly 'In this taut thriller, a new kind of technology enables a person's mind to coexist in another's body... Walker has produced an inventive exploration of climate change, class disparity, corporate influence, and biotech "enhancement," all of which converge in this frightening vision of a totalitarian Britain... An excellent addition to the growing catalogue of 21st-century dystopian nightmares.' Kirkus