The Merge: Review
The Merge by Grace Walker focuses on a daughter and her mother as they explore a difficult and controversial procedure to merge their consciousnesses into one body. The premise is fascinating and nicely woven into a dystopian world with diminishing resources and changing climate. Governments are encouraging people to take up the procedure and incentivizing it in the name of conservation. The daughter, Amelia, has long been opposed to the procedure, but as her mother deals with early-onset Alzheimer's, will she be convinced to go through with a merge to preserve her mother's mind, while sharing a body? Furthermore, the corporation that invented the procedure runs a cult-like program to encourage interested parties to merge, including complex rituals, ceremonies, and psychological manipulation. The resolution is fascinating, unexpected, and eerily appropriate given recent events.
I enjoyed this novel and found it engrossing. There are several twists along the way and the pacing is snappy. The various settings are well-constructed and are an excellent backdrop to drive the main action.
Rating:
- Recommend? Yes
- Buy as a gift? No
Last modified on 1 Feb 2026 by AO
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