Review: THE WAREHOUSE by Rob Hart

Publisher Bantam (Penguin Random House Australia)
Length 358 pages
Format paperback
Published 2019
Series standalone
My Copy provided by the publisher

My Review

In a scarily plausible near future, brick and mortar stores have crumbled to the overwhelming weight of online shopping, with Cloud (a fictionalised futuristic take on today’s Amazon) catering to every conceivable consumer need. Productivity and efficiency are crucial to keeping costs down and profits high; as means to maximise the output of the workforce, each employee of Cloud lives onsite and takes Cloud owned transport to their designated ‘section’ (packaging, food prep, security, tech etc.) where they work 7 days a week undertaking highly repetitive tasks.

Each employee has a star rating, has their movements tracked, and output measured; it’s a police state with a semi-voluntary slant; employees actually want to work at Cloud. The reason? Cities are overpopulated, jobs are scarce, and much of the plant seems uninhabitable. However, two characters (and recent Cloud recruits), Paxton and Zinnia arrive at a Cloud ‘city’ with ulterior motives; revenge, and destruction.

The Warehouse is an addictive and all-consuming read which transports the reader to a future world not too far removed from what we already know. Big brother doesn’t watch, he tracks and monitors – everything from health, task assignment, to toilet breaks; its creepy and claustrophobic. 

There’s an omnipresent threat element hanging over Cloud which builds as the story progresses with both Paxton and Zinnia key cogs in the machine. Not only are the characters and setting well written, so too are the more mysterious plot devices. I know the term ‘page-turner’ is overused but it’s warranted here.

My rating: 5/5 stars. Highly recommend.