When Stars Go Out by Ransom Grey

Last Updated on April 9, 2022 by ellen

I spent several hours this weekend reading When Stars Go Out by Ransom Grey. Since the weather was raining and cold in the 60s, it was the perfect time to get a little bit of me time with a good book. This is a debut novel for Ransom Grey but I hope he comes out with more. Keep reading for my thoughts on this book.

When Stars Go Out by Ransom Grey

The dawning of a new order casts a shadow across a whole nation. GRO, the government’s Great Reorganization Operation, is turning American society upside down as it seizes teenagers and throws them into compounds across the country. Behind the speeches and programs, a darkness stirs. Reed can feel it.

Taken from his home and dropped into the compound of “The Hill” in central Virginia, he can’t escape the feeling that evil hangs over him night and day, watching his every move. Something is preying upon the teenagers of the Hill. An entire city lies paralyzed under the iron fist of a shadowy government agency and its cruel police force. Spies lurk among the crowds of frightened teens, ready to pounce at the first sign of dissidence. Fear keeps a choking hold on every soul – almost.

When he makes a new friend, Reed begins asking questions and stumbles upon a different side of this dark reality – a world of secrets where the light still lingers and hope burns in the hearts of a few. It’s a strange world where everyday teens are fugitives playing a high-stakes game of cat-and-mouse with the secret police.

But, it’s fascinating, thrilling, and it all seems to revolve around a single figure – one man – who ties Reed’s parallel lives together. Though dangerous to be around, this man seems to hold the answers Reed needs to make sense of the insanity around him. But, he is being hunted, and the secrets in his past may be darker than anything else that haunts the Hill.

Caught in a crossfire of warring ideals, Reed faces an agonizing choice and a single path of escape – but is it worth what it will cost him?

My thoughts

When Stars Go Out is a story about a teenager named Reed who is kidnapped from his home in California and brought to a compound with other teens his age in Virginia. This is happening all across the country as a way to re-educate the nation’s youth. They’re given housing and jobs and mostly left to themselves provided they follow the compound’s rules and don’t make waves. They have free time, money, and things to keep them entertained. But, they’re watched almost constantly.

Reed finds himself drawn into the party atmosphere of the compound until he meets a few new friends who leave him wondering about what he’s doing and what the government’s purpose really is. As he starts questioning what’s going on, he’s exposed to more danger than he ever thought was possible. He needs to decide which path he wants to take before it’s too late.

I honestly read this through in one sitting that’s how awesome it was. I could not put it down. Not only is the story engaging and interesting, the parallels in some instances with our society are pretty amazing. I can easily see this happening if things get out of control here and we don’t pay attention to the warning signs.

If you enjoy Christian dystopian fiction, you have got to read When Stars Go Out. I do hope that the author has a second book to follow this. Buy it today.

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