The Merge A Novel

"Impressive... Walker effectively blends climate dystopia and body horror, especially in the novel's chilling final twist."
-Publishers Weekly

A compelling and disturbing story of love and sacrifice, control and resistance.
-The Guardian

"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

"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 future classic of the genre...Walker creates an uncanny world so rich and all-encompassing that it's hard to believe it's not real. The Merge lures you in, hurtling towards a conclusion that I could hardly bear to look at - but couldn't pull myself away from. This is propulsive, deeply satisfying novel, weaving slivers of hope with the terrifying setting of a near-future sci-fi. A tender display of the difficult love between mother and daughter, set against a moral and ethical dilemma: is it better to prolong a life unnaturally, or learn to let go?'
-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

"Chilling, claustrophobic and deeply unsettling, The Merge is a brilliant, unforgettable exploration of memory, control and freedom."
-Carole Hailey, author of The Silent Project

"I read The Merge in one frenzied weekend, with sweaty palms, almost as though it were a news article with a shocking headline. The characters are all so real and fully formed, they could be my neighbours and friends. 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 withme. Timely, important, and beautifully written."
-Silvia Saunders, author of Homesick

"An innovative and absorbing genre book with an exhilarating pace and world-building. This is going to be a longstanding book club for sci-fi fans."
-Debutiful

"Disturbingly believable and oddly intriguing...An innovative dystopia that offers a fascinating look at how science, social control, and information manipulation intersect in a totalitarian future."
-Library Journal

"An inventive exploration of climate change, class disparity, corporate influence, and biotech "enhancement"....An excellent addition to the growing catalog of 21st-century dystopian nightmares."
-Kirkus Reviews