The Way Out by Gordon Jensen & Cara Highsmith + Giveaway

Join us for this tour from July 18 to August 12, 2022!

Book Details:

​Book Title: The Way Out (Book 1: Be Careful What You Wish for Series) by Gordon Jensen with Cara Highsmith and Gordon Thomas
Category:  Adult Fiction (18+),  240 pages
Genre: Sci-Fi
Publisher:  Highsmith Creative Services
Release date:  September 2020
Content Rating:  PG-13 +M. The language is pretty tame, but there are a few swear words. The bigger issue is some of the topics addressed in it. ​

 

Book Description:

When the Alpha Centauri crew returns to earth after a failed mission to explore a distant planet, they quickly learn the world is not how they left it.

Under new global leadership, the planet has managed to go decades without conflict, except for one major problem. Thanks to a pandemic caused by a mutation in a new strain of GMO corn, the world’s population plummeted to 2.6 billion, wiping out a disproportionate amount of men and leaving the globe run almost entirely by women. The mutation altered the human DNA, making it impossible to produce male babies and increasing Y-chromosome related diseases.

Because of their lack of exposure, the Alpha Centauri crew, especially the men on board, now find themselves in high demand. The Powers that Be think they are the solution, but with that solution comes the inevitable hunger for power and control. As greed, self-interest, and corruption rear their ugly heads, a planet that had found its way to peace is thrust into turmoil once again.

So, the question becomes: Are they really the answer to a seemingly unsolvable problem? The world may soon come to understand that sometimes getting what you wish for isn't the gift you think it will be.

The Way Out is at once a brilliant and relatable work of post-apocalyptic fiction. Think The Handmaid’s Tale mixed with Netflix’s The Wilds, and a touch of Interstellar, the movie. It’s a uniquely told story that will have you waiting as impatiently as the crew to understand the New World Order of the near future.

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The Way Out is an interestingly plotted science fiction story which explores a number of present-day political and cultural issues by having an astronaut crew from the year 2025 vanish into a black hole and unexpectedly return some forty years in the future. I loved the interview format that the authors chose as a way to present their multi-viewpoint narrative and felt this worked brilliantly, especially over the first two-thirds of the book. We readers get different perspectives from each character with the switches nicely timed to heighten tension.

Despite outer space travel being such an essential element of the story, there isn't much deep physics theory to contend with (for which I was grateful!) as The Way Out focuses more strongly on a mixed bunch of philosophical issues - gender roles, racism, GMO crops, personal autonomy, and 'the greater good' concept to name just a few. I did sometimes find all the philosophising got a bit much, but this was mostly in the later chapters when the earlier exciting pace slowed. Jensen references current and recent preoccupations such as #MeToo and the Covid pandemic in his historical timeline which made The Way Out feel particularly timely now, however I'm not sure how well that aspect might date in the coming years. The overturning of Roe vs Wade, for example, already jars with one chapter. The Way Out is very much the first part of a duology too so I was a little disappointed not to have more of a self-contained novel. There is a sense of closure, but with lots of threads left open in a 'to be continued' kind of way.

I did enjoy The Way Out. I feel it's more of a science fiction adventure tale than a sciencey scifi story and, while being an entertaining read, it raises some thought-provoking questions about Western society today and how future generations might view us.

 

Meet the Authors:

Gordon Jensen holds an MBA from University of Rochester, New York, Simon School of Business and a bachelor's degree from Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota. After working in finance In New York for several years, Jensen went back to Minnesota to run the family business. He retired after selling the the business and is now fulfilling a number of life-long dreams, including writing a novel series.

 

Cara Highsmith has always been drawn to the world of books and has found herself working in this industry in one capacity or another for the majority of her adult life. She holds a Master of Arts in English from Belmont University and did work toward a PhD at Middle Tennessee State University. Cara was on the editorial team at Hachette Book Group USA, working with several New York Times bestselling authors, for nearly four years. After leaving Hachette in 2008, she began freelancing, developing proposals and manuscripts for agents, editing and ghostwriting for authors, and assisting clients in preparing projects for self-publishing. Cara is a master of being a jack of all trades, but currently spends her free time working on several personal writing projects and enjoying life on a beautiful northern California mountain.

connect with authors: website ~ twitter ~ facebook ~ instagram ~ goodreads

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Tour Schedule:

​July 18 – Rockin' Book Reviews – book review of THE WAY OUT / guest post / giveaway
July 19 – Rockin' Book Reviews – book review of TWO ROADS TO PARADISE / giveaway
July 19 - Literary Flits – book review of THE WAY OUT / guest post / giveaway
July 20 – Literary Flits – book spotlight of TWO ROADS TO PARADISE / author interview / giveaway
July 21 – Sadie's Spotlight – book series spotlight / author interview / giveaway
July 21 - The Momma Spot – book review of THE WAY OUT / giveaway
July 22 – A Crane Between The Pages – book review of THE WAY OUT
July 22 – @acourtofbookishreviews (TIK TOK) – book review of THE WAY OUT
July 25 – Mostly Mystery Reviews – book review of THE WAY OUT / guest post / giveaway
July 26 – SpareTimer866 – book series spotlight / author interview / giveaway
July 26 - She Just Loves Books – book review of THE WAY OUT / giveaway
July 27 – She Just Loves Books – book review of TWO ROADS TO PARADISE / giveaway
July 27 - The Momma Spot – book review of TWO ROADS TO PARADISE / giveaway
July 28 – Splashes of Joy – book review of THE WAY OUT / giveaway
July 28 - Kam's Place – book review of THE WAY OUT
July 29 – Splashes of Joy – book review of TWO ROADS TO PARADISE / giveaway
July 30 - @pen.books.and.scalpel – book review of THE WAY OUT
Aug 1 – Mostly Mystery Reviews – book review of TWO ROADS TO PARADISE / author interview / giveaway
Aug 1 - Kam's Place – book review of TWO ROADS TO PARADISE
Aug 1 - @acourtofbookishreviews (TIC TOK) – book review of TWO ROADS TO PARADISE
Aug 2 – Jazzy Book Reviews – book series spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Aug 2 - Cheryl's Book Nook – book review of THE WAY OUT
Aug 3 – @Mel.literate – book review of THE WAY OUT
Aug 4 – Cheryl's Book Nook – book review of TWO ROADS TO PARADISE
Aug 4 - Stephanie Jane - book review of THE WAY OUT / giveaway
Aug 5 – A Crane Between The Pages – book review of TWO ROADS TO PARADISE
Aug 8 – Book Corner News and Reviews – book review of THE WAY OUT / giveaway
Aug 9 - Locks, Hooks and Books – book review of THE WAY OUT / giveaway
Aug 9 – Book Corner News and Reviews – book review of TWO ROADS TO PARADISE / giveaway
Aug 10 – Books are a Blessing – book review of THE WAY OUT / giveaway
Aug 10 - Stephanie Jane - book spotlight of TWO ROADS TO PARADISE / giveaway
Aug 11 – fundinmental – book series spotlight / giveaway
Aug 11 – Books are a Blessing – book review of TWO ROADS TO PARADISE / giveaway
Aug 11 - @pen.books.and.scalpel – book review of TWO ROADS TO PARADISE
Aug 12 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book review of TWO ROADS TO PARADISE / giveaway
Aug 12 - Books for Books – book series spotlight

 

Enter the Giveaway: 

 Win THE WAY OUT & TWO ROADS TO PARADISE (one winner) (USA only) (ends Aug 19)

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