FREEDOM IS TAKEN FOR GRANTED BY THE FREE, BUT THE CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS IS TOO BUSY TO NOTICE.
In New York City, the convenience of now is the expectation, and everyone can have anything when they want it. But hidden just below the city’s pulse is a terrifying secret. Nothing is free, everything comes at a price, and freedom can be taken in an instant.
Wil Stevens’ comfortable life changes forever when his friend vanishes without a trace. No cell contact, no messages, no posts. She’s offline. In a search for the truth, he uncovers more than he could have ever imagined. There’s a sinister force that controls everything he knows and it will stop at nothing to keep the secret.–from the blurb about Subway | Palliatopia
Palliatopia is the place you don’t want to be, and the place you can never leave. They will take your life. They will take your dreams. They’ll take your future.
Thank you so much to S.W. Lothian for providing me with a digital copy for review! You can find out more about Lothian and his work on his official website here, or connect with him on Instagram.

Honestly, I love dystopian fiction. There are countless possibilities and opportunities, and I enjoy reading about most, if not all, of them. So, when S.W. Lothian gave me the opportunity to read and review Subway Palliatopia, I was more than happy to do so.
And I can happily say that this book did not disappoint me! But keep reading my review of Subway Palliatopia to find out more about what I did and didn’t like in this book.
Review
To be honest, I wasn’t sure where this story was going, at first. Based on the description and the first couple of chapters, there are plenty of directions the rest of the story could have gone in. But I really enjoyed the path Lothian ended up taking. The plot built from one climax to another, going from one seemingly insurmountable disaster to the next. (In short, the story had more than enough action and intrigue; I loved it.)
Additionally, I appreciated the amount of detail Lothian put into developing the context and background of the plot. I won’t say much to avoid spoilers, but certain aspects of the story just had an incredible amount of complexity.
Unsurprisingly, I also enjoyed all the different perspectives. I liked that Lothian wasn’t strict with his perspective shifts; they were organic and changed as necessary, rather than switching solely at the start of chapters. Obviously, that’s not to say that that’s a bad method; but I did enjoy the deviation from the norm.
Also in the vein of characters, I enjoyed reading about pretty much all of the characters in this book. To be fair, there were some moments where I disliked something certain characters did, said, or thought, but overall, they were enjoyable and well-written.
Honestly, my only main complaint about this book has to do with its occasionally repetitive nature. Sometimes, the characters and narration repeated certain things a bit too much, and some events felt recycled. Because of that, the story felt a bit redundant and drawn out at points.
But even though I think the book could’ve benefited from cutting out some of those parts, they didn’t have too much of a negative impact on the book as a whole; I still really enjoyed the story, despite those moments.
TL,DR Recommendation
So, overall, I do recommend checking this one out if it sounds like a story you’d enjoy! Between a plot with plenty of action and a cast of well-rounded characters, Subway Palliatopia has a lot going for it. It’s definitely worth taking the time to read, in my opinion.
If you do choose to read this one, drop a comment down below and let me know your thoughts! I always love to talk about books. Additionally, if you enjoyed this review of Subway Palliatopia, then use the Book Reviews tab above to access my full library of reviews. There, you can find plenty of other amazing books.
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