The Boy Who Learned to Live, by D.N. Moore, is a gripping dystopian novel set in the year 2085, centering around a boy named Oliver McNeil who escapes the highly controlled, artificial environment of City 5. As Oliver navigates the wilderness beyond the city, he encounters a group of people living off the grid, far removed from the simulated, sterile life he’s known. The book explores Oliver’s psychological struggles, his withdrawal from medication, and his search for a deeper sense of reality. As he confronts the rawness of this new world, the story grapples with questions of identity, freedom, and what it really means to live.

Moore’s writing style is vivid and immersive, especially in the way she describes Oliver’s disorientation in the beginning. The prose has a dreamlike quality, reflecting Oliver’s fragile mental state as he moves from the highly medicated, simulated city life into the wild unknown. Oliver’s confusion is sharply illustrated in the opening scene when he questions if the world around him is a black-and-white movie. This surreal narration effectively draws the reader into his headspace. What stood out most to me was the tension between the simulated world and the raw, unpredictable wilderness Oliver is thrust into. The idea that society has retreated so far into artificial comfort, leaving behind the very essence of what it means to be human, is haunting. When Oliver struggles to explain “sims”—the all-encompassing simulations used for school, exercise, and even socializing—to Autumn, one of the characters who helps him, it’s a chilling reminder of how disconnected people in the city have become from reality. Moore does a great job of making the reader feel the weight of this disconnection.

The relationship that builds between Oliver and Autumn’s family is complex, full of mistrust, and laden with Oliver’s fears about being a danger to others. There’s a poignant moment when Oliver, feeling unworthy of their help, asks to be put in a holding cell. It captures how deeply entrenched his sense of helplessness is. But it’s also these human connections that push him forward. The emotional beats are handled well, especially the way Oliver’s interactions with the younger children, like Jesse, reveal a softer, more vulnerable side of him.

The Boy Who Learned to Live is a thought-provoking novel that delves into timely themes of isolation, the consequences of over-reliance on technology, and the rediscovery of what it means to be alive in a world that has lost touch with its roots. The novel is perfect for readers who enjoy dystopian fiction with a psychological edge, especially those who are fans of books like The Giver or The Maze Runner. Moore’s characters are relatable and the story’s emotional core makes it worth the read.

Pages: 251 | ASIN : B0DG71BNWQ