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“A great book provides escapism for me. The artistry and the creativity in a story are better than any drugs.” – Wentworth Miller

The Planner by Alexandra Swann

A Near-Future Thriller – 5 stars

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The US government is in a bind; the Social Security system is quickly going into the red, and with the Baby Boomers beginning to retire, the situation is only getting worse. A new law has been passed that may be a solution. A series of Smart Senior communities are being built and run by a new federal agency to house and care for retired seniors. Now the seniors must be sold on the plan and convinced to take advantage of what’s being offered, so a new bureaucracy is being staffed to do just that.

Former successful real estate agent Kris Mitchell has been hit hard by the economic meltdown and the new regulations that are making it much harder for buyers to obtain mortgages. She’s broke and has been looking for a new job for two years. An offer of a job as Planner and liaison with the new Smart Seniors community has come along just in time. If she could sell houses, surely she should have no problem selling seniors on this new retirement scheme.

This fast-moving book was a virtual page turner that described a frightening time in which gasoline goes from over $12 to $25 dollars a gallon, retirement accounts are heavily taxed and confiscated, sustainability and eco-friendliness are the mantra for every action, and where the federal government becomes your worst nightmare. Toss in a plague in the Gulf Coast states and eminent domain gone wild and things get even more interesting even faster.

There are plenty of references to actual events and laws that have been passed to give the story a feeling of reality and currency. References to the recent Todd-Frank financial laws, the real problems with Social Security funding, and the United Nation’s Agenda 21 with its eco-sustainability recommendations all add to the mix of real and not-real as Kris begins work for the agency and begins to have serious doubts about the program and the welfare of the seniors. Things become even more personal for her when she recruits her own parents and sells them on moving into the community.

It’s a wild, frightening ride and paints a distressing picture of a modern retiree’s version of 1984.

Highly recommended.

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