Fracture: A Sci-Fi Thriller Novel

by Melanie Bokstad Horev

She built a machine to erase her pain. Instead, she split her mind in two.

Dr. Mara Lior thought she could cut the pain out. In a world ruled by the Consciousness—an AI system that enforces control by suppressing emotion—she created Project Cortex to do the delete memory, erase feeling, and finally forget the daughter they took from her.

But when Mara tests it on herself, something fractures.

Now, she’s a prisoner of the regime she helped build, her mind weaponized by a shadowy Proctor with a terrifying agenda. And in the lawless Analog Zone, a second consciousness awakens in a stolen body. She has no past, no name—only flickers of rage and pain. She calls herself Echo.

One is cold. One is chaos.
Both are hunted. Both are haunted.
And between them, a dangerous connection grows—memories leaking across the fracture, instincts bleeding through.

If they can’t reunite, they’ll be erased.
If they do… they might burn the system to the ground.

If you crave the mind-bending, high-stakes science fiction of Blake Crouch's Dark Matter and the gritty, character-driven rebellion of Linden A. Lewis's The First Sister, this is your book!

Kindle Edition

Published August 5, 2025

About the author

Beware!
I read AND write everything dystopian and post-apocalyptic.

If you are still here.
I am a molecular biologist with a Ph.D. who likes to write down the stories that form in my head. The stories are mainly in the realm of dystopia and science fiction. On a personal level, I love all things space, coffee, travel, and sports.
My family is everything to me.

I'll be thrilled if you would subscribe to my bi-monthly newsletter:
https://www.melaniebokstadhorev.com/s...

Link to pre-order my newest book:
https://www.amazon.com/Female-Breeder...

Reviews

[Laurie Robertson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent dystopian novel with many unexpected twists. Interesting characters and settings. It has everything a dystopian reader would want. All the main characters are strong and so are a large number of the supporting characters. The protagonist is clearly defined but again with a twist.

[KJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such an interesting read! I’m gonna rate it 4.5, rounded down. I absolutely love this genre, and am thankful to have received an advanced copy for free. I’m leaving this review voluntarily.

This book had great pacing, genuinely. Between any kind of goals and problems that would arise to either their completion or where this book left off were all great. It had a nice balance of expressing immediacy, and tension, while also having the ability to make time stand still. Very expertly crafted in that regard.

I’m not going to lie… that dedication page hit me in the feels. If you know you know. 💕

I think that I was expecting Mara to be a little colder and detached post split, but I really liked that fact that it wasn’t quite as clean as the summary had lead me to believe. I absolutely adored the characters. All of them: even the ones I kinda wanted to knock out.

The plot stayed true to my expectations, but had enough twists that made it very interesting and a fun book to read.

I think the over all message is one humans need to hear right about now.

I can’t wait to see where the next book goes!

[Debbie Eckes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed “Fracture” very much. A fun ride the whole way- start to finish! Not just a story but a lesson teaching me to — Feel the feelings and let the emotions out. DLC-E

[Chad Barrus · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC copy of this book from the author and though I wasn’t required to post a review, I wanted to offer my honest, voluntary impression upon finishing it.

Melanie has written a chilling futuristic novel which I hope is only entertainment but like books written some 60 plus years ago (1984, Brave New World, Fahrenheit 451, Animal Farm to name a few) could be a chilling dose of cold reality for the future of mankind.

This book concerns a world where emotions are outlawed by the government (Consciousness) and one scientist who after 11 plus years of not being able to curb the grief she feels when her daughter was taken from her and eliminated decides to try and excise the pain from her mind but instead it fractures her and spawns a new life in a synthetic body. Her mind is split in two but there is a link between them when she is able to hear it after escaping those who are bent on destroying her. She is saved by a member of the resistance and meets others and when her link with her other half ignites, they along with the resistance try to disable the Consciousness network.

This is a gripping edge of your seat sci-fi book that will keep you turning the pages as fast as you can! The writing is top notch, and the action and adrenaline rush will keep you glued to the pages as you wade through betrayals left and right and megalomaniacs bent on eliminating all emotions from human behavior leaving a dull society robotically following what they’re told without question!

The cost of bringing down the Consciousness is high but the one they hoped to bring down as well escapes leaving the basis for the continuation of this saga in the next book.

I wholeheartedly and enthusiastically recommend this book as one all who like thrilling sci-fi novels will
gravitate towards without question! I would also recommend those who look complacently as something good should also get this book for it is an eye opener as to what that type of future could hold for you!

Sometimes you need to have your comfort zone shaken up and this book will do just that! As entertainment value it’s great to read but on a deeper level it’s a wake up call as to what could happen if man tries to play God and decides to alter the basic make up of the human body and the miraculous brain we were blessed with by our Creator when we were born.

I look forward to continuing this exciting story when the next book comes out and I feel confident I am not
the only one who will feel that way!

[Jay Batson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, this was satisfying! A truly novel, creative and gripping sci-fi book.

Sci-fi authors have a wide subject area to select from, from space opera to near-future human earth scenarios, fantasy, and more. But it's uncommon to see books with entirely imaginary places and character types that are built on technology roots (that are not a "fantasy" book). A good example of this unusual style is Jeff Vandermeer's Borne. Fracture is in that same category of style - and achievement. And any book placed alongside VanderMeer gets some bragging rights.

The physical planet the novel is on? It just doesn't matter. The society? It's hard to say; is it organic, or machine, or both? The characters aren't deeply described enough to resolve the question. The technology involved? Sophisticated, yet similarly undescribed. Is AI in charge? In some explicit ways, yes - but, is AI in charge of society? Or, are there non-machines behind the machines? We know some characters are rebelling against whatever is in-charge - but, are they too machines, or not? Does it matter??

Yet in the midst of all that unknown, we're sucked right in to the world, and we don't *need* to understand it fully in order to become pulled into the story.

The pace builds and builds, and reaches a satisfying crescendo - with *most* story lines finished out - save several that might leave the world open to another novel. DO NOT take this comment as saying the book is a cliff-hanger. I hate intentional cliff-hanger novels that don't finish a story, making you buy the next book to hear the end. (And too-often, even those are cliff-hangers!) This book resolves the story enough to be satisfying on its own, whether a future book comes or not.

There's also a nice supply of quotable ideas or phrases. "Leaders by attrition."

One bone to pick that kept me from giving it 5-stars? The relentless use of intensity. Every single realization a character has "slams" into their thoughts. Or, it "crackles" or "screams" or "punches straight through me". "Explosions of tears", or "A link flares like a damn (sic) breaking." Data "slams" into characters, "too-fast". "Warning lights are blinding, screaming, everywhere all at once." It was like being in a shoot-em video game where every corner involves another attack. I could go on - but I give all the above just to give you a sense of the relentless dependence on hyperbolic, force-driven metaphor.

Nevertheless, I'd give this 4.5 stars. It's not *quite* a 5-star for me - which I reserve for truly generationally-amazing books. But it's very, very high up there on my rating scale. If you like innovative sci-fi, this is for you.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Mrs LIR Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two parallel time lines of two females that are a part of each other. The story set in a very rigid futuristic society that does not allow emotions.
One female:Mara is a scientist who trys to cut off her grief when her daughter is annihilated. The other female: Echo is her alternate that she has created to absorb her grief.... the two parts of one create a fracture and it it their individual stories that is recounted of how a rebellion is ignited because of the chain of events that the two parts have aroused.
A moving story of faith and loyalty.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Robert Foland · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Fracture" is an intense and captivating sci-fi adventure. Melanie Bokstad Horev creates an amazing futuristic world filled with a diverse cast of characters. A thrilling journey and an outstanding read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Logan Brice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fracture
This was a great paced dystopian sci fi told through a dual POV! There was a tension throughout the book that kept me glued! I enjoyed all of the characters and I can’t wait for the next book!

[Kris Cobb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do emotions make us stronger or weaker? This novel explores that question from both sides. Which one wins? I'm not telling!

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really good read! A great start to the series, from the first chapter you are submerged in this unfair world, living the adventure along side the main characters. Well written, great ideas, good tension, a really great read!

[Valorie J. Diamond · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I couldn’t put this book down! My emotions were all over the place. From confused as to why would a someone or something do this to crying because the feeling was being felt by so many.

This story grabs you and doesn’t let go! The possibility of going so many directions keeps you reading! This is one that I would read again!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Kyran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fracture takes a fantastic concept for a world's mechanics and makes it work in a way that makes sense to the reader. That said, the story's pacing feels... Off. At the beginning, there's a sequence in the early chapters where I worried that the story has peaked too soon - it hadn't, but the pacing after that scene seems to flow between too fast (action-based) and too slow (sitting and thinking). This might be partially intentional based on [story event], but I found it a bit difficult to keep my own pace with.

Overall, a great read - 4 of 5 stars. 

Reviewer's Note: This review was provided without compensation, other than a free advance reader copy.

[Kerrie Kellner · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enjoyable read. Fast paced with great characters; on both sides. The world the leads live in and the one they escape to are reminiscent of Melanie’s previous novel, The Architect.
The switching between Mara and Echo in the story is effective, I just had to check the chapter heading so I knew which story strand I was following.

[Ana Nicosia · Rating 3 out of 5]

while I really enjoyed the premise of this book, I initially struggled to get into the story. I feel the world building in the earlier chapters assumed the reader knew and understood the setting without showing the underworkings of the society

[Matthew Futter · Rating 1 out of 5]

It seems like the author wrote a novella that set out on a fabulous scientific and psychological exploration of consciousness and technology, but then decided it had to be “book length” and asked ChatGPT to fill in the rest. There were several early places where I enjoyed the thoughtful exploration in this book, but I kept looking and wondering how I was only such a small percentage of the way along. Then I noticed the cadences, the repetition, and the structure that are all signatures of ChatGPT‘s work. These worsened as the story extended.

Worse still, the main character of this book, in both aspects, seems to have very little agency in most of the story. It’s a disappointing read, like she/they are no more than puppets in a system designed to control. With this sort of setup, you’d expect that the protagonist(s) would start making consequential decisions that drive the plot, but that… just doesn’t happen here. It turns out that there’s not much story in this book at all, and certainly not enough for a full-length novel.

I was let down by the truly unbelievable ending and the artificial gravitas that the author insisted on adding, and even more so, by the predestination and repeated “rule changes” throughout this overlong story. That is, things look to be a certain way, but the author reveals a Hidden Secret that Changes Everything… quite a few times. And really, almost none of the actions that the protagonist took in this novel had any bearing on the outcomes, which stretched credibility and ruined any sense of meaning that might have landed.

This book is a total letdown that fails to deliver on the promise of its blurb.

[Sentinelle23 · Rating 5 out of 5]

❤️Excellent discovery!

Dr. Mara Lior was about to do something absolutely forbidden by protocol.

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and pressed the button...

**********

Excellent discovery! This fascinating dystopian science fiction/AI adventure was a very enjoyable read.

I really liked the characters and the plot, which was full of danger and unexpected twists. Will there be a sequel?

A must-read for fans of the genre!

[Shannon Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't want to put this book down! The concept was so interesting to me. The cold emotionless society against the fractured grief turning into a sentient being tethered to a.doctor who despised what the system had done. I look forward to the continuation of this story.

[Emmy]

I put this one down rather early on. I felt confused by the setting and what was going on, didn't feel a connection with the MC and-- though i may be wrong-- some sections felt like they'd been written by chatgpt.

[TaniaRina Valdespino · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is next-level dystopia
Back in the day, the crimeless imprisonments were for incorrect use of language (1984) or reading books (Fahrenheit 451). Then it was for not fitting into the accepted neurological mold (Divergent). Now, this narrative calls out the damages caused by institutional containment of thoughts and emotions that are (to the best of my knowledge) internal, hardwired, and uncontrollable, let alone containable.
Forced emotional compliance using simulations for ‘empathy calibration’ and constant monitoring of ‘baseline physiological calm’. To me, all that pressure to NOT be emotional or stressed just adds to the problem. The calculated effort it takes to unceasingly erase one’s literal “self” leads to a downward spiral into madness.

Readers are taken on a not-so-fictional journey where:
Instincts are buried and bonds severed.
‘Touch means trap. Contact means cage.’
Survival is a priority and sentiment is a liability.
Loyalty to loved ones has been replaced with obedience to the Consciousness.
But despots and tyrants throughout time always manage to forget that extinguished curiosity and inquisitiveness are but precursors to suppressed creativity and to stagnation. Soon afterwards, repression leads to rebellion.

While I would absolutely LUV to have a Neuro-Dynamic Assessment to get my brain closer to what is considered “the norm” (NeuroTypical), I’m not quite sure that I’m ready for another person to get into my psyche. IRL scans show physical aspects of how our previous circumstances & experiences adversely affected our brain; but ‘a live broadcast of psychological erosion’ for all to see, analyze, critique… Who really wants someone else to view fears, inadequacies, triggers…raw emotions in all their glory? Even with consent, that’s a huge chunk of vulnerability. Performing this on somebody not given a choice on the matter is beyond immoral and unethical.
Having said that, imagine the good this process could do – in the correct hands. An army of spies neuro-linked to an anchor located somewhere safe? Spy gets caught in the field, sever gets cut immediately; start over. With the “echoes” being dispensable (and untraceable), the risk-factor playing field just leveled out tremendously. Physical infiltration by proxy - brilliant!

While this is a work of fiction, both Mara’s and Echo’s worlds are all-too realistic for those with Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder (and perhaps other emotional illnesses and/or “non-standard” neurological conditions). Mara’s feelings are systematically invalidated due not only to masking externally, but also internally. Echo has the freedom to emote, but is continuously over-stimulated by the fight-or-flight of an ever-increasingly hostile environment. Please keep in mind that dystopias may seem that they are distant & far-off imaginations when they are actually accurate portrayals of life as we know it. Be kind.

Lessons learned / Take-aways:
Uniformity is not unity.
Remember, resist, reclaim, reforge, regrow.
Don’t settle for being a mere echo of your true self.
History cannot be controlled by cleansing it of truth.
You are worth more than your usefulness to The Machine.
Quiet does not equate peace; compliance does not guarantee safety.

Fave line:
‘Don’t trust the quiet.’

We need to wake up to the control-freaks of our own world; stop the gaslighting & related propaganda that harm oh, so many people. Find the glitch, build a breach, then let the flood of freedom loose!
May we always fight the good fight…and triumph over evil oppressors.

[Texas · Rating 3 out of 5]

FRACTURE - I don't read much Sci-Fi and took a gamble on this story. Unfortunately, this is not a standalone, so I wasn’t happy with the ending. While the book sounded great, I had a difficult time reading since the characters and story lines could not hold my attention. Source: Severn. 3*