Written by Ryan Jones
Bravery. Intelligence. Equality.
The Initiation by Chris Babu is a young adult dystopian novel full of challenge and danger. Set in futuristic Manhattan, New America is divided into zones by job description. The government is known as The Bureau, residing in The Palace, the most plentiful of sectors. As The Bureau finds pressing difficulties in supporting the population, they have begun taking matters into their own hands, innocent lives paying their expenses.
When a group of five teenagers muster the courage to enter The Initiation in hopes to earn a spot in the Bureau, they are not only faced with life or death challenges, but they each have different motivating factors pushing themselves into reckless dangers.
Drayden’s motivation? Overthrowing The Bureau.
The factor I like most about Babu’s writing is the flow. He writes in a way that the reader can breeze through the pages even though the chapters are longer in length. I appreciate how he would break up chapters with a dividing line in transition moments, as this allowed the reader to stop and take in prior events.
My favourite character is Drayden, because even though he possesses bravery and courage, he’s also selfless. During the challenges he helps out the other characters, sometimes putting his life in danger, even if he isn’t particularly fond of someone. Sometimes the greatest bravery is choking down pride and helping those who are weaker than you in certain areas.
This book taught me that teamwork is essential, even in life. Lean on your friends and family. They have much to teach you and you have much to learn from them.
The only thing I didn’t particularly like about this book is that Babu tends to use the character’s names too much when they aren’t needed. If we already know who a character is talking to, that character doesn’t need to say the person’s name.
I recommend this novel to dystopian readers ages 13 and up, and be prepared to feel like an initiate yourself.
You can find The Initiation on Book Depository, Amazon, and at other good book retailers.
Interview With The Author: Chris Babu
I’m first going to start by asking you a little bit about yourself. Where do you live and do you have any other occupation aside from writing?
I split my time between New York City and Long Island, New York. I was a bond trader on Wall Street for nineteen years but write full-time now.
What are your favourite hobbies?
This may sound sad, but I pretty much spend all my time reading and writing. I write around the clock and never take a day off. I don’t find it sad though, I find it awesome! If I dig deep I suppose I also enjoy cooking, martial arts, playing the violin, and hanging out with my Great Dane, Buddy, who never leaves my side.
When did you start writing?
I’ve always been an avid reader and a decent writer, but I didn’t seriously start writing until April 2014. I never planned on becoming an author, nor was I writing for fun as a child or in my spare time as an adult. Writing was a case of sudden inspiration for me.
What inspired you to start writing?
A combination of job dissatisfaction/fatigue, work stress, and 20+ root canals led me to ramp up my fiction reading to nearly a book a day. I wanted to know how to construct a story so complex that it took four-hundred pages to tell, and whether I could do it too. Once I started writing, I was hooked on the stress relief of it, the creativity of it, and the precision of language that writing demands. The idea of reinventing myself at forty, doing something I loved, and producing a tangible product that people could enjoy was too delicious to pass up.
What were some of the first pieces you wrote?
The Initiation is the first thing I’ve ever written. No, seriously. I blog on my website, and I did scribble some short stories, flash fiction, just to practice writing and try new techniques. But I can’t say I’ve even written a potentially publishable short story before. My college degree is in math, and my entire life prior to April 2014 was about science, math, and finance!
What writers or authors inspire you?
Stephen King is my favorite author of all time because of his pure storytelling ability. I’ve always admired T.C. Boyle and Jeffrey Eugenides for their ability to craft epic stories in literary prose. I was inspired by those many authors who bloomed later in life; particularly the ones who left successful careers, such as C.J. Lyons. My passion for young adult fiction comes from all the big-name authors in the space, like Suzanne Collins, Veronica Roth, Marie Lu, John Green, and Leigh Bardugo. I’ll also add that as a new author, it’s impossible not to be inspired by debut authors who hit it out of the park like Angie Thomas and Tomi Adeyemi.
What made you decide to write a book?
In finance, and most jobs, you produce nothing. Profit itself is the product on Wall Street. Your presence is ultimately insignificant to the world. A book is different. It’s real and endures. Even if it only brings happiness or hope to one person, that book has made a difference and it mattered that you were here.
When did you start writing The Initiation and how long did it take to write?
I’m a detailed outliner and the scene-by-scene outline took four months. I also roughly outlined the whole series before I wrote a word. While the first draft only took three months to pen, I spent another six months editing it (and worked with multiple editors) before I felt it was good enough to send out.
What is the official publication date and how have sales been thus far?
The Initiation was published by Permuted Press on February 27th, 2018, nearly three years after I first started writing it. As a debut author with no connections, name recognition, or hype, my expectations were managed, but actual sales far exceeded them. They were strong enough for my publisher to want to publish the next two in the series!
What would you say was your biggest obstacle through the writing and publishing process?
Because I don’t come from the book world, I didn’t know any other authors, wasn’t part of a writers group, had no critique partners, and knew little about publishing. A true outsider. I basically wrote my novel in a vacuum, which made it more challenging than it needed to be, but I wouldn’t call my isolation an obstacle until it came time to market it. No prominent authors were waiting to blurb or tweet about it, and nobody had ever heard of me or The Initiation. In a competitive market it’s tough to get readers to even notice you exist or take a chance on your book!
Do you have any other books in the works?
The Initiation is a trilogy. Book two, titled The Expedition, is going through publication now and comes out in December 2018. If you liked The Initiation, you’ll LOVE The Expedition. I’m currently writing the final book in the series, which will come out in the fall of 2019. Since I outlined the entire series at the start, and my writing keeps improving, I’m excited to serve up a finale that delivers the goods.
What words of advice can you offer aspiring authors?
The standard advice is to read a lot and write every day. But my advice is to never stop believing in yourself. Persist. Writing a good book is obviously difficult, and getting it published even more so. Yet people do it every day. Why not you? If you want something badly enough, are willing to put in the work, are willing to learn and practice, anything is possible. Don’t listen to so-called experts who will tell you the odds or otherwise seek to crush your dreams. You don’t need approval or permission from anyone. Just keep pushing through the inevitable setbacks and you will achieve your goals. I hope my story will encourage other writers to take a chance on themselves!
Synopsis | Goodreads
Everyone is equal. But no one is safe.
In a ruined world, Manhattan is now New America, a walled-in society based on equality. But the perfect facade hides a dark truth.
A timid math geek, sixteen-year-old Drayden watches his life crumble when his beloved mother is exiled. The mystery of her banishment leads him to a sinister secret: New America is in trouble, and every one of its citizens is in jeopardy.
With time running out, he enters the Initiation. It’s a test within the empty subway tunnels—a perilous journey of puzzles and deadly physical trials. Winners join the ruling Bureau and move to its safe haven. But failure means death. Can Drayden conquer the Initiation, or is salvation out of his grasp?
