Ultimart by Carl Wilhoyte paints a bleak and unsettling portrait of a future where capitalism rules every aspect of life, there is no escape from corporate control, and ordinary people struggle just to survive, often at the cost of their humanity.

At the center of this dystopian nightmare is Corwin, an AI advertising worker doing his best to follow the rules and provide for his wife and son. Life under the Ultimart Dome is as artificial as it is oppressive: the sky is just a screen, the grass is fake, the air is recycled, and citizens are permitted only four hours of sleep each night. Bankruptcy is a constant threat, as people are charged for even the most basic necessities such as showers, toilet flushes, and vending-machine clothing that’s meant to be thrown away after use.

Corwin pushes forward because he has no other choice. Failure means being dragged “downstairs” by Ultimart Security, never to return. His son’s life is dictated by a cocktail of drugs to wake, calm, and sedate him, and like everyone else, his future is determined by a rigid class system with almost no hope of upward movement.

Readers follow Corwin as he shifts from being a cog in the system to someone willing to jam the machine. Wilhoyte builds this world with unsettling clarity, immersing readers so deeply in Corwin’s despair that it’s impossible not to feel the weight of his hopelessness. The story taps into very real modern fears, making its warnings feel uncomfortably plausible. I found myself rooting hard for Corwin to find some light at the end of the tunnel, because if anyone deserves a happy ending, it’s him.

However, the novel isn’t without its issues. The world-building, while vivid, can become overwhelming. The heavy focus on environmental details in the early chapters slows the pacing significantly. When the story finally picks up in the last third, it moves almost too quickly, jumping from scene to scene in a way that left me disoriented at times. Several plot points felt unresolved, characters disappeared without explanation, and some of Corwin’s choices lacked clear motivation. By the end, I found myself feeling frustrated with him and disappointed by the conclusion.

Despite these flaws, Ultimart is a bold and thought-provoking read. Wilhoyte delivers a chilling cautionary tale that lingers long after the final page. Fans of dark dystopian fiction with philosophical depth will appreciate its commentary on consumerism, surveillance, and the cost of corporate power. While the pacing and character development didn’t fully work for me, I still admire the ambition of the story and the unsettling questions it raises about the future—and about ourselves.

Thank you to the author Carl Wilhoyte and Kate Randolf from Ripped Pages LLC for allowing me to review this book. All opinions expressed are my own.