The Midnight Factory by Russell Luyt is dystopian thriller following Jimmy throughout his journey in a infamous factory with lots of twists and emotions in action.
Let’s dive into it…
“Officers transported Jimmy and five other detainees. Not all were spritters, but all were undesirables, in black jumpsuits, hands manacled. The journey had taken about an hour, and Jimmy shifted restlessly on his seat. His anxiety arose less from anticipating their
destination and more from his recent motor vehicle accident. One detainee kept tapping imaginary pockets on his jumpsuit.”
Book Review: The Midnight Factory by Russell Luyt
If you’re in the mood for reading a dystopian novel that actually gets under your skin instead of just world building in a complete book, The Midnight Factory is to go for.
It’s dark, yes. It’s heavy, yes.
But it’s also emotionally strong—and that contrast is what makes it hit so hard, especially the Factory scenes are very intense. (emotionally)
“The Master teaches that freedom from temptation requires purity. Purity requires sacrifice.”
One thing which it lacks is that some of the middle sections slows down, mainly with political discussions, even though they form a bigger picture.
Jessica is such an interesting character that you might wish she got even more page-time. But otherwise, the book’s writing is great and very rarely it looses it’s grip.
The Midnight Factory is powerful, unsettling, and a bit heartfelt. If you like dystopias that is intense and leaves an impact then this is the one.
Also Read: The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff
So, the story takes place in a future where the government has turned into this cold, bureaucratic machine that sorts people into “useful” and “undesirable.” Guess who gets dumped into the terrifying “Factory”? The people with no power.
Inside this dark world, we follow Jimmy—the emotional core of the book. He’s fragile but great will, hopeful even in worse situation and honestly, his chapters are some of the hardest to read because they feel too real.
Outside the Factory, we follow:
- Anouk, starts from addiction and trauma to a strong pillar of support.
- Jessica, from a well to do family, but humanity is still alive.
The story opens in a way that brings out the best and the worst in all of them.
| Genre | Dystopian Thriller |
| Number of Pages | 352 pages |
| My Rating | 4.0⭐⭐️⭐️⭐️ |
| Release Date | October 31, 2025 |
Also Read: Fearless by Lauren Roberts
What I Loved
- Some dystopias feel like theme parks. This one feels like it’s warning you. Jimmy’s scenes in the Factory are very intense and real.
- It’s dystopian, but it’s not techy world building.
- The characters feel like real people. Jimmy, Jessica and Anouk are messy, sharp, and damaged. Their emotional worlds feel lived-in. Their mistakes feel human.
- The Resistance isn’t glamorous, it’s full of misfits, the traumatised, the burnt-out, the people society already gave up on and it’s not romanticised.
Quotes:
“Blind and deaf. Encircled. Guided. There is no place for you now… no place except Keller’s.”
Also Read: The Malazan Series Ranked
Final Verdict?
Overall, a very intense sort of read…
Who should read it:
- If you like to read dystopian fiction with trauma, and survival.
- If you enjoy stories about resistance and fragile hope.
- If you are a fan of Never Let Me Go, Handmaid’s Tale etc.
Books like The Midnight Factory:
- 1984 by George Orwell
- Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
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