The World We Live In

ARC Review

The World We Live In

Author: Rachel Graham

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rating

WOW!!!! This is one twisted suspense story, a short story, a quick intense read.
I could not put this shocker down.

Rose Hemingway made up her mind that she was going to prove Professor Hampton and her doubters wrong, that humanity hasn't changed, if not got worse over the last 50 or more years.
She had been studying Marina Abramović’s “Rhythm 0” from 1974, standing for 6 hours in a art gallery in Naples and with 72 items for strangers to use them as they wish to her, and barely surviving.
Rose replicated her standing for 6 hours stood and waited for the humiliation, the torture and the evil she believed still existed in world.

What an enthralling and somewhat disturbing story of some of the twisted minds of humanity.
Rachel really hit a spot and made me cringe with this one.

Absolutely gripping story based on a real-life chilling social experiment pushing boundaries of art and psychology. How far are participants willing to go for likes, views and comments? And how far are the bystanders going to let it happen before they intervene? Our society is crumbling as kindness is overtaken by violence and hatred.

You have to check this one out and learn to do better.

This story is one that will make you take a hard look at our world. Our society is in shambles. Most people live by a hive mentality. Social media has made things so much worse. I think a lot of already know this and complacency is no excuse. Everyone needs to read this.

Wow. This short story was absolutely so deep. This woman trying to find faith in humanity. This one hurt my heart so much. Very well done.

Rose Hemingway agrees to let the world decide what happens to her for six hours. Six hours where she gives up control, knowing that when it’s over, she might not walk away. She does it to prove something most of us say we already know, that the world can be cruel, that people are capable of more darkness than we like to admit. But knowing something in theory and watching it play out are two very different things.

What really shook me is that this story is based on a true event. I had never even heard of it before, and I immediately went searching to learn more. There’s something chilling about realizing this wasn’t just a dramatic idea pulled from thin air. Someone actually put themselves through this to make a point. That alone adds a weight to the story that lingers long after you finish it.

Even though it’s a short read, Rachel Graham manages to create so much tension. I felt uneasy the entire time, like I was holding my breath. There’s no over the top drama, just a simple, haunting question at the center of it all: what will people do when they’re given power and told there are no consequences?

The story doesn’t lecture you. It doesn’t try to force an opinion. It just lays everything out and lets you sit with it. And honestly, that makes it more powerful. It left me thinking about trust, about human nature, and about how easy it is to say the world is dark without truly facing what that means.

For such a short piece, The World We Live In opens up big questions and leaves a lasting impression. It’s unsettling in the best way and definitely worth the read.

This short story by Rachel Graham really made me think while reading. As an art installation around woman puts herself on display in person and online, near her are objects - some harmless, some harmful. when some decide to cross the line and 'touch' her, cut her, mock her - would we be strong enough, courageous enough to stand up and say no? Or would we fall into the entertainment asking for more? it really made me think about what we stand by and let happen to people just because we follow the crowd.

Wow! Disturbing and thought-provoking. Incredible!

A visceral tale of how society treats people and a study on how cruel people can actually get. I was riveted to the last page!