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Docile is one of my most anticipated reads for 2020 so thank you Tor Books for this advanced copy. It's safe to say that Docile is one of my favorite reads for the year.

Set in a near-future dystopian world, Maryland, the setting for this story, passes the Next of Kin Law where debt cannot be erased by death or bankruptcy, but passed down for generations. Families crippled by healthcare costs, student loans, and other expenses value up to the millions and the disparity between the rich and the poor has never been more profound. In order for families to pay off the debt, adults may enter into contractually authorized partnerships with wealthy individuals. In return for substantial money, either paying entire debts or partial, the debtor will live an extended period time as a "docile". By accepting this role, you essentially are a slave, and the person who is paying off the debt can essentially do whatever they want (with a few exceptions). Some dociles are servants and housekeepers, some are companions, and some can be sex slaves. In order to make the process a bit more manageable, medical company Bishop Laboratories created a formula, Dociline. This formula helps dociles relax and become subservient—allowing for their term to go more smoothly.

Elisha Wilder is the older son of David and Abigail, and they also have a daughter Abby. The family has crippling debt so Elisha decides to enter the Docile Program. He would never have expected that Alexander Bishop III, heir to Bishop Laboratories, would select him as a docile in hopes of having a disciplined companion that would calm his parents' anxiety about finding a partner. What's the worst that can happen? I will not go any further than here with any synopsis notes—READ IT AND FIND OUT! You won't be disappointed.

Docile is dark�seriously folks, there's graphic rape in this book so I am putting this disclaimer now for anyone who is excited about picking this book up. While the book is dark, it is also very erotic and hot at times, which was unexpected. What?! Docile is a dystopian 50 Shades of Gay. I've never read anything like it and for that, I'm thankful. For years now, I've been reading LGBT romance(ish) novels and have been bored to tears. The book either "fades to black" during the sex scenes, or the characters are unrealistic and unrelatable.

To my last point about characters being unrealistic and unrelatable, Author KM Szpara changes the landscape in Docile with character development. I loved every single character in this book. Whether or not they were meant to be likeable, that's up for debate. Every single character in this story has a purpose and it keeps the story moving.

At almost 500 pages, Docile feels like it will be long read, however I finished this book in two sittings. I could not put it down. Docile is one of the most bingeworthy books I've read in a long time. It's very unapologetic and dark, so it's definitely not for everyone, and that's ok. The ending is not only satisfying, but provides a possible series introduction (FINGERS CROSSED, PLEASE KM SZPARA!!). Docile will be out March 3, 2020, and I will make sure every single one of you puts this book on your TBR!