Review: The Merge by Grace Walker

Title: The Merge
Author: Grace Walker
Publication Date: November 11, 2025
Publisher: Mariner Books
Format Read: Kindle e-ARC
Genre: General Fiction, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Women’s Fiction

A mother and daughter, one fading, one desperate, one choice to share a single mind.

The Merge by Grace Walker is a trip, but not the kind you expect. It’s a Hitchcockian descent into eugenics-fueled social engineering. Amelia and her mother decide to merge in an attempt to beat her mother’s Alzheimer’s, and what follows is pure psychological horror.

The premise hooked me before I even began reading. It felt outrageous and improbable at first, but the further I read, the more plausible it became, and that’s what made it so terrifying. I honestly didn’t want to stop reading, even when I had to in order to “adult.”

The book begins with first-person narration from Amelia and her mother, Laurie, then shifts into first-person plural as their consciousnesses merge. Both characters feel believable, like people I might really know, even after the merge. The secondary cast is distinct and well-drawn, though I found myself wishing for more time with them, especially the other participants in their group.

Walker’s writing is balanced and rhythmic, with a journalistic crispness that makes it read as uncluttered, image-driven, and quietly immersive. It’s not stylized or lyrical, but confident, exact, and anchored in the physical world. That precision is another factor in its success at drawing the reader in and holding them there, breath caught in anticipation of what might come next. The story drags a little before the merge, but once it passes that point, the pacing becomes cinematic. I found myself wide-eyed, astonished, and desperate to know what happened to Amelia and Laurie.

I didn’t intentionally choose to read this book over Halloween weekend, but it turned out to be perfect timing. The Merge was more terrifying to me than any story about supernatural creatures could be. I highly recommend it for its intriguing premise, especially to readers who enjoy sci-fi and dystopian fiction, those who like a touch of suspense, and anyone who prefers their horror psychological rather than gory.

Nerd Rating: 🤓🤓🤓🤓 – A chilling, intelligent exploration of identity and control that feels disturbingly plausible.

Let’s Discuss: Would you ever risk merging minds with someone you love if it meant saving them, or would that kind of closeness be a loss of self?

Find out more about The Merge on HarperCollins website (published under their Mariner Books imprint.)

I read a digital copy made available by Mariner Books through NetGalley, and this review reflects my honest opinion.