Ned Cox is the host and one of the masterminds of “That’s EnterAttainment!”, a viral show advocating for bodily autonomy for people with terminal illnesses. He'd had a good run with his show, which featured Dynamic Dying Events (DDEs), where victims of terminal illnesses were aired ending their lives, until his recent video. The DDE had failed to go as planned, leading to the streaming of a harrowing death and massive public outrage. Enraged by the video, an outspoken senator and fierce antagonist of the show is willing to stop at nothing to end Ned. But that’s not all. Ned's partner, Emma Zelena, the host of the show "Crazee Rescues," was also in big trouble. After a mission gone wrong in Paris, a notorious crime lord and the local authorities were after her. Things quickly escalate when Paris’s most feared criminals put a hefty bounty on Emma’s head. With powerful forces behind them, Ned and Emma are forced to go on the run. What will become of them and their broadcasting empire? Find out in The Aspirants by J Loretta.

If you are looking for a crime thriller flavored with drama, dystopia, suspense, political intrigue, plot twists, and robust social commentary, The Aspirants by J Loretta is a must-read. The dramatic introduction immediately hurled me into the story’s core issues. Loretta hooked me with impressive narration and fascinating characters. Set in the near future, the story explores and exposes failures in the healthcare system, focusing on the limitations and ethical implications of healthcare policies, particularly MAID. There is also moral ambiguity, hypocrisy, and the dynamics and interrelations of spectacle, politics, public sentiment, and business. I found it interesting that Malfant, the French mob boss, could not come to terms with the tragedy that befalls his wife, yet he perpetually subjects innocent people to the same fate or worse for a living. Every character seems to face or make choices with profound moral dilemmas, all of which triggered internal debates in my head. The cinematic scenes dropped me into the middle of all the action. I could almost see the ramshackle tent cities, the gritty streets in Paris and Malfant’s seedy bar, and the layout of the A-Spire, among others. I loved this book.

In The Aspirants by J. Loretta, Ned has been involved in helping terminally ill people die since he helped Dimitrio’s sister in the final stages of a terminal illness. Currently, he live-streams these events in an effort to raise awareness and money to help people in similar scenarios. His organization also hopes to sway people in the upcoming elections to vote for a president who would restore citizens' right to privacy and support their right to choose what happens to their own bodies. In one of his recent events, things go wrong when Jose dies a gruesome death instead of a peaceful one as promised. This causes an uproar. Another organization led by his partner Emma also causes an international crisis when the planned rescue of the Pinot family doesn’t go as planned.

The Aspirants by J. Loretta takes readers on a gripping journey filled with unexpected directions and moral dilemmas. As a medic, I have seen terminally ill patients suffer, and this thought-provoking work got me thinking about issues like the principle of autonomy in patient care and moral grounds for euthanasia. The work also explores other themes, such as the impact of homelessness and how events like the overturning of Roe v. Wade may have caused societal problems. I loved the steady pacing, which kept me intrigued and eager to discover the next twist in the flawlessly flowing plot. Readers will also appreciate the easy-to-understand language used, which makes the work accessible to a wide range of audiences. I look forward to reading something else by J. Loretta.