Review: PAWN by Aimée Carter

Title: PAWN
Author: Aimée Carter
Published: November 26th, 2013
Series: The Blackcoat Rebellion #1
Genre: YA Dystopian
Pages: 346
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Format: e-ARC
Source: Netgalley
Rating: The Royal Library, Middle Shelf

YOU CAN BE A VII. IF YOU GIVE UP EVERYTHING.

For Kitty Doe, it seems like an easy choice. She can either spend her life as a III in misery, looked down upon by the higher ranks and forced to leave the people she loves, or she can become a VII and join the most powerful family in the country.

If she says yes, Kitty will be Masked—surgically transformed into Lila Hart, the Prime Minister's niece, who died under mysterious circumstances. As a member of the Hart family, she will be famous. She will be adored. And for the first time, she will matter.

There's only one catch. She must also stop the rebellion that Lila secretly fostered, the same one that got her killed …and one Kitty believes in. Faced with threats, conspiracies and a life that's not her own, she must decide which path to choose—and learn how to become more than a pawn in a twisted game she's only beginning to understand.

All Kitty Doe wanted was to become a IV. But, with a III freshly tattooed on the back of her neck, her hopes and dreams of living a better life are shattered. Until, that is, she's offered a deal to become a VII, and Kitty eagerly agrees. Yet, every deal comes with strings attached, and Kitty wakes to find that she has been Masked – now she looks exactly like Lila Hart, and is expected to act the part of an easily controlled puppet. Ordered to pretend she's Lila or suffer deadly consequences, Kitty does her best to play the Hart family's wicked political game in order to survive. With lies, secrets, and danger tucked into every corner, PAWN is a whirlwind of a story.

This was my first novel by Carter, and I can absolutely say that I will be looking into reading more of Carter's work in the future. From the easy to enjoy narration to the terrifying revelations, Carter kept me intrigued and eager for more. This genre has become a bit overdone, but PAWN brings something a bit different to YA dystopian literature. The Hart's are quite an intriguing yet twisted family, and the politics of this story are utterly fascinating. With all of the power struggles happening between the characters, there is never a dull moment, especially once Kitty begins to take action. Exciting, ominous, and unique, PAWN is thrilling from start to finish. 

Highlights: Carter's writing is enjoyable and the story is fast-paced. There were some revelations and plot twists that took me completely by surprise (especially Elsewhere, that was an unpleasant surprise). Even though Carter only gives readers a few glimpses into the world of her story, I still felt like I had a good grasp of what it was like. Characters were wonderfully developed, including Augusta, Knox, Greyson (adore him, he's a sweetheart), Celia, and Daxton. The ending ties up the loose ends, but still leaves off at an intriguing point.

Lowlights: The romance seemed almost like an afterthought. Benjy seems like a decent guy, but I felt like the inclusion of his character did nothing for the story. If he played more of a role in the story, I might have enjoyed his character and the romance a bit more.

Rating: The Royal Library, Middle Shelf (4 out of 5). PAWN is fantastic, worth owning, and has earned a spot in the royal library. I enjoyed this story very much, despite a few small issues, and would recommend PAWN to other readers.

Review: Just One Day by Gayle Forman

Title: JUST ONE DAY
Author: Gayle Forman
Published: January 8th, 2013
Series: Just One Day #1
Genre: YA/NA Contemporary
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
POV: 1st, present tense
Pages: 320
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher (unsolicited)

"A breathtaking journey toward self-discovery and true love, from the author of If I Stay.

When sheltered American good girl Allyson "LuLu" Healey first meets laid-back Dutch actor Willem De Ruiter at an underground performance of Twelfth Night in England, there’s an undeniable spark. After just one day together, that spark bursts into a flame, or so it seems to Allyson, until the following morning, when she wakes up after a whirlwind day in Paris to discover that Willem has left. Over the next year, Allyson embarks on a journey to come to terms with the narrow confines of her life, and through Shakespeare, travel, and a quest for her almost-true-love, to break free of those confines."

As much as I enjoyed Forman's IF I STAY and WHERE SHE WENT, both were only 4-star stories for me. They were enjoyable, emotional, and extremely intense – but something kept me from loving them. Whatever I was missing from those two novels, JUST ONE DAY has it. Allyson Healey's journey begins after a chance encounter with Willem, who offers to take her Paris for an incredible, chaotic day of adventure. But the next day, he's gone, she's alone, and so begins the next adventure as Allyson attends college, takes a Shakespeare class, figures out who she is and where she's going next in this bittersweet coming of age story. 

It may be a story you've heard before: Girl meets boy, instant and intense connection, one memorable and romantic adventure that ends far too quickly and messily. But, Forman knows her characters intricately, and it shows because the characters – with their quirky and endearing qualities – are the ones who lift the story up and make it fly. JUST ONE DAY is the most perfectly imperfect story of love, loss, friendship, chance, change, random acts of kindness¹, independence, misunderstandings, and bravery. I wish I could do this novel some justice by giving it a remarkable review that inspires someone to pick this book up, but I guess I'll have to settle for simply saying this: do not let this story pass you by.

Highlights: Forman features imperfect characters and situations. Allyson isn't perfect or a cookie-cutter heroine, but flawed and evolving. Forman expertly writes emotion, making you grin at the flirty banter, blush at the more romantic moments, and even stirs sympathy deep within your core as Allyson finds herself in her lowest moment. The characters² and locations³ are wonderfully written. I especially love the helpfulness and kindness of the some of the side characters. Life and friendships are not easy and don't always work out as you reach adulthood, so I appreciate Forman for portraying Allyson's life (every up and down) as realistically as possible. 

Lowlights: Waiting for the sequel? Yes, that's a definite lowlight. I need JUST ONE YEAR and I need it now. *glares at calendar*

1 Seriously, there were some moments where I felt all warm and fuzzy inside, just because of the kindness random characters showed to Allyson and other characters. I like to hope that there are plenty of people like that in the world. 
2 Dee! I adore Dee. And Willem, too. 
3 Paris! I want to go there so badly. It sounds lovely. 

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

The Girl of Fire and Thorns
Rae CarsonSeptember 20th, 2011432 pages (hardcover)Greenwillow BooksSource: Netgalley and later Purchased for Kindle

Once a century, one person is chosen for greatness. Elisa is the chosen one. But she is also the younger of two princesses, the one who has never done anything remarkable. She can’t see how she ever will. 
Now, on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king—a king whose country is in turmoil. A king who needs the chosen one, not a failure of a princess. And he’s not the only one who seeks her. Savage enemies seething with dark magic are hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could be his people’s savior. And he looks at her in a way that no man has ever looked at her before. Soon it is not just her life, but her very heart that is at stake....read more at Goodreads. 

Honestly, I originally read two chapters, said "meh" and then set the novel aside for the next three months. Obviously, I picked it back up again, and I am very glad that I did. 
The Girl of Fire and Thorns begins somewhat inauspiciously, where Carson introduces a heroine that complains too much and inspires too little confidence in her readers. Once 140+ pages pass and an important event takes place, the story comes to life. Elisa's wavering confidence grows. Her somewhat dull personality begins to take on more interesting facets, and she begins to accept herself and her purpose - making it easy to enjoy her character.  
I want to say so much more, but this is one of those stories you need to read for yourself so all the surprises aren't spoiled. The Girl of Fire and Thorns is rife with religion, political agendas, secrets, a dash of romance, and plenty of heart-pounding moments as Elisa tries to evade her enemies and draws closer to an impending war. Once you get into this story, there's no setting it aside. 
Highlights: It was easy to lose myself in the pages and tumble into the rich and vibrant world Carson created (that is, once the story really got going). Certain characters I did not originally care for became favorites by the end - like Cosmé, or even Elisa¹. I loved the whole Malficio group, and Lord Hector. Carson wraps up Elisa's story almost completely and ends on a strong note². 
Lowlights: Some predictability. Elisa at the beginning was difficult to like, to the point where I did set the novel aside. The first 100ish pages were, for the most part, a bit flat and hardly kept my attention. 
Rating: 
1 I was actually surprised how many characters grew on me by the ending - that's rare. 2 Yay, for an actual resolution + only the slightest tease of the forthcoming sequel. 



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