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: FURIOUS by Jill Wolfson

Title: FURIOUS
Author: Jill Wolfson
Published: April 16th, 2013
Genre: YA paranormal
Publisher: Henry Holt & Co BYR
POV: 1st person
Pages: 336
Format: Advanced Reader's Copy
Source: Publicist
Rating: 3.8 out of 5

"Three high school girls become the avenging Furies of Greek legend.

We were only three angry girls, to begin with. Alix, the hot-tempered surfer chick; Stephanie, the tree-hugging activist; and me, Meg, the quiet foster kid, the one who never quite fit in. We hardly knew each other, but each of us nurtured a burning anger: at the jerks in our class, at our disappointing parents, at the whole flawed, unjust world.

We were only three angry girls, simmering uselessly in our ocean-side California town, until one day a mysterious, beautiful classmate named Ambrosia taught us what else we could be: Powerful. Deadly. Furious."

I'm a sucker for mythology, so when I saw that this book was about Furies, I became excited. Deadly furies in high school? Yes please, sign me up for that book.
Meg, our narrator in FURIOUS,  is a foster kid who has a tendency of finding herself in embarrassing situations that would make just about anyone cringe. After an unfortunately awkward class moment starring Meg, Meg soon finds herself grouped together with Ambrosia (a mysterious, gorgeous, popular girl), Alix (a strong, fiery-tempered surfer chick), Stephanie (a nature-loving sweetheart with some spunk) and her best friend Raymond (who is made of awesome, let's just leave it at that) for a school project, Meg's life quickly spirals out of control as she learns the truth about herself and the deadly power she holds inside of herself....
Who knew three girls could cause so much damage? In the introduction, Wolfson thrusts Meg into an awkward situation that demands a reader's sympathy. Once Meg and the other girls start embracing their abilities, the story becomes even more fascinating as the lines between what's good and bad begin to blur uncomfortably.  From high school bullies to deadbeat dad's, no one is off limits and no punishment is too harsh in their eyes. While the girls quickly become intimidating and hard to enjoy fully, and I enjoyed how far Wolfson took them in their fury-filled journey. Dangerous and exciting, FURIOUS is one novel you'll have a hard time setting aside.
Highlights: I enjoyed Wolfson's take on Furies, along with how and the way they used their abilities. I also enjoyed that there were consequences from using these abilities, too. Despite seeming to be very stereotypical at first glance, these characters have a few extra layers to them. There's a costume party that is wonderfully described and vivid (I love costume parties, so I'm definitely biased on this point). 
Lowlights: Predictable. Characters quickly became unlikable, but that didn't greatly hinder my enjoyment of the novel. As much as I devoured this book, there was something about the writing, and I never became fully invested in this story and the characters.  
Rating: This book is a difficult to rate. While I couldn't stop reading, there were some aspects I didn't like. So, I'm going with 3.8 out of 5: I thoroughly enjoyed it, despite a few issues.

Review: Eve & Adam by Michael Grant and Katherine Applegate

Eve & Adam
by Michael Grant
and Katherine Applegate
October 2nd, 2012
304 pages (hardcover)
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Source: Publicist

Sixteen-year-old Evening Spiker lives an affluent life in San Francisco with her mother, EmmaRose, a successful geneticist and owner of Spiker Biotech. Sure, Evening misses her father who died mysteriously, but she’s never really questioned it. Much like how she’s never stopped to think how off it is that she’s never been sick. That is, until she’s struck by a car and is exposed to extensive injuries. Injuries that seem to be healing faster than physically possible.

While recuperating in Spiker Biotech’s lush facilities, she meets Solo Plissken, a very attractive, if off-putting boy her age who spent his life at Spiker Biotech. Like Evening, he’s never questioned anything... until now. Solo drops hints to Evening that something isn’t right, and Emma-Rose may be behind it. Evening puts this out of her mind and begins her summer internship project: To simulate the creation of the perfect boy. With the help of Solo, Evening uncovers secrets so big they could change the world completely.

If were asked to play God and create the perfect boy, would you? Evening (or "EV" or "Eve") Spiker is willing to try. After an accident, Evening's recuperating at an empty hospital wing at Spiker Biotech, so creating the perfect boy in a simulation program seems like a good way to alleviate her boredom. Solo Plissken, meanwhile, is somewhat stubbornly determined to uncover and reveal dark truths about Spiker Biotech that others would prefer to keep buried. Packed with action and a few surprising twists, Eve & Adam will hook you from start to finish.

Eve & Adam is a fresh and original sci-fi take on the biblical story of Adam and Eve. I'm a first-time Grant and Applegate reader, but I can see why they both have so many loyal fans. The authors expertly kept the voices distinct and the pacing quick, while also infusing the story with plenty of humor and surprises at the right possible moments. While there are some flaws here and there, Eve & Adam proves itself to be a fun and fascinating story, and one that is guaranteed to make you eager for a sequel. 

Highlights: Evening, Solo, and Adam each retained their separate personalities and voices for their chapters. The pacing and short chapters made it difficult to stop reading, and I love it when a book hooks me like that. I liked the descriptions and loved the concluding surprises. Side characters were great, especially Evening's slightly evil mother (she surprised me the most). 

Lowlights: I wasn't fond of the subplot revolving around Evening's best friend, Aislin (and Aislin's boyfriend, Maddox). I'm surprised by how long it took for Adam to show up, I thought he'd be present earlier in the story. Quick romance. Characters, as a whole, were fun but not very complex. 

Rating: 

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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