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felinity's review
4.0
I had more notes on my Kindle, which sadly died before I retrieved them, so there's more brevity than I had planned.
Romy's carefully arranged certification and life plan are thrown away when she's set at the lowest ranking. As she works in her new position, we see the stark difference between the Haves and Have Nots.
It's got a similar feel to [b:Divergent|13335037|Divergent (Divergent, #1)|Veronica Roth|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328559506s/13335037.jpg|13155899] in its strict segregation, and in the unsettled undercurrents. Although it skipped over what I might consider some of the more interesting bits (not uncommon - I like the awkward pieces that are a book in themselves) I'll be watching for the next one.
Disclaimer: I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Romy's carefully arranged certification and life plan are thrown away when she's set at the lowest ranking. As she works in her new position, we see the stark difference between the Haves and Have Nots.
It's got a similar feel to [b:Divergent|13335037|Divergent (Divergent, #1)|Veronica Roth|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328559506s/13335037.jpg|13155899] in its strict segregation, and in the unsettled undercurrents. Although it skipped over what I might consider some of the more interesting bits (not uncommon - I like the awkward pieces that are a book in themselves) I'll be watching for the next one.
Disclaimer: I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
secre's review
4.0
This is a well written and engrossing young adult dystopian novel; admittedly it doesn’t bring anything new to the table but it is engaging and interesting. Characters are portrayed well, with Romy herself being gutsy and intriguing. For a five star rating I’d have liked to have seen more of the characters used and developed as fairly few are used to their full potential.
The world building is interesting, although again could have been a little more developed. The twists and turns were well done and genuinely kept me interested. The world within a world is also well depicted and I could see how each of the different sectors had come into being.
All in all, an engaging and fairly quick and easy read. As far as young adult dystopians go, this is well worth a gander.
The world building is interesting, although again could have been a little more developed. The twists and turns were well done and genuinely kept me interested. The world within a world is also well depicted and I could see how each of the different sectors had come into being.
All in all, an engaging and fairly quick and easy read. As far as young adult dystopians go, this is well worth a gander.
polo's review
4.0
This book was provided for free via Netgalley in return for an honest review.
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Romy is a dystopian drama along the lines of Hunger Games, though the stories are very different. Romy follows the main character, Romy Fifty-Two, along her life as a prisoner until she is auctioned off to the highest bidder. The last thing she wants is to end up sold to a Soren terrorist and used as a baby-making machine, yet what happens to her is far more complicated than that.
Nirina Stone crafts a believable world where the richest survived by climbing into their literal towers, while the other Citizens climbed beneath the ground. Then there are the Sorens, the mysterious terrorists revered and despised by the others who bomb clothing factories and kidnap indentured Citizens.
The titular character is a pleasure to follow, at least for the first half of the book. She is smart and adaptable despite her heart condition and she always fights when she is cornered rather than backing down. She is inquisitive and sharp with an interest in robotics and though she can be arrogant, she is open to change.
If we're going down the comparisons to Katniss Everdeen road, Romy is a slightly less fleshed out version of her. She does take a more active role in her liberation than Katniss did; she does not need to come out kicking and screaming. Yet there's a darkness to Romy that you don't see as much elsewhere.
Though I enjoyed this relatively short book and swallowed it down in just a couple of days, I was less than enamoured with the last quarter of the story. It seemed to become unfocused and though the progress was rapid, it did not make me feel invested in any of the characters; not even Romy towards the end. It touched on some interesting philosophical and ethical concepts and then abandoned them at the last minute, leaving me unfulfilled.
If you are looking for a quick and pleasant read with a believable world this summer you should check out Romy by Nirina Stone, but don't expect to be swept off your feet. As it's the first in a series I remain hopeful the story will flesh out further as time goes on.
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Romy is a dystopian drama along the lines of Hunger Games, though the stories are very different. Romy follows the main character, Romy Fifty-Two, along her life as a prisoner until she is auctioned off to the highest bidder. The last thing she wants is to end up sold to a Soren terrorist and used as a baby-making machine, yet what happens to her is far more complicated than that.
Nirina Stone crafts a believable world where the richest survived by climbing into their literal towers, while the other Citizens climbed beneath the ground. Then there are the Sorens, the mysterious terrorists revered and despised by the others who bomb clothing factories and kidnap indentured Citizens.
The titular character is a pleasure to follow, at least for the first half of the book. She is smart and adaptable despite her heart condition and she always fights when she is cornered rather than backing down. She is inquisitive and sharp with an interest in robotics and though she can be arrogant, she is open to change.
If we're going down the comparisons to Katniss Everdeen road, Romy is a slightly less fleshed out version of her. She does take a more active role in her liberation than Katniss did; she does not need to come out kicking and screaming. Yet there's a darkness to Romy that you don't see as much elsewhere.
Though I enjoyed this relatively short book and swallowed it down in just a couple of days, I was less than enamoured with the last quarter of the story. It seemed to become unfocused and though the progress was rapid, it did not make me feel invested in any of the characters; not even Romy towards the end. It touched on some interesting philosophical and ethical concepts and then abandoned them at the last minute, leaving me unfulfilled.
If you are looking for a quick and pleasant read with a believable world this summer you should check out Romy by Nirina Stone, but don't expect to be swept off your feet. As it's the first in a series I remain hopeful the story will flesh out further as time goes on.
babblingbooks's review
3.0
Romy is an interesting YA dystopian novel set in a post-apocalyptic imagining of Earth in 2255. The story is told by protagonist Romy, who is a teenager born into the lower class rank of 'Citizen'. At the beginning of the novel she ends up in prison - deliberately- and the novel explores her coming-of-age through various trials.
There is a lot to like about this book. The writing is clean and engaging, and I enjoyed the world-building of 'Apax'. Many tropes familiar to sci-fi readers are introduced: the harshly divided class system, exciled rebel group, oppressive media, and systematic brainwashing of the population. This is a great introduction to the dystopian genre for readers who have enjoyed The Hunger Games trilogy, or are just dipping their toes into sci-fi and are keen for something they can still relate to.
The down-sides to this novel, were the awkward pacing, inconsistent timelines, and one-dimensional characterization. As the first book of a proposed series I expected more action, development of larger story arcs and introduction of characters begging to have their story told. Throughout the novel there are long sections that are very flat, in-fact there is very little action at all in the book, and the chapters with action often feel muffled due to lack of empathy for the characters. The ending (without spoiling anything) is far too neat, concluding all the main elements in a 'feel-good' chapter that left me feeling satisfied that the story was over. Not a good sign for a series!
I would definitely recommend this book to teens who are new to sci-fi and dystopia. The story is engaging despite its flaws. For me personally the novel was too basic, and doesn't add anything new to the dystopian genre I love so much, but I can see it has a role to play in introducing new readers to the world of science fiction.
There is a lot to like about this book. The writing is clean and engaging, and I enjoyed the world-building of 'Apax'. Many tropes familiar to sci-fi readers are introduced: the harshly divided class system, exciled rebel group, oppressive media, and systematic brainwashing of the population. This is a great introduction to the dystopian genre for readers who have enjoyed The Hunger Games trilogy, or are just dipping their toes into sci-fi and are keen for something they can still relate to.
The down-sides to this novel, were the awkward pacing, inconsistent timelines, and one-dimensional characterization. As the first book of a proposed series I expected more action, development of larger story arcs and introduction of characters begging to have their story told. Throughout the novel there are long sections that are very flat, in-fact there is very little action at all in the book, and the chapters with action often feel muffled due to lack of empathy for the characters. The ending (without spoiling anything) is far too neat, concluding all the main elements in a 'feel-good' chapter that left me feeling satisfied that the story was over. Not a good sign for a series!
I would definitely recommend this book to teens who are new to sci-fi and dystopia. The story is engaging despite its flaws. For me personally the novel was too basic, and doesn't add anything new to the dystopian genre I love so much, but I can see it has a role to play in introducing new readers to the world of science fiction.
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