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3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
My full review can be found on my blog here: http://armywife2310.wordpress.com/2013/12/16/arc-review-pawn-by-aimee-carter
This book was awesome! it was fast paced and never a dull moment. i have so many words but all of them have spoilers. so this entry will be short. Just pick up the book an go it was that good.
Everyone has their own rank in this world. They start off as a nothing at first. It is only when, on everyones' seventeenth's birthday, when they're required to take a test to determine where they belong in the society.
Kitty Doe is a III. It's not a bad position, but it's not a good one either. It's enough to make her convinced that things would be better if she simply stole a fruit in hopes that some soldier would shoot her rather than letting her stay alive (that didn't happen, of course). Still, she's forced to leave her home within a few hours of returning back home and to work for the rest of her life as a prostitute (or, well, at least that's what was implied).
But her choice earlier that day ended up catching more attention than she bargained for. A high bid is placed on her, but not for the reasons she expected. The Prime Minister wants her and she has been given one chance to become a VII and to have a better life. If she accepts, she will no longer be Kitty Doe- she will masquerade as Lila Hart, the Prime Minister's daughter, who passed away.
Her job will now be just to show the public that Lila never died at all. The reason is more than the woman's position- she was a part of the rebellion and always supported against the system she was born into. Now, it's Kitty's job to act as if she's against it... even though it's the one organization that Kitty was always for in the first place.
I didn't like the fact that Kitty was incredibly obsessed with her boyfriend/ not boyfriend (she broke up with him before she left for her job but then, later on, acted as if the conversation never happened, sooooooo... IDK) and wanted to do everything that she could to be with him in the end. I know they have a history together since they, well, grew up with each other but I just didn't like it at all. I would have focused more on the long term goals rather than publicly going like 'hey guys, i know he's a servant but he's also my boyfriend lol' when your face belongs to someone who should have never met someone before he got tested. It was just a huuuuuge bother for me.
But everyone in this story did feel realistic to me. Every character felt like they were in depth. Even the characters that I saw as the 'evil' characters had a rhyme and reason for their actions. None of them did something just to make someone angry. Everyone had something they wanted. Although, if the family was so used to being threated, they should have placed up more security... or, at least, they should be mentally prepared for a potential assassination and defend themselves better.
It's a complex book. I did not like Kitty at all. I don't think that someone, considering where she came from, shouldn't have taken that quickly to fit into the role of Lila. Everyone else I liked, however, but even still it wasn't my cup of tea.
Kitty Doe is a III. It's not a bad position, but it's not a good one either. It's enough to make her convinced that things would be better if she simply stole a fruit in hopes that some soldier would shoot her rather than letting her stay alive (that didn't happen, of course). Still, she's forced to leave her home within a few hours of returning back home and to work for the rest of her life as a prostitute (or, well, at least that's what was implied).
But her choice earlier that day ended up catching more attention than she bargained for. A high bid is placed on her, but not for the reasons she expected. The Prime Minister wants her and she has been given one chance to become a VII and to have a better life. If she accepts, she will no longer be Kitty Doe- she will masquerade as Lila Hart, the Prime Minister's daughter, who passed away.
Her job will now be just to show the public that Lila never died at all. The reason is more than the woman's position- she was a part of the rebellion and always supported against the system she was born into. Now, it's Kitty's job to act as if she's against it... even though it's the one organization that Kitty was always for in the first place.
I didn't like the fact that Kitty was incredibly obsessed with her boyfriend/ not boyfriend (she broke up with him before she left for her job but then, later on, acted as if the conversation never happened, sooooooo... IDK) and wanted to do everything that she could to be with him in the end. I know they have a history together since they, well, grew up with each other but I just didn't like it at all. I would have focused more on the long term goals rather than publicly going like 'hey guys, i know he's a servant but he's also my boyfriend lol' when your face belongs to someone who should have never met someone before he got tested. It was just a huuuuuge bother for me.
But everyone in this story did feel realistic to me. Every character felt like they were in depth. Even the characters that I saw as the 'evil' characters had a rhyme and reason for their actions. None of them did something just to make someone angry. Everyone had something they wanted. Although, if the family was so used to being threated, they should have placed up more security... or, at least, they should be mentally prepared for a potential assassination and defend themselves better.
It's a complex book. I did not like Kitty at all. I don't think that someone, considering where she came from, shouldn't have taken that quickly to fit into the role of Lila. Everyone else I liked, however, but even still it wasn't my cup of tea.
It's so clear to me that my favourite thing about Pawn is it's unique telling of Dystopia at it's best. The futuristic United States was so believable and well-detailed that it truly seemed like that could actually exist. As with all Dystopian novels, there is something that makes that world different to our own present day one, and Aimée Carter's novel focuses more on the Society and Political aspects, where you're given a number from a test on your 17th birthday. 5 or over is really good, 2 and 3 are ordinary, and 1 is...well, one.
Kitty, our narrator, get's offered a seven, which means that she would have to become a different person all together. She would be Masked. She would become Lila Hart, the Prime Minister's niece who died suspiciously. Kitty would have everything rich and famous, not to mention loved and above all, she would be at the top of Society and not looked down on by the higher ranks as a three.
I was drawn into Pawn and couldn't take my eyes away. I've read many Dystopian novels over this past year (and the rest, ha ha) but this one was special. Not only did it make me envious that this wasn't my book, but it made me think about the plot and mystery even when I had put the book down and the last pages were read.
That's what I call a five-star read. A game changer.
Kitty was the lead character and of course I liked her best. She was smart, wise and headstrong, all the best things we like in our lead heroines. Even when she was Lila, she was still the Kitty we loved at heart. Seeing her personality stay the same was one of my favourite parts of the transformation between Kitty and Lila. How often can you actually get to walk in someone else's shoes? It's such an original plot.
Aside from being newly rich and loved, Kitty still had a boyfriend; Benji. He was sweet and so loyal to her. Even when she had to let him go and leave him behind, they were reunited soon after and I was pleasantly surprised that the romance in the book was very subtle and didn't divide the Dystopian setting. Just a hint of romance.
Though, Lila had a fiancé, which meant Kitty now had a fiancé. And his name was Knox. There was some unmissable chemistry between him and Kitty, that I wasn't sure would possibly develop into something else...but I'm hoping for Kitty and Benji, because they were the sweetest. I can't wait to see what happens with these characters and the rest when the series continues! Definitely one to watch.
This is an unmissable, stunning dystopian novel with the unique and unpredictable aspects that everyone loves. Pawn will always be a favourite of mine - the first book I read of 2014, too! Not to mention in just a few days I read it all (and insomnia-fueled nights...).
I was surprised with every new turn of events and it wasn't at all predictable or similar to anything out there. In a league of it's own, truly.
Kitty, our narrator, get's offered a seven, which means that she would have to become a different person all together. She would be Masked. She would become Lila Hart, the Prime Minister's niece who died suspiciously. Kitty would have everything rich and famous, not to mention loved and above all, she would be at the top of Society and not looked down on by the higher ranks as a three.
I was drawn into Pawn and couldn't take my eyes away. I've read many Dystopian novels over this past year (and the rest, ha ha) but this one was special. Not only did it make me envious that this wasn't my book, but it made me think about the plot and mystery even when I had put the book down and the last pages were read.
That's what I call a five-star read. A game changer.
Kitty was the lead character and of course I liked her best. She was smart, wise and headstrong, all the best things we like in our lead heroines. Even when she was Lila, she was still the Kitty we loved at heart. Seeing her personality stay the same was one of my favourite parts of the transformation between Kitty and Lila. How often can you actually get to walk in someone else's shoes? It's such an original plot.
Aside from being newly rich and loved, Kitty still had a boyfriend; Benji. He was sweet and so loyal to her. Even when she had to let him go and leave him behind, they were reunited soon after and I was pleasantly surprised that the romance in the book was very subtle and didn't divide the Dystopian setting. Just a hint of romance.
Though, Lila had a fiancé, which meant Kitty now had a fiancé. And his name was Knox. There was some unmissable chemistry between him and Kitty, that I wasn't sure would possibly develop into something else...but I'm hoping for Kitty and Benji, because they were the sweetest. I can't wait to see what happens with these characters and the rest when the series continues! Definitely one to watch.
This is an unmissable, stunning dystopian novel with the unique and unpredictable aspects that everyone loves. Pawn will always be a favourite of mine - the first book I read of 2014, too! Not to mention in just a few days I read it all (and insomnia-fueled nights...).
I was surprised with every new turn of events and it wasn't at all predictable or similar to anything out there. In a league of it's own, truly.
I really needed a good dystopian book, and this one fit the bill! The main character annoyed me at times, but what else is to be expected these days? It was interesting, held my attention, and has me excited to read the second one.
I was fairly excited to read Pawn by Aimee Carter as I really enjoyed her previous series based around the retelling of a Greek myth. I was hoping that Pawn would similarly be a really engaging and fast-paced story with great characters. And while it is quite fast-paced and is very quick to read, I found myself not really connecting with any of the main characters. And that is a shame. It is the first book in the series being published in January by MiraInk and perhaps some of the issues that I had with Pawn will be addressed in the sequels...
Pawn is a dystopian story set in a world that deals with a merit system. Every person must take a test and the results of that test will determine the type of job you will have, how well you are treated and generally the type of life that you will lead. The number that your test decides you are is then permanently marked on your skin. This system sees 1s and 2s at the lowest spectrum and at the top we have the 7s. The only people in this society with 7s are the ruling family, the Harts. Their 7s are passed down from generation to generation and really go against the meritocracy of the rest of this society.
Kitty, our main character, is dyslexic and has grown up in an orphanage. She's told certain things about how the test will accommodate her extra needs but, of course, they don't and she ends up as a 3. In desperation she tries to run from her duties as a 3 and in the process catches the attention of some very powerful people. She is offered a choice: be a 3 and leave everyone she knows and loves and do miserable, back-breaking work for the rest of her life OR join the Hart family and become a 7. It seems a simple choice however joining forces with the Hart family comes with its own risks.
There is plenty of secrets and twists in this story. And while I did enjoy the mystery of it all and I really liked the political intrigue I wish there had been one or two more reliable characters. Somebody that Kitty and the reader could trust and not really question. There is only one person in the entire novel that remained honest and loyal to Kitty and frankly, there wasn't enough of this character in the book for my liking. Because of all the twists and secrets, I felt like I wasn't able to properly connect with Knox or Celia or anyone else. And therefore I also wasn't in a position to fully understand their motives for all of the deceit and dishonesty or anything else. And without that emotional connection I felt very distanced from the action and emotion.
I like the idea of this book. It's an interesting story about sacrifice and social justice and equality and being true to yourself and fighting for what's right. But I feel like a lot of those messages were lost a little bit in all of the twists and turns. Perhaps things will be less muddled in future books!
Pawn is a dystopian story set in a world that deals with a merit system. Every person must take a test and the results of that test will determine the type of job you will have, how well you are treated and generally the type of life that you will lead. The number that your test decides you are is then permanently marked on your skin. This system sees 1s and 2s at the lowest spectrum and at the top we have the 7s. The only people in this society with 7s are the ruling family, the Harts. Their 7s are passed down from generation to generation and really go against the meritocracy of the rest of this society.
Kitty, our main character, is dyslexic and has grown up in an orphanage. She's told certain things about how the test will accommodate her extra needs but, of course, they don't and she ends up as a 3. In desperation she tries to run from her duties as a 3 and in the process catches the attention of some very powerful people. She is offered a choice: be a 3 and leave everyone she knows and loves and do miserable, back-breaking work for the rest of her life OR join the Hart family and become a 7. It seems a simple choice however joining forces with the Hart family comes with its own risks.
There is plenty of secrets and twists in this story. And while I did enjoy the mystery of it all and I really liked the political intrigue I wish there had been one or two more reliable characters. Somebody that Kitty and the reader could trust and not really question. There is only one person in the entire novel that remained honest and loyal to Kitty and frankly, there wasn't enough of this character in the book for my liking. Because of all the twists and secrets, I felt like I wasn't able to properly connect with Knox or Celia or anyone else. And therefore I also wasn't in a position to fully understand their motives for all of the deceit and dishonesty or anything else. And without that emotional connection I felt very distanced from the action and emotion.
I like the idea of this book. It's an interesting story about sacrifice and social justice and equality and being true to yourself and fighting for what's right. But I feel like a lot of those messages were lost a little bit in all of the twists and turns. Perhaps things will be less muddled in future books!
4.5 stars
If you are going to read this book, then I suggest you just buckle up your seatbelt and hang on for dear life. There is not a moment without something happening or someone agitating the situation. Kitty is more than up for the challenge, but there were times when I thought she was in over her head. So many lies and deceptions, and just when you thought you knew where it was headed, it would shoot off into another direction. I really want (or need depending on how you look at it) the next one in the series soon! This is my first Aimee Carter novel, but it won't be the last. I love how she deftly combines intrigue and danger with real world problems. This may be the future United States, but the problems of class equality, learning disabilities, and corrupt government are very prominent today. Every nation that has had a class disparity that we are moving towards, has ended in revolution. It is a real problem, and I am glad to see a YA book that addresses this issue head on.
If you are going to read this book, then I suggest you just buckle up your seatbelt and hang on for dear life. There is not a moment without something happening or someone agitating the situation. Kitty is more than up for the challenge, but there were times when I thought she was in over her head. So many lies and deceptions, and just when you thought you knew where it was headed, it would shoot off into another direction. I really want (or need depending on how you look at it) the next one in the series soon! This is my first Aimee Carter novel, but it won't be the last. I love how she deftly combines intrigue and danger with real world problems. This may be the future United States, but the problems of class equality, learning disabilities, and corrupt government are very prominent today. Every nation that has had a class disparity that we are moving towards, has ended in revolution. It is a real problem, and I am glad to see a YA book that addresses this issue head on.