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3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
Rating: 4.5
This was another book that had me excited to read dystopian again. It reminded me a bit of Alias with all of the duplicity and secret identities. Plus, it had all of the classic elements of a dystopian like terrible evil leaders, inequality, and dangerous settings.
Kitty was a good MC and had good character development. I became frustrated with her for her rash decisions and at the same time had incredible sympathy for her and the situations she had to face. Also, I enjoyed getting to know all of the other characters like Knox, Greyson, and Benjy. What I liked about Knox was that you never truly know if Kitty should trust him or not. I'm really happy that Aimee didn't turn Knox, Benjy, and Kitty into the typical love triangle. There is tension there, but it is more fueled by the environment and danger that they live in.
There were some major plot twists that kept me on my toes and kept me reading. It was a fast paced book with a multifaceted plot line. I can't wait to continue to read this series.
Cover Comments: Terrible. This cover gives no indication how good this novel is. I wish they would have stuck with the original title because it would have many more awesome possibilities for the cover. The UK cover is a little better.
Teacher Notes: Would be great in a dystopian unit. Reluctant readers could pick up this book and get completely immersed. It's hard to put down.
This was another book that had me excited to read dystopian again. It reminded me a bit of Alias with all of the duplicity and secret identities. Plus, it had all of the classic elements of a dystopian like terrible evil leaders, inequality, and dangerous settings.
Kitty was a good MC and had good character development. I became frustrated with her for her rash decisions and at the same time had incredible sympathy for her and the situations she had to face. Also, I enjoyed getting to know all of the other characters like Knox, Greyson, and Benjy. What I liked about Knox was that you never truly know if Kitty should trust him or not. I'm really happy that Aimee didn't turn Knox, Benjy, and Kitty into the typical love triangle. There is tension there, but it is more fueled by the environment and danger that they live in.
There were some major plot twists that kept me on my toes and kept me reading. It was a fast paced book with a multifaceted plot line. I can't wait to continue to read this series.
Cover Comments: Terrible. This cover gives no indication how good this novel is. I wish they would have stuck with the original title because it would have many more awesome possibilities for the cover. The UK cover is a little better.
Teacher Notes: Would be great in a dystopian unit. Reluctant readers could pick up this book and get completely immersed. It's hard to put down.
I FINALLY FINISHED THIS BOOK.
I didn't think I'd live to see this day. I started reading this book back in May. But I lacked any motivation to finish it. Or any other book for that matter. But yesterday I finally gave myself an ultimatum to effin' get this over with. Now onto the review.
I don't usually write reviews but i felt this book would benefit from one since it isn't that popular and not many people i know have their sights on this book. I thought this one was pretty interesting. I expected nothing and was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed it. The YA market is chock full of dystopian novels and it is extremely rare to come across one that is even partially original. Pawn by Aimeé Carter is that book for me. It had a fresh concept and bare minimum romance which I was very impressed with. It didn't put much emphasis on the blue eyes of the guy and the red lips of the girl. In other words, I was spared that lovey dovey crap. There is not much in the way of world building. I would like to know how this current society of theirs came into existence in the sequel. There were some nice twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat. The writing was simple and effective. So all in all, I do recommend this one to those looking for a new YA dystopian/thriller to read.
I didn't think I'd live to see this day. I started reading this book back in May. But I lacked any motivation to finish it. Or any other book for that matter. But yesterday I finally gave myself an ultimatum to effin' get this over with. Now onto the review.
I don't usually write reviews but i felt this book would benefit from one since it isn't that popular and not many people i know have their sights on this book. I thought this one was pretty interesting. I expected nothing and was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed it. The YA market is chock full of dystopian novels and it is extremely rare to come across one that is even partially original. Pawn by Aimeé Carter is that book for me. It had a fresh concept and bare minimum romance which I was very impressed with. It didn't put much emphasis on the blue eyes of the guy and the red lips of the girl. In other words, I was spared that lovey dovey crap. There is not much in the way of world building. I would like to know how this current society of theirs came into existence in the sequel. There were some nice twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat. The writing was simple and effective. So all in all, I do recommend this one to those looking for a new YA dystopian/thriller to read.
Find this review and more at kimberlyfaye reads.
I found the entire concept of this book interesting. I've read my fair share of dystopian books and I'm always looking for something that makes them unique. For me, it's often the characters. In this case, I really did like the characters – Kitty particularly – but the concept was what sucked me in. The idea that a test that you take when you're seventeen years old can determine your entire future is intriguing. Flawed in the way that dystopian societies tend to be, but intriguing all the same. The book started off with a bang and had enough secrets, lies and twists to keep me interested for the duration.
Kitty was strong and determined and a lot smarter than her aptitude test made her out to be. I couldn't help but wonder throughout the book what her true score would have been had she been able to finish the test. I guess I'll probably never know. But it's interesting to think about regardless. In addition to being strong, determined and intelligent, Kitty was protective of those she cared about. In the form of true heroine, she was willing to risk herself for those she loved and for the bigger cause at hand.
This book had a bit of a love triangle, but not in the traditional sense. Kitty's heart belonged to Benjy. It always had. Once she was Masked as Lila Hart, however, she found herself with the complication of a fiancé, Knox. I adored Benjy. He was sweet and caring in the way that childhood sweethearts are. He was a good guy and I hoped they would find each other again. But, I liked Knox, too. Sure he had his faults, but all in all, he was a nice guy. Kitty and Knox did have a mutual appreciation for each other and sometimes it seemed there could be more than that. But, first love dies hard. For both of them. Their partnership and friendship worked, too. They had an interesting dynamic.
The romance was such a tiny piece of this book. It was a motivator for characters' actions, but otherwise it didn't play much of a part. There were so many intriguing characters in this book and so much more to learn about each and every one of them. The Harts are one screwed up family. The hunger for power and control was unreal. So were the manipulations, secrets and lies.
The only struggle I had with this book was that the world building wasn't quite as detailed as I wanted it to be. Regardless of what type of book I'm reading, I want to feel like I'm fully immersed. I want to feel like I'm there. It could be because this book was set in the DC area, which is where I live, but I never really felt like I was someplace else. This book certainly had the creepy factor of a dystopian covered, but the lack of detail about the world itself kept me from feeling fully engaged.
I really did enjoy the book. It sucked me in from the beginning and kept me surprised along the way. It was a very good start to a series I look forward to continuing.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review. All quotes come from the review copy and may differ from the final version.
"Have you ever played chess, Kitty?"
I eyed her. What did a board game have to do with this? "Not really."
"You and I should play sometime. I think you would like it," she said. "It's a game of strategy, mostly. The strong pieces are in the back row, while the weak pieces – the pawns – are all up front, ready to take the brunt of the attack. Because of their limited movement and vulnerability, most people underestimate them and only use them to protect the more powerful pieces. But when I play, I protect my pawns."
I found the entire concept of this book interesting. I've read my fair share of dystopian books and I'm always looking for something that makes them unique. For me, it's often the characters. In this case, I really did like the characters – Kitty particularly – but the concept was what sucked me in. The idea that a test that you take when you're seventeen years old can determine your entire future is intriguing. Flawed in the way that dystopian societies tend to be, but intriguing all the same. The book started off with a bang and had enough secrets, lies and twists to keep me interested for the duration.
Kitty was strong and determined and a lot smarter than her aptitude test made her out to be. I couldn't help but wonder throughout the book what her true score would have been had she been able to finish the test. I guess I'll probably never know. But it's interesting to think about regardless. In addition to being strong, determined and intelligent, Kitty was protective of those she cared about. In the form of true heroine, she was willing to risk herself for those she loved and for the bigger cause at hand.
This book had a bit of a love triangle, but not in the traditional sense. Kitty's heart belonged to Benjy. It always had. Once she was Masked as Lila Hart, however, she found herself with the complication of a fiancé, Knox. I adored Benjy. He was sweet and caring in the way that childhood sweethearts are. He was a good guy and I hoped they would find each other again. But, I liked Knox, too. Sure he had his faults, but all in all, he was a nice guy. Kitty and Knox did have a mutual appreciation for each other and sometimes it seemed there could be more than that. But, first love dies hard. For both of them. Their partnership and friendship worked, too. They had an interesting dynamic.
The romance was such a tiny piece of this book. It was a motivator for characters' actions, but otherwise it didn't play much of a part. There were so many intriguing characters in this book and so much more to learn about each and every one of them. The Harts are one screwed up family. The hunger for power and control was unreal. So were the manipulations, secrets and lies.
The only struggle I had with this book was that the world building wasn't quite as detailed as I wanted it to be. Regardless of what type of book I'm reading, I want to feel like I'm fully immersed. I want to feel like I'm there. It could be because this book was set in the DC area, which is where I live, but I never really felt like I was someplace else. This book certainly had the creepy factor of a dystopian covered, but the lack of detail about the world itself kept me from feeling fully engaged.
I really did enjoy the book. It sucked me in from the beginning and kept me surprised along the way. It was a very good start to a series I look forward to continuing.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review. All quotes come from the review copy and may differ from the final version.
This book has me a bit torn. I immensely enjoyed the plot as it unravels and the characters were nicely done. The writing moves at a rapid pace that constantly left me wondering where things would go next. And on the flip side was an inadequately built world around them.
Kitty has grown up in a world where people take a single test that determine what kind of life you will have. A six is the best (government officials, etc), a four is average and a one gets you sent Elsewhere, never to be seen of heard from again. However there is one class above it all. The elite sevens- of which only the Hart family members are privileged enough to be. When Kitty tests out as a three and is to be separated from her boyfriend she makes a few frowned upon choices and winds up with a very strange "offer" to become a seven. Next thing she knows she is Lila Hart! To protect those she loves she is enticed to become Prime Minister Hart's pawn.
Through the early parts of the book I wanted to knock some common sense into Kitty. She is very naive and oblivious to a lot going on. She is the perfect pawn, never asking questions. I often found myself disappointed with her. On the flip side, the other characters seemed very well done. There is room for doubt as I was stuck inside Kitty's head for the duration of the book but from what I read, each of them has hidden depths and multiple sides that are periodically revealed to the reader.
The world in which Kitty lives makes no sense. How did America become ruled over by a single family? How have they remained in power? The explanation is weak and filled with holes. For some countries that have always lived in government fear, this might have worked but I don't see America ever accepting such a thing. Revolts and riots would be way out of hand and overthrown such a concept. In many ways, the government system is similar to the one used in Kiera Cass's 'Selection' series. Yet it bothers me more here with what the plot focus is. Political games is much higher in this book.
There are several twists and turns in this book. Each character has their own agenda and secret(s). Everyone. Alliances seems to alter. Some real, others false and each time you think a character is going to zig, they zag. This had be distrustful of the characters and not quite sure how things would turn out. Some twists were obvious but some of the personality ones in particular were intriguing. People's motivations especially.
Overall, the book is an enjoyable read. I just need to pretend that the setting is somewhere other than the US. It is a fast read (seems shorter than it is) and is easy to get through. I will be continuing this series. The ending left enough to continue on that my mind will not put this series at rest. So while not an overly heavy cliffhanger awaits, there is enough of an edge to leave me wanting more.
3 & a 1/2 stars.
*I was given a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.*
Kitty has grown up in a world where people take a single test that determine what kind of life you will have. A six is the best (government officials, etc), a four is average and a one gets you sent Elsewhere, never to be seen of heard from again. However there is one class above it all. The elite sevens- of which only the Hart family members are privileged enough to be. When Kitty tests out as a three and is to be separated from her boyfriend she makes a few frowned upon choices and winds up with a very strange "offer" to become a seven. Next thing she knows she is Lila Hart! To protect those she loves she is enticed to become Prime Minister Hart's pawn.
Through the early parts of the book I wanted to knock some common sense into Kitty. She is very naive and oblivious to a lot going on. She is the perfect pawn, never asking questions. I often found myself disappointed with her. On the flip side, the other characters seemed very well done. There is room for doubt as I was stuck inside Kitty's head for the duration of the book but from what I read, each of them has hidden depths and multiple sides that are periodically revealed to the reader.
The world in which Kitty lives makes no sense. How did America become ruled over by a single family? How have they remained in power? The explanation is weak and filled with holes. For some countries that have always lived in government fear, this might have worked but I don't see America ever accepting such a thing. Revolts and riots would be way out of hand and overthrown such a concept. In many ways, the government system is similar to the one used in Kiera Cass's 'Selection' series. Yet it bothers me more here with what the plot focus is. Political games is much higher in this book.
There are several twists and turns in this book. Each character has their own agenda and secret(s). Everyone. Alliances seems to alter. Some real, others false and each time you think a character is going to zig, they zag. This had be distrustful of the characters and not quite sure how things would turn out. Some twists were obvious but some of the personality ones in particular were intriguing. People's motivations especially.
Overall, the book is an enjoyable read. I just need to pretend that the setting is somewhere other than the US. It is a fast read (seems shorter than it is) and is easy to get through. I will be continuing this series. The ending left enough to continue on that my mind will not put this series at rest. So while not an overly heavy cliffhanger awaits, there is enough of an edge to leave me wanting more.
3 & a 1/2 stars.
*I was given a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.*
Goed verhaal. Prettige schrijfwijze, personages zijn goed uitgewerkt!
2013 me would have loved this. 2021 me not so much.
LOVE. *full review soon*
I received a copy of the book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
*update 1/23/2014*
Full Review:
Pawn really surprised me. It has such an interesting and unique premise and I am already dying for the sequel. It is definitely one of my favorite reads of 2013. I really appreciate Aimee Carter's progression through the story. There isn't a great deal of info dumping, but rather the plot unfolds and gives just enough information to understand what is going on. Pawn is full of adventure, action, deceit, drama, and pretty much everything in between. Kitty Doe is an incredible force to be reckoned with. She is everything a YA protagonist should be. She fights for what she believes in and is true to herself. There is an unbelievable amount of twists and turns that made this book hard for me to put down. In fact, I had reached 50% and said,"Let me finish this chapter and I'll go to sleep", just to realize that I read more than planned and was at 74% when I finally turned off my Kindle to go to sleep :) I highly recommend this book for fans of dystopia. A truly amazing read!
I received a copy of the book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
*update 1/23/2014*
Full Review:
Pawn really surprised me. It has such an interesting and unique premise and I am already dying for the sequel. It is definitely one of my favorite reads of 2013. I really appreciate Aimee Carter's progression through the story. There isn't a great deal of info dumping, but rather the plot unfolds and gives just enough information to understand what is going on. Pawn is full of adventure, action, deceit, drama, and pretty much everything in between. Kitty Doe is an incredible force to be reckoned with. She is everything a YA protagonist should be. She fights for what she believes in and is true to herself. There is an unbelievable amount of twists and turns that made this book hard for me to put down. In fact, I had reached 50% and said,"Let me finish this chapter and I'll go to sleep", just to realize that I read more than planned and was at 74% when I finally turned off my Kindle to go to sleep :) I highly recommend this book for fans of dystopia. A truly amazing read!
Me throughout most of this book?
Yeah. Where to begin? First of all, let’s address the fact that NOWHERE is it explained why Kitty’s society is like this. The people are ‘ranked’ on their seventeenth birthday, given a number from I to VI, with VII only applying to the President and his family. If you’re anything below a III, then it pretty much means you disappear from society in ~mysterious circumstances~. GEE I WONDER WHAT THEY COULD BE? Why does no-one question this?!
The only background information that we get for why this system is in place is because the economy crashed. Sorry, what? Did the people turn feral the moment Wall Street went down? How did everything get built back up? Why are the ranks the best solution? Why can people only have one child? Answers on a postcard, please.
Major issue #2: the ranking system is a big con and NO-ONE REALISES IT. Seriously. If you’re a higher ranking member of society, you’ll be able to access better facilities including healthcare and education. So if you’re raised in a Rank IV environment, you will receive a worse education than those raised in Rank V and VI, meaning you’re more likely to get stuck in that system, then repeat with your children, their children, etc. How has no-one in this society worked this out? That was my immediate thought as soon as I read about the rankings. Kitty is later told this is how it works and is all like ‘Oh yeah that explains it!’… really Kitty, really. No wonder you were marked a Rank III.
And major issue #3, the thing that SERIOUSLY pissed me off and made me want to slap some sense into Kitty?
She would rather become a prostitute to stay near her boyfriend than be given a safe job and be sent to another state.
I just… yeah. That should have set off the alarm bells really. At first I thought their relationship seemed okay, Benjy was someone Kitty had grown up with so it wasn’t insta-love, she wasn’t all despondent about the idea of them being different ranks and it seemed she was thinking more of Benjy’s feelings than their romance. And then she does a complete 180 and makes this ridiculous decision and I just immediately gave up on her as a character. I want to emphasise that I am not demeaning sex work in any way, but this was an absolutely ridiculous situation and choice for this teenaged character.
Oh, there were so many other reasons… Kitty’s virginity is being sold off after she makes her truly awesome decision of becoming a prostitute to keep her teen romance alive, and she is bought by the President. He needs her because she has the same eyes as his niece – who died a week before in a skiing accident. Apparently they can do all this ridiculous surgery to completely transform someone, but the eyes can’t be changed! Contacts? What are they? So yeah, Kitty is ‘bought’, smuggled out of the brothel and wakes up a week later completely transformed. And she really doesn’t seem that freaked out by the fact that these people have abducted her and utterly changed her appearance into that of Lila Hart, the President’s niece, without her consent. Cool.
AND THEN OH GOD THERE’S MORE.
Lila has a fiancee. A fiancee that Kitty now has to marry, as Lila. A fiancee that I can see her eventually falling in love with and then oh no LOVE TRIANGLE. Towards the end of the book she also has to do something really big in order to save her life and those of whom she loves, and she chickens out halfway – where is her sense of self-preservation?! It really frustrates me when people talk big about how they will protect their loved ones, but they can never go through with it. And one final thing – I am expecting the next book or somewhere in the series to reveal that Kitty’s parents were VIs or even VIIs and therefore she is ~special~. But I won’t know, because I won’t be reading book number two, no thank you.
I received a copy of this book for free from Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review. Originally posted on my former blog, Rinn Reads.
Yeah. Where to begin? First of all, let’s address the fact that NOWHERE is it explained why Kitty’s society is like this. The people are ‘ranked’ on their seventeenth birthday, given a number from I to VI, with VII only applying to the President and his family. If you’re anything below a III, then it pretty much means you disappear from society in ~mysterious circumstances~. GEE I WONDER WHAT THEY COULD BE? Why does no-one question this?!
The only background information that we get for why this system is in place is because the economy crashed. Sorry, what? Did the people turn feral the moment Wall Street went down? How did everything get built back up? Why are the ranks the best solution? Why can people only have one child? Answers on a postcard, please.
Major issue #2: the ranking system is a big con and NO-ONE REALISES IT. Seriously. If you’re a higher ranking member of society, you’ll be able to access better facilities including healthcare and education. So if you’re raised in a Rank IV environment, you will receive a worse education than those raised in Rank V and VI, meaning you’re more likely to get stuck in that system, then repeat with your children, their children, etc. How has no-one in this society worked this out? That was my immediate thought as soon as I read about the rankings. Kitty is later told this is how it works and is all like ‘Oh yeah that explains it!’… really Kitty, really. No wonder you were marked a Rank III.
And major issue #3, the thing that SERIOUSLY pissed me off and made me want to slap some sense into Kitty?
She would rather become a prostitute to stay near her boyfriend than be given a safe job and be sent to another state.
I just… yeah. That should have set off the alarm bells really. At first I thought their relationship seemed okay, Benjy was someone Kitty had grown up with so it wasn’t insta-love, she wasn’t all despondent about the idea of them being different ranks and it seemed she was thinking more of Benjy’s feelings than their romance. And then she does a complete 180 and makes this ridiculous decision and I just immediately gave up on her as a character. I want to emphasise that I am not demeaning sex work in any way, but this was an absolutely ridiculous situation and choice for this teenaged character.
Oh, there were so many other reasons… Kitty’s virginity is being sold off after she makes her truly awesome decision of becoming a prostitute to keep her teen romance alive, and she is bought by the President. He needs her because she has the same eyes as his niece – who died a week before in a skiing accident. Apparently they can do all this ridiculous surgery to completely transform someone, but the eyes can’t be changed! Contacts? What are they? So yeah, Kitty is ‘bought’, smuggled out of the brothel and wakes up a week later completely transformed. And she really doesn’t seem that freaked out by the fact that these people have abducted her and utterly changed her appearance into that of Lila Hart, the President’s niece, without her consent. Cool.
AND THEN OH GOD THERE’S MORE.
Lila has a fiancee. A fiancee that Kitty now has to marry, as Lila. A fiancee that I can see her eventually falling in love with and then oh no LOVE TRIANGLE. Towards the end of the book she also has to do something really big in order to save her life and those of whom she loves, and she chickens out halfway – where is her sense of self-preservation?! It really frustrates me when people talk big about how they will protect their loved ones, but they can never go through with it. And one final thing – I am expecting the next book or somewhere in the series to reveal that Kitty’s parents were VIs or even VIIs and therefore she is ~special~. But I won’t know, because I won’t be reading book number two, no thank you.
I received a copy of this book for free from Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review. Originally posted on my former blog, Rinn Reads.
Absolutely LOVED this book. Reminded me of The Selection which I a also adore. I can't wait for the second book to come out so I can dive back into this world.