I wasn't too into the romance at first but the ending packed in so much more and got soooo intense, I loved it! Lia's character development t3.5 Stars
I wasn't too into the romance at first but the ending packed in so much more and got soooo intense, I loved it! Lia's character development throughout the book was definitely one of my favorite parts and I can't wait to see how she grows even more.
If you're looking to fall in love with a new ragtag bunch of misfits who go on adventures and commit crimes together, this is exactly the book for youIf you're looking to fall in love with a new ragtag bunch of misfits who go on adventures and commit crimes together, this is exactly the book for you. ...more
Slow to start and I wasn't the biggest fan of some of the new characters, but OH MY GOD THAT ENDING KILLED ME. I HAVENT RECOVERED. I DONT T4.25 stars
Slow to start and I wasn't the biggest fan of some of the new characters, but OH MY GOD THAT ENDING KILLED ME. I HAVENT RECOVERED. I DONT THINK ILL EVER RECOVER. ...more
I have to say that I was overall disappointed in this book.
I didn't go into this expecting much, but after reading the first half, I was rea2.5 Stars
I have to say that I was overall disappointed in this book.
I didn't go into this expecting much, but after reading the first half, I was really pleased with how the story was progressing and where it was headed. I LOVED having a POC main character who was fierce and independent and, most importantly in my book, rational. And I enjoyed watching the aspects of her (fictional) culture explored and weaved into the message of the story. The world building was fascinating, and I loved the backstories about their society and what factors led to the downfall of their world.
But most importantly, what I was most excited for and what prompted me to read this book in the first place, was the underlying feminist themes in this book. This book is a dystopian that's set in the (somewhat near) future of our world. Essentially, a feminist uprising occurred and the patriarchy was not happy about this so they tore it back down to a point where women are no longer just unequal to men, they are the literal property of men. They are bought and sold in auctions, there's a census kept on them, and they are reduced to nothing but property.
I think it's safe to say that some aspects of this book were intended to be somewhat satirical, or at least a commentary, on our modern society and our current view of and attitude towards women. This book explored some important topics such as women's body's, women's sexuality, the sexualization of young girls, patriarchy, the "ownership" of women, and a whole host of other issues all through the eyes of our 16 year old main character, Aya. Because the story was told in first person from Aya's perspective, the reader gets a limited sense of the world and all of the issues that plague it. I would have preferred to see more of the world explored to get a better understanding of why and how it became the way that it is. However, it was interesting to see the world through the eyes of this one girl. I LOVED Aya's character in the first half of this book because I felt like she was determined and knew exactly what she wanted and where she was going.
However, by the second half, I felt like her character changed a bit and instead of being confident and determined, she became selfish and arrogant. I understand that her main goal was to get back to her family because they were what mattered most to her. But it seemed as if she thought that anyone who didn't agree with her or think like her, any of the girls who wanted to be sold, or were happy where they were, weren't as good as her and didn't deserve to be free or happy. I felt like at times, she almost had more disdain for the other women in this book than for the men. It was as if she was constantly comparing herself to them and tearing them down because they didn't think the way she did. And that didn't sit well with me. I feel like this book tried to get at feminist values but took a very narrow, misguided approach.
I also wasn't a fan of the romance in this book AT ALL. I felt like it was used as a plot device in order to help her "grow" but it was unnecessary and honestly offensive to say that the only way the main female protagonist can learn to be loving is because a boy "owns part of her soul." It's like once a boy comes into her life who doesn't want to buy her at an auction she's suddenly weak at the knees. That's not a very good standard. Just saying.
There were also very, VERY, subtle hints that one of the characters in the book was gay which, again, didn't sit well with me because I would have preferred to see it explored rather than indirectly mentioned in passing. And yeah, though it was treated as completely normal, it's not representation by any means.
So like I said, overall, not impressed. This book had so much potential but I felt like the execution was poor and it ended up doing more harm than good....more
More like 2.5 stars I have to say I was expecting more from this book, especially because of all the hype surrounding the series.......hopefully the neMore like 2.5 stars I have to say I was expecting more from this book, especially because of all the hype surrounding the series.......hopefully the next two will win me over. ...more
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