Author: Claire Merle
Publisher: Faber
& Faber
Date: June 7, 2012
Source: Publisher via
Netgalley
My grade: A
In a near future,
society is segregated according to whether people are genetically disposed to
mental illness. 17-year-old Ana has been living the privileged life of a Pure
due to an error in her DNA test. When the authorities find out, she faces
banishment from her safe Community, a fate only thwarted by the fact that she
has already been promised to Pure-boy Jasper Taurell.
Jasper is from a rich and influential family and despite Ana’s condition, wants to be with her. The authorities grant Ana a tentative reprieve. If she is joined to Jasper before her 18th birthday, she may stay in the Community until her illness manifests. But if Jasper changes his mind, she will be cast out among the Crazies. As Ana’s joining ceremony and her birthday loom closer, she dares to hope she will be saved from the horror of the City and live a ‘normal’ life. But then Jasper disappears.
Led to believe Jasper has been taken by a strange sect the authorities will not intefere with, Ana sneaks out of her well-guarded Community to find him herself. Her search takes her through the underbelly of society and into the pits of the human soul. And as she delves deeper into the mystery of Jasper's abduction she uncovers some devastating truths that destroy everything she has grown up to believe, but she also learns to love as she has never loved before.
Jasper is from a rich and influential family and despite Ana’s condition, wants to be with her. The authorities grant Ana a tentative reprieve. If she is joined to Jasper before her 18th birthday, she may stay in the Community until her illness manifests. But if Jasper changes his mind, she will be cast out among the Crazies. As Ana’s joining ceremony and her birthday loom closer, she dares to hope she will be saved from the horror of the City and live a ‘normal’ life. But then Jasper disappears.
Led to believe Jasper has been taken by a strange sect the authorities will not intefere with, Ana sneaks out of her well-guarded Community to find him herself. Her search takes her through the underbelly of society and into the pits of the human soul. And as she delves deeper into the mystery of Jasper's abduction she uncovers some devastating truths that destroy everything she has grown up to believe, but she also learns to love as she has never loved before.
MY REVIEW
Initial reaction
A New Age Dystopian WTFery??? Well, good WTFery in any case.
Title and Cover
I love this cover.
It’s so simple, but so eye-catching.
The title is also simple, yet intriguing. A glimpse of what? The blurb on the cover though? THE PITS!!
I hate cheesy blurbs, and this one has one of the cheesiest. It should have a picture of some Kraft Mac
and Cheese to go with that blurb instead of that cool, blue paper heart.
The plot, the characters, etc.
This is dystopian, so there’s something that’s discovered
in the future that the powers that be want to protect everyone from and end up
restricting people in an attempt to “keep them safe.” What was refreshing about this one is that
the government was not really the bad guy in the plot. It was the psychiatrists and other medical
workers, so that was interesting to see the whole story play out without a big,
oppressive government.
The characters were very interesting also. There was a diverse cast and they all had
their back stories. It was fun to try
and figure out who I should and should not trust. Even at the end of the novel, I still have
questions about who is trustworthy.
The whole book was very well-written and kept me turning the
pages as fast as possible. The
descriptions of the mental institute were horrifying. As a warning, there is a mention of a rape,
but it is not described and is more of a passing observation. But some people are bothered by that, so I’m
throwing it out there.
There is no mention of a sequel, but I’m hoping and praying
that there is one. The ending COULD be
the end, but there are still more questions than answers. Please, please, please let there be another
book!
Now, let me talk about Cole.
Talk about a swoony man hunk! Oh
my! This character made me weak in the
knees with his heroics and his destiny talk.
Oh wow!! In my mind, he looks
like Henry Cavill but with longer hair.
Song
I love this Mae song for this book. This is "The Sun and the Moon" and it really reminds me of Cole when the singer talks about "your ocean eyes".
I love this Mae song for this book. This is "The Sun and the Moon" and it really reminds me of Cole when the singer talks about "your ocean eyes".
The final grade
This is a good dystopian in a genre that is getting really
crowded. It has enough differences to
make it noticeable among all the futuristic stories floating out there. My grade is a solid A. This one is well-written, thought provoking,
fast-paced and swoony, all at once. If
you like dystopians, I highly recommend this one.
Thanks to Faber & Faber and Netgalley for allowing me to
read and review this book. I received no
compensation for my review, although I would be willing to take Cole. Just sayin’…..
No comments:
Post a Comment