Author: Amy Engel
Genre: dystopia
Similar books: Matched by Ally Condie
I am the Weapon by Allen Zadoff
Rating:
 |
| There's just something about this book that I love |
Summary: Ivy Westfall has spent the past two years in training. Training for the day when she must marry Bishop Lattimer, son of the president, grandson of the man who overthrew her family (once leaders of their settlement) and made them second-class citizens. Training to return her family to power. Training to kill Bishop. It doesn't take long for Ivy to realize, though, that Bishop is not the cruel tyrant she's always been led to believe. Can she carry through with the plan?
My opinion: This book has all of the standard dystopian elements: girl from a repressed group, arranged marriage, cruel punishment, city walls that claim to be keeping danger out but may be keeping the population in, an assassination plot. And some parts of the plot are kind of idealized, particularly Ivy's interactions with Bishop. (I find Bishop just a little too good to believe). And there's this notion of the power of love to break down barriers, change minds, all that jazz. these are things that tend to make me roll my eyes when I read them. Something about the way Engel put it all together, though, was just shy of perfection. What really sold me on this book was the ending. [ATTENTION: Here there be mild spoilers] What a cruel, dark, awesome ending. Nothing works out for Ivy. She's in a terrible situation with no way out. Clearly this is the lead-in for book 2, but it is also what keeps it from becoming too cliche. If you like dystopias, give this book a try.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.
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