Nina Oberon's life is pretty normal: she hangs out with her best friend, Sandy, and their crew, goes to school, plays with her little sister, Dee. But Nina is 15. And like all girls she'll receive a Governing Council-ordered tattoo on her 16th birthday. XVI. Those three letters will be branded on her wrist, announcing to all the world—even the most predatory of men—that she is ready for sex. Considered easy prey by some, portrayed by the Media as sluts who ask for attacks, becoming a "sex-teen" is Nina's worst fear. That is, until right before her birthday, when Nina's mom is brutally attacked. With her dying breaths, she reveals to Nina a shocking truth about her past—one that destroys everything Nina thought she knew. Now, alone but for her sister, Nina must try to discover who she really is, all the while staying one step ahead of her mother's killer.
All I have to say about this book is wow. It surprised me how much I loved this book. I've only read a few Dystopian books and this one is definitely my favorite. Well, not only in the dystopian genre but in general, it's one of my favorite books. The whole idea was really creative but simple at the same time, in a good way. I don't like the fact that dystopian movies/books sometimes overdo what the future might be like: everything destroyed, mankind slowly dying, all that scary s**t that scares all of us. Well this one took an actual world, and changed a few things. But there's one thing that remains true, that is not something that will happen in the future, but something that's happening today. Most of the people, especially teens, are ruled by whatever media says. And this book emphasizes on that point, that we all see but never really think about. I think a lot of us can relate to the main character, especially teens. Today we are pressured by media, and how we're supposed to act and look, and at what age we should have sex. The main character knows she doesn't have to act according to the government and society, but to what feels right. I liked the fact that there wasn't something supernatural or over the top included, it was pretty concrete and, well, normal. Another thing I loved and was missing in other books. A good villain. Ed was an excellent villain and he's one of the things that made me want to keep on reading. Was he a demon? No. A vampire? Hell, no. A fairy? Those make good villains, but no. He was just a person, and a scary one at that. Julia Karr did an excellent job creating an antagonist and really brought me to the point of hating him. So, in conclusion, this is a really original, realistic and amazing book that will keep you hooked and will open your eyes to a world we do have today.
How many stars?
5 stars (with standing ovation)
4 comments:
I was really struck by the omnipresent media in this book. When you think about it, it's not too far off the mark, is it?
Hey I've been reading your blog, and you're a really great writer! How would you feel about doing some guest posts for Teen Fiction Centre?
Agree with you Caroline.
Really? Doing guest posts would be awesome, thanks.
Okay great! Well just think of any topic to do with Teen Fiction, email me at teenfictioncentre(AT)live(DOT)co(DOT)uk, and I can get it up sometime this week!
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