Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Review: I was extremely excited to start this book. I had heard about it pretty much everywhere. (Okay not literally, but you get my point.)
Let's just say, I wasn't let down. And apparently we might be getting a movie, so that's always an advantage ;)
First Line: "My mother thinks I'm dead."
Writing: I actually quite enjoyed the writing in this book. It was fast-moving and precise. If course, it wasn't nearly up to par with the classics, or even up to par with, say, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak- yet it definitely served it's purpose and was better than the emotionless writing in The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.
Plot: Yesh! I loved da plot. It was SO creative, and I absolutely ADORED the dystopian society, even though I'm quite jealous of June Iparis- our main character. College so early ;) Because she's a smartie like me- indeed, I understand why my great friend Beth (thats her new blog, I sorta lost the link to her old one) thought of me as June, now that I think about it.
Marie Lu actually said that she had gotten inspiration for this book by thinking of like a Les Miseralbes in a modern world and since I haven't read or seen the latter, I wouldn't know how much is taken from it, but if it's a lot- I think I'd really like Les Miseralbes.
Now as for an issue with the plot... the worldbuilding was kinda lacking... I really had no idea of how their government worked and stuff, which is especially necessary in a dystopian novel in order to make it likely that this would actually happen. Now, this was all revealed in the sequel Prodigy, yet I still think it important too make such things a bit obvious in the first book.
Characters: Okay so... I sorta have an issue here to be brutally honest :p The characters were all kinda... bland... I dunno they were like drones I feel like.
June was definitely very bold and smart so I admire her for that yet on the same token... that's ALL she was. She didn't really make any huge mistakes, or miscalculate something. And she never let her emotions. Okay, some might say that this was just her being a strong heroine- but I disagree. I'm sorry, but she needs to be overtaken by her emotions sometimes. Take Hermione Granger- possibly the strongest heroine in literature like ever, yet she was still emotional and had freak out moments. Did that make her any less strong? No. It changed her from simply words on paper into a flesh and blood person.
As for Day... everyone seems to love him. And I...don't. I feel like he's a genuinely nice person and all, which is sweet (weird thing to say seeing as he's a criminal) but he just... seemed a bit like a typical male protagonist. I wish a bit more creativity had gone into the making of his character. A bit more depth, since he seemed to lack almost any.
The side characters I actually thought were brilliantly done. There is sorta spoiler written all over whenever I try to talk about them so I won't... but let's just say... two thumbs up for well-developed and important side characters.
Recommended to: Fans of dystopians who aren't overly picky. Or anyone who likes a fun book ;)
Have you read this book? What'd you think?
