Review: Deliver Me by Kate Jarvik Birch

Goodreads Summary:

One People. One Union. One Future.

Wynne’s entire life is dictated by the Union: the clothes she wears, the books she reads, even the genes she inherited. And like every other girl in the Union, Wynne dreams of being chosen as a Carrier on her 16th birthday—one of the elite selected to carry the future generation within her womb. Wynne and her best friend Odessa are certain they will both make the cut, but when Odessa is chosen and whisked off to a life of privilege, Wynne is left behind to work as an assistant, delivering perfectly planned babies for the Union.

As Odessa slips deeper and deeper into the role of Carrier, Wynne begins to see the Union for what it really is: a society that criminalizes the notion of love, and forbids words like mother and family.

For the first time in her life, Wynne is faced with a choice: submit to the will of the Union, or find a way to escape and save Odessa before she is lost forever.

Publication Date: April 15, 2014

Although I’ve never read The Handmaid’s Tale, I know of the plot. Deliver Me has similar themes and readers will be horrified over the things Wynne and the rest of the women of the Union must endure. It was a good read with an ending filled with possibility.

The dystopian society where best friends Wynne and Odessa live is terrifying. Women are groomed to become carriers of the next generation and those not chosen are assigned jobs as servants. Wynne is not chosen as a Carrier, but her best friend is. The novel then follows Wynne on her respective journey away from Odessa.

The world building is fairly good in Deliver Me although I would’ve liked more about how the society came about. With such cruel practices, I also thought there would be more about a resistance movement. Wynne is unhappy, but I would’ve liked more about her emotional turmoil.

Wynne was a relatable narrator and I felt for her as she tries to make sense of her life away from Odessa. Wynne is fairly naïve and it takes her a while to see things for what they are. She grew as a character and I was happy with her transformation by the novel’s end.

The plot moved at a good pace and there was a lot of tension when Wynne found herself going against the rules of the society. The conclusion was open-ended and I’d be curious to read a sequel about Wynne and Odessa. I was left with a lot of questions and I’d like to see how things could play out.

Overall, Deliver Me is a good debut with thought-provoking themes. I’d recommend the book to fans of YA dystopians.

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the novel for review!

Review: Mystic City by Theo Lawrence

Goodreads Summary:

Aria Rose, youngest scion of one of Mystic City's two ruling rival families, finds herself betrothed to Thomas Foster, the son of her parents' sworn enemies. The union of the two will end the generations-long political feud—and unite all those living in the Aeries, the privileged upper reaches of the city, against the banished mystics who dwell below in the Depths. But Aria doesn't remember falling in love with Thomas; in fact, she wakes one day with huge gaps in her memory. And she can't conceive why her parents would have agreed to unite with the Fosters in the first place. Only when Aria meets Hunter, a gorgeous rebel mystic from the Depths, does she start to have glimmers of recollection—and to understand that he holds the key to unlocking her past. The choices she makes can save or doom the city—including herself.

Publication Date: October 9, 2012

This was an interesting entry in the YA dystopian genre that I thoroughly enjoyed. It reminded me of the Leonardo DiCaprio/Claire Danes movie version of Romeo and Juliet. The Fosters and Roses of Mystic City I envisioned as stand-ins for the Montagues and Capulets.

Aria is one of those narrators that grows on you the more you read. At first, I was thinking she may be one of those useless heroines who do absolutely nothing meaningful throughout the book. I was very wrong and she really came into her own as she began to see flashes of her life before her memory loss. I loved her drive to be a good person despite her privileged upbringing.

I loved the mystery aspect of the book. It really kept me guessing at what had happened to Aria. The book has plenty of action too and the scenes with the Mystics certainly had my heart racing.

Hunter had all of the makings of a captivating YA love interest. He’s mysterious, dangerous and protective of Aria. I liked him more in the beginning than later in the book. His sappy side didn’t seem to fit and it made me roll my eyes a few times at the romance.

The secondary characters were scene stealers. I especially liked Davida, she was true and loyal to Aria. Hunter’s best friend Turk was also an interesting character that I would’ve liked to see more of.

The world building was a little confusing to me. It didn’t seem consistent and I couldn’t quite wrap my head around this dystopian version of Manhattan. Don’t get me wrong, it sounded cool, but I would’ve liked more details to get a better picture in my head.

Overall, a really great book and I can’t wait to read the sequels.

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book for review!