Aimee Carter
Harlequin Teen
November 26, 2013
Series or Standalone: The Blackcoat Rebellion #1
ISBN: 0373210558
Pages: 343
Websites:
Rating: 4 Stars
From the description of this book, I felt like I wasn’t really going to like it. I put off reading it for a long time, as I was worried it just wouldn’t hold my interest. There is a lot of dystopian in the YA market now a days, and some of it just doesn’t click. However, Pawn clicked for me.
Aimee Carter did an excellent job establishing the world of Pawn. As it is a dystopian, it takes place in a futuristic United States, one that is a distorted version of our current country. The world building did not drag the beginning of the book down like it does in other books of this genre. The world was fully developed, and I found even a scarily possible future for the United States. Each person in society is assigned a number based on how they score on their test; this number determines a persons future. Kitty scores a III, a lower number than expected, which threatens her entire future plans. When faced with the chance to escape from the ranks of the III and be elevated to a VII, the highest rank in the country, Kitty jumps at the opportunity without understanding the consequences.
The main character, Kitty is forced to become Lila Hart after her death. Little does Kitty realize that becoming Lila, becoming a VII, does not make life easier. The Hart family, the leaders of the United States, are a very screwed up family. Corruption, lies, rebellions and secrets are abound, and Kitty is thrust into the middle of a power struggle. Little does Kitty know just how important she is to the Harts as Lila. This screwed up family and political atmosphere had me hooked. I needed to see how all the pieces were going to fall and wanted all the lies unraveled.
I really enjoyed that throughout the book, Kitty stayed true to herself despite being forced to assume the identity of someone else. While Kitty could have accepted the fact that her life was no longer her own, but instead she stayed true to who she was. Her determination and strength shone through her new exterior as Lila. Kitty could have been followed the instructions given to her by Daxton, Celia, or Augusta, but instead she took charge; she refused to become a pawn to either side. While her life was no longer her own, she still found ways to make decisions for herself despite her circumstances. She made me root for her. I had a few issues with the characterizations of some secondary characters, but I will be interested to see how all the characters develop and grow as the series continues. The romance in the book also felt a bit stale to me, probably because I did not have any connection to Benjy, a character I wished was a bit more fleshed out.
Pawn was fast paced, filled with twist and turns. The web of lies and deceptions is a messy one, but one that I wanted to get untangled, and Aimee Carter does a good job with revealing the truth throughout the book. The ending was heart-pounding, leaving Kitty in an even more precarious position than I thought possible. I cannot wait to see what other secrets will be revealed in the coming books. Thoroughly engaging and engrossing, with lies and secrets galore, Pawn is a great start to a new series. I look forward to seeing what Aimee Carter plans to do with the rest of the series.
Sounds interesting. I bet anyone who enjoyed the Wind on Fire series would love this - they both have the same premise of tests determining your place in life.
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of the Wind on Fire series, but I might have to check it out!
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