Review : Matched by Ally Condie

*Warning: This review may contain spoilers. Read at your own risk.

Publisher: Speak
Release Date: September 20, 2011
Pages: 416
Source: Own

The Story:

Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows he is her ideal mate . . . until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow. .

via -- Barnes & Noble

Rating: THREE Gold Stars!!!

My Review: 

Matched is the first dystopian novel I read. Or at least the first I read in adulthood. And it was a brilliant start.

Tag Line:

In the society, officials decide. Who you love. Where you work. When you die.

Opening Line:

Now that I've found the way to fly, which direction should I go into the night? 

Plot:

Matched is a story about 17-year old Cassia who lives in a society controlled by Officials. And when I say controlled I am not exaggerating. The Officials controls everything down to what citizens eat, whom they marry, what jobs they will have and more. A predictable life is an understatement. Cassia seemed to be at terms with what her life would entail . . . until the Match ceremony where her personalized microcard glitches. At first, the microcard told Cassia she is Matched with Xander Carrow, her best friend, and she couldn't be happier. But then insert *glitch* and on the screen a face comes up she recognized. Name of the Face: Ky Markham. And Ky is no ordinary guy, no, he an Aberration who isn't eligible to be Matched. To make matters worse, as the story unfolds Cassia begins to fall in love with Ky and her whole world begins unravelling at the seams . . .

On that note, the premise of Matched is what drew me in. I thought the premise was fantastic. Fantastic for one book. Although I own the two sequels in the trilogy I have not read them because the novelty of the dystopian world and Cassia's romance dilemma will not be as captivating as it was in Matched.

Meet the Author:

Ally Condie (www.allycondie.com) is a former high school English teacher who lives with her husband and three sons outside of Salt Lake City, Utah. She loves reading, running, eating, and listening to her husband play guitar.

***Check out Ally Condie's website for more information about her and the Matched: HERE 

Happy Reading!

Feature Friday ARC Review : Captive by Aimee Carter (The Blackcoat Rebellion #2)

                                      
*Feature Friday is a meme I came up with to feature YA books that have not yet been released by reviewing them on The Tattered Page.*

*Warning: This review may contain spoilers. Read at your own risk.

Release Date: November 25, 2014

Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Pages: 304
Source: ARC

The Story:

The truth can set her free

For the past two months, Kitty Doe's life has been a lie. Forced to impersonate Lila Hart, the Prime Minister's niece, in a hostile meritocracy on the verge of revolution, Kitty sees her frustration grow as her trust in her fake fiancé cracks, her real boyfriend is forbidden and the Blackcoat rebels she is secretly supporting keep her in the dark more than ever.

But in the midst of discovering that her role in the Hart family may not be as coincidental as she thought, she's accused of treason and is forced to face her greatest fear: Elsewhere. A prison where no one can escape.

As one shocking revelation leads to the next, Kitty learns the hard way that she can trust no one, not even the people she thought were on her side. With her back against the wall, Kitty wants to believe she'll do whatever it takes to support the rebellion she believes in—but is she prepared to pay the ultimate price?

--via Barnes and Noble

Rating: THREE Gold Stars!!!

My Review: 

First off, Captive is the second book in Carter's Blackcoat Rebellion trilogy so if you have not read the first book, Pawn, I suggest you do so before reading this review. Second, I requested a copy of Captive through my contact at Harlequin Teen and was promptly sent it -- thank you! Now, moving on . . .

The stories picks up shortly after Pawn left off. Augusta Hart is dead and Daxton Hart is now Prime Minister of America. Although Daxton knows Kitty made an attempt on his life, Kitty is still forced to impersonate his niece Lila Hart. Crossed between wanted to continue her secret effort with the Blackcoat Rebellion in garnering supporters for the cause and keeping the love of her life, Benjy, safe, Kitty does as she is told . . . for the most part.

Losing trust in the leadership of the Blackcoat Rebellion, Kitty tries to move things along and obtain the leverage she needs to slip away quietly into the life she and Benjy have always envisioned. As luck would have it, Kitty gets caught redhanded. As punishment, she is sent to Elsewhere -- the government claims that it is where the old retired but Kitty knows better. Still, there is more to Elsewhere than even Kitty knows. It is in Elsewhere, we learn new secrets, revelations and see Kitty fend for herself for the first time.

Captive ends on a hell of a cliffhanger that had me screaming and wanted to read the next book in the trilogy. I look forward to seeing how the characters evolve, the final outcome of the Blackcoat Rebellion and the story ends.

Character Breakdown:

Kitty Doe - I wanted Kitty to be a stronger female character from the first but since it was a three-book series I decided I could wait at least until the second book. Kitty's disobedience is definitely admirable but most of the time is never amounts to anything beyond her getting caught. I quiet enjoyed her strength when she truly took a stand and became somewhat of a badass towards the end of Captive -- I definitely hope to see more of that version of Kitty in Queen.

Lennox Creed - Knox was so utterly frustrating. I never knew whether to distrust or trust him, hate or love him . . . kick him in the balls or hug him close. Basically he was a douche who did nice things every once and a while. Moreover, he expected Kitty to behave like an obedient puppy without question yet he was an absolute jerk most of the time -- especially at the beginning of the story. I am hoping readers will gets a clearer picture of his character by the end of the trilogy.

All in all, Carter's Blackcoat Rebellion trilogy is so far so good. If you are on the hunt for a fast, dystopian read you are in luck!

***Check out Aimee Carter's website for more information about her and Captive: HERE

*Read my review on her other books Pawn (The Blackcoat Rebellion #1),The Goddess Test, Goddess Interrupted,  and The Goddess Inheritance.

Happy Reading!

Review : Pawn by Aimee Carter (The Blackcoat Rebellion #1)

*Warning: This review may contain spoilers. Read at your own risk.

Release Date: November 26, 2013

Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Pages: 352
Source: Own

The Story:

YOU CAN BE A VII IF YOU GIVE EVERYTHING.

For Kitty Doe, it seems like an easy choice. She can either spend her life as a III in misery, looked down upon by the higher ranks and forced to leave the people she loves, or she can become a VII and join the most powerful family in the country.

If she says yes, Kitty will be Masked—surgically transformed into Lila Hart, the Prime Minister's niece, who died under mysterious circumstances. As a member of the Hart family, she will be famous. She will be adored. And for the first time, she will matter.

There's only one catch. She must also stop the rebellion that Lila secretly fostered, the same one that got her killed…and one Kitty believes in. Faced with threats, conspiracies and a life that's not her own, she must decide which path to choose—and learn how to become more than a pawn in a twisted game she's only beginning to understand.

--via Barnes and Noble

Rating: THREE Gold Stars!!!

My Review: 

I have to say, I enjoyed Aimee Carter's Goddess Test series much more than The Blackcoat Rebellion trilogy. I really wanted to like Pawn. The premise sounded interesting so I was really excited but it just didn't do it for me. I had a hard time being drawn into the story.

Plot:

There were several interesting aspect of the story. The caste system, the country being run by one family, the aptitude test that determining a citizen's caste then receiving a tattoo representing their rank. The main conflict was Kitty Doe trying to be a double-agent -- Masked at Lila Hart, the country's princess and the face of the Blackcoat Rebellion. Sounds interesting right? Well, it was -- just not as kickass I as went in expecting. Nevertheless, it was decent and had plenty of plot-twists And I love plot-twists you don't see coming.

Character breakdown:

Usually when I read there is at least one character I fall in love with but, unfortunately, not in Pawn. However, Daxton and Augusta (the bad guys) were runners up.

Kitty Doe - Kitty irritated me to highest level. She was weak, a bit naive and always got caught doing something trying to go through with half-baked ideas.

Ben Doe - Ben was cute. That is all I can say because readers aren't really given the chance to get to known him let alone relate or swoon over him.

Daxton & Augusta Hart - They were well written villain. I hated them and what is a villain if you cant hate him/her? I feel as if they were the strongest characters in the story.

All in all, I can't quite pinpoint what it was about Pawn that made me reluctant to love it and that sucks, I am sorry. as always, I advise that you give Pawn a try for yourself or read an excerpt before you purchase it. I may not have been particularly fond of the book but that doesn't mean you wont. And, at least know that it does get better. I enjoyed Captive more than I did Pawn so if anything, push through Pawn and it'll get better.

*Sorry for the crappy review*

***Check out Aimee Carter's website for more information about her and Pawn: HERE

*Read my review on her other books Captive (The Blackcoat Rebellion #2), The Goddess Test, Goddess Interrupted & The Goddess Inheritance.

Happy Reading!