Huntress by Malinda Lo + Crossed by Ally Condie

Series:N/A

 Author: Malinda Lo
Page Count: 371
Published: December 11th, 2012
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
  2.5 Stars ★★

Huntress is about powerful sage Taisin and mundane Kaede, who live in a world where crops are failing, people are starving, and their home is in danger. The girls are selected to travel to Tanlili, where they are to speak with the Fairy Queen. But the journey to Tanlili possesses dangers, and some may not make it out alive. Not to mention the girls' hearts, which may be falling for each other.


I really enjoyed Ash, a Cinderella retelling by Malinda Lo. As a result I was hoping to enjoy Huntress, but unfortunately, I didn't. It wasn't the worst book ever, but I'd rather have skipped it had I known it would be like this.


My main issue is with the pacing. It made it very boring. After about 25% of the book, I was just skimming large parts, entire chapters. There was wayyyyy too much description! It kind of feels like the author was just spouting off description to fill the book up! This book could have been better....were it about 100 pages thinner.


I did like the sort of tense, almost resistant romance the two girls developed. Taisin, as a sage, would end up celibate for her whole life, so she was really uncertain concerning starting a romance with Kaede. I thought that added some romantic suspense to the book because I was wondering if she'd choose Kaede, or if she'd abandon her. I also liked the fantasy elements, like the fact that sages even exist as a valid occupation or title in this society, along with the fairies!


Overall, I can't say I truly enjoyed this, however it wasn't entirely horrible. While there was way too much description for my tastes, I did like the romance and the fairies!


Find Huntress on Goodreads

Series: Matched

 Author: Ally Condie 
Page Count: 367
Published: March 12th, 2013
Publisher: Speak
  4 Stars ★★★★

Life forever changed for Cassia in Matched when she dared to question the Society. Now in Crossed, her journey continues as she sneaks away during a camp transfer, and finds herself in the Outer Provinces. She wants to look for the Rebellion and for Ky, who was sent away after the events of Matched, and who she loves.


But attacks and gunfire are common in the Outer Provinces, and she must travel far to reach the Rebellion. She's not sure if she will even find Ky.....will she survive?


This was a good follow-up to Matched, and I like that this book focused on the journey through the Outer Provinces, along with Cassia's hopes and fears. This story was told through both Ky and Cassia's viewpoints, which I also enjoyed because it gave me a peek into what both of them were dealing with, particularly since they were often not together.


I continued to hope that Cassia and Ky would succeed in their mission! But I have to say that I'm not sure if I want Cassia to end up with Ky or Xander. I really like them both! I can't wait to read the next book to see how the trilogy ends.


Find Crossed on Goodreads

Perfect Ruin by Lauren DeStefano

Series: The Internment Chronicles
Author: Lauren DeStefano
Page Count: 356
Published: March 10th, 2015
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
  3.5 Stars ★★★

Morgan lives on Internment, a city in the sky. While some have tried jumping off the edge, hoping to fall down to earth, none succeed, and all return with any number of afflictions. She knows this all too well: her brother went blind after jumping off the edge. While she knows the dangers, Morgan just can't stop wondering about life on earth, and about what it would be like to approach the edge of her beloved city.

When a girl is murdered, the citizens of Internment are shocked. Supposedly killed by Judas, the boy she was set to marry, Daphne Leander's murder makes Morgan believe that things are changing, and not for the better. When she and Judas come face to face, Morgan is convinced that he is innocent, and this begins Morgan's quest for the truth about Internment. 

I picked this up as a fan of Lauren DeStefano's Chemical Garden Trilogy, intrigued by the concept of a city in the sky. As I've enjoyed the first two books of her dystopian trilogy so far, I decided I'd try another one of her books. I had high hopes, hopes which were not exactly fulfilled, unfortunately. 

So, I really liked the world of Internment. The world-building was amazing, with everything from religion to government to social norms covered in a way that didn't overwhelm me, nor bore me. Descriptions of Morgan's life, her hopes, her dreams, and her family brought the main character to life, and she seemed to become someone more than just a character written on a page in a book. 

However, the first half of this book was too slow for me. While it is interesting to read about daily life in some kind of fantasy, dystopian society, I can only read about it for so long before I become bored. Sure, interesting bits were added in every now and then for the first fifty percent of the novel, but I found myself speed-reading to get to the next exciting event. This was the main issue for me, and it was bad enough that it knocked a few stars off of my rating for this book. 

The second half of this book, however, was much, much better than the first. The plot sped up and Morgan found herself caught in between her home, Internment, and the truth. She had to make some difficult choices, and her relationships, including those with her best friend, her betrothed, and her family, change both for the better and for the worse, forever. There were some really sad moments, and the author did a great job of making me care about what was going on. There was a lot of anticipation for the ending, and I rushed through the second half. I needed to know how it would end. 

Unfortunately, I don't think I'm going to be reading the rest of the series. While I was captivated by the world of Internment and Morgan's hopes and fears, the way that this book was paced really just made me hurry to finish reading it. I don't care enough about how the series is going to end to read through a few more books and possibly deal with another boring first half again. 

Overall, I liked the idea, but I think that the pacing, especially in the first half of the book, was too slow. This resulted in me wanting to hurry and finish this book, but I ended up not caring about the whole story itself to consider finishing the trilogy. 

If you like stories with a lot of pieces of everyday life, especially those in dystopian societies, you might like this book. If you're interested in a book about corrupt governments and questioning what one has been told, you might consider giving this book a try.

Find Perfect Ruin on Goodreads

Proxy by Alex London

Series: Proxy
Author: Alex London
Page Count: 384
Published: June 8th, 2013
Publisher: Philomel Books
  4.5 Stars ★★★★

In the City, there are patrons, and there are proxies. Patrons pay proxies to take on their debt, which includes punishments for misbehavior and crimes. Knox is a wealthy teenage boy who has lived a privileged life, especially compared to Syd, his proxy, who lives in the poorer area of town. 

Syd has spent almost his whole life being punished for Knox. He's having a fairly normal, if slightly unfortunate day: he's had to give blood for his patron, he's been outed as gay, and he has offered to help fix a peer's gadget at no cost. Things change when the Guardians come for him, and he is sentenced as a criminal, because Knox's recklessness has killed someone.

Syd decides that he won't throw his life away for a thoughtless, wealthy patron, and he escapes the Guardians. After stumbling across Knox, they go on a journey, hoping to save Syd, and maybe to change their society's entire system, too.

I've increasingly found myself drawn to sci-fi and dystopian fiction. Finding a dystopian novel with an LGBTQ character was a pleasant surprise, and finding this novel at the thrift store brought an extra smile to my face. I can truly say that this book was almost perfect, with my main issue being that I wished that it was longer! 

The world that Syd and Knox lived in was described in such detail that it seemed like a real place. Everything from social norms, to social classes, to the legal system was clear and connected and made for a great reading experience. Worlds where everything just fits together nicely, like this one, are the best fictional worlds, in my opinion. 

The differences between Syd and Knox made this book even more interesting. Knox was super wealthy and privileged compared to Syd, who lived his life dealing with punishments for Knox and swimming in debt. The juxtaposition of the situations of these two characters was especially important when it came to the way that the author switched perspectives from chapter to chapter: the book was in third person, but the situations of the two boys, especially when they were separate, were described and explained from their eyes or thoughts. 

Both characters were likeable in their own ways, though I preferred Syd over Knox. Some of the side characters, such as Syd's friends, played important roles as well and created twists and turns in the story, which of course kept me reading on! The fear that Syd felt, being pursued by people with lots of money and power, was absolutely understandable and brought a special kind of suspense to the page. 

The ending was super emotional for me. I can't say much without giving it away, but the twist....I have to read the next book, I need to know what's next for this world!

I recommend this book for people looking for sci-fi or dystopian books with LGBTQ characters. If you like young adult books with themes of power and rebellion, this book is for you.

Find Proxy on Goodreads

Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel

 

 Series: Gone With the Respiration
Author: Lia Habel
Page Count: 470
Published: October 18th, 2011
Publisher: Del Rey
  4 Stars ★★★★

In 2195, Nora is living in New Victoria, a place that models it's values and social norms from the Victorian era, but is far ahead in terms of technology. When she returns home from school for the break, she finds herself attacked by a group of zombies, and saved by another group of them as well. Within this group is Bram, an undead soldier from the Punks, the enemy of New Victoria.

Amongst political unrest and savage zombies, Nora is surprised to find herself trusting Bram and the others dealing with 'The Laz'; the virus that causes the dead to rise. Along with her determination to get to the bottom of what's really going on in New Victoria, she will face uncomfortable and surprising truths about her family and her homeland. But will they be able to defeat an opposing zombie army before New Victoria is entirely infected?

I've only read a handful of books including zombies so I was unsure what to expect going into this one. I can say that this book really blew my mind and was almost flawless! Despite it's nearly 500 page count, I read it in a matter of a few days and I found myself reading it whenever I possibly could. 

The world-building in this book was absolutely incredible. I feel like everything, from the actual city of New Victoria to the problem of 'The Laz' was perfectly thought out and tied together nice and neatly. I found it very easy to understand the society that Nora lived in and to picture the world that she had to navigate every day of her life. This includes settings other than her hometown, including her location when she is rescued by Bram and the others. 

My favourite character was Bram. He was so full of life, despite technically being dead. I found him funny and sweet and I appreciated his tragic background story. He is one of the best male love interests I have ever come across within the YA genre. Nora was a great heroine and I found her to be strong, loyal, and determined. These two characters, and their romance, stuck out to me from many other YA paranormal romances I have read and this made the novel all the more enjoyable. The other zombies that Nora and Bram worked with made for a great cast of characters as well with their humor, tensions and drama. Much drama amongst the humans, for example Nora's friend and her family's situation, was present as well and made for a captivating read altogether. 

My issue with this book was that I found it hard to follow at times. I'd wonder what was going on as occasionally things would seem a bit rushed or scenes jumped a bit too rapidly for me. For example, this book uses several different points of view, and sometimes I felt like one character's chapter would end too abruptly, or wouldn't end with any kind of explanation, which might be good to keep the reader going but I found that it made it hard to concentrate on the following chapters, told by other characters. It got a bit distracting. If this hadn't been an issue, this book definitely would have gotten five stars!

I absolutely recommend this book. While I found it a bit confusing at times it was worth the read and I am really glad that I bought the sequel while it was on sale! I recommend this for fans of YA dystopian books and romance. If you like futuristic books, romance, and zombies, then this combination of all three of these elements is sure to blow you away. 

Find Dearly, Departed on Goodreads

Matched by Ally Condie

 

 Series: Matched
Author: Ally Condie
Page Count: 366
Published: September 20th, 2011
Publisher: Speak
  5 Stars ★★★★★ 

In Cassia's world, who you marry is determined by who the Society matches you with. When Cassia is matched with her best friend, Xander, she's ecstatic. But her excitement fades quickly when she begins to suspect that something is going on, that there might be an error in the system, and that Ky, another boy her age, might have been meant to be her match. 

As she starts to question the Society, she finds herself torn between Ky and Xander, between obedience and rebellion. Breaking more and more rules, Cassia must make a choice. Will she live the life that the Society has planned for her? Or will she break free and look for something more?

This is the kind of dystopian or futuristic novel that I like to read. It's got an oppressive or controlling government, a forbidden romance and lots and lots of rebellion. I think that my favourite part about this whole book was how Cassia started to break rules and defy the Society, because the tension and worry I felt that she might get caught was super intense. 

The author completely immersed me in Cassia's world, and I dreaded her having to face the consequences of her actions. At the same time, I really hated the government and the Society and I couldn't stop reading because I just had to know if she would rise above them, and succeed in her goals. When I say that I was reading this book at every chance I got, I mean it!

The romance was a little bit cheesy but I actually don't mind some cheesiness within my reads, so this didn't bother me at all. It was a forbidden romance too, which added to the whole rebellion aspect. As somebody who appreciates love triangles, I can say that I think the author wrote the love triangle in this novel extremely well, and I am still undecided concerning who I want Cassia to end up with. I find that those are the best kind of love triangles because they make me frustrated, and wanting to read the next book in the series to see who the character chooses! 

I was sad as I neared the end of the book because I wanted more. I wanted to keep reading about Cassia's situation and story, I wanted to know what would happen next. Flipping the last page left me super disappointed because I enjoyed this book so much! I can't wait to get my hands on the next one, and I hope it's just as amazing as the first book in this series.

I recommend this book to those who like their dystopian reads with some romance! If you also like reading about people starting to rebel against their situation, this would be a perfect read for you. 

Find Matched on Goodreads

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

 

Series: The Lunar Chronicles
Author: Marissa Meyer
Page Count: 400
Published: January 3rd, 2012
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
  5 Stars ★★★★★ 

In this retelling of the Cinderella story, Cinder is a cyborg mechanic living in New Beijing. Adopted by a man who died years ago, she is left with her hateful stepmother and two stepsisters. Being a cyborg comes with many tensions and inconveniences, including prejudice from fellow citizens and the cyborg draft, an initiative to help the scientists of New Beijing find a cure for the plague that has devastated the world.

Things change when Prince Kai approaches her, asking Cinder to fix his android. What starts as a business encounter turns into something more as Cinder faces new struggles and learns of hidden truths that could change everything. 

I was intrigued by this book's high ratings and seemingly endless praise. I finally decided to pick it up, and I can conclude that it is one of the most original, enjoyable and riveting books that I have ever read. I was skeptical at first, as stories of cyborgs and androids generally aren't included within my usual reads, but I must say that I agree with all the five-star ratings and raving reviews. 

The world-building in this book blew me away. I was completely and utterly engrossed in the world of New Beijing, and all of the social norms, prejudices and political issues that revolved around it. I feel that in a way, it mirrors our world: people are quick to judge those who are different (like many judged the cyborgs), people become desperate in hard times (for example, times of illness), and of course, there was the tricky and intriguing world of politics. All of these issues were portrayed in a way that made them seem incredibly realistic despite being dystopian and within the realm of science fiction, and this added a whole new dimension to the reading experience that I feel many books, unfortunately, lack. 

This was a refreshing retelling of Cinderella. The use of cyborgs and "hovers" and extraterrestrial beings made for an original tale and a nice break from the more fantasy-oriented retellings of fairy tales. Cinder herself was a perfect combination of the traditional view of Cinderella - mistreated, hopeful and pleasant - and an original personality. I hope that readers get to see more of her in the next book!

All of the other characters, including the stepmother, stepsisters (one friendly and one not-so-friendly) and the prince fulfilled their roles from the original fairy tale, however the author also went above and beyond to make them unique and much more than just overused, stock cliches. The combinations of the characters, unique twists and the world itself brought the book to life as I read it and I never wanted to put it down!

While there were some twists that I could definitely see coming, this didn't take away from the reading experience at all. Any disappointment that came from being able to guess some of the big reveals was erased by the author's writing style. I read it for hours on end without needing to take a break, and the time seemed to fly. I was sad when I flipped to the last page, because I don't have the next book yet! 

I recommend this to fans of YA and science fiction. Even if you're not a big fan of science fiction, give this book a try! You won't regret it. 

Find Cinder on Goodreads

Blood Red Road by Moira Young

 

 Series: Dust Lands
Author: Moira Young
Page Count: 459
Published: June 7th, 2011
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
  2.5 Stars ★★

Saba lives with her father, her brother Lugh, and her sister Emmi. Their home is in Silverlake, where they live alone beside a drying-out lake and face sandstorms regularly. When Lugh is taken by strange men on horseback, Saba vows to rescue him and she starts on a journey to get him back.

But her journey is anything but smooth, and she must face harsh weather, dangerous creatures and people with evil intentions. With the help of some friends along the way, she's hopeful to get Lugh back before anything happens to him. But what if she doesn't make it in time?

I feel a bit conflicted over this book. There were some things that I liked, but the things that I didn't like are quite significant and affected my reading experience greatly. I hate giving books a low rating, but I can't find any way to justify rating this over a 2.5 out of 5 stars.

So the best thing about this book was the story. I loved the concept of a dystopian wasteland and the thing that really kept me reading was the events and struggles that Saba faced, and the hope that she would find her brother. I had trouble putting this book down because I wanted to hurry up and read it to find out what happened to Lugh, I wanted to see if she would save him. 

Saba's journey was an interesting one, filled with fights and scheming and making new friends. However, while I enjoyed the story, I can't say that I enjoyed the book itself.

The big issue for me was the writing style. The author decided not to use punctuation such as quotation marks when someone was talking, so that made for some confusion when there was a conversation between several people. I'd have to go back and read the page over to make sure I knew who was saying what. Sometimes I couldn't tell if something was being said out loud, or only in Saba's head. 

To add to the confusion was the deliberate misspelling of words to convey an accent or style of speaking. I understand wanting the reader to know what Saba sounds like, but this along with the lack of proper punctuation just added more confusion. I get that the author was probably trying to make her book unique, trying to make Saba seem more real and genuine, however it didn't work for me. 

I felt a bit distanced from the events that took place. In many books I feel like I'm actually there with the characters, and I find that makes a story all the better. But I felt more like just a spectator in this one, and I found that disappointing. If not for my interest in the ending, I probably wouldn't have continued reading past the first one hundred pages. 

Overall, a unique read with a great concept, but the writing style didn't work for me. 

Fans of futuristic and dystopian novels may like this. If you like action-packed stories and the writing style doesn't seem like it would bother you, I think it would be worth a try. 

Find Blood Red Road on Goodreads

Rise by Anna Carey

 

Series: Eve
Author: Anna Carey
Page Count: 310
Published: April 2nd, 2013
Publisher: HarperCollins
  5 Stars ★★★★★ 

 In the third and final book of the Eve trilogy, Eve has married Charles, her father's advisor, in the wake of Caleb's death. Working with Moss, an undercover rebel against the King, she is asked to kill her own father for the sake of the city's future. But when things go wrong, she faces a life-threatening danger and must flee. Will she ever be able to defeat her father?

I loved the first two books of the Eve trilogy, and this conclusion did not disappoint! I read this almost non-stop from beginning to end, and I did shed a few tears in the last pages. 

This book was filled with tension and suspense, I was always worried that Eve would be captured or killed for her betrayals to the King. I cared about all of the characters on Eve's side of the fight, and I hated all of the characters who sided with the King. I found that this was a nice change, with characters being generally completely good or completely evil, with a few exceptions. 

The author's writing style was easy to read, the words flowed well and the descriptions were amazing. I felt like I was fighting against the King alongside Eve, like I was in the City with her. I could picture the setting vividly, and the characters practically came to life in my mind. I can definitely say that Anna Carey is one of my favourite authors.

The ending had an awesome twist, and while I admit I actually guessed, and was correct, about what would happen, that didn't change the fact that, to me, it was the perfect ending to this trilogy. While I'm sad to see this series end, I'm very satisfied with the conclusion.

I recommend this series to YA readers and fans of dystopian stories! If you want an amazing trilogy set in the future with some romance, the Eve books are for you.

Find Rise on Goodreads

The Scorpion Rules by Erin Bow

 

Series: Prisoners of Peace

Author: Erin Bow
Page Count: 384
Published: September 22nd, 2015

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

  Did Not Finish

I received a free copy of this book though Netgalley.

Did not finish, read until 45%.

This book is set in a future where Talis, a product of artifical intelligence, basically rules the world. He decides that the best way to keep world peace is to take the children of world leaders as hostages, surrendered to him by the leaders themselves. If one nation declares war on another....the hostage from that nation will be killed.

I got an email from Netgalley saying that the first 750 members that clicked on the link to read this book would get to read it right away, no waiting for a request to be approved. I was intrigued by the synopsis so I thought hey, why not?

This book had so much potential, it really did. It appeared to contain such interesting ideas and lots of great qualities....Dystopia? Check! Futuristic politics?  Check! Corruption? Check! LGBTQ themes? Check!

I was so hyped to read this. The first chapter or so pulled me into Greta, the main character's, world. It seemed so unique; artifical intelligence, hostages, a corrupted UN, and even a new kind of bible, written by Talis himself, called the 'Utterances'.

Soon after, though, I found myself reading about flat characters who often appeared to almost blend into each other. Elian arrived, stirring up trouble, and I was hoping that his arrival would be the kick to get the story really going, to set the characters apart from each other and make things a little more interesting. While things did get a bit more interesting, the characters didn't really change, and I found myself bored with Greta. I didn't connect with her at all and I didn't really care much about her either. I only really cared about Elian....he appeared to be the only one without a cookie cutter, bland personality.

Things moved incredibly slowly. There wasn't much action, it seemed like the timeline jumped around, and  really the majority of the semi-exciting parts were related to the goats the hostages kept and the punishments administered by the AI/robot authority and captors. It was sort of sad that I actually found myself hoping that the hostages would get punished.... because there was so little going on that I wanted some sort of action to occur!

I don't really recommend this book to anyone, but if you're a big fan of dystopia and you're a patient reader, this one might suit you.


Find The Scorpion Rules on Goodreads

Beautiful Cover(s) of the Day!

The Matched Trilogy by Ally Condie has some of the simplest yet most visually appealing covers in YA dystopian fiction. The usage of simple colour schemes paired with the light background make them sure to stand out in the bookstore!

The blurb:

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

Cassia has always trusted their choices. It’s hardly any price to pay for a long life, the perfect job, the ideal mate. So when her best friend appears on the Matching screen, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is the one…until she sees another face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. Now Cassia is faced with impossible choices: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she’s known and a path no one else has ever dared follow—between perfection and passion.

Matched is a story for right now and storytelling with the resonance of a classic."

Find the Matched Trilogy on Goodreads 

Crewel by Gennifer Albin

Series: Crewel World

Author: Gennifer Albin

Page Count: 368
Published: October 16th, 2012
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

5 Stars ★★★★★

Adelice lives in Arras, a world where weather, food, and everything else is monitored and controlled by Spinsters; people who manage the weave that makes up Arras.

Adelice has a secret. She can see and manipulate the weave without using a loom. Her parents have taught her all her life how to fail weaving tests so that when her testing day comes, she will not be taken to the Coventry to train as a Spinster. 

Unfortunately, she slips up during testing and is brought to the Coventry where she immediately makes enemies of Maela and Pryana and befriends Jost, the head valet. With Maela watching her every move and Pryana ready to strike at any moment, Adelice must be careful who she trusts, and she must make sure that nobody knows about her friendship with Jost.

Arras is not as it seems, the ruling Guild may have ulterior motives for every choice that they make, and for Adelice, one wrong move could cost her everything she has left.

I picked up this book because it sounded different. Imagine a world made of what is essentially fabric, controlled by a small amount of people (small in comparison to the entire population of Arras). I have to say, it was most definitely different and incredibly unique!

I loved the conspiracies that revolved around the Guild. Conspiracies are one of my favourite kinds of mysteries, and this book really nailed it. I was always wondering if the characters had secret motives for everything that they did, and about who Adelice could really trust....

The love triangle was perfect. It was balanced and obvious but it did not distract from the bigger story. If anything,  I sometimes forgot about the love triangle because I was so caught up in the mysteries surrounding Adelice's situation. 

Emotions run high in this book! The author has you feeling Adelice's every moment of happiness, fear, sorrow, and disgust as if they were your own feelings. I felt so empathetic for her and I was constantly rooting for her to outsmart the Guild. Other characters (whom I cannot name because it may be a spoiler) also go through situations where I was on the edge of my seat in fear, shock, and sadness for them. 

Adelice was a very likeable character. She had her flaws and her strengths, and I really connected with her. Her bravery and determination were admirable. The other characters were similarly likeable, or absolutely despicable. Others stood in the gray area and I couldn't decide if liked them or loathed them.

I have to mention the diversity in this book. The characters came from different backgrounds, enjoyed different things, were of all ages and had unique relationships. I am so grateful that the author included LGBTQ characters in this novel, and I loved that she used them to illustrate the idea that people are afraid of what they don't know. 

Not to point fingers, but I was looking through reviews on Barnes and Noble's website and came across one where the reviewer was upset that the author had included LGBTQ characters. She claimed that as a society we are losing our "morals". This made me admire the author of this book even more because she took a risk by including queer characters and portraying their relationship as equal to heterosexual relationships, but challenged by a bigoted government. I liked how when Adelice found out, she saw nothing wrong with their love and found the treatment of the couple unfair. Kudos to you, Gennifer Albin, from an LGBTQ person. 

This book also did a great job of reflecting the reality of harmful values, generally placed upon girls and women, often found in society. The author discusses these issues through the treatment of women in this book. Married women are expected to put their husband before everything else. Women are subjected to these ridiculous "purity standards" that they must keep up.

Overall, a great book! I loved it and I was surprised by how much it got to me. 

I recommend this books to fans of YA and dystopia especially if you're looking for a unique dystopian novel. If you want to read a book about questioning what you have been told and breaking free from society's boundaries, this book is for you.

Find Crewel on Goodreads.