Review: The Forsaken by Lisa M. Stasse
Synopsis: "A thought-provoking and exciting start to a riveting new dystopian trilogy for fans of The Hunger Games.
As an obedient orphan of the U.N.A. (the super-country that was once Mexico, the U.S., and Canada), Alenna learned at an early age to blend in and be quiet—having your parents taken by the police will do that to a girl. But Alenna can’t help but stand out when she fails a test that all sixteen-year-olds have to take: The test says she has a high capacity for brutal violence, and so she is sent to The Wheel, an island where all would-be criminals end up.The life expectancy of prisoners on The Wheel is just two years, but with dirty, violent, and chaotic conditions, the time seems a lot longer as Alenna is forced to deal with civil wars for land ownership and machines that snatch kids out of their makeshift homes. Desperate, she and the other prisoners concoct a potentially fatal plan to flee the island. Survival may seem impossible, but Alenna is determined to achieve it anyway." (Source: Goodreads)
*many thanks to Simon & Schuster for allowing me a chance to read this book*
This is one of those books that sucked me in from the beginning and never let me go. In a word, it was brilliant. I LOVED the world that Lisa Stasse created here. I love how eerie parts of it got. I love how it could actually happen.
Okay, I don't love that it could actually happen.
That bit aside, this is one of those books that was just plain awesome. I really don't have a ton to say about it, because it would be all spoilery and stuff, but I hope you'll read it anyway. It was seriously an amazing book.
Ms. Stasse's worldbuilding is fantastic. I really felt at times like I could see the island and knew exactly what the inhabitants were looking at. I could feel the climate changes and smell the smells. Towards the end, there's a big event that I may as well have been right there for, because I swear I lived it with the characters.
Speaking of characters, I mostly loved them. My favorite female character was Gadya, a secondary character. She was strong and the best kind of friend. Sure, she had her moments (some big ones), but in the end, she really comes through. I didn't like the main character, Alenna, as much as I liked Gadya, but I didn't dislike her at all. She was strong in her own way.
Then there's Liam and David. Both amazing guys who are brilliantly written. They made me care about them and not in a 'you're so hot' kind of way.
Truly fantastic book that I think everyone should read. It's a winner! 4 Eiffel Towers.
Content Advisory:
Language: Moderate
Sexuality: Mild
Violence: Heavy
Goodreads Link
Purchase information:
Barnes & Noble
Amazon
Published:
July 2012
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Source: Simon & Schuster PulseIt
