The Hunger Games meets Romeo and Juliet in a stunning debut about a forbidden romance between a young activist and a government employee working for a corrupt bureau that controls the population by deciding who lives and who dies.
Roman Irvine is a disgruntled IT Technician for the Divinity Bureau, a government agency that uses random selection to decide who lives and who dies. In a world where overpopulation has led to pollution, a crippled economy, and a world in crisis, he has accepted the bureau’s activities as a necessity. That is until he meets April McIntyre.
April has every reason to be suspicious of Roman. He works for the Divinity Bureau, which sent her father to an early grave. However, he is also sweet and loyal, and unbeknownst to her, he saved her life. As Roman and April fall deeper in love, the deeper they are thrust into the politics of deciding who lives and who dies. Someone wants April dead. And the bureau’s process of random selection may not be so random after all.
I received this book in exchange for an honest review from the author
I got caught up in the dystopian craze along with everyone else some years ago when every second book published was dystopian. I couldn’t get enough of them. But it wasn’t long before I was all dystopian-ed out. Reading the synopsis for this novel, I was slightly worried that I would feel the same blah feeling that I normally get.
I didn’t.
It was really the Romeo and Juliet aspect that kept me going. Star-crossed lovers are exactly my cup of tea and I wasn’t disappointed. I loved the story line between April and Roman. They were great together. I think the only thing negative I would have to say is I didn’t really connect with them. Their characters kind of fell flat for me as individuals. I would compare it to watching one episode of a television series. You can enjoy the show, and you can feel for the characters but because you haven’t watched the whole series, you don’t feel for them as much as you’re supposed to.
Regardless of that part, this was an extremely enjoyable novel. I loved the world building and it was a breath of fresh air to see a dystopian about over-population instead of a crazy war that brought on the events. The authors imagination and creativity is mind-blowing. It kind of reminded me of a short story I had to read in English class when I was in highschool: The Lottery by Shirley Jackson. I remember really enjoying the story.
If you’re looking for a fresh take on dystopian novels, definitely check this one out!
In the spirit of this wonderful holiday, I’m going to do a giveaway! All you need to do is comment on and like at least one post during the next 25 days and you’ll be entered to win a book($20.00 or less) of your choice from Book Depository. Winner will be chosen and announced December 29th.
Bree Howland 