Thursday, December 19, 2013

Review: Pawn

PAWN
The Blackcoat Rebellion #1
Aimee Carter
Young Adult/Dystopian
352 pages
HarlequinTEEN
Available Now
Source: ARC from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
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.


MY THOUGHTS
Pawn is a thrilling start to a new series, the intensity of it stemming not so much from action but rather intrigue, every person Kitty comes across outfitted with multiple masks both literal and figurative that keep us guessing as to what their charm or their cruelty is hiding. It’s with no shortage of trepidation then that we flip the pages of this first installment, wondering what move any one of the players of this horrifying power game will make next and, even more pressing, where that move falls in the grand scheme of their endless conniving. Though it may sound as though Kitty is surrounded by a group of utterly miserable and truly awful people, what makes this book so thought-provoking is Ms. Carter’s ability to cast light on some of their darker motives, forcing us to understand their endgame even though we’re appalled by the lengths to which they're willing to go to achieve it.

Kitty is a joy to follow from the beginning, a young woman with an extraordinary sense of self despite being what society calls an “extra”, given the last name of Doe and shipped off to a group home to be yet another hungry mouth to feed in a sea of gaping maws. She knows exactly who she is though, and even while those in power succeed in shaping her physically, she never bends mentally, refusing to be manipulated and always keeping an eye and ear out to help her navigate exceedingly dangerous seas. She’s a person who absorbs information like a sponge, allowing it to seep in and settle while she figures out how she feels about it, never overreacting or jumping to conclusions like those around her. Instead she is ever-patient, learning the rules of a game she never thought would have a place in her life and slowly acquiring the knowledge to outplay the longtime players.

The romance in this first installment is as interesting as the rest of the story, at first appearing as though it will be a non-issue, only for previously clear waters to grow murkier as Kitty is sucked deeper and deeper into Lila’s life. She begins this journey with an adorable longtime boyfriend in Benjy (whom we unfortunately don't get to know all that well in this first book), someone she’s desperate to save from herself given her unfortunate classification as a III, but when playing Lila Hart she’s engaged to Knox, someone she knows from the moment she meets him has innumerable secrets. Luckily though, there's no real love triangle situation even when Benjy enters back into the picture after a fairly lengthy absence, and thankfully all three of them know exactly where everyone else stands so there’s no petty jealousy or over the top reactions. They are all victims of circumstance (perhaps Knox to a lesser degree than Kitty and Benjy), and the relationship between the three of them has the potential to be one of those nuanced and infinitely complex ones that hold us captivated rather than irritating us with the transparent purpose of creating drama for an existing couple.

Overall, Pawn is a quick and extremely tense read, one that makes us absurdly grateful we have our reality to return to after seeing the Hart’s warped version of utopia. We’re left at a logical stopping point with no cliffhanger in sight, and I simply can’t wait to see where Ms. Carter and Kitty take us next.

Rating: 4/5



Find Aimee 


This book was sent to me by the publisher free of charge for the purpose of a review
I received no other compensation and the above is my honest opinion.

24 comments:

  1. At first I was not entirely sold on this one as I'm not in the mood for Dystopian stories. This one has a more SciFi touch to it, which in turn I really like.

    Also, I really like the way you describe the romance. Me needs Romance :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. I want more dystopia, everyone else have read like hundreds more than I :/

    ReplyDelete
  3. I started my copy of Pawn yesterday, so far it seems to be quite slow, but I look forward to when the story finally kicks in. I'm also glad to hear that there was no love triangle in this story, the way you've described how Carter deals with these three characters I think I would approve. Fab review as always!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm so glad you enjoyed this one, Jenny! I've become a little too tired of dystopian these days, so I'll probably see how this entire series plays out before beginning this one, but I'm really thrilled to hear there isn't a love triangle. Phew! ;)

    ReplyDelete
  5. I think we need to ditch Benji completely. He didn't contribute much to the story (except some angst) and he's a bit of a milquetoast (heh. My historical romance readings coming through there!). Otherwise, a really interesting premise.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh, I'm so glad you liked this one, too, Jenny! I was worried I'd hate it, but I ended up really liking it, and I found that so surprising! Wasn't Kitty such a fun character to get to know? I felt like she was the heroine I'd wanted throughout Ms. Carter's entire last series lol

    ReplyDelete
  7. Oooh. This one sounds intriguing, Jenny. Even with a somewhat love triangle.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I am SO glad this didn't take the usual love triangle route! You had me scared there just for a second. I was frowning @ my screen and then you clarified and suddenly I wanted to know more.
    My copy arrived just yesterday and I can't wait to start it. It's up next on my schedule anyway.
    Thank you for making me even more excited about it.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hmmm..not sure of this one. I'm a bit burned out on the dystopian genre but I do like the emphasis is on intrigue rather than just solely action. The social classes conflict is interesting too. I just don't think it's the right book for me.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I didn't stick with Carter's Goddess series, and so for that reason I had kind of overlooked this release. I've been hearing a lot of good things about this one though, so maybe I should check it out at some point!

    ReplyDelete
  11. I thought I was over the whole dystopian genre, but Shatter Me got me into it again. I will have to check this one out. I'm glad you enjoyed it and I like that there's no cliffhanger or a love triangle. Great review, Jenny!

    ReplyDelete
  12. I wasn't a fan of Carter's Goddess series but got this one for review since it sounded interesting. I haven't read it yet but I like that Kitty thinks through her actions. It's also good to know that there's no real love triangle situation. Thanks, Jenny!

    ReplyDelete
  13. I agree, this sounds really interesting Jenny!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Sounds like a really interesting read...and I'm so glad to hear that there's really no love triangle...they can get so old so fast!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Yeah for no love triangles and cliffhangers I really need to get to my copy. I love these type of dystopian with stringent societies.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I am going to have to pick this up, I passed on it because i was knee deep in reviews and was trying to be good. Pfft! This sounds like something I will totally enjoy! Lovely review Jenny!

    ReplyDelete
  17. I passed on this one due to time, but I'm so bummed now! I'm so adding it to my wishlist. LOVE that there is no triangle (even though there was a threat with one) and especially NO CLIFFIE! WHEEE!!! Darn, I'm going to have to start this one soon so I can be caught up.

    No cliffie!!! :D

    ReplyDelete
  18. Well, I'm pretty sick of dystopia (not that I ever liked it to begin with) but I do like Aimee. I also like that it's the girl trying to save the boy from herself rather than the other way around.

    ReplyDelete
  19. I waited to read your review until I finished this book this afternoon! I loved it! I'm such a fan of Aimee's from the Goddess Test series, and this book so so excited and fun! I loved getting lost in it and cannot wait for Captive!

    ReplyDelete
  20. I have only heard wonderful things about this one! I read her other series (except the last book) and liked it pretty well. This one sounds great!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Beautiful Review! There really is nothing more to say. You reviewed it so well!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Hey Jenny, great review! I have yet to read it myself but Chayse has read it and like it. Thanks for sharing :)

    ReplyDelete
  23. I'm so happy to hear that you enjoyed this one too! I was really relieved when the love triangle never really took off. I hope Benjy has more to do in the sequel, though. I agree that Kitty is like a sponge, and she's proven herself to be rather clever. Can't wait for the next book! Lovely review!

    ReplyDelete
  24. I'm glad that you enjoyed this book! I am sad to say that I couldn't finish it. I have a complete block against starting new dystopians, especially ones that appear to be heading towards another rebellion (or at least that's what it looked like at 30% or so). I also HATED Kitty. Like seriously, I wanted to strangle her. She was really naive and made very impulsive stupid decisions. I get that she was in a hard spot, but she decides to be a prostitute and sell her virginity with seemingly no understanding of what that means or the consequences it could have. Maybe I would have liked her more eventually, and I'm probably being too harsh, but I didn't connect at all to her. I like what you said about the love triangle - reminds me a bit of Hunger games where it's a lot of circumstances. BUT, I still don't think I'm ready to deal with one at all. That was another worry of mine. Gosh, I sound really terrible and negative. I do like what you said about Kitty getting caught up in this huge political/social drama. Maybe I'll pick this up again one day and really like it? Thanks for the thoughtful review!

    ReplyDelete