Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Review: The Murder Complex

THE MURDER COMPLEX
The Murder Complex #1
Lindsay Cummings
Young Adult/Dystopian
398 pages
Greenwillow Books
Available Now
Source: ARC from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
Meadow Woodson, a fifteen-year-old girl who has been trained by her father to fight, to kill, and to survive in any situation, lives with her family on a houseboat in Florida. The state is controlled by The Murder Complex, an organization that tracks the population with precision.

The plot starts to thicken when Meadow meets Zephyr James, who is—although he doesn’t know it—one of the MC’s programmed assassins. Is their meeting a coincidence? Destiny? Or part of a terrifying strategy? And will Zephyr keep Meadow from discovering the haunting truth about her family?


MY THOUGHTS
The Murder Complex is one of those stories that forces us to rationalize the brutality of our protagonists within the context of their world when in our own they would have all the makings of monsters. As a result, we spend a great deal of time asking ourselves uncomfortable questions–questions as to whether or not we could do what Meadow does to protect and care for her family–and find ourselves riveted by the answers. What’s perhaps most fascinating about this dark and gritty tale is the degrees of villainy within it, each character full of good intentions that pave the way to a hell of their own making, and we’re swept along in a tide of blood and death as we slowly uncover how humanity managed to both evolve and devolve so spectacularly.

Meadow is someone we can’t help but root for despite the fact that she takes lives with an ease that should be alarming, but she finds no joy in the killing, she simply does what needs to be done in the name of her family and feels little guilt when she’s the one left standing. A young woman with edges as hard and sharp as Meadow's should be tricky to connect with, but Ms. Cummings does a truly beautiful job of weaving vulnerabilities through her armor; family-shaped chinks appearing more frequently with each chapter. Her love for her brother and her little sister is painful because we know inevitably they’re a weakness to be exploited, but their relationship is a hint of the familiar in a world ruled by methodical chaos, and we latch on to it with all the strength we possess.

Where Meadow’s love for Peri and Koi brings a warm flush to our skin, her relationship with her father immediately cools it, the two of them locked together in a vicious cycle of violence and survival. We want to hate her father for the things he subjects her to and often find our lips curling in disgust at his “training” methods, but for all that he is harsh and unyielding and brutal, it’s his teachings that have saved–and continue to save–Meadow’s life again and again. Maybe she still would have survived with more love and fewer lessons learned the hard way, but as the secrets and lies that make up The Murder Complex are slowly revealed, we develop a sort of twisted admiration for him and the lengths to which he’s willing to go to ensure his daughter will always be the one to come out on top.

The romance between Meadow and Zephyr is perhaps the weakest aspect of this story, but it’s still an enjoyable addition with a great deal of promise that will hopefully be explored with more depth in the next installment. Overall, The Murder Complex is a read that flies by, short 2-3 page chapters and an alternating point of view between Meadow and Zephyr ensuring we have an incredibly difficult time setting this book down to return to our regular lives.

Rating: 4/5


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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.

35 comments:

  1. I've been shying away from this book even though it completely intrigues me. I love when stories exploring darker themes, which this one for sure sounds like it would be. But then, dystopia like setting throw me off.The relationship to the father sounds quite interesting though...

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    1. I actually think you would like this one Danny! I loved how everything played out:)

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  2. I'm glad you liked it, I confess that I saw a few mixed reviews about it and I'm finally quite mixed too so I'm not sure if I'll read it or not...

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    1. I hope you give it a try Melliane! I thought it was really well done:)

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  3. I love alternating perspectives when the chapters are short and concise since the book just flies by in that case. I've been on the fence about this one for awhile and will probably wait until closer to the release date of the sequel to pick this up (I am waaay too wary of series these days!), but the premises of this is definitely so promising and I'm thrilled you enjoyed it. Fantastic review, Jenny! :)

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    1. Me too. The super short chapters had me reading well into the night:)

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  4. I completely agree about the dad. I know I shouldn't have liked him, but I did. And like you said, as the story progresses, we have a better understanding. He's a little psycho though.. like when he first encountered Z. Lol, damn.

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    1. Yes! I would find myself grateful to him for teaching Meadow how to survive and then I'd think WTF? to myself for being grateful to someone who essentially abuses her. Such an interesting dynamic.

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  5. The reviews that first came out hadn't been that great for this book, so I was seriously considering not reading it at all. But I love how it left such a great impression with you Jenny, books that leave you thinking about them for days afterwards I find are always the best! Thank you for changing my mind about this book!

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    1. Books that make me question and thing are always my favorites Jasprit:) While I would have liked more from the romance, the world was fascinatingly terrifying and I really, really liked Meadow.

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  6. I do love a character you want to hate, but can't. The right motivations can make up for a lot. :)

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    1. Exactly. Could be I'm making his motivations out to be something they're not as well, but I like to think he beats the shit out of daughter for love ;-)

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  7. Well this looks like a great book
    And an enjoyable one
    Great review ;)
    Your reader
    Soma r.

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  8. This book was so crazy!! So much happened and I'm still processing. I don't know if I loved it, hated it or what! Definitely agree about the weak love story but I'm intrigued enough about the world to continue. You'd hope, if there was a way to get rid of disease and extend life, we'd find some other way to control the population's numbers...

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    1. YES! It was madness all the way through but I couldn't put it down. I was rooting for Meadow even though she could be brutal:)

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  9. I'm glad to hear you also enjoyed this one, Jenny!
    I felt like Meadow was a very good character, but the biggest strenght of the book was the world building and the food for thought it would give us! I also found very intriguing how characters hid so many layers and twists on their backstories!
    Cannot wait for the next book now!
    Great review, Jenny!

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    1. Exactly. I don't want to live in this world AT ALL, but I so enjoyed thinking about it well after I finished reading:) I can't wait for the next book either!

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  10. I'm so glad you enjoyed The Murder Complex, Jenny! It sounds as intense and action packed as the blurb suggest. I'm looking forward to meeeting Meadow-who sounds like a very complex heroine herself. Thanks for the awesome review! :)

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    1. Meadow is definitely complex. I can't wait to see what you think of her Kim!

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  11. I've been wanting to read The Murder Complex since forever, Jenny, but the negative reviews have saddened me and pushed me away from it. I'm so glad I came across your review, because now I feel like it could perhaps be something I could enjoy. I especially like the sound of Meadow. I love how she's this vulnerable but strong character. I'm also curious about her relationship with her father. They seem to have a strained but interesting one. It's also nice to know that the romance isn't the best part to this series beforehand.
    Lovely review, Jenny!

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    1. Her relationship with her father was one of the most interesting aspects for me. I wanted him to be pure villain for the way he treats her, but then I'd think how brutal the world was and I can't help but think she'd be dead if he didn't "teach" her.

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  12. You said it perfectly Jenny (like always!)! Meadow is a lovable character but not in your normal heroine type of way. She is brutal and a bit frightening but you can't help but love her loyalty and love for her family in such a harsh environment.

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  13. Oh this sounds like it is for me. I like that it makes you think and I also don't mind that the romance is weak (or the weakest part). I've been curious about this one and I do think I need to read it!

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  14. I think I've been shying away from this book too, crazy hype always tends to give me pause...at least till it dies down a bit. But reading your gorgeous review here just makes me wish I owned a copy of it, because I would dive it right this second. It reminds me a bit of a film a really enjoyed: Hanna. I'd be curious to see if I still feel the similarities after reading the Murder Complex. In any case, I'll definitely be checking this one out, hopefully sooner rather than later. I LOVE books that make you think, make you ask uncomfortable questions and that just grab on to you and don't let go. Fantastic review ^^

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  15. i am not WoWd, so maybe that says no then

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  16. i've been debating whether or not to give this one a shot. The world sounds interesting enough but I don't know i just haven't been feeling it as much recently. Maybe i'm just not in the mood for it. It kind of sucks that the romance is what you consider to be the weakest aspect of the book sicne i'm big on romance in stories. I don't need it to be the centre of it (i don't typically like that) But i do like for it to be clear and a nice addition not feel like it's dragging or just random. Either way i might give this one a shot someday!

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  17. I enjoyed this blending of science fiction and fantasy into a dystopian world and cannot wait for book two! Wonderful review Jenny!

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  18. Wow... well, I'm definitely intrigued now. It's just interesting to me that Meadow isn't your typical MC and isn't one that you would think you could like or relate to and yet, you say you did. This one was about to pass by my notice, but now that I've read your review, I'm super curious!

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  19. It's too bad the romance in this one is a bit weak, but I love that it has such complex characters. I'm really interested in seeing Meadow's dynamics with her father, who sounds brutal but interesting. This is a book I've been pretty excited about so I'm glad you enjoyed it, Jenny.

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  20. YAY! I have this one on my tbr pile as well. So many awesome books coming out!

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  21. I am SO going to love this: "Meadow is someone we can’t help but root for despite the fact that she takes lives with an ease that should be alarming, but she finds no joy in the killing." That's pretty much my definition of a PERFECT heroine. I love it when they're blood-thirsty, LOL. Great review, Jenny!

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  22. I've heard a lot of mixed things about this so I wasn't sure if I would like it or not. I have a copy and I'm excited to read it, but a little scared too. Reading your review has my hopes up that I will like it.

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  23. I'm so glad you enjoyed this one. I've been looking forward to reading it, and knowing that it was enjoyed by you makes me even more excited to read it!

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  24. Yay! I'm so glad that you really liked this one! I have had it for a while now but have been reading many negative reviews on it which has been keeping me away from reading it ASAP. It's so nice to see a review that is positive and makes me know that it's a really good book!

    Awesome review, Jenny!

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