Taken by Erin Bowman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
First of all… Dystopian told in a male point of view…
And let me tell you, Erin Bowman does not disappoint.
In Claysoot, men are in the minority, in fact, there aren’t any past the age of eighteen. At midnight on a boys eighteenth birthday, the Heist happens. “The ground shakes, the wind howls and a blinding light descends… and he’s gone.” The older residents don’t remember much about how Claysoot came about only that they woke up and found themselves in the walled in city and shortly after is when the young men started disappearing.
Gray Weathersby has just watched his older brother be taken and now has just 12 months until his eighteenth birthday to figure out how to avoid being Taken himself. He can either stay in Claysoot and wait it out, or he can climb the wall and try to find out what truly happens outside their small town.
I’m not sure I can explain how much I loved this…
The twists and turns that Bowman had in this story had me wishing someone was reading along with me so I could turn to them and say “did that just really happen?”
First, the story is so far from predictable. You think you’ve read every dystopian plot out there… you’re wrong. This one is so different and so well developed and so intriguing. I was dying to get my hands on this one, and I was blown away.
The mystery surrounding Claysoot and the Heists is so original and unpredictable and just execellently developed. Everything made sense and fell into place as the story progressed at a perfect pace. I didn’t feel anything was rushed, least of all the world building. Bowman has created an original and interesting world for these characters.
But this story has so many layers… it’s not just about Claysoot, it’s also what is beyond their walls and how Gray makes his way. Twist after twist keep this story moving along and each one was more brilliant than the next.
Like you might have noticed above, I’m a sucker for a good male pov, and I won’t lie, I worried a bit that this would fall flat. IT DID NOT. I thought Gray was completely believably written as a male teenager. And even though he was selfish and impulsive and didn’t quite think things through, he was totally likable. While I’m not a fan of love triangles (Who is really?) this one was done really well, and I know who I’m rooting for that’s for sure. AND once again we have a novel that manages to incorporate a little bit of romance for us who adore it, without it taking over the whole plot of the story.
I normally try to incorporate some quotes in my reviews, but I can’t even really do that here… while I highlighted a ton of things in my copy, I don’t want to spoil anything for readers and so you’ll just have to take my word on the genius of the dialogue and writing! I can’t even tell you much about the secondary characters without ruining things!
So… what I’m saying is that on April 16th you need to buy this book… no matter what, get to the store and get it!
If you’re looking for incredible world building, fantastic writing, non-stop action and brilliant plot at a perfect pace, than this book is for you. I am excited to see where Bowman takes Gray and the rest of her characters in the next book in this series.
Thank you to HarperTeen for providing a copy for an honest review.
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