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GoodReads:

Jason Zhou survives in a divided society where the elite use their wealth to buy longer lives. The rich wear special suits that protect them from the pollution and viruses that plague the city, while those without suffer illness and early deaths. Frustrated by his city’s corruption and still grieving the loss of his mother, who died as a result of it, Zhou is determined to change things, no matter the cost.

With the help of his friends, Zhou infiltrates the lives of the wealthy in hopes of destroying the international Jin Corporation from within. Jin Corp not only manufactures the special suits the rich rely on, but they may also be manufacturing the pollution that makes them necessary.

Yet the deeper Zhou delves into this new world of excess and wealth, the more muddled his plans become. And against his better judgment, Zhou finds himself falling for Daiyu, the daughter of Jin Corp’s CEO. Can Zhou save his city without compromising who he is or destroying his own heart?

My Review

There are some books that within the first few pages that you know you’re going to love, unless the author just goes completely off the rails with it at some point. But, I don’t know you all, I tend to go on faith that if I love the start that much that the author won’t steer me wrong. [Has this backfired a couple of times? Definitely. Did it this time? Nope!]

I loved Pon’s writing style right off the bag, and this book had such a fantastic start! Pon builds up the world and the plot almost flawlessly in the lead up to the infiltration part of the heist and overall it was a very powerful read about the difference in classes and their quality of life.

Zhou was amazing and I adored him for an MC, the intensity of his situation had me dying to know what was going to happen next with every page turn.

This was the sort of scifi novel that doesn’t often get done, or done well so it was after my own little science-themed heart. I think another thing that made this such an impactful read to me was that the current situation though ‘futuristic’ was much closer to home than I’d probably like to consider. We had stronger effects of climate change, one that required wearing masks/helmets, and though our masks are for a virus, it still hit home. Not to mention there was a flu pandemic, so again, eerily similar to our situation now.

I loved so much about this, the ‘gang,’ the plot, the world’s situation, the class differences, everything…except the romance. I didn’t hate it, I just couldn’t feel it as genuine nor did I particularly care about the outcome of it, I just really enjoyed so much else about the book, I was too focused on the plot lol.

Zhou remains a strong character but all the side characters are wonderful as well and by the end of it, I just wanted to jump into the next book, Ruse. I’m hoping to get to it soon, but I’ll tell you what if you could only read a handful books this year, I would recommend this one at the top of my lungs if the similar situations from masks and pandemics wouldn’t bother you too much.

4.5 Cups of coffee from me! Time to dive into book 2!