She grew up battling the monsters that live in the black seas, but it couldn’t prepare her to face the cunning cruelty of the ruling elite.
–GoodReads
Sixteen-year-old Koral and her older brother Emrik risk their lives each day to capture the monstrous maristags that live in the black seas around their island. They have to, or else their family will starve.
My Review
It’s that time again, where I feel super guilty about writing a two cup review but I am also flabbergasted by what I read.
This was such a disappointment. The first chapter really pulled me in, I was intrigued and ready to read this.
Then I kept reading. And I felt myself becoming baffled. The love interest aspect was just not for me but I could have handled it if I had been able to untangle this book from another.
Look, I love The Hunger Games but I can admit that there’s elements that Collins has used from other books, it’s great that authors inspire authors. I doubt despite my love for the trilogy that it’s the most genuinely creative thing ever churned out. However.
However.
This book took so many elements from The Hunger Games that I can’t even fathom someone not telling her that it was a little too close to home.
-girl going into dystopian deadly game to save her little sister, mostly rich entrants signup for the glory
-had a pin that was given for a symbol for good luck and and possibly becomes, accidentally, a symbol herself
-forced to go to parties and keep up appearances by evil leader with white hair who is trying to manipulate her and uses her loved ones against her.
-land was down to ten divisions almost like districts
-she wins in spite of it all, but doesn’t actually want to be a rebel herself, is just trying to protect her sister.
-love interest is also part of the race
-actually says at one point the odds aren’t in her favor.
Again some of these are broad stroke, Collins doesn’t own these lines or ideas but when you combine them all in this dystopia setting it’s very hard to not make connections IF you’ve read The Hunger Games. If you haven’t? You’ll probably enjoy this more than me especially if you like dystopia.
The writing style itself wasn’t bad and the author has potential, I wouldn’t be against reading another book by her, just probably not anything concerning this race.
Thank you to the author, Netgalley, and publisher for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.
The Caffeinated Reader 