Review: In Review: The Wicked We Have Done (Chaos Theory #1) by Sarah Harian
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 03 22, 2014
I wasn't really sure what to expect when I began reading this book. I read a lot of new adult, but this is the first that hasn't been entirely romance-focused. Upon reading the synopsis, I wondered how a new adult dystopian novel would differ from a young adult one. There's not a huge difference, honestly, except the things happening here were generally more graphic than in any YA dystopian I've read before.The concept of this novel was intriguing to me. Nothing is ever as it seems in a dystopian and I knew this would be no exception. The characters are sent through seriously disturbing trials that all revolve, in some way, around the crimes that landed them in the Compass Room to begin with. I won't spoil anything for you, but expect to be seriously creeped out by the things these characters deal with. This book describes everything in a way that makes you feel like you're right there experiencing it for yourself.There are a LOT of complicated characters in this story. It was a little difficult to keep them straight at first, but as in most dystopians, the majority of them aren't around for the duration. Once the cast was whittled down a bit, it was easier to focus on those who would play a major part in the story. All criminals to varying degrees, some of these people were rather disturbed, as you can imagine. Others were quite normal, despite what they did to land them in this situation. We learn early on the events that landed each and every one of them in the Compass Room, but we don't know the details behind most of them for quite awhile. Even the background behind what landed Evalyn, the main character, in this situation wasn't fully revealed until nearly the end of the book.While romance isn't the focus of the books, there's definitely a good bit of it happening. There are also a lot of lesbian undertones in the book, and even a lesbian relationship. It was nice to see some diversity in this genre. Of course, most of that relationship develops outside of what the reader is privy to at the time. The relationship between Evalyn and Casey was perfect. It developed quickly, but I definitely wouldn't consider it love at first sight. They made a fantastic team and I don't think the book would have been the same without this particular pairing. It was easy to see how much they cared about each other and how much they wanted to both save themselves and the friends they made in the Compass Room as well.The Wicked We Have Done was suspenseful and kept me on the edge until the very last page. I still have loads of questions – namely, what in the world is Chaos Theory?! – and I can't wait to (hopefully) get some answers when the second book in the series is released in September. If you're looking for a different type of new adult book that has some great characters and an intriguing storyline, look no further. There's more than a hint of the sexy romance I've come to expect from new adult books, as well.I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.