Review: A Thrilling First Book in a Promising New Adult Dystopian Series!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 07 15, 2014
'Carrier' is the first book in a heart-pounding New Adult dystopian series that follows our lead heroine, Naya, as she attempts to escape the clutches of the government and gain her freedom. After being sold to a government sex slave institute named "The Line" at age 12, Naya has known nothing outside of its doors or apart from her terrible life for the past 9 years. When she is brought to the manager's office and told that she's pregnant - which shouldn't be possible for girls on the Line - she's also released back into society with certain conditions: she must find a replacement for herself on the line or they will find her when her babies are born, take them and kill her. Not knowing how to live outside the Line, Naya is lucky when she's taken to see a doctor who happens to be part of an underground group who want to help girls like her - to wipe her from the government's system and give her the freedom she longs for. Things aren't what they seem though, and soon the Line and the government have caught on to their plan and are hunting them down across the city. Naya realizes her pregnancy wasn't accidental and the government wants her and her twins for much bigger purposes than she could've imagined.It took a bit for the story to get going for me, but once it did - I was sucked in until the end. I wasn't sure I was going to like the book that much because, like I mentioned, I couldn't immerse myself into the story at the beginning. Things picked up on all counts - the plot thickened, the pace grew faster, and the characters began to show depth. From that point on, I was hooked. I love Naya as a main character for the series. She's an incredibly strong woman who has endured unimaginable abuse for the majority of her life. On top of that - as if that isn't enough - she must deal with being impregnated from this abuse and kicked out onto the streets with almost certain death awaiting her. She is strong - physically, mentally, and emotionally. She endured all the trauma in her life - losing herself in numbness and blocking it all out - but she has to live with it forever. She has to learn that what happened wasn't her fault and she has nothing to be ashamed about. This is a fantastic lesson and I liked watching her character gain strength throughout the book. The plot was original and very well written. There were parts of the story that made me want to stop reading because of the content and the vivid way it's told. Although with great writing you have to deal with both the good and the horrid parts of a story, because the entire book is written so you feel like you're there yourself. I loved the unexpected twists and turns the story took and the dystopian world that the author created was incredibly realistic - so much that I felt like I could easily shut my eyes and be there with Naya. I can't wait to see where the story's going to go next - I'll be eagerly awaiting the next book's release! Highly recommended for fans of dystopias, but be warned that there is some graphic content and is meant for a mature reading audience.Disclosure: I received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.