XVI by Julia Karr
★★★★★
Publisher: Puffin/Speak
Genre: YA Dystopian
Most opinions on this book have been pretty mixed, some like it, some don't. I actually really enjoyed it, it's an emotional roller coaster that kept me wanting to read more. So much happens throughout the pages of this story that it's hard to sum it all up here without giving anything away.
The premise of this book had me wondering if I'd like it. It's a racy idea but was done tastefully by Julia Karr, it's a society based on female exploitation beginning at the age of 16.
Nina lives in this world of the 22nd century where girls who turn 16 get an XVI tattoo on their wrists so that the world knows they are legal. Sex-teen is what it's known as. They are brainwashed from a young age and told how to dress and act at 16. Nina is not like that at all. She doesn't want to turn 16 and the closer she gets to her birthday the more truths she learns about the government and the wrong things it is doing.
The main thing I really loved about this book is how normal Nina is. She is identifiable and someone any girl can relate to. She makes mistakes, she questions herself and her decisions. While reading it I kept thinking, what would I do in this situation. I was trying to figure out what was going to happen next the whole book and kept getting surprised. Julia Karr is an amazing author, it's a very emotional ride she takes the readers on. My one complaint is that over and over we find out the same information. When it goes from character to character we learn the same things repeatedly. I found myself yelling at the book sometimes, wanting to learn something new, but it was still an excellent read!
There is so much to talk about from this book. I really really loved the originality of the story. It's a dystopian thriller unlike any I've read. It has pain and suffering and so much more, like the vulnerability displayed by these young girls, it is so real and scary. I am so glad it's part of a series. Downside, #2 doesn't come out until 2012.
