Thursday, November 7, 2013

Review: Pawn by Aimee Carter

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Pawn by Aimee Carter
Publisher- Harlequin Teen
Released- Nov 26th 2013
Pre-Order- Amazon / B & N

YOU CAN BE A VII. IF YOU GIVE UP EVERYTHING. For Kitty Doe, it seems like an easy choice. She can either spend her life as a III in misery, looked down upon by the higher ranks and forced to leave the people she loves, or she can become a VII and join the most powerful family in the country.
If she says yes, Kitty will be Masked—surgically transformed into Lila Hart, the Prime Minister's niece, who died under mysterious circumstances. As a member of the Hart family, she will be famous. She will be adored. And for the first time, she will matter.
There's only one catch. She must also stop the rebellion that Lila secretly fostered, the same one that got her killed …and one Kitty believes in. Faced with threats, conspiracies and a life that's not her own, she must decide which path to choose—and learn how to become more than a pawn in a twisted game she's only beginning to understand.

My Thoughts:
Once you turn 17 your life is ranked by the number branded to the back of you neck. It establishes your importance into society. A society that promises that the citizens will be taken care of, but you have to give back first. Everyone has their role to play, but it just so happens that Kitty Doe is a III (3)…well, it’s better then being a I (1) and going Elsewhere. Still, the life she was hoping for with her boyfriend, Benjy feels even more impossible so when Prime Minister Daxton offers Kitty the life of a VII (7) she agreed but not understanding the consequences. Kitty was Masked, altered to be Lila Hart, one of the most important girls in the country, but at a price that not only cost Kitty her identity but her life and the only life she wanted with Benjy.

To be honest, I was very conflicted throughout this entire book. There were some things that worked and didn't work for me when reading Pawn. Already a big fan of Aimee Carter’s Goddess Test series, I’m very comfortable with the way this woman can write and was surprised how amazingly put together this story is. Carter doesn't waste anytime moving her characters in a game of scandalous politics and conspiracy set in a world that is merciless, corrupt and unfair. But I fear that there are just too many head-games, threats, lies, betrayal and deception that it made it incredibly hard for me to like or be invested with any of these characters with the exception of Kitty and Benjy. There is so much back-stabbing and pointless murders, even within the Hart family that it made the entire story-line feel untrustworthy and lacked the essential point of what has been sacrificed and fought for. Hope. There just doesn't seem to be enough of it.

With that said, I still found this book to be quite fascinating. I have always had a hard time with books that are overly political, but Carter has spun a very carefully crafted plot that has more then it’s share of twist and turns to keep the readers guessing and on their toes. I also really love the fact that we have an already established romance. I love watching characters fall in love in stories, but it’s really nice to be able to sink into how they already feel for one another and enjoy their moments between them without having to guess or worry about how things move along. Kitty and Benjy have a wonderfully sweet relationship that kept me committed throughout the story and thankfully there isn't a love triangle insight.

I have a hard time expressing my feeling’s for some of these characters since all of them seem to have their own secrets and agendas, twisting my stomach with pure hatred for the things they have done or threatened to do.
Daxton and Augusta are cold, unflinching manipulative characters that will do anything to uphold the Hart family name and needs and while I liked Celia most of the time, even she had underhanded moments that surprised me, but really shouldn't have. 
Knox and Greyson seem friendly and genuine enough but the way these characters use each other as a means to an end even has be doubting them as well. I guess only time will show their true intentions.
The only real characters that I seem to have cared about or trusted was Kitty and Benjy. Kitty is a spunky character that was thrown into a world even more horrific then the one she left. While Benjy played the ever loyal and loving boyfriend any girl would be lucky to have.

All in all, this may have turned out to be only a decent read for myself, but I’m sure fans will enjoy the political edge, thrilling mystery, suspense and light romance that this book has to offer. I may not have always been entertained by the things that happened, but I was always intrigued right till the very end and curious enough to want to know what happens next.

Find the author:
Goodreads / Website                               3.5 snowflakes

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