Review: XVI by Julia Karr

XVI by Julia Karr

XVI #1
Release Date: January 6th, 2011
Number of pages: 325

Publisher: Speak
Source: Bought

In the year 2150, being a girl isn’t necessarily a good thing, especially when your sixteenth (read sex-teenth) birthday is fast approaching. That in itself would be enough to make anyone more than a little nuts, what with the tattoo and all – but Nina Oberon’s life has taken a definite turn for the worse. Her mother is brutally stabbed and left for dead. Before dying, she entrusts a secret book to Nina, telling her to deliver it to Nina's father. But, first Nina has to find him; since for fifteen years he's been officially dead. Complications arise when she rescues Sal, a mysterious, and ultra hot guy. He seems to like Nina, but also seems to know more about her father than he’s letting on. Then there’s that murderous ex-government agent who’s stalking her, and just happens to be her little sister’s dad

I didn’t really know what to expect of this book. I had never heard from it. What a great read, I must say. It is such a captivating book. Set in a dystopia, the story revolves around a fifteen years old girl Nina. For once, I feel like I can identify in a way with the main character. I start reading it yesterday, and I honestly couldn’t put it down. I was completely captivated by it. It is so well written; the characters are amazing, and the plot excellent. You want to know what will happen to Nina. You want to know who is really Sal. You hope Sandy will someday stop being such a naïve girl.

I saw in this book a critic of the world, a warning of where we could be going. It is a world where people don’t think. They do what the government tells them to do. They think what the medias tell them to think. They don’t really question anything. Will the world end up like this?

I hope this book can make teenagers start questioning what they are told. There is too many that don’t seem to always think for themselves.

This book is my favorite for 2011 so far. I would recommend it to anyone whose looking for a good read.