Title: Pawn
Author: Aimee Carter
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release Date: 1st December 2013
Source: Bought
Rating: 3 out of 5
Description:
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.
Pawn is an unexpected surprise.
Twisty and turney, this dystopian adventure is choc full of shocking surprises.
This book was defiantly not what I was expecting. What I thought was going to
be a book filled with intrigue turned out to be a book where secrets have
secrets and no one is whom they seem. Pawn is a game where everyone is playing
to win; only everyone has a different set of rules. This book is defiantly
dangerous, edgy and filled with secret agendas, even though at times it felt a
little over the top. It didn’t
entirely sweep me off my feet but it was a good read.
The book begins with a bang. Pawn
is set in a dystopian society that exhibits a divide between the poor and the
wealthy. Pawn has a lot of
elements in common with other dystopian novels. However where Pawn stands out
is its unexpected surprising plot that dishes out revelation after revelation. Kitty
lives in a society that determines a person place by their rank. Kitty is
ranked an III, but is offered the choice to become a VII and a member of the
ruling family. To become a VII she has to transform and pretend to be the Prime
Minister’s niece Lila. But as a
member of the ruling family she has to deal with a rebellion, secret agendas and
the all-powerful Hart family. Kitty’s life is on the line because if she so
much as steps out of line its means her death.
The book quickly delves into story.
However it is the events at the start and the end of the book that grab your
attention. The middle of the book
didn’t capture my attention as much as I would have liked. Aimee Carter ensures that
there is a sense of danger and underhandedness incorporated into each aspect of
the story as characters scheme and plot. As a result only some of the secrets
and revelations were truly shocking. That being said some of the events to me seemed to be a bit
over the top and excessive as there was enough duplicity going on without
adding to it. At times it seemed as through the characters were trying to out
do themselves with all the backstabbing making things a little convoluted.
Kitty is stuck in a very
unfortunate situation, especially in the beginning as Kitty makes a very hard
choice about what to do about the rank she has been given. Kitty journey was also very fascinating
as she goes from trying to survive to being a formidable player in a dangerous
game. Kitty is a trooper; she’s
street smart, persistent and loyal. She has no illusions about the rebellion. She
tries to stay alive and save those who she loves. Along the way she discovers
that she may be more valuable to the country than she thought. My only problem with her was that she was
a little too trusting in some situations and very quick to believe in others.
The Hart family was a whole bunch
of crazy, manipulative individuals who exceeded in backstabbing. The entire
family was trying to get one up on one another. So much destruction and
corruption all within one family. It’s really interesting to watch their
dynamics especially between Celia, Daxton and Augusta. This was one
dysfunctional family whose hobby was murdering each other.
There was not a lot of romance in
this book, however the romance that we did get was something I did not
particularly enjoy. Benjy was a
standard sort of a love interest. He was a little boring in my opinion. There was nothing
remarkably special about him and Kitty. Their relationship was already in full
swing by the time the book starts so I wish we could have seen more of their
relationship. Kitty goes to great lengths to protect him but I felt like I
didn’t really understand the depth of their relationship.
A good book with dubious
characters and unexpected revelations.
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