This book was sent to me by the publisher.
By: Gabrielle Zevin
Anya Balanchine hasn’t had the easiest of lives. At 16 she is the one responsible for her family – her brother, her younger sister; their parents are dead and their grandmother is desperately ill, dying. Anya also admits she has bad taste in boys, until Win comes along. Added to all that, is the fact she is the child of an organised crime family. She tries to keep things separate from the ‘family’, until she gets arrested for attempted murder. The new ADA takes a particular interest in Anya’s case and in Anya, he is Win’s father after all and the son of a DA dating the daughter of a crime boss really doesn’t look like a good idea, especially in the long term.
Anya just wants to protect her family and tries to break it off with Win even though she loves him. It turns out there is much more going on than she realises and pulling herself out of the family business may not be the best course of action.
Will she decide for love or loyalty? Whatever chooses will have shattering consequences.
Anya is a refreshing young adult heroine. She is pragmatic instead of romantic, protective even if a little misguided at times. She is the lynchpin of her family and runs her decisions through that lens. Her best friend is a good foil for her and Win an appealing love interest, stubborn and charming. Her immediate family are wonderfully developed, each with an unique style, written in a way that wraps them together even as little things and big things try to pull them apart.
Zevin has done a remarkable job of painting a futuristic prohibition society. (One I would struggle to stay on the right side of the law in, as chocolate is illegal). The way she has put it all together it makes sense. This is a story that reads well, is very entertaining and does a good job at keeping the reader engaged. At a time where there are getting to be a good many futuristic/dystopian titles on the young adult shelves, this one stands out.
Publisher: Macmillan Children’s Books
Published: 1st September 2011
Format: Paperback 352 pages
Categories: Dystopian Crime
ISBN 13: 9780330537896
Purchase: here or use Booktopia logo on side of page
TheKylieVerse 
Leave a Reply