It's that old trap. A friend recommends a book. You share similar love of books. She gave it 5 stars, you read the first page and double (in this case triple) check to make sure it's the right book. Thankfully my friend (Hi Angie) and I have agreed to disagree on this book. It's a simple case of... This book just wasn't that into me. It wasn't the books fault lol it was mine. It was a bad break up. I just hope it doesn't drunk text me.
The book in question is Branded, by Abi Ketner and Missy Kalicicki. Now this book has great ratings. So this is strictly my opinion so before you little Branded lovers come and flame me for not liking it, I'm an old school troll and I flame back. Lol as if anyone will find their way to my little blog.
So if you plan on reading this dystopia tale of woe please stop here. Otherwise you've been warned about spoilers.
This story starts with a very awkward first person opening that left me baffled. Ok, she's six feet under but she's not, she's glaring at death and death is glaring back as she is about to hang herself. Ok so she's buried but not yet? I got the impression from the opening that she lived alone in a horrible shitty rat trap apartment. That she was going to off herself but she saw the ring her dad gave her with the longest ring inscription I have ever seen on it. It inspires her to live. (Pow!) Just as the fuzz busts in to drag her without a trial to... Drum roll.... The Hole. Dumdummdum. This is a place where the sinners are left to fend for themselves. I was thinking a literal hole. Kinda like the last batman movie and batman is in a prison in the ground, cause its a hole. But I get the impression this hole is more like a slum.
Lexi, our main character is branded with a blue band. She never fights, she just takes it. The blue color represents the sin of lust. Her guard is a hunky muscley guy named Cole. His dog, Zeus was my favorite character in the whole book. She lives in a crappy room with what must be the worst gas station like bathroom ever. She's given scrubs and hospital slippers and the ring her dad gave her is gone. She's warned that there aren't a lot of blue branded people because they don't last long. She's not given a job as a hooker, but she's given a job at the hospital. There she meets Dr. Sutton who looks vaguely familiar. She is told to befriend a dying girl, she does, they bond, the girl dies. Even Hugh she is branded as a sinner of lust, she listens to no one, and is almost killed by guards who try to rape her. Cole and Zeus just manage to save the day (bang!) Dr. Sutton is all hey Lexi I did a rape kit on you and you're a virgin, wow you must innocent!
Now Cole has reasons he's supposed to guard her. He doesn't say. His room is attached to hers and while her room is slummy his isn't. He feeds her, bagels. I guess hell has bagels. Everyone know they are in love before they know. He wants to know her story but she's too full of shame to tell. He admits he is going to go on a hunt for her brother that she literally just mentioned to him. Her brother is also in the hole. Lexi writes her story for him. All about her pervy step dad and how he was from High Society and after her dad died he came in, made her momma a pill popper. He also peed in her face. Let me say that again. He pissed in her face. It was 3am when I read that 4 times cause I was seriously what the fuckitty fuck fuck was that.
Cole comes back even more in love, doesn't kill her brother. Oh and he had her ring the whole time, what this old Hamilton heirloom I forgot I had...my bad. The big guard in charge knows who she is and wants her brother. Suddenly Dr. Sutton is like you two are fools in love, we got to send her to John Connor, I mean her brother the leader of the resistance.
Her brother is a big scary bad ass full of rage. Kicks Coles ass to the curb. Dr. Sutton is a friend of her fathers. This info makes the whole you're a virgin more creepy. If he was her fathers friend, wouldn't it be assumed she's innocent? He's known of her, her whole life. Good looking out for her Doc.
They have a command center, they train. I kept waiting for the mockingjay to show up. They attack. Her bro dies. Dr. Sutton is wounded and surprise! the commander (the secret dude in charge)is her step father who abused her! Surprise twist two! It's Dr. Sutton's brother omhegeee!
The rebels didn't win, but the book ends with a trip to the beach awww.
So that's my review. I gave it 1.5/5 stars. The whole branded idea was great, I wish they had fleshed it out. The dialog was flat and there was no character development. She's beautiful and innocent and this harden guard falls like from the moment he sees her. She's been molested for years, abused and nearly raped but she's in bed with him pretty fast. I didn't believe the characters and didn't like them. They are pushing this as a first in the series so why rush it all?
Anyway that's my review. Love me...
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