HarperTeen, 2011
197 pages
YA; Dystopia
3/5 stars
Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I requested this after seeing it on Netgalley without really knowing much about it. Then I read that it was dystopian or possibly more apocalyptic as most of the population has been wiped out by a virus and I became apprehensive because it sounded like Eve running around with the first boy she's ever met (who she of course falls in love with) and that didn't sound all that exciting to me.
Luckily there was a bit more to it. Although the above summary is mostly true, there are a lot of other characters who variously threaten and help Eve, the beautiful, brilliant girl who is wanted by the government in order to help repopulate the nation. Girls and boys are raised in separate locations. Girls study hard until they graduate and then they are used as baby machines until they die (this actually made me think of The Handmaid's Tale) while boys are slave labor to build the new city for the king. Eve will be his prize wife and thus it becomes necessary for her to run as far and as fast as she can.
Caleb is the other main character; they accidentally stumble across each other and her fear of him soon grows to appreciation of his inherent goodness. Although I thought she fell too fast, at least he's a good guy and not a jerk written as if I was supposed to swoon. I don't want to spoil too much but a lot of other things happen too to increase the tension and make life harder for Eve. However the general impression I had was meh. I didn't really feel for any of the characters and while it was easy reading, it wasn't enthralling. I didn't want to climb into the world and be friends with Eve.
Overall: A decent addition to the YA dystopia/post-apocalyptic canon; recommended for those who can't get enough of those genres.
