Review – ACID by Emma Pass (4.5/5 stars)

Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Dystopia/Science Fiction
Length: 384 pages
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Release Date: March 11, 2014
ISBN-13: 978-0385743877
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: Amazon Vine
Rating: 4.5/5 stars

I got a copy of this to review through the Amazon Vine program. Honestly I was drawn to this book because of the awesome cover and the synopsis that promised an action-packed novel. Then when I figured out it was another YA dystopian read I was a bit worried…I am kind of sick of that genre right now. However, I was pleasantly surprised…I really really loved this book. It was incredibly engaging and very fast-paced.

In 2113 ACID rules the world, they are a military police-like organization that is ruling what used to be Great Britain. Jenna Strong has been sent to prison for life by ACID for murdering her parents. Then suddenly Jenna finds herself broken out of prison by a rebel group. She gets a new identity and a new agenda. While she is grateful to be out of prison Jenna is still struggling to figure out what is really going on and who is really on her side.

I actually really enjoyed this dystopian science fiction thriller. The book is really well written and flows well. It is also absolutely packed with action and impossible to put down…I read the whole thing in two sittings.

Jenna is one of the toughest heroines I have ever read about. She spends most of her time in prison lifting weights and exercising and it has left her extremely buff. She gets ample chances to us her skills on all of the other male inmates. Not only is she physically tough but she is emotionally tough too. This poor heroine goes through more awful things than any character should ever have to deal with. She is one of those characters that I admire but would never ever want to trade places with.

She’s surrounded by a lot of other interesting characters. Although I will say I think the side characters were probably the weakest part of this book. Because the whole book is told from Jenna’s POV, the side characters are a bit underdeveloped and at times lack depth.

Jenna does have a love interest, I won’t say much about him because of spoilers. I did enjoy how their relationship developed and how mature they both were about everything in the end. While this relationship drives some of the story, this is definitely not a romance heavy book.

The book is seriously fast-paced and incredibly engaging. There were parts where I literally had to put the book down for a second because it was so intense that I was out of breath. The story just sucks you in and doesn’t let up.

As far as the dystopian world here, it is pretty typical of other dystopian worlds we’ve read about. People are forced to Life Partner with people the government chooses for them and they are forced to work the jobs the government thinks they are best suited for. A lot of freedoms have been taken away. As with all Dystopians the government is hiding a lot of dirty secrets. I didn’t feel like the world was really anything spectacular, but it was still decently done.

This story is definitely action driven and it is Jenna’s pure will to survive and her ability to make things work for her, that really make this a great read. I also loved that the story appear to be confined to this one book. Everything is tied up in a realistic way and there weren’t really any ends left hanging at the end of the story.

Overall I was really surprised at how much I loved this book because I am a bit worn out on dystopian types of book. I loved Jenna’s character and I loved the fast pace of the book. The book was action packed, engaging, and had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. Definitely recommended if you are looking for an action-packed dystopian thriller. I will be keeping an eye on Emma Pass and checking out what she writes next.

This goes towards the following reading challenges:
– You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge
– 100 Books in a Year Reading Challenge