A review by starrysteph
Poster Girl by Veronica Roth

adventurous dark tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Poster Girl is an uncomfortable portrait of guilt and identity.
 
We follow Sonya, the former teenage poster girl for an oppressive dystopian regime. She’s been living in a prison for the past 10 years alongside fellow members of the Delegation. But now, an old enemy visits her with an enticing offer: if she finds a missing child who was stolen by the old regime, she can earn her freedom.
 
Roth has great skill at building dystopian worlds; the society felt very adjacent to our current reality. The invasive tech & government surveillance aspect felt very believable. 
 
The characterization was excellent. Sonya is a compelling morally gray protagonist - you’re angry with her and hopeful for her and yet a little hesitant to root for her. We don’t usually get dystopian lit from the point of view of a character with privilege & that benefited from the regime. 
 
I also enjoyed that we’re dropping into this story 10 years after the revolution. The world has settled (although there are of course complications with the new leadership), and Sonya is an adult who has essentially been living in limbo - with space from her personal trauma and plenty of time to allow for reflection. She was fully indoctrinated and still lives in that bubble at the start of the story; it’s intriguing to watch her discover the ethical horrors of what she once accepted as truth.
 
One weakness for me was the romance aspect. It felt a bit tacked on & that thread didn’t seem to lead anywhere or add to the plot outside of a device for Sonya to yet again recognize her manipulation and recalibrate her sense of self.
 
Additionally, there was so much distance from the overthrowing incident that the mystery plot & tension didn’t feel as urgent or engaging as I wanted it to be.
 
Overall, Poster Girl was fascinating, but I wished for a little more depth and higher stakes.
 
CW: murder, death, child death, suicide, suicidal thoughts, violence, alcoholism, drug use, confinement, gun violence, addiction, grief, mental illness, panic attacks, police brutality, war, kidnapping, child abuse
 
(I received a free copy of this book; this is my honest review.)
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