A review by bryonycostello
Branded by Abi Ketner, Missy Kalicicki
4.0
This review was originally posted on my blog, Paperbacks & Protagonists.
What I liked:
* Lexi. Lexi is the protagonist, and a strong one at that. Although she’s close to breaking at many times, she always manages to get back up and keep fighting. I admire her for this because realistically, I don’t think many people would be able to cope with everything that is thrown at her.
* The world. The world that Branded is set in is very intriguing. It’s a dystopian world like none I’ve ever read before. Sure, there’s the stereotypical corrupt and crumbling government, the poverty and evidence of war, but it’s the extent that the authors take these elements that makes the world in which this novel set in that makes the world unique.
* The whole concept of the Hole and the sinners is also very intriguing. In this dystopian world, people who have sinned get thrown in the Hole – effectively a prison, but more similar to a third-world community. Things in the Hole are intense – it’s either killed or be killed when it comes down to it. The guards whose job it is to try and maintain order are just as bad as the citizens of the Hole – the sinners. Lexi is constantly leered at and in danger or being taking advantage of all because she was accused of being lustful. People who are accused of being lustful are given a blue brand and they are the ones who face the most danger within the Hole.
* The action – this novel is full of it! I don’t think there’s a chapter that doesn’t contain either a fight, a terrorist-like attack or an execution. If you like books chock-block full of action, definitely pick this up and give it a read.
* The writing style. Abi and Missy’s writing is very relatable. It’s easy to understand and it draws you in.
What I didn’t like, but also didn’t dislike:
* The pacing. I found the pacing of this book to be just a little bit too fast for the majority of the novel. While a fast-paced book is always good, I can’t help feeling that if this book was a little bit slower paced, that I would’ve made a deeper connection with the characters. While I was able to sympathise with the characters, I didn’t share their pain. However, once the book hit around the ¾ mark, the pacing slowed down to a speed that I thought worked quite well.
* The romance between Cole and Lexi. In the beginning, I really enjoyed the slow but sure development of the romance between Cole and Lexi. It was moving at a nice pace and a pace that I felt was realistic. Then all of a sudden…BAM! They were making out in every second scene and making serious declarations of their love for each other.
* Bruno. Now, this is something quite petty that annoyed me. I really enjoyed Bruno’s character, but I felt it was a bit weird and unrealistic that he treated Lexi as an equal as soon as they met.
What I didn’t like:
* The timing. I feel as though the timing was the biggest issue with this novel. I was never sure how much time had passed between each significant event, and that’s something that bugged me.
* That plot twist near the end. Oh. My. God. I was so not expecting that. However, this is a factor that I dislike only because of how much it surprised me. Thinking about it critically, I think it worked very well with the rest of the story.
Overall, I definitely enjoyed this book. I’m already looking forward to the second book to see where the story goes from here. I found all of the characters to be well developed and I enjoyed the overall tone of the book.
What I liked:
* Lexi. Lexi is the protagonist, and a strong one at that. Although she’s close to breaking at many times, she always manages to get back up and keep fighting. I admire her for this because realistically, I don’t think many people would be able to cope with everything that is thrown at her.
* The world. The world that Branded is set in is very intriguing. It’s a dystopian world like none I’ve ever read before. Sure, there’s the stereotypical corrupt and crumbling government, the poverty and evidence of war, but it’s the extent that the authors take these elements that makes the world in which this novel set in that makes the world unique.
* The whole concept of the Hole and the sinners is also very intriguing. In this dystopian world, people who have sinned get thrown in the Hole – effectively a prison, but more similar to a third-world community. Things in the Hole are intense – it’s either killed or be killed when it comes down to it. The guards whose job it is to try and maintain order are just as bad as the citizens of the Hole – the sinners. Lexi is constantly leered at and in danger or being taking advantage of all because she was accused of being lustful. People who are accused of being lustful are given a blue brand and they are the ones who face the most danger within the Hole.
* The action – this novel is full of it! I don’t think there’s a chapter that doesn’t contain either a fight, a terrorist-like attack or an execution. If you like books chock-block full of action, definitely pick this up and give it a read.
* The writing style. Abi and Missy’s writing is very relatable. It’s easy to understand and it draws you in.
What I didn’t like, but also didn’t dislike:
* The pacing. I found the pacing of this book to be just a little bit too fast for the majority of the novel. While a fast-paced book is always good, I can’t help feeling that if this book was a little bit slower paced, that I would’ve made a deeper connection with the characters. While I was able to sympathise with the characters, I didn’t share their pain. However, once the book hit around the ¾ mark, the pacing slowed down to a speed that I thought worked quite well.
* The romance between Cole and Lexi. In the beginning, I really enjoyed the slow but sure development of the romance between Cole and Lexi. It was moving at a nice pace and a pace that I felt was realistic. Then all of a sudden…BAM! They were making out in every second scene and making serious declarations of their love for each other.
* Bruno. Now, this is something quite petty that annoyed me. I really enjoyed Bruno’s character, but I felt it was a bit weird and unrealistic that he treated Lexi as an equal as soon as they met.
What I didn’t like:
* The timing. I feel as though the timing was the biggest issue with this novel. I was never sure how much time had passed between each significant event, and that’s something that bugged me.
* That plot twist near the end. Oh. My. God. I was so not expecting that. However, this is a factor that I dislike only because of how much it surprised me. Thinking about it critically, I think it worked very well with the rest of the story.
Overall, I definitely enjoyed this book. I’m already looking forward to the second book to see where the story goes from here. I found all of the characters to be well developed and I enjoyed the overall tone of the book.