Pawn by Aimee Carter Review

Date to be Published: November 26, 2013

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Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Number of Pages: 346

First Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this unique story. The idea of being marked is a little scary to me, I don’t think I would want my whole life determined by one test given by the government. Just think of all the pressure you’d have….nope not for me. But the book was really good to the point that it discussed identity issues and what it’s like to be another person. This book was fun to read and I had no trouble finishing it. It was one of those books you just didn’t want to put down.

Goodreads Summary:

YOU CAN BE A VII. IF YOU GIVE UP EVERYTHING.

For Kitty Doe, it seems like an easy choice. She can either spend her life as a III in misery, looked down upon by the higher ranks and forced to leave the people she loves, or she can become a VII and join the most powerful family in the country.

If she says yes, Kitty will be Masked—surgically transformed into Lila Hart, the Prime Minister's niece, who died under mysterious circumstances. As a member of the Hart family, she will be famous. She will be adored. And for the first time, she will matter.

There's only one catch. She must also stop the rebellion that Lila secretly fostered, the same one that got her killed …and one Kitty believes in. Faced with threats, conspiracies and a life that's not her own, she must decide which path to choose—and learn how to become more than a pawn in a twisted game she's only beginning to understand.

Plot:

This dealt with becoming someone else, about an identity being erased. I really liked the idea of how everyone was separated due to their talents. Though if you ask me a test can’t always show someone’s true talent. I thought the idea of being masked and becoming this person who is highly admired was pretty cool. The idea was there and executed. This wasn’t just about becoming one of the most admired girl but about becoming someone you once hated and having to deal with the consequences. This was a story about discovering what you’re capable of and just how far you’re willing to go to save not only your life but the life on one you love. There were a couple of hard to read scenes, I’m glad the author chose not to go into too much detail with those particular scenes but they were there none the less. The pace of the book was fast, the pages really flew by.

Romance:

I really enjoyed the romance in this book. The sweet tender love she had for Benjy was cute and lovable. The romance was a little different in this book due to her being masked. The person she became was engaged to another man and therefore she now has two love interests in her life but her heart only belongs to one. So overall, I enjoyed the romance in this story and liked that it was a bit different.

Characters:

I enjoyed the characters in this book, Kitty was a little hard to connect with in the beginning but after a while her character grew on me. I have to say Knox or Benjy have to be my favorite characters, they just had so much depth and special quality to them that the others didn’t. All the characters had their own role to play and I didn’t see any unnecessary characters in the story.

Transformation of the Character:

This one’s a little difficult to explain. Yes Kitty technically transformed, she was masked after all but I don’t think Kitty herself really transformed all that much. She changed a little bit throughout the story but she didn’t necessarily change all that much. Since this is book one in this series I think there’s plenty of time for Kitty to transform, you want it more believable and to do that you make the transformation gradually.

Description:

I thought the author did a great job at describing the scenery. I had no trouble picturing each scene and the world she was trying to create. The description of Kitty’s emotions were really good. You could really feel the fear and happiness she felt. The pain and sorrow of having to become someone else; to leave behind your old identity…it was all well described. As for the mood of the book the author did a good job of creating an atmosphere that fit with the description of the book. Each scene was beautifully described.

Style:

This was written in one POV and in first person. I think that this was exactly what the book needed. Just having Kitty’s POV was enough to give the reader enough leverage on what was happening in the story. And also it left the reader blind to certain aspects to the story that left the reader surprised. As for being written in first person that allowed the reader to get a one on one account of what Kitty was thinking and allowing a better connection to Kitty. We were able to relate to her more. As for the author’s writing it’s just as good as it was in the Goddess Test series. I fell in love with the simple yet elegant style of writing and couldn’t stop reading till the end.

Quote of the book:

“The moment I stepped out of the Stronghold, any part of me that was still Kitty Doe would cease to exist, and I would be Lila until the day they didn’t need me anymore. And when that happened, all I would be was dead.”

Last Thoughts:

I would recommend this to YA readers and to any fans of Aimee Carter’s writing. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to continuing Kitty’s story. There’s so much left to be explored of this book and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for us. So overall I did enjoy this book and thought it was unique and creative.

My Rating: