The Forsaken Review

Author: Lisa M. Stasse
Release date: July 10, 2012
Pages: 375
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
How I got it: For review from author 

A thought-provoking and exciting start to a riveting new dystopian trilogy. 

As an obedient orphan of the U.N.A. (the super-country that was once Mexico, the U.S., and Canada), Alenna learned at an early age to blend in and be quiet—having your parents taken by the police will do that to a girl. But Alenna can’t help but stand out when she fails a test that all sixteen-year-olds have to take: The test says she has a high capacity for brutal violence, and so she is sent to The Wheel, an island where all would-be criminals end up. 

The life expectancy of prisoners on The Wheel is just two years, but with dirty, violent, and chaotic conditions, the time seems a lot longer as Alenna is forced to deal with civil wars for land ownership and machines that snatch kids out of their makeshift homes. Desperate, she and the other prisoners concoct a potentially fatal plan to flee the island. Survival may seem impossible, but Alenna is determined to achieve it anyway.

If you're a fan of fast-paced novels with twists and turns at every corner, The Forsaken is for you.

While my main problem with dystopias lately has been the lack of world-building, I didn't have a problem with Stasse's world-building. In fact, I thought it was a pretty believable, well thought out setting that was relatively unique.

As I mentioned, The Forsaken moves at a lightning fast pace. Just when something explosive happens, BAM something else huge happens. There truly was never a dull moment. Because of the fast pace, there was never really a spare second to get to know any of the characters, much less get attached to any of them. For that reason, I couldn't become invested in The Forsaken.

So yeah, The Forsaken was far from a perfect read for me, but it definitely had its shining moments, and I think a lot of people will love this one.

Plot: Fresh and very exciting.

Characters: Bland.

Writing: Pretty good, but sometimes it felt a little awkward.

Ending: Wrapped things up pretty well, but naturally left things open for a sequel.

Mature content: Violence.

Overall:
Yeah, you could talk to me while I read, I guess.

Though I appreciated The Forsaken's fast pace and intriguing setting, I ended up feeling indifferent towards this book because I couldn't invest in the novel's characters.