Review: Pawn by Aimee Carter

Title: Pawn

Author: Aimee Carter

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Publishing Date: November 26, 2013

Pages/Format: 296, eARC

YOU CAN BE A VII IF YOU GIVE 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.

Initial Reaction of Book in One Word: Interesting

I'm not sure what I expected going into Pawn, except that I thought it had a cool cover (and I only recently realized that's a eye behind that grate thingy). I'd seen reviews saying that, for a dystopian, this had something different and refreshing about it. And I can't say I disagree with that. There's something interesting about Pawn, but there's also something that doesn't make me love it, and I'm not quite sure what either of those are.

Pawn features an America that's in ranks: if you're a I you're nothing and live in Elsewhere (I want to see more of that place), and if you're a VII you're something--though that's only for a certain family.When Kitty Doe gets ranked as a III on her seventeenth birthday--when she wanted a IV to at least be something--she goes to some extreme measures to try stay with her boyfriend, not-yet-ranked Benjy. One extreme measure (the chapter titled "Auction") really shocked me, and I really, really didn't want that to go through. But when she's bought by the Prime Minister and is offered the rank of VII, Kitty can't refuse. Of course, she didn't know that meant she'd be Lila Hart.

The entire idea of being Masked is interesting, as impossible as it seems. Kitty goes from looking like Kitty to an exact replica of Lila Hart, from her height to a tattoo to her eye color. It is crazy, but it is also very cool. And once Kitty looks like Lila, she also has to act Lila, and that's a whole other story. What I liked was that I was never really bored with the story. It was to flip page after page, and it was written in a fast pace that doesn't make the story feel too rushed. There are several twists and shockers (I had my mouth open or my hands closed over it a few times), and I didn't see them coming. It's got politics, but the dirty part of them. I hate politics, but they're fine like this--and I wouldn't call this a political book. It's about a girl who truly is a pawn, and how she plays the few pieces she has.

There were several pieces to this game of chess. It's told from the POV of Kitty, who becomes Lila Hart. I liked her boyfriend Benjy--he was protective, but not in an I-am-man-and-strong way, and he was super nice. Buuut...I really liked Knox, who's Lila's fiance. I wouldn't say there's a legit love triangle here, but it's a slight possibility under the circumstances. I'd be happy if Kitty chose either guy, but I might favor Knox. Celia, Lila's mother, was fine, but a bit of a wild card. I did not like Prime Minister Daxton, Lila's uncle. His idea of hunting is cruel and disgusting, and he's a does-it-all-for-his-own-benefit kind of politician. (And I pictured him as Fitz from Scandal.) Just as bad--maybe worse?--than Daxton is mommy dearest, Augusta. She may be old, but I would not mess with her. At all.

I know this review is kind of short, but to be honest, I've been putting off writing it. I enjoyed Pawn while reading it and kind of zoomed through it, but over a day later I just feel...blank about it. Like it didn't stick with me, which is kind of weird, because I liked it and would totally read the second book. So that may be a small issue, and I just don't know what to say about that. (Also, this series is called The Blackcoat Rebellion. I forgot about that and didn't know what it meant until I was a good chunk into the book. For some reason, I find that kind of odd. Maybe it could've been mentioned earlier?) In the end, Pawn took a common idea and twisted it into something unique, creating an interesting story with near-flawless writing. The characters were eclectic, and the plot moved on smoothly with some added twists and turns. The ending was okay, but I'd like more, please. I was bummed, and thought, "that's it?" This is the first of Carter's books I've read, but because of how I liked Pawn, I'm now going to try to get my hands on her Goddess books.

Did I like it? Yes.

Did I love it? No.

Would I reread it? Maybe.

Would I purchase it? Sure, and that cover sure would like nice on my shelves.

Who would I recommend it to? People looking for a book with good writing and an interesting story that has its own uniqueness and contains some unexpected twists and shockers.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review, and that it no way sways my opinion of the book.