Title: Branded
Series: Sinners #1
Publication Date: June 28th 2013
Genre: Young Adult, Dystopia
Synopsis
Fifty years ago the Commander came into power and murdered all who opposed him. In his warped mind, the seven deadly sins were the downfall of society. He created the Hole where sinners are branded according to their sins and might survive a few years. At best.
Now LUST wraps around my neck like blue fingers strangling me. I’ve been accused of a crime I didn’t commit and now the Hole is my new home.
Darkness. Death. Violence. Pain.
Now every day is a fight for survival. But I won’t die. I won’t let them win.
The Hole can’t keep me. The Hole can’t break me.
I am more than my brand. I’m a fighter.
My name is Lexi Hamilton, and this is my story.
Review
The story
The story is set in a world where the Commander holds all the power. He believes that the seven deadly sins are the cause for the humanity's destruction and in order to "save" the world, he has created the Hole where the sinners are branded and left for dead basically. Once you get in the Hole, there's no turning back.
Our heroine, Lexi ended up in the Hole as well but she didn't deserve it. On the contrary, she is one of the most innocent and purest people alive. So why would someone send her there? Was she as dangerous as her Sin,Lust or did someone want her out of his way?
The characters
Being branded and walking around, showing to every single criminal in the Hole that her Sin is Lust, doesn't make Lexi's life any easier,it actually makes her a target. That's why Cole, a trained guard was assigned to her. To keep her safe.
Her first days in the Hole were a torture. She was scared and exhausted but these feelings were nothing compared to being manipulated and abused by her evil stepfather. She was assigned a job at the hospital where she met Alyssa, a girl who had a few days before she passed away but before she died, she taught one thing to Lexi that she never forgot and it was the only thing that gave her the strength she needed to live: HOPE.
Hope that someday justice would be served and the monsters that ruled this world, would end up being the prisoners. She also saw hope in Cole's eyes. He was there for her when she needed a shoulder to cry on or when she just wanted to feel human again. Soon, their attraction was too much for them to deny but that put them both at risk because these relationships were sentenced by the law to death.
Their feelings weren't the only thing they had to worry about. At the hospital, Lexi met a doctor named Sutton, who was kind and compassionate to her. Later, she discovers that Sutton was her father's best friend and that he knew people who were preparing a revolution.
Along with Bruno, a guard that Sutton trusted with his life and Lexi's missing brother, Keegan, they set off to kill the Commander, but when they found out who he is everything start clicking into place.
Verdict
For fans of The Hunger Games and Divergent, you'll fell in love with this breathtaking Dystopian book in a promising series. The plot is well written, the characters are strong and the story is action packed but it also involves a forbidden romance. What's not to love? If Branded is this good, I can't wait for the sequel.
Rating: 4 stars!!
Abi and Missy met in the summer of 1999 at college orientation and have been best friends ever since. After college, they added jobs, husbands and kids to their lives, but they still found time for their friendship. Instead of hanging out on weekends, they went to dinner once a month and reviewed books. What started out as an enjoyable hobby has now become an incredible adventure.
Awesome review :) I read this book as well, but one thing that bothered me a little is that your review was a little over-detailed that it sounded like you just summarized the whole novel to people who haven't read it yet. Nonetheless, I love how you write. And I LOVED the book too :> I nearly cried haha!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your kind words,Jillian!You know,that's the thing with reviews. When I read them in blogs or other sites if the review is too vague, most likely I won't read the book. Well, that's just me! I appreciate your point of view! :)
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