Charity Tinnin

Noah State's last name says it all. His mind and body have been enhanced in the service of a government that has replaced "traditional" justice with a simpler system: all crimes are punishable with death. As a liquidator, twenty-year-old Noah is judge, jury, and executioner. His latest mission: liquidate all members of a rumored resistance movement.

Undercover on said mission, he meets Maddison. They share a growing attraction and trust, deep grief in their respective pasts, hidden hatred for the totalitarian regime. But how can they have a chance together when disclosure of his true identity would push her away for good? Not to mention he'll be liquidated himself on the day of his mission deadline, when he doesn't satisfy his superior. Noah can't take any more blood on his hands, even if the cost is his life.

This book is a lovely blend of high stakes, dystopian storyworld, and character relationships. As for the stakes, there's of course Noah's mission. There's also Maddison's dabbling in the resistance, wanting freedom and revenge on the regime (unbeknownst to Noah, of course, because things just weren't tense enough). Further complicating everyone's lives (and safety) is Noah's liquidator brother, Daniel. Unlike Noah, Daniel enjoys his job. Really enjoys his job. (He also really enjoys antagonizing Noah.)

As for the dystopian storyworld, I'm not much of a description reader, so I don't need much in this area. Tinnin makes sure we know where we are and we feel the contrast to our own world, but she doesn't belabor it. There's a reasonable amount of futuristic tech, but gadgets don't drive the story. There are definite hints this world was previously our own, but place names have all been made generic (cities are numbered). Noah's super-senses, speed, and strength are an excellent feature, too, well written and fun to read. The most detailed and vital elements of the world, though, are found in governmental power and societal attitudes, which are represented well by a few varying bit characters.

And now for the characters (a.k.a. Why I Read). In a sentence, I love them.

Maddison is no Distressed Damsel. She isn't weepy or passive. She doesn't twist her ankle in the woods. She makes her own decisions, fights her own battles, tries to protect the people she loves with a deep ferocity and anger at the world that threatens them. But she isn't Too Tough or Too Cool. She makes questionable decisions. She gets scared. She apologizes when she should. She cries. She bakes too many cookies when she's stressed. She loves with her whole heart. Maddison is a person, not a type.

And ... well, Noah. Noah who wakes up at night thinking his hands are coated with the blood of people he's executed. Noah who worries not only about his own soul before God, but also about his brother's. Noah who loves to drive his "smart car" manually just because he can, who restores dilapidated, physical books because they're rare pieces of history. Yes, he's a person, too.

Together, Noah and Maddison (not the stakes or the storyworld) drive this book. They've both been through so much, and they've both learned to hide their true selves--from their world, of course, but also from their loved ones. But from each other, no hiding is needed. This relief in openness, in acceptance, is what makes me root for them as a couple. Yes, their dates and their banter are fun to read (and balance the tension and darkness of much of the book), but the sense of home they find in each other is the real gem here. I want to see this relationship continue to grow.

However, the brightest gem of the novel might not be Noah and Maddison but rather Noah and Daniel--their shared past, the wedges between them, the constant conflict. Daniel refuses to acknowledge how he's wronged Noah and refuses to treat him with respect. For most of the book, I considered Daniel a sociopath, but a moment at the end suggests otherwise. Any path of reconciliation for these brothers will be an uphill, rocky one. I want the second book as much for Noah and Daniel as Noah and Maddison.

Yes, that's the gist. I want the second book. I want it right now.… (lisätietoja)