LitPick Review
In Alenna Shawcross's world, the United States of America is a thing of the past. Instead, the entire continent of North America is now the UNA, a country formed from the remains of the USA, Canada, and Mexico, a country that dragged Alenna's parents away from her when she was ten. Now, six years later, Alenna fails a test that all sixteen-year-olds have to take--the test says she has criminal tendencies. As a result, Alenna is sent to a brutal, isolated prison island where two groups of teenagers are waging a violent war against each other. Here, Alenna will discover the astonishing truth of her parents and the government of the UNA...as well as her own identity.
Opinion:
The tagline that began this book's blurb--"When the rest of the world has given up on you, who will you become?"--suggested a Les Miserables-style story, but The Forsaken actually turned out to be a mixture of Michael Grant's Gone, The Maze Runner, and The Hunger Games. While I really liked the book's premise and thought it had potential, the execution and other aspects of the book left something to be desired. The plot was suspenseful, even though it's very predictable and dry at times, with the exception of one truly shocking twist. I thought that The Forsaken could definitely have been shorter. It's packed with action, but some of it feels very repetitive later in the novel. The romance was something that the book could have done without, and it seemed very contrived. Liam, the romantic interest, risks his life for Alenna even though they've barely met. Alenna also isn't a very likeable character. There was something in her voice that didn't click with me. Thankfully, Alenna's friend, Gadya, was a fascinating character. All in all, The Forsaken isn't a half-bad debut, and I will read book two, The Uprising, if I can get my hands on a copy of it. If you are a die-hard dystopian fan, then Lisa M. Stasse is one author to watch.
