The Revolution of Ivy

by Amy Engel

I am still alive. Barely.

My name is Ivy Westfall. I am sixteen years old and a traitor. Three months ago, I was forced to marry the President's son, Bishop Lattimer - as all daughters of the losing side of the war are sold off in marriage to the sons of the winners. But I was different. I had a mission - to kill Bishop.

Instead, I fell in love with him.

Now I am an outcast, left to survive the brutal savagery of the lands outside of civilization. Yet even out here, there is hope. There is life beyond the fence. But I can't outrun my past. For my actions have set off a treasonous chain of events in Westfall that will change of all our fates - especially Bishop's...

And this time, it is not enough to just survive...

The Revolution of Ivy is the shattering conclusion to the young adult dystopian Ivy duology, by the author of The Roanoke Girls.

• ISBN10: 1473629349
• ISBN13: 9781473629349
• Publish Date: 5 November 2015 (first published 3 November 2015)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
• Imprint: Hodder Paperback
• Format: Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
• Pages: 304
• Language: English

Reviews

4,5 stars

What an amazing finale!

The Revolution of Ivy starts with Ivy on the other side of the fence. Ivy's character growth and journey throughout The Book of Ivy duology is outstanding. Her life on the other side of the fence is not easy. She has to survive and make tough choices, but she's always been understanding, compassionate and self-aware. For the first half, , when Bishop came into the picture, she frustrated me, but her decisions and choices suited her character and her experiences. Ivy's no longer under the influence of her family and we see her becoming the person that she was meant to be. 

We also get to meet many other characters - some new and some old. The scenes with Mark gave me so much stress. I also love Ash and Caleb. Although, they have few scenes, they're fully fleshed-out characters and I wish I could have spent more time with them. 

And then there's Bishop, the catalyst for Ivy's changing perceptions. Bishop might not be perfect, but he comes pretty close and somehow still ends up seeming realistic. I appreciate the relationship between him and Ivy. There's a lot of love, understanding, respect and communication in their relationship , once Ivy decides to stop being so frustrating, and they have one of the more healthier relationships in YA fiction. 

"That's what love is though, isn't it. You don't stop loving someone just because they disappoint you." (Ash)

The political intrigue and dystopian aspects aren't as strong in The Revolution of Ivy and more emphasis is placed on the characters and the romance. However, I didn't mind because I love the characters and the romance. I also enjoyed the subtle storytelling, the explosive moments, life beyond the fence and the themes related to family, forgiveness, trying to right the wrongs of the past and moving on. 

I turned the last page of The Revolution of Ivy with a smile on my face and a feeling that the characters are going to be okay. They experienced suffering, pain, struggling and grief, but they also experienced joy, love, happiness and peace too.

[violetpeanut]

This review was originally posted on


First, if you haven't seen my review of the first book in this series, The Book of Ivy, you can check it out here. I loved it so I had high expectations for book 2. I was not disappointed. The Revolution of Ivy was gritty and exciting and wrapped up all the loose ends.

We pick up right where we left off at the end of book 1. Ivy is outside the fence and reality sets in quickly. Nothing is glossed over. Things are hard. There are dangers on the outside both human and otherwise and I loved that it felt very real. Ivy gets dirty and thirsty and very cold and she gets hurt. This is not a book where the heroine miraculously escapes danger unscathed and I loved that.

We're introduced to a couple of new characters, Caleb and Ash, who basically take the place of Ivy's father and sister. There's a great juxtaposition between Ivy's real family, and these new friends who become her family outside the fence. Ivy has a lot of conflicting emotions. She loves her family despite their treatment of her and feels a certain responsibility toward them. She hopes in her heart of hearts that they will come rescue her, even though she knows in her head that it's not likely. As she gets closer to these new friends and begins to think of them as family, she feels guilty and struggles with her own emotions. I really loved the friendships that Ivy develops and really enjoyed reading Ivy and Ash in particular. Positive female friendships are always something I appreciate.

I love, love, love the romance. It doesn't overpower the book, but it's still a major part of it. I don't think I'm spoiling anything by saying that Ivy and Bishop are reunited at a certain point but things are not all butterflies and rainbows. As in real life, there are some major issues. Emotions get in the way. Ivy gets in her own way because she doesn't know how to deal with her own emotions. But, don't worry, there are some magnificent swoon-worthy moments. Bishop is everything you could want in a book boyfriend, just like in book one.

This book is different than most dystopia I've read in that there's not a huge nationwide or worldwide revolution going on. There are major societal issues but in this series they are centered on one city. There is no war. Things change and there's definitely a revolution but not one with explosions and riots. This is a much more realistic dystopia in my eyes.

At the end, everything is wrapped up pretty neatly. All my questions were answered and all the loose ends were tied up. Some may say things were a little too neat, and I think that's true to an extent, but I always like a happily ever after and I felt very satisfied when I finished the book.

Overall, I love how realistic the book, and series as a whole, felt. The circumstances, the emotions, the characters motivations and reactions - it all felt very real. There's a societal revolution but Ivy also goes through a personal revolution as well. All the loose ends were tied up and I enjoyed the read.

Favorite Quotes

And I understand in a way I never have before that loving someone is always going to feel like flying - the unthinkable drop, the fear of falling, the heart-in-your-throat thrill. It is always going to be impossible until the moment it;s not and you're soaring on pure faith, your altitude completely dependent on something you can't control.

His body is warm. His jacket smells like Autumn, brittle-backed leaves and chilly sunlight.

[Bianca]

I was never going to just let you go. I love you. There was never any choice.

[shannonmiz]

This review was originally posted on It Starts at Midnight
I am sad to let Ivy go. I am sadder to let Bishop go ;) But, I am also happy because it was a strong duology that I really enjoyed. Could it have been dragged out into a third book? Maybe. But is it better this way? Absofreakinlutely. See, there were no dull or unnecessary moments in either book, which is pretty fabulous, yes? And there was still enough time for character and plot development and a full story to be told. I am content, even though I will miss these characters so.

I think you can tell that I like this book. So, I am going to tell you why. Because that is the information you came here for, I assume. Great.

• These characters were phenomenal from start to finish. Perfect? Oh goodness, no! Even the seemingly "perfect" Bishop has his moments of imperfection (which, let's be frank, makes him even more lovable). They had to learn to recognize and use  their strengths; to take accountability for and overcome their weaknesses. But it isn't just these two who are well developed! There's a whole host of side characters who have very fleshed out personalities too. From Ivy and Bishop's parents (who are all very much a part of this story- so, so refreshing in a dystopian!) to Ivy's sister, to some new people Ivy encounters along the way, everyone has their own path to take, their own story to tell.


• The Journey of Ivy. Ivy's story was such a personal journey, as she had to discover who she was and who she wanted to be. First she had to struggle to find herself away from her family. Who did she want to be? What path was Ivy's? But then she no longer can rely on Bishop's strength to pull her through, and she really must choose how she wants to live. It's a stunning and realistic process, one that each of us can likely relate to. Ivy has moments of incredible fear and trepidation, but she also has moments of clarity that are lovely to watch.
  

   "But recognizing the ridiculousness of an emotion and being able to master it are two very  different things, I'm finding." -Ivy

  
  Who among us can't relate to that at some point in our lives? While we may not be living in a dystopian world, Ivy's struggles aren't just a product of her environment, but a product of her humanity. 


• The moral dilemmas that plagued this society in the first book become even more apparent in this one. When I read the first book, one of my favorite things was that nothing was black and white. Every decision had positive and negative consequences, and all choices had repercussions. No one choice made a character all good or all evil; it was simply a choice, with the ability to make a different one the next time. The "what would I do?" question came up again and again, and you couldn't help but feel for these characters' situations so many times. It was clear that they didn't want to make certain decisions, but knew that making a different choice could be even worse.


• The idea of survival, in more ways than one. Well, yes, I loved the stuff in the woods, because I kind of love when stuff happens in the woods. I have no idea why, so just go with it. There's something about fighting for survival that really makes me see deep into the character's psyche, I think. But there are more kinds of survival. It's surviving the elements, sure, but also surviving your preconceived notions, your upbringing, your choices; surviving love, loss, and absolute turmoil. Some of the more mundane "day-to-day" living scenes actually packed quite a punch, because they felt so honest and real.

Bottom Line: I would recommend this series to anyone, clearly. Amy Engel has brought something very fresh to the dystopian table. It's a great story, yes, but it also has incredible real world application. Ivy's is the type of story that will stay with you for a long time.

4.5*

Copy provided by publisher for review

[bookishzelda]

Wow...wow. This book was just simply amazing. If you haven’t read this series you need to because it’s fantastic. The Revolution of Ivy was perfect

We pick up where we left off. Ivy is now outside the fence and must figure out how to fend for herself. The amazing thing about Ivy is her drive to survive. If it were me on the other side of the fence, I don’t think I would be as strong as Ivy is. Her family always considered her the weak link but really she is the strongest one of all of them. She has the ability to not let herself become consumed by her hate. Which we see her demonstrate during a very scary scene where she comes across someone from the past. There is one part where she throws up her arms even though she is almost done and is like come on at me.

When Caleb and Ash enter the picture Ivy is at her limit and they save her. Ash becomes such a great support for Ivy and Caleb although Leary of her at first. Also ends up becoming an important person in her life. I loved how they form their own little family and begin to depend on each other. Ivy is not afraid to do her share and work hard.

Bishop, oh Bishop. Talk about the awesome amazing fantastic book boyfriend that is Bishop. Holy smokes. He finds Ivy and even though she tries to push him away. He still the kind, patient, loving boy that he has always been. He is there for her, no matter in what capacity that has to be.

The thing I like about this book is that it gives us a real view of hate. How people can sometimes hate so much and for so long that the hate ends up becoming bigger than they are. It ends up becoming their essence that without it they don’t really know how to live. This is definitely the case for Ivy’s family. Ivy knows that she cannot move forward until she can let go of the past. She doesn’t want to end up like her Father and Callie, which is what drives the end of the book.

It’s so hard to write a review for such a fantastic book like this because I don’t know if I can do it justice. I loved this series so much and I can’t wait to read more Amy Engel’s works. She will be auto buy for me without a doubt. I really think you should pick up this book and fall in love with the series like I have. I want to share the love.