Control (Control Duology, #1)

by Lydia Kang

[layawaydragon]

Content Warning: Kidnapping, pregnant young teens, miscarriages, experiments on the unwitting & unwilling as the doctor violates their trust, drug use, body image hate,

I've had this to read for years now. It's literally the first book in my GooglePlay Books. In an attempt to clear out and catch up, I'm starting from that beginning.

I wanted to love this and I wanted to hate it. Landed somewhere in the middle of Meh Ocean. Sucked in quick enough and couldn't find a reason to quit. Had to find out what happened next when the action finally started.

Quick read.
I don't think this has aged well.
I loved the science and lab work.
I don't know about Zel and Dyl. I really truly do not know how I feel about them alone or part at all. Just...*sigh*
Zel is down on traditional femininity and post-puberty girls due to her late bloomer status.
I liked Vera & Hex the best hugger ever.
I did not love Cy & the about face instalove.
I feel weird about Zel's prepubescent status and subsequent sexual activity. She keeps saying she's ugly & underformed and Cy keeps saying she's beautiful & perfect as she is. Nice message in theory, but squicky details. Remember the SVU episode with the 17 year old that looked 9 and her pervy bf? https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0860059/ It's that but WORSE. It's like having a 10 year old go "boys have cooties" to making out with one because mind-altering substances and suddenly she likes it? *shudder*
And Ana's sudden okayness because Zel talks to her once? Even after losing the one person close to her? Eh...no.
I thought the 'char' cars were clever, but not in the future enough to really have forgotten the word. Unless I'm remembering the year wrong.
I did not see the double cross coming.
I don't plan on reading the next book, especially since the library doesn't have a copy. I'm curious about the end, but I'll just go read some spoilers and forget about it in a week.
I am open to reading more current work of Lydia Kang, since I was hooked enough to read through to completion.