Otherborn

by Anna Silver

[Raven]

London was the first. She was the first to dream, the first to create. Now it's spreading to her bandmates. But dreaming, and creating, those are things of the old world. They have no place in the current world. When two people close to her are murdered, and a third goes missing, London knows there is more to this than she can easily see. But what she will discover is more than she ever imagined.

I should not have liked this book as much as I did. I'm usually not a fan of dystopian novels. I have trouble with thinking of a future world where everything is destroyed for one reason or another. Books are an escape to me. Dystopian worlds are too often bleak. That isn't what I want from a novel. But when Anna Silver sent me the first chapters to see if I would be interested, I couldn't look away. I was kidnapped by this book from the beginning, and it still hasn't let me go. I may have finished it, but this is like, playtime in a prison yard more than actual freedom.

The characters are intriguing. You don't fall for them right away. The more you learn about them, the more you get hooked on them. London and Rye are the main ones, which is nice enough, but I wouldn't have minded seeing more of Kim and Zen. Maybe they will have a slightly larger role later in the series. The characters were nicely fleshed out and flawed. Everything you really want in a character. They aren't annoying or grating, but they aren't overly fantastic either. They just are, and that works.

The story and writing are what really sealed this book for me. The plot is so original and intriguing. It leaves you with so many questions, wanting more that you just can't get right away. A lot of questions get answered, but they only open more. The writing style was my favorite of anything though. The writing is almost lyrical. You feel like you are floating on the wind as you read through it. The writing is perfect and effortless. Never was there a spot where I wanted to stop for some reason. There weren't any jutting edges between chapters. It all flowed together in a perfectly, unbroken line.

All around, just pleasantly surprised with this novel. If you are a fan of dystopians, you will love it. If you aren't, but are a fan of the supernatural, dreamwalking and such, then you should give it a shot too. I bet you will find it worth it like I did. Highly recommended.