Friday, March 21, 2014

Taken by Erin Bowman Review


"There are no men in Claysoot. There are boys—but every one of them vanishes at midnight on his eighteenth birthday. The ground shakes, the wind howls, a blinding light descends…and he’s gone.

They call it the Heist.

Gray Weathersby’s eighteenth birthday is mere months away, and he’s prepared to meet his fate–until he finds a strange note from his mother and starts to question everything he’s been raised to accept: the Council leaders and their obvious secrets. The Heist itself. And what lies beyond the Wall that surrounds Claysoot–a structure that no one can cross and survive.

Climbing the Wall is suicide, but what comes after the Heist could be worse. Should he sit back and wait to be taken–or risk everything on the hope of the other side?"

Remember Gone by Michael Grant? Well, Taken is similar to it. Only this time, it's eighteen year old boys disappearing, not boys and girls at fifteen (or sixteen? I can't remember) years old. 

Anyway, I have so many feelings for Taken. So many feelings! Ahh! I can't do this! Okay, breathe, breathe. Alright. Oooo! I have to do this with a straight face. Straight face on. Damn it! I can't do it. Alright, prepare yourself for a heavily opinionated review.

Gray Weathersbly questions everything. He's a great guy (I approve him). Anyway, he basically questions everything about Claysoot. They live in a mysterious place where no answers are given and questions leave you dead. (Claysoot is definitely a place I don't want to live. I'm so glad it was the setting for the first hundred pages or so). Gray is sort of like an "act now, questions later" person. No, the quote's wrong. Oh, it's "shoot now, ask questions later." (Thank you my brain for remembering the correct quote). Gray is seventeen years old, one year away from being eighteen or so he thought. 

It's one of the most sinister things of Taken. Claysoot is a strange place to be. There's a lot of woman, but no men. There's boys, but girls are the only one growing up into woman. Why? That's the question of the book. Why are the boys disappearing at eighteen? Why? Why? Why? I just love how this author slowly gives readers the answer. Each lie revealed uncovers even more questions until Gray meets the one person who knows everything. The one person who gave Gray half of his DNA. Guess who? It's not his brother, that's what I'm going to say. Besides, brothers don't give each other half their DNA.

Let's climb the Wall. It's another setting, another place. Like I said before, I love on the author didn't make this book stay all in one place.

The plot is great. There's so many twists and turns, especially in Gray's love life. Ahh! His life is going to be greatly complicated. Two girls are fighting over him. One cheated. The other never committed, but clearly likes him. Anyone up for a shipping game? I never tire of these games and bets.

The writing is so wonderful. I could cuddle up with these words in my mind. I loved reading this book (the plot, the characters, the writing, the lesson). I finished it before I went to bed. A little late night reading.

I want the sequel! Can't wait!

Rating: Four out of Five

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