Book Review - Defiance

Defiance
Author: C.J. Redwine
Series: Defiance #1
Genres: Fantasy, Dystopian | Young Adult
Release Date: August 28th 2012
Publishers: Balzer + Bray
No. Pages: 403
Source: Borrowed
Rating:
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While the other girls in the walled city-state of Baalboden learn to sew and dance, Rachel Adams learns to track and hunt. While they bend like reeds to the will of their male Protectors, she uses hers for sparring practice.

When Rachel's father fails to return from a courier mission and is declared dead, the city's brutal Commander assigns Rachel a new Protector: her father's apprentice, Logan—the boy she declared her love to and who turned her down two years before. Left with nothing but fierce belief in her father's survival, Rachel decides to escape and find him herself.

As Rachel and Logan battle their way through the Wasteland, stalked by a monster that can't be killed and an army of assassins out for blood, they discover romance, heartbreak, and a truth that will incite a war decades in the making.

When I first came across Defiance a few years ago I knew it would be right up my alley. I had just starting reading, and obsession over, dystopian books so it really was a no brainer whether or not I was going to read this book. However, for whatever reason, I put it off for a long time. When I first heard that Amanda was going to be doing a read-a-thon, and that this was one of the books I knew I was going to take part, if not only to finally get around to reading it. I wish I could say it was worth the wait, but for whatever reason me and book just did not get along.

It had everything I normal love in a dystipian book. The city controlled by a viscous dictator, people thinking for their self and not swallowing everything they were told, a sense of community and family. So why did I not become hooked like I normally do?. I love multiply POV in books, when done right of course. But the whole point of different point of views is because the people have different personalities and different things they can bring to the book, right? Well sadly I didn't get that from this one. It felt like Rachel and Logan not only had the same sort of thoughts but as they were on the same path and both had the same goals, I didn't feel like different POV was really needed in this book

The characters in this book just didn't grip me either. I didn't really anything towards Rachel. I liked Logan, but I think my biggest grievance was with the Commander. I know he was suppose to be horrible, stop at nothing to get what he wants no matter who he has to kill to get there person. But I'll be honest with you, at times it felt like the author had tried too hard to make him do awful things, that in the end he just came across as ridiculous and annoying to me. It's not like with President Snow from The Hunger Games, he was one twisted mofo but he did it in style. Snow was this intelligent man who would do anything for power, but he truly believed in what he was doing. That everything he did to get the was justified. The Commander on the other hand didn't seem to feel anything other than brutality.

I know that it seems like all I'm doing is complaining, but overall this book wasn't terribly and I'm hoping it gets better. The world building was good and I liked the concept behind it. I just didn't connect with the characters, and that's one thing that puts me, and a lot of people, off books. I tried to feel more for them, I really did. But maybe when the series continue I'll find myself drawn more to them.

This book had a lot of action and adventure and it had a lot of potential. It's not the first time I disliked the characters in the first only to fall deeply and madly in love with them as it went on, hell I didn't like Rose or many of the other characters in the Vampire Academy, I thought the bitchiness of it was stupid and too much like high school and was not at all sure I was going to bother finishing the series. But I did, and it ended up being one of my all time favourite's. So that's what I'm hoping for this book. Keep your fingers and toes crossed for me.