Pawn

October 14, 2013
Carter (the Goddess Test series) tries her hand at near-future dystopia, with mixed results. The economy has collapsed, and resources have run out—that’s as much world-building as Carter does, so it’s hard to see how or why the United States has willingly and rapidly transformed from prosperous democracy to micromanaged dictatorship. Kitty, raised in a state-mandated group home, is in love with her boyfriend, Benjy, but her test results show she’s a low achiever, and the 17-year-old is assigned a sewer-maintenance job in faraway Denver. While they wait for Benjy to be tested, Kitty runs away to become a prostitute, only to have her virginity bought by the most powerful man in the country, Prime Minister Daxton Hart. It’s not sex he’s after, though: he wants Kitty to impersonate his dead niece. Why, and at what price, Kitty can only guess. The romance is anemic, with Benjy barely mentioned for chapters at a time. Though well-paced and readable, as Carter’s prose normally is, the absence of credible setting or emotion makes this an underwhelming read. Ages 14–up. Agent: Rosemary Stimola, Stimola Literary Studio. (Nov.)■

September 15, 2013
This new dystopian series opener wants to be a romance novel but skews toward suspense. Seventeen-year-old Kitty and her true love, Benjy, live in Washington, D.C., more than 70 years in the future. America has become a totalitarian dictatorship under the devious Hart family. Upon turning 17, everyone must take a test that will determine their rank and role for the rest of their lives. Although extremely intelligent, dyslexic Kitty can't read, so she emerges from the test as a III and is assigned to clean out sewers in Denver. She tries to escape by becoming a prostitute, but Prime Minister Daxton Hart buys her at auction and Masks her into an identical copy of his popular niece, Lila, whom he recently murdered. Thereafter, the story revolves around Kitty's struggles to impersonate Lila, find Benjy and deal with the constant conspiracies involving the Harts. Carter doesn't make much use of her new world, focusing almost entirely on palace intrigues instead of the society she's created. Boyfriend Benjy comes across less as a character than as a prop: He's useful to the Harts and to the plot only as a constant threat to keep Kitty in line. Meanwhile, Kitty tries to learn who's a rebel and who isn't and which side she should take to save herself. Another forgettable genre entry. (Dystopian romance. 12 & up)

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February 1, 2014

Gr 10 Up-Kitty isn't destined for greatness. She lives in a dystopian America a few generations into the future. She's grown up in a group home, due to her status as a second child in a society where fertility is controlled. A reading disability prevents her from acheiving a desirable score on the national placement test that determines caste. She has no money, no opportunity, and no chance at a secure future with her boyfriend, Benjy. Kitty is out of options and attempts a career as a prostitute. When the powerful and cruel Prime Minister, Daxston Hart, offers to transform Kitty into an exact replica of his deceased niece, Kitty has new opportunities, and dangers, that she never imagined. While Carter doesn't break any new ground in teen dystopian literature with Pawn, she executes the elements of the genre expertly-the tempo is brisk, the tension is deeply felt, the protagonist is a great reader's proxy, and the villains are smooth and terrifying. Kitty is a brash, imperfect hero, and readers will root for her every step of the way as she makes tough decisions to protect her loved ones and stay true to her pre-Lila identity and values. The secondary characters are thinly drawn, but the actions and plot twists will keep readers satisfied and waiting for more in the series. Recommended for teens who enjoy political intrigue and action thrillers, as well as other popular dystopian novels.-Susannah Goldstein, Convent of the Sacred Heart, New York City

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2013
Grades 9-12 In near-future America, every 17-year-old takes a test to determine his or her place in society, and Kitty Doe has failedshe's assigned the rank of III. Facing a life of deprivation near the bottom rung of society, and separated from the people she lovesmost important, her boyfriend, BenjyKitty takes a job as a prostitute in an illegal club. On her first night, she is auctioned off to Daxton Hart, the nation's leader, who offers her the choice to upgrade her rank from III to VII. She agrees without thinking and wakes up after being drugged by Hart to find herself at the center of political intrigue worthy of Machiavelli. Corrupt leaders, graphic violence, rebellion, and first love, this title has it all. And although not delving into uncharted territory, Carter (the Goddess Test trilogy) has created an engaging heroine to root for in Kitty and a page-turner full of twists and turns. Readers will look forward to the next book in the anticipated trilogy.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)