At the Medio School for Girls, distinguished young women are trained for one of two roles in their polarized society. Depending on her specialization, a graduate will one day run a husband’s household or raise his children, but both are promised a life of comfort and luxury, far from the frequent political uprisings of the lower class. Daniela Vargas is the school’s top student, but her bright future depends upon no one discovering her darkest secret—that her pedigree is a lie. Her parents sacrificed everything to obtain forged identification papers so Dani could rise above her station. Now that her marriage to an important politico’s son is fast approaching, she must keep the truth hidden or be sent back to the fringes of society, where famine and poverty rule supreme.
On her graduation night, Dani seems to be in the clear, despite the surprises that unfold. But nothing prepares her for all the difficult choices she must make, especially when she is asked to spy for a resistance group desperately fighting to bring equality to Medio. Will Dani cling to the privilege her parents fought to win for her, or to give up everything she’s strived for in pursuit of a free Medio—and a chance at a forbidden love?
MY THOUGHTS
I listened to this book on audio. The audio was decent, and I was able to follow along easily. I originally planned on switching back and forth between the audio and hardcover, but I ended up listening to it on audio all the way through. As for the story, I did like this book, but I don't think it was quite what I expected.
Dani lives on an island with a divide. There are those in the center who are wealthy and privileged that live behind a wall. Then there are those outside the wall, by the sea, who live in poverty. Dani's family risked everything to get her on the other side of the wall, faking her documentation. She is now meant to become one of two wives to one of the most powerful young men, but when her secret at risk of being discovered, she gets blackmailed into becoming a spy for a resistance. All the while, she sees how deep the privilege runs and she starts to fall for the other wife of her husband.
I'm honestly not sure how I feel about this book. I think when I finished reading this book I felt like it was just okay. I liked it, but there were plenty of moments that didn't reach their full potential. I never really felt like I connected to Dani or any of the other characters, but I can't really pinpoint why.
I do think the message of this book was very clear. While the book was marketed as a fantasy novel, I shelve this book more as a dystopian. There aren't really any fantastical elements. The closest thing to fantasy in this book would maybe be the mythology that influences the decisions of this society. This book focuses more on the politics and the issues of society, which is why I consider it dystopian. This book very clearly drew from real issues in our world. This book discusses wealth and privilege, and how those with that privilege want to keep others out. Our MC also is an undocumented immigrant in this world, coming from the other side of the wall. I think the author did a great job in creating this world and intertwining it with real issues.
One of my main struggles with the book was the romance. This book features a romance between two girls who are both married to the same husband (though this was essentially an assigned marriage), but it takes so long for this romance to show up. I was starting to question if I remembered the synopsis and reviews right because I knew this was on LGBTQ+ lists, yet there was no hint of that. Once the romance does start, it just happens? There isn't really much of a relationship between the two characters beforehand. They kind of dislike each other, but not enough for it to be a hate-like relationship, and it felt surface level. I really wanted that tension, those scenes that make you desperate for them to get together, and I didn't get that.
Dani lives on an island with a divide. There are those in the center who are wealthy and privileged that live behind a wall. Then there are those outside the wall, by the sea, who live in poverty. Dani's family risked everything to get her on the other side of the wall, faking her documentation. She is now meant to become one of two wives to one of the most powerful young men, but when her secret at risk of being discovered, she gets blackmailed into becoming a spy for a resistance. All the while, she sees how deep the privilege runs and she starts to fall for the other wife of her husband.
I'm honestly not sure how I feel about this book. I think when I finished reading this book I felt like it was just okay. I liked it, but there were plenty of moments that didn't reach their full potential. I never really felt like I connected to Dani or any of the other characters, but I can't really pinpoint why.
I do think the message of this book was very clear. While the book was marketed as a fantasy novel, I shelve this book more as a dystopian. There aren't really any fantastical elements. The closest thing to fantasy in this book would maybe be the mythology that influences the decisions of this society. This book focuses more on the politics and the issues of society, which is why I consider it dystopian. This book very clearly drew from real issues in our world. This book discusses wealth and privilege, and how those with that privilege want to keep others out. Our MC also is an undocumented immigrant in this world, coming from the other side of the wall. I think the author did a great job in creating this world and intertwining it with real issues.
One of my main struggles with the book was the romance. This book features a romance between two girls who are both married to the same husband (though this was essentially an assigned marriage), but it takes so long for this romance to show up. I was starting to question if I remembered the synopsis and reviews right because I knew this was on LGBTQ+ lists, yet there was no hint of that. Once the romance does start, it just happens? There isn't really much of a relationship between the two characters beforehand. They kind of dislike each other, but not enough for it to be a hate-like relationship, and it felt surface level. I really wanted that tension, those scenes that make you desperate for them to get together, and I didn't get that.
IN CONCLUSION
Overall, I did like this book, but I didn't like it as much as I hoped. I'm not sure why, but I never fully connected to the characters, and the romance felt underdeveloped. But, I think the author did a pretty great job of building the society and creating this dystopian environment while discussing real issues. This book ended on a cliffhanger, yet I am not sure whether I will continue the series.
I hereby give this book
3 Stars
Meaning: I liked it
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