Pros:
The world-building is rock-solid: plausible and all too realistic. Look around, read the news; humans are fatally short-sighted when it comes to the resources of our planet. It's not that far-fetched to imagine we might use up the most important resource of all – air.
The main idea, a
society where somebody else controls the very air you breathe and can take it away at any time, is a…mehrPros:
The world-building is rock-solid: plausible and all too realistic. Look around, read the news; humans are fatally short-sighted when it comes to the resources of our planet. It's not that far-fetched to imagine we might use up the most important resource of all – air.
The main idea, a society where somebody else controls the very air you breathe and can take it away at any time, is a great one that automatically generates suspense. Who doesn't fear suffocation? What could possibly make you more helpless?
I like that the story is centered around young people from each one of the three main factions. We are invited to question their believes and morals and make up our own minds about the situation. They all feel like well-rounded characters, and they all have shades of grey - there's no moral black or white here.
The different POVs are handled very well: it doesn't get too confusing, and the story still feels coherent. The writing is good, enjoyable to read and appropriate for the YA audience.
Contras:
Quinn comes across as a self-centered jerk more than once, I'm sorry to say. Maybe that's only realistic, considering that he grew up sheltered and privileged enough to satisfy his every whim... I still didn't care as much about him as I would've liked to.
I really didn't like the leader of the rebels, Petra. On the one hand, her passionate drive to save the trees is commendable and understandable, but there is an underlying ruthlessness in the way she treats the humans around her. She has more or less raised an orphaned child, but pretty much everybody refers to the girl as Petra's "pet", which I found very telling.
I'm not entirely sure that's a contra, though - maybe it's supposed to show us that the world is not black or white and that even people with basically good intentions can be flawed or go too far.
The love story didn't truly touch me. For the first half of the book, the girl pines hopelessly after the boy she likes, lets him walk all over her like a doormat while he apparently makes out with every pretty girl within his reach, and then he suddenly sees the light and becomes this whole new person? I don't know, it was just too sudden.
My rating:
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel. Even though I didn't care that much for Quinn or Petra, I liked most of the other characters a lot and kept turning the pages to find out what would happen to them. It's a book that makes you think, and a book that makes you feel.
If you like dystopian YA, like the Hunger Games, The Glimpse or similar books, give this one a try!
