Monday, September 8, 2014

Review: Blackbird by Anna Carey

Blackbird

Author: Anna Carey
Series: Blackbird Duology #1
Publisher: HarperTeen
Genre: YA Dystopian/Thriller
Format: ebook
Release Date: September 16, 2014
Source: egalley received from publisher via Edelweiss
Rating: 4 Stars
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***I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way changed my opinion of the book. The review below is my open and honest opinion.***

Synopsis from Goodreads:

A girl wakes up on the train tracks, a subway car barreling down on her. With only minutes to react, she hunches down and the train speeds over her. She doesn’t remember her name, where she is, or how she got there. She has a tattoo on the inside of her right wrist of a blackbird inside a box, letters and numbers printed just below: FNV02198. There is only one thing she knows for sure: people are trying to kill her. 

On the run for her life, she tries to untangle who she is and what happened to the girl she used to be. Nothing and no one are what they appear to be. But the truth is more disturbing than she ever imagined.

The Maze Runner series meets Code Name Verity, Blackbird is relentless and action-packed, filled with surprising twists.

My Review:

Second person POV for the win. For anyone who doesn't know what 2nd person is, it's when the story is told in "you" vs "I." So instead of "I walked the dog," it's "You walked the dog". It's pretty rare to find books written in 2nd person. I recently read one that was half and half called Rabbit Ears which I really enjoyed, and now this one. More books should be written this way. Why? It ups the intensity of the story and makes you feel all the things. You feel like this is happening to you and it just makes it that much crazier. 

Blackbird is about a girl who wakes up in a pretty precarious situation and has no recollection of who she is or how she got there. Then she starts getting chased by people who clearly want to kill her. Cray. I loved trying to work things out alongside the main character, unraveling the layers of crazy that were her life. I can't even imagine being in her situation. She can't go to the police because a). They don't believe her and b). She may or may not be a wanted criminal. The only person who is helping her is this guy she meets. 

Said guy was very sweet, but I wasn't really sold on the romance. I think that the last of my worries if this happened to me would be making out with a hot guy I met in a grocery story. So I never really felt a connection to it. 

But the story and the main character were what really captivated me. She just showed so much strength, pushing through each day, fighting for her life even though she knew nothing about herself or who was chasing her. I really respected this girl even though at times her decisions were a bit hasty and not at all thought out. Really it was just this one time that really that bugged me. But I suppose everyone has to make dumb decisions right? 

The plot will suck you in and twist you around. There are crazy twists that you don't see coming and then it ends on a cliffhanger. Not a horrible cliffhanger, I suppose. But still. Luckily this is a duology so we only have to wait a year to find exactly how it's all going to end! Woot! Happy reading all! 


Have you read this one yet? Thoughts? Did you like the 2nd person POV? How did you feel about the romance? 

8 comments:

  1. Glad you enjoyed this one! I've read some mixed reviews, but I think I'll like it. Love stories where the MC doesn't have her memories and I don't mind second person. And I won't even mind the romance…I always want at least a little even when it doesn't make practical sense. :) But a cliffhanger? I can't take any more. But yes, love that it's a duology! ~Pam

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    1. Me too! I love unraveling all the mysteries. Yes, beware the cliffhanger. I put that in my review just for you. :)

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  2. Huh, interesting! I don't think I've read much 2nd person POV at all. I do remember looking forward to this one back at BEA but I didn't end up getting it. I'm still super intrigued by it. Haha at the romance comment :)

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    1. Neither have I. I just think it's not all that common. If you read it, let me know what you think!

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  3. YAY! I'm so glad you liked this one! I enjoyed the POV so much. It was nice to read something so different than everything else I've recently read. Plus, I really loved those 'choose your own adventure' books as a kid and this was reminiscent of that. :) Great review, Rebecca!

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    1. Yes! Choose your own adventure books were the best! And this one definitely had that feel. Can't wait for the next one!

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  4. I liked the 2nd person POV as well! I know a lot of people didn't like it but I thought it worked really well for the story! I loved the mystery and it definitely kept me guessing but I HATED that it wasn't a stand alone! I think it was short enough this could have been made into one book, ARGH... I want to read it now lol.

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    1. Really? I haven't actually read a lot of reviews for this one so I didn't realize other ppl weren't liking it. I thought it worked so well for a thriller type story. Yeah, I do agree with you about the whole standalone thing. But at least it's just two right?

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