Review of "Branded" by Abi Ketner & Missy Kalicicki

Branded by Abi Ketner & Missy Kalicicki 

Genre: YA/Dystopian

Page Count: 314 Pages

Synopsis: Fifty years ago, The Commander came into power and murdered all who opposed him. In his warped mind, the seven deadly sins were the downfall of society.

To punish the guilty, he created the Hole, a place where sinners are branded according to their sins. Sinners are forced to live a less than human existence in deplorable conditions, under the watchful eye of guards who are ready to kill anyone who steps out of line.

Now, LUST wraps around by neck like thick, blue fingers, threatening to choke the life out of me. I've been accused of a crime I didn't commit, and the Hole is my new home.

Constant darkness.

Brutal and savage violence.

Excruciating pain.

Every day is a fight for survival.

But I won't let them win. I will not die in the Hole.

I am more than my brand. I'm a fighter. My name is Lexi Hamilton, and this is my story.

Review: The concept of this book was so interesting, but the lack of world building outside of the Hole (and not much inside of the Hole) is frustrating. It was a rather typical dystopian novel with widespread poverty, a rebellion, and a concept that doesn't work out that well. I was hoping they would do a little more with the seven deadly sins theme.

The character growth for Lexi seemed rather forced, especially later in the book. I did like Lexi sometimes and she was sometimes very realistic.

My absolute favorite part was that people actually swore. That made the book for me. The teenage characters cursed! That is always the most unrealistic in thing in books; no swearing. In this, they swear and it helps makes them a lot more realistic.

I would recommend reading this book because it's a fun, entertaining read and it doesn't take up too much time.

Rating: 3.5 STARS