Review: The Registry

Source: TLC Book Tours

The Registry by Shannon Stoker
Genre: YA, Dystopia
Pages: 321 (paperback)
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Buy it: Amazon | Kindle | B&N | Book Depo

Description:

The Registry saved the country from collapse. But stability has come at a price. In this patriotic new America, girls are raised to be brides, sold at auction to the highest bidder. Boys are raised to be soldiers, trained by the state to fight to their death.

Nearly eighteen, beautiful Mia Morrissey excitedly awaits the beginning of her auction year. But a warning from her married older sister raises dangerous thoughts. Now, instead of going up on the block, Mia is going to escape to Mexico—and the promise of freedom.

All Mia wants is to control her own destiny—a brave and daring choice that will transform her into an enemy of the state, pursued by powerful government agents, ruthless bounty hunters, and a cunning man determined to own her . . . a man who will stop at nothing to get her back.

My Rating:

My Review:

The Registry features a future that America has moved backwards and women are oppressed.  They are groomed to marry and have no decisions about their lives and their futures.  Women are scored based on their cooking skills and rewarded for lacking intelligence.  These scores decide the price that these women are auctioned for.  In this world, men earn the right to buy women after serving their time in the military.  Mia discovers banned information and becomes determined to escape her fate as a wife.  She knows she can't accomplish this feat alone, but hopes her best-friend Whitney and her partnership with a young man named Andrew will help her accomplish her goals.

This premise had potential but it really didn't hit the spot for me.  There were some real thoughtful moments that I enjoyed and a few sections that had me sitting on the edge of my seat wondering what would come next.  But ultimately this story needs to be fleshed out more.  More/better descriptions could help bring this story to life.  The author settles for telling the reader everything rather than allowing the reader to come to her own conclusions, analyze characters, or consider the themes.  Everything felt very simple, including the writing.  The story was very straight forward from beginning to the end without anything to set it apart.  The characters felt flat and predictable.  There is no depth or complexity and the writing seemed to need more style.    It didn't feel like a smooth read.  It's sad because the potential is here.  If this were a draft, it would be great.  But it isn't.  There are holes in the plot and characterization that's hard to ignore.

Overall, the writing failed to draw me into this story.