RENEGADE (THE ELYSIUM CHRONICLES, BOOK #1) BY J.A. SOUNDERS: BOOK REVIEW

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Renegade
The Elysium Chronicles, Book #1
By J. A. Souders
ISBN #: 9780765332455
Author’s Website: http://www.jasouders.com/

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Valerie

Synopsis:Since the age of three, sixteen-year-old Evelyn Winters has been trained to be Daughter of the People in the underwater utopia known as Elysium. Selected from hundreds of children for her ideal genes, all her life she’s thought that everything was perfect; her world. Her people. The Law.

But when Gavin Hunter, a Surface Dweller, accidentally stumbles into their secluded little world, she’s forced to come to a startling realization: everything she knows is a lie.

Her memories have been altered.
Her mind and body aren’t under her own control.And the person she knows as Mother is a monster.

Together with Gavin she plans her escape, only to learn that her own mind is a ticking time bomb… and Mother has one last secret that will destroy them all. (Goodreads)

Review:

My life is just about perfect.

That’s from Evelyn’s brainwashed mind. To tell you the truth, Evelyn’s not that bad when she’s brainwashed. It’s just that she’s actually way more  interesting when she’s herself. I love Evelyn. She is truly worthy of being called a heroine. She is one of those flawed protagonists that seem perfect simply because they’re flawed. That doesn’t make sense, but once you get to know Evelyn, it will. Evelyn is so strong. She is so much stronger than I expected her to be. Not only that, but she actually has a heart. If you know her back story, that doesn’t make sense. I’m simply happy that she has more than an ounce of niceness.

Gavin is very crush-worthy, just not in my opinion. I agree that he is definitely a great love interest. He’s charming, caring and very good-looking. I can’t connect with him though. I really want to love him, but I can’t. He’s too good for my tastes! I think he and Evelyn are a great match though. It’s just that I’m not good enough to understand just how amazing Gavin is.I have to awe over the plot. To be honest, I was expecting a really predictable plot. That’s what normally happens with books like these. You get awed by the synopsis, but the actual plot falls short. Look where I am now! I’m totally eating my thoughts! I am never underestimating a book by J. A. Souders again! I did not expect this epic plot. Honestly, the author pulls every imaginable twist and multiplies it by a million. I didn’t even bother forming my own predictions. I just went along for the read because I knew trying to analyze the plot would not work. This plot is so satisfying. I’m going to be really truthful and say it will rock your face off because it will.

I think the writing style is okay. It’s in first-person, which is expected, but it seems a little flowery. I think it’s mainly because it’s elegant and all, but I can’t really be trusted with my opinion. If you ask me, Renegade’s writing style is the type that makes you feel a little intimidated. I mean, who honestly thinks in a way that almost eliminates contractions? I don’t think the writing style fits the book, but other than that it’s totally not an issue.

Even with the parts I don’t like, I definitely love Renegade! I’ve already added it to my all-time-favorites shelf on Goodreads, which is a huge honor. The last time I did that was about 3 weeks ago. You see, Renegade is a masterpiece that deserves a standing ovation if possible. I love it. It’s amazing. You need to read it now!