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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
Literally ended up skimming the last third of this book because I was so bored that I didn't even care anymore. Dull, lifeless characters that have no personality and a plot that was beyond boring. There's a reason why no one wants to read about the aftermath of a totalitarian regime's downfall. Because it's boring. This one came highly recommended to me by a few people on Booktok that I really respect and well, that was disappointing. I'll have to be more wary about their recommendations from now on.
I’m so meh on this one. It just wasn’t for me.
I read this for Meg with Books’ Book Club for the January pick and it was not my taste.
It felt very YA and just meh. I struggled understanding the world building and what was going on. I’d have rather had this be a YA of the downfall of the Delegation rather than this weird story we got.
Not my taste. I never read the Divergent series, never saw the movies, and still don’t plan on it after this one.
I read this for Meg with Books’ Book Club for the January pick and it was not my taste.
It felt very YA and just meh. I struggled understanding the world building and what was going on. I’d have rather had this be a YA of the downfall of the Delegation rather than this weird story we got.
Not my taste. I never read the Divergent series, never saw the movies, and still don’t plan on it after this one.
There was a time when the mere word 'dystopian' would have made me predisposed to like a book of this genre; these days I think it might be the opposite, but this wasn't a half bad attempt at rehabilitating some of its originality, should you be in the mood for it.
Pleased to report this book doesn't have much in common with Divergent: Poster Girl is a more mature take on the possible future of humanity, and deeply unsettling in how plausible and morally gray the whole 'Big Brother is watching you (and you're actually mostly okay with that)' concept is in this world. Still, to me it seemed more like a personal growth-and-discovery journey of the main character, Sonya, than a thought-provoking exercise meant to question the merits of this or that government system or different sets of moral values. Through Sonya, we learn about the world as she lived it (the Delegation with its rigid rules and a complex reward system), mourn it in a resigned habitual way of someone who's been imprisoned for a decade, then explore the new world ruled by the Triumvirate and uncover some rather uncomfortable truths, upsetting to Sonya on both personal and existential levels.
For some reason, I was sure that this was going to be an action book of sorts - it's not that, but I found the slower, more thoughtful pace to be the better choice for this type of narrative. Personally, I would've wanted to learn more about the government systems Roth envisioned, both old and new, and this world in general, but since we see it all through one character's eyes it's inevitably not a full picture. Again rather inevitably, the focus remains on Sonya throughout the book, while other characters are few and occasionally seem a bit 2D.
Thanks to #Netgalley and the publisher for an arc of #PosterGirl.
Pleased to report this book doesn't have much in common with Divergent: Poster Girl is a more mature take on the possible future of humanity, and deeply unsettling in how plausible and morally gray the whole 'Big Brother is watching you (and you're actually mostly okay with that)' concept is in this world. Still, to me it seemed more like a personal growth-and-discovery journey of the main character, Sonya, than a thought-provoking exercise meant to question the merits of this or that government system or different sets of moral values. Through Sonya, we learn about the world as she lived it (the Delegation with its rigid rules and a complex reward system), mourn it in a resigned habitual way of someone who's been imprisoned for a decade, then explore the new world ruled by the Triumvirate and uncover some rather uncomfortable truths, upsetting to Sonya on both personal and existential levels.
For some reason, I was sure that this was going to be an action book of sorts - it's not that, but I found the slower, more thoughtful pace to be the better choice for this type of narrative. Personally, I would've wanted to learn more about the government systems Roth envisioned, both old and new, and this world in general, but since we see it all through one character's eyes it's inevitably not a full picture. Again rather inevitably, the focus remains on Sonya throughout the book, while other characters are few and occasionally seem a bit 2D.
Thanks to #Netgalley and the publisher for an arc of #PosterGirl.
dark
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Veronica Roth writes books that are intriguing and readable. Books that just flow well. I’d give this book 3.75 stars. For the most part I enjoyed Poster Girl…the story and the characters. As a sci fi novel I would say she did a really good job at developing a full pictured dystopian civilization. The story highlights the hazards of constantly living in on and with our technology/phones/watches. As well as issues of dramaturgy, social conditioning, medicalization and too much government oversight.
My biggest critique was the fact that the ending seemed a little choppy. The last chapter was great. I really enjoyed the ending. But there were two or three just before that could have been smoothed out a bit.
My biggest critique was the fact that the ending seemed a little choppy. The last chapter was great. I really enjoyed the ending. But there were two or three just before that could have been smoothed out a bit.
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Poster Girl has a complex story, grappling the nuances of morality and ethics in a way that highlights the grey area. Roth's writing is good, characters are described via the small details that make them feel real, scenes have almost palpable emotion in them. These lend to immersion and really make you envision the scenes unfolding in your head.
I like the dystopia/utopia contrast between the prisoners and the real world, and the unfolding idea that neither option is actually best, at least for Sonya. However, I wish there had been more about the government in power. Throughout the book we hear all the ways the previous government sought total control and modelled all of its citizens. Then, there are only glimmers of the current government not being all it seems but that's not really explored in the novel. I wish there had been more. It would have really fleshed out the outside world.
I like the dystopia/utopia contrast between the prisoners and the real world, and the unfolding idea that neither option is actually best, at least for Sonya. However, I wish there had been more about the government in power. Throughout the book we hear all the ways the previous government sought total control and modelled all of its citizens. Then, there are only glimmers of the current government not being all it seems but that's not really explored in the novel. I wish there had been more. It would have really fleshed out the outside world.
Thank you to William Morrow and Veronica Roth for sending me a copy of this book and making me a part of their ambassador program. Poster Girl releases October 18, 2022!
Now to the review. Sonya Kantor lived under the Delegation, the autocratic government of the Seattle-Portland megalopolis. The Delegation used a device called the Insight in order to keep society under constant surveillance. This device was implanted in the eye at a young age in order to track everyone. And you are rewarded or punished based on your actions, words and deeds. Sonya's family is in the higher echelons of the Delegation, so much so that she was used in an advertisement preaching the Delegation's slogan, "What's Right is Right." Her face becomes iconic, earning her the nickname "Poster Girl".
When the Delegation is overthrown by the Triumvirate, she along with other prominent Delegation members are imprisoned in the Aperture. The Insights are discontinued, ending the tracking. Sonya spends ten years in the Aperture when she is offered a deal by the Triumvirate. She needs to find a missing girl named Grace Ward. Grace was an "illegal second child" taken by the Delegation and given to another family. But what she discovers along the way may lead her into even more questions about the Delegation, the Triumvirate, and even her own family.
This book really resonated with me in terms of the surveillance aspect of the story. Our obsession with social media and our public personas is definitely akin to what this story is digging into. I also liked that Sonya is not a hero in this story. She is as deeply flawed as the other characters in the story. She's not selfless, but she is trying to make amends for past indiscretions, which tie directly back to the missing girl. It's also a very unique mystery story wrapped into the downfall of a government body, and the aftermath of the new one coming into power. This novel is thought provoking, extremely emotional, and an absolute thrill ride.
Now to the review. Sonya Kantor lived under the Delegation, the autocratic government of the Seattle-Portland megalopolis. The Delegation used a device called the Insight in order to keep society under constant surveillance. This device was implanted in the eye at a young age in order to track everyone. And you are rewarded or punished based on your actions, words and deeds. Sonya's family is in the higher echelons of the Delegation, so much so that she was used in an advertisement preaching the Delegation's slogan, "What's Right is Right." Her face becomes iconic, earning her the nickname "Poster Girl".
When the Delegation is overthrown by the Triumvirate, she along with other prominent Delegation members are imprisoned in the Aperture. The Insights are discontinued, ending the tracking. Sonya spends ten years in the Aperture when she is offered a deal by the Triumvirate. She needs to find a missing girl named Grace Ward. Grace was an "illegal second child" taken by the Delegation and given to another family. But what she discovers along the way may lead her into even more questions about the Delegation, the Triumvirate, and even her own family.
This book really resonated with me in terms of the surveillance aspect of the story. Our obsession with social media and our public personas is definitely akin to what this story is digging into. I also liked that Sonya is not a hero in this story. She is as deeply flawed as the other characters in the story. She's not selfless, but she is trying to make amends for past indiscretions, which tie directly back to the missing girl. It's also a very unique mystery story wrapped into the downfall of a government body, and the aftermath of the new one coming into power. This novel is thought provoking, extremely emotional, and an absolute thrill ride.