Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

With the ability to torture and then kill anyone she touches, Juliette is either a danger to society or an invaluable weapon of the evil totalitarian Reestablishment government that has sprung up in the wake of supply shortages in this near-future world. Either way, she’s been locked up in solitary for close to a year when Adam is deposited in her cell, so she thinks she may be crazy to believe that he’s the same boy she loved as a child, the only one who treated her like a human being. The dystopian setting is familiar but dramatic fare—brutal oppression, dire divides between the haves and have-nots, disappeared critics—with an extra-evil, Julietteobsessed officer adding a personal touch to the protagonists’ persecution. Romance fans will appreciate the laser-tight focus Mafi keeps on her central characters: while the people trying to kill them keep Adam and Juliette far enough apart for maximum frustrated longing, there are nevertheless plenty of scenes with just the two of them, and they both have more than enough baggage to keep things interesting. The writing style gets a little out of hand with the imagery at times, but but the heightened emotionality, potent chemistry, and near-constant twists ensure that most readers won’t care a bit. Fans of Cashore’s Fire (BCCB 3/10), Oliver’s Delirium (BCCB 2/11), and, yes, Twilight will find this addictive—lucky for them, a sequel seems inevitable.