Published November 2013
About the Book (from Goodreads):
Pierce only wants a shot, a real shot, and not just the excuses he's been handed his whole life. Harmony wants to escape her future, the future she fears will be chosen for her. After their chance meeting, they might get exactly what they want.MY TAKE:
Since taking over the US government years earlier, the Omni party has created a perfect existence. From consorts to job assignments, every choice, every facet of life is under their control. Each citizen has a specific role in one of the four strata. Seventeen-year-old Pierce is a Drudge, the lowest social stratum in society. For over two years, he’s hoped—prayed—that his upcoming aptitude test will finally free him from his virtual slavery and give him a chance at a better existence. When he rescues Harmony, an Artist and member of the most successful stratum, at a publicity event for her latest movie, his life takes an unbelievable twist. With his gallant act and good looks, he becomes a media sensation. Every stratum in society seeks his membership for their publicity, but as he becomes closer to Harmony, Pierce realizes what fame in the all-seeing eye of Omni is truly like. His choices will not only affect him but Harmony as well. The life Pierce thought he wanted may not be worth the cost to either of them.
In this retelling of the classic story of Paris and Helen, love must struggle against an ultramodern, ultra-controlling society. They will risk everything, even challenging the all-seeing eye of the Omni government. But will the prize be worth the cost?
Oh. My. God. I really, really enjoyed this book. The sizzling blush of romance, the intricate world building, and the sardonic voice of our hero's POV combine to make a truly enjoyable read.
This is a dystopian future YA romance, similar in feel to Divergent but with a much more functional - if still totalitarian and brutal - society. Think Rebel without a Cause crossed with Brave New World.
The boy from the wrong stratum falls for the girl from the upper echelon of society whom he has no business even talking to, let alone falling in love with. When he saves her from harm, he gets skyrocketed into the limelight, and has to deal with the many levels and layers of fallout, and decide if love is worth the risks involved.
The book starts fast without a lot of backstory or world building, and I found the first chapter slow to get through as the author sets a stage with a lot of terms and information but without the full backdrop. Not an info dump, per se, but rather a full immersion into the world of OMNI.
Plunged into this dystopian society from the perspective of a boy at the lowest rung of the ladder, we see the gritty nuts and bolts of a rigid and regimented world. But then in later chapters, we see the same world from the perspective of upper strata...which are just as regimented in thought and action, and no where near as "free" as they appear from afar.
It's a political thriller without the obvious politics. It's also a poke in the eye to our current 24/7 news cycle fixation on all the wrong aspects of what's "going on" in the world, while leaving the public woefully uninformed about all the really important machinations of government and business.
My only problem with this story was that it ends too soon, leaving many threads dangling in midair. I'm not sure how many books are planned in this series, but you can bet that I'll be on the lookout for the next one to see what happens, and to find out if Pierce and Harmony ever get their Happily Ever After. Even dystopian heroes deserve to get the girl once in a while.
If you enjoy dystopian YA with a cynical point of view, definitely check out OMNI by Andrea Murray. You can buy it on Amazon for $2.99 HERE.
**I received a copy of this book from LRT tours in exchange for my honest review.
And I honestly loved this book.**
About the Author:
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