Reckoning: Review

Synopsis:

One girl. One chance. One destiny.

In the village of Martindale, hundreds of miles north of the new English capital of Windsor, sixteen-year-old Silver Blackthorne takes the Reckoning. This coming-of- age test not only decides her place in society – Elite, Member, Inter or Trog – but also determines that Silver is to become an Offering for King Victor.But these are uncertain times and no one really knows what happens to the teenagers who disappear into Windsor Castle. Is being an Offering the privilege everyone assumes it to be, or do the walls of the castle have something to hide?Trapped in a maze of ancient corridors, Silver finds herself in a warped world of suspicion where it is difficult to know who to trust and who to fear. The one thing Silver does know is that she must find a way out . . . The heart-stopping first book in a new trilogy by UK author Kerry Wilkinson, Reckoning is the story of one girl's determination to escape the whims of a cruel king, and what she must do to survive against all odds.

***

I will divide this review into two parts. The part about the theme and the part about the plot (and maybe some characters).

Theme:

The theme is generally very relate-able for book fans (especially dystopian fans). The four places (or castes, in the words of The Selection), signals a really big problem in people's lives in the book, which can be really phenomenal. It's also not hard to imagine this system as in a way, our current society has something like that (only it's not as obvious as in the book). However, as much as it's relate-able, it's not a new thing in books, and it's kind of boring me out. Maybe only a little, so I really wish the plot will surprise me.

The plot (and the characters):

However, the plot really does not impress me. It's full of holes. Like the fact that the king wants them to work against each other. But why? No explanation. Why are there so few guards (or Kingsmen, whatever they call themselves) in the freaking palace? No explanation either. It seems like a lot of things that raises people's curiosity don't have a definitive answer. It's very predictable also. I know what's going to happen in the end of the book without even going half through the book. I know HOW they're going to achieve what is going to happen in the end of the book without even going half through it. Seriously? Real too obvious.

The characters are problematic as well. They're really stiff and weak characters. Not much of their individual strength, besides their tendency to work together as a team. It's kind of like nothing exists beyond this one (and maybe only) good side of them. Even Silver. Silver is supposed to be a clever and strong character. But the plot doesn't really show any of her brilliancy and cleverness. And the bad guys are just that. Bad, bad, bad. Simple characters. Definitely not complex. It's just a simple tug of war between good and bad. Nothing is beyond that. No, definitely not impressed.

I hope the plot and the characters will improve in the next book because this series really has potential with so many potential threats in the background.

Rating: 5.5/10