Review ~ Acid - Emma Pass

Paperback received via Corgi (Random House Children's Publisher) in a Goodreads, first reads giveaway

Release Date: April 25th 2013

Publisher: Corgi (Random House Children's Publisher)

Description
2113. In Jenna Strong’s world, ACID – the most brutal, controlling police force in history – rule supreme. No throwaway comment or muttered dissent goes unnoticed – or unpunished. And it was ACID agents who locked Jenna away for life, for a bloody crime she struggles to remember.

The only female inmate in a violent high-security prison, Jenna has learned to survive by any means necessary. And when a mysterious rebel group breaks her out, she must use her strength, speed and skill to stay one step ahead of ACID – and to uncover the truth about what really happened on that dark night two years ago.

My Opinion

It was the cover that drew me to enter the giveaway for this book. It looked like a kick-ass, action packed novel that is something I would usually read. As well as this the girl on the front led me to believe in a strong, independent, female protagonist which I love in a book and that's exactly what I got.

Acid starts off introducing Jenna as the only female in a maximum security prison and although this seemed a little weird it was interesting, especially when it became evident Jenna could handle herself in a fight and that people learnt the hard way not to mess with her. She started off really strong and the intrigue of why she was there - although quickly cleared up - hooked me into the fast pace start. Jenna was tough and strong but had moments of vulnerability, even if she didn't let others see. I really liked the action at the start and because of it I found myself quickly enthralled in the futuristic world created by Emma Pass.

I thought the book would continue along these lines, especially when she escapes and goes on the run. I thought we would really see Jenna come into her own at that point and fight for her life however after the initial escape things started to loose their impact for me. Jenna lost her kick-ass quality and her edge that made me like her to begin with. She conforms to this totalitarian regime with LifePartners and although she disagrees with it, she is more worried about being caught than doing anything. This made up most of the middle of the book and although it was interesting and engaging I felt Jenna's character left a lot to be desired for as it started off so well. I was just expecting more from her.

Thankfully towards the end Jenna did find her fighting spirit again and although she didn't seem as tough to me I was glad that she was once again fighting. For me this book had a strong start and finish but the middle was a bit weak in terms of character development.

As for the world created by Pass it was a nice change to read a book set in England rather than the US for once. I could actually picture things and understand where places were geographically. I've read so many books where issues are centred in America and it was great to read one in a different location. As well as this the totalitarian regime run by ACID was really intriguing. The system was constructed well and I liked how newspaper reports were dispersed throughout the book, I thought it was a really original idea and added the extra emphasis on the control held by ACID. 

One problem I did have with the futuristic world was the technology. Weapons like 'pulse guns' were used by ACID agents and I can't remember ever being fully told what they were. I know they needed charging so I thought it was like a taser but when it stated they kill the person and Jenna uses a taser instead, it left me a little confused as to what the difference between it and a normal gun was. As well as this other tech like Komms confused me slightly. Although this was easier to understand due to the concept I feel a little more description on what they look like and work was needed to gain a better understanding of the new world.

However besides this the plot was really engaging with plenty of action to keep my interest. It moved at a fast pace and I really didn't think I would enjoy it as much as I did. I just wish Jenna didn't turn so feeble in the middle so I could rate it 5 stars. I know there is a valid reason - which I won't reveal - but personally I wanted more ass-kicking Jenna.

The other characters surrounding Jenna were normally brief meetings and due to that I never really engaged with anyone other than Max. I didn't mind this however though because it fitted in with the fast pace, on the run nature of the book to make it more believable. As well as this the slight romance was a nice addition and I liked how it wasn't the main focus. Yes there were LifePartnerings but there was never any love so it didn't make Jenna's character vulnerable.

Overall this was a really enjoyable read that I had a hard time putting down. Yeah I would have liked Jenna to not lose her fight but that didn't stop it being hard to put down. There was a load of action and the plot was carefully constructed to create a believable world and although the ending was slightly predictable, and some of the secrets I guessed before they were revealed I still found myself hooked all the way through. I would really recommend this book and I'm glad I won a copy!