Anyone who knows me and my reading habits knows that I love dystopian fiction. It is quickly becoming my favorite genre, second only to Fantasy which holds firmly to number 1 in my heart. I’m not sure what it is that attracts me to these books but I do love the fact that many of them have a female main character who is smart, strong and can handle most anything that the new world throws her way. She thinks and feels deeply even if the characters she interacts with don’t know it. Her power comes from an innate knowledge that she knows who she is and what she believes. She is willing to fight for these things. I admire these young women for their strength of character and, if I’m honest, I want to be more like them. Sometimes I don’t know what I believe or just how to fight for it. I do have very strong opinions but not always the best way to express them. I am strong but don’t know how I’d survive something cataclysmic or even being jobless with a house to pay for. Anyway, the women in these dystopian stories have my undying admiration and I will continue to live vicariously through them, hoping that some of their wisdom and strength seeps into me. Below are the most recent titles I’ve read. Ivy is one amazing girl. You will fid yourself rooting for her!

The Book of Ivy by Amy Engle

The United States has been destroyed by a nuclear war. There is a pocket of survivors who have banded together for survival and to rebuild some semblance of society. All is not peaceful, however. The two founders disagreed on how to run the community and there was a brief but violent battle and the Lattimer family came out on top and the Westfalls moved to another side of town. In order to keep peace, the children of each side are married to one another each year, when they turn sixteen. This year, it’s Ivy Westfall’s turn and she is to marry Bishop Lattimer, the president’s son. She has been trained, these last few years, to be wife…and murderess. You see, she is going to kill her husband and help her father regain control of the community. What she doesn’t expect is to fall in love.

The Revolution of Ivy is the sequel and follows Ivy through the next chapter of her life. It’s not easy and learning to trust is still an issue for Ivy but lying may just cost her the one thing she loves most.