Book Review: The Scorpion Rules by Erin Bow

Release Date: September 22nd, 2014
Read: September 4th-16th, 2015
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Series: Prisoners of Peace, #1
Format: ARC, 384 pages
Source: Publisher in exchange for honest review

Description from GoodReads:

   In the future, the UN has brought back an ancient way to keep the peace. The children of world leaders are held hostage—if a war begins, they pay with their lives.

   Greta is the Crown Princess of the Pan Polar Confederacy, a superpower formed of modern-day Canada. She is also a Child of Peace, a hostage held by the de facto ruler of the world, the great Artificial Intelligence, Talis. The hostages are Talis’s strategy to keep the peace: if her country enters a war, Greta dies.

   The system has worked for centuries. Parents don’t want to see their children murdered.

   Greta will be free if she can make it to her eighteenth birthday. Until then she is prepared to die with dignity, if necessary. But everything changes when Elián arrives at the Precepture. He’s a hostage from a new American alliance, and he defies the machines that control every part of their lives—and is severely punished for it. Greta is furious that Elián has disrupted their quiet, structured world. But slowly, his rebellion opens her eyes to the brutality of the rules they live under, and to the subtle resistance of her companions. And Greta discovers her own quiet power.

   Then Elián’s country declares war on Greta’s and invades the prefecture, taking the hostages hostage. Now the great Talis is furious, and coming himself to mete out punishment. Which surely means that Greta and Elián will be killed...unless Greta can think of a way to save them. 

Review:

 
   Why would I come back to you?
   The Scorpion Rules was a present from Simon & Schuster Canada, it was a surprise too! When the ARC along with the fancy honey candle came in the mail I didn't know what to expect because I hadn't heard of the novel before. So to GoodReads I went, and it looked really interesting! Especially since the story takes place in Canada, you don't see that often.
   When I first started reading The Scorpion Rules I thought that it would have a rebellion sort of twist to it. Unfortunately I was wrong and it was political twist. Where anything else would have been fine, I just can't do political, and because the book was completely surrounded in it. I just couldn't enjoy the book because of it.
   Where I didn't enjoy the novel, I did enjoy the character Greta. Strong, learning, willing to sacrifice for the better good. She I did enjoy.
   Even though Erin Bow is a Canadian Author, I probably won't be giving the sequel a chance.

Rating:

Favourite Quote:

" All we are is dust in the wind"

Recommend to People Who Enjoy:

Young Adult, Science Fiction, Dystopian, Fantasy, War, Politics, Canada, LGBT