Book Review ~ "XVI" by Julia Karr

XVI by Julia Karr
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Source: Purchased by me
Genre: YA Dystopia

Book Description: Every girl gets one.
An XVI tattoo on the wrist--sixteen.

Some girls can't wait to be sixteen, to be legal. Nina is not one of them. Even though she has no choice in the matter, she knows that so long as her life continues as normal, everything will be okay.

Then, with one brutal strike, Nina's normal is shattered; and she discovers that nothing that she believed about her life is true. But there's one boy who can help--and he just may hold the key to her past.

But with the line between attraction and danger as thin as a whisper, one thing is for sure...

For Nina, turning sixteen promises to be anything but sweet.

My thoughts: Nina lives in a world that is hard to comprehend. It is set in the future in a society where girls are not valued. They are considered objects made for men's pleasure.

When a girl turns 16 she is tattooed to let everyone know that she is now fair game for the boys. They are considered grown up and the media promotes sexual promiscuity.

While the subject matter is concerning, I understand why Julia Karr portrayed this as her plot. She seemed to be emphasizing a world where the media runs rampant, the people blindly follow what they are told. It is a disturbing portrayal but makes a great point.

The best part of the book are the friends and family that Nina have surrounding her. They are a positive and a great support network.

This book contains mature themes and swearing.  I would not recommend for readers under 16.

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This completes the 2013 Just for Fun Challenge!  I did all 12 months this year. (Happy Dance)

It also completes X for the A-Z reading challenge!