Damselfly by Jennie Bates BozicMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
Source: Netgalley (Received to Review- many moons ago)
Genre: YA Sci-Fi
Published: November 11, 2013
Book Description: In 2065, the Lilliput Project created Lina - the first six-inch-tall winged girl - as the solution to a worldwide energy and food crisis. Isolated in a compound amidst the forests of Denmark, Lina has grown up aware of only one purpose: learn how to survive in a world filled with hawks, bumblebees, and loneliness. However, on the eve of her sixteenth birthday, she discovers that she’s not the only teenager her size. Six 'Toms' were created shortly after Lina, and now her creators need to prove to the world that tiny people are the next logical step in human evolution. In other words, they need to prove that reproduction is possible.
Um. No thanks. Lina's already fallen in love with a boy she met online named Jack. Only he has no idea that thumbelina1847 could literally fit inside his heart.
When her creators threaten to hurt Jack unless she chooses a husband from among the ‘Toms’, Lina agrees to star in a reality TV series. Once the episodes begin to air, the secret of her size is out. Cut off from any contact with the outside world, Lina assumes Jack is no longer interested. After all, what guy would want to date a girl he can’t even kiss?
Slowly, very slowly, she befriends the six young men who see her as their only ticket to happiness. Perhaps she can make just one guy’s dream of love and companionship come true. But her creators have a few more twists in store for her that she never thought possible.
She’s not the only one playing to the cameras.
My thoughts: This book is set in the near future. War has changed the world. People are hungry. Life as we know it has changed for humans. Lina was created as a viable option for the human race. She is 6 inches tall and has wings.
I debated classifying this book as fairy or sci-fi. Lina was created by scientists, so while it may have a fairy type main character, the story is based on science run unchecked.
Lina lives in a tree house in a forest in Denmark. Her life is lonely and relatively sheltered. She has a few friends among the scientists living on the compound. In her search for companionship she discovers a young man living in the United States in a virtual chat room. A friendship is forged and they quickly develop romantic feelings. The biggest obstacle is that she is 6 inches tall and doesn't know how to tell him.
The reality tv portion of the story seemed a little off to me. Lina is introduced to six "Tom's". They are young men her size, created just as she was. She must now choose one of them during the course of the show to eventually mate with and bear offspring. It was all a little clinical to me.
During the taping of the show Lina discovers explosive secrets and must choose between love and safety. Her decisions are based on human reasoning and feelings, but human is not a classification that she belongs to. She is a science experiment.
I found the book to be unique and very interesting. I liked the story, just didn't love the premise of reality tv thrown in.
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This does sound unique, and a little strange. I don't know if this is the book for me, but thank you for your review :)
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