What do you think?
Rate this book
The Registry #1
The Registry
Welcome to a safe and secure new world, where beauty is bought and sold, and freedom is the ultimate crime
The Registry saved the country from collapse, but stability has come at a price. In this patriotic new America, girls are raised to be brides, sold at auction to the highest bidder. Boys are raised to be soldiers, trained to fight and never question orders.
Nearly eighteen, beautiful Mia Morrissey excitedly awaits the beginning of her auction year. But a warning from her married older sister raises dangerous questions. Now, instead of going up on the block, Mia is going to escape to Mexico—and the promise of freedom.
All Mia wants is to control her own destiny—a brave and daring choice that will transform her into an enemy of the state, pursued by powerful government agents, ruthless bounty hunters, and a cunning man determined to own her . . . a man who will stop at nothing to get her back.
The Registry saved the country from collapse, but stability has come at a price. In this patriotic new America, girls are raised to be brides, sold at auction to the highest bidder. Boys are raised to be soldiers, trained to fight and never question orders.
Nearly eighteen, beautiful Mia Morrissey excitedly awaits the beginning of her auction year. But a warning from her married older sister raises dangerous questions. Now, instead of going up on the block, Mia is going to escape to Mexico—and the promise of freedom.
All Mia wants is to control her own destiny—a brave and daring choice that will transform her into an enemy of the state, pursued by powerful government agents, ruthless bounty hunters, and a cunning man determined to own her . . . a man who will stop at nothing to get her back.
338 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 11, 2013
110 people are currently reading
3822 people want to read
About the author
Shannon Stoker
5 books93 followersShannon Stoker lives in DeKalb, IL. She received her undergraduate and law degree from Northern Illinois University where she now works as the Research Integrity Coordinator. It's not a stretch to say she's a die hard Huskie fan!
When she's not working or writing Shannon spends the majority of her time playing with her terrier mix Nucky or her husband.
She loves watching horror movies, including those straight to DVD classics most people never heard of. If she wasn't an attorney or an author she would have been a beautician and is constantly bugging her friends to come over and let Shannon play with their hair.
When she's not working or writing Shannon spends the majority of her time playing with her terrier mix Nucky or her husband.
She loves watching horror movies, including those straight to DVD classics most people never heard of. If she wasn't an attorney or an author she would have been a beautician and is constantly bugging her friends to come over and let Shannon play with their hair.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 348 reviews
August 27, 2016
"'Please'---Corinna sounded so weak---'I can't go back there. He hurts me.'
'Well, give him a daughter and then he won't anymore."
Since a very young age, I was weaned on a mixture of fantasy, fairy tales, and history. In my native country, a well-known tale based on actual history concerns two sisters who rebel against their upbringing and fought against the Chinese for freedom against imperial rule. I was raised on these tales. I grew up reading about girls who just want more than what society and their family would want them to have. Princesses, commoners, it doesn't matter. Be it Princess Jasmine, the Trung sisters, or Mulan. Real or fictional, these girls have always sought more, they know there is another life for them outside of the boundaries that ordinary life has set. They don't want to get married right out of adolescence. They want education. They want to explore the world beyond their narrow village. Even lacking the traditional education that men have the privilege of getting, these girls are intelligent; street smart or book smart, they use what they have to strive for their dream. This is the background to which I refer as I delve into this book, and that is what made this book so utterly insipid and jarring to me.
In the future, the United States is no longer comprised of states. A series of wars has left the country irreversibly and inexplicably changed, to the point where I can draw the similarities between the future US and the situation in some Middle-Eastern countries. It is a really strange, topsy-turvy world that had me shaking my head as I read and learned more about it. As opposed to most societies in history, the futuristic United States value girls and boys are thrown away. You know in China and India, to name a few countries, who kill and abandon their girls because they're perceived as worthless? Not this version of the US, but not for the reason you would imagine. Girls are prized because they are quite literally valuable. Wives are expected to give birth to a girl, since only then will they bring value to a marriage. Of course, it is the women's fault if they can't have a daughter.
You see, when a girl comes of age to be married, she is entered into The Registry, the history of which is slowly exposed throughout the book, and a bride price given. Girls are literally prized since birth for the money they will eventually bring in. Boys, on the other hand, are unwanted, abandoned at birth. Why? They're destined for a future in the military, and nothing much more. Military enrollment is required, there is no opting out of it, and there is only ostracization and death outside of it. Boys are worthless to a family, since they're eventually going to leave for service without contributing anything to their family.
Ironic, eh?
Our main character, Mia, is dumber than a bag of rocks. I have to give her full credit for her ignorance, because she was deliberately raised this way. She is innocent and ignorant in every sense of the word; female and male contact outside of the family is forbidden. It is unusual for a girl to be educated outside of finishing school, and higher education is out of the question. Mia has been given the barest of knowledge she needs to be literate. She cannot even do math. She has no access to a computer, is forbidden to watch TV, and has been raised since birth to look forward to a blissful marriage to the highest bidder.
"She'd grown up thinking her first kiss would be with her husband, an American hero who had served his country and was ready to dote on her nonstop, someone who was respected by everyone around him, and whom she was eager to serve. They would settle down in a small town where the two of them would be the most famous couple in the area, he for his bravery and Mia for her looks."Bidder? Yes, bidder. The Registry gives every girl a value. Mia's is an exceptionally high one, of $500,000, which confuses me a bit. Even these days $500k is not getting to be so much money, and hundreds of years in the future? Did the author forget to adjust for inflation or something? That value is higher than all of her sisters combined. Mia will make her already wealthy father an even richer man. Mia is stunningly lovely, and remarkably stupid through her lack of education. She thought her ignorance would lower her price---it only increases her value.
"She flipped to the first question.Initially, I saw red when I read about Mia's ignorance. We first meet Mia as she sees her sister Corinna again. Corinna has run away from her abusive husband; emaciated, beaten, broken. Mia's reaction?
1. What is 80% of $20.00?
Math? Mia had never studied math, so she had no clue how to answer this."
"'Did you do something? Were you a bad wife?' Mia asked, still confused.Before she is forced to leave, Corinna shows Mia an article from an UK magazine she has hidden away concerning the "slavery" of American girls. Here's where I found things unbelievable. Mia has been programmed to be a good little girl who will be a good little wife her entire life, then after reading one article, she completely changes her outlook? People do not change that easily. Mia does, within a few pages. I want to give her credit for this change, but it is too sudden to be credible. She forms a truly harebrained scheme to run away from home, dragging along her book-smart but otherwise frivolous friend Whitney, whose dream is to get married, but whom nobody wants because her price is so ridiculously low. Why? She's been edumacated!!! She can calculate percentages!!!!!!
'William did this to me, after my son was born. He said I was a bad investment.'
The muffled sound of her parents walking toward the door stopped Mia from asking any more questions. Husbands didn’t hurt their wives. Husbands protected their wives."
It truly is a harebrained scheme. Mia sets out for Mexico, not knowing any clue how to get there. She figures they can reach the borders in a few hours. Her problem? She's from the currently Midwestern States.
Poor Andrew. He is such a straight arrow. He has been fully indoctrinated by propaganda to the point that he can barely think for himself. It has been drilled into him since birth how his life should be lived, and he is determined to pursue his path until he is dragged into Mia's idiotic scheme.
"He knew the dangers of being seen with an unmarried girl, had heard stories about unserved boys who were stupid enough to get caught up in a pretty face---someone they didn't deserve to have. He wasn't stupid and he wasn't taking any chances. It was almost his time to serve, and once he was discharged he would be ready for and deserving of female companionship. For now, the only love in his life was for his country."I'm not quite sure how to classify their romance, if it can even be called romance. Andrew is dead set on resisting the beautiful but terminally foolish Mia, and Mia can't help her attraction to him, despite knowing that he's in trouble because of her. She places them in danger more times than I can count, and Mia and Whitney's behavior are so childish that I can't help hating both, despite their effort at escaping a lifeless existence.
The bad guys in this book are a joke. There is Mia's father, the personification of Scrooge McDuck. In one scene, he sits there counting his piles of money. Mia's "husband," the man who bought her, is equally hilarious. Grant is made to look so bad that he becomes a farce. Remember the swaggering, mustache-twirling bad guy? The cackling villain who goes around glaring at people and threatening them? Well, that's what Grant does. He randomly kills people whenever he feels like it. If someone pisses him off, he pulls a gun on them and fires off a few rounds. Someone else doesn't do the job? He pushes them off a helicopter. I'm not kidding. For a nation under such strict military control, it sure is easy to get away with randomly unpremeditated murder.
The mystery of the Registry begs the question. Has the futuristic American society devolved so much that we can barely understand genetics and technology? Why are other countries so afraid of us, since it seems like most of America's been wiped out. There are a ton of plot holes, the characters are poorly written, and altogether one-dimensional and annoyingly stubborn and stupid. I'd give this one star, but the premise of a world where girls are valued is a fairly interesting one, and it did keep me hooked in that single sense.
May 22, 2013
THE REGISTRY piqued my attention for a number of reasons, mostly because it’s being published by William Morrow – an adult imprint of Harper Collins that also has gotten into the New Adult Market – and because it seemed like the perfect blend of THE HANDMAID’S TALE, MATCHED without the focus on romance, and even some of WITHER when it comes to male-dominated society. I thought that there would be something more adult about it, or at least something to set it aside from the young adult fiction entries that have clogged the market.
Ladies and gentlemen, I must admit – I have no clue why THE REGISTRY is not being published by a YA publisher/imprint, except maybe because the man who buys her as his wife is 28. This book might be presented as New Adult, but it isn’t that, either. There is no sex, no coming of age, no college, nothing that you might find outside plain old young adult. And on top of this, THE REGISTRY falls victim to the same tropes that plague many young adult dystopian novels – too much emphasis on the silly and the romance at the expense of the actual plot.
BUY YOUR WIVES ONLINE
Our heroine Mia is described as the most gorgeous girl in all of what’s left of America, a country that by some unbelievable (really, it’s unbelievable, nonsensical, etc) explanation has reduced women to either be purchased brides for soldiers who have been exiled from their families at birth completed their service or sold off to the government to be slave laborers. Women are trained to be perfect little Stepford Wives, except when Mia’s sister flees her abusive husband and her parents send her back to be murdered, Mia finds her sister’s magazine clippings about how the world is screwed up. Then she decides she must flee, taking her incompetent ditzy less pretty best friend with her on the run. Oh, and then they blackmail the hot farmhand to help them. Except Mia’s already been sold off to the handsome and filthy stinking rich Grant who will murder and maim just to have the chance to kill her with his own bare hands for ruining his plans.
THE REGISTRY falls short of its premise, which could have been a more adult version of some great plots that went south. Instead of rising to the occasion, it panders to the target audience which isn’t adults. This is a young adult novel through and through, from the characterization to the writing (which is nothing special) to the plot. THE REGISTRY brings nothing new to the table.
A CASE STUDY IN ORDINARY
Our protagonist Mia might be one of the blandest characters in recent memory. Her personality revolves around being pretty and suddenly, at the drop of a pin, deciding that everything she’s happily accepted in life is wrong based on one event that feasibly she shouldn’t have cared about. Her best friend Whitney isn’t much better, kept to little more than a plot device to be there and give Mia another reason to run and care. In fact, most of the characters seemed there just to fulfill a promise. Their emotions, their interactions, their entire being etc seemed little more than to get Mia, our dull heroine, from point A to B.
This is, however, with the exception of our villain Grant, by far the best character of the book. He’s a completely stereotypical villain, but he pushes a guy out of a helicopter because he’s incompetent. He pays $500,000 to marry a girl without her knowledge just to be able to kill her for his own peace of mind. He actually has some semblance of a personality in a world of boring, gray stock characters.
THERE’S A SEQUEL?
Needless to say, I think I am done with this series. Yep, it’s a series. I didn’t even bother reading the snippet from book two at the back, especially because by the end the story had suddenly turned into a love triangle with a guy that suddenly appeared and was a complete donkey butt, if you get my meaning. Mia’s world descended into an unbelievable series of events that any rational, able government could have cracked in seconds, and the bit about the helicopters seemed cheap. I think I’ll just stop while I’m ahead.
VERDICT: Skip it. THE REGISTRY brings nothing new to the genre except more frustration protagonists stuck choosing between limp boys being chased by a villain whose sole purpose in life is to be a villain. Nothing new here, move along.
Ladies and gentlemen, I must admit – I have no clue why THE REGISTRY is not being published by a YA publisher/imprint, except maybe because the man who buys her as his wife is 28. This book might be presented as New Adult, but it isn’t that, either. There is no sex, no coming of age, no college, nothing that you might find outside plain old young adult. And on top of this, THE REGISTRY falls victim to the same tropes that plague many young adult dystopian novels – too much emphasis on the silly and the romance at the expense of the actual plot.
BUY YOUR WIVES ONLINE
Our heroine Mia is described as the most gorgeous girl in all of what’s left of America, a country that by some unbelievable (really, it’s unbelievable, nonsensical, etc) explanation has reduced women to either be purchased brides for soldiers who have been exiled from their families at birth completed their service or sold off to the government to be slave laborers. Women are trained to be perfect little Stepford Wives, except when Mia’s sister flees her abusive husband and her parents send her back to be murdered, Mia finds her sister’s magazine clippings about how the world is screwed up. Then she decides she must flee, taking her incompetent ditzy less pretty best friend with her on the run. Oh, and then they blackmail the hot farmhand to help them. Except Mia’s already been sold off to the handsome and filthy stinking rich Grant who will murder and maim just to have the chance to kill her with his own bare hands for ruining his plans.
THE REGISTRY falls short of its premise, which could have been a more adult version of some great plots that went south. Instead of rising to the occasion, it panders to the target audience which isn’t adults. This is a young adult novel through and through, from the characterization to the writing (which is nothing special) to the plot. THE REGISTRY brings nothing new to the table.
A CASE STUDY IN ORDINARY
Our protagonist Mia might be one of the blandest characters in recent memory. Her personality revolves around being pretty and suddenly, at the drop of a pin, deciding that everything she’s happily accepted in life is wrong based on one event that feasibly she shouldn’t have cared about. Her best friend Whitney isn’t much better, kept to little more than a plot device to be there and give Mia another reason to run and care. In fact, most of the characters seemed there just to fulfill a promise. Their emotions, their interactions, their entire being etc seemed little more than to get Mia, our dull heroine, from point A to B.
This is, however, with the exception of our villain Grant, by far the best character of the book. He’s a completely stereotypical villain, but he pushes a guy out of a helicopter because he’s incompetent. He pays $500,000 to marry a girl without her knowledge just to be able to kill her for his own peace of mind. He actually has some semblance of a personality in a world of boring, gray stock characters.
THERE’S A SEQUEL?
Needless to say, I think I am done with this series. Yep, it’s a series. I didn’t even bother reading the snippet from book two at the back, especially because by the end the story had suddenly turned into a love triangle with a guy that suddenly appeared and was a complete donkey butt, if you get my meaning. Mia’s world descended into an unbelievable series of events that any rational, able government could have cracked in seconds, and the bit about the helicopters seemed cheap. I think I’ll just stop while I’m ahead.
VERDICT: Skip it. THE REGISTRY brings nothing new to the genre except more frustration protagonists stuck choosing between limp boys being chased by a villain whose sole purpose in life is to be a villain. Nothing new here, move along.
June 1, 2013
1.5 star
Dear God, this was horrible.
Dear God, this was horrible.
May 31, 2013
This is probably one of the few books I'm not going to meditate over my rating for the book because I have a general idea of what I'm going to say about it, and it's brief. "Heart-stopping" my foot - "The Registry" was not worth the time taken to read. It was a juvenile novel - had flat characterizations, misrepresented histories that had no sensible or palpable context, misogynistic and racist portrayals, formulaic instalove and a pointless love triangle debate, long stretches of boring narratives, insufferable, stupid, and utterly irredeemable protagonists, an antagonist who was so over the top that he seemed more like a caricature than anything else, and had little to nothing for me to cling to. I did push myself to read it to the end because I thought that at some point there would be more of a payoff, but unfortunately that point never came - it just grew more over the top and the explanations and situations became more ridiculous as it moved forward.
I could spend the rest of this review space talking to you about Mia, Andrew, and Whitney's journey, but it's difficult to muster the effort because they never really amount to much in the narrative other than some formulaic portrayals. The story itself revolves around a society where women are brainwashed and given to the highest bidder, but Mia sees one woman severely beaten by her husband and all of a sudden decides that she wants to go against the grain and flee for a new life where she can make her own choices on who to love and such. She goes with her friend Whitney, and the two dress up as boys and hijack Andrew in order for him to take them to Mexico, even considering they have no money or resources to make the trip. Andrew is a boy who seems helpful at first, but his anger issues lend to violent, cold tendencies which made him a completely different character in turns of the book - almost to the point where I couldn't even begin to make head for tails of his motivations.
In the meantime, Grant - Mia's newly minted husband as per a money trade with her father - goes on a wide-walking span to search for Mia and the group. He has a very twisted personality, to the point of being grandiose. While it was easy to see his motivations, I still couldn't grasp his character very much because he was nothing more than just a puppet moving about the stage just like the other characters were. I couldn't feel any investment towards them. At first I thought the overarching narrative for "The Registry" might've been a dark satire for dystopian novels in general, but there were too many things that the story was trying to sell for me to take seriously, and so the narrative failed on both humor AND plausibility.
I didn't think this was a novel that did anything well in its portrayal and I was glad to be done with it. I understand, even at the point where it ended, that there will be a sequel, but I honestly can't say how it would improve upon this novel at all. It really wasn't worth the time taken and I wouldn't recommend it.
Overall score: 0.5/5 stars
Note: I received this as an ARC from Edelweiss, from the publisher William Morrow/Harper Collins.
I could spend the rest of this review space talking to you about Mia, Andrew, and Whitney's journey, but it's difficult to muster the effort because they never really amount to much in the narrative other than some formulaic portrayals. The story itself revolves around a society where women are brainwashed and given to the highest bidder, but Mia sees one woman severely beaten by her husband and all of a sudden decides that she wants to go against the grain and flee for a new life where she can make her own choices on who to love and such. She goes with her friend Whitney, and the two dress up as boys and hijack Andrew in order for him to take them to Mexico, even considering they have no money or resources to make the trip. Andrew is a boy who seems helpful at first, but his anger issues lend to violent, cold tendencies which made him a completely different character in turns of the book - almost to the point where I couldn't even begin to make head for tails of his motivations.
In the meantime, Grant - Mia's newly minted husband as per a money trade with her father - goes on a wide-walking span to search for Mia and the group. He has a very twisted personality, to the point of being grandiose. While it was easy to see his motivations, I still couldn't grasp his character very much because he was nothing more than just a puppet moving about the stage just like the other characters were. I couldn't feel any investment towards them. At first I thought the overarching narrative for "The Registry" might've been a dark satire for dystopian novels in general, but there were too many things that the story was trying to sell for me to take seriously, and so the narrative failed on both humor AND plausibility.
I didn't think this was a novel that did anything well in its portrayal and I was glad to be done with it. I understand, even at the point where it ended, that there will be a sequel, but I honestly can't say how it would improve upon this novel at all. It really wasn't worth the time taken and I wouldn't recommend it.
Overall score: 0.5/5 stars
Note: I received this as an ARC from Edelweiss, from the publisher William Morrow/Harper Collins.
February 20, 2013
Wow. Haunting. Beautifully written, chilling and yet still so full of hope. Loved this. Meep!
June 17, 2013
*Genre* New Adult? Young Adult? Dystopian, Twisted Evil 3 way Love triangle and Insta-love.
*Rating* 2.0
*Thoughts*
The Registry is set 100 years into the future where the US government has decided that women should be considered cattle and baby makers and nothing more after creating a virus that nearly wiped out the entire population and left the country with more men than women. With no education allowed them, and no professional options, American females are helpless and unaware of their plight because information is the tool of the rebellious.
When girls reach the age of 18, they have no choice but to enter the Registry where they are tested, and bid on for all the world to see. There is no conversations between the sexes unless the male pays a fee to court her as his wife. It doesn't matter that you are smart. If you are, you are considered less than desirable and your bids are extremely low. If you are like Mia Morrissey, the stories protagonist, you believe what your family tells you in that you are the most beautiful girl in all the land and you will be appraised in the 6 figure range.
The Registry was an agonizing read for me to finish after an interesting start and I found myself not actually caring about what happened to any of the characters, especially not Mia. I understand that Mia has led a sheltered life being the youngest of 4 daughters. Because of her families greed and uncaring feelings towards their daughters, they really didn't care if any of them found themselves at the mercy of their husbands, or abused or killed which sets into motion Mia's desire to escape to Mexico which she knows absolutely nothing about except what her friend Whitney tells her.
Mia's parents are the worse sort of loathsome and I was really hoping that the villain would have laid waste to them both instead of just blackmailing them into releasing Mia into his custody and therefore a state of immediate marriage existed. If you think being a female in this society is bad, if you are born male, you are immediately taken away from your family and later required to serve your country for 4 years minimum before being allowed to find your own wife. Basically, males aren't worth the dirt under their feet.
This is a story filled with darkness and an villain named Grant Marsden who was all he could be and then some and who I found myself actually routing for at one point. Grant is the only character in the entire story who remained true to his calling and never wavered or changed his desire to make Mia his wife, or worse. Yes, he is sick and demented and goal driven and drives everyone around him into panic mode for fear that they will be the next person killed.
The Registry is yet another novel that crosses into land of "Oh Hell No!" with a pitiful excuse for a 3 way love triangle and an Insta-love with a character that Mia barely knew but somehow managed to nearly sleep with because she couldn't find any reason whatsoever to be with the one person who gave up HIS FREEDOM for her so that she could escape to Mexico. Wow, that totally sounded like a soap opera.
The Registry is also told in the POV of Andrew, and Grant Marsden. Andrew, for the most part, isn't a very likable character most of the time but he's better than the alternative that appears at the end of the book. He's under no obligation to help Mia yet he lays his life on the line in order to ensure that she makes it to Mexico. He is an emotionless character as well who you just know will finally reveal his true feelings for Mia at the most inopportune times.
If you LOVE Cliffhangers, you get one at the end of The Registry. The debate of whether or not it would be worth my time and effort to read the sequel shall continue until 2014 when the next book is released.
*Recvd via Edelweiss 02/22/2013* Expected publication: June 11th 2013 by William Morrow & Company
*Rating* 2.0
*Thoughts*
The Registry is set 100 years into the future where the US government has decided that women should be considered cattle and baby makers and nothing more after creating a virus that nearly wiped out the entire population and left the country with more men than women. With no education allowed them, and no professional options, American females are helpless and unaware of their plight because information is the tool of the rebellious.
When girls reach the age of 18, they have no choice but to enter the Registry where they are tested, and bid on for all the world to see. There is no conversations between the sexes unless the male pays a fee to court her as his wife. It doesn't matter that you are smart. If you are, you are considered less than desirable and your bids are extremely low. If you are like Mia Morrissey, the stories protagonist, you believe what your family tells you in that you are the most beautiful girl in all the land and you will be appraised in the 6 figure range.
The Registry was an agonizing read for me to finish after an interesting start and I found myself not actually caring about what happened to any of the characters, especially not Mia. I understand that Mia has led a sheltered life being the youngest of 4 daughters. Because of her families greed and uncaring feelings towards their daughters, they really didn't care if any of them found themselves at the mercy of their husbands, or abused or killed which sets into motion Mia's desire to escape to Mexico which she knows absolutely nothing about except what her friend Whitney tells her.
Mia's parents are the worse sort of loathsome and I was really hoping that the villain would have laid waste to them both instead of just blackmailing them into releasing Mia into his custody and therefore a state of immediate marriage existed. If you think being a female in this society is bad, if you are born male, you are immediately taken away from your family and later required to serve your country for 4 years minimum before being allowed to find your own wife. Basically, males aren't worth the dirt under their feet.
This is a story filled with darkness and an villain named Grant Marsden who was all he could be and then some and who I found myself actually routing for at one point. Grant is the only character in the entire story who remained true to his calling and never wavered or changed his desire to make Mia his wife, or worse. Yes, he is sick and demented and goal driven and drives everyone around him into panic mode for fear that they will be the next person killed.
The Registry is yet another novel that crosses into land of "Oh Hell No!" with a pitiful excuse for a 3 way love triangle and an Insta-love with a character that Mia barely knew but somehow managed to nearly sleep with because she couldn't find any reason whatsoever to be with the one person who gave up HIS FREEDOM for her so that she could escape to Mexico. Wow, that totally sounded like a soap opera.
The Registry is also told in the POV of Andrew, and Grant Marsden. Andrew, for the most part, isn't a very likable character most of the time but he's better than the alternative that appears at the end of the book. He's under no obligation to help Mia yet he lays his life on the line in order to ensure that she makes it to Mexico. He is an emotionless character as well who you just know will finally reveal his true feelings for Mia at the most inopportune times.
If you LOVE Cliffhangers, you get one at the end of The Registry. The debate of whether or not it would be worth my time and effort to read the sequel shall continue until 2014 when the next book is released.
*Recvd via Edelweiss 02/22/2013* Expected publication: June 11th 2013 by William Morrow & Company
August 2, 2013
The concept for this dystopian world has a lot of potential, has merit, and could be deemed ingenious. Unfortunately, Stoker writes like a middle school student. A not so creative middle school student. In other words, The Hunger Games, but in the style of Fifty Shades Of Grey.
One hundred years from now, this country has become a land bearing almost no resemblance to how it is today. It has reverted back to the early 1900s. Following what Stoker calls "The Great War", women are now being sold as brides in a Black Market trade- except it is not only legal, it is government sanctioned. Young girls are brought up believing in "The Registry Guide For Girls", which teaches them- among other things- that knowledge is only important for boys; that how pretty they are is the most important thing in their lives; that marriage to the husband who can pay the highest dollar at their auction on their eighteenth birthday is the highlight of their lives; that their husband- not their parents, not their friends, not their own- is the final say in their lives once they are married- and that they are all knowing in what is best for them.
The story centers around Mia, short for Amelia, who finds out, through her sister, that this is actually not the way it is in the rest of the world. The government has prohibited television, books, the internet, and all forms of media for so long that the concept of this country being supreme and the way things are is not only how it is everywhere, but the best way possible. Her sister's (who is killed by her husband) last words to Mia as she is being dragged back to her husband leads her to find an article discussing the atypical unfairness of the girls' lives.
Mia plans an escape when she is days short of beginning her "new life" with an evil man named Grant. With the help of Andrew (her love interest later on) and her best friend Whitney, she escapes. They are planning to cross into Mexico, as Canada has an agreement with this country, making it much more likely that they will simply be sent right back upon discovery. Of course, Grant being a very prestigious man, has the government concentrating all their resources on locating her. As expected, Grant is an evil psychopath who loves the thrill of not only murdering people, but of chasing Mia.
So... All sounds great, right? Wrong. The writing is torturous. Truly. I have never encountered a book in which everything is spelled out, with no writing technique whatsoever. Stoker is not painting the picture at all. She is giving facts- especially obvious ones that are almost painful to have to read. One of the main rules of writing is: "Show, Don't Tell". And Stoker has apparently never been told this. There are so many examples, as it goes on and on throughout the entire book, but it will go something like this:
Mia is sad. She begins to cry- wet, sobbing tears fall down her face. "I am really sad," she says to her friend Whitney. Whitney looks at her and realizes that Mia is serious this time. She is really sad. "Why now?" she asks her friend. "I do not think Andrew wants to cross with us". She looks behind her where Andrew was a few seconds ago. Maybe she was wrong, but she did not think so.
Okay. Although this is not actually a quote, it is pretty consistent in format to how Stoker would write. I do not think of myself as an amazing writer, but I could easily make this much better:
Mia feels a deep pain in her chest. It is unfamiliar; something she has never felt before. The disappointment and hopelessness washes over her unexpectedly- and much to Whitney's shock, who has never seen her friend liker this before, the tears begin to fall, first slowly, then so rapidly she cannot stop them. "What's wrong, Mia?" Whitney asks, somewhat frantically. Between sobs, Mia is able to convey that she somehow though Andrew wanted to cross into mexico with them. But after last night, she knows that all he ever cared about was himself. He wanted to help them because he had been blackmailed by her. And that was all.
The only reason I finished it is because I hardly ever start a book without finishing it. And, I might as well admit- because of the potential I perceived in the book's premise- continued to believe, until the very last page, that it would get better.
I was wrong.
One hundred years from now, this country has become a land bearing almost no resemblance to how it is today. It has reverted back to the early 1900s. Following what Stoker calls "The Great War", women are now being sold as brides in a Black Market trade- except it is not only legal, it is government sanctioned. Young girls are brought up believing in "The Registry Guide For Girls", which teaches them- among other things- that knowledge is only important for boys; that how pretty they are is the most important thing in their lives; that marriage to the husband who can pay the highest dollar at their auction on their eighteenth birthday is the highlight of their lives; that their husband- not their parents, not their friends, not their own- is the final say in their lives once they are married- and that they are all knowing in what is best for them.
The story centers around Mia, short for Amelia, who finds out, through her sister, that this is actually not the way it is in the rest of the world. The government has prohibited television, books, the internet, and all forms of media for so long that the concept of this country being supreme and the way things are is not only how it is everywhere, but the best way possible. Her sister's (who is killed by her husband) last words to Mia as she is being dragged back to her husband leads her to find an article discussing the atypical unfairness of the girls' lives.
Mia plans an escape when she is days short of beginning her "new life" with an evil man named Grant. With the help of Andrew (her love interest later on) and her best friend Whitney, she escapes. They are planning to cross into Mexico, as Canada has an agreement with this country, making it much more likely that they will simply be sent right back upon discovery. Of course, Grant being a very prestigious man, has the government concentrating all their resources on locating her. As expected, Grant is an evil psychopath who loves the thrill of not only murdering people, but of chasing Mia.
So... All sounds great, right? Wrong. The writing is torturous. Truly. I have never encountered a book in which everything is spelled out, with no writing technique whatsoever. Stoker is not painting the picture at all. She is giving facts- especially obvious ones that are almost painful to have to read. One of the main rules of writing is: "Show, Don't Tell". And Stoker has apparently never been told this. There are so many examples, as it goes on and on throughout the entire book, but it will go something like this:
Mia is sad. She begins to cry- wet, sobbing tears fall down her face. "I am really sad," she says to her friend Whitney. Whitney looks at her and realizes that Mia is serious this time. She is really sad. "Why now?" she asks her friend. "I do not think Andrew wants to cross with us". She looks behind her where Andrew was a few seconds ago. Maybe she was wrong, but she did not think so.
Okay. Although this is not actually a quote, it is pretty consistent in format to how Stoker would write. I do not think of myself as an amazing writer, but I could easily make this much better:
Mia feels a deep pain in her chest. It is unfamiliar; something she has never felt before. The disappointment and hopelessness washes over her unexpectedly- and much to Whitney's shock, who has never seen her friend liker this before, the tears begin to fall, first slowly, then so rapidly she cannot stop them. "What's wrong, Mia?" Whitney asks, somewhat frantically. Between sobs, Mia is able to convey that she somehow though Andrew wanted to cross into mexico with them. But after last night, she knows that all he ever cared about was himself. He wanted to help them because he had been blackmailed by her. And that was all.
The only reason I finished it is because I hardly ever start a book without finishing it. And, I might as well admit- because of the potential I perceived in the book's premise- continued to believe, until the very last page, that it would get better.
I was wrong.
April 10, 2013
I hate to write bad reviews, I will usually just skip reviewing altogether rather than write something negative. And I'm clearly in the minority here. This book definitely grabs your attention from the very first page. And as the story unfolded I was willing to overlook a few discrepancies and inconsistencies to see the story through and find out what would happen and how this whole world had come about in the first place. However, the farther I progressed through the novel, the more difficult it was to suspend my disbelief. The world itself just became more and more implausible and the main characters were frustratingly one dimensional, and inconsistent. In order for a country to function the way it's described in this book, people would essentially have to become robots devoid of all human emotion and desire. Boys basically raising themselves and believing themselves to be essentially worthless until they've served in the military as young men? No one would ever make it that far. It would be anarchy with all those adolescents running wild just trying to survive. Good luck keeping them away from girls until they're in their 20s, because boys and girls never seek each other out before they reach adulthood right? It seemed accepted that women wanted to be loved, and they were promised that, even if it wasn't true, but men....? No man or boy in the entire society wanted to have a genuine connection to another person or be loved? I don't want to belabor the point, but clearly I just wasn't convinced. As far the characters, Mia was kind of annoying just because she wasn't very bright. I also thought it was ridiculous that she had never had any contact with males before, but she's perfectly fine undressing in front of one and then later kissing another one! Made no sense! Those were just the two most startling instances that stuck in my mind, but there were others. Lastly, the description says Mia is pursued by a man determined to own her, a man who will stop at nothing. Besides the fact that we're supposed to accept that he, like most men, is just viciously evil because...? Men are just evil, I guess. It says he'll stop at nothing and yet several times when he could have caught them, he didn't take the easy way and just go get them, he let them get away because he supposedly wants to enjoy the chase. As he wastes everyone's time and resources. For what? Entertainment? There just wasn't enough motivation behind any of it to make it convincing to me, which was disappointing because I really wanted to like this book.
*ARC provided for review from edelweiss.
*ARC provided for review from edelweiss.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 17, 2013
This is a weird case of a book I really enjoyed, despite the fact it contradicts everything I usually look for in a book. It's the skill of the author and the subject of the book that win me over.
I love The Registry for what it represents. I'm have to admit that I'm not usually a fan of what I think is such a blatantly political statement.
However, this book is timely. Given the Tea Party's existence in the US and the subjugation of women in many societies around the globe, this is an incredibly important work of dystopian fiction.
The vast majority of the characters are two-dimensional stereotypes. This choice makes the book all the more potent.
Mia and Andrew are fully developed and both characters develop, adapt and change through the story.
There are a few coincidences that are just too helpful and even though the two-dimensional nature works in this case, I really prefer more complex characters
I'm really looking forward to reading what this author next writes. As I think her writting will become more textured and subtle over time.
I love The Registry for what it represents. I'm have to admit that I'm not usually a fan of what I think is such a blatantly political statement.
However, this book is timely. Given the Tea Party's existence in the US and the subjugation of women in many societies around the globe, this is an incredibly important work of dystopian fiction.
The vast majority of the characters are two-dimensional stereotypes. This choice makes the book all the more potent.
Mia and Andrew are fully developed and both characters develop, adapt and change through the story.
There are a few coincidences that are just too helpful and even though the two-dimensional nature works in this case, I really prefer more complex characters
I'm really looking forward to reading what this author next writes. As I think her writting will become more textured and subtle over time.
April 9, 2013
Well now...this book is right up there as one of the best of the year, so far for me. We are only in April and I am putting that out there. Yes, this is a must read. Completely different, fast, and like nothing I have ever read before.
Here is my description of this book. It starts out like this.. Mia is beyond beautiful and about to turn 18, something she has been looking forward to her whole life (contrary to what the synopsis above says). She has heard that her auction price is higher than anyone ever in the history of the registry and should provide her with a wonderful suitor who will become her husband. When her sister storms in with news that rocks Mia's world and the fantasy bubble she has been living in, Mia tries to escape the life that her parents, government and country have established for woman since the onset of the registry.
OK...well...let me start by telling you that I am excited for someone I know to read this book because I long to discuss it. As I described it to my girlfriend Clary she was like "whoooooa this sounds like a good book." Maybe it was my excitement and enthusiasm but I think it was the storyline.
The world that author Shannon Stokes creates scares the bejesus out of me. Imagine living in a world where the dowry on our heads is based on our beauty, our family benefits from our sale and our husband owns us. Where woman and men are slaves to the government. Where the woman are treated as if they have zero power yet they are the ones with the power because without them, their families wouldn't do survive.
The story felt apocalyptic to me in a sense that the world had a new normal. I loved every single page. Read this book and hit me up, I want to talk to you.
Great first book Shannon, you are a breath of fresh air.
August 6, 2013
ARC received at ALA.
Things wrong with the book in a nutshell:
-Main character is raised to not have intelligence. Example: She has to take a standardized test that figures into her marriage value and she can't figure out 20% of $8 (or something like that). But a few pages later when she reveals something to Andrew she can "see the synapses firing in his brain." Yea...if you've been raised to be an ignorant person with no education in science, math, or anything "not womanly" you have never heard of synapses nor do you know where they are.
-Why do we know exactly what Grant's wearing? I don't need to know that today he chose a green polo with yellow and blue plaid shorts. Or whatever the different combos were.
-Yeah...lets fall in love with the guy who is rather controlling. Is he as controlling as the douchebag who raised you or the asshole who bought you? No, but he's pretty damn highhanded.
-At the end (which ends pretty clean cut) they mention that the story's not done and will be continued on in another book. Unnecessary, so unnecessary. If publishers could get over this incessant need for series I'd really appreciate it.
Things wrong with the book in a nutshell:
-Main character is raised to not have intelligence. Example: She has to take a standardized test that figures into her marriage value and she can't figure out 20% of $8 (or something like that). But a few pages later when she reveals something to Andrew she can "see the synapses firing in his brain." Yea...if you've been raised to be an ignorant person with no education in science, math, or anything "not womanly" you have never heard of synapses nor do you know where they are.
-Why do we know exactly what Grant's wearing? I don't need to know that today he chose a green polo with yellow and blue plaid shorts. Or whatever the different combos were.
-Yeah...lets fall in love with the guy who is rather controlling. Is he as controlling as the douchebag who raised you or the asshole who bought you? No, but he's pretty damn highhanded.
-At the end (which ends pretty clean cut) they mention that the story's not done and will be continued on in another book. Unnecessary, so unnecessary. If publishers could get over this incessant need for series I'd really appreciate it.
March 9, 2013
THE REGISTRY is a very complicated book, which, while very good in some aspects, fell just sort of the mark in others. There's no disputing that the world presented by Stoker is a very interesting, and frightening, one. As many have done before her, Stoker took a very heated subject - sexism pertaining to women - and amplified the situation.
The world of THE REGISTRY is frightening with the blatant brainwashing that affects every character, no matter how strong and open-minded they are. Even our "strong" main characters fall victim to this brainwashing.
The US has become a complete patriarchy where the role of women is only child bearing, house work, and pleasure. The women of this dystopian world have been completely brain washed into thinking that this way of living is the perfect way, a life where they have no power over anything at all.
I can already see the people shouting: "This isn't that different than how some women live!" Yes, you're right to extent. But, not in the US. Uh no, the US of THE REGISTRY is not anything like what we live in since well, if you live in the US, can you write? Read? Do math? Count to ten? Have a job? Go to college? Refuse to get married? Speak your mind? Touch a member of the male sex - and not in that way?
The women of THE REGISTRY's US can't do any of the things mentioned. They can't even touch a man's hand because their husbands want them to be entirely pure. According to this book that all the women must live by (which is quoted in the beginning of Mia's chapters):
Women of this world are sold to the highest bidder, for thousands of dollars. They have appraisers, who quiz the girls on their cooking, cleaning, singing, baby-caring skills and then, once they've been appraised, they are sold. Sold.
The best part of the book has to be simply the US and the entirely male powered society. The book inside of the book (called The Registry' Guide for Girls) is very interesting, in a unsettling way. A few memorable quotes (note these quotes are from an ARC copy and are subject to change when the book is published).
- 9% into the book
- 13% into the book
- 15%
Yeah, and that's just four of the dozens of notes I have for this book. DOZENS OF NOTES.
Now you may be thinking why I gave this book such a low rating and it's because well, it's boring. It shouldn't be, but it is. One of the main reasons this book is so boring is because the main character has no personality at all. She's just a sack of meat, to put it crudely.
Characters
The main character, Mia, is probably the most emotionless character ever. She had no personality to be annoyed at, or love for that matter. I didn't - couldn't - see how she had the willpower to up and decide that she no longer wanted this life. It felt at times like she was just as brainwashed as her - who was utterly unbearable - even though Mia was supposed to be the one who isn't brainwashed much.
What I couldn't see at all was that Mia somehow convinced Andrew to leave his sexist, dominating ways because of how strong she was. Sure, she was strong enough to leave but after that, she didn't really do anything particularly strong.
Her one quality is how unbelievably self absorbed she is. She thinks practically everything is about her. I guess that was her "character flaw" but if you have one flaw and practically no personality, that doesn't work ever.
Whitney is horrible. I spent the entire book like this:
She was whiny, annoying, and useless. The only reason she's in the book is because she was needed to show how super duper strong and brave Mia is. That's the only reason. Mia has to save her ass so many times because she's idiotic.
Andrew was pretty meh as a love interest and as a character. He spent half the book thinking "huh, I thought Mia would sit in a corner and cower pathetically but no! She can actually do stuff!". What? I know it's because how he was raised and how the society is but really? Does he have to stay misogynistic throughout the entire book?
Grant was fucking scary as a villain. He was probably the best character in the entire book. I don't have anything to say other than he made the book. He wasn't afraid to kill, lie, deceive, or plot which is different for YA since usually, the bad guys aren't this truly evil. They all have some sob story to go with but not this guy. No, he was just evil.
Plot and Writing
Plot
The story got tedious after a while. Basically, it was walk a bit, get caught/into tight situation, get out of it, and repeat. It was so boring after the first turnaround because the same plot aspects are not only repeated, they're not even changed up a little.
I really don't have much to say on the plot since it's obvious the author was more caught up in making the society than characters and plotting. While, she did a very good job in making a scary society but not that good of a job with characters, plot, or world building outside the US.
Writing
My biggest problem with the writing is with world building. I don't even know what yearish this is set or what the world looks like at all. Is it in the future? How far? Ok, this war? What was it for? Who runs the US? Is it still a democracy? Why don't the other countries help the people in the US?
Likes and Dislikes
Likes
- society
- Grant
Dislikes
- world building
- characters
- plot
Conclusion
This book started off so well. I was sure that this would be a 5 star, but it's most definitely not - no matter how much I wish it were. This is most definitely not a book I'd recommend.
The world of THE REGISTRY is frightening with the blatant brainwashing that affects every character, no matter how strong and open-minded they are. Even our "strong" main characters fall victim to this brainwashing.
The US has become a complete patriarchy where the role of women is only child bearing, house work, and pleasure. The women of this dystopian world have been completely brain washed into thinking that this way of living is the perfect way, a life where they have no power over anything at all.
I can already see the people shouting: "This isn't that different than how some women live!" Yes, you're right to extent. But, not in the US. Uh no, the US of THE REGISTRY is not anything like what we live in since well, if you live in the US, can you write? Read? Do math? Count to ten? Have a job? Go to college? Refuse to get married? Speak your mind? Touch a member of the male sex - and not in that way?
The women of THE REGISTRY's US can't do any of the things mentioned. They can't even touch a man's hand because their husbands want them to be entirely pure. According to this book that all the women must live by (which is quoted in the beginning of Mia's chapters):
The greatest accomplishment a female can achieve is becoming a wife.
Women of this world are sold to the highest bidder, for thousands of dollars. They have appraisers, who quiz the girls on their cooking, cleaning, singing, baby-caring skills and then, once they've been appraised, they are sold. Sold.
The best part of the book has to be simply the US and the entirely male powered society. The book inside of the book (called The Registry' Guide for Girls) is very interesting, in a unsettling way. A few memorable quotes (note these quotes are from an ARC copy and are subject to change when the book is published).
When courting potential matches, no man wants a talkative lady. It is best for females to avoid speaking...
- 9% into the book
All fathers love their daughters. A daughter returns that love by obtaining a high marriage fee. Not only is a high appraisal price a point of pride, it is also a repayment for the money and time spent raising her.
- 13% into the book
A wife never inquired into her husband's background.
- 15%
It is common for wives to take on some traits of their husbands - after all, it is the woman's responsibility to know what her husband likes, in a order to please him - but a good wife will ensure she retains her delicate feminine traits.
Yeah, and that's just four of the dozens of notes I have for this book. DOZENS OF NOTES.
Now you may be thinking why I gave this book such a low rating and it's because well, it's boring. It shouldn't be, but it is. One of the main reasons this book is so boring is because the main character has no personality at all. She's just a sack of meat, to put it crudely.
Characters
The main character, Mia, is probably the most emotionless character ever. She had no personality to be annoyed at, or love for that matter. I didn't - couldn't - see how she had the willpower to up and decide that she no longer wanted this life. It felt at times like she was just as brainwashed as her - who was utterly unbearable - even though Mia was supposed to be the one who isn't brainwashed much.
What I couldn't see at all was that Mia somehow convinced Andrew to leave his sexist, dominating ways because of how strong she was. Sure, she was strong enough to leave but after that, she didn't really do anything particularly strong.
Her one quality is how unbelievably self absorbed she is. She thinks practically everything is about her. I guess that was her "character flaw" but if you have one flaw and practically no personality, that doesn't work ever.
Whitney is horrible. I spent the entire book like this:
She was whiny, annoying, and useless. The only reason she's in the book is because she was needed to show how super duper strong and brave Mia is. That's the only reason. Mia has to save her ass so many times because she's idiotic.
Andrew was pretty meh as a love interest and as a character. He spent half the book thinking "huh, I thought Mia would sit in a corner and cower pathetically but no! She can actually do stuff!". What? I know it's because how he was raised and how the society is but really? Does he have to stay misogynistic throughout the entire book?
Grant was fucking scary as a villain. He was probably the best character in the entire book. I don't have anything to say other than he made the book. He wasn't afraid to kill, lie, deceive, or plot which is different for YA since usually, the bad guys aren't this truly evil. They all have some sob story to go with but not this guy. No, he was just evil.
Plot and Writing
Plot
The story got tedious after a while. Basically, it was walk a bit, get caught/into tight situation, get out of it, and repeat. It was so boring after the first turnaround because the same plot aspects are not only repeated, they're not even changed up a little.
I really don't have much to say on the plot since it's obvious the author was more caught up in making the society than characters and plotting. While, she did a very good job in making a scary society but not that good of a job with characters, plot, or world building outside the US.
Writing
My biggest problem with the writing is with world building. I don't even know what yearish this is set or what the world looks like at all. Is it in the future? How far? Ok, this war? What was it for? Who runs the US? Is it still a democracy? Why don't the other countries help the people in the US?
Likes and Dislikes
Likes
- society
- Grant
Dislikes
- world building
- characters
- plot
Conclusion
This book started off so well. I was sure that this would be a 5 star, but it's most definitely not - no matter how much I wish it were. This is most definitely not a book I'd recommend.
March 29, 2013
MY REVIEW
I received this e-arc from Edelweiss in exchange for my honest review.
I'll start with the cover, it's a close up of, who I presume is Mia. I do like the cover, though my pet hate of someone quote on the cover is here again. I think review quotes, no matter who they are by should be on the inside or back of the cover or perhaps on a page at the start or end of the book. Personally these types of quote really do not influence me so much that I would buy a book just on the strength of them. On to a more positive note, I love a good byline! This one is "Freedom is the ultimate crime", though it works where it is placed on the cover it could have been placed where the quote about the book is. I do like the font of the Title and the authors name. So on the whole I do like the cover. Would I pick the book up from a book shelf? Yes I think I'd take a closer look.
Then obviously as soon as I read the blurb I would be sold on this one to read, just as I was when I saw it on Edelweiss.
I felt immediately drawn into the book and the story of "The Registry". All the way through the book Mia asks various people how "The Registry" came about, why was it created, when was it created and why did it still exist. The Registry is very sexist in that women are literally a commodity to be bought and sold. the women have no say who they marry they are basically sold to the highest bidder. The women really doesn't know who she will end up with, where she will live or how she will live. The father dictates how the female child/woman lives until they are of age to be sold to their husband. then the husband dictates how the woman thinks etc. When children are born, if it is a boy there is disappointment and the child is turned out of the family home and given to the government to raise in a communal home, until they are 13, then they have to earn a living, and finally at eighteen they have to join up and serve their country all without question. Which on the surface makes it sound like the males have things as bad as the females but once the males finish their service they are free to go about their lives as "heroes" that have served their country. They then have to make money to buy themselves a wife from The Registry.
When a female is born it is seen as a great gift and loved and treasured and raised as sheltered as possible util she reaches the age for evaluation and being put on The Registry. The prettier and more subservient and uneducated the girl the higher price she will bring on The Registry. The females are expected to be great cooks, be able to sew, keep a house, be the perfect hostess and give birth to many daughters. The more daughters a man has the richer he will become.
Once a female is placed on The Registry, she cannot stay on there for an unlimited time. After a certain length of time the government takes the unmarried women to become work slaves for the government. Also when a female does get sold, she leaves her old life behind and rarely see's any of her friends and family again.
So that's the gist of the book. The girl stuck on The Registry with no interest is Whitney, the daughter of Mr Morrissey's farm manager. The girl who is sold to the highest bidder is Mia Morrisey. And the guy about to sign up for his service is Andrew, one of Mr Morrissey's farm hand workers.
This book is action packed, it's also a really interesting read. What's even better is there's going to be a book 2! The book has really well described, to the point that you can visualise them characters. The people that Mia, Whitney and Andrew meet along their journey all have their own stories to tell. Another character who has many facets, is nasty but still interesting is Grant, the man who buys Mia and then proceeds to chase her and her companions. Grant is not a man to be messed with as different people along the way learn to their cost. He kills if you get in the way or are no longer of any use to him. What will he do to Mia? Who knows, sure he likes that she's beautiful, she would make a great trophy wife. He also likes that she has spirit, but he really wants to break that spirit too. Grant is ex military with plenty of money, access to weapons and men, which makes him a very dangerous man.
So did I enjoy the book? Yes, loved it. Would I recommend the book? Yes to all ages and especially to those who love the dystopian genre. Would I read a BK#2? Yes please, I'd read it now if it was available. Would I read more by Shannon Stoker? Definitely.
I received this e-arc from Edelweiss in exchange for my honest review.
I'll start with the cover, it's a close up of, who I presume is Mia. I do like the cover, though my pet hate of someone quote on the cover is here again. I think review quotes, no matter who they are by should be on the inside or back of the cover or perhaps on a page at the start or end of the book. Personally these types of quote really do not influence me so much that I would buy a book just on the strength of them. On to a more positive note, I love a good byline! This one is "Freedom is the ultimate crime", though it works where it is placed on the cover it could have been placed where the quote about the book is. I do like the font of the Title and the authors name. So on the whole I do like the cover. Would I pick the book up from a book shelf? Yes I think I'd take a closer look.
Then obviously as soon as I read the blurb I would be sold on this one to read, just as I was when I saw it on Edelweiss.
I felt immediately drawn into the book and the story of "The Registry". All the way through the book Mia asks various people how "The Registry" came about, why was it created, when was it created and why did it still exist. The Registry is very sexist in that women are literally a commodity to be bought and sold. the women have no say who they marry they are basically sold to the highest bidder. The women really doesn't know who she will end up with, where she will live or how she will live. The father dictates how the female child/woman lives until they are of age to be sold to their husband. then the husband dictates how the woman thinks etc. When children are born, if it is a boy there is disappointment and the child is turned out of the family home and given to the government to raise in a communal home, until they are 13, then they have to earn a living, and finally at eighteen they have to join up and serve their country all without question. Which on the surface makes it sound like the males have things as bad as the females but once the males finish their service they are free to go about their lives as "heroes" that have served their country. They then have to make money to buy themselves a wife from The Registry.
When a female is born it is seen as a great gift and loved and treasured and raised as sheltered as possible util she reaches the age for evaluation and being put on The Registry. The prettier and more subservient and uneducated the girl the higher price she will bring on The Registry. The females are expected to be great cooks, be able to sew, keep a house, be the perfect hostess and give birth to many daughters. The more daughters a man has the richer he will become.
Once a female is placed on The Registry, she cannot stay on there for an unlimited time. After a certain length of time the government takes the unmarried women to become work slaves for the government. Also when a female does get sold, she leaves her old life behind and rarely see's any of her friends and family again.
So that's the gist of the book. The girl stuck on The Registry with no interest is Whitney, the daughter of Mr Morrissey's farm manager. The girl who is sold to the highest bidder is Mia Morrisey. And the guy about to sign up for his service is Andrew, one of Mr Morrissey's farm hand workers.
This book is action packed, it's also a really interesting read. What's even better is there's going to be a book 2! The book has really well described, to the point that you can visualise them characters. The people that Mia, Whitney and Andrew meet along their journey all have their own stories to tell. Another character who has many facets, is nasty but still interesting is Grant, the man who buys Mia and then proceeds to chase her and her companions. Grant is not a man to be messed with as different people along the way learn to their cost. He kills if you get in the way or are no longer of any use to him. What will he do to Mia? Who knows, sure he likes that she's beautiful, she would make a great trophy wife. He also likes that she has spirit, but he really wants to break that spirit too. Grant is ex military with plenty of money, access to weapons and men, which makes him a very dangerous man.
So did I enjoy the book? Yes, loved it. Would I recommend the book? Yes to all ages and especially to those who love the dystopian genre. Would I read a BK#2? Yes please, I'd read it now if it was available. Would I read more by Shannon Stoker? Definitely.
January 13, 2015
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales
Quick & Dirty: Very unique dystopian that had some major flaws, but overall was a good read.
Opening Sentence: Pretty. Beautiful. Stunning.
The Review:
Mia Morrissey is a beautiful young women that can’t wait for the day when she will be married to the man of her dreams. Mia lives in a society where girls are born and raised to be good wives. When they turn eighteen they are tested and given a ranking depending on how beautiful and smart they are. Once they have their ranking they are put up for auction to eligible men who have paid their dues to their country and are ready to settle down. Whoever bids the highest wins the girls hand in marriage. Mia has spent her whole life looking forward to her auction year and it has finally arrived, but just before she goes for sale her older sister returns home with a dire message about the registry. It turns out that not everything is quite as wonderful as Mia was raised to believe.
Now Mia realizes that her dreams of marriage and living happily ever after are all just a dream. Instead of dutifully committing to the auction she plans to escape to Mexico where she can choose a life of her own. She convinces her best friend to join her and cons the farm hand to take them on their journey across America in hopes of getting to Mexico before they are caught. Mia is perused by not only the government, but the ruthless man that purchased her at the auction. Will she make it to the safety of Mexico or will she be caught before she has a chance. What will the consequences of her actions be and who will pay the price of her wanting her freedom more than anything else?
Mia was a very interesting character to meet and unfortunately she wasn’t very believable to me. She grew up in this extremely sheltered life and yes her little bubble was popped recently by a good dose of reality, but she went from being a naïve innocent girl to a rock hard person that felt very little guilt over anything. I just had a hard time accepting the fact that dead bodies and using other people to get what she wants wouldn’t bother her in the least bit. I felt that her friend Whitney was way more realistic and I honestly thought she was also much easier to connect with as a character. It’s not that I didn’t like Mia because she was a fine character, I just didn’t love her like I wanted too.
Andrew on the other hand was done perfectly. Like most boys in society his upbringing was very hard. You learn to survive real quick when you don’t have a choice and Andrew is definitely a survivor! But even though he’s had a rough life it hasn’t turned him into a terrible uncaring person like many others. He still has a good heart and even though he puts up a cold front he actually is a very sweet guy. He feels a need to protect the girls and he does everything in his power to make sure they are safe from any harm. His relationship with Mia was very frustrating at times but they had really great chemistry. There is another potential love interest that I’m not going to talk about because he shows up at the end of the book, so I don’t really want to spoil anything, but I am definitely team Andrew.
Grant Marsden is the rich man that won the bid for Mia’s hand in marriage. He is also the villain of the story and what a villain he is. I have read very few books where someone is so evil to the core. There is not a good bone in his body and he enjoys hurting others. He actually was glad that Mia decided to run away because there is nothing he loves more than a good challenge. He totally and completely creeped me out, which is a great sign of a wonderful villain. I usually like more redeemable villains but Grant worked really well with the story.
The Registry is so different from anything else I have ever read. The idea that having a girl baby is much more desired to having a boy baby is very unique. Throughout history you always hear about everyone wanting to produce a male heir so the fact that the tables were turned was really fascinating to me. This dystopian world was very brutal and rather heartbreaking. America has become a male dominated country and women have become their property. While I did love the idea of the story, I was a little disappointed with the delivery of it. First off, this is a very fast paced novel that never has a dull moment but the whole thing felt rushed to me. Including all the individual elements like the romance and the action, it all felt rushed to me. It made it really hard to fully connect with the story because you didn’t have time to let things sink in. The next thing that disappointed me was that I was expecting a NA book and even though the characters are technically adults, it still read like a young adult book. This is fine, I was just hoping for a little bit more mature characters. Even though this story wasn’t perfect, I still really enjoyed it and I am looking forward to seeing what happens in the rest of the series. I would recommend this to anyone that is looking for a fast paced dystopian novel.
Notable Scene:
“This is a closed-off area, sir.” One of the RAG agents started toward him. He was a slim, dark man about Grant’s age, maybe a year or two younger.
“I hear so far there are two girls missing. They both cut off their hair and stole a car. I take it you put out an alert for the model? Any hits?” Grant asked.
The slim agent reached Grant and placed his hand on Grant’s chest, attempting to push him back behind the tape. Grant reacted with lightning speed and twisted the young agent’s arm till he heard a pop. With his other hand he reached under the agent’s jacket, pulled out his firearm, and pointed it at the second agent. The first yelped in pain and Grant released him. The agent fell to the ground, choking back screams. Grant lowered his weapon and let out a laugh.
“It’s been so long. I really missed this,” Grant said with true happiness. He signaled to the RAG agent still standing. “So any hits on the car?”
FTC Advisory: William Morrow/Harper Collins provided me with a copy of The Registry. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: Very unique dystopian that had some major flaws, but overall was a good read.
Opening Sentence: Pretty. Beautiful. Stunning.
The Review:
Mia Morrissey is a beautiful young women that can’t wait for the day when she will be married to the man of her dreams. Mia lives in a society where girls are born and raised to be good wives. When they turn eighteen they are tested and given a ranking depending on how beautiful and smart they are. Once they have their ranking they are put up for auction to eligible men who have paid their dues to their country and are ready to settle down. Whoever bids the highest wins the girls hand in marriage. Mia has spent her whole life looking forward to her auction year and it has finally arrived, but just before she goes for sale her older sister returns home with a dire message about the registry. It turns out that not everything is quite as wonderful as Mia was raised to believe.
Now Mia realizes that her dreams of marriage and living happily ever after are all just a dream. Instead of dutifully committing to the auction she plans to escape to Mexico where she can choose a life of her own. She convinces her best friend to join her and cons the farm hand to take them on their journey across America in hopes of getting to Mexico before they are caught. Mia is perused by not only the government, but the ruthless man that purchased her at the auction. Will she make it to the safety of Mexico or will she be caught before she has a chance. What will the consequences of her actions be and who will pay the price of her wanting her freedom more than anything else?
Mia was a very interesting character to meet and unfortunately she wasn’t very believable to me. She grew up in this extremely sheltered life and yes her little bubble was popped recently by a good dose of reality, but she went from being a naïve innocent girl to a rock hard person that felt very little guilt over anything. I just had a hard time accepting the fact that dead bodies and using other people to get what she wants wouldn’t bother her in the least bit. I felt that her friend Whitney was way more realistic and I honestly thought she was also much easier to connect with as a character. It’s not that I didn’t like Mia because she was a fine character, I just didn’t love her like I wanted too.
Andrew on the other hand was done perfectly. Like most boys in society his upbringing was very hard. You learn to survive real quick when you don’t have a choice and Andrew is definitely a survivor! But even though he’s had a rough life it hasn’t turned him into a terrible uncaring person like many others. He still has a good heart and even though he puts up a cold front he actually is a very sweet guy. He feels a need to protect the girls and he does everything in his power to make sure they are safe from any harm. His relationship with Mia was very frustrating at times but they had really great chemistry. There is another potential love interest that I’m not going to talk about because he shows up at the end of the book, so I don’t really want to spoil anything, but I am definitely team Andrew.
Grant Marsden is the rich man that won the bid for Mia’s hand in marriage. He is also the villain of the story and what a villain he is. I have read very few books where someone is so evil to the core. There is not a good bone in his body and he enjoys hurting others. He actually was glad that Mia decided to run away because there is nothing he loves more than a good challenge. He totally and completely creeped me out, which is a great sign of a wonderful villain. I usually like more redeemable villains but Grant worked really well with the story.
The Registry is so different from anything else I have ever read. The idea that having a girl baby is much more desired to having a boy baby is very unique. Throughout history you always hear about everyone wanting to produce a male heir so the fact that the tables were turned was really fascinating to me. This dystopian world was very brutal and rather heartbreaking. America has become a male dominated country and women have become their property. While I did love the idea of the story, I was a little disappointed with the delivery of it. First off, this is a very fast paced novel that never has a dull moment but the whole thing felt rushed to me. Including all the individual elements like the romance and the action, it all felt rushed to me. It made it really hard to fully connect with the story because you didn’t have time to let things sink in. The next thing that disappointed me was that I was expecting a NA book and even though the characters are technically adults, it still read like a young adult book. This is fine, I was just hoping for a little bit more mature characters. Even though this story wasn’t perfect, I still really enjoyed it and I am looking forward to seeing what happens in the rest of the series. I would recommend this to anyone that is looking for a fast paced dystopian novel.
Notable Scene:
“This is a closed-off area, sir.” One of the RAG agents started toward him. He was a slim, dark man about Grant’s age, maybe a year or two younger.
“I hear so far there are two girls missing. They both cut off their hair and stole a car. I take it you put out an alert for the model? Any hits?” Grant asked.
The slim agent reached Grant and placed his hand on Grant’s chest, attempting to push him back behind the tape. Grant reacted with lightning speed and twisted the young agent’s arm till he heard a pop. With his other hand he reached under the agent’s jacket, pulled out his firearm, and pointed it at the second agent. The first yelped in pain and Grant released him. The agent fell to the ground, choking back screams. Grant lowered his weapon and let out a laugh.
“It’s been so long. I really missed this,” Grant said with true happiness. He signaled to the RAG agent still standing. “So any hits on the car?”
FTC Advisory: William Morrow/Harper Collins provided me with a copy of The Registry. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
April 13, 2013
Quick one day read for me! Started off a bit similar to many dystopians. Has an entry at the beginning of every chapter from The Registry Guide for Girls or The Boy's Guide To Service depending on the POV which gave it a kind of Delirium feel. World building was good. Boys are sent off as soon as they are born to orphanages, then at 13 they work till 19 when they must serve a mandatory 4 years in the military. Then they can purchase a wife from The Registry. Women are just sold off and their purpose is to make money for their parents and the government. They are not allowed education except finishing school and they are to be obedient. Mia is excited for marriage because they are told wives are worshiped and adored. Then her sister comes home beaten begging for help. Her parents refuse and a week later she is dead. The guy planning to buy Mia is a psycho so Mia runs following her father's farmhand who has left to travel before his service. She grabs her best friend Whitney and it is a long and crazy journey to the Mexican boarder with Mia's buyer enjoying the chase. There are chapters from his POV as well.
---
"Her happiness is not my concern." Grant said. "I'm buying her to make me happy."
"I'm not going back. I'm never going back. I would rather die than marry that man. With your help I can avoid that fate."
"All you seem to care about is money. You sold your daughter, your own flesh and blood, without even utilizing the mandatory waiting period to check me out. You knew me less than a week before agreeing. I bet right ow you still don't even care about her."
---
*I received a free copy from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review*
---
"Her happiness is not my concern." Grant said. "I'm buying her to make me happy."
"I'm not going back. I'm never going back. I would rather die than marry that man. With your help I can avoid that fate."
"All you seem to care about is money. You sold your daughter, your own flesh and blood, without even utilizing the mandatory waiting period to check me out. You knew me less than a week before agreeing. I bet right ow you still don't even care about her."
---
*I received a free copy from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review*
July 20, 2014
I am being somewhat generous with the three stars, but do hold out some hope for the series. The idea is a good one, with there being handbooks and guides to marriage and military service that are controlled by the government. Women are bought, and while men ultimately end up in control, as boys they are all but abandoned due to not having a monetary value to their fathers.
The world is interesting, but there is a problem with how it is presented. The problem being that we have very little explanation about why it came to be that way. There is something offered, but it doesn’t explain anything, even though I believe the author meant it to. It made what could have been a straightforward plot a bit of a mess and distracts from some issues raised that are more than worthy of in-depth exploration.
The writing is stilted, but that may be on purpose, as Mia has been protected her entire life from most knowledge and education. It’s difficult to tell at this point in the series. There are also quite a few typos that can easily be fixed and can be frustrating to see.
I’m not certain whether or not to continue on with the series, as I have been burned in the past by novels with promising plots but technical problems.
The world is interesting, but there is a problem with how it is presented. The problem being that we have very little explanation about why it came to be that way. There is something offered, but it doesn’t explain anything, even though I believe the author meant it to. It made what could have been a straightforward plot a bit of a mess and distracts from some issues raised that are more than worthy of in-depth exploration.
The writing is stilted, but that may be on purpose, as Mia has been protected her entire life from most knowledge and education. It’s difficult to tell at this point in the series. There are also quite a few typos that can easily be fixed and can be frustrating to see.
I’m not certain whether or not to continue on with the series, as I have been burned in the past by novels with promising plots but technical problems.
April 1, 2013
An exciting new voice in YA debuts with this compelling first novel set in a dystopian future where girls are raised to be obedient brides and boys serve as American soldiers before purchasing their brides. Engaging characters and fast-paced plotting will make this compelling story the next must-read crossover novel.
February 26, 2013
This is marketed as an adult book, but it is totally YA.
February 26, 2013
Will review closer to publication date...
March 13, 2013
Great book by a new author!
March 15, 2013
Loved the plot! Will be recommending this to all my friends.
November 16, 2018
I had to force myself to read a little bit of this book every day to get it done. It was not good. The writing was choppy, the only good character was Andrew, and it was a very blah story in a world of amazing dystopian books. Don't waste your time. Needless to say, I will not be continuing with this series.
June 5, 2013
The Registry is set in a dystopian America. The internet is filled with American propaganda. The boys are largely thrown out by their parents and forced to fend on their own. Girls are raised by their parents and are little more than commodities. On their 18th birthday, girls are placed on something called the registry and they are sold to the highest bidder. Boys and girls are raised to believe that this system is for their own benefit and will lead to the best versions of themselves. Girls in particular are raised to be obedient and to believe that their soul job in life is to please their husbands and in return, their husbands will cherish them and lavish them with attention.
Mia Morrissey believes this until her older sister escapes from her abusive husband and tells her that the registry and the marriages that result are a sham. Corinna tells her about a magazine article that she has hidden in her former room, before she is dragged away by her husband as their parents stand idly by. When they get news the following week that Corinna is dead, Mia determines that she will lead a different life. With the help of her friend Whitney who's price is so low she will probably end up being married to the government, and a young boy named Andrew who she blackmails into helping them, Mia makes her bid for freedom. What she does not count on is that Grant, the man her parents sold her to, will do anything to get his hands on her and harm anyone who comes to her aid.
From the very beginning of the book, it really felt like a sort of like a modernized version of The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Attwood. The Registry was justified by a war that the U.S. had engaged in and supposedly won. Though at this point it has only be 100 years since this system was instigated, society has largely accepted the reduction of women to property. Once a girl marries she never sees her family again. Even if parents decide not to put their daughters on the registry, government agents drag them out of the house by force.
For me The Registry got off to a very slow start. Part of the problem was that I didn't like Mia the protagonist at first. Her naivete was irritating but as I came to realise just how isolated her lived experience had been prior to her escape, it made perfect sense. Once I accepted this fact, I found it easier to settle into the world Stoker had created. I was however not happy with the super special protagonist that Mia represented. Was it necessary to turn her into an absolute beauty, who all straight men universally desired to make her story interesting? The horror that the registry exists at all would have been more than compelling enough to make this story work. I think it detracted from the story to have it all be about the special Mia and her bride price.
One of the things I liked about this book, is that it included a GLBT couple. Far too often in dystopian fantasy, the GLBT community is soundly erased to promote the narrative of straight, White, cisgender able bodied men saving the world. In the world of The Registry, two men are able to marry for love and it is considered completely normal. Alex and Frank clearly love each other and they are the first and only representation of a romantic, loving solid relationship that Mia comes across. The moment I saw this, I must admit that Stoker completely drew me in. In a world in which gender roles are strictly defined, it was however unfortunate to see Stoker continue that line of thinking into the characters of Alex and Frank. Two men in a relationship, are still two men and they don't fall neatly into a top and a bottom.
Read More
Mia Morrissey believes this until her older sister escapes from her abusive husband and tells her that the registry and the marriages that result are a sham. Corinna tells her about a magazine article that she has hidden in her former room, before she is dragged away by her husband as their parents stand idly by. When they get news the following week that Corinna is dead, Mia determines that she will lead a different life. With the help of her friend Whitney who's price is so low she will probably end up being married to the government, and a young boy named Andrew who she blackmails into helping them, Mia makes her bid for freedom. What she does not count on is that Grant, the man her parents sold her to, will do anything to get his hands on her and harm anyone who comes to her aid.
From the very beginning of the book, it really felt like a sort of like a modernized version of The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Attwood. The Registry was justified by a war that the U.S. had engaged in and supposedly won. Though at this point it has only be 100 years since this system was instigated, society has largely accepted the reduction of women to property. Once a girl marries she never sees her family again. Even if parents decide not to put their daughters on the registry, government agents drag them out of the house by force.
For me The Registry got off to a very slow start. Part of the problem was that I didn't like Mia the protagonist at first. Her naivete was irritating but as I came to realise just how isolated her lived experience had been prior to her escape, it made perfect sense. Once I accepted this fact, I found it easier to settle into the world Stoker had created. I was however not happy with the super special protagonist that Mia represented. Was it necessary to turn her into an absolute beauty, who all straight men universally desired to make her story interesting? The horror that the registry exists at all would have been more than compelling enough to make this story work. I think it detracted from the story to have it all be about the special Mia and her bride price.
One of the things I liked about this book, is that it included a GLBT couple. Far too often in dystopian fantasy, the GLBT community is soundly erased to promote the narrative of straight, White, cisgender able bodied men saving the world. In the world of The Registry, two men are able to marry for love and it is considered completely normal. Alex and Frank clearly love each other and they are the first and only representation of a romantic, loving solid relationship that Mia comes across. The moment I saw this, I must admit that Stoker completely drew me in. In a world in which gender roles are strictly defined, it was however unfortunate to see Stoker continue that line of thinking into the characters of Alex and Frank. Two men in a relationship, are still two men and they don't fall neatly into a top and a bottom.
Read More
June 7, 2013
I couldn't stop reading the Registry while Mia is rising above the oppression of women, and her travelign companion Andrew is making the of himself where boys are forced into military service, and love isn't a factor in marriage.
The Registry started with a bang and automatically got me on Mia's side as well as her sister Corrina's side. I was wondering what her sister could tell her that would break her away from a promising (in this world's context) future, and it was def a good reason.
I read this book because it was on edelweiss and I liked the sound of it. I would have picked it up even without the review copy though, and I would have been glad because I like the characters, the story line, and even though the world is not one I would want to live in, the world building is great, and I can feel what these kids are going through.
I connected with Mia, I liked her way of thinking and related with the way she thought about herself and in some ways, the world. I also liked that we got Andrew's point of view. It is in third person, but it didn't bother me, I thought it flowed well, and it made it
Mr. Madsen is the perfect villain, I wanted to smack him frequently. I can't wait until the next book where I find out exactly how he will completely get his.
While I liked some aspects of the world building I didn't quite like the way that she asked the same questions and got so many different answers, because I was just confused. I understand the intent that history is made by the conquerors and the new america is forcing their version of everything, and Mia doesn't buy it, so she tries to get a better picture.
I liked the secondary characters a lot, the people they met along the way that helped them, and I wanted more time with each set of them.
There is a love triangle, and I wish there wasn't because it was going great the way it was. The romantic suspense and the forbidden love had enough going for it. The ending also left me wanting. I know that it seems like an okay spot to end, but I will be continuing to find out what happens next.
Bottom Line: Couldn't look away from Mia and this dark world.
The Registry started with a bang and automatically got me on Mia's side as well as her sister Corrina's side. I was wondering what her sister could tell her that would break her away from a promising (in this world's context) future, and it was def a good reason.
I read this book because it was on edelweiss and I liked the sound of it. I would have picked it up even without the review copy though, and I would have been glad because I like the characters, the story line, and even though the world is not one I would want to live in, the world building is great, and I can feel what these kids are going through.
I connected with Mia, I liked her way of thinking and related with the way she thought about herself and in some ways, the world. I also liked that we got Andrew's point of view. It is in third person, but it didn't bother me, I thought it flowed well, and it made it
Mr. Madsen is the perfect villain, I wanted to smack him frequently. I can't wait until the next book where I find out exactly how he will completely get his.
While I liked some aspects of the world building I didn't quite like the way that she asked the same questions and got so many different answers, because I was just confused. I understand the intent that history is made by the conquerors and the new america is forcing their version of everything, and Mia doesn't buy it, so she tries to get a better picture.
I liked the secondary characters a lot, the people they met along the way that helped them, and I wanted more time with each set of them.
There is a love triangle, and I wish there wasn't because it was going great the way it was. The romantic suspense and the forbidden love had enough going for it. The ending also left me wanting. I know that it seems like an okay spot to end, but I will be continuing to find out what happens next.
Bottom Line: Couldn't look away from Mia and this dark world.
August 10, 2016
One of the most poorly-written and poorly plotted things I've ever read. I just can't even begin to describe how lackluster this was. I also don't understand why this was being marketed as "new adult" when it would be better suited as a young adult title; there was nothing about it, content- or maturity-wise, that would push it into the New Adult category versus YA.
May 16, 2014
I wrote it, so I'm probably a LOT biased :)
September 16, 2014
Докато четях „Регистърът“ от Шанън Стокър (изд. „Екслибрис“), си мислех разни неща за книгите и реших, че докато пиша ревю, е най-добрият момент да ги систематизирам. Истинското ревю ще започне след едно кратко (нелирично) отклонение.
Пазарът на young adult литература (или книги за млади читатели, както предпочитам да ги наричaм), е един от най-бързо развиващите се в иначе „трудния“ книжен пазар в България. В световно отношение също е непредвидим – през април самопубликуващата се Лорелин Пейдж детронира „Дивергенти“ с пакета е-книги The Fixed Trilogy. Младите читатели са ненаситни, бързи и лоялни – кой друг би чел автор, които издава по 7 книги на година, и ще пита за още? Фактът, че тези книги печелят почитатели и в други възрастови категории обаче се оказва нож с две остриета. Забравяйки, че са първоначално таргетирани към юношеска аудитория, young adult книгите стават жертва на разгорещени дебати, от които най-честият извод е, че „децата не четат“ или „четат само боклуци“.
При толкова голям глад за книги става все по-трудно да се отсяват наистина добрите заглавия. Както и във всяка друга категория, изкушението за бърза печалба е голямо. За съжаление лошите книги правят по-голямо впечатление от добрите, просто защото е по-лесно да осмееш и осъдиш лоша книга, отколкото да похвалиш хубава. Въпреки добрия пример, който дават заглавия като поредиците „Игрите на глада“ и „Дивергенти„, книги като „Пазителят“ и „Крадецът на книги„, съвременните класики „Хари Потър“ и „Пърси Джаксън„, в крайна сметка разговорите винаги се връщат към „Здрач“ и порнографската му имитация „Петдесет нюанса сиво“.
Затова се радвам, когато попадна на книги като „Регистърът„. Макар непретенциозният стил на авторката да е малко блед, фабулата на романа е много интересна и нетрадиционна. В недалечното бъдеще САЩ са претърпели катастрофа, довела до загубата на повече от половината население. Демографската криза води до ожесточени битки за женското внимание, които правителството решава с въвеждането на Регистъра – всички момичета са вписани в него и единствено мъжете, положили военна служба, получават правото да си купят съпруга. Нейното мнение, естествено, няма никакво значение, а парите се поделят между бащата и държавата.
Харесвам тази идея по няколко причини. Първо, въпреки че обожавам Катнис, героини като нея са рядкост. Ако направим паралел между нея и Мия, главната героиня на „Регистърът“, виждаме огромна разлика. Катнис няма много допирни точки със съвременните момичета на нейната възраст – тя е принудена да оцелява. Тя е корава, силна, смела и решителна, защото обстоятелствата са я принудили да бъде такава от най-ранна възраст. Мия е отглеждана и дресирана да бъде точно обратното – мила, мека, покорна, интересуваща се единствено от външния си вид (който има основна тежест при определяне на цената й в Регистъра). Ако й беше разрешено да ползва мобилен телефон и интернет, щеше да е #instafamous, кралица на селфитата, социалните мрежи и хаштаговете. Тя би била една перфектна читателка на „Петдесет нюанса сиво“ – от този тип, който вярва, че „Щом ме бие, значи ме обича“ и че за да е щастлива една жена във връзката си, тя трябва да мълчи и да се съобразява.
В този смисъл промяната, която изживява Мия, е много по-важна, защото тя идва отвътре. Сблъсъкът й с действителността разбива на пух и прах илюзиите, които са й внушени, кара я да се види отстрани – облечена в най-долнопробния тоалет, излъскана и напудрена като играчка, която трябва да убеди бъдещия си собственик, че е достойна за вниманието му.
Надявам се повече момичета да прочетат „Регистърът„, въпреки че на корицата няма безумно красива и пищна рокля. Написана е увлекателно и с размах, тя изследва както израстването на Мия, така и другата гледна точка – тази на Андрю - момче, на което му предстои да влезе в задължителната казарма и да „се превърне в мъж и гражданин“. Редуването на гледните точки разкрива последствията от тоталитарното управление и промиване на мозъци не само за най-потисканата група на обществото, но и за уж облагодетелстваните такива.
И както стана ясно от това ревю – подтиква към размисъл.
http://azcheta.com/registarat-shanan-...
Пазарът на young adult литература (или книги за млади читатели, както предпочитам да ги наричaм), е един от най-бързо развиващите се в иначе „трудния“ книжен пазар в България. В световно отношение също е непредвидим – през април самопубликуващата се Лорелин Пейдж детронира „Дивергенти“ с пакета е-книги The Fixed Trilogy. Младите читатели са ненаситни, бързи и лоялни – кой друг би чел автор, които издава по 7 книги на година, и ще пита за още? Фактът, че тези книги печелят почитатели и в други възрастови категории обаче се оказва нож с две остриета. Забравяйки, че са първоначално таргетирани към юношеска аудитория, young adult книгите стават жертва на разгорещени дебати, от които най-честият извод е, че „децата не четат“ или „четат само боклуци“.
При толкова голям глад за книги става все по-трудно да се отсяват наистина добрите заглавия. Както и във всяка друга категория, изкушението за бърза печалба е голямо. За съжаление лошите книги правят по-голямо впечатление от добрите, просто защото е по-лесно да осмееш и осъдиш лоша книга, отколкото да похвалиш хубава. Въпреки добрия пример, който дават заглавия като поредиците „Игрите на глада“ и „Дивергенти„, книги като „Пазителят“ и „Крадецът на книги„, съвременните класики „Хари Потър“ и „Пърси Джаксън„, в крайна сметка разговорите винаги се връщат към „Здрач“ и порнографската му имитация „Петдесет нюанса сиво“.
Затова се радвам, когато попадна на книги като „Регистърът„. Макар непретенциозният стил на авторката да е малко блед, фабулата на романа е много интересна и нетрадиционна. В недалечното бъдеще САЩ са претърпели катастрофа, довела до загубата на повече от половината население. Демографската криза води до ожесточени битки за женското внимание, които правителството решава с въвеждането на Регистъра – всички момичета са вписани в него и единствено мъжете, положили военна служба, получават правото да си купят съпруга. Нейното мнение, естествено, няма никакво значение, а парите се поделят между бащата и държавата.
Харесвам тази идея по няколко причини. Първо, въпреки че обожавам Катнис, героини като нея са рядкост. Ако направим паралел между нея и Мия, главната героиня на „Регистърът“, виждаме огромна разлика. Катнис няма много допирни точки със съвременните момичета на нейната възраст – тя е принудена да оцелява. Тя е корава, силна, смела и решителна, защото обстоятелствата са я принудили да бъде такава от най-ранна възраст. Мия е отглеждана и дресирана да бъде точно обратното – мила, мека, покорна, интересуваща се единствено от външния си вид (който има основна тежест при определяне на цената й в Регистъра). Ако й беше разрешено да ползва мобилен телефон и интернет, щеше да е #instafamous, кралица на селфитата, социалните мрежи и хаштаговете. Тя би била една перфектна читателка на „Петдесет нюанса сиво“ – от този тип, който вярва, че „Щом ме бие, значи ме обича“ и че за да е щастлива една жена във връзката си, тя трябва да мълчи и да се съобразява.
В този смисъл промяната, която изживява Мия, е много по-важна, защото тя идва отвътре. Сблъсъкът й с действителността разбива на пух и прах илюзиите, които са й внушени, кара я да се види отстрани – облечена в най-долнопробния тоалет, излъскана и напудрена като играчка, която трябва да убеди бъдещия си собственик, че е достойна за вниманието му.
Надявам се повече момичета да прочетат „Регистърът„, въпреки че на корицата няма безумно красива и пищна рокля. Написана е увлекателно и с размах, тя изследва както израстването на Мия, така и другата гледна точка – тази на Андрю - момче, на което му предстои да влезе в задължителната казарма и да „се превърне в мъж и гражданин“. Редуването на гледните точки разкрива последствията от тоталитарното управление и промиване на мозъци не само за най-потисканата група на обществото, но и за уж облагодетелстваните такива.
И както стана ясно от това ревю – подтиква към размисъл.
http://azcheta.com/registarat-shanan-...
May 20, 2013
3.5 Stars!
http://myguiltyobsession.blogspot.com...
Do you ever have those reads that while it isn't perfect with either discrepancies, unbelievability or the simple fact that some of it just doesn’t seem 'right” you still can't help but love it because the author's writing manages to suck you into the story and you find yourself eagerly turning the pages to see what happens next? And somehow, because the writing draws you in so much, the little things just stop mattering after awhile and you are able to completely overlook them?
Yeah, this was that read for me. I admit, I had high hopes coming into this one because I had heard the hype about it, I know, I know, never a good thing but, I couldn't help it. I was still excited to read this one, especially after having finished the Delirium series by Oliver (which I completely loved) and I really needed something to fill that void. Not that I was expecting this one to so much as just hoping that maybe it would.
Each new chapter opens up with propaganda from either a magazine or book related to how a boy/husband/soldier is expected to be or the proper behavior for a girl and wife. Even though the articles for females made me want to gnash my teeth and even snarl a little bit, they did actually have a very 50's feel to me. So even though I disliked them, they were actually very believable to me having read articles and advertisements from our own early era in history. Woman were expected to put their husband's wants and needs first before all others, including themselves and children. Where woman were not educated and woman with intelligence and those that spoke out were frowned upon and not valued at all.
And even though I would like to think that our country would never revert back to that time and era of woman not having rights and being made for one use and one use only, I could see it happening. I felt it here in the story and better yet, I believed it possible.
Did I believe all that the author created in this story? No, not at all. But some of it, yes, very much so.
Mia. You know, I am still not sure how I felt about Mia. Parts of me admired her and parts of me really didn't like her at all. Was she spoiled and somewhat of a brat? Very much so. But yet, she was strong and brave (if not naive) and didn't want the life they told her she had to succumb to. She didn't want to be a puppet or trophy with no mind of her own. She wanted freedom and a life worth living where a man didn't rule her in every way possible.
In fact, I actually think I liked the secondary characters in this one much more than the main characters but sometimes, it happens that way.
I had no idea going into this that there would be a sequel and that is probably a good thing because really, we get very little answers about the world Mia lives in and what The Registry really is since it seems much of the people in her life (and really all the females in this story) know very little about it as well.
I really hope the author chooses to explore that more because I really do think there could be a very interesting story there with a lot of twists if she played it right and I would like to see that happen.
While I did get sucked into this story and liked the plot line I really think so much more could have been explained and done with it but I would definitely read the second book to see what happens next.
http://myguiltyobsession.blogspot.com...
Do you ever have those reads that while it isn't perfect with either discrepancies, unbelievability or the simple fact that some of it just doesn’t seem 'right” you still can't help but love it because the author's writing manages to suck you into the story and you find yourself eagerly turning the pages to see what happens next? And somehow, because the writing draws you in so much, the little things just stop mattering after awhile and you are able to completely overlook them?
Yeah, this was that read for me. I admit, I had high hopes coming into this one because I had heard the hype about it, I know, I know, never a good thing but, I couldn't help it. I was still excited to read this one, especially after having finished the Delirium series by Oliver (which I completely loved) and I really needed something to fill that void. Not that I was expecting this one to so much as just hoping that maybe it would.
Each new chapter opens up with propaganda from either a magazine or book related to how a boy/husband/soldier is expected to be or the proper behavior for a girl and wife. Even though the articles for females made me want to gnash my teeth and even snarl a little bit, they did actually have a very 50's feel to me. So even though I disliked them, they were actually very believable to me having read articles and advertisements from our own early era in history. Woman were expected to put their husband's wants and needs first before all others, including themselves and children. Where woman were not educated and woman with intelligence and those that spoke out were frowned upon and not valued at all.
And even though I would like to think that our country would never revert back to that time and era of woman not having rights and being made for one use and one use only, I could see it happening. I felt it here in the story and better yet, I believed it possible.
Did I believe all that the author created in this story? No, not at all. But some of it, yes, very much so.
Mia. You know, I am still not sure how I felt about Mia. Parts of me admired her and parts of me really didn't like her at all. Was she spoiled and somewhat of a brat? Very much so. But yet, she was strong and brave (if not naive) and didn't want the life they told her she had to succumb to. She didn't want to be a puppet or trophy with no mind of her own. She wanted freedom and a life worth living where a man didn't rule her in every way possible.
In fact, I actually think I liked the secondary characters in this one much more than the main characters but sometimes, it happens that way.
I had no idea going into this that there would be a sequel and that is probably a good thing because really, we get very little answers about the world Mia lives in and what The Registry really is since it seems much of the people in her life (and really all the females in this story) know very little about it as well.
I really hope the author chooses to explore that more because I really do think there could be a very interesting story there with a lot of twists if she played it right and I would like to see that happen.
While I did get sucked into this story and liked the plot line I really think so much more could have been explained and done with it but I would definitely read the second book to see what happens next.
June 7, 2013
First of all, major thumbs up for uniqueness. I've never read anything like this and I've read a lot of books. It's American in the future...I mean, seriously, imagine for a moment women continue this current downward spiral of yielding to men, of being submissives, and worrying about only their dang appearance...
The government has taken over. American is great, the rest of the world is wrong. Women are to be raised, appraised, and sold. Dumb, beautiful women are desired. Submissive women who do as their husbands desire. Boys are soldiers dedicated solely to protecting their country.
The gov't become The Registry. Humans are only told what the Registry wants them to know.
Mia has just been appraised and bought for 500,000 dollars, but having just seen her sister beaten and abused, finally begins to question the way they live. What is happening in other countries? Are women treated this way? Could she maybe escape and have a say in her life?
Her, her friend, and Andrew, a farmhand traveling being he enlists, end up on an adventure as they try to escape to Mexico, a cruel, evil billionaire hot on their trail, leaving bodies in the wake of his fancy helicopter.
What I enjoyed about this novel is the complete thought-evoking world the author created. I actually found myself nodding, imaging this could very well happen if we're not careful. And Andrew...I found his plight/situation the most fascinating of all. Boy are abandoned, thrown out. It's assumed that they will be better soldiers if they grow up without love, connections, if they are forced to fend for themselves. Andrew is like a trained robot who slowly begins to feel, but doesn't know what to do about his emotions. To add to the robot-feel of the men in the story, they often fail to speak in contractions. Their prose is very robotic.
The heroine...I have mixed feelings about her. She seems bratty and selfish a lot, but then she was raised to be this good-for-nothing wife who just looks good and cooks. Like any teenager, suddenly she has freedom--not only to get into trouble, but to FEEL and act on those feelings--and naturally this leads to swapping spit with two different boys as she experiments. I just didn't care for the love triangle aspect of it and the fact she was willing to behave like this when people are literally DYING so she can have her freedom.
Truly, a fascinating plot and conflict though. The book also has these bits of The Girls' and Boys' Guides to this futurist world that at times made me laugh out loud.
The government has taken over. American is great, the rest of the world is wrong. Women are to be raised, appraised, and sold. Dumb, beautiful women are desired. Submissive women who do as their husbands desire. Boys are soldiers dedicated solely to protecting their country.
The gov't become The Registry. Humans are only told what the Registry wants them to know.
Mia has just been appraised and bought for 500,000 dollars, but having just seen her sister beaten and abused, finally begins to question the way they live. What is happening in other countries? Are women treated this way? Could she maybe escape and have a say in her life?
Her, her friend, and Andrew, a farmhand traveling being he enlists, end up on an adventure as they try to escape to Mexico, a cruel, evil billionaire hot on their trail, leaving bodies in the wake of his fancy helicopter.
What I enjoyed about this novel is the complete thought-evoking world the author created. I actually found myself nodding, imaging this could very well happen if we're not careful. And Andrew...I found his plight/situation the most fascinating of all. Boy are abandoned, thrown out. It's assumed that they will be better soldiers if they grow up without love, connections, if they are forced to fend for themselves. Andrew is like a trained robot who slowly begins to feel, but doesn't know what to do about his emotions. To add to the robot-feel of the men in the story, they often fail to speak in contractions. Their prose is very robotic.
The heroine...I have mixed feelings about her. She seems bratty and selfish a lot, but then she was raised to be this good-for-nothing wife who just looks good and cooks. Like any teenager, suddenly she has freedom--not only to get into trouble, but to FEEL and act on those feelings--and naturally this leads to swapping spit with two different boys as she experiments. I just didn't care for the love triangle aspect of it and the fact she was willing to behave like this when people are literally DYING so she can have her freedom.
Truly, a fascinating plot and conflict though. The book also has these bits of The Girls' and Boys' Guides to this futurist world that at times made me laugh out loud.
August 9, 2013
In a world where girls are sold to the highest bidder once they are of age and sons are deemed useless and are sent to do a service to their country. Love is a monetry value and women have been taught to obey. For Mia Morrissey, she had believed that this was the right thing to do until she was faced with the hard truth when her older sister Corrine run home to expose to Mia the awful truth behind what the girls are put through with their chosen partners. When tragedy strikes close to Mia's heart, she decides there and then that she can't under any circumstances go through The Registry process and so she plans to escape along with her best friend Whitney to somewhere safe and sound. Enter Andrew - he has just finished his time at the Morrisey's as a stablehand and now on his way to join a service when he notices the girls . Can Andrew keep the girls safe and moving or when they are discovered to be missing , will the authorities go to lengths to track them down and hurt whoever is in their way ?
A great start to a new dystopian series , very fast-paced and reminded me of a cross between the Chemical Garden Series by Lauren DeStefano and Matched Series by Ally Condie.
I now can't wait to read Book #2 in the series upon release.
A great start to a new dystopian series , very fast-paced and reminded me of a cross between the Chemical Garden Series by Lauren DeStefano and Matched Series by Ally Condie.
I now can't wait to read Book #2 in the series upon release.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 348 reviews