Die Wahrheit kommt ans Licht

XVI #2

by Julia Karr

Seit ihrem 16. Geburtstag trägt auch Nina das von der Regierung verordnete Tattoo. Aber sie will kein Freiwild sein. Fest entschlossen, ebenso wie ihr Vater aktiv Widerstand zu leisten, tritt Nina der geheimen Schwesternschaft bei. Doch der Preis dafür ist hoch: Grandpa wird verhaftet und Grannie schwebt in Lebensgefahr! Und plötzlich interessieren sich eine Reihe mysteriöser Leute für sie und ihre Schwester. Als dann auch noch Sal spurlos verschwindet, weiß Nina nicht mehr, wem sie noch trauen kann – und trifft eine folgenschwere Entscheidung ...

Genres: Dystopia, Young Adult, Science Fiction, Romance, Fiction, Ebooks, Teen

450 pages, Paperback

First published January 19, 2012

Reviews

[Anniebananie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Okay, das war definitiv das schlechteste Buch des Jahres! Ich weiß gar nicht über was ich mich am meisten aufregen soll. Hier hat einfach nichts gepasst. Die Autorin hatte im ersten Band so tolle Ansätze einer frauenfeindlichen dystopischen Gesellschaft geschaffen, die sie hier irgendwie mit Füßen getreten hat. Das Buch hatte keinerlei roten Faden und das World-Building war die reinste Katastrophe. Noch nicht einmal über den Schreibstil kann ich mich positiv äußern. Der wirkte mit fast ausschließlich sehr kurzen Sätzen sehr infantil und Gefühle wurden für mich auch überhaupt nicht rübergebracht, egal ob es nun um liebe, Trauer oder Wut geht. Dann unsere Protagonistin, ohweh sowas von inkonsequent in ihren Gedanken und Gefühlen und einfach nur dumm und naiv. Und dann hat Frau Karr auch noch ein total unnötiges Liebesdreieck geschaffen, yeah 🙄 ich könnte jetzt noch so viele Sachen aufzählen, die mich hier gestört haben aber am schlimmsten finde ich einfach, dass ich beim lesen den Eindruck gewonnen habe, dass die Autorin ihre eigene Idee nicht versteht und einfach nur drauflosgeschrieben hat obwohl die Idee so viel Potenzial gehabt hätte... falls der dritte Band noch jeweils erscheinen sollte werde ich den wohl nicht lesen 🤷🏼‍♀️

[Kayt O'Bibliophile · Rating 2 out of 5]

For a futuristic dystopian let's-all-work-to-bring-down-the-evil-government I-am-strong-female-hear-me-roar book, why does almost nothing happen? And even when things happen, it feels like nothing is happening.

Probably because the main character is very, very dumb. And because the entire world and environment that this story is based on makes no freaking sense whatsoever.

So let's discuss this in-depth. First, remember all the problems I had with the first book? Notice how those aren't necessarily plot problems--it's the worldbuilding, what the entire story hinges upon.

It doesn't go away with the second book.

The book opens with Nina, now sixteen with the infamous XVI it-is-now-legal-to-rape-me tattoo, answering a question in school about the importance of said tattoo:

"The XVI tattoo is a government-mandated brand designed for easy identification of females who are sixteen and legally old enough to be sexually active. Even though it fades away in about six years, when girls get it they become immediately vulnerable to unwanted sexual advances and easy targets for rape. A crime that is rarely, if ever, prosecuted because--"

And then she gets cut off by a panicked teacher, and a robot calls her to the principal's office because this is subversive.

Readers of the first book will remember that the capital-M Media tells everyone that all girls want to be "sex-teens," and sex appeal is everything. Except...this book does a really bad job of conveying that. There seem to be loads of girls who don't buy into it, and lots of guys, too. Socially, the rape issue is well-known, though we are treated to a gem of a scene in a hospital waiting room where a hysterical mother is stunned and arrested when she claims her daughter was gang-raped because "there's no proof it wasn't consensual."

Supposedly, this is really freaking common. I'm sure it's a commentary on today's rape culture. But whatever. Surely, they have ways to ensure this: the always-connected PAV (cellphone/smartphone/whatever) could offer a way to avert a lot of the issues, by recording or maybe calling emergency services via an easy way to get help during a rape. Or heck, they could be outfitted with self-defense tools fairly easily I'm sure, if the book wasn't so set on just telling us that the entire world is against women.

But only if that had been written in. And it wasn't, because it's just so much easier to invent a populace of sheeple (who don't really seem to be sheeple, unless they are Generic Government Drones). EXCEPT FOR NINA AND HER FRIENDS, OF COURSE.

Okay, one of the Big Bads, in that all Big Bads are some sort of government thing, is the Bureau of Safety and Security. B.O.S.S. I'm sorry, maybe it's just me, but if an acronym spells out something, it makes me think of corny spy movies and other things Not To Be Taken Seriously.

Another big change from the first book was the lack of Sandy. Sandy was, of course, one of Nina's best friends, though one who was totally boy-crazy and a vapid one-dimensional sex-teen. She was raped and killed by Ed, remember? Guess how many times Nina thinks of her poor, dead best friend?

Twice. In the entire book. She doesn't even come up until halfway through the book--and even then, it's in the context of "Sandy who wore her clothes too tight."

Let's see...there's a very strange attempt to take Dee away (again! What is it with people wanting Dee?) by getting Child Protective Services involved. They interview Nina, and much later in court, one of the few characters with a brain (a judge who appears for only a few pages) says "WTF, this doesn't make sense. Leave the kid alone."

Besides the judge and Mr. Jenkins (Wei's dad), anyone associated with the government or Media is not only mean, but downright cruel with paranoid sensitivities.

[CPS woman:] "Tell me about your grandfather's drug use." Her beady eyes locked onto mine.
The hackles on my neck rose. "He takes prescription drugs for pain, for his leg!" How dare she accuse Pops of being a drugger! "The leg that he lost in service to the Governing Council's space program," I added.
Crow Face tapped something into her PAV receiver. "It would serve you better if you watched you attitude, Miss Oberon."

So, the government provides Pops' pension and thus drugs. And the leg thing is legit. But it's treated as though this is some Big Serious Issue. Which it is not. Later in the CPS interview, Crow Face snaps at Nina for asking "why" to a question as a point of clarification, and delights in telling her she's a "two-tier" orphan and that "You. Are. Nothing." A surprising amount of vitriol, early in the book, that amounts to absolutely nothing.

A bit later, Nina takes the meds to her grandfather, who's been arrested. There's no indication that this should be difficult. Nina goes to the "reception bot" (so, obviously the first thing ANYONE would do), scans herself in for ID, and answers the question about who she wants to see:

"Herbert Oberon, my grandfather. He needs his medicines." I placed the bag of bottles on the desk in front of the bot.

ALL OF A SUDDEN sirens blare and lights flash and voices boom about "CONTRABAND" and then a police officer comes in, "stun-stick" drawn and aimed.

Of course it turns out fine, but "You know, you didn't have to create a scene," the woman says.

Wait. This makes no sense. Other than adding to the whole "Government bad!" thing, this does nothing. What else could Nina have done? She wasn't stressed or worried about taking the meds to him, and there was a "reception bot," so obviously she was in the right place. Granted, Nina's internal monologue acknowledges this. But it truly serves no other point than to shout that THE GOVERNING COUNCIL IS BAD AND DOESN'T CARE FOR CITIZENS. SEE HOW BAD THE GOVERNMENT IS? IT'S REALLY BAD.

But...why? We finally get some backstory: sometime soon, presumably, it'll just be the heads of the Corporations in charge. After a while, the Fems will take control and also sign the End-of-Wars Treaty (pffft when in history has anything like that worked). But the Fems will make a huge mistake in that they'll let the Corporation heads live and just remove them from power, and the Corporations will form the Media, which will start propagating the whole "girls are weak but love sex" thing, so the Fems will be overthrown and the Governing Council will be put in charge, and everyone will die from Overcapitalization of Regular Nouns.

But we still haven't figured out any one those gaping issues I brought up about the first book. I still have no plausible explanation for why society as a whole is tiered or why this government can plausibly last long, or why the sex scandal of FELS wasn't discovered much earlier, or how an entire society, in the span of under 150 years, completely gave up all religion, or how most of the world is united into big chunks with their own Governing Councils, or how any of this is even sustainable.

Also, the Internet seems to have disappeared. And how do the rebels communicate from long distances away, like the UK to Chicago without getting traced? I just...it doesn't...this is so badly-constructed I don't even.

[Imani ♥ ☮ · Rating 2 out of 5]

When I finished this book about twenty minutes ago, the only thing I could think, "and the point of that was...?"

To be frank, the first part of the book was pretty good. And then midway through, everything started to suck. It seemed like such a rush of a book. I disliked Nina even more than I did in the first book. Instead of not caring ENOUGH about protecting herself and her sister (like in the first book), in this sequel, she was too paranoid. If ever there was some secret, the first thing she would say is, "Oh No. I can't tell Dee. I have to protect her" Blah blah. The whole thing was pretty pointless to me.

So we meet up with Nina again after a few months(I think). She's still with Sal and now she's sixteen. And, like always, she doesn't want to be a "sex-teen" or whatever. Her friend, Sandy is dead and so is her Mom and her boyfriend. She now lives with her grandparents and her little sister (you know, the one she never tells anything to). Nina is now best friends with this Wei girl whom initiates her into this all-girl rebellion group (even though they barely do anything). And so, Nina navigates through her semi-interesting life as a non sex-teen and blardy blarh.

I just didn't like Nina anymore. Nina was way more tolerable in the first book than in this one. I also didn't like the fact that Sal was barely in this. It was like this was a TV show and he was taking a month long break and the TV writers had to write him out. I didn't understand the purpose of that. And then this stupid Chris guy comes in...eww. Basically, everything felt rushed. The last two pages were separated into small paragraphs that explained what the book failed to go through in the last 200 pages (or so). It was just ridiculous.

However, I can't say that I was disappointed. I kind of knew that the second book in this trilogy (it IS a trilogy, right?) would suck. I can only hope that the next, and hopefully, final book improves upon its successors.

Oh...and one more thing: Is 'speeded' a word? Isn't it sped?

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

OK so I really liked XVI and was really looking forward to Truth and I was not disappointed. I shudder to think there is even a remote possibility that there would be a society where it's government would oppress it's citizens by using sex. To think that just because you're a low tier (using the class system was genius like in the victorian era), you were nothing and useless, but if you had money and bought the clothes that were "ultrachic" you were asking to be raped and nothing could be done about it. I just hope when young girls read these books they would take into consideration the message that Julia Karr has addressed in her writing, that when that is what some men, boys, guys think when girls dress that way. I'm not saying it's right, no way am I saying that, just that it brings unwanted attention, because even girls like Nina that don't even dress that way can still get the unwanted attention not matter what they do.

Ok enough ranting, I really liked the story, I was glued to the pages. Couldn't tear myself away, up all night reading to get to the end so I could find out what happened with Chris...I like Chris, sweet sweet Chris...or Sal...I liked Sal in the first book even though he kind of acted like a jerk but he admitted it so I forgave him that, but in Truth he was doing it again so I think I like Chris better. And then the ending!!!! SIGH Huge cliffhanger there had better be another book Ms Julia Karr do you hear, cause I'll go crazy if there isn't!!!

[Katy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I felt this book had a lot of potential, but I just really struggled to get through it. The beginning was dragged down by the textbook-like description of the political situation, and the whole book felt like a wordy build up of what happens at the end. I liked the last quarter or so when I started to see some action, but I was so close to not getting that far several times. I think the only thing that kept me going was I was really curious to see why Sal was gone for so much of the book or what Paulette's deal really was or if anything would come about with Chris. But of course, neither mysteries were solved.

[Rhe · Rating 2 out of 5]

Julia Karr should have stopped after the first book XVI. The sequel was long and unnecessary. I would have liked the book to focus more on Nina's situation transforming her into a strong woman who makes an impact on the social issues she faced (like she seemed to want to do) instead of all of her "girl lost in love" woes.

[Mike Mullin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even better than XVI, which I loved.

[Kate Peterson · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was very frustrating. It took me a couple hours to read and I still feel like nothing happened. There was no resolution to any of the conflict presented.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nina Oberon is back in this sequel to Karr's XVI. Truth takes place immediately after XVI ends. Nina and her sister are still attending school, and living with their grandparents. When Child Protective Services issue a writ declaring Nina's grandparents unsuitable guardians, and Pops finds himself arrested by B.O.S.S. Nina and her sister find themselves in a whole lot of trouble. What will happen to them, how will they elude the government this time?

Something about Karr's writing style just draws me into her novels. I don't know what it is about the way she writes, but it is so accessible and inviting even when I am tired after a day of work. A couple of times I was so tired when I got home I didn't want to read until I picked up Truth then I became so engrossed that I didn't want to put it down.

This novel is definitely a continuation of the first. Which means, you really must read the first to understand the situations in this novel.

That being said, I really enjoyed this sequel. Although not as thoroughly terrifying as the first novel, this one definitely had you on the edge of your seat as you watched Nina try to navigate the system once more.

Karr's dystopia is very involved and heavily regulated. It is a world where the media runs the nation, and because of their antifeminist tendencies, they have created a world where it is dangerous to be a woman. Once again sex is a central topic in this novel, but it is only really talked about.

Nina Oberon is becoming more and more of an adult as these novels progress, and it is refreshing to see a character change and grow. She is a strong female character who wants to do the right thing, and seeks to make her world a better place.

Overall this is a wonderful continuation of the series. In many ways, this book was even better than the first. Karr knows how to build tension and keep the reader engaged. Her writing just keeps getting better. I love these novels and can't wait to read more.

Cautions for sensitive readers: While there is no explicit sex in this novel there is discussion of sex slavery and an attempted rape. There is definitely some violence in this novel.

[Gecky Boz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Timely Truth

* ARC read via Around The World ARC Tours
* Book will be released January 19, 2012

4 gnomes out of 5 gnomes

This was a great sequel, I liked it even more then the first book. The characters grow a lot and there are more dire choices made.

Nina has some hard decisions to make and more to learn about the world. She knows that the government is corrupt and full of lies but in this book she finds out how far the corruption goes.

Nina is trying to become more proactive and self-reliant, which is great to see. She's moving forward and wants to make a difference. It's hard to do this though being only sixteen and the known daughter of the person who was probably the biggest threat that the government has known.

I like her sister Dee more in this book. She becomes a much more capable and strong character. Her bad decisions are made mostly due to the fact that no one lets her know the whole truth. That's the part that really drove me crazy, it feels like she could handle the truth but nobody will tell it to her. In this way she's kind of like Nina was in the first book. I don't like how in the end she's still the character who's the most in the dark about their situation. Since the title of the book is Truth, I wish more characters had learned the truth.

This story does have a love triangle but it actually works very well. I don't think I've ever been so happy to have a love triangle in a book. Having one lets Nina explore her feelings more and lets her see all her options. I personally hope she ends up with the new love interest, he just seems more well rounded and better suited to what she's looking for.

There are even more problems for Nina to overcome as she tries to keep what's left of her family together. I figured out one of the mysteries early but it was still a strong twist. The final twist is crazy though, I didn't think it would end like it does. The ending sets up what should be a very promising finale because you're left wondering if this society can truly change for the better.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5 stars.

There are spoilers from the first book XVI.

Truth is the sequel to XVI. In the first book, we got to meet Nina Oberon, her family and friends. She went through a lot, including losing two very important people in her life. But she also discovered something about her father. Nina thought he was dead. But in fact he had been alive and in charge of a resistance movement.

Book 2 picks up where XVI left off. Nina is now 16 and has her sex-teen tattoo. In this world that means that you are fair game for anybody to have sex with you.

I enjoyed XVI and really enjoyed the sequel Truth. It was a nice and quick continuation of the first book. I love dystopia and I really enjoy Julia Karr's world.

In this world there are tiers. And people treat the lower tiers quite poorly (Nina and her family became tier 2 when her father left). Her friend Wei and her family are tier 5.

Loved Nina in book 2. She is forced to become an adult. And she really grew up quickly. I enjoyed her very much. And her sister Dee. She was a little kid in book 1. But in book 2 she also had to grow up. She is strong and sweet. And I loved that we really got to know her in book 2.

Also really love Nina's friend Wei and her brother Chris. And I really enjoyed the Sisterhood.

There was a love triangle, which I wasn't really expecting. And it was definitely not clearcut. At least not for me. I liked both guys.

Loved some new characters that were developed. Paulette Gold - rich girl who was part of the sisterhood. Kasimir Lessig - media personality who influenced people to do whatever he wanted. Dr. Silverman who was Nina's Gran's doctor. And Miss Maldovar - Dee's new teacher.

Definitely lots of very interesting characters.

There were lots of twists and turns. Some were a bit predictable to me. But I was not expecting the ending. I really look forward to book 3.

[Teril · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Truth will set you free...
Nina has had great changes since her appearance in XVI where we unraveled her past and she found her future. In this second installment of this amazing new dystopian series, Julia Karr asks us, how far will we go for the truth? For not only within our owns truths that we hold, but in the truths that others hold for us and the truths that society itself is hiding from.

Nina has so much thrown at her in Truth and she wades through it and triumphs. New beginnings arise as Nina finds her inner strength and back bone more as she begins to loose so much and have it taken away. What I love so much about this character especially in this book is that not only does she question a lot about herself and her world, but she is questioning those around her and coming to some sudden truths of her own. As Nina is finding her pillar of strength in her world and becoming a stronger part of the Resistance and finding her voice, we really see Nina take a stand for herself and everyone. I love that in a female character when they really see their own value and present it.

We hide the Truth, we hide behind the Truth, and we refuse to see the Truth, but Julia Karr tells us to question the Truth, to be sure before we choose which side to stand behind.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's been a long time, years, since I was so enthralled by a book that I couldn't put it down. Yesterday, however, this changed when I opened my ARC of TRUTH, the eagerly awaited sequel to XVI. (I was up until nearly 5:00 am finishing it!)

I remember being haunted by Nina's plight (and Sandy's and many more)in the first novel and intensely curious about what would happen in the next book. TRUTH is even more intense and satisfying. The characters are so well developed, and Nina faces challenges based on her tier, her families' status as subversives, her desire to cause real change, and even her first (and second?) love. I'm wary to post more specific details as I do not want to write any spoilers, but I would encourage anyone reading this post to pick up these novels! They are thought provoking and a sure hit for those of us who enjoy dystopian fiction.

[Ulli · Rating 2 out of 5]

Leider stört mich der gewollt naive Erzählstil immernoch ungemein. Zum Ende hin kommt jedoch sogar mal echte Spannung auf, die dann aber leider als Cliffhanger dienen muss. Und natürlich gibt es auch die unvermeidliche Dreiecksgeschichte o.O

[Stacee · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars? I don't know... Parts of it were better than the first one, but I was more annoyed with this story.

And mostly? I really hate having a love triangle introduced when the couple is already involved.

[Riv]

*falls over* Awesome cover! And a summary! Woot!
"The TRUTH always comes out..." (A bit cheesy, but who cares?)

[Midnight Sapp]

Yes, a second book!!!

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book. The ending made me a little annoyed. But, I cant wait for the next one. :)

[Sana · Rating 1 out of 5]

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Grandpa hielt mit der Wahrheit nie hinter dem Berg, mein Dad hatte in seinen Debatten stets die Wahrheit verfochten, und meine Mutter hatte die Wahrheit aufgedeckt ... war ich diejenige aus der Familie der Oberons, die die Wahrheit einfach nur laut aussprechen musste? - Nina Oberon (S. 68)

Seit Nina das ominöse XVI-Tattoo an ihrem sechzehnten Geburtstag bekommen hat, ist sie umso mehr gegen die Medien und die Regierung. Denn durch die Zusammenarbeit der beiden wird das Bild einer patriarchalischen, anti-feministischen Gesellschaft, in der Frauen mit diesem Tattoo als Freiwild gelten, gefördert. Gemeinsam mit ihrer Freundin Wei möchte sie sich der Schwesternschaft anschließen, einer rebellischen Gruppe, die durch ihren Piratensender gegen diese Regierung protestieren will. Doch ihr Freund Sal, der selbst ein Kämpfer für die Gleichberechtigung ist, ist strikt dagegen. Und als wären das schon nicht genug Steine im Weg des Mädchens, gerät es mit ihrer Schwester auch noch in Gefahr, ohne Wohnung dazustehen, da ihr Grandpa verhaftet wurde und ihre Großmutter wegen eines Anfalls im Krankenhaus liegt.

The Sign: Nur zu deiner Sicherheit ist vor sechs Jahren erschienen, gerade dann, als die Dystopie-Welle den Markt überflutete. Doch trotz seiner provokanten Themen ist das Buch ziemlich untergegangen, und dieser zweite Teil umso mehr. Sicherlich trägt dazu auch bei, dass man vier Jahre auf dieses Sequel warten musste, ebenso wie der dritte Teil dieser Reihe noch nicht einmal erschienen ist. Julia Karr lässt sich also sehr viel Zeit mit ihrer Geschichte, jedoch nicht aus dem gleichen Grund, aus dem sich ein George R. R. Martin mit seiner Game of Thrones Reihe Zeit lässt - denn statt sich wirklich ein konsistentes System zu überlegen und zu plotten hat die Autorin hier nur eine einzige große Baustelle erschaffen. Eine Baustelle, die einen an vielen Stellen entweder langweilt oder vor Wut kochen lässt.
Denn die Idee einer anti-feministischen Gesellschaft dürfte vor allem in heutiger Zeit, wo einige ,,Feministen'' sich eher für eine Überhöhung der Frauen einsetzen als eine Gleichstellung mit dem männlichen Geschlecht kämpfen, ziemlich polarisieren. Man könnte sich sehr viel dazu einfallen lassen, wie es zu dieser Situation kommt, auf wie vielen Ebenen die Unterdrückung der Frau vonstatten geht, man könnte sehr brutale Szenen dazu verfassen. Kurz gefasst: man hätte eine tolle Geschichte daraus machen können, die sich gegen Sexismus und für die Gleichstellung der Geschlechter einsetzt. Das wird umso ersichtlicher, wenn man merkt, dass die Autorin die zwielichtige Zusammenarbeit zwischen Medien und Regierung im Ansatz zeigen will. Doch von diesem Potential wurde nichts genutzt, obwohl es in Band 1 - zumindest von meiner Perspektive von vor einigen Jahren - ein paar schöne Ansätze gibt.
Diese Ansätze beziehen sich vor allem auf die Grundidee der Medien als vierte Gewalt in dieser Welt. Natürlich verzichtet die Autorin darauf, dem Leser die anderen zu präsentieren, immerhin gibt es doch Wichtigeres als ein solides World-Building, aber der Einfall an sich ist nicht schlecht. Es wird angerissen, wie sie Informationen so verpacken, wie es für ihre Ausrichtung passt, und wie skrupellos sie dabei vorgehen können. Auch ihre Rolle in der Pubertät von Jugendlichen lässt sich nicht bestreiten, denn auch heutzutage werden Frauen oft auf ihr Sexappeal beschränkt und jungen Mädchen in solchen Zeitschriften wie der Bravo beigebracht, wie sie einen Jungen verführen können. Von daher ist die Idee ja gar nicht so weit hergeholt, dass man irgendwann zu sexuellem Freiwild erklärt werden könnte - immerhin war das vor einigen hundert Jahren genauso, nur hat man da den Mädchen nicht eingetrichtert, wie lasziv sie sich zu räkeln oder wie sexy sie sich zu kleiden haben. Ein ebenso netter Einfall ist, dass die Non-Kons - so werden die Rebellen genannt - durch Piratensender und Videomontagen die Medien quasi mit ihren eigenen Waffen schlagen wollen.
Doch das war es auch schon mit den positiven Punkten des Buches, denn mehr als diese Ansätze hat Julia Karr nicht in The Sign: Die Wahrheit kommt ans Licht nicht eingebunden. Allerdings ist das auch kein Wunder, wenn man selbst ständig hin- und her gerissen ist zwischen sexistischem und feministischem Gedankengut ist. Natürlich ist Nina noch jung und hat sowieso eine recht dämonisierte Vorstellung von Sex, aber es kann doch nicht sein, dass sie sich gegen die Regierung stellt, obwohl sie Mädchen in knappen Kleidern genauso als Sex-Teens verurteilt, wie die Medien es ihr immer beigebracht haben. Wenn sie sich ihrer eigenen Vorurteile wenigstens bewusst wäre, wäre das ja noch ein netter Konflikt gewesen, aber sie ist der festen Überzeugung, durch ihre Mutter dieser Hirnwäsche entronnen zu sein. Doppelmoral ist das, nichts weiter. Das spiegelt sich nicht nur in Ninas Ansichten wieder, sondern auch in denen ihres Freundes Sal, der selbst ein Non-Kon ist und somit für eine Gleichberechtigung der Geschlechter steht. Und trotzdem lässt er seine Freundin nichts tun, weil er ihr das nicht zutraut. Was für ein Haufen Mist soll das denn sein? Geschweige denn, dass es eine männliche und eine weibliche Rebellengruppe gibt - wenn die wirklich dahinterstünden, das System zu stürzen, dann würden sich Männer und Frauen zusammentun statt die jeweils andere Gruppe nicht mal in die Planung mit einzubeziehen und komplett unabhängig voneinander zu agieren. Rebellen, die selbst total indoktriniert sind von der Propaganda des Feindes - so was liest man doch eher selten.
Was man aber leider häufig liest und auch in diesem Buch antrifft, ist Slut-Shaming. Dabei sollte ein Buch, das eine Gesellschaft zeigt, in der Frauen unterdrückt und sexuell genötigt werden, genau das nicht haben. Trotzdem kann man die Figuren dabei beobachten, wie sie vor allem Paulette für ihren ,,provokanten'' Kleidungsstil und ihre wohlhabende Herkunft anfeinden, obwohl sie noch diejenige ist, die am logischsten in diesem Buch handelt. Warum muss ein hübsches und reiches Mädchen automatisch als Schlampe betitelt werden? Warum muss man infragestellen, dass sie sich in ihrer Rolle als Rebell durchaus ernstnimmt und hinter ihren Idealen steht? Warum wird sie auf ihr Aussehen reduziert, vor allem von Nina, die selbst nicht auf ihre ärmlichen Verhältnisse reduziert werden möchte? Warum werden generell immer sofort diejenigen angefeindet, die eine angebliche Bedrohung für die eigene Beziehung darstellen? Das regt einen einfach nur auf und zeigt, dass die Autorin den moralischen Zeigefinger erheben will, obwohl sie selbst eine fragwürdige Moral hat. Dieser ständige Widerspruch in sich ist einfach nur frustrierend und anstrengend.
Und er bezieht sich nicht nur auf die Einstellungen der Charaktere, sondern auch auf diese angebliche frauenfeindliche Welt. Denn wem begegnet Nina innerhalb des Buches meistens im Bereich der Polizei oder des Rechts? Frauen! Wie sollte das möglich sein in einer Zukunft, wo Frauen nicht als stark angesehen werden? Zu wem wird sie in der Schule gerufen? Zur Schuldirektorin! Warum sollte eine Frau - dazu noch eine im Rollstuhl - eine Führungsposition innehaben? Wie schrecklich inkonsequent kann man denn bei seinem eigenen Konzept werden?!
Nicht nur in der Rolle der Frau vergisst Julia Karr ihre Idee, sie macht es sich handlungstechnisch immer sehr einfach. Chicago soll so gut verkabelt sein, immerhin will man die Rebellen auftreiben und wegsperren, aber wann immer Nina sich mit der Schwesternschaft oder den männlichen Non-Kons unterhält, ist überraschenderweise ein Funkloch da, damit sie ungestört und offen reden können. Und das geschieht ohne jede Ausnahme. Wie überzeugend, dass nie Komplikationen auftreten und die Rebellen deswegen nie Probleme haben, sich über ihre Pläne zu unterhalten. Wäre ja auch zu kompliziert gewesen, eine Geheimsprache zu entwickeln oder spezielle Zeichen oder so was. Machen wir es uns schön einfach und langweilig.
Genau so kann man auch das gesamte Buch beschreiben: langweilig. Das liegt nicht mal unbedingt an der Handlung, immerhin bereitet die Autorin durch die Haft des Großvaters und den Krankenhausaufenthalt der Großmutter ein großes Familiendrama vor. Doch in Richtung Rebellion oder Umsturz des Systems, Richtung Taktik und Kampf, lässt sich kaum etwas in diesem Buch finden. Obwohl die Autorin sich so lange Zeit gelassen hat, dieses Sequel zu schreiben. Und diese Lustlosigkeit spürt man auf jeder einzelnen Seite. Trotz der Existenzschwierigkeiten Ninas und ihrer kleinen Schwester, trotz eines ungerechten Systems - nichts davon kann den Leser auch nur ansatzweise packen, berühren oder sonst etwas in ihm auslösen. Man liest Kapitel um Kapitel, nur um sofort zu vergessen, was eigentlich passiert ist, weil einem alles so herzlich egal ist. Der Schreibstil ist dazu einfach zu flach, Charaktere ändern manchmal absatzweise um 180 Grad ihre Meinung, selbst Gefühle zwischen einzelnen Figuren kann man nicht spüren. Es hat kein Leben, keine Substanz, nichts, was einen dazu bringen könnte, diese Geschichte mit den Charakteren zu erleben. Man merkt, dass die Autorin die Geschichte einfach nur geschrieben hat, um sie endlich zu schreiben, nicht weil sie wirklich dahintersteht und ihr etwas an ihr liegt.
Gegen Ende versucht Julia Karr zwar Spannung aufzubauen, zugegebenermaßen nicht unbedingt mit einem schlechten Motiv. Jedoch wird das wieder dadurch ausgeglichen, dass die Charaktere - allen voran die Protagonistin - sich dumm wie Stroh verhalten und auch das Ende keinerlei Sinn ergibt. Letztlich bestätigt es nur, dass die Autorin ihre eigene Geschichte und die Hintergründe dazu nicht begreift und sich irgendetwas aus den Fingern gesogen hat.



Alles in allem nahezu eine vollkommene Katastrophe von einem Buch, obwohl das Thema wahnsinnig viel Potential hat. In den Ansätzen von Ansätzen erkennt man auch, dass die Autorin sich dessen bewusst ist, aber von Zeit zu Zeit den Moralapostel zu spielen, nur um kurz darauf selbst sexistische Äußerungen zu treffen, macht das zunichte. Vor allem bei so einem sensiblen Thema wie sexuellem Missbrauch und Unterdrückung eines Geschlechts darf man solche Phrasen einfach nicht von sich geben. Daher funktioniert auch die gesamte Idee mit den Rebellen nicht, denn warum gegen das System wenden, wenn man ihm selbst glaubt? Abgesehen davon ist die Welt auch recht unstrukturiert, eine ziemlich lange Zeit passiert nichts Relevantes, und durch die flachen Gedankengänge, sehr kurzen Sätze und die holprigen Übergänge kann man nicht eine Minute lang mit irgendjemandem hier drin mitfühlen. Insbesondere wenn die Charaktere sich so blauäugig verhalten und auch abgesehen davon kaum Charaktere genannt werden können. Überhaupt nicht zu empfehlen; ich überlege sogar, die Reihe abzubrechen. Es gibt definitiv bessere Dystopien, und sicherlich auch Besseres zum Thema Geschlechterrollen und Feminismus!

Gesamtwertung: 1.45/5.00 Sternen

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Today's post is on Truth by Julia Karr. It is the second in her XVI trilogy. It is 299 and is published by Speak Publishing. The cover has a picture of a girl with the title over her face. The intended reader is someone who read the first novel, likes dark dystopian worlds, and strong female characters. The story is from first person close of the main character Nina. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Nina Oberon had a normal life.
That was before her normal was shattered.
Before she discovered the truth about her family...
And now that she's sixteen, she sports the same Governing Council-ordered tattoo of XVI on her wrist. The one that all sixteen-year-old girls are forced to get. The one that announces to the world that she is easy prey for predators.
But Nina won't be anyone's stereotype. And so when she joins up with a small force within the Resistance, she knows that they will have to put an end to one of the most terrifying secret programs the GC has ever created.
Because the truth always comes out.
And the consequences can be deadly.


Review- This is a dark book in a dark world that sometimes feels too real to me. Nina knows too much about her world now and is terrified by it and she should be. The leaders of the Governing Council are watching her and they want her to go away. So most of the plot of this book is Nina trying to stay one step ahead of the GC and their plots. That is main thrust of the plot but we get to see how scary the world of XVI really is as Nina is one now and has to deal with it. She has some close calls with boys and men who want to rape her and she knows that she has no protection. Those moments were the most terrifying parts of the book. I'm that they are not too much of the book, just there to remind the reader, so the plot and characters were not overwhelmed by the terror of rape. We end with Nina being pulled out of the country but still no idea about any of this can be fixed. Hopefully the next book will be out soon.

I give this book a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

[Cora Lein · Rating 2 out of 5]

Inhalt:
Nina möchte aktiv in den Widerstand und tritt der Schwesternschaft bei, doch dies reicht ihr nicht …

Schreibstil:
Es wird nicht besser. Die Rollenverteilung bleibt bei den schwachen Weibchen und die wirklich wichtigen Sachen machen die Männer, auch beim Widerstand – obwohl der ja alles anders und besser machen will als die Regierung *lach Auch in diesem Teil wird nicht erklärt wie ein PAV-Empfänger aussieht, was er macht und so geht es auch mit anderen Dingen. Wer ein bisschen Fantasie hat, dem sollte zwar trotzdem irgendwas im Kopfkino aufkommen, aber trotzdem schade. Die Geschichte an sich zieht sich extrem, es gibt kaum Wendungen und das Ende ist leider sehr vorhersehbar.

Charaktere:
Nina bleibt emotionslos und es ist einfach nicht klar, warum sie so viele Angebote für ein glückliches Leben verstreichen lässt. Wieder wollen ihr ihre Freunde und Bekannte nur helfen und sie rennt lächelnd in ihr Unglück – bei einigen muss das wohl so…

Die anderen Figuren wirken ebenfalls konstruiert und sind immer nur da, wenn sie mal gebraucht werden. Wo sie sonst sind?! Na in Sachen widerstand unterwegs! Was sie erreichen? Wird sich dann irgendwann zeigen – bitte?!

Cover:
Es wirkt mystisch – lauernd – aber worauf wartet sie denn?!

Fazit:
Eine Dystopie, welche die Welt nicht braucht. Von mir gibt es 2 Sterne, weil mich das Ende und der Weg dahin einfach nur geärgert hat. Die Charaktere machen nichts, obwohl sie die ganze Zeit für den Widerstand etwas machen, was ist geheim, aber es ist wichtig. Na dann … Eine Leseempfehlung geht nur an Leser, welche den 1. Teil gelesen haben.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

{This review was originally published on Clear Eyes, Full Shelves.}

On the day before I started reading Truth, the sequel to the excellent 2011 release XVI, I tweeted the following:

I kind of feel like I just need to quit dystopians cold turkey. At this point, they're just aggravating me. Hopefully ninjas or something will be the next big thing, because I need something new.

Actually, yes, ninjas would be excellent.

Then I picked up the sequel to my favorite 2011 dystopian release and remembered that the subgenre isn't quite on life-support yet.

Truth picks up shortly after XVI left off--if you have not read XVI or need a refresher, here's a quick rundown of the premise and what I appreciated about it (my Goodreads review is here):

-Nina Oberon lives in a future version of the United States ruled by a misogynist Governing Council with the aid of a corrupt version of the media;
-One of the main keys to the government's control over the population is their control over the sexual availability of girls once they are 16--each girl gets a tattoo of "XVI" on their wrist and is therefore deemed available to any man who wants them, it is a culture that encourages rape and sexual control, and it is extremely disturbing;
-The role the media plays in pushing teen and tween girls to act and behave in a way that encourages this culture is even more disturbing because it is not all that different from modern Western society;
-Nina's family has a history of involvement in the resistance movement and she becomes increasingly involved in it herself as she approaches her sixteenth birthday. (This is one of the things I most appreciated about XVI--there was context for her fighting the powers that be. In so many YA dystopians, the lead is just a special snowflake and we're just supposed to accept that's why she's fighting the bad guys.);
-Karr's writing is tight and makes the Nina's hyper-commercial, disturbing world come to life; and
-I read XVI as a standalone, not knowing it was a planned trilogy and it actually worked as a single book!

If you have not read XVI, and don't want to be spoiled for that book, I strongly recommend you do not continue reading my review of Truth! Do not pass Go!, instead, read XVI, and come back and read my review of Truth.

We find Nina back in school, but her involvement with the resistance, her new relationship with oft-unavailable resistance member Sal (an interesting storyline in the first book, as Nina tries to avoid relationships because she does not want to be a victim of the expectation that she be sexually available to any male--teen or adult--who wants her), the revelation that her father is still alive and her fresh XVI tattoo has changed her. And, she is increasingly frustrated that her involvement in the resistance is limited because she is a girl. See the rub here? She's allied with a resistance movement that's fighting against a misogynist regime, yet sexism pervades the culture of the resistance as well. (Which, if you're a nerd like me an studied women's history in college, if very, very typical of revolutionary/resistance movements.) Add in that she's a Tier Two (low economic class), that she's lost her best friend to murder and rape and that she's recently avoided being part of a sex trafficking ring and things are tough in Nina's world.

With all this frustration coming to a head, Nina becomes involved in the Sisterhood--a shadow group of women aiding the resistance movement. Much of Truth focuses on this story, as well as on the fate of Nina's grandfather, who is arrested for subversion early in the novel. What thrilled me is that this installment of the series answered many of the questions that I had after finishing XVI--how often does that happen in a sequel? We learn much more about how the current regime came into power, which also explains the Governing Council's attempts to control the female population through violence and fear. The "meh" feelings that lots of folks had toward Sal in XVI make far more sense in the context of Truth. And, one of my biggest wishes, that we understood more of what it is like for the male teens living in the effed up, hyper-sexualized world is addressed in the sequel. We also get to know Nina's new friends (made via her involvement with the resistance movement) and learn about the tensions between the different social classes they represent. It sounds like there's a lot happening in Truth, but the story actually moved quite quickly, despite that the "action" is isolated to the end of the novel (XVI felt more action-oriented, despite that the stakes are higher in Truth).

There are a lot of consequences for everyone's actions in Truth--even more so than in XVI.

However, like the first novel, things are wrapped up, leaving me wanting a sequel, because I want to spend more time with Nina and her friends and know what happens to them as there lives continue to change dramatically, not because I was left hanging off of the proverbial cliff. My hope is that the issue of sexism within the resistence movement will be further explored in the trilogy's final installment, as that is one of the stand-out elements within Truth. There are hints of a future love triangle, but I have faith in Karr's storytelling that it will be handled in a way that preserves the integrity of the series, and not in a dramatic, "Which boy will she chooose?!" fashion.

Fingers crossed.

As with XVI, when I finished Truth, I was left wondering why this series hasn't received more attention. It's got a lot of the elements of popular, less quality, YA dystopians: action, scary governments, a dash of romance, yet it seems that there's hardly a mention of it. My only assumption is that both of Karr's novels deal overtly with the issue of sex as power--and that's a pretty edgy thing for a lot of people, particularly for a young adult novel.

Verdict: Highly Recommend


Oh, this was interesting... lots more revealed about how things got so effed up.


Ooh... I hadn't seen a title or release date for the sequel to XVI until now--I'd kind of assumed that since NO ONE read this book, it seems, that there wasn't going to be a sequel. Yay!

(Could do without the cheesy subtitle, though... Ouch!)

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is something about this author’s voice that makes me cringe a bit: maybe the loose writing style? Or the overuse of the “future” slang (ultra)? It just seemed so unfinished or unpolished. I cannot put my finger on it but it did annoy me more with this installment than with the first.

Interestingly, the author calls this a companion to XVI rather than a sequel. However, I cannot imagine reading this story without having first read the other! They are definitely connected and a reader would miss out on details if they are not read in order. There’s not a sign that there will be another book in this series but I can see a 3rd installment that expands on Nina and her relationships with Sal & Chris, Sal’s work with the resistance, and the complete take-down of FeLS & the corrupt government.

[Spencer · Rating 3 out of 5]

2022
Pretty typical 2nd book syndrome...not a terrible book but certainly not a great one. I was especially bothered by the fact that Sal just completely disappeared by the middle of the book. I'm sure it's probably explained in the third book but I always hate when one of the main characters just disappears for seemingly no reason. Plus, the author did the stupid love triangle thing I hate. Why, why for the love of God, does there always have to be a love triangle in a young adult book??

[Bookgeek · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF

[Julie Bergley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story developed interestingly. Nina keeps finding herself in new problems. I can't wait to see how this is going to wrap up as so many things changed over the course of the plot.

[FicTalk Blog · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reviewed by Meg

WARNING: This review is considered spoilery for the first book in the series.

Truth by Julia Karr is the sequel to XVI, a fast paced dystopian novel about a world where media rules all and women have no power. Men definitely hold the power, as girls are raised to look forward to the day they turn 16 and are given a tattoo of the Roman numerals XVI to symbolize to them, and the public, that they are legally of the age of sexual consent. Media plays up the clothing industry, and girls are dressed provocatively, and given incentives to be as “hot” as possible. What most girls don’t understand, though, is that when they receive that tattoo at 16, they are basically labeled as free game to the men of society. It is way too common for a freshly turned 16 year old to be cornered and raped, often by multiple men, and then killed, simply because she was labeled as a “sex-teen” by the tattoo on her wrist. The media, and most of society would brush these occurrences off as “well, she was asking for it by the way she dressed.”

As a result of the media control and the current state of the government, an underground movement had risen and Nina Oberon, the daughter of one of the resistance’s leaders, has found herself in the middle of it. The first book was centered around the death of Nina’s mother, a suspected resistance member, and Nina’s life prior to her 16th birthday. In Truth, Nina is 16, orphaned with her little sister, Dee, and living with their grandparents, and essentially, as a result of the insanity that happens in the first book, all hell breaks lose. The government and head media moguls are watching Nina very closely, watching and waiting to see if she’s a part of the resistance. Her step father, who she killed in the first book after he brutally rapes and kills her friend Sandy, is considered missing by the government and her deceased mother is the prime suspect. Nina’s been given her tattoo, and though she has a steady boyfriend (Sal, gag me. Not a fan of him) she clearly doesn’t want to be sexually intimate with him. As things go downhill, the plot gets a little more confusing, and more characters are introduced and a lot of the dystopian feel that I liked in the first book is dissolved into love triangle drama and questions that are never answered.

This plot has some pretty big holes in it that became more apparent to me in this book than they were in the first book. I don’t understand why, in a technology driven world, these girls don’t attempt to call the police for some type of help when attacked. Why, in a world where rape is so prevalent, aren’t the citizens given a panic button on their PAV’s? I just don’t get it. There’s many other plot holes, but that’s the one that really stuck with me.

Also, characters? Nina was a pretty strong character in the first book, but this one? She had a billion questions that she never actively sought to answer, she just let Sal dictate every turn of their relationship, “Oh, I’m sorry Nina. You’re awesome, and I love you, but I’m gonna go run off with this hot girl who’s on the resistance with me for a few weeks on a top secret mission that I can’t tell you about. By the way, don’t call me, I’ll call you.” Um, no. Just because you’re a member of the resistance and you’re intent on saving the world doesn’t mean you can be a dick to your girlfriend. All the time. And love triangles? WHY DOES EVERYONE HAVE TO BE IN LOVE TRIANGLE NOW? It’s a trend in books that I’m okay with not having. Anyway, back on the topic of characters, lets discuss the ones I can appreciate. Dee, Nina’s little sister, has come a pretty long way since the first book. She’s stronger, she’s a lot more prepared to face the challenges of their world, but no one will let her! I’m sorry, I know you want to protect your little sister, but there’s no way to really protect her if you leave her blind to the way the world works. And then there’s Wei, I like her. She’s pretty ballsy and very much a powerful force to be reckoned with. I’d love to see Nina try to emulate Wei more.

As far as writing goes, I think Karr is a superb writer. You can see the world clearly, picture the characters and their actions easily through her words, it’s just that unfortunately, despite how lovely the words are, the plot and characters fell short for me in comparison to where they were in the last book.

[Ina Vainohullu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meinung:

Da es sich hier um den zweiten Band einer Reihe handelt, verzichte ich auf eine kurze Zusammenfassung, denn bereits der Klappentext gibt ja schon einen kleinen Einblick, was den Leser hier erwartet.

Das Cover finde ich wunderschön. Wie schon beim ersten Band ist auch hier ein Mädchen zu sehen, dessen Gesicht, zumindest ein Stück weit von Federn verdeckt wird. Während für das erste Cover Pink- und Lilatöne gewählt wurden, entschied man sich hier für ein auffälliges saftiges Grün und ein dunkles Gelb, was mir persönlich etwas mehr zusagt. Eine wirkliche Verbindung zur Geschichte gibt es nicht, trotzdem finde ich die Cover bei dieser Reihe gut gewählt.

Ganze drei Jahre lang habe ich diese Fortsetzung herbeigesehnt und jetzt endlich wurde ich für meine Warterei belohnt. Entgegen aller Befürchtungen mich vielleicht nicht mehr im Detail an die Handlung erinnern zu können, fand ich mich recht fix wieder zurecht und konnte ganz ins Geschehen eintauchen. Es gab zwar den ein oder anderen Moment in dem ich kurz überlegen muste, wie das in Band 1 nochmal genau war, aber diese Momente waren wirklich sehr dünn gesät.

Da "The Sign - Die Wahrheit kommt ans Licht" nahtlos an den ersten Band anknüpft, sollte man diesen also unbedingt gelesen haben, wobei ich das bei Reihen eigentlich ohnehin immer voraussetze.

Julia Karr hat einen leichten Schreibstil ( wie er im Bereich Jugendbuch häufig zu finden ist ), der ein zügiges, problemloses Vorankommen garantiert. Für mich war "The Sign 2" durchweg spannend, da einfach permanent etwas passiert und Nina eigentlich nie wirklich zur Ruhe kommt.
Erst verhaftet man ihren Großvater, dann erleidet ihre Großmutter einen Anfall und muss sofort in die Klinik, Nina und ihrer kleinen Schwester Dee droht Unheil von sämtlichen Seiten, da auch die Regierung und die Medien plötzlich großes Interesse an den beiden Schwestern zeigen.
Hinzu kommt, das sich Ninas Freund Sal, Mitglied der Widerstandsbewegung, immer wieder für mehrere Tage scheinbar in Luft auflöst und Nina, krass ausgedrückt, für ein schwaches M��dchen hält, das man beschützen muss. Davon ist sie total genervt, denn auch sie will kämpfen und sich gegen die Regierung wehren, doch das lassen die NonKons, wie sich die Widerstandskämpfer nennen, nicht zu, weshalb sich Nina der geheimen Schwesternschaft anschließt, die eigenständige Aktionen gegen das Regime plant und damit erfolgreicher ist, als anfangs gedacht.

Natürlich kommt neben all der Spannung auch die Liebe nicht zu kurz. Hier tun sich ganz neue Entwicklungen auf, auf dessen Weiterführung man gespannt sein darf.

Ich-Erzählerin Nina ist eine Protagonistin, die mir schon in Band 1 schnell ans Herz gewachsen ist. Sie ist eine Kämpferin, die mit ihren gerade einmal 16 Jahren schon jede Menge derbe Verluste hinnehmen musste. Sie kümmert sich liebevoll um ihre Schwester, hat eine enge Bindung zu ihren Großeltern und würde alles tun, um jede die sie liebt zu beschützen.

Auch Nebencharaktere, wie etwa Dee oder Ninas Freundin Wei sind toll ausgearbeitet und sorgen mit ihrer Art dafür das man sie direkt gern hat. Man kann gar nicht anders. Es gibt natürlich auch Figuren, bei denen das Gegenteil der Fall ist.

Im Verlauf der Geschichte gab es einige Momente, bei denen ich wirklich den Atem angehalten habe, es gab aber auch Momente die mir ein kleinesGlücks- bzw. Triumphgefühl bescherten oder mich echt zu Tränen rührten.

Das Ende hat es nochmal richtig in sich und kommt mit einem echten Showdown um Eck.
Hier lösen sich auch die meisten Fragen, die während des Lesens aufkamen, auf und Julia Karr bringt das Buch zu einem runden Abschluß, der ganz ohne miesen Cliffhanger auskommt.

Laut ihrer Website schreibt Julia Karr derzeit an Band 3. Ich hoffe sehr, das die Wartezeit nicht allzu lang sein wird, denn ich will dringend wissen, wie es weitergeht.

Fazit:

Julia Karr ist mit "The Sign - Die Wahrheit kommt ans Licht" eine Fortsetzung geglückt, die ihrem Vorgänger in nichts nachsteht. Eine durchweg spannende Handlung und liebenswerte Charaktere haben mich von der ersten bis zur letzten Seite voll und ganz fesseln können.

[Jess · Rating 2 out of 5]

My first issue with this novel is that it is labelled the "companion" novel to Kerr's novel XVI. This is absolutely a sequel, not a companion, having picked up right where XVI left off. Had I not read XVI, I would have been absolutely, hopelessly lost. As it was there were details I had forgotten which made some parts early in the novel confusing for me. Do not wait long between reading the two novels. Since neither is particularly memorable, reading this one will be difficult following a long break after the first.

The main character, Nina, seems to have almost nothing going for her. Almost everything that can go wrong in her life, does. I won't go into detail as it'd spoil it but her life is quite depressing. However I didn't feel for her as much as I would have liked to, often because of her attitude. She is constantly jealous and upset with her boyfriend, Sal, for basically everything he does, yet as soon as he returns she doesn't say a word about it. I do, however, like Nina's conviction in her belief that girls and just as strong and capable as boys are (and that she was clearly labelled as being influenced by feminism. No trying to hide the fact, which was appreciated). That conviction is what leads to the one and only time she stands up against Sal (finally).

I did enjoy the character of Martin, Nina's boss at the Art institute. He seemed to be the most genuine and realistic in character. I also enjoyed how Kerr portrayed the ignorance of the upper-tiers towards the lifestyles and feelings of the lower-tiers, showing that they couldn't truly empathize with something they had never experienced.

The general society frustrated me. The "sex-teen" idea, while in no way appealing, is not a terrible one for the basis of a novel (although it is not the basis of this one; it just seems to really come up when convenient). However, the fact that the entire society takes zero action against anyone assaulting (or worse) young "sex-teens" because of their age is utterly repulsive (although I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised, with some politicians' words nowadays...). Another aspect that bothered me was that the term "sex-teen" wasn't just a nickname the teens had for it, it was what the president of the "Governing Council" referred to them as in a news interview. Hearing the president call teenage girls "sex-teens" is pretty disgusting. The majority of the culture of the novel was something I had trouble getting past.

Kerr's foreshadowing is in no way subtle. It was not difficult to call what was going to happen before it did, which made the novel lack the intrigue and interest-piquing qualities it needed. Miss Maldovar's character, for example, was too obvious. The clear clues about something being off made me speculate wildly throughout the novel, which made the big reveal about her at the end very unsurprising and anti-climactic. I also wish she had chosen a different word for the vehicles than "trannie". There MUST have been something better she could have used. Which leads to my mixed feelings about the vocabulary used in the novel. While there were some sophisticated words that sixteen year-olds often wouldn't use, they were mixed in amongst awful "future" teen slang that almost made me ashamed to be a teenager. Even more unfortunate: it's not very different from the teen "future slang" other authors today are using. That left me disappointed.

The ending was also disappointing. Again, I will not spoil anything except for the fact that it left hanging just about every loose end possible. I found the loose end with the Paulette drama the most frustrating, simply because it annoyed me throughout the book. I had figured there would be some sort of resolution.

All in all, I hoped for more from this novel, hence the 2-star rating.

[Vilma Garcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Julia Karr's book, Truth, was an amazing book. Her purpose for writing this book was to entertain readers and open their eyes to current issues. This book talks about things that teenagers think of now and how media plays a big part in teenager’s lives. This book takes place in the future and the author's way of writing it kept me intrigued throughout the whole book. This book contains truth to what is going on nowadays, like teens thinking about sex and boys, in a future sense.
This book exposes the truth about media and the role that it plays in the lives of teenagers in the future. In this book, the media and the government had a big part in telling girls how they should dress and how they should act. One of the things is the XVI tattoo. “What is the importance of the XVI tattoo?” This tattoo lets any guy know that they girl is a sex-teen and that she’s ready to have sex at any given moment; this is what the media lets the people believe. It also opens the eyes of the readers to the class situation in the real world. In the book, each person or family belongs to a tier, which is another way of saying class. Most people were treated a certain way, depending on their tier. The events in this book can be compared to the real world so that the reader recognizes that this book can be a glimpse to the future.
This book is well written. The words can be easily understood, as well as the events that occur throughout the book. The author uses descriptive language in order to paint a picture in the reader’s mind. “Chris glanced in the rearview, raising his eyebrows. I looked away, not planning ever to admit how terrified I’d been.” This one simple sentence can paint a clear picture in the mind of the person who is reading the book. You can picture the expression that she had when Chris looked at her through the mirror. Emotion is also created by the way the author writes. Her words are descriptive enough that it makes the reader feel like they’re there, in that setting, in the book. “I looked at the screen of his PAV. It was Pops in the transchair, those same tubes pumping liquid into his arms… he looked so weak, sick” The way the author describes Pops in this part of the book, creates an emotion of sadness in picturing the way he looks, so defenseless.
This book was very intriguing. Some of the parts were action filled or dramatic, and other parts were romantic and funny; it’s kind of like a movie playing in your head. This book is packed with love triangles and relationships that are falling apart, that only the reader can see. This book has a little bit of everything, which made it interesting enough for me to continue reading for hours without getting bored. Anyone can relate to any character in the book. All the characters have something that everyone has gone through or that they know someone who has gone through it. We can all relate to the tier levels because in the present time, we are silently judged by others because of our position in the class system. The author wrote this book in a way that anyone who reads it can relate to it in some way.
The greatest strength of this book is the way the author describes the situation and the character’s feelings. The way that the author keeps the reader engaged in the reading is also a great strength. A weakness would be all the future words like “ultra” and “skivs” that are used throughout the book. It would’ve been a good idea to explain some of the future lingo so that the readers are not confused in what it means. Overall, this book was a fantastic book. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone because the situations in the book are similar to things that are happening now. This is a very good book to read. Whether you like dystopia books or not, this is a really interesting book packed with various genres into one; it’s amazing.