Looper

by Ann Bakshis

The Litarian Battles are the only thing ever televised. No other shows are transmitted into the Outer Limits. Max has never had an interest in watching, much to the surprise of everyone else around her. She doesn’t see the point of watching contestants battle when no one is ever injured or killed, and all for the opportunity to live in the utopian city of Icarian.

Things change when she is selected to be a participant. She is sent to the main city of Tarsus where The Litarian Battles are held, Max is subjected to bodily mutilation, life or death battles, and psychological manipulation. And she begins to think there’s more going on than just a chance to live in Icarian. She soon realizes that the real battle isn’t displayed on television, but behind the scenes. Max is caught between a conflict that may lead to war and rip her society in half. She has to walk a thin line, make sacrifices, and kill friends just to get at the truth and determine who will win the ultimate war.

295 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2016

About the author

Ann Bakshis grew up in Glen Ellyn, IL, but now lives in Bolingbrook, IL. Writing has always been her passion since she was a child, creating her first short story at the age of 8. In college, she took Creative Writing and a Fiction Writing Workshops. Life got in the way, so writing was placed on hold for a while, but never forgotten. She’s been writing continually since 2014 with her first book published in 2015.

Reviews

[Lori Spier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesing look at a dystopian world where what you see isn't always the truth. It's complex, with enough scheming and double crossing to keep everyone guessing.

[Diana Duell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was on the same level as the Hunger Games series and Divergent series. I enjoyed the story, but didn't like how everyone manipulated Max. It would have been nice if she had one person she could trust and be on her side. I really did not like the ending.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

** I received a copy of this book for free through a Goodreads giveaway. **

I have mixed feelings about this book. I really enjoyed the story and the world and mostly enjoyed the main character but I pretty much hated all of the other characters, even those that were mostly aligned with the main. The constant abuse of the main character by all of the men surrounding her was very distressing and also kept dragging me out of the story because many times there seemed to be no reason (story-related reason) for it. The language was rather stilted at times too and I noticed many grammatical and spelling errors throughout the book. Despite all that, I NEEDED to finish the book. The story does grab you and pulls you along. However, the ending was a bit of a let-down. I can only hope this is book one in a series as the ending was too open-ended and angst-ridden if this is a stand-alone. I will read further books in this series if there are any despite my issues with the book because, as I said, it does pull you in!

[Tena · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this in a GOODREADS giveaway - Looper by Ann Bakshis was very intriguing as it kept me drawn in until the final sentence... however the ending left me very frustrated! I was not happy with the ending at all! She went through so much abuse by everyone; to just roll over and have to accept the outcome was extremely disappointing to me. Of course, this is my opinion: the author felt differently. The book was a very good read, so it keeps the 4 stars!

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the concept and this idea of a dystopian community, but the details were too matter of fact and sometimes a little troubling for my taste. Although, the fact that I finished is always a good sign!