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I Am Margaret #1
I Am Margaret
In Margo's world, if you don't pass your Sorting at 18 you are recycled. Literally.
Margaret Verrall dreams of marrying the boy she loves and spending her life with him. But she’s part of the underground network of Believers – and with the persecution that carries the death penalty.
And there’s just one other problem.
She’s going to fail her Sorting.
But a chance to take on the system ups the stakes beyond mere survival.
Now she has to break out of the Facility - or face the worst martyrdom of all.
Conscious Dismantlement.
Margaret Verrall dreams of marrying the boy she loves and spending her life with him. But she’s part of the underground network of Believers – and with the persecution that carries the death penalty.
And there’s just one other problem.
She’s going to fail her Sorting.
But a chance to take on the system ups the stakes beyond mere survival.
Now she has to break out of the Facility - or face the worst martyrdom of all.
Conscious Dismantlement.
307 pages, Paperback
First published June 26, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
July 14, 2014
I love this book, but then, I would!
August 29, 2015
Incredible read, riveting! Could not put it down.
Full review ...
Sometimes it really pays to follow authors you really like. Regina Doman recently posted about this book, and it caught my attention. To be honest I had never heard of the author or the series. I am so glad it did. This is one of the best books I have read this year and the best new Catholic fiction author I have discovered in years! This book was incredible.
I literally could not put this book down. Even though I had to be up early to travel I stayed up way way too late to keep reading. I could barely put it down the two times I had to take breaks from reading it. And each time all I could do was keep thinking about it. In fact it was so powerful even though I finished it two days ago I keep playing over parts of the book and wondering what will happen next. It was only towards the end of the book that I found out that it is part of a series. Something I am extremely grateful for.
For me there are a few hallmarks of great books:
1. I know I will read it again
2. I can't wait to share it with my children as they grow up
3. I keep sharing about it with others
This book meets all three of those categories. And it was one of the best books I have read in ages.
This story is set in the near future, much of the world's nations have amalgamated into regional entities. And all religions have been banned. Margaret Verrall lives in the EuroGov and at 18 there is the sorting test. Those who pass go on to productive lives in society and those who do not become ReAssigness and are literally recycled. They go to a facility and for the next 2 years are being prepared to be in prime condition for harvesting unless there is a specific need for their parts before then. But Margaret has two major problems first she is pretty sure she will fail the testing as she really struggles with math, and second she is part of the underground network of believers. But she is in love and Bane will not just let the government take her.
This story has incredible characters. Runs at a breakneck pace from start to finish. And is very very well written. Give this book a try it will enthrall you and leave you hungry for more of the story.
Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More.
Full review ...
Sometimes it really pays to follow authors you really like. Regina Doman recently posted about this book, and it caught my attention. To be honest I had never heard of the author or the series. I am so glad it did. This is one of the best books I have read this year and the best new Catholic fiction author I have discovered in years! This book was incredible.
I literally could not put this book down. Even though I had to be up early to travel I stayed up way way too late to keep reading. I could barely put it down the two times I had to take breaks from reading it. And each time all I could do was keep thinking about it. In fact it was so powerful even though I finished it two days ago I keep playing over parts of the book and wondering what will happen next. It was only towards the end of the book that I found out that it is part of a series. Something I am extremely grateful for.
For me there are a few hallmarks of great books:
1. I know I will read it again
2. I can't wait to share it with my children as they grow up
3. I keep sharing about it with others
This book meets all three of those categories. And it was one of the best books I have read in ages.
This story is set in the near future, much of the world's nations have amalgamated into regional entities. And all religions have been banned. Margaret Verrall lives in the EuroGov and at 18 there is the sorting test. Those who pass go on to productive lives in society and those who do not become ReAssigness and are literally recycled. They go to a facility and for the next 2 years are being prepared to be in prime condition for harvesting unless there is a specific need for their parts before then. But Margaret has two major problems first she is pretty sure she will fail the testing as she really struggles with math, and second she is part of the underground network of believers. But she is in love and Bane will not just let the government take her.
This story has incredible characters. Runs at a breakneck pace from start to finish. And is very very well written. Give this book a try it will enthrall you and leave you hungry for more of the story.
Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More.
July 27, 2019
An engaging read, I didn't want to put it down. Mirroring the euphemistic language of the culture of death, those who don't measure up are removed from society and "reassigned," kept in good health until their body parts are needed for state provided health care for the successful. Of course Christians, with their annoying insistence that this is wrong, can't be tolerated in such a society. The secret to a good distopian milieu is the existence of the early stages of the ideologies and practices that taken to their logical conclusion . . . . So when one reads of Planned Parenthood's sale of baby body parts, including adaptation of abortion procedures to ensure better quality parts, or of the Chinese government's use of prisoners of conscience as organ doners or observes the hounding of Christian bakers, florists and photographers to force them to pour out their libation at the alter of LGBTQ ideology, one thinks that perhaps Turner's world isn't so far away after all.
May 22, 2024
The beginning was a punch in the gut. It was hard to get through -- and I mean that in the best possible way. The ending went by in a flash, and I paced the room reading the penultimate chapter. Everything in between was alternatively moving, exciting, and sad in turns. It moved along well.
Margaret pays real prices - emotionally, physically, and socially (for instance, with Jon) for the choices she makes. She doesn't always make the best choices, but she makes understandable poor choices at times. Ms. Turner doesn't cheat on that, and she doesn't let the hidden Christians get away with sin, or even the appearance of sin, without at least some cost.
The book has a few minor flaws in the editing, but it's definitely a good read. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
Margaret pays real prices - emotionally, physically, and socially (for instance, with Jon) for the choices she makes. She doesn't always make the best choices, but she makes understandable poor choices at times. Ms. Turner doesn't cheat on that, and she doesn't let the hidden Christians get away with sin, or even the appearance of sin, without at least some cost.
The book has a few minor flaws in the editing, but it's definitely a good read. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
December 25, 2023
New review, same rating.
I did appreciate the Catholicism even more this time around. I really liked the way it was presented and shown to be such an active part of the protagonist's life. However, I found the it rather crude at times in quite unnecessary ways. I also really didn't like Margaret's lack of boundaries with Jon considering that she is engaged.
I'm not quite so against the word building this time, as I think it was intended to be rather limited and this was only the first book. Overall, it's not my favourite, and I do find it a good read.
I did appreciate the Catholicism even more this time around. I really liked the way it was presented and shown to be such an active part of the protagonist's life. However, I found the it rather crude at times in quite unnecessary ways. I also really didn't like Margaret's lack of boundaries with Jon considering that she is engaged.
I'm not quite so against the word building this time, as I think it was intended to be rather limited and this was only the first book. Overall, it's not my favourite, and I do find it a good read.
May 13, 2021
Ahhh so good!!!!! I neeeed those next books badly!!
Once again, I am team Jon and I stand by that. I get *marriage* and all that but Bane, I mean, needs to step up his game.
Once again, I am team Jon and I stand by that. I get *marriage* and all that but Bane, I mean, needs to step up his game.
June 3, 2022
Do I believe this enough to die for it?
In the future world of I Am Margaret by Corinna Turner, every citizen is Sorted at the age of eighteen. All young men and women must take a series of standardized tests. Those who pass are labeled New Adults; those who do not achieve a high enough score are “reAssigned.”
Margaret Verrall’s fate seems sealed: with numeric dyslexia, she can’t expect to score high enough on the math exam, despite her excellent results in the other subjects. As suspected, Margo is sent as a reAssignee to the Facility where she will spend the rest of her days exercising and getting her body into peak form. After that, those in charge will march her into the Lab where she will be dismantled, her organs harvested for use for someone more worthy of them. This world of the future takes our current society’s disrespect for life and carries it to its natural end.
To know there is nothing more to it. That a dead body is made up of only two things—useful parts and useless parts. That the human race is made up of the same—useful people and useless people.
Margo summons her Catholic faith to comfort and sustain her. She and her family belong to the Underground, the secret community of believers; in this dystopian world, Christianity and religious practice are forbidden, since their moral tenets obviously oppose the culture of death around them. Margo prays her rosary and her fiance, Bane, even manages to catapult a consecrated Host over the Facility’s wall so she can receive Holy Communion on Easter Sunday (a nice gesture, but troubling as it seems disrespectful to handle the Eucharist in that way).
Still, after being forced to watch a family friend, Father Peter, undergo the cruelest punishment of all (Conscious Dismantlement), Margo struggles with one of her daily prayers. She has a hard time telling God that she will accept death, in whatever form He Wills it.
O Lord, I now, at this moment, accept whatever kind of death it may please You to send me, with all its pains and sorrows.
This is Margo’s internal conflict throughout the novel while the outer conflict involves forming a plan to escape the Facility. Escape becomes especially critical when Margo secretly enters the government’s annual contest: this year, a creative writing challenge. Margo sees this as an opportunity to tell the truth of her story, to help the people of her world understand that she has value and worth beyond her physical organs.
And this is the simple truth. I am Margaret. I am just like you. If I were not, you would not be going to kill me.
But when she wins the contest and the truth is in print, her life hangs in the balance. Can her fiance help her and the others escape before Margo faces Dismantlement herself? And if she finds herself strapped down to a bed, the Doctor at hand to cut her open and remove her organs, does she have the moral courage to stay true to her faith or will she deny her beliefs in order to preserve her earthly life?
I Am Margaret is a heart-pounding read, especially the final third of the book, which I found particularly gripping and suspenseful. I admired Margo’s fortitude, selflessness, and leadership. I also appreciate how Turner aptly and poignantly incorporates other-abled characters, especially Jonathan, a blind young man, and Sarah, who has a mental disability. Turner does a good job pacing the narrative, too, placing dramatic events right where they are needed to jolt the reader’s sense of security.
That said, I found aspects of the book disagreeable—both on a pragmatic as well as moral level. The book would have profited from professional editing because the grammatical and punctuation errors distracted from the story (strange sentence structures, incorrect use of semicolons and commas, words missing, fragments functioning as sentences). I also felt annoyed by the overuse of character names (when you are having a conversation with someone, you don’t usually use their name to their face repeatedly) and the abundant italicizations.
On a more serious note, parts of the plot puzzled me. Why would the government not actually read Margo’s book before it went to publication? Additionally, Margo’s fiance is not Catholic; he doesn’t belong to any religion actually and even aggressively tried to persuade Margo not to be Confirmed. Here is just one exchange between the two:
“You know, sometimes I get very jealous of those bits of crisp bread,” Bane would say, if I lamented too strenuously the missing of a Sunday Mass due to lack of priest. “It’s not bread, Bane, it’s Our Lord, you know that.”
Yet, Margo never addresses this throughout the novel. Wouldn’t she express concern about the salvation of his soul? Or wouldn’t this create more conflict between the two?
The narrative bordered on gory at parts—perhaps it has too vivid imagery and description for some more sensitive readers. Other times the writing was downright crass. Consider this sentence just as one example:
And to give the fear the finger, I decided I would say the Act of Acceptance.
To me, this reads like a kind of desecration. How can a person pray while simultaneously profaning?
Also troubling are the many times that Margo places herself in situations of near occasion of sin. Jonathan, the blind boy, is moved to the girl’s room since the boys are too violent (which seems to be another plot hole—why are all the boys like this?). In order to disguise the fact that he is Catholic (and thus, avoid explaining why he won’t fornicate with any of the girls), Jonathan and Margo share the same bed at night. Although nothing seriously wrong happens between them, things are not entirely chaste either and the farce becomes more than just pretend as attraction between them escalates.
My body felt oddly hot as his bulk hovered over me in the dark. “I would have you safe…” he murmured, and his fingers moved to caress my tingling lips…
Margo’s thoughts are not chaste either:
What’d it said in that latest EuroGov pamphlet on spotting dangerous Underground members? ‘A freakish disinterest in sexual intercourse’? Hah, in their dreams! If I got out of here, Bane and a bed were pretty high on my list of priorities. Via a priest, of course.
When my children are teenagers, this is not the kind of thing I would like them to read.
So, while I appreciated and enjoyed the premise of I Am Margaret, I found serious problems with several aspects of the writing and the plot.
I’m grateful for the opportunity to reflect on martyrdom. I’ve often wondered if I would have the fortitude to stand firm in my faith, even if doing so meant a gruesome death. I find comfort in Our Lord’s words that the Holy Spirit will come to our aid in such an instance.
I’ve also thought about the kinds of martyrdom. Not many of us are called to capital “M” Martyrdom: the actual sacrificing of our life for the faith. Yet all of us are called to lower case “m” martyrdom: the daily witness of denying ourselves, resisting temptation, and choosing the right (often harder) path … the picking up of our cross. The truth is that we should die to self every day, in all the small inconveniences, pinpricks, and annoyances. It’s this little martyrdom that trains the soul for the greatest Martyrdom to which any of us might be called.
In the future world of I Am Margaret by Corinna Turner, every citizen is Sorted at the age of eighteen. All young men and women must take a series of standardized tests. Those who pass are labeled New Adults; those who do not achieve a high enough score are “reAssigned.”
Margaret Verrall’s fate seems sealed: with numeric dyslexia, she can’t expect to score high enough on the math exam, despite her excellent results in the other subjects. As suspected, Margo is sent as a reAssignee to the Facility where she will spend the rest of her days exercising and getting her body into peak form. After that, those in charge will march her into the Lab where she will be dismantled, her organs harvested for use for someone more worthy of them. This world of the future takes our current society’s disrespect for life and carries it to its natural end.
To know there is nothing more to it. That a dead body is made up of only two things—useful parts and useless parts. That the human race is made up of the same—useful people and useless people.
Margo summons her Catholic faith to comfort and sustain her. She and her family belong to the Underground, the secret community of believers; in this dystopian world, Christianity and religious practice are forbidden, since their moral tenets obviously oppose the culture of death around them. Margo prays her rosary and her fiance, Bane, even manages to catapult a consecrated Host over the Facility’s wall so she can receive Holy Communion on Easter Sunday (a nice gesture, but troubling as it seems disrespectful to handle the Eucharist in that way).
Still, after being forced to watch a family friend, Father Peter, undergo the cruelest punishment of all (Conscious Dismantlement), Margo struggles with one of her daily prayers. She has a hard time telling God that she will accept death, in whatever form He Wills it.
O Lord, I now, at this moment, accept whatever kind of death it may please You to send me, with all its pains and sorrows.
This is Margo’s internal conflict throughout the novel while the outer conflict involves forming a plan to escape the Facility. Escape becomes especially critical when Margo secretly enters the government’s annual contest: this year, a creative writing challenge. Margo sees this as an opportunity to tell the truth of her story, to help the people of her world understand that she has value and worth beyond her physical organs.
And this is the simple truth. I am Margaret. I am just like you. If I were not, you would not be going to kill me.
But when she wins the contest and the truth is in print, her life hangs in the balance. Can her fiance help her and the others escape before Margo faces Dismantlement herself? And if she finds herself strapped down to a bed, the Doctor at hand to cut her open and remove her organs, does she have the moral courage to stay true to her faith or will she deny her beliefs in order to preserve her earthly life?
I Am Margaret is a heart-pounding read, especially the final third of the book, which I found particularly gripping and suspenseful. I admired Margo’s fortitude, selflessness, and leadership. I also appreciate how Turner aptly and poignantly incorporates other-abled characters, especially Jonathan, a blind young man, and Sarah, who has a mental disability. Turner does a good job pacing the narrative, too, placing dramatic events right where they are needed to jolt the reader’s sense of security.
That said, I found aspects of the book disagreeable—both on a pragmatic as well as moral level. The book would have profited from professional editing because the grammatical and punctuation errors distracted from the story (strange sentence structures, incorrect use of semicolons and commas, words missing, fragments functioning as sentences). I also felt annoyed by the overuse of character names (when you are having a conversation with someone, you don’t usually use their name to their face repeatedly) and the abundant italicizations.
On a more serious note, parts of the plot puzzled me. Why would the government not actually read Margo’s book before it went to publication? Additionally, Margo’s fiance is not Catholic; he doesn’t belong to any religion actually and even aggressively tried to persuade Margo not to be Confirmed. Here is just one exchange between the two:
“You know, sometimes I get very jealous of those bits of crisp bread,” Bane would say, if I lamented too strenuously the missing of a Sunday Mass due to lack of priest. “It’s not bread, Bane, it’s Our Lord, you know that.”
Yet, Margo never addresses this throughout the novel. Wouldn’t she express concern about the salvation of his soul? Or wouldn’t this create more conflict between the two?
The narrative bordered on gory at parts—perhaps it has too vivid imagery and description for some more sensitive readers. Other times the writing was downright crass. Consider this sentence just as one example:
And to give the fear the finger, I decided I would say the Act of Acceptance.
To me, this reads like a kind of desecration. How can a person pray while simultaneously profaning?
Also troubling are the many times that Margo places herself in situations of near occasion of sin. Jonathan, the blind boy, is moved to the girl’s room since the boys are too violent (which seems to be another plot hole—why are all the boys like this?). In order to disguise the fact that he is Catholic (and thus, avoid explaining why he won’t fornicate with any of the girls), Jonathan and Margo share the same bed at night. Although nothing seriously wrong happens between them, things are not entirely chaste either and the farce becomes more than just pretend as attraction between them escalates.
My body felt oddly hot as his bulk hovered over me in the dark. “I would have you safe…” he murmured, and his fingers moved to caress my tingling lips…
Margo’s thoughts are not chaste either:
What’d it said in that latest EuroGov pamphlet on spotting dangerous Underground members? ‘A freakish disinterest in sexual intercourse’? Hah, in their dreams! If I got out of here, Bane and a bed were pretty high on my list of priorities. Via a priest, of course.
When my children are teenagers, this is not the kind of thing I would like them to read.
So, while I appreciated and enjoyed the premise of I Am Margaret, I found serious problems with several aspects of the writing and the plot.
I’m grateful for the opportunity to reflect on martyrdom. I’ve often wondered if I would have the fortitude to stand firm in my faith, even if doing so meant a gruesome death. I find comfort in Our Lord’s words that the Holy Spirit will come to our aid in such an instance.
I’ve also thought about the kinds of martyrdom. Not many of us are called to capital “M” Martyrdom: the actual sacrificing of our life for the faith. Yet all of us are called to lower case “m” martyrdom: the daily witness of denying ourselves, resisting temptation, and choosing the right (often harder) path … the picking up of our cross. The truth is that we should die to self every day, in all the small inconveniences, pinpricks, and annoyances. It’s this little martyrdom that trains the soul for the greatest Martyrdom to which any of us might be called.
April 2, 2017
Edgy, passionate, thought-provoking, and showcasing the best side of what true romance should be without ever even getting close to sappiness, I Am Margaret delivers a tantalizing, stinging punch. Highly recommended. The Sabbath Rest Book Talk crew talks about it at https://youtu.be/WAgTq0ul1qY
January 1, 2026
Book 1 ("I am Margaret")
Book 2 ("The Three Most Wanted")
Book 3 ("Liberation")
Book 4 (“Bane’s Eyes)
I really enjoyed this series about a dystopian not-too-distant future set in what is currently the European Union (or, as it is called in the books, the Eurobloc). The logical developments of the culture of death* and concomitant rise of a totalitarian government are presented very convincingly, although I’d love to know more of its origin story. The best part of the book, for me, was the portrayal of Catholicism and underground Catholic culture during this very difficult tribulation, including the use of Latin as the code language among believers, and the overall struggle between the Faith and the dominant secularist regime.
This first volume in the series has great suspense and action. It succeeded in shocking me as the horrible things that were being done by the government were revealed. Great plot twists along the way, and very memorable, dynamic characters.
Thank you for the very enjoyable and edifying fiction, Corinna! I look forward to reading your other books.
*see John Paul II, "Evangelium Vitae"
Book 2 ("The Three Most Wanted")
Book 3 ("Liberation")
Book 4 (“Bane’s Eyes)
I really enjoyed this series about a dystopian not-too-distant future set in what is currently the European Union (or, as it is called in the books, the Eurobloc). The logical developments of the culture of death* and concomitant rise of a totalitarian government are presented very convincingly, although I’d love to know more of its origin story. The best part of the book, for me, was the portrayal of Catholicism and underground Catholic culture during this very difficult tribulation, including the use of Latin as the code language among believers, and the overall struggle between the Faith and the dominant secularist regime.
This first volume in the series has great suspense and action. It succeeded in shocking me as the horrible things that were being done by the government were revealed. Great plot twists along the way, and very memorable, dynamic characters.
Thank you for the very enjoyable and edifying fiction, Corinna! I look forward to reading your other books.
*see John Paul II, "Evangelium Vitae"
April 9, 2020
EDIT: April 2020 - if you are looking at this book and say to yourself, "but I had my heart set on this! Now what shall I read?" May I recommend Come Rack! Come Rope! as a much better alternative.
"Is he, you know, - *fish symbol*?" (shoutout to why-bless-your-heart for that gem)
If you are able, I suggest that you take a look at my notes and highlights on this book to get a better idea of how I really feel about it and which parts in particular were so...offensive to me. (note that I did continue to make notes on the preview of the sequel at the end). Please be forewarned that I get morbid, the book gets morbid, this review is going to get morbid, and death / torture / rape will all be discussed. Probably. Also I am still debating with myself whether to tag spoilers specifically because I mean - this book is not exactly twisty. If you read dystopian literature, and if you read the summary, you can probably guess at every major plot point that happens. So, let's begin.
Now, I would argue that I am actually the prime target audience for this. I am Catholic, I'm still in the young adult age group, and I do enjoy dystopic literature. Furthermore, this was nominated for a Carnegie medal. And it came with the recommendation of Eoin Colfer, whose work I greatly enjoy. I thought - hey, this was nominated for an award! And Colfer liked it! Surely it will be worth 99 cents.
Good thing it was only 99 cents.
I couldn't put this book down. Unfortunately, that wasn't in a - "I'm so engrossed and must find out what happens next" sense, it was in a "oh no this is so bad it's impossible to look away" sense.
The bad, to begin with - obvious metaphors are obvious. Which is not to say that they have to be bad. But in this case they were bad. I do really struggle with the "show don't tell" aspect of storytelling because, after all, especially in a written medium, you're telling and that can't be helped. But I think this being first person actually made that worse because it seemed to compel the author to throw into every single one of Margo's thoughts a conscious prayer or something. Which - maybe I'm just not that holy - but it seems rather unrealistic.
The Latin. Oh my goodness the LATIN. She even had someone to help her so, I'm still left wondering why "'Margo,' he said softly in Latin" managed to slip through. Because, as anyone, who has ever taken, any, other, language, knows,
names
don't
change
and more so in Latin where the name is not originally a Latin root. Arguably could be different if her name were "Amanda" or "Claudia" but the problem is that even then - the vocative sounds the same as the original name and I just -
First The Raven Boys and now this book; it feels like I've been cursed to just have a year of books with bad Latin. This also takes us back to the "show, don't tell" because the author felt the need to TELL us he was speaking Latin. To be fair, pretty much all the other Latin in the book was aboveboard, although I suspect that's because it was copied wholesale from the Vulgate or from prayer books. Which is good. I'm glad the author went directly to the source. But this doesn't, in my opinion, give her anymore points for good graces than the Raven Boys got.
I don't feel like it's entirely fair to compare this book to The Hunger Games because well, I never did manage to consciously read the entire trilogy. So for all I know the last book could have actually been much better than this. However, this does feel like Hunger Games with a Catholic heroine slapped in. Perhaps a bit like The Giver, only with less worldbuilding and worse characters (although again, I feel I'm doing a disservice to The Giver because that was actually good!)
I'm going to again give my standard critique of: this book needed a better editor or maybe a few extra editors. I'm not sure if my other issues with it boil down more to the plot or the characters, or the lack of worldbuilding, but here goes:
~ Her introduction as Catholic with her family - like - could you throw more Catholic stuff in there just to make sure we get the point. The "fish symbol" which is never explained and also seems unwieldy and I mean, come on people there are better ways of doing this secret communication between believers thing.
~ Oh ho ho they speak LATIN at home well they must be Catholic (let's all shove aside the difficulty of being the only population that speaks Latin, in a society where being a member of that population will get you KILLED and we will ignore whether you might slip up at some point out of the house and drop a Latin phrase or curse or prayer or even if an unsuspecting neighbor who is nevertheless quite eager to rat you out for some extra meat or something happens to hear a house full of Latin when they come to knock on your door to borrow some flour)
~ furthermore, we're going to be snooty about the difference between Ecclesiastical and Classical pronunciations. Because we can tell who the government agents are because they have a *sniff sniff* faint whiff of the Classical pronunciation about them because apparently this big evil FEARSOME government is not smart enough to just.
teach
their agents
Ecclesiastical Latin.
~ I mean you're not all going around saying "veni vidi vici" to each other anyway so the chances of them offhandedly and immediately saying a phrase that you would recognize as Classically enunciated is...not slim, but arguably smaller than is practicable. I mean, they're just trying to get you to respond in Latin once, right? Because then they would know already that you're Catholic.
~ which brings me to the point of the whole Divine denial. And actually this brings me to the worldbuilding in general. And I'm going to go into a sublist here of the specific problems with that: Because - I get that suppressing religion is evil and totalitarian and I'm not saying that that, combined with killing some ~40 children a year for spare body parts isn't bad enough but really - we never see any of the really bad stuff that this supposedly terrible government is doing. Honestly they don't seem to be doing enough bad things to actually get a Resistance (separate from the religious Underground) as riled up as they seem to be. Secondly, It is never addressed how Catholics deal with all their kids. I'm assuming the majority aren't rich enough for the extra child permits, and I should hope that if they're staunch enough to stay Catholic they're not actually submitting to forced abortions and being on contraceptives all the time so....where are all the kids? Thirdly, the anger against the Resistance on Margo's part is not addressed until over halfway in, which is really frustrating for the reader. Fourthly, the Divine denial - again - I mean - why isn't that part of the Sorting? Why is it not mandatory as part of your coming of age, to make a Divine denial? And since, as Margo herself points out, this is the most foolproof way of rooting out the believers, why isn't it like, a yearly thing where all the citizens get together at your annual city party but then all have to make a Divine denial?
~ I did get very sick of Margo being unable to stop thinking of Bane for like, 5 minutes. Just. She. Couldn't. and then when she finally okay get a HOLD of yourself girl.
~ I'm not so upset about the love triangle because it was hardly a love triangle as Margo is never really in doubt but we did have to have the two boys arguing and showing off their plumage or something to each other so that was a real delight.
~ I know that my edition was somewhat re-written for language and I wonder if I wouldn't have been better off with the original full sweary version because as it was there were several occasions where narrow avoidance of cursing was obvious and painful.
~ Before I get really morbid I would like to pause and say that what frustrates me the most is how highly praised and awarded and recommended this book is because that means that we're okay with this mediocrity. You know. Just. It's got a Catholic heroine and it's about Catholics being persecuted, so the book itself can be as bad as it likes, but we're going to go promote it for all we're worth. It's the general problem with all those Christian films that we all make fun of too. Because it's got "Christian" slapped on it, a bunch of people are going to try to shove it down everyone's throats with the insistence that it's good. It's not, and we should be doing better. (/rant)
~ I just need to say that - initially, Margo is not up for conscious dismantlement. Even were she discovered to be a believer she would not then initially and immediately be killed that way. She herself says that's reserved specifically for the people who are actually accused of preaching / spreading religion. This seems to be a point of confusion in certain reviews and also the book synopsis.
~ That said, perhaps this government isn't actually going for recant as much as they claim they are because really, as the Major says near the end, if you don't know what you're in for you really don't know enough to want to save yourself that badly. I mean this is essentially the equivalent of someone sticking you in a chair, and saying "if you don't talk, I'll kill you." and you think to yourself, "I have no reason to talk, this chair is perfectly comfortable, if you just kill me I can't talk anymore, you're doing yourself a disservice and there's no reason for me to do as you ask." I mean REALLY. You're in no pain, under very little duress besides the imminent threat of death and they say "talk" you say "no" then they paralyze you and it's game over, you can't talk even if you wanted to. So, really, the government is doing this in a very bad way to get converts.
~ that was a long winded way of saying that conscious dismantlement is not all it's cracked up to be. Also none of the bigwigs in this book apparently have ever taken Interrogation 101 because they are all REALLY bad at making people talk. Suffice to say, rather than going into everything the Mitch Rapp books have to say on torture, cutting a cross into Margo's head, letting her cry and then get a hold of herself and then LEAVING is not how you get the information you want. (/rant)
So. I'm sorry. I just really hated this book. I'm not exactly sorry I read it as it is providing many examples of what NOT to do in my own works-in-progress. But still. Unfortunately I was actually looking forward to reading Someday and hoping it would make up for this but it's also by Corinna Turner so RIP to that dream. Also she hates Esperanto, if you were wondering.
July 9, 2019
ENGLISH: Awesome dystopia, more unbearable than "Brave New World" and comparable to "1984", although the protagonists are attacked mainly in their body, rather than their spirit.
The action takes place in a United Europe of the future, where religion is banned and believers are condemned to a horrible death: their execution is performed through live dismemberment, as was done with "traitors" (a term that included Catholic priests) in the England of Tudors and Stuarts.
This novel is the first of a series which follows with temporal continuity in successive books.
ESPAÑOL: Tremenda distopía, más insoportable que "Brave New World" y comparable a "1984", aunque los protagonistas son atacados principalmente en el cuerpo, y no tanto en el espíritu.
La acción tiene lugar en una Europa Unida del futuro, donde la religión está fuera de la ley y los creyentes son condenados a una muerte horrible: su ejecución tiene lugar por descuartizamiento en vivo, como se hacía con los "traidores" (término que incluía a los sacerdotes católicos) en la Inglaterra de los Tudor y los Estuardo.
La novela es la primera de una serie, que continúa sin solución de continuidad temporal en los libros sucesivos.
The action takes place in a United Europe of the future, where religion is banned and believers are condemned to a horrible death: their execution is performed through live dismemberment, as was done with "traitors" (a term that included Catholic priests) in the England of Tudors and Stuarts.
This novel is the first of a series which follows with temporal continuity in successive books.
ESPAÑOL: Tremenda distopía, más insoportable que "Brave New World" y comparable a "1984", aunque los protagonistas son atacados principalmente en el cuerpo, y no tanto en el espíritu.
La acción tiene lugar en una Europa Unida del futuro, donde la religión está fuera de la ley y los creyentes son condenados a una muerte horrible: su ejecución tiene lugar por descuartizamiento en vivo, como se hacía con los "traidores" (término que incluía a los sacerdotes católicos) en la Inglaterra de los Tudor y los Estuardo.
La novela es la primera de una serie, que continúa sin solución de continuidad temporal en los libros sucesivos.
June 10, 2017
This is an amazing book, truly one of the best that I’ve read this year. This Dystopian story is about a teen named Margaret (Margo) and her boyfriend/fiancé Bane. They live in a world that is full of evil and only the most productive members of society are wanted or needed, the others are basically recycled and used for parts to help the more worthy citizens. Margo has always struggled with math and doesn’t pass her sorting exam and is sent to a facility where she will ultimately be killed, but not if Bane has anything to say about the matter.
Unlike other dystopian novels this one is written from a Catholic point of view. At first this idea seemed a little odd to me but as I was reading I realized that if we ever did find ourselves living in an evil, deranged society, people of faith would band together and depend on their belief in God to get them through their ordeals. In the popular dystopian stories such as Divergent or Hunger Games, this element is of course missing, which is a huge flaw in those novels because Christians would delve deeper in their faith knowing that no matter what happens in this world we have the promise of eternal salvation.
Because I write YA and recommend novels for teens and their families, I feel I must warn that this book is not for everyone. It has some crude language, violence, as well as disturbing imagery and subject matter. However, it is so well written with intense action and incredible characters. (In fact, I admit to having a bit of a literary crush on Bane. 😊) Margo is strong, smart, fearless and her faith is unshakable. Bane, though a bit reckless is brave, selfless and devoted. This couple as well as many of the other characters are fantastic. But the best part of this book is the strong Christian message. The way the author showcases the importance, power and beauty of a strong faith is incredible.
Unlike other dystopian novels this one is written from a Catholic point of view. At first this idea seemed a little odd to me but as I was reading I realized that if we ever did find ourselves living in an evil, deranged society, people of faith would band together and depend on their belief in God to get them through their ordeals. In the popular dystopian stories such as Divergent or Hunger Games, this element is of course missing, which is a huge flaw in those novels because Christians would delve deeper in their faith knowing that no matter what happens in this world we have the promise of eternal salvation.
Because I write YA and recommend novels for teens and their families, I feel I must warn that this book is not for everyone. It has some crude language, violence, as well as disturbing imagery and subject matter. However, it is so well written with intense action and incredible characters. (In fact, I admit to having a bit of a literary crush on Bane. 😊) Margo is strong, smart, fearless and her faith is unshakable. Bane, though a bit reckless is brave, selfless and devoted. This couple as well as many of the other characters are fantastic. But the best part of this book is the strong Christian message. The way the author showcases the importance, power and beauty of a strong faith is incredible.
May 10, 2017
This was my first foray into a dystopian world - one with a Catholic underground, a brave and reckless hero, and a strong and virtuous heroine. Well-drawn characters and enough tension and action to keep you turning pages long after you should have set the book down. I don't believe my heart has ever thumped like that during a novel's climax. Can't wait for book two!
The author is a fellow member of the Catholic Writers Guild.
The author is a fellow member of the Catholic Writers Guild.
July 30, 2023
Am I Margaret?
I don't know what to say about this story. It's good, it's better than good. I wanted to cry several times, especially for Sarah. This book also made me wonder what I would do if I were in Margaret's situation. It's so easy to say I would have stood my ground, but we don't know how we would react. I would like to think that my relationship with the Lord would be so strong that no matter the cost, I wouldn't fear death. Therefore, I ask myself, am I Margaret?
I don't know what to say about this story. It's good, it's better than good. I wanted to cry several times, especially for Sarah. This book also made me wonder what I would do if I were in Margaret's situation. It's so easy to say I would have stood my ground, but we don't know how we would react. I would like to think that my relationship with the Lord would be so strong that no matter the cost, I wouldn't fear death. Therefore, I ask myself, am I Margaret?
Read
November 10, 2018Set in the future where Britain is ruled by the EuroGov, a ruthless government which wipes out the "flawed" and "superstitious", a test called the Sorting is taken. This test, taken when you turn sixteen, determines whether you will become an adult or be sent to the Facility. Yes, the place is as terrifying as it sounds. Here, Dismantlement takes place for all who do not pass their Sorting. Consious Dismantling if you are "superstitious"(Catholic). It is a process that is for the benefit of those Adults who need the parts.
Margaret Verrall is a 16-year-old Catholic girl about to take her Sorting. But here's the thing, (and this part really isn't a spoiler because it's assumed the moment you hear what the books about) she knows she isn't going to pass. Her fiancee, Bane, is none too happy about this idea either.
Faced with the reality of eventual death, will Margaret be able to escape the Facility without abandoning her loved ones, or will she be subject to horrific martyrdom?
A review with spoilers is below and at the end of it is a review of the sexual content in this book, language, and gore.
Margaret Verrall is a 16-year-old Catholic girl about to take her Sorting. But here's the thing, (and this part really isn't a spoiler because it's assumed the moment you hear what the books about) she knows she isn't going to pass. Her fiancee, Bane, is none too happy about this idea either.
Faced with the reality of eventual death, will Margaret be able to escape the Facility without abandoning her loved ones, or will she be subject to horrific martyrdom?
A review with spoilers is below and at the end of it is a review of the sexual content in this book, language, and gore.
July 2, 2015
In an America of the near future, belief in God illegal. "Deny the Deity" is the law, and those who refuse to utter those four little words, "There is no God," face a horrific, slow death by dismemberment. Body parts seem to be in such demand, people deemed imperfect are "sorted" out of the population at age 18. Incredibly, a smart girl with one weakness (she has no aptitude for math) is doomed. She can go underground and hide or face her sorting, knowing she'll fail and end up in a facility that sounds like a Nazi death camp. To be "sorted" means no more contact with friends and family. Her fiance, Bane, will just have to live without her. Unless he finds a way to rescue her from the facility and escape with her to a new Africa, where religion is allowed, and people can marry, and bring into the world as many children as God will give them.
A writing contest, a smuggled typewriter, and an unexpected chance to take on the system present a dangerous but irresistible chance at freedom. Meanwhile, Margaret makes friends at the facility. Blind, gentle Jon is a marvelous character, and his affection for Margaret creates the tension of the love triangle that sells so well in YA fiction. Bad-Boy Bane is flawed in a good way: he does dangerous things for a good cause, but that incident with the fireworks is a sign of his poor judgment and risk taking.
All the characters are well drawn, memorable, and believable. The evil prison guards seem over the top, until I remember accounts from Holocaust survivors and escapees from Communist Russia. It's hard to fathom that there really are people who enjoy inflicting pain on others (dismemberment of a man who is conscious the entire time).
The second half of the novel is full of elements of the thriller genre: plotting the escape, taking down guards, facing death, praying for a miracle. Fans of the genre would likely five-star this story. Things got so graphic, so horrible, I just couldn't go on record with "I love it" - so I'll go out on a limb and merely "like" this novel. The writing is polished and professional (never mind the occasional glitch with the Kindle line spacing). The dialogue is witty, bright and engaging.
For YA readers and fans of dystopian thrillers in particular, this is a must-read.
A writing contest, a smuggled typewriter, and an unexpected chance to take on the system present a dangerous but irresistible chance at freedom. Meanwhile, Margaret makes friends at the facility. Blind, gentle Jon is a marvelous character, and his affection for Margaret creates the tension of the love triangle that sells so well in YA fiction. Bad-Boy Bane is flawed in a good way: he does dangerous things for a good cause, but that incident with the fireworks is a sign of his poor judgment and risk taking.
All the characters are well drawn, memorable, and believable. The evil prison guards seem over the top, until I remember accounts from Holocaust survivors and escapees from Communist Russia. It's hard to fathom that there really are people who enjoy inflicting pain on others (dismemberment of a man who is conscious the entire time).
The second half of the novel is full of elements of the thriller genre: plotting the escape, taking down guards, facing death, praying for a miracle. Fans of the genre would likely five-star this story. Things got so graphic, so horrible, I just couldn't go on record with "I love it" - so I'll go out on a limb and merely "like" this novel. The writing is polished and professional (never mind the occasional glitch with the Kindle line spacing). The dialogue is witty, bright and engaging.
For YA readers and fans of dystopian thrillers in particular, this is a must-read.
May 17, 2016
I liked this, despite some fairly odd aspects of the plot. The writing was good, I liked the main character, and I liked her main love interest.
Things I didn't particularly like - the love triangle. Man, those are so last century. I just wish that someone would write a proper dystopian novel without them (thank goodness for Divergent, but everyone else, buck up your ideas please).
Another thing was the whole angle.
The way the futuristic society played out was a little odd too. I think it was a little under developed. As it stood it was all right, but I think it could have been better.
The whole conscious dismemberment was gruesome, and very reminiscent of hanging, drawing and quartering, which did happen to Catholics with as much regularity as the crown could manage back in the day. So that was good.
The ending was satisfying, while leaving room for the plot to grow. I'll probably read the next one.
I don't think I would recommend this book to non-Christians, simply because the religious streak in it is so overt that secular readers just wouldn't get some of the references. As a Catholic though, I was a little confused by the scene where she dances as a way of praying? I know King David danced in front of the ark of the covenant, but it was a little bizarre, and kinda came out of nowhere.
Things I didn't particularly like - the love triangle. Man, those are so last century. I just wish that someone would write a proper dystopian novel without them (thank goodness for Divergent, but everyone else, buck up your ideas please).
Another thing was the whole angle.
The way the futuristic society played out was a little odd too. I think it was a little under developed. As it stood it was all right, but I think it could have been better.
The whole conscious dismemberment was gruesome, and very reminiscent of hanging, drawing and quartering, which did happen to Catholics with as much regularity as the crown could manage back in the day. So that was good.
The ending was satisfying, while leaving room for the plot to grow. I'll probably read the next one.
I don't think I would recommend this book to non-Christians, simply because the religious streak in it is so overt that secular readers just wouldn't get some of the references. As a Catholic though, I was a little confused by the scene where she dances as a way of praying? I know King David danced in front of the ark of the covenant, but it was a little bizarre, and kinda came out of nowhere.
August 25, 2014
I got this book from a goodreads giveaway.
And I’m so happy I did because this book is great. I didn’t think I would like it as much as I did. The more into the book that I got the more I liked it and the pace of the book was also good. I can’t wait for The tree most wanted.
I really liked the writing style, it was easy to read and the fonts and font sizes also made it easy. The font wasn’t to big ant it wasn’t too small.
I liked how we were told about how the sorting and everything happened through Margaret’s story for everyone, it was easy to understand. Also how other things were explained.
I figured that the plan to escape would be easy because Bane snuck in to see her a couple times. I also expected a lot more guards to be there.
I didn’t like Jane very much; she was quite mean even if Sarah wouldn’t understand what was happening.
I liked Jon and Margaret when they were pretending to be a couple, I kept wondering how Bane would feel about it.
The book that Margaret was wanting to get published, and did, was great and it could get some people to rethink the idea about sorting but I thought it was a big risk to take.
The plan for them to escape was quite difficult for me to understand especially since most of the final plan was revealed all at once with Bane so it was two different plans.
I didn’t like how Margaret’s attitude was to the Major when they talked about flowers because that was unnecessary and something bad could have happened to her.
I really like Bane and Margaret as a couple and I hope they stay together for the other books.
I loved how Margaret and Bane and her parents talked. So many things had a secret meaning.
I liked the ending, it doesn’t kill us with suspense but I also want to know what will happen to them as they go to York and try to get to a safe place.
And I’m so happy I did because this book is great. I didn’t think I would like it as much as I did. The more into the book that I got the more I liked it and the pace of the book was also good. I can’t wait for The tree most wanted.
I really liked the writing style, it was easy to read and the fonts and font sizes also made it easy. The font wasn’t to big ant it wasn’t too small.
I liked how we were told about how the sorting and everything happened through Margaret’s story for everyone, it was easy to understand. Also how other things were explained.
I figured that the plan to escape would be easy because Bane snuck in to see her a couple times. I also expected a lot more guards to be there.
I didn’t like Jane very much; she was quite mean even if Sarah wouldn’t understand what was happening.
I liked Jon and Margaret when they were pretending to be a couple, I kept wondering how Bane would feel about it.
The book that Margaret was wanting to get published, and did, was great and it could get some people to rethink the idea about sorting but I thought it was a big risk to take.
The plan for them to escape was quite difficult for me to understand especially since most of the final plan was revealed all at once with Bane so it was two different plans.
I didn’t like how Margaret’s attitude was to the Major when they talked about flowers because that was unnecessary and something bad could have happened to her.
I really like Bane and Margaret as a couple and I hope they stay together for the other books.
I loved how Margaret and Bane and her parents talked. So many things had a secret meaning.
I liked the ending, it doesn’t kill us with suspense but I also want to know what will happen to them as they go to York and try to get to a safe place.
July 15, 2019
This dystopian YA series has been on my list for a while. Could not put it down. The narrative is ok (not stellar writing, but I've read worse) but the story idea is so imaginative and thought-provoking.
Want to read
April 2, 2023Sounds like The Hunger Games meets Unwind. But Catholic. And a dystopian retelling of St. Margaret Clitherow's life. Could be cool.
Chesterton Press to re-print this month - with a better cover!
Chesterton Press to re-print this month - with a better cover!
February 13, 2016
ugh. what an annoying book. I'd rather read the back of my cereal box
May 23, 2017
"I am Margaret" is the story of a young woman in a future society with extreme population and belief control. Yes, yes, I know, "another dystopian novel starring a heroine?" That's what I thought too. But bear with me - this book is worth trying.
There are a lot of books that put a "Religious" spin on whatever genre is in vogue (although I haven't seen the paranormal romance genre tackled in Christian Lit). It would be easy to label this as a "Catholic Hunger Games" but this would be unfair to both books. Apart from 'dystopian' and 'teenaged heroine fighting the powers that be' the books are quite different. Margaret is not Katniss (I think she's more likeable), and the system is different for more reasons than just being British.
Anyhow, the plot goes like this. At age 18, young people have to pass a bunch of tests, and anyone who doesn't pass is deemed not worthy of life (this includes anyone with deformities and handicaps of any kind). They are sent off to a center where they are held until there is need of their organs, which are then harvested. The rarer your tissue sample, the longer your chances are of living.
Margaret fails her sorting because of her mathematical dyslexia - otherwise her brain and body are in great condition, which quickly elevates her to a motherly role among a group of girls that consists large of the mentally handicapped. However, she's hiding a secret - she is a Catholic, and her parents work on the religious underground. Should she be discovered, she will be forced to either recant her faith - or be consciously dismantled.
Content warning, folks. Margaret is 18, and unless you're a pretty tough 16-year-old, I'd recommend this book to the adult crowd. Conscious dismantling is not a dismantaling of your consciousness (as I originally had inferred). Rather it is a dismantling of all the organs of your body while you are fully conscious.
And yes, this is described in detail in the book. It is not for the faint of heart.
However, despite this very dark undercurrent, the book is not nearly as dark as "Someday" and I can much more eagerly and heartily recommend it. There are parts that are difficult to read, but there is also sweetness and hope. Margaret is engaged to a lovely young man named Bane, and he passes his sorting. Ordinarily this would mean that he would never see Margaret again, but being imaginative and deeply in love, he swears that he will rescue Margaret.
Margaret is no frail damsel (although she's quite feminine and has a trademark fashion of wearing long skirts), and she masterminds the escape - but also insists that she will only leave if they can rescue all 70 of her fellow inmates.
One aspect of the series that was both greatly enjoyable and deeply personal to me was the presence of the disabled in the cast. (mild spoiler alert) Indeed, the very first person to be organ harvested is a hearing-impaired girl. This was pretty harsh for me to read, as (being deaf myself) I of course immediately put myself in her shoes. Wow.
Turner works with the disabled when she's not busy writing compelling novels, and you can see her knowledge and compassion throughout the story. One of the main characters is blind, and (as always) I was pretty excited to see a handicapped person starring in an action novel. I was very pleased with his role in the book and it's inspiring me to contemplate how I could write handicapped characters into my own novels.
There are a lot of books that put a "Religious" spin on whatever genre is in vogue (although I haven't seen the paranormal romance genre tackled in Christian Lit). It would be easy to label this as a "Catholic Hunger Games" but this would be unfair to both books. Apart from 'dystopian' and 'teenaged heroine fighting the powers that be' the books are quite different. Margaret is not Katniss (I think she's more likeable), and the system is different for more reasons than just being British.
Anyhow, the plot goes like this. At age 18, young people have to pass a bunch of tests, and anyone who doesn't pass is deemed not worthy of life (this includes anyone with deformities and handicaps of any kind). They are sent off to a center where they are held until there is need of their organs, which are then harvested. The rarer your tissue sample, the longer your chances are of living.
Margaret fails her sorting because of her mathematical dyslexia - otherwise her brain and body are in great condition, which quickly elevates her to a motherly role among a group of girls that consists large of the mentally handicapped. However, she's hiding a secret - she is a Catholic, and her parents work on the religious underground. Should she be discovered, she will be forced to either recant her faith - or be consciously dismantled.
Content warning, folks. Margaret is 18, and unless you're a pretty tough 16-year-old, I'd recommend this book to the adult crowd. Conscious dismantling is not a dismantaling of your consciousness (as I originally had inferred). Rather it is a dismantling of all the organs of your body while you are fully conscious.
And yes, this is described in detail in the book. It is not for the faint of heart.
However, despite this very dark undercurrent, the book is not nearly as dark as "Someday" and I can much more eagerly and heartily recommend it. There are parts that are difficult to read, but there is also sweetness and hope. Margaret is engaged to a lovely young man named Bane, and he passes his sorting. Ordinarily this would mean that he would never see Margaret again, but being imaginative and deeply in love, he swears that he will rescue Margaret.
Margaret is no frail damsel (although she's quite feminine and has a trademark fashion of wearing long skirts), and she masterminds the escape - but also insists that she will only leave if they can rescue all 70 of her fellow inmates.
One aspect of the series that was both greatly enjoyable and deeply personal to me was the presence of the disabled in the cast. (mild spoiler alert) Indeed, the very first person to be organ harvested is a hearing-impaired girl. This was pretty harsh for me to read, as (being deaf myself) I of course immediately put myself in her shoes. Wow.
Turner works with the disabled when she's not busy writing compelling novels, and you can see her knowledge and compassion throughout the story. One of the main characters is blind, and (as always) I was pretty excited to see a handicapped person starring in an action novel. I was very pleased with his role in the book and it's inspiring me to contemplate how I could write handicapped characters into my own novels.
January 2, 2018
Within the first couple pages, I was completely captivated by this gripping Catholic dystopian novel. The story takes place in a futuristic society in Britain, where "flawed" citizens are weeded out by a process called The Sorting when they turn eighteen years old. Margaret, the heroine (who is wonderfully characterized!), is nearly good enough to pass, but not quite. As the story progressed and I learned the ghoulish fate that awaited her, chills iced my spine. For Margaret, along with dozens of other "imperfect" young adults held in a prison camp, was being prepared for dismemberment, so that her organs could be "recycled" for the citizens allowed by the government to live.
Now I can't go farther in this review without warning readers that there is a very graphic scene of torture early in the book, where Margaret is forced to witness one of these horrific deaths. I don't normally mind violence in books, provided it's there for a purpose in the plot and not simply as a bloodbath for the sake of sensationalism. The author definitely had a purpose for this scene, which was the highest purpose imaginable -- martyrdom for the faith. But I found, to my surprise, that I couldn't read the scene. It was way too graphic and literally turned my stomach after the first several lines. So I skipped it. Later in the book, Margaret remembered the incident, and I skimmed over those references too.
Having said that, real martyrdom is brutal and Christians around the world are even now being tortured for their faith. Christ's crucifixion was brutal beyond imagining, yet we all hang crucifixes of our bleeding, tortured Savior on our walls. War is brutal, yet heroic men and women continue to enlist and defend our lands. I greatly admire the author for her courage to not hold back in what must have been an extremely difficult scene to write, and there is no doubt whatsoever that its inclusion makes the story more powerful. But if you're squeamish with things like that, or if you plan to give this book to a sensitive teen, be careful.
There were also sexual references. While the author kept the book completely clean, parents obviously have widely varying criteria, so they may want to read it themselves first for suitability. But that's a good thing, because by reading it first, they won't miss out on this excellent story! :)
I came away from the book feeling deeply moved, inspired, and determined to be a better Catholic. Corinna Turner is an exceptionally talented author and has created in this novel a terrifying futuristic world, a cast of extremely realistic and lovable characters, and a plot that will keep you reading late into the night. Fortunately for her fans, there are several books in the series.
If you want to read this series but are hesitant, I recommend starting with "Brothers" which is a fantastic novella taking place before the events of this particular story. I absolutely LOVED "Brothers" and highly recommend it -- teenage boys especially will be challenged and inspired by characters which were so real I almost found myself praying for them! I think "Brothers" could definitely ease readers into the brutality of Margaret's world without the same level of violence of this one.
Now I can't go farther in this review without warning readers that there is a very graphic scene of torture early in the book, where Margaret is forced to witness one of these horrific deaths. I don't normally mind violence in books, provided it's there for a purpose in the plot and not simply as a bloodbath for the sake of sensationalism. The author definitely had a purpose for this scene, which was the highest purpose imaginable -- martyrdom for the faith. But I found, to my surprise, that I couldn't read the scene. It was way too graphic and literally turned my stomach after the first several lines. So I skipped it. Later in the book, Margaret remembered the incident, and I skimmed over those references too.
Having said that, real martyrdom is brutal and Christians around the world are even now being tortured for their faith. Christ's crucifixion was brutal beyond imagining, yet we all hang crucifixes of our bleeding, tortured Savior on our walls. War is brutal, yet heroic men and women continue to enlist and defend our lands. I greatly admire the author for her courage to not hold back in what must have been an extremely difficult scene to write, and there is no doubt whatsoever that its inclusion makes the story more powerful. But if you're squeamish with things like that, or if you plan to give this book to a sensitive teen, be careful.
There were also sexual references. While the author kept the book completely clean, parents obviously have widely varying criteria, so they may want to read it themselves first for suitability. But that's a good thing, because by reading it first, they won't miss out on this excellent story! :)
I came away from the book feeling deeply moved, inspired, and determined to be a better Catholic. Corinna Turner is an exceptionally talented author and has created in this novel a terrifying futuristic world, a cast of extremely realistic and lovable characters, and a plot that will keep you reading late into the night. Fortunately for her fans, there are several books in the series.
If you want to read this series but are hesitant, I recommend starting with "Brothers" which is a fantastic novella taking place before the events of this particular story. I absolutely LOVED "Brothers" and highly recommend it -- teenage boys especially will be challenged and inspired by characters which were so real I almost found myself praying for them! I think "Brothers" could definitely ease readers into the brutality of Margaret's world without the same level of violence of this one.
January 16, 2018
I absolutely loved this book and all the books in the series and will definitely re-read them. Turner presents a dark futuristic society where not all people are considered equal. Those with imperfections, no matter how insignificant, are kept around only so that they can provide “parts” for other people.
The entire series is fun to read, especially because Turner does such a fantastic job developing characters. Margaret is a strong main character with high morals and who thinks things through. I enjoyed following the story from her perspective. Bane, her boyfriend, is hot-tempered and has his share of faults but he is also faithful and courageous. And I loved their friend Jon, who is blind and also very courageous and virtuous.
Filled with moments of pain, compassion, courage, and hope, this story is tense and fast-paced with twists and surprises, but more-importantly it is thought provoking. The Catholic perspective gives even more depth to this dystopian (compared to other popular dystopians). Characters face struggles that have eternal consequences. It really delves into the meaning and value of all human life, regardless of a person’s ability to contribute to society.
Warning: This book contains violence, gore, rough language, and sexual innuendos (no sex or anything like that—it’s a very clean book). This book is suitable for mature teens and adults, and is sure to deepen their faith, perseverance, and admiration of the martyrs.
The entire series is fun to read, especially because Turner does such a fantastic job developing characters. Margaret is a strong main character with high morals and who thinks things through. I enjoyed following the story from her perspective. Bane, her boyfriend, is hot-tempered and has his share of faults but he is also faithful and courageous. And I loved their friend Jon, who is blind and also very courageous and virtuous.
Filled with moments of pain, compassion, courage, and hope, this story is tense and fast-paced with twists and surprises, but more-importantly it is thought provoking. The Catholic perspective gives even more depth to this dystopian (compared to other popular dystopians). Characters face struggles that have eternal consequences. It really delves into the meaning and value of all human life, regardless of a person’s ability to contribute to society.
Warning: This book contains violence, gore, rough language, and sexual innuendos (no sex or anything like that—it’s a very clean book). This book is suitable for mature teens and adults, and is sure to deepen their faith, perseverance, and admiration of the martyrs.
December 13, 2017
Although I don't typically read dystopians that are this intense, I appreciate this novel and the author's skill in writing it. Although the setting is a fictional future, horrors committed against believers in God of the Bible are reminders of horrors committed against them today. Parents, be aware of this for the sensitive teen reader. Also, I'd recommend talking to teens about the literal sleeping together of the main character and a male companion. No sex, but they had to pretend they were having sex. So without close parental supervision and discussion, I'd restrict this novel to older teens. I look forward to reading what happens next to the three main characters in this series. I read the UK edition of this novel provided by the author to a Catholic author group for review.
February 18, 2019
4.5 stars for this powerful, disturbing dystopian story. The title character, Margaret (Margo) is an incredible young woman. Her faith and her courage while facing unspeakable horrors is beyond inspiring. This reader will never forget her and hopes she could be half so brave if faced with similar persecution for her faith!
A warning to parents: There are some graphic scenes of torture, not for the faint-hearted, and there is much more language than I am comfortable reading or would have wanted my children to read. Older teens will find Margaret's story unforgettable and inspiring, and they will want to continue with the next book in the series.
A warning to parents: There are some graphic scenes of torture, not for the faint-hearted, and there is much more language than I am comfortable reading or would have wanted my children to read. Older teens will find Margaret's story unforgettable and inspiring, and they will want to continue with the next book in the series.
March 1, 2024
Slayed, I ate it on the flight from ATL to PHX
May 3, 2017
EXCELLENT first book of a captivating series
This is the first book in an EXCELLENT series. It is similar to the Hunger Games in that it is a dystopian future fictional world in which children's lives are taken by the government and used, but even more believable. It is set in the near-future, maybe 50 years from now, I think. It is worse than Hunger Games as far as what the government actually does, and the massive scale of deaths. To me, it is far scarier to consider; this definitely sounds like it could happen in the not-too-distant future. But, it is more hopeful AND less violence-is-the-answer than The Hunger Games. In general, over the entire series, there is a stronger message of faith, integrity, hope, and forgiveness than normally found in Dystopian fiction. This is a breath of fresh air to me. I just finished the whole series, and I think I will start reading it all through again. I would highly recommend it for all those who are moved by strong characters with integrity despite weaknesses, and Dystopian future novels, in the vein of Brave New World by Aldous Huxley and 1984 by George Orwell.
This is the first book in an EXCELLENT series. It is similar to the Hunger Games in that it is a dystopian future fictional world in which children's lives are taken by the government and used, but even more believable. It is set in the near-future, maybe 50 years from now, I think. It is worse than Hunger Games as far as what the government actually does, and the massive scale of deaths. To me, it is far scarier to consider; this definitely sounds like it could happen in the not-too-distant future. But, it is more hopeful AND less violence-is-the-answer than The Hunger Games. In general, over the entire series, there is a stronger message of faith, integrity, hope, and forgiveness than normally found in Dystopian fiction. This is a breath of fresh air to me. I just finished the whole series, and I think I will start reading it all through again. I would highly recommend it for all those who are moved by strong characters with integrity despite weaknesses, and Dystopian future novels, in the vein of Brave New World by Aldous Huxley and 1984 by George Orwell.
September 1, 2014
*I've won this book from a Goodreads competition!*
Review:
One word- WOW!
I have definitely enjoyed this book although at times, I was slightly disgusted when the Conscious Dismantlement was fully described...great description! From the first few pages I was already hooked on the book. The pace of the story is good; it's not too slow or too fast. I really like the characters in the book.
Couple 1: Margaret and Bane
This couple is actually platonic so every reader is fond of them being together because,let's be honest,they are genuinely in love. Their relationship made me happy, made me cry and made me laugh at some things they have done, (when Margaret hits him it'a quite funny to be honest). The thing that Bane does for Margaret,(I'm trying to not give away any spoilers!) is truly amazing and shows just how much love he has for Margaret and how loyal he is to her. They aren't a perfect couple because Bane does things that Margaret doesn't like, on the other hand, she does things that Bane doesn't like. Although they may not like the thing the other person has done, they still love them as much as they did before. That's what I like about them.
Couple 2: Margaret and Jon (Jonathan)
Now, they aren't actually together but oh my, do I want them to be together! I don't know which couple I prefer because Margaret and Bane are truly in love with each other however, Margaret and Jon are just so.... I don't know how to describe it! There's just something between them that really makes me feel so happy when they're together. (Okay, tiny spoiler) Margaret and Jon kiss and not once. Jon develops feelings for Margaret but she is his friend's girlfriend so yeah, his feelings aren't very loyal when it comes to Bane. When they have to pretend that they are together because of reasons that I won't give away, I really did feel like Margaret tried to NOT develop feelings for Jon. Let's be completely honest right now, when you're cuddled up to a guy with a very nice body most of the nights you will have some feelings for him, even if you don't want to. Personally, I think that Margaret wanted to imagine Bane instead of Jon because she didn't want to betray Bane. Jon is blind but hell do I like his character! He is quite sarcastic at the beginning of the story but then further into the book he opens up and I totally fell in love with his character. I wouldn't mind having my own Jon. But then again, I like Bane as well... Mix both of them together and you will get the perfect boyfriend.
Back to the book, I really like the fonts used in the book. They aren't too small or so complex that you can't read them. They fit well into the book. The writing style is very similar to my own, so I really did enjoy the book. Once I started reading the book,I knew I would completely love it and I was right! I could really feel the emotions felt by EVERY character. During the Conscious Dismantlement I really did feel my own skin being taken off and I didn't like it.
Overall, the book is really amazing and more people should buy it and read it. The greatness of the writing is consistent throughout the whole story. The ending is not disappointing at all, it's as good as the middle of the book. Corinna Turner deserves a standing ovation for this book because it has a great plot and it's just pure genius!
Review:
One word- WOW!
I have definitely enjoyed this book although at times, I was slightly disgusted when the Conscious Dismantlement was fully described...great description! From the first few pages I was already hooked on the book. The pace of the story is good; it's not too slow or too fast. I really like the characters in the book.
Couple 1: Margaret and Bane
This couple is actually platonic so every reader is fond of them being together because,let's be honest,they are genuinely in love. Their relationship made me happy, made me cry and made me laugh at some things they have done, (when Margaret hits him it'a quite funny to be honest). The thing that Bane does for Margaret,(I'm trying to not give away any spoilers!) is truly amazing and shows just how much love he has for Margaret and how loyal he is to her. They aren't a perfect couple because Bane does things that Margaret doesn't like, on the other hand, she does things that Bane doesn't like. Although they may not like the thing the other person has done, they still love them as much as they did before. That's what I like about them.
Couple 2: Margaret and Jon (Jonathan)
Now, they aren't actually together but oh my, do I want them to be together! I don't know which couple I prefer because Margaret and Bane are truly in love with each other however, Margaret and Jon are just so.... I don't know how to describe it! There's just something between them that really makes me feel so happy when they're together. (Okay, tiny spoiler) Margaret and Jon kiss and not once. Jon develops feelings for Margaret but she is his friend's girlfriend so yeah, his feelings aren't very loyal when it comes to Bane. When they have to pretend that they are together because of reasons that I won't give away, I really did feel like Margaret tried to NOT develop feelings for Jon. Let's be completely honest right now, when you're cuddled up to a guy with a very nice body most of the nights you will have some feelings for him, even if you don't want to. Personally, I think that Margaret wanted to imagine Bane instead of Jon because she didn't want to betray Bane. Jon is blind but hell do I like his character! He is quite sarcastic at the beginning of the story but then further into the book he opens up and I totally fell in love with his character. I wouldn't mind having my own Jon. But then again, I like Bane as well... Mix both of them together and you will get the perfect boyfriend.
Back to the book, I really like the fonts used in the book. They aren't too small or so complex that you can't read them. They fit well into the book. The writing style is very similar to my own, so I really did enjoy the book. Once I started reading the book,I knew I would completely love it and I was right! I could really feel the emotions felt by EVERY character. During the Conscious Dismantlement I really did feel my own skin being taken off and I didn't like it.
Overall, the book is really amazing and more people should buy it and read it. The greatness of the writing is consistent throughout the whole story. The ending is not disappointing at all, it's as good as the middle of the book. Corinna Turner deserves a standing ovation for this book because it has a great plot and it's just pure genius!
November 7, 2015
I’m so used to characters in Catholic novels to be flat and not very diverse, but I Am Margaret went above and beyond my expectations. A female character who has guts and is excellent at writing, a non-Catholic guy who will stop at nothing to save his fiancee, and a blind boy with a secret who ends up in a dorm full of girls. There’s quite a bit of diversity, and it made me happy to have not only strong main characters, but also minor characters with strong personalities and differences.
Another thing that I was impressed by was that none of the characters were perfect. Each one had their own unique faults, but struggled to improve upon their weaknesses – many of the characters aren’t even religious at all! A strong moral thread runs throughout this story, without ever once being overly preachy. The villains aren’t misunderstood, and the heroes never once violate their consciences to get what they want without there being some sort of consequence.
Margo is definitely one of my favorite fictional heroines. She writes, she’s brave, and she defends those who can’t defend themselves. Her relationships with Bane (the love interest) and Jon (the blind friend) were really well-written, and far from stereotypical. While the romance isn’t the entire plot of the book, there are a couple scenes that are very cute and sweet, but don’t worry if that’s not your cup of tea! There’s more than enough action to satisfy anybody who prefers that.
The one thing that I disliked in this book – only one thing overall, which surprises me since I’m so picky – was the detailed description of one particular gruesome scene. The second time I read the novel I even skipped it, and can’t imagine anyone younger than fourteen reading that scene in particular. However, it is essential to the plot, so even that one fault can be forgiven.
The pro-life aspect – which the scene in question represents – was fascinating and almost eerily prophetic, what with the recent releases of the Planned Parenthood videos. Although I Am Margaret focuses on the value of all life rather than those of unborn children alone, it certainly gave me a jolt to see the similarities between the selling of babies’ body part and the reuse of those of Catholics.
Overall, this book is one of the best I’ve read and is definitely one of my favorites. A review of the second book, The Three Most Wanted, will be coming soon, and as soon as the final two books in the series come out I’ll certainly read those as well!
Read more reviews by me!
Another thing that I was impressed by was that none of the characters were perfect. Each one had their own unique faults, but struggled to improve upon their weaknesses – many of the characters aren’t even religious at all! A strong moral thread runs throughout this story, without ever once being overly preachy. The villains aren’t misunderstood, and the heroes never once violate their consciences to get what they want without there being some sort of consequence.
Margo is definitely one of my favorite fictional heroines. She writes, she’s brave, and she defends those who can’t defend themselves. Her relationships with Bane (the love interest) and Jon (the blind friend) were really well-written, and far from stereotypical. While the romance isn’t the entire plot of the book, there are a couple scenes that are very cute and sweet, but don’t worry if that’s not your cup of tea! There’s more than enough action to satisfy anybody who prefers that.
The one thing that I disliked in this book – only one thing overall, which surprises me since I’m so picky – was the detailed description of one particular gruesome scene. The second time I read the novel I even skipped it, and can’t imagine anyone younger than fourteen reading that scene in particular. However, it is essential to the plot, so even that one fault can be forgiven.
The pro-life aspect – which the scene in question represents – was fascinating and almost eerily prophetic, what with the recent releases of the Planned Parenthood videos. Although I Am Margaret focuses on the value of all life rather than those of unborn children alone, it certainly gave me a jolt to see the similarities between the selling of babies’ body part and the reuse of those of Catholics.
Overall, this book is one of the best I’ve read and is definitely one of my favorites. A review of the second book, The Three Most Wanted, will be coming soon, and as soon as the final two books in the series come out I’ll certainly read those as well!
Read more reviews by me!
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