Overall, this was a thoroughly good read but I felt that it fell short of its potential. The premise itself is full of promise. 
 Lyn is a neo-gladiator's daughter, through and through. Her mother has made a career out of marrying into the high-profile world of televised blood sport, and the rules of the Gladiator Sports Association are second nature to their family. When a gifted young fighter kills Lyn's seventh father, he also captures Lyn's dowry bracelet, which means she must marry him... 
 Lise Haines certainly created a world where the GSA has made the sport of gladiators become national entertainment and even the gladiators' families have a certain expectation for their behavior. Being a gladiator is not just a career but rather a way of life for them. What bothered me was that it felt like this book was trying too hard to be a dystopian novel. While it may be true that the GSA controlled every aspect of their members' lives, their actions felt very "in-your-face", practically screaming "this is a dystopian novel! this is what we're supposed to be!" 
 Another aspect that bothered me was the main character's little brother, Than. Than is a young boy with special needs, but wait for it, he can also predict the future! What? I felt that such an addition didn't have a place in a novel like that. 
 The romance in the novel, however, was believable and pretty much the only thing keeping me reading. It is probably the only reason why I'm giving this novel a 3-star rating as opposed to a 2-star rating. 
 The ending was something I had trouble with as well. Wholly unsatisfying and somewhat counter-productive to what Lyn was fighting for throughout the entire novel. Girl in the Arena, I felt, could have been a great novel, but unfortunately didn't.