I didn't expect to like this book. I was intrigued to see that this Irish YA novel was being published in the USA and I jumped at the chance to get a peek. I dove right in, and to be honest the first hour or so of reading felt like it was dragging. I've read The Giver, I've read Fahrenheit 451, heck I've watched Equilibrium! I really thought it was going to be a complete rehash. 
 I was definitely wrong. There came a turning point to me where I found myself pretty excited to finish, to see where the story was heading. I was actually caught unawares by a twist or two, and the book ended up being a lot more enjoyable than I had expected. 
 There are a few places where the environmentalism is heavy handed, to the point where I think it strains the narrative. Besides these points, I thought the story carried these themes well and communicated clearly to the reader. 
 This book was provided to me free for a review via NetGalley, which in no way has affected the content of this review. Heck, the library is just as free!