This book was more disturbing than I anticipated. Teenagers in this dystopian society are highly sexualized, and girls are branded (tattooed) on their 16th birthdays so that the entire world knows they can have sex. Men who are 18 are able to have their way with any "sex-teen" (of-age girl), and there are no ramifications. The media controls everything, and incessant projections from every angle never relent. Any instance of silence is suspicious, and the government is highly sensitive to ANY deviation (perceived or real). I'm not sure what books 2 or 3 will bring, and some of the situations that occur in this text are disgusting. The writing isn't stellar, and the excessive acronym use (without explanation) is annoying. Many inferences have to be made, so this book might not be a good fit for struggling readers (who would really like the love story/friendships/society depiction).
Meh. I'm not in love with this book, but I didn't totally hate it, and about mid-way through, I couldn't stop reading because I had to figure out what was going to happen next.
