by Catherine Kopf
Genre: YA, Dystopian, Fantasy
Pages: 244
ISBN: 9781981781324
*I was given a free e-copy of Breaking Order by the author. Thank you!*
The Story:
Dreams, Creativity, and Magic are all gone under a single order.
Banned from the things that make you different, people must conform to a dull and practical lifestyle.
The daughter of The Regime’s Head Executioner is expected to follow in his footsteps, but fourteen-year-old Calista Knight is curious about creativity and dreams. It doesn’t help that she is isolated and bullied at school because of her asthma. When the new boy, Wes, encourages Calista to stop taking the medicine preventing dreams and introduces her to creativity, a new life opens up to her. Magic becomes very real, and with dreams and creativity intertwined, limits are endless.
But the Regime wants no one to dream.
Calista is a threat to the order, and she only has two options:
Overcome her own personal fears of dreaming…
…or end up just as compliant to the Regime as others around her.
The Introduction:
Read that summary? That’s what got me greatly interested in reading this book as well as the gorgeous cover! All about this book screams creativity and dystopia and I so wanted to see how it was dealt with. Also, you said magic? Here I am! I must say Breaking Order delivered. How about we review it together?
The Positive Points:
Let’s start with the positive sides. This story introduces us to a terrifying and very controlling dystopian reality in Fortress (that’s the city’s name. Lovely, isn’t it?) Creativity and ambition (a.k.a dreams) are outlawed and their penalty is death, no less. In other words, you mustn’t stand out in a crowd nor think much for yourself. What’s better is that Calista’s own father is the Head Executioner. Now that makes for drama! Also, I’ve got to say the villain in this story is quite vile and cruel, which makes them totally my style. I didn’t think they could go to such lengths but… Yes, and it was wonderful (in a gasping, shocked-sort of way).
Their dreaming confers the Dreamers, the radicals and rebels who dare to dream and be creative, powers from the likes found in fantasy stories. How interesting is that?!
As for the writing, it is smooth and the vocabulary quite developed, which is a delight. Moreover, a few foreshadowing moments are woven into the exact words the author chooses to describe the story. It shows Miss Kopf really thought it through and gave it the attention it deserves!
Honestly, I spent days either wanting to go back to reading this book or flipping through its pages, engrossed in the story! The reading is eased by the good writing and ongoing action and drama.
The Negative Points:
As for the bad points, there simply are two. A few mistakes and typos, but nothing too troublesome. Also, there’s the issue of fighting being way too easy for the children against trained adults. I know the kids have military training, but two of them (those who don’t have offensive powers) can take down several guards without batting an eye or at least much of it? That’s the only weakness of this story.
In Conclusion:
You’re probably expecting an excellent rating for this one and you’d be right. I give it a rating of 4.5 stars because it’s amazing but too easy for the teens’ gang. Besides that, I can assure you you’re in for an entertaining ride! The villain, the mysteries, and the sheer creativity of the story are worth it, in my opinion.
I recommend Breaking Order without hesitation and now I’m patiently waiting for the sequel, i. e. I want it. Right. Now!
…
Is it out yet?
If you want to learn more about the author, Catherine Kopf, and her books, please visit her Web site , Twitter and Wattpad accounts (where you can read the first draft of the sequel, yay!). You can also add Breaking Order to your Goodreads shelves and follow her Goodreads author page!
P.S.: You’ll notice on Web sites where there are no half points possible that I’ve given this book 5 stars. I think it deserves more a 5-star rating than the loss of a whole point. Thank you.
Tagged: action, ARC, author, book, book review, book reviewing, book reviews, breaking order, catherine kopf, creativity, dreams, dystopia, dystopian, ecopy, fantasy, fiction, galley, magic, novel, series, teen & YA, trilogy, YA
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