This is an excellent YA novel that will appeal to readers who are fans of series like Divergent, Hunger Games, or Darkest Minds. The characters are very engaging and dynamic. Alexia in particular makes a great main character and you find you want to know more about her and her family as you start the novel. The plot and flow of the book makes it difficult to put down. Overall, a great YA book for people who enjoy the genre.

This story surprised me. The writing was clean and direct which fit the feel of the story. I enjoyed watching Alexia grow through her journey. The pacing was on point, and there were several points when I could not read fast enough to find out what happened.

What a great middle-grade book. The Circle Taken is the first book I have read from this author.

It's about an abandoned girl Alexia who yearns to learn her true identity. Under the new government’s regime, sixteen-year-olds are evaluated for their desire to harm others. Throughout the test, Alexia struggles to conceal her secret. Failing in her mission, Alexia is taken and must fight to prove herself to her captors.

Great storyline and well-crafted characters. This book was provided by Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion. It's a must-read.

This was a great book, picking up pace from the beginning and leaving you turning pages. Great story and characters.

Really enjoyed this book would recommend to anyone who enjoys sci-fy. Looking forward to more! A++++++

The Circle Taken is a young adult dystopian by Sage Sask. When I first started my blog almost 10 years ago, I was obsessed with dystopian stories. But then over the next couple of years (2011, 2012, 2013) I read so many that they all started to feel like the same story and the same evil government and I got dystopian burnout.  I then took a very long break from reading dystopians, but lately I have been craving more good dystopian and I have had decent luck with finding stories that I have been enjoying and that are feeling fresh and unique again. That is what I was hoping when I picked up The Circle Taken, and I am happy to report that I really enjoyed this book. 

In The Circle Taken, we meet our main character Alexia, who was abandoned by her family at a young age and she has no memories of her early childhood. Alexia has psychic powers. She is able to tell the past and the future by touching someone or something, but this is something that she has worked hard to conceal. The world in the circle is a world restructured because of the aftermath of a devastating world war. The new world is divided up into zones with very strict government oversight and control. The government tells you what you can do, what kind of job you can have, etc. During her aptitude test, her ability is found out, and she is sent to an island where other people with powers. Here the story really picks up pace. I loved the adventure that follows. I do still have some questions after having read this novel, and I am really hoping that we get a follow up book because I want some answers!

Alexia is a great main character. Her memory loss made her super interesting because she is more critical of everything happening around her. I appreciated that about her. If you are a fan of action adventure dystopian stories with extra powers and abilities thrown in, I think you will really enjoy The Circle Taken. It has great characters, a fast moving plot and an interesting world.

I got a few chapters in, however I couldn’t continue because I just did not gel with the writing at all. I actually found myself skimming through some parts which is never good. I am glad others really liked it though. For me, it was the writing that put me off.

I like this book it's reminded me of hunger games at times it's was easy to get into. I would recommend it's if you like dystopian books.
I received this book from Netgallery in exchange for a honest review.

This novel is a good one that I’ve read this year! The characters are so dynamic yet relatable. I loved the flow of the story. It held my attention the whole time.

I didn't have any expectations going in to this book. I knew it was science fiction/dystopian and that's about it. Wow- was I pleasantly surprised! I was sucked in right away and couldn't put it down! The story is engaging, the characters are interesting, and the ride is truly enjoyable. There were times that I got a little tired with the back and forth in Alexia's mind, but it is true to what would be going on, so I won't complain too much.

Alexia is found washed up on a beach when she is young. She has no memory other than a faint recollection of someone helping her not drown in the water. She is placed in an orphanage and barely survives. When she goes to be tested by the government to look for subversive tendencies at age 16, she is discovered to have a unique ability to read the past and future of those she touches by skin contact. She is then whisked way to an island to hone these skills (she thought a curse) and what follows is a great ride!

I appreciate that it was clean (besides some fighting/training between teens). I would definitely allow my teen to read this YA book! And I'm looking forward to the next in the series.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC for my honest opinion.

Consisting of well-developed characters whom grasp the reader with an innate likeability that will contend even the most negative consumers, relationships that were strong and meaningful, and exciting twists that culminate as a talented, well written and intricate sci-fi novel, The Circle Taken will easily become a corner-stone of a genre that's recently sky-rocketed into popularity.

Unfortunately I am unable to find this book in my kindle. It must not have been titled correctly and after searching I haven't been able to locate it. If I do, I'll be happy to read and review it.

I need the second story in this series, like now. this was a thrilling tale of girl who gets taken from everything she knows and thrown into a confusing world where everyone seems to be out to get her. She struggles with who she can trust and where she fits in. My only complaint is trying to keep up with all the different names, especially when some are barely mentioned at first, gets to be confusing and can distract from the action as you try and remember who is who.

They are young men and women fighting to become soldiers. The young men even fight the girls which I dislike . one of the girls is told she is weak for being soft hearted towards a friend.

I am so impressed by Sejal Badani's (excuse me...), Sage Sask's talent. She is just so versatile! The fact that she can produce incredible novels such as Trail of Broken Wings and The Storyteller's Secret, then follow it up with a thrilling dystopian novel such as this, speaks volumes of her talent. These genres are on near opposite ends of the spectrum, and yet, she has the ability to pull it off. I think Ms. "Sask's" strength is in her ability to endear the characters to her readers, no matter the target audience. The protagonists are always well-developed and multi-faceted, as are the secondary characters.

However, I must admit, there were just a few too many minor characters for my liking, and I had a hard time keeping up with the multitude of young Circle members. There were also certain circumstances throughout the novel that caused confusion - subplots that were a bit disjointed. I found myself going back to previous chapters in an attempt to clear up the confusion more often than I'm used to. Having said this, I think it is an excellent novel for older teens, and it was fast-paced and intriguing.

Many thanks to IBPA and NetGalley for gifting me with this novel in exchange for an honest review.

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First off, cover love. I absolutely love it! Dystopians are my weakness, so I was hooked. So much action, the characters are fantastic and actually have depth to them. I am absolutely looking forward to seeing more from this author!

I really enjoyed this book. The writting style and plot kinda reminded me of Hunger Games at times. I'm definitely looking forward to the next chapter in this series. So many unanswered questions.

Rating 4

A good YA novel, dystopian with an interesting premise that comes so close to fulfilling its initial promise.
I found the book initially hard to get into, and had to re-read areas to understand and pick up what I missed, so it was harder going for me than the average YA. A satisfying read, nevertheless.

4.5 stars!

This was honestly such a pleasant surprise! I loved the characters, the plot, the fact that there wasn't an unneeded romance to drive the plot further. All the actions of characters made complete sense, i never wanted to yell at them for making dumb decisions. Amazing, will for sure read more from the author, and will for sure reread and recommend the book!

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This is a classic dystopian novel with a few twists thrown in. I enjoyed it but it didn’t keep me super engaged all the time and it moved a little too fast in a few places. Overall I liked it though.