This one was exciting! I love a good story that has lots of twists and turns.

Alexia was a great, complex character, which I always enjoy. Trying to figure out her past along with her was an interesting ride. This story asks a lot of questions about who to trust, who is right, who are the “good guys” and who are the “bad guys.” Should we trust the Circle? The Resistance? Neither? Within the Circle and the Resistance are individuals who are also very complex. Even if the Circle is supposed to be on the side of good, that doesn’t mean that its members are all on the up-and-up. There are lots of different shades of gray, which makes the characters feel much more real.

This story reminded me of several other great dystopian tales that I have read before, but still brought something fresh and new to the table. I definitely recommend it if you are a fan of the dystopian genre.

Most of the time, I either like a main character with few or no reservations or I close the book early because I can’t make a connection with the protagonist. Alexia evoked altogether different feelings because of her complexity and because the author allowed her to have faults, very natural faults at that. Alexia appealed to me because she’s not the near-perfect being who rarely makes a misstep. In essence, she is in search of herself while she learns some very valuable life lessons.

Taken is in some ways a study of good versus evil and how difficult it can be to know the difference, who can be trusted. I especially enjoyed this arc of the story because it’s such an essential part of a person’s growth and watching Alexia learn these things made her seem quite real. The Circle itself is full of contradictions, a quagmire of choices and decisions she has to face…much like what we’re all faced with in growing up.

Most of all, I was intrigued by Alexia’s search for her past and for a path to connect with those around her. She’s a girl I hope to see more of in the future.

Reviewed by Lelia Taylor, April 2019.

I wasn't sure what to expect, but I enjoyed reading this. An interesting story with fun characters. Well written.

Alright, let us start with our sometimes lovely main character Alexia, now she was a tough act to follow at first. But with me reading more about her she came across as a typical dystopian main character type of gal, which isn’t a bad trait just her thinking and actions reminded me of some of our very famous and well-loved heroines. I feel like sometimes I really did understand why she had a certain mindset with everything she has been through I just wish it wasn’t repetitive. Half the time is yes I get why she is the way she is but let’s have some character development and help her out of it! Which did overall happens throughout parts of the book so I appreciate the author giving her growth but also leaving some room to grow for the next book ( I believe there will be a second book but please don’t quote me)? I love how sarcastic Alexia is though like some of her comebacks I legit started laughing out loud too! I think that is one thing I love about dystopian main characters they go through so much that half the time they just laugh at there on pain just to lighten the mood. Also technically this book isn’t labeled as a dystopian but after reading the book and or synopsis you can totally tell! Now do I love Alexia? No not at all, not my favorite main character that I’ve read, but did I enjoy her story, her witty comments, and how badass she can be when she chooses to be, then yes I do love those qualities and aspects about this book and her as a whole. To keep this spoilery free all I will say is that I like her way more at the end and if there is a second book which I kinda hoping there is I feel like I will enjoy her more! I’m telling you character development is key and if the author writes her correctly for the next book Alexia will have a stamp of approval from me!

I am a person who never usually is at a lost for words but when it came to love interest and this book……. I truly don’t know how to explain who the heck Alexia is supposed to be with let alone my thoughts on if there is even love or any type of romantic interest in this book lol! What I’m saying is you can sorta see a potential love interest ( his name is Ryan) but the more I read through this book the relationship wasn’t really romantic half the time, as in half the time it felt more like a brother-sister bond or a girl and her protector. Than at little points like tiny areas, it felt like Alexia and Ryan should be together but then I would keep thinking about it and putting things together and it just never seemed like they should be one or even a unit. But right towards the middle like ten or fifteen chapters left the author tries to sneak in a love interest! I am usually well alert when it comes to love in any book since I am a helpless romantic, so if there was anything going with Alexia and said person ( I won’t say his name because I think it counts as a spoiler) I would’ve been caught on! So when the author slid that in I was like wait what when did this happen lol! I mean I don’t think it is a bad idea but I would’ve been more for it if the relationship had more substance and actual time to develop and not just like thrown in at a very awkward part ( like legit an awkward scene in the book it was hilarious though)! So as far as love and any type of relationship for Alexia I guess we just have to wait and see because I just don’t know guys.

At the end this book gave me nostalgia if I’m being honest it gave me a little bit of Shatter me by Tahera Mafi ( just the first book), along with a dash of Army of fire by Jennifer L Kelly, and just a bit of The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracker ( I only have seen the movie so I’m basing my opinion off of that)! all fantastic books and movies in my eyes! But overall I am giving this book 3.75 stars because there were some points that were very repetitive, I didn’t like how Alexia would just down herself even after she did a good thing, and like I said before the whole love interest thing just confused the life out of me! I will continue this series if it is one because the author managed to keep me curious and that only has me wondering certain questions that I will only get the answers to if I keep reading! Thank you again to Rockstar Book Tours for having me and also for me being the first review on the stop! All the links I mentioned will be down below as well as a little bit about the author :)! Have a great day and remember ❤ Always Love Your Books<3

I received this ARC from NetGalley & the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

A familiar trope however it was a good read. It was interesting and well written. Alexia is a well written character and has depth to her. The plot is well organized and well thought out.

I did really enjoy this book and will probably read more from this author. But as a warning this book does contain a bit of gory scenes and violence so it may not be appropriate for young readers.

I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book had so many twists and turns and I was not prepared for any of them. This author has such a talent for keeping readers on their toes.

It messed with my emotions and the entire time I could not put the book down.

The characters are written in such an amazing way and developed super well. They're complex and have real, human struggles.

The plot is complex as well but also well organized at the same time. I was hooked but it was also easy to follow even though I could not see where the plot was going.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.