I went into this book not knowing anything about it (I didn't even read the synopsis). And I completely loved it. The story is fascinating: each generation, the princes of Ilara marry the most beautiful girl from an ocean village. But when Nor goes in her sister's place, she discovers the dark secrets of Ilara and finds out that her people are in danger. There's so much more to the plot, and so many characters I grew to love.

I loved the sea aesthetic coupled with a formidable mountain castle. Nor is a strong character and it's easy to get lost in her point of view and engage with the story. Also, the slow-burning, chemistry-filled romance in this book is divine. This book has everything: sea folklore, tension, betrayal, magical reefs, sisterly bonds, romance, political intrigue, and hope. It's an uplifting book, and one I think I would return to.

Mara Rutherford's writing is fantastic. As I said, it's easy to get lost in her writing and in the story. The plot moved effortlessly. My only reservations are that I wish it had a little more resolution and a little more romance. I wanted to see their bond strengthen, especially at the end, and I felt that this book is missing that. But still a well-told, entertaining book.

Writing Aesthetic/Style: 4.5
Plot/Movement: 4
Character Development: 4
Overall: 4

Thank you, NetGalley and Inkyard Press, for the ARC! This book will be released on August 27, 2019.

This was a phenomenal book. I really loved the sister dynamics that were happening between Nor and Zadie, their relationship felt very meaningful and well developed. On that same note, I felt that Ceren was also very well developed and at times I sympathized more with him than with the others. This isn't a bad thing at all, just something of note about the villain. Talin and Nor's romance felt a little bit instant, but other than that, I quite enjoyed it. The story progressed quickly, but I felt that it was enjoyable. I'd love to read more from this author.

I received an arc of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange of an honest review.

I have absolutely love this book and was hooked by the two sisters, Nor and Zadie from the start. Really love the world that Mara Rutherford built for Crown of Coral and Pearl.

The only thing I didn't really like is that the end feel rush. Left me hoping for a sequel.

Crown of Coral and Pearl, by Mara Rutherford, is a fantasy/dystopian, YA novel about twin sisters, Nor and Zadie from ocean village of Varenia. Varenia is a village ruled by the kingdom of Ilara. For generations, daughters in Varenia focus on one thing - beauty. The most beautiful girl in Varenia is to be chosen to marry the prince of Ilara. It was clear to Nor that her sister Zadie would someday be chosen to marry the prince after an incident that left Nor scarred. But when Nor is chosen and sent off to Ilara to marry Prince Ceren, it was nothing like what she hoped Ilara would be.

When I started the book, I really enjoyed it. The narration in the beginning where the sisters prepped for the selection ceremony was fun. I loved the description of Varenia. It reminded me of the series, The Selection by Keira Cass. However, the world of Ilara was less impressive. I found myself a bit bored with the book, after Nor arrived in Ilara. The development of the characters were not there. I did not really take a liking to the princes or ship any potential romance. A lot of it seemed forced just to fit the typical YA elements. However, I felt the author redeemed herself at the end. So overall, I thought the beginning and end of the book was well-written, but the execution/development was lacking.

Thank you to Harlequin Teen, Mara Rutherford, and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

The cover of Crown of Coral and Pearl was the first thing that caught my interest, and when I read the summary, I was desperate for this book. I was so happy when I was approved for an ARC! And this book did not disappoint. Crown of Coral and Pearl sweeps you under its tide, so you'll be enthralled by its magic.

I'm not quite sure why I thought this, but I thought this book took place in space before I read it? I think I misread the summary or something. Anyways, the world building in this book is really cool. The people of Varenia live entirely on the sea — not on an island, but on the sea. It was interesting to think about this divide between Ilara, and how the differences between living on land and on sea matter, especially health-wise. Varenia is also known for their pink pearls, which are pink due to close proximity to the deadly blood coral and have potent healing powers.

The writing is really pretty; it had a calm quality to it, like the waves lapping on the shore of a beach, soft and constant. Nor was an easy narrator to follow, and I found myself in suspense as she was at times.

Beauty is highly valued in Varenia, as the most beautiful girl of every generation is sent to Ilara to marry and become the next queen. Nor has known it will be her twin sister Zadie since a blood coral scarred her face, leaving her almost worthless. However, Nor has her own strengths. I liked the narrative of beauty being only one aspect of a person. I didn't expect to get really into beauty standards in a fantasy book, but we did, and I loved it.

I loved the plot! The pacing was really well-done, balanced between establishing the world as we know it and plunging into the world that Nor is new to. There's a great deal of suspense, as well, with the prince that Nor is engaged to. I found him to be a very intriguing antagonist; although he's cold and calculating, you can't help but be a bit fascinated by him. A comparison could be made to Joffrey from Game of Thrones.

My absolute favorite thing about this book, the aspect that left me almost in tears, was the sister relationship. As twins, Nor and Zadie have always been close. They do everything together. I think that a lot of YA fantasy books contain sisters who are close, but over time, become enemies, and this was a refreshing change from that pattern. It also wasn't one-sided, as I've found some fictional sibling relationships to be. You know, when the protagonist says they'll do anything for their sibling, but you don't get to see enough of their sibling to feel that it's a two-sided relationship? Yeah, Nor and Zadie are not like that, thankfully.

The only thing I really had an issue with was the romance. I thought it really needed to be fleshed out more, especially considering that the pacing of the book was so good. I mean, I too would probably fall in love with the hotter brother if I were engaged to the creepy, incredibly pale, cruel one, but it was just a touch too insta-love for me to like. I think given more time, it could have developed more.

Crown of Coral and Pearl blew me away honestly. I liked the plot and the worldbuilding, and I adored the characters. This book has one of my favorite fictional sister relationships ever, and I'll always be grateful for that. Crown of Coral and Pearl is a debut, and Mara Rutherford is definitely an author to watch out for. I can't wait to see what she does in the future! Meanwhile, pick this book up August 27!

**This review will be posted as a part of the blog tour on my blog Magical Reads on August 21.**

I have voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this title given to me via NetGalley. In this book we get to meet some great characters and I just loved their story. I loved getting to see where these characters end up and their journey to the end. This book was such an easy read and I highly recommend this title you will not be disappointed.

ARC kindly provided by Netgalley and publisher. The opinions expressed in this review are purely my own.

Rating: 4/5

I was in the market for an easy read that wouldn't require much analysis and pondering and I seemed to have stumbled upon just the right book! I really liked this title because of, surprisingly, its simplicity. But before I go on about why I enjoyed this book, let me dig into the plot:

Plot: Zadie and Nor are twin sisters living in the sea village (yes, it's floating in the ocean- think Water World, here) of Varenia. Where Zadie is polite, subdued, and kind, Nor is adventurous, speaks her mind, and wants to explore the world. Varenia is connected to the mainland Ilara by trade, its citizens cannot set foot on land lest they seek death, and every time a new prince becomes of age to succeed on the throne, a Varenian woman is selected as a bride. There is a big competition in the sea village for the most beautiful maiden, and most, if not all, girls in the village dream of some day becoming Queen. Nor has been made to feel inadequate by her mother due to a scar on her cheek (which she received trying to save her sister while they were diving for pink pearls), while her sister Zadie is unblemished and received all of their mother's attention and praise. Nor, however, loves her sister dearly and both are inseparable.

Varenian families have it rough, though. They have been providing Ilara with pink pearls (pearls affected by blood coral, which grows from the bodies of deceased Varenians in their underwater graves), pearls whose value has increasingly dropped. Supply is short due to over-harvesting, and the sea around Varenia has been over-fished as well. In short, families have been slowly starving and Ilara has imposed increasingly harsh rules.

Back to the twins [SPOILER ALERT]: After Zadie wins the competition, Nor finds out that she is to marry Sami, their childhood friend and the Governor's son. Little does everyone know that Zadie and Sami are in love, and Nor is horrified by the prospect of marrying her childhood friend. Nor wishes to go to Ilara, and Zadie wishes to stay, yet how can she go if she has already been promised? Well, this is how: Zadie forces everyone's hand one night as she forces Nor to help her injure herself with a maindenhair jellyfish's tentacles- to the point where she would be deemed unfit to go to Ilara. Nor is sent instead, with a tincture that covers her scar. Yet she must be careful as her indiscretions would surely mean death to her and her people. Nor is convinced that by going to Ilara, she can convince the current monarch to take pity on her people, and improve their conditions.

But once Nor arrives at New Castle, she learns that things were nothing like she had expected. She finds out exactly how cut-off her people are from the world and how badly they are being exploited- not by the King, but by the regent Prince Ceren, who she is now betrothed to. Prince Ceren's half brother, Talin, sympathizes with Nor- his own mother being Varenian herself. Nor slowly grows closer to the man she is not supposed to develop feelings for as she discovers what a monster her future husband really is. Will she be able to save her people from exploitation, discover the truth behind Ceren's plots for the crown without being discovered?

PROS: Alright, now that you know about the plot, let's get into the pros.
-Characters are likeable
-The plot is simple and easily runs its course (there aren't a lot of plot holes, etc.)
-There is a good balance between dialogue/world-building/setting description
-Touched on topics like exploitation

CONS: There were some cons to the book (as is expected). This is what I found to be on the lacking side of this novel:
-Plot was a little too predictable
-Dialogue was sometimes a little choppy and forced
-At times, if felt like the book was a little slow. I feel like it could have been written with less fluff.

Alrighty then, there you have it guys. I hope you all enjoy this one as much as I did!

In the land of Varenia, girls are brought up to believe that beauty is literally everything. If you are not the most beautiful girl, eventually chosen to marry the Ilarean prince, you are essentially nothing. When Nor earned a small scar on her cheek in an accident when she was young, she believed she would be lucky to find any husband. But when her sister, Zadie, was badly injured and scarred, Nor became the chosen princess. But is being a princess everything she dreamed?

When I read about Varenia, I pictured the crystal clear waters of the Caribbean, with huts on stilts, thatched roof and all. In clear contrast, the mountain of New Castle was gloomy and claustrophobic. Rutherford did a wonderful job with world building and describing the locations, and really made me feel as though I was experiencing the shock of leaving home and the castle right alongside Nor.

I felt that the premise was well done, original and thought out. I really enjoyed the times spent with Talin, and of course the way Ceren behaved made me shudder more often than not.

Where the story falls short for me is the ending. It felt very rushed compared to the rest of the story. I would have liked to see it play out more on the pages, rather than the quick wrap up we received. I do hope that there will be another book in the future, as I'd love to get more closure on the events that were laid out in those final pages. I feel there is a lot more to experience in Nor and Zadie's story, and would definitely continue reading if it becomes a series. Overall, I still enjoyed the book enough to bump up the 3.5 star rating I'd like to give to 4 stars, with the hopes that there is more to come.

This was a good book. Sci-fi/Fantasy is not usually my genre of choice but I am trying to expand my horizons. I really, really liked the first 1/2 of the book and then it died down a little for me. I'm not really sure what happened...but I felt like the characters and their relationships just got a bit dull. But again, overall I really enjoyed it!

Will come to fully review and share my thoughts near pub date but I did enjoy this book very much.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

I loved this book! If we're being honest here, I totally chose it because I liked the cover, but it excelled in both story and character in my opinion!

The characters felt real and three-dimensional and I found myself unable to put this book down - there was plenty of plot - and it has been just what I needed to get over the slump I've been in lately. I appreciated that, while there was romance, it wasn't the entire story, and the way it was written was beautiful and yet clear and easy to understand. I found myself literally making noises out loud at certain parts and couldn't help but excitedly explain what was going on to my loving but confused husband (thanks for being such a good sport, by the way).

Once I finished, I found myself excited for Rutherford's future novels: this author is definitely going on my "watch" list!

~~~~~TO BE POSTED WITHIN 2 WEEKS BEFORE PUBLICATION @elle_reads Instagram~~~~

~~~~~POST 1~~~~~
QOTD: What gives you confidence?
//
CONFIDENCE
//
Fake it ’til you make it. I take lots of notes to stay confident in my understanding of the world. I’m comfortable NOT knowing answers, and I love to ask questions.
//
On a more frivolous level (maybe I should be more confident in my success and delete that disclaimer), my academic achievements give me confidence as well. The awards I’ve worked hard for do hold meaning for me. They remind me of the work ethic necessary to reach a high level of success. But far above all that are the moments professors have offered to write me recommendations without my askance because they want me to pursue certain paths. I’m doing my own thing overseas now, but I will someday return to take them up on their offers.
//
“Behave like royalty, and that is how you will be treated” (loc 713) I love this quote by Mara Rutherford in her upcoming book Crown of Coral and Pearl. Ther world building is amazing so far! I can't wait to read more pearl/jem moments in her book!

~~~~~POST 2~~~~~
QOTD: Do you like face masks? Do you wear a lot of makeup?
//
BEAUTY THOUGHTS
//
Small spoiler: there are pearls in Crown of Coral and Pearls (who'd have guessed hahaha). Naturally I had to grab one of my favorite pearl masks from Carrefour (it's like Taiwan's Walmart). Pearl and Red Ginseng face masks are my favorite. I like ones that clean my face without too much moisturizer. Moisturizing face masks make my face feel gummy the next day. Do you have a favorite mask?
//
Anyway, I love Mara Rutherford's play with beauty and pearls in her upcoming novel! She deals with the pressure to be beautiful in a beautiful way. Twins Zadie and Nor are pressured by their mother to be the most beautiful women in the village. While this pressure hurts the twins, they understand it comes from a place of love as well. So many manifestos against beauty call those who care shallow (not saying Zadie and Nor’s mother is/isn’t shallow - she might be, you will have to read and decide).
//
I refused to wear makeup for years because I didn’t want to seem shallow. Then I realized I was just afraid. I remember my mom saying, “makeup is just to highlight the beauty already there.” I’m still not a daily makeup-wearer (because lazy), but I realized my inner bias and celebrate those who want to do it everyday (and are so much much much better at it than me ~jealousy ~ ) too!

~~~~~POST 3~~~~~
BOOK REVIEW
[Crown of Coral and Pearls] Twin sisters fight to save their floating village.
//
WHAT I LIKED
As the oldest of three sisters, I loved Mara Rutherford's description of Nor and Zadie’s sisterly affection. Rutherford does an amazing job using the main character’s voice to form connections within the story. Nor and Zadie live in the middle of the ocean, and the sea-themed metaphors pop up in the unlikeliest of places! Rutherford uses her character knowledge of the world to bring them to life. I also loved how Rutherford dealt with beauty throughout her work.
//
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE
I wish the main bad guy wasn’t so thoroughly bad. It would have made the story more dynamic and less predictable. There are a few thrown-in lines depicting why he might not be so bad, but they aren’t really developed. It made his character rather static when there was a great opportunity for an inner struggle.
//
Crown of Coral and Pearl (by Mara Rutherford) ⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️4/5
//
Would recommend to fans of: Sarah J. Maas, Maggie Stiefvater
//

I thought this was extremely readable. It's well-written and compelling enough to want to finish. I just have been struggling with YA fantasy lately. But a lot of this book felt really familiar. A beautiful maiden, a sullen & smirking prince, a girl thrust into luxurious royal life, falling for the alternative love interest, etc.

Except for the obsession with scars. I found it incredibly jarring. Almost every character either proclaims or sadly agrees that any skin blemish is literally the most disgusting thing ever, and it's never really challenged. Even by the end, I found the attempts at addressing it unsubstantial. The way Nor's facial scar is described is just nonsensical. It's so small and light you can barely see it, yet apparently it's the first thing anyone notices and is incredibly memorable. The idea of her being 'ruined' for it is just so absurd to me that I found it more unbelievable than the magic healing coral or mystical sea spirits.

And for an alleged "queendom", there was some of the lowest levels of female agency that I've seen in a while. If the aim was to make anyone on the island of Varenia even somewhat sympathetic, it did not come across. It's probably not the best sign when an entire population is threatened with extinction and my first reaction is 'GOOD'.

I'm not sure if the ending is a set up for a sequel, but I think it would be best as a stand-alone. I liked the relationship between the sisters, but the romance(s) felt forced. And the villain seemed to just do whatever would make the story most interesting for the protagonist. Although I think a lot of people will enjoy this, it just wasn't my favorite.

This book certainly had some good things going for it. The sister relationship throughout the story was spectacular. I love when you run across positive sibling and familial connections in stories if only because they are so rare. I also loved how fierce our main character, Nor, is. She does what she thinks is right and puts her whole self into it. There is nothing halfway with Nor, she is all in with everything she does and it was fun to go with her on her journey.

Despite my love of the characters, the plot of this book felt a little thin. There was so much seemingly going on in the background that the reader didn’t get to take part in and that was very frustrating. A fierce queen from the south is mentioned several times but you never encounter her which was a huge let down because the story had really pumped you up for her big moment…which then never came. There is also a character whose fate is left dangling at the end but you are just told outright, “Oh, he’ll be fine!” and you as the reader are just supposed to believe it. That didn’t jive with me.

As a whole, this was a good book. Not great, not terrible, but good. There were some great parts and then other bits that really left me wanting. This author is going to do wonderful things, she seems to have all of the building blocks at her disposal, and I will definitely pick up her work in the future.

Crown of Coral and Pearl is much more than the story of naive, beautiful sisters that I thought it was going to be. As I first started reading Zadie and Nor's story I felt like I had read this book before. There were pieces of the story that felt familiar, and any books where characters put a ridiculous amount of someone's worth on their beauty makes me wary. Don't worry though because this book was continually surprising. Coral and Pearl tells a story of two sisters and two peoples, both total opposites and full of mystery. Varenia is a people that live in the ocean and they send their most beautiful girl to marry the prince of the land, Ilara. Zadie has always been the obvious choice after her sister got her scar, but when Nor has to take her sister's place she is thrown in the heart of centuries of palace intrigue.
I was pretty hesitant when it came to the sisters since they placed so much importance on beauty, and Zadie's attitude and Nor's quick tendency to sacrifice her life for her sister, but it was nice to watch Nor realize she had more to contribute to her life and her people than just her face. The people of Ilara are so different than the people of Varenia who we spend the first half of the book with. Rutherford did an impeccable job telling this story of two sisters, two princes, and two countries at odds.

Loved it!

Likes; - A great female lead character reflecting strength as well as beauty, integrity, bravery, and a loving nature. She is a truly an every woman. Marred by her scar, always in the shadow of her “flawless” twin sister Nor lives with a ferocity governed by the love of her people. Raised by a vain and hateful mother she maintains her sense of community and takes action for and not in spite of her sister Zadie.
- I loved the community in the village on the water. Preaching love and caring for one another at all costs while battling hunger, sea creatures and the dangerous blood coral that can kill but also provides the pearls which they depend on. Completely dependant on a monarchy that keeps the village in ignorance

Dislikes: - a bit predictable. You know before you even begin that Nor will end of travelling to mainland and not her sister despite being chosen. Additionally it’s always a bad prince and his amazing healthier, sexier brother that isn’t the heir to the throne.
- Nor’s Healing ability in addition to the properties of the Blood Coral aren’t clear. It seemed to pop up when she was in the capital and I wasn’t fully aware of it when she was trying to hide things from Prince
Ceran
- I question the villages ignorance. A small town that travels far and wide to fish and dive, suffering from famine and no one tried to smuggle themselves in to land because of stories that are a hundred years old? Why has a revolt never occurred? Also how are they getting their supplies and fresh water from the mainland? Nothings really clear on that front.

All in all I think it’s great! It was fast paced and I was completely engaged and flipping far too many pages per night when I should have been sleeping!

The Crown of Coral and Pearl is a fantasy and a bit of mythology mixed genre centered around our main character Nor who lives in a community that lives out in the middle of the ocean and can never leave unless they are picked to marry the king's son. In the meantime, they hunt for pearls. Nor and her twin sister hunt for pearls, though that supply is dwindling down by the days. When the time comes for another girl to leave the ocean village and go to the mainland. When an accident happens to Nor twin, she must go in her place. Nor comes to find that not everything is what it seems and life and death have become her only two playing cards. Nor must decide what's more important her life or her family and everyone she left behind. As the war starts to brew and secrets come to light. The time to decide what tradition must be broken or kept or they will be lost forever...
A really enjoyable book and interesting storyline, I enjoyed the dynamic between Nor and her sister, and I'm excited to see what the author does with the storyline.

This book had so much promise but I just have too many issues with it to have loved it.

The first third of the book was the best part. I love the sister bond between Nor and Zadie. I love the world building and learning more about the history of Varenia, Nor’s oceanic homeland and Ilara, the mysterious kingdom that controls their supply. I really liked Nor in the beginning. I felt great sympathy for her with her overbearing mother. I love seeing her and her sister together. Really the beginning was the best. Then Nor left her home to get married to Prince Ceren...oh boy. It just went downhill from there.

It was fine until a little while after she got to her new home. She became this naive and foolish character which I just couldn’t get onboard with anymore. She kept trying to get information about what was really going on in Ilara, but I couldn’t understand what was the point of it. Like what exactly did she think she would do with it. Her people have pretty much no power and no powerful allies to help. They can’t leave without a death penalty for stepping on land. What is telling her friend, Sami, going to do for them. Absolutely nothing.

Prince Ceren was in charge and her fiancé. He was horrible, cold, paranoid and cruel and I found his character to be incredibly interesting. Nor doesn’t fall for him but instead falls for his brother, Prince Talin. The romance had potential but was completely underdeveloped and superficial. They didn’t spend enough time together and Nor fell for him for his looks at first which is fine but I didn’t feel anything for this relationship in the end.

The ending was so neatly tied up and could have benefitted with a bit more wrap up for some of the characters from her home because when she got back it was in shambles. Then it was like okay, that’s enough. The end. Ummm...but what about...nope, the end. The whole woman king story could have made this epic if we have had seen more of these rebels throughout the story but it was mentioned in passing then was the answer to all of their problems. Just too neat of an ending.

Overall, this book could have been great. The only reason it didn’t get a 2 star rating was the sister bond and the world building, otherwise it was just so okay and underwhelming.

*This review is currently posted on my Goodreads.*

"Crown of Coral and Pearl" has just about everything I want of a fantasy within it.

*New but very vivid settings? Check.
*A mythology/backstory that feels unique? Check.
*A framework that feels very fairytale and yet credible at the same time? Check.
*Girlpower? Check again,
And so on. (I could list more items, but to do so would be to spoil more elements of the book.)

In short, "Crown of Coral and Pearl" surprised me by how much fun I had reading it, and I can feel an opening for a second book in the air. (If so, I'll buy it. Hint, hint, to the publisher!)

If all of the above appeals to you--if you like Sarah J. Maas' work, if you liked "The Hunger Games"--just go ahead and grab it, too. If you're like me, you'll have a blast.

This debut novel of Mara Rutherford is both riveting and written remarkably well! She brings the characters to life in such a way that I found myself loving and loathing particular ones in equal measure. The main character, Nor, was especially intriguing and likable. Nor grew up with her twin sister, Zadie, in Varenia where the girls were primed from birth to be the most beautiful and have the honor of being chosen to wife the Ilarean king. Nor knows that her beautiful sister will be chosen, due to a scar on her cheek from an accident in her youth. However, after Zadie is choosen, an incident leaves her badly injured and Nor takes her place. Nor has always dreamed of leaving their small sea life to see more of the world and sees this as the perfect opportunity.

Yet, once Nor reaches the castle and meets the cruel prince she is to marry, Ceren, she begins to realize that her small town life may not have been as stifling as she once thought it was. In a plot line reminiscent of Victoria Aveyard's Red Queen, Nor is caught up in the dangerous games at court and finds herself engaged to a cruel and wicked man while desiring his brother.

I thought the character development of Nor was fantastic. At the end, she was a different person in many ways. While still fiercely loyal to those she loves, she was tougher after the trials she had gone through and had an even stronger resolve and determination. Talin was probably one of my favorite characters. He is so good and honest, in contrast to Ceren's cruelness, yet he still has a lot of layers as a person. I would have loved to see more interaction between him and Nor, but their scenes together were satisfying and I hope there will be more in the next book. Ceren, while easy to detest, is a complicated character that really comes to life in the book. While I couldn't stand him, I also found him fascinating and enjoyed reading the scenes with him as well. Zadie's transformation at the end of the book is also apparent. While we don't see her growth, as the main character, Nor, is not with her through most of the book, it is obvious that she has been through much adversity after Nor left, and that she has become stronger than the timid girl she once was. The other characters were also engaging and added much to the story as well.

"My people had a saying about home...:A Varenian can never be lost at sea, because he calls the entire ocean home. But they were wrong...Home was not a house, or a village, or a sea. It was family, and love, and the space where your soul could roost, like a seabird safe from the storm.”

Despite her home and family in Varenia not being perfect, I love how Nor realizes that it is still home and that the grass is not greener on the other side. While she had wanted so badly to leave at the beginning of the book, she comes full circle in wanting to desperately go back as the book progresses.

"I realized that my world had never been small. It had been as boundless as my love for Zadie, stretching out before me as far as the eye could see and beyond. Perhaps I had needed to leave to learn how precious it really was."

I especially loved this quote from the story. I think that many of us do need to experience "the other side" to appreciate what we have. Whether it be moving to a different town for college to appreciate one's quaint hometown or loss to appreciate what one does have. Nor needed this too to realize that everything she had been looking for had been right where she had been her whole life: It was just her perspective that needed to change. This also illustrates the love between Nor and Zadie. We hear a lot of comparisons at the beginning of the story. While Nor fiercely loves her sister then too, she doesn't love being compared to her constantly as people would pick apart their differences. She eventually realizes that they are much more alike than others may have seen and that their likeness bonded them. While there is a romantic element to the story, Nor's bond with her sister plays the star role in this novel, highlighting the depths she will go through for Zadie to ensure her safety and happiness, no matter how much bravery and sacrifice it required of Nor.

This book was captivating and I found that I could not put it down until I finished it. I savored each page, yet couldn't wait to turn to the next to find out what happened next. The writing was far superior to most other debut novels I have read and I am so elated to see what this author will do next. I am sure that she will become a household name among YA dystopian if this book is any indication of the quality of writing that will continue.
I was honestly so disappointed to find that Rutherford did not have any other novels, as I had planned to read them after this book. However, hopefully she comes out with a sequel to this soon. Really soon. Please?!?