REVIEW: New World: Rising by Jennifer Wilson

Since witnessing her parents' murders at the age of eleven, Phoenix's only purpose in life has been to uphold her mother's dying words- to be strong and survive. But surviving outside of The Walls- outside of The Sanctuary- is more like a drawn-out death sentence. A cruel and ruthless city, Tartarus is run by the Tribes whose motto is simple, "Join or die." Refusing to join and determined to live, Phoenix fights to survive in this savage world. Trusting no one, she lives as a rogue, fending only for herself. Then in a moment of rash judgment, she breaks all of her rules to save a child, and in that moment her life is turned upside down. When the rescue mission goes awry, Phoenix is captured by an underground group who claims no allegiance with either the Tribes nor The Sanctuary. She finds herself in the most dangerous game of survival she has ever played. In her captivity, only one person- the handsome and oddly sympathetic Triven- shows Phoenix something she has never before experienced: kindness. While warring with unfamiliar emotions and still skeptical of her captors' motives, Phoenix quickly realizes that these people may just hold the key to her lost memories. But who can she trust, when no one can be trusted? Not even herself.
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Rate:

4 of 5 stars 

★ ★ ★ ★

Review:

I received a free paperback of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I must admit, when I read the first few pages of this book it felt like I was reading Divergent. Within the world that Jennifer Wilson creates there are five different tribes, each with their own defining features and virtues, that live contained within a bordered wall. Although they share this similarity, this is no Divergent. This story is in a world all its own and is nothing short of thrilling. The protagonist, Phoenix, is a resilient character who was forced from a very young age to rely on no one but herself, and a select few who she can barter with for the things that she simply cannot obtain on her own. For the past six years she has managed to survive and make a life for herself in a city where the enemy is hiding in every corner. Her life is completely turned upside down when, in a moment of complete bewilderment, she decides to save the life of someone other than herself. However brave and selfless her act of salvation is, she does not escape unscathed. In a now precarious situation, she is surrounded by a new world, or so it seems to her. Hidden within the world she thought she knew so well lies a third party of people unlike the vicious tribes and unlike the perceived utopia of The Sanctuary. This new group challenges everything Phoenix thought she knew and thrusts upon her Triven, the kindness in him more shocking than anything else in her new environment. At war with herself and her surroundings, Phoenix will do whatever it takes to stay alive and survive. Even when I thought I knew what would happen next, I was incredibly thrown off by one of Wilson's incredible plot twists. With a writing style all her own, Jennifer Wilson creates a world that not only captivates, but consumes entirely, the attention of the reader. I can't wait to see where else this story will go and what new surprises Wilson will have for these characters that I have, in a short amount of time, completely fallen in love with. 

Reviewer:

Nancy