Review: Taken by Erin Bowman

Taken by Erin Bowman

There are no men in Claysoot. There are boys—but every one of them vanishes at midnight on his eighteenth birthday. The ground shakes, the wind howls, a blinding light descends…and he’s gone.
They call it the Heist.
Gray Weathersby’s eighteenth birthday is mere months away, and he’s prepared to meet his fate–until he finds a strange note from his mother and starts to question everything he’s been raised to accept: the Council leaders and their obvious secrets. The Heist itself. And what lies beyond the Wall that surrounds Claysoot–a structure that no one can cross and survive.
Climbing the Wall is suicide, but comes after the Heist could be worse. Should he sit back and wait to be taken–or risk everything on the hope of the other side?

Publishes in US: April 16th 2013 by HarperTeen
Genre: YA Dystopia
Source: Harper Teen via Edelweiss
Series? Yes. The 1st in Taken Series. The 2nd still untitled releases in 2014, and the 3rd still untitled releases in 2015

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    I liked Gray, he is impulsive, but caring. Though I didn't agree with every decision or action, I still enjoyed him as a narrator. It was different being in a boy's head that thought like him. There was also a lot of emotion right at the beginning because his older brother was to be heisted, meaning he would disappear in less than 24 hours when the book started. 

    This def was a strange world and it took me a while to get accustomed in it. Not only the 18 year old boys vanish, which I can buy because I figure he is going to figure out more of the why and how for that, but even if not, okay it is a paranormal book and allowances are made. Why are there vampires? How does a human transform into a werewolf? Right, so... but anyways, in this world set-up there are "slatings" where each month the boy is with another girl, and although these can be extended, it is general practice for the boys to sleep with a different girl every month. Okay, I get that they want for the populations to continue, but why not just have one boy with one girl? Anyways, it was just different, not bad per se, but I am used to a love triangle at most, not what our society would basically consider promiscuity. 

    There was a lot that caught my attention, his emotions, his voice, the mystery of what is different about him, knowing that he would probably go over the wall because of the lead up in the synopsis, and Emma. She works with her mom as a healer, and I really liked her spirit. I liked getting to know her better, and the moments she shared with Gray. 

    As the book goes on, new characters, and situations are encountered, each more surprising than the last. I didn't know who to really trust, or who might get hurt next. I liked the twists that the book took though, and I am eager to read more in this series, and find out what happens next, and what decisions Gray will make. 

Bottom Line: Nice beginning to a trilogy that was packed with action and surprises.

My question to you, my lovely readers:
Risk everything or play it safe?