Review: Possession by Elana Johnson

Title: Possession

Author: Elana Johnson

Series: I would bet 1st in series

Pages: 416

Published: Available June 11 from Simon & Schuster

ISBN: 9781442417618

Source: Around The World Tours

Description: Vi knows the Rule: Girls don't walk with boys, and they never even think about kissing them. But no one makes Vi want to break the Rules more than Zenn...and since the Thinkers have chosen him as Vi's future match, how much trouble can one kiss cause? The Thinkers may have brainwashed the rest of the population, but Vi is determined to think for herself. But the Thinkers are unusually persuasive, and they're set on convincing Vi to become one of them...starting by brainwashing Zenn. Vi can't leave Zenn in the Thinkers' hands, but she's wary of joining the rebellion, especially since that means teaming up with Jag. Jag is egotistical, charismatic, and dangerous--everything Zenn's not. Vi can't quite trust Jag and can't quite resist him, but she also can't give up on Zenn. This is a game of control or be controlled. And Vi has no choice but to play.

I Give This ...

I have two words for this book, forgettable and confusing.  I knew while reading this that it would be a book that wouldn't really leave an impression.  I spent too much time trying to decipher how this world functioned and the various terms and ideas presented and not nearly enough time getting to know the characters.

I wanted to like Vi.  At first she seems like the bright spot in a dismal world.  Everything is so tightly controlled and monitored and she refuses to comply.  Of course she's arrested and imprisoned not long after the book begins.  This is when the story goes down hill.  She's imprisoned with Jag, and I mean in his cell with him.  The rest of the prison is empty.  Both are then sentenced to be tagged and banished to Freedom.  Freedom is under complete control of the Thinkers and there they will be basically reprogrammed.  For Jag, this seemed an appropriate sentence but really extreme for Vi.  Which led me to believe that there was more to Vi than we know.  Jag and Vi escape (of course they do) and head to the only place that offers asylum to people like them.  Turns out Jag and Vi do have something in common.

When Vi discovers what she can really do and why they want her, I begin to wonder how she never figured out this before.  Things fall into place way to easily for her, almost at her will.  At the same time, it like her moves are known to well.  The Thinkers always seem to be one step ahead of her.  There are too many unknowns to factor into the story.  Things that Vi doesn't know, but everyone else seems to be aware of.

I also didn't really feel the love triangle in the story.  Jag seemed placed in front of her.  He's the image of everything she's every been told is wrong and bad in this world.  But, yet he's nothing like what she thinks he should be.  I could never figure out Zen and what side he was really on.  It confused the hell out of me.

In the end, I didn't dislike the book enough not to finish it.  But, it left very little of an impression on me.  It's one of those book you finish and have very little thought of it afterwards.