Today I'm helping to kick off the tour for
THE KINGDOM
by Jess Rothenberg!!
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| UK cover |
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| US cover |
{My Review}
Short review: I. Loved. This. Book.
A little longer review: The Kingdom is not to be missed. No matter if you "don't usually like sci fi. Or you "don't normally go for dystopia". This latter one is me, actually. The Kingdom takes science fiction a little deeper in taking an imaginative look at what it means to be human. Told in a fast-paced unique format that includes, interviews, trial transcipts, security footage, and more, this mind-blowing novel is Westworld meets a crazy exaggerated DisneyWorld.
Ana and her "sisters" are hybrid A.I. theme park princesses, called Fantasists, created to help visitors to the park fill their everywhere fantasy adventure. The story captured my attention from the very beginning by making one thing clear---Ana has been accused of murder. And as the story unfolds, it poses the questions, not only did she do it? But as an A.I., can she be held responsible if she did? In any given situation, she is programmed to react a certain way---does that make her ultimately innocent? All of this spins off in a wild tale as Ana seems to grow a consciousness that isn't in her programming, meets and is baffled by her growing fascination with Owen, a park maintenance worker, and starts to feel unrest among her sisters and in her own role as a fantacist.
They are led to believe that they world has gotten so bad outside their gates that people flock to the park to escape their misery. Even most animal life has gone extinct so the park scientists have recreated them for the visitor's experience. The line starts to blur when other aspects of the park prove not to be all she thought they were and Ana's trust in the people closest to her starts to unravel. It smartly touches on potent subjects such as human rights, humane treatment of animals, artificial creation of life, self-harm, and most of all, the objectification of women, whether they be A.I. or not.
Completely compelling, thought provoking, beautifully diverse, and just all-around wonderfully done. The ending manages to be just as completely jaw-dropping as it is hopeful. This is definitely one that I'll be adding to my shelf of favorites and recommending every chance I get.
{Book details}
♦published by Henry Holt & Company
♦release date: May 28th, 2019
♦hardcover, 352 pages
♦intended audience: Young adult
♦stand-alone
JESS ROTHENBERG is a writer and freelance editor who grew up in Charleston, South Carolina. A former editor of books for young readers, including the #1 International Bestselling Vampire Academy series, Jess lives in New York City with her husband, son, and cat-who-thinks-he’s-a-dog, Charlie. Her debut novel for teens, The Catastrophic History of You & Me, has been translated into more than a dozen languages.
Purchase the book: Indiebound • BookDepository • Amazon
{About The Author}
JESS ROTHENBERG is a writer and freelance editor who grew up in Charleston, South Carolina. A former editor of books for young readers, including the #1 International Bestselling Vampire Academy series, Jess lives in New York City with her husband, son, and cat-who-thinks-he’s-a-dog, Charlie. Her debut novel for teens, The Catastrophic History of You & Me, has been translated into more than a dozen languages. 
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