Book Blurb:
Rival by Cindy R. Wilson
Genre: YA Contemporary
Release Date: October 7th 2019
Entangled Teen
For years, our families have had one rule: We leave them alone. They leave us alone.
When Juno caught me scavenging for supplies in her family’s territory, I had no idea that the war between our two families was about to be pushed to the edge.
But she takes a chance on me. Trusts me. Lets me go.
Now there’s a greater threat to both sides. Someone’s stealing from my family, too.
And it’s up to me to find the thief before anyone else. Because if I can’t, both sides will blame each other. Rule broken. Game over. No one wins.
My only ally is Juno. The one girl I can’t be found with. The one girl who tempts me like no other. She’s the definition of off-limits. If our families knew how we look at each other, and kiss each other…
Star-crossed doesn’t even begin to describe our fate.
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He was quiet and careful as he approached the water, continuing to watch the shore for any danger. He spotted the nets easily, just between the orange markers someone had put up. But when his shoe caught on a line of rope, he cursed and stumbled, catching himself so he wouldn’t drop face-first into the water.
Maddox squinted and reached for the rope. He gave it a tug. Heavy. He pulled with both hands, dragging in the line until he saw some sort of basket, something like the metal traps he used for rats. But this one wasn’t holding a rat. It was holding…a crab?
He blinked. Why hadn’t his community done something like this a long time ago? Fish and crab? They’d have food every single day. They’d—
A flicker of movement in the corner of his eye had Maddox jumping to his feet, stomach dropping in a moment of pure panic. He whipped around just in time to dodge a kick aimed right at his middle.
Water splashed on his pants as he stumbled backward into the surf. The person was smaller than him, lunging faster than he could blink. He reached automatically for his knife—a sharp piece of metal he’d scavenged from the bridge—but their attack came too fast.
One minute he was dodging a blade, and the next, he was flat on his back. Waves surged up the shore. They splashed his face, and he choked on a mouthful of water, barely rolling out of the way when the attacker came at him again. He blinked through the sting of saltwater to get his bearings. Then he swept his leg out and felt it connect. Years of instinct from fighting with his brother had him up in an instant. He yanked out his knife, crouched over the figure, and pressed the blade to their throat.
“Thief!” she shouted.
Maddox almost dropped the knife when he heard a woman’s voice. And when her hood fell back, revealing long hair that looked almost black in the surf, his breath caught. A girl? That’s who’d brought him down?
She’d lost her knife, and he caught the glint of it next to her in the sand. When she shifted to grab it, he pressed his blade closer to her throat. “Don’t you dare.”
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My Review:
3.5 Out Of 5 Stars
Genre: Dystopian, Romance, Teen--
When Juno goes out to check the nets for fish, she finds them empty, as if someone stole her catch, the catch her people rely on to survive. Instead, she finds Maddox, a boy who is from across the boundary, a boy who should never be on her side, a boy who is suppose to be her enemy. Maddox crossed the boundary out of curiosity, but when he discovers his people were robbed too, the teens decide to do the unthinkable and team up to discover the truth.
Cindy is fabulous at creating depth and realism to her characters, you feel what they feel and understand how they think. Rival was another example of this at work, and this time we get dual narration between Maddox and Juno. Alternating at chapters, the story unfolds from both character's perspective, two opposing sides of the conflict. Juno and Maddox were always told those on the other side of the boundary were their enemies, yet here they are teaming up to solve the same issues, learning that what makes someone an enemy may not be as clear cut as they expected.
Juno does not fit in, she struggles to make herself useful and needed since she is told on a regular basis that she is unwanted, unworthy. Her parents are dead and she has but one friend, the only person who seems to care about her at all. Juno struggles with loneliness and self-worth, both such real and heart-wrenching emotions. Maddox feels discontent with his life and the status of being separated, frustrated that none of his questions are addressed or that nobody seems to want more from life. He was curious and friendly, the perfect combination to help Juno break out of her shell and show her her worth.
Here is the one thing that I think I struggled with the most in the story. The book seems like a dystopian, set in a world after some kind of war or event occurred dividing people. But there was not a whole lot of world building that took place, basically we are dropped into this story just as Juno and Maddox meet and the book is predominantly about their relationship developing I think this would be best described as a romance that happens to have a dystopian setting to help create a conflict to move the plot. Also, there is hardly any action at all, and only minimal conversation, mainly the story is internal monologue from each of the characters. I found it a little difficult for me to get into the book because my expectations were somewhere else entirely, not expecting a romance but an action/dystopian adventure.
Overall this was a quick read, perfect for those who are looking for a clean romance fix with strong emotions and self discovery.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this title.
Cindy lives at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, and loves using Colorado towns and cities as inspiration for settings in her stories. She's the mother of three girls, who provide plenty of fodder for her YA novels. Cindy writes speculative fiction and YA fiction, filled with a healthy dose of romance. You'll often find her hiking or listening to any number of playlists while she comes up with her next story idea.
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Blog Tour provided by YA Bound Book Tours
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