Book of Ivy Book Review

Synopsis:
After a brutal nuclear war, the United States was left decimated. A small group of survivors eventually banded together, but only after more conflict over which family would govern the new nation. The Westfalls lost. Fifty years later, peace and control are maintained by marrying the daughters of the losing side to the sons of the winning group in a yearly ritual. 

This year, it is my turn. 

My name is Ivy Westfall, and my mission is simple: to kill the president’s son—my soon-to-be husband—and restore the Westfall family to power. 

But Bishop Lattimer is either a very skilled actor or he’s not the cruel, heartless boy my family warned me to expect. He might even be the one person in this world who truly understands me. But there is no escape from my fate. I am the only one who can restore the Westfall legacy.

Because Bishop must die. And I must be the one to kill him…

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

My Review: 

I received a free copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

It’s the year 2075, fifty years after a nuclear war has destroyed the Untited States.  A small group of 10,000 survivors band together and live within the gates.  No one has ventured beyond them for fear of what they may encounter.

Sixteen year old Ivy Westfall is the granddaughter of the founder of Westfall, this is the first year that the founder and president’s family will be united.  But Ivy has been trained for two years for another mission; to kill her husband, the future president, Bishop Lattimer.  But the line becomes fuzzy when after spending time with him she learns he’s different.  When the truth come out her mother’s death, realization hits home that nothing may be what it seems.  Will Ivy have the heart to murder the man she’s falling for?  Could this sweet young man be the tyrant her father says he will become? 

This book was extremely plausible, as many dystopian novels are.  You can understand the need for arranged marriages with the hopes of increasing the population.  In the same way, however, you can understand the people’s need for the freedom of choice.  I enjoyed the way we got to watch Ivy mature before our eyes and slowly watch her fall in love with Bishop.  From what I can see, I think Bishop has always loved her.  I honestly can’t wait for book two, to find out if he goes after her or if he falls for Callie’s advances.  This was a fantastic dystopian novel, very engrossing and one that was very hard to put down.  A must read if you enjoy a dystopian novel with a sweet romance mixed in.

About Amy Engel:

I was born in Kansas and after a childhood spent bouncing between countries (Iran, Taiwan) and states (Kansas, California, Missouri, Washington, D.C.), I settled in Kansas City, Missouri where I live with my husband and two kids. Before devoting myself full time to motherhood and writing, I was a criminal defense attorney, which is not quite as exciting as it looks on television. When I have a free moment, I can usually be found reading, running, or shoe shopping.Connect with Amy: Website | Twitter