YA Dystopia Review: Acid by Emma Pass

Acid by Emma Pass


Egalley courtesy of Random House

Synopsis from Goodreads
2113. In Jenna Strong’s world, ACID – the most brutal, controlling police force in history – rule supreme. No throwaway comment or muttered dissent goes unnoticed – or unpunished. And it was ACID agents who locked Jenna away for life, for a bloody crime she struggles to remember.

The only female inmate in a violent high-security prison, Jenna has learned to survive by any means necessary. And when a mysterious rebel group breaks her out, she must use her strength, speed and skill to stay one step ahead of ACID – and to uncover the truth about what really happened on that dark night two years ago.


Amazon  US/UK | Amazon kindle US/UK | The Book Depository US/UK | Fishpond

5/10

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You know what? I want to avoid bashing Acid, because a lot of you loved this book, so in my third attempt to review it I'll try to keep it short so it won't dissolve into a rant.



I felt disappointed in this book because Emma started as this strong young heroine who fights against all odds despite the improbability of succeeding in all male high security prison, but as soon as she is whisked away that drive goes out of the window.

Emma is impulsive and makes stupid mistakes throughout the whole book (the ending especially pissed me off). The resistance is, pardon me, slacking to a point where I just couldn't take it seriously.

Max, the romantic interest (because of course there has to be one!) is a constant damsel in distress that needs to be saved.

The Commander is a cackling villain, and I have no idea how this farce of a government was allowed to continue imposing its regime on England when all they've done is made the poor poorer and built a lot of walls around. They somehow managed to get rid of all books and wipe out the past and shut down the Internet, while the rest of the world continues as normal just across the Channel and is waiting to intervene.

There are some brilliant moments in world-building, but overall it's just meh. I look for inspiration in dystopias the likes of which I found in The Hunger Games, V for Vendetta and The Book of Eli, but I could not see it here unfortunately.

* * *
Честно говоря, Кислота это совершенно безвкуснейшая вещь. Это конечно мое личное мнение, так как рейтинг у книги довольно высокий на Гудридс, но меня заморачивала истеричная и импульсивная героиня - Дженна, считающая что на ней и её желаниях сошёлся весь мир, из-за чего страдали невинные люди.

Само построение мира тоже совершенно неважнецкое несмотря на некоторые интересные моменты. Ну диктатура стоит в Англии, где браслеты идентификации и стены разделяют различные классы, нечего есть и 18-летние девушки вступают в брак с положенным им партнёром, достигнув совершеннолетия.

Как к этому дошла Англия объясняется слабо, а также почему люди оттуда никак не могут махнуть когда через Ла-Манш в Европе всё нормально. Также не объясняется как в стране избавились от всех средств коммуникации и истории, рассказывающей о демократическом прошлом за очень короткое время. Слушайте, даже в В для Вендетты такого не было. Полностью нельзя уничтожить всё, и цитируя бессмертного Булгакова:

"Рукописи не горят."
Также в Кислоте присутствует очень популярная любовь с первого взгляда, очень слабенькое сопротивление и карикатурный диктатор. В общем, *вздох* читайте на свой страх и риск.

Comments

  1. Well, that sure sucks, that a strong heroine cannot stay strong throughout the book. I hope your next dystopian is better.

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  2. Oh pooh! The library has it *sad face*

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  3. Oh dear. The only part that interests me is the fact that the boy needs to be saved, which does get annoying, but at least it's not tropey like a GIRL needing to be saved. Reminds me of the Ashfall books. Haha. Boy is pretty hopeless and Darla's a boss.

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  4. i wouldn't have thought this was YA! sounds like it had some flaws though. I don't think i would have liked the heroine either.

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  5. I see what the government is doing and I can totally understand how fictional Britain fell into the mess in ACID. We're an island, it easy to get cut off (it saved us in WWII) and I liked the fact that the rest of the world existed, It annoys me so much when one city is described as the whole world. I'm pretty OK with not liking characters when it's a political dystopian. Because there are so few that actually deal with politics at all :)

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  6. I really need to believe the world building no matter how far-fetched and it sounds like the heroine didn't have any growth. Great review!

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  7. oh it's sad I was expecting something awesome and well, it seems it's not the case...

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  8. Wow. Sorry you had a hard time with her. I was hoping for good thoughts on this one. Thank you!

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  9. I just love your honesty Karina.. and your restraint. :) makes you a trustworthy reviewer.

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  10. Well that sucks, sorry this one was mostly a letdown for you! I was hoping this one would live up to my expectations but from how you described Emma to the lackluster world-building, I think that all would bother me too so I may pass on this one entirely. I'm certainly in no big rush anymore! Thanks for your honesty, great review :)

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