Dystopian societies can go really well or really bad. I was a fan of The Hunger Games, that’s past tense by the way, so I was rightfully cautious about pouring my heart into a book that would most likely end in a twisted love triangle and everyone else dead or just abandoned completely.

Thankfully, that didn’t happen here.

There are things about Red that draw you in. Dystopian world, first of all. Everyone and everything on lockdown, fast paced action scenes, excellent writing with delicate detail and complex characters. A strong female lead who doesn’t back down in the face of danger. There is so much to like here, I’m trying—really trying—to think of something I didn’t actually like.

I’ll let you know when that happens.

I liked that the character’s name was Red, very cool or very cliché, you decide. But I liked it. So simple yet powerful. This character speaks to the readers as not just a female but a hero in general. How far are you willing to go to find help for the ones you care for? How much can you handle? How much can you risk? How much will you put on the line?

You can challenge yourself while reading this book. You can ask yourself if you have the wherewithal to face the woods without regret and dare to think you will come back the same.

An excellent psychological thriller that I would recommend to readers of all ages. There is some gore in there but it’s not enough to send the kids to bed with nightmares.

What I liked most about this book was the opening. The tone and the pacing was set right from the start which definitely got me interested. I didn’t know the whole situation right off the bat but I could pick up on the author’s style and I liked it right away. Witt writes like she’s been doing this for fifty years with a team of creative advisors backing her every step of the way.

There’s only so many things that can happen in a dystopian book. The world is corrupt, in walks the rebel protagonist to shake things up. The Watch is just a bit cooler than that in the fact that Witt isn’t afraid to go there in her writing. There are multiple deaths, violent ones, and it kind of shakes you when you read. This is real. That’s the message that seeped through the pages of this book. The writing takes you to the next level. Its hard not to get sucked into Optica which I truly enjoyed. I like feeling like this is happening right now, right in front of me…for a book that chills you to the bone, that can be a good and bad thing.

I would recommend this to any fans of The Hunger Games or other dystopian novels. YA readers will especially love this thriller. The ending obviously points to the next book in the series so if you want to pick up a great series starter, I would suggest you start here. You won’t be disappointed.

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*