Girl in the Arena
By: Lise Haines
Synopsis (From Goodreads):
It’s a fight to the death—on live TV—when a gladiator’s daughter steps into the arenaLyn is a neo-gladiator’s daughter, through and through. Her mother has made a career out of marrying into the high-profile world of televised blood sport, and the rules of the Gladiator Sports Association are second nature to their family. Always lend ineffable confidence to the gladiator. Remind him constantly of his victories. And most importantly: Never leave the stadium when your father is dying. The rules help the family survive, but rules—and the GSA—can also turn against you. When a gifted young fighter kills Lyn’s seventh father, he also captures Lyn’s dowry bracelet, which means she must marry him... For fans of The Hunger Games and Fight Club, Lise Haines’ debut novel is a mesmerizing look at a world addicted to violence—a modern world that’s disturbingly easy to imagine.
My Review:
My first thought when I read this book was that it was a Hunger Games knockoff. Not that that's a bad thing, I loved that book. But, this was definitely a different type of gladiator book.
I really liked the culture that Lise Haines created in this book. Many of the things that exist in our society today were present in this book but with a much more cruel and violent twist. For instance, the paparazzi were hounding those involved in the fights, but they were so aggressive in their pursuits that people died. Like Hunger Games, I was left feeling like the society in Girl in the Arena was just one step away from our own.
Lyn was a great female protagonist. She was smart and really looked out for herself. Even though she was hardened by the many tragic experiences in her life, I really loved the way she took care of her younger brother. Especially given the weird relationship that she had with her mother.
At first I wasn't very impressed by the way that the book began. The writing was fine, but the format was a little weird. After the first chapter though, it's explained and it made a lot more sense. It still wasn't really comfortable to read, but maybe that was the point...
Overall a wonderful book especially for those that like dystopia.
Book-A-Likes: Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
My Rating:
5 Stars!
Profanity: Mild
Drugs and Alcohol: Mild
Sexuality: None
Violence: Quite a bit. And it's pretty graphically described. This book was much more gory than Hunger Games. If descriptions of violence are offensive to you; you may want to stay away from this one.
