Renegade- Elysium Chronicles #1

Rating- 5/5
Summary (Goodreads)- Since the age of three, sixteen-year-old Evelyn Winters has been trained to be Daughter of the People in the underwater utopia known as Elysium. Selected from hundreds of children for her ideal genes, all her life she’s thought that everything was perfect; her world. Her people. The Law.

But when Gavin Hunter, a Surface Dweller, accidentally stumbles into their secluded little world, she’s forced to come to a startling realization: everything she knows is a lie.

Her memories have been altered.

Her mind and body aren’t under her own control.

And the person she knows as Mother is a monster.

Together with Gavin she plans her escape, only to learn that her own mind is a ticking time bomb... and Mother has one last secret that will destroy them all

Wow, I don't even know what to say. It was just so awesome that I'm having trouble to describe it...
So, this is another dystopian novel where there is a secluded society where the people thinks it's perfect, when it actually isn't. The fact that Elysium is underwater was already interesting. Whoa, it's like imagining that Atlantis exists.

I loved the plot, it was just really interesting. The mystery and twists were awesome. They weren't confusing, but there were just enough clues left for me to actually understand everything at the end. I must say from the very start, I knew that there was something horribly unsettling about the laws of Elysium. I mean seriously, Mother kills a person just because he touched Evelyn. No, he didn't hurt her or have sex with her. He just touched her. That is really creepy! And I find the whole idea of Coupling and that people has to have the perfect genes equally unsettling. In a way Mother's view is like that of Hitler. Mother wants to create a perfect society where people has to have pale skin, blue eyes and blonde hair. Sounds familiar to Hitler's views? I guess if I was born in Elysium, I'll be dead instantly huh?

I also loved the characters. Evelyn was interesting. There was always something wrong with her from the very start. Like how she would repeat the phrase over and over again. It's like, sometimes it seems that she's not acting or speaking as herself. I knew that she must've forgotten something about her past, but honestly I didn't expect what her past actually is. At the start, Evelyn did come across as a little selfish and bossy. But then as the book progressed, she was actually very brave. She was still bossy, but she was also very protective. And she's also the type of person to follow her instincts. Anyway, I really liked Evelyn.

Gavin was also quite awesome. He was kind from the very start, like although he didn't trust Evelyn, he didn't act horribly towards her. Although, he did trust her pretty fast. He must be a very trusting person. I love how he's Evelyn's protector, but more in an emotional/mental kind. Most of the time, it's Evelyn that did the saving, not him entirely. However, he seemed to always protect her when she was feeling very emotional. For example when they went to Macie, and when they found out about her past. He was a very loyal and loving person. He didn't even hesitate and stayed with Evelyn 'till the end. I'm not saying that he's weak, because he's not. It's just that the way he's portrayed is not exactly the protector who always saves the girl. Like Evelyn said, "he's her knight in a not-so-shining armor".

I must say Mother was also a very interesting character. I really disliked her from the start, but I still do want to find out more about her. She had developed this idea of 'perfect' people and that the Surface is dangerous. It must've been because of the war at the time, but I wonder what actually made her this way. I mean, it's obvious that she's not even sane. She's quite scary actually. She's like a double faced person. She appears sweet and loving to everyone, but the moment someone betrays her... well yeah. Anyway, I really hope to read more about her.

I also liked the way the book is written. It was simple enough that I don't need a dictionary next to me. It wasn't filled with prose or metaphors, but it still kept me interested.
I just can't believe the ending!! Ugh, I don't really want to give it away though...
I'll tell you one thing though- Evelyn and Gavin did not die. But I was still devastated about the ending! You'll just have to read it to find out what I mean~

I really, really hope that there is going to be another book. It seems like it, since it is a chronicles afterall. I hope that the second book is released soon though! I really want to continue reading and find out what happens with Gavin and Evelyn next! T_T
I also want to know what they're going to do about Elysium. I mean, they can't exactly abandon everyone else right?

Anyway, I really recommend you to read this book. I mean, the fact that I finished it in 2 hours should convince you that I really liked it right? It's a really good dystopian book, that is unique. I know that sometimes people (including me) thinks that all dystopian books are the same. However I assure you that this story is pretty original, and you should really try reading it~
And lastly, since today is the last day of 2012.....I want to wish everyone a HAPPY NEW YEAR! I hope everyone have a great 2013, and I hope that there would be a lot of good books published in 2013! ^^