The Bodies We Wear (Jeyn Roberts)

Hello again everyone! I'm officially starting to get this blog back on a decent publishing schedule and it makes me really happy knowing that. Since it's mid-September, quite a few of you may be back at school and already feeling like you're drowning in work. But, despite that, reading is something I always made sure to make time for and encourage you to as well. This book was an easy read, so it's a good one to start with if you decide to add reading nightly into your routine; I promise you it's a good way to distract yourself from the stressful or tiring day you've had, either at school or work.

The Bodies We Wear is a science fiction novel that follows the life of Faye, a seventeen year old girl who has survived six years past her expected life span. In the world that she exists in, there is a drug referred to as Heam that allows the user to die momentarily and see heaven; however, not everyone has a pleasant experience, especially when you overdose. An overdose is equivalent to painting a target on your back. The moment you've been marked, your ability to live a normal life becomes near impossible. Faye, on the other hand, defies odds to attend school in the hopes of a normal teenage life. Despite her attempt at normality, Faye's activities outside of school are far from normal, due to her plot for revenge that left her marked by Heam. But just as she starts to get going, a ghost from the past seems to want to help her instead of haunt her. Who is this ghost, and what is their purpose? Will Faye succeed in normality, or will her plan for revenge rip that away from her?

While reading this book, I truly struggled to put the book down. I found myself binge-reading the novel, despite my busy schedule, and finished the full story within three days. The reading itself is very easy and required no brain power at all; but I don't necessarily mean that in a bad way. Since the wording was simple, it allowed me to focus more on immersing myself in the characters and plot development. The concept behind the story was unique to me - I haven't read something quite like it yet. Faye is definitely a character that I bow down to and strive to be. She is incredibly strong, knows who she is, and doesn't let her physical flaws (and the society's interpretation of them) define her life; I wish I had her grounded self of being. The other main character - who I referred to as a ghost and am going to keep nameless - is the type of guy I would like to meet. He is caring and truly wants to give Faye a life of meaning and happiness; he knows what's best for her and tries to make her see that too.

I do applaud the author Jeyn Roberts on this story because it could have been a very predictable plot, but I didn't find it to be. After visiting her website, I discovered she has two other novels listed there, set to be part of a trilogy. I might just be adding this author to my list of authors to watch, because both of her books peaked my interest with only a glance at the cover and a skim of the synopsis.

 

Overall I would rate The Bodies We Wear a 4/5 because it was a brilliant story with some incredible characters, but I did feel that something was missing. The plot consisted of several mini climax points, but it didn't have a main climax point. Maybe that's a personal preference, but I really do enjoy when there is a point in the book that sideswipes you and takes you on a roller coaster ride.

Until next time,
Happy Reading Fellow Bookworms :)

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