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The Kingdom
Welcome to the Kingdom… where ‘Happily Ever After’ isn’t just a promise, but a rule.
Glimmering like a jewel behind its gateway, The Kingdom™ is an immersive fantasy theme park where guests soar on virtual dragons, castles loom like giants, and bioengineered species―formerly extinct―roam free.
Ana is one of seven Fantasists, beautiful “princesses” engineered to make dreams come true. When she meets park employee Owen, Ana begins to experience emotions beyond her programming including, for the first time… love.
But the fairytale becomes a nightmare when Ana is accused of murdering Owen, igniting the trial of the century. Through courtroom testimony, interviews, and Ana’s memories of Owen, emerges a tale of love, lies, and cruelty―and what it truly means to be human.
Glimmering like a jewel behind its gateway, The Kingdom™ is an immersive fantasy theme park where guests soar on virtual dragons, castles loom like giants, and bioengineered species―formerly extinct―roam free.
Ana is one of seven Fantasists, beautiful “princesses” engineered to make dreams come true. When she meets park employee Owen, Ana begins to experience emotions beyond her programming including, for the first time… love.
But the fairytale becomes a nightmare when Ana is accused of murdering Owen, igniting the trial of the century. Through courtroom testimony, interviews, and Ana’s memories of Owen, emerges a tale of love, lies, and cruelty―and what it truly means to be human.
340 pages, Paperback
First published May 28, 2019
About the author
Jess Rothenberg
3 books1,137 followersJESS ROTHENBERG is a writer and freelance editor who grew up in Charleston, South Carolina. A former editor of books for young readers, including the #1 International Bestselling Vampire Academy series, Jess lives in New York City with her husband, son, and cat-who-thinks-he’s-a-dog, Charlie. Her debut novel for teens, The Catastrophic History of You & Me, has been translated into more than a dozen languages.
To find out more, visit www.jessrothenberg.com or follow Jess on Instagram and Twitter at @jessrothenberg.
To find out more, visit www.jessrothenberg.com or follow Jess on Instagram and Twitter at @jessrothenberg.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,069 reviews
May 26, 2022
EVIL DISNEY. EVIL ROBOT DISNEY. WITH MURDER, AND ALSO TECHNOLOGY.
EVIL ROBOT DISNEY OF THE FUTURE.
https://emmareadstoomuch.wordpress.co...
What more do I have to say?!
I hope it’s not a lot, because that’s really all I got. This book was nonstop exciting and nonstop original and nonstop awesome and that’s really all I have to say.
But for the sake of “writing” “a” “full” “review,” I’ll elaborate. First, synopsis!
This is about Ana, one of seven “Fantasists” (think cyborg-y Disney princesses) at The Kingdom (think Disney but huge and future-y). Ana is nice and great and INTERESTING, which is crazy because anytime a YA protagonist is “nice” it’s just a “nice” way of saying “boring and personality-less.”
I’m aware I’m overusing the quotation marks, but please let me have my fun.
Ana meets Owen, a cutie theme park employee, and starts falling in LOOOOVE. But...robots CAN’T LOVE. ROBOTS CAN’T FEEL. (Ana isn’t quite a robot but the point stands.)
It’s the Singularity, baby. Except with amusement parks and fairytales. (So basically the dream.)
But then, somehow, impossibly, it gets MORE interesting. Because Ana gets accused of murdering Owen, igniting the Trial Of The Century.
This is the book we read.
CAN YOU BELIEVE WE’RE BLESSED WITH A PLOTLINE LIKE THIS?
This story is legitimately unputdownable. It’s fun from page one and it never stops being fun, and twisty, and exciting. The characters are so interesting and you really!!! care about them!!! Which is unusual for me.
Honestly, this wasn’t a perfect book. It dragged in parts and was sometimes a bit melodramatic, and Ana’s internal monologue could get repetitiveeee. The other Fantasists were, by and large, flat and boring.
But everything else was so, so fun.
READ THIS BOOK.
Bottom line: This is straight up some of the most creative and original YA I’ve ever read, especially in recent years. PLEASE READ IT SO WE CAN GET MORE STORIES LIKE THIS. (And also from this author’s crazy mad scientist brain.)
-----------
pre-review
EASILY SOME OF THE MOST EXCITING AND ORIGINAL YA I'VE READ IN A MINUTE
SO EXCITING THAT IT APPARENTLY TURNED ME INTO SOMEONE WHO WRITES EARNESTLY AND IN ALL CAPS
A BOOK SO GOOD IT CAUSES AN IDENTITY CRISIS
REVIEW TO COME
-----------
tbr review
yes of course i want to read about evil robot future Disney World
thanks to Fierce Reads for the ARC
EVIL ROBOT DISNEY OF THE FUTURE.
https://emmareadstoomuch.wordpress.co...
What more do I have to say?!
I hope it’s not a lot, because that’s really all I got. This book was nonstop exciting and nonstop original and nonstop awesome and that’s really all I have to say.
But for the sake of “writing” “a” “full” “review,” I’ll elaborate. First, synopsis!
This is about Ana, one of seven “Fantasists” (think cyborg-y Disney princesses) at The Kingdom (think Disney but huge and future-y). Ana is nice and great and INTERESTING, which is crazy because anytime a YA protagonist is “nice” it’s just a “nice” way of saying “boring and personality-less.”
I’m aware I’m overusing the quotation marks, but please let me have my fun.
Ana meets Owen, a cutie theme park employee, and starts falling in LOOOOVE. But...robots CAN’T LOVE. ROBOTS CAN’T FEEL. (Ana isn’t quite a robot but the point stands.)
It’s the Singularity, baby. Except with amusement parks and fairytales. (So basically the dream.)
But then, somehow, impossibly, it gets MORE interesting. Because Ana gets accused of murdering Owen, igniting the Trial Of The Century.
This is the book we read.
CAN YOU BELIEVE WE’RE BLESSED WITH A PLOTLINE LIKE THIS?
This story is legitimately unputdownable. It’s fun from page one and it never stops being fun, and twisty, and exciting. The characters are so interesting and you really!!! care about them!!! Which is unusual for me.
Honestly, this wasn’t a perfect book. It dragged in parts and was sometimes a bit melodramatic, and Ana’s internal monologue could get repetitiveeee. The other Fantasists were, by and large, flat and boring.
But everything else was so, so fun.
READ THIS BOOK.
Bottom line: This is straight up some of the most creative and original YA I’ve ever read, especially in recent years. PLEASE READ IT SO WE CAN GET MORE STORIES LIKE THIS. (And also from this author’s crazy mad scientist brain.)
-----------
pre-review
EASILY SOME OF THE MOST EXCITING AND ORIGINAL YA I'VE READ IN A MINUTE
SO EXCITING THAT IT APPARENTLY TURNED ME INTO SOMEONE WHO WRITES EARNESTLY AND IN ALL CAPS
A BOOK SO GOOD IT CAUSES AN IDENTITY CRISIS
REVIEW TO COME
-----------
tbr review
yes of course i want to read about evil robot future Disney World
thanks to Fierce Reads for the ARC
August 30, 2019
I wanted to get this June ShelfLoveCrate box because of the book and the goodies. I really wanted the goodies! Click on the link below the picture to see the goodies! =)
THE GOODIES LINK
Bloody hell! I loved this book but let me tell you, I could pop open a can of whoop ass on the jerks in this book!!!
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
Earned this beautiful badge buddy reading with my friends at: For Love Of A Book Group 😊💕🌸
THE GOODIES LINK
Bloody hell! I loved this book but let me tell you, I could pop open a can of whoop ass on the jerks in this book!!!
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
Earned this beautiful badge buddy reading with my friends at: For Love Of A Book Group 😊💕🌸
April 28, 2020
This book was not what I expected. I mean, I knew it wasn’t going to be all rainbows and unicorn farts. The synopsis lets you know right away that this book is about the underside of the fairytale, about all the dark things that happen backstage to the fantasy.
And yet, I don't know why I still didn't quite see it coming.
This book follows Ana, one of seven Fantasists and The Kingdom, a Disney World type of amusement park. The Fantasists are seven engineered girls meant to be the princesses of The Kingdom. They were made to be beautiful, kind, generous, and perfect in every way. They were made to be obedient, docile, subservient, and to never speak their mind.
In the eyes of the world, they are perfect girls . In reality, they are prisoners to The Kingdom, constantly harassed and abused, lied to and manipulated, forced to endure the cruel games of the scientists that created them and the park's investors who paid for them.
All until something starts going wrong with the girls' programming and they start to develop feelings and desires other than the ones they were created for. Sure, they feel love. It is the premise of the story after all. But they also start feeling loss, fear, and most importantly, hatred for the people that have kept them as prisoners.
That's where things get interesting.
I think this book makes great commentary on the use of women's bodies. There were wonderful moments of insight that stuck so hard because they are things that real life women have to experience and endure every day in our society.
My issues with this come firstly, with the romance. It felt unreal. Like there is no real reason for this relationship between Ana and Owen. In fact, Owen didn't feel like a full character to me. Why was he doing this? What was his motivation? His background?
All the other Fantasists were also pretty boring if I'm honest. Nia was a bit interesting at first but we didn't get much of her story. Also, Eve had potential but her story isn't really elaborated on. We don't get to see the other Fantasists really develop.
I also couldn't really connect with Ana. I felt her struggle, her pain, I acknowledged it, I just couldn't seem to care the way I was supposed to. Does that make sense?
Also, the end felt a bit rushed? A bit unfinished? I have more questions than answers and I don’t know how I feel about that.
In the end, I couldn't love this as I wanted. As I said, this book is as if the plot of Westworld was happening in a Disney park. That said, Westworld does it better. I couldn't help but have Westworld in the back of my head while reading, especially after they mentioned the Romeo & Juliet quote: "Violent delights have violent ends", a recurring motif in Westworld.
My rating though mostly comes from the fact that in a few weeks I probably would have forgotten most of its character and in a year I probably would have forgotten most things but the premise. It justs didn't stick with me.
I'm not sure this review even makes sense. But that's how I felt so there you have it.
TW: emotional abuse, sexual abuse (implied, never shown), suicide
ARC was provided by the publishers in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
And yet, I don't know why I still didn't quite see it coming.
This book follows Ana, one of seven Fantasists and The Kingdom, a Disney World type of amusement park. The Fantasists are seven engineered girls meant to be the princesses of The Kingdom. They were made to be beautiful, kind, generous, and perfect in every way. They were made to be obedient, docile, subservient, and to never speak their mind.
In the eyes of the world, they are perfect girls . In reality, they are prisoners to The Kingdom, constantly harassed and abused, lied to and manipulated, forced to endure the cruel games of the scientists that created them and the park's investors who paid for them.
All until something starts going wrong with the girls' programming and they start to develop feelings and desires other than the ones they were created for. Sure, they feel love. It is the premise of the story after all. But they also start feeling loss, fear, and most importantly, hatred for the people that have kept them as prisoners.
That's where things get interesting.
I think this book makes great commentary on the use of women's bodies. There were wonderful moments of insight that stuck so hard because they are things that real life women have to experience and endure every day in our society.
My issues with this come firstly, with the romance. It felt unreal. Like there is no real reason for this relationship between Ana and Owen. In fact, Owen didn't feel like a full character to me. Why was he doing this? What was his motivation? His background?
All the other Fantasists were also pretty boring if I'm honest. Nia was a bit interesting at first but we didn't get much of her story. Also, Eve had potential but her story isn't really elaborated on. We don't get to see the other Fantasists really develop.
I also couldn't really connect with Ana. I felt her struggle, her pain, I acknowledged it, I just couldn't seem to care the way I was supposed to. Does that make sense?
Also, the end felt a bit rushed? A bit unfinished? I have more questions than answers and I don’t know how I feel about that.
In the end, I couldn't love this as I wanted. As I said, this book is as if the plot of Westworld was happening in a Disney park. That said, Westworld does it better. I couldn't help but have Westworld in the back of my head while reading, especially after they mentioned the Romeo & Juliet quote: "Violent delights have violent ends", a recurring motif in Westworld.
My rating though mostly comes from the fact that in a few weeks I probably would have forgotten most of its character and in a year I probably would have forgotten most things but the premise. It justs didn't stick with me.
I'm not sure this review even makes sense. But that's how I felt so there you have it.
TW: emotional abuse, sexual abuse (implied, never shown), suicide
ARC was provided by the publishers in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
October 26, 2019
"Happy endings are only stories. And stories are lies."
I had high hopes for this book. A warped version of Disneyland where the 'princesses' are known as fantasists. The fantasists are effectively robots, created by The Kingdom to serve its guests. To do anything they are asked without argument or comment, to 'make dreams come true.'
Right off the bat we are thrown into a court case, where Ana, one of the oldest fantasists is accused of murdering a member of park staff. The timeline shifts between these court hearings and Ana's meetings with lawyers etc. to chapters in the past, leading up to the night the crime occurred.
This book reminded me a lot of the TV program Humans. Where AI's grow and learn, soon they are able to think and perhaps even feel. The ultimate question in this tale is whether Ana does feel things like anger and love, whether she has developed the ability to lie.
It is a fantastic world that Rothenberg has created here - The Kingdom is the ultimate fantasy world where if you can dream it, it can be done. From recreating animals that have gone extinct, swimming with mermaids, skiing in the middle of summer and so much more. But behind this beautiful exterior is a vile place where the Fantasists are treated like property, and abused, where nothing is ever as it seems and some things are definitely too good to be true.
4 stars.
I had high hopes for this book. A warped version of Disneyland where the 'princesses' are known as fantasists. The fantasists are effectively robots, created by The Kingdom to serve its guests. To do anything they are asked without argument or comment, to 'make dreams come true.'
Right off the bat we are thrown into a court case, where Ana, one of the oldest fantasists is accused of murdering a member of park staff. The timeline shifts between these court hearings and Ana's meetings with lawyers etc. to chapters in the past, leading up to the night the crime occurred.
This book reminded me a lot of the TV program Humans. Where AI's grow and learn, soon they are able to think and perhaps even feel. The ultimate question in this tale is whether Ana does feel things like anger and love, whether she has developed the ability to lie.
It is a fantastic world that Rothenberg has created here - The Kingdom is the ultimate fantasy world where if you can dream it, it can be done. From recreating animals that have gone extinct, swimming with mermaids, skiing in the middle of summer and so much more. But behind this beautiful exterior is a vile place where the Fantasists are treated like property, and abused, where nothing is ever as it seems and some things are definitely too good to be true.
4 stars.
September 7, 2019
I was really enjoying this up until around page 270.
As soon as the "showdown" started, the story went downhill.
The plot was so incredibly rushed all of the sudden, everything felt unrealistic and completely overdone. This book could've easily been 100 pages longer.
Same goes for the romance and the character development. The majority of both pretty much happened in the last ~60 pages.
It kinda felt like the author just wanted it to be over tbh.
As soon as the "showdown" started, the story went downhill.
The plot was so incredibly rushed all of the sudden, everything felt unrealistic and completely overdone. This book could've easily been 100 pages longer.
Same goes for the romance and the character development. The majority of both pretty much happened in the last ~60 pages.
It kinda felt like the author just wanted it to be over tbh.
January 7, 2020
Very pleased with my first read of 2020. Really captivating from start to finish. I loved the format of the timeline which included flashbacks as well as transcripts from the court room. It kept me guessing! And the entire concept of the theme park was so interesting.
June 14, 2019
*4.5
May 2, 2019
This book wasn’t even on my radar when I got the invite to read it and man, I’m so happy I accepted.
I loved Ana. She’s so good and pure and it was easy to get wrapped up in her way of seeing the world. I was rooting for her from the very beginning. There are a few other characters, but this story is all about Ana and what she’s going through.
Plot wise, I was absolutely captivated. I was so happy the story was told in a past and present format. Seeing the trial unfold in transcripts and video clips while the present tense of the story was in first person really worked for me. It also added a layer of WTF that was necessary for a story like this.
Overall, it was something really unique {to me} and while I would have loved an epilogue, the ending was near perfection.
FYI: there’s some creepy leering, forceful grabbing, and a distinct impression of assault.
**Huge thanks to Henry Holt for providing the arc free of charge**
I loved Ana. She’s so good and pure and it was easy to get wrapped up in her way of seeing the world. I was rooting for her from the very beginning. There are a few other characters, but this story is all about Ana and what she’s going through.
Plot wise, I was absolutely captivated. I was so happy the story was told in a past and present format. Seeing the trial unfold in transcripts and video clips while the present tense of the story was in first person really worked for me. It also added a layer of WTF that was necessary for a story like this.
Overall, it was something really unique {to me} and while I would have loved an epilogue, the ending was near perfection.
FYI: there’s some creepy leering, forceful grabbing, and a distinct impression of assault.
**Huge thanks to Henry Holt for providing the arc free of charge**
February 8, 2022
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Whoa. This was so much darker than I was expecting. There are lots of reviews that talk about how this is similar to Westworld but in a more Disneyland-like setting, and all of those reviews are basically totally on point. The Kingdom is a place for happily-ever-afters, filled with "hybrid" creatures of flesh and circuitry, ranging from the ordinary, like bears or birds, to the extraordinary, like horses with butterfly wings, rideable dragons, and geese trained to serve tea.
The show-stoppers are the fairytale princesses though. There are seven of them, and Ana, our narrator, is one of these. THE KINGDOM is told in dual timeline, so we know that, at some point, Ana committed an act of violence that she, as a cyborg, is now standing trial for. Her programming is supposed to keep her from harming humans, but it seems like a lot of the "living" creatures in the park have been acting strangely as of late, and the park has been doing their best to suppress this knowledge and act as if nothing is happening.
Yes, this is pretty similar to Westworld, although it lacks the on-screen sex and violence. There are plenty of implied horrors, though. People, including staff, but also guests, treat the princesses like pleasure devices, and there is something chilling about the way that these humanoid beings are basically objectified and dehumanized. It also tackles a lot of the ethnical questions of things like Westworld and Jurassic Park. Just because you can do something-- should you do it? What are the limits of AI? When does something cease being a means of profit and start to raise more broad concerns, such as environmental impact and human safety?
Ana is a compelling narrator and I really liked her interactions with the other princesses, and with Owen Chen, a sympathetic janitor. I also liked the mixed media style of telling. Two other books I really enjoyed, WATCH THE GIRLS and NIGHT FILM, do this as well, and I think it really works when it's done well. I think the story unfolds at a decent pace and despite what other reviewers seemed to think, I actually really enjoyed the ending. Usually, dystopian novels end up being total downers, so it was actually nice to read something that ended on a note of hope. Serious trigger warnings for animal abuse, animal cruelty, sexual harassment, and strongly implied sexual assault.
4.5 stars
May 25, 2019
I started reading The Kingdom on 5/22/2019 and finished it on 5/25/2019 at 2:55AM. This book is a fantastic read! I like following Ana’s view. She has a clever attitude. I like how she handles the interviews. She’s a bit of a smart mouth and challenges her interviewers instead of just answering the questions directly. The story is interesting, reminds me of Magic Kingdom except it sounds more exciting with all the technologies. When technology going rogue, in this case, the Fantasist Nia, Eve, and Ana acting and thinking beyond their programming capabilities, just makes me wonder how real robots can be sometimes.
This book is told in the first person point of view following Ana, one of the seven (Ana, Kaia, Yumi, Eve, Zara, Pania, and Zel) fantasy princesses called Fantasists, the world’s most beautiful ladies. Ana works at The Kingdom, an Extreme Virtual Reality theme park. She along with her six sisters are created and programmed as hybrid humans to entertain and make guests happy. Ana doesn’t sleep and shouldn’t feel hurt. This book begins with what goes on after a murder, an interview into the murder trial and two years before the murder took place. Each chapter will bring readers closer to the murder scene while getting to know everyone involved and all that goes on in The Kingdom.
The Kingdom is well written. I love this unique young adult fantasy. I haven’t read another book quite like it and it’s such refreshing to read something new. I like how the princesses are smart in a way of computers, scanning for information and memory but there’s a firewall to prevent them from knowing more information than they need to. I like Owen Chen and his unique situation and especially how he cares. I like the cute romance. Love that unexpected ending. The organization into this story with the courtroom trial, interviews, emails, timelines, etc is a bit confusing for me at first. That’s the reason why I don’t bother to read Illuminae series yet because when I started reading a bit of that book the interviews and whatever else confused me. But anyway, I’m glad to continue reading The Kingdom because I enjoyed Ana and Owen. I highly recommend everyone to read this book!
Pro: fast paced, page turner, theme park, romance, diversity
Con: none
I rate it 5 stars!
***Disclaimer: I won this book through a Twitter Giveaway from Fierce Reads. Please be assured that my opinions are honest.
xoxo,
Jasmine at www.howusefulitis.wordpress.com for more details
This book is told in the first person point of view following Ana, one of the seven (Ana, Kaia, Yumi, Eve, Zara, Pania, and Zel) fantasy princesses called Fantasists, the world’s most beautiful ladies. Ana works at The Kingdom, an Extreme Virtual Reality theme park. She along with her six sisters are created and programmed as hybrid humans to entertain and make guests happy. Ana doesn’t sleep and shouldn’t feel hurt. This book begins with what goes on after a murder, an interview into the murder trial and two years before the murder took place. Each chapter will bring readers closer to the murder scene while getting to know everyone involved and all that goes on in The Kingdom.
The Kingdom is well written. I love this unique young adult fantasy. I haven’t read another book quite like it and it’s such refreshing to read something new. I like how the princesses are smart in a way of computers, scanning for information and memory but there’s a firewall to prevent them from knowing more information than they need to. I like Owen Chen and his unique situation and especially how he cares. I like the cute romance. Love that unexpected ending. The organization into this story with the courtroom trial, interviews, emails, timelines, etc is a bit confusing for me at first. That’s the reason why I don’t bother to read Illuminae series yet because when I started reading a bit of that book the interviews and whatever else confused me. But anyway, I’m glad to continue reading The Kingdom because I enjoyed Ana and Owen. I highly recommend everyone to read this book!
Pro: fast paced, page turner, theme park, romance, diversity
Con: none
I rate it 5 stars!
***Disclaimer: I won this book through a Twitter Giveaway from Fierce Reads. Please be assured that my opinions are honest.
xoxo,
Jasmine at www.howusefulitis.wordpress.com for more details
March 27, 2020
Realy original story 🥰, loved the idea/concept but sometimes it felt to dreaded , so that did take away some joy for me , but overall a solid read about hybrid princesses , and I kinda wished that you could visit the kingdom if it hadn't roborts of course or animal abuse , 3 ⭐⭐⭐
December 24, 2019
This book wasn't just a bit dark and disquieting- it took me to a whole new level of sinister that I had never experienced before.
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Writing: 4/5
Trigger Warnings: suicide, sexual assault (off page, implied), animal abuse
The Kingdom was a futuristic theme park that used cutting-edge technology to create an enchanting experience for all of its visitors. With thrilling performances from previously extinct creatures, magical rides, flamboyant parades and vivid fantasy simulations it promised to inspire wonder and make everyone's wildest dreams come true by giving them the 'happily ever after' they deserved. One of its most prominent creations was the Fantasists- seven android princesses engineered to delight, amuse and represent equality and tolerance in the world.
The novel was a series of flashbacks, interrogation records, court testimony, emails and more which pieced together the story of Ana, a Fantasist who was accused of murdering one of the theme park's maintenance workers. This format allows us to see the events unfold from her perspective and simultaneously see how the same events have been twisted to appear in court. It's funny how there never is any question as to whether or not she actually killed the person even though she claims to be not guilty. The case is built on whether or not Ana had the conscience to make the decision to murder someone or whether it was a programming malfunction. It was fascinating to see things from her perspective and understand her methodical manner of learning about the world. As Ana gradually unearths the hidden terrors of The Kingdom, the reader does too and it makes for a very suspenseful journey.
I found it sad that a society of the future would feel the need to have Fantasists. Beautiful, subservient princesses, admired by girls all over the world, engineered and programmed to entertain and please, to always say 'yes' and never say 'no'. And the irony was that they were represented as strong and brave- princesses who didn't need saving- when in reality their lives were not their own. Their vulnerability and naivety was exploited, they were treated deplorably, they were emotionally abused and manipulated, they were harassed and assaulted and intimidated. They were objectified and paraded and displayed for the enjoyment of others and despite all of that, they were always told to be grateful for what they had. Is that really the kind of role model young girls should have? I also found it interesting that there were no male Fantasists. It reminded me of two articles I have read recently. The first was about the increasing popularity of artificial intelligence being modelled on female personas (for example things like Siri or Alexa having default female voices). The second being about the increase in parents banning their children to watch Disney princess movies because they don't want them to think it is alright for a woman to always be saved by a man. Although The Kingdom is a work of fiction, it has some very real themes in it.
The Kingdom was the epitome of hypocrisy. At first glance, it seemed like a wonderful theme park- but beneath it's pretty façade there was relentless anguish and pain. For example, at the time of the novel, nearly all of the animals we have today had gone extinct. Therefore, The Kingdom started a program to revive extinct creatures through bioengineering. They claimed they were doing good to the planet and helping preserve our world. But why would you reintroduce an animal only to put it in chains? To make it live a life in a cage being ogled at by visitors. The animals at The Kingdom were abused and starved and most of the bioengineered animals died in days, weeks or months due to genetic defects they were created with. Is that really helping the world? It repulsed me how they thought it was alright to make the cost of entertainment for some, the suffering of others.
The reason I knocked off a star was because at times the story did become a bit too confusing as it kept switching between different formats which made it hard to keep up with the plot.
Overall, I found The Kingdom very creepy but I would recommend it to someone looking for an original, thought provoking read. After reading it, some may wish for the chance to visit The Kingdom but I wouldn't go there even if someone paid me. Why? Because my entertainment is not worth someone or something else's pain.
Thank you to Macmillan and Jess Rothenberg for providing me with a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinion expressed are my own.
More book reviews and other brilliantly bookish things can be found at Sereadipity!
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Writing: 4/5
Trigger Warnings: suicide, sexual assault (off page, implied), animal abuse
The Kingdom was a futuristic theme park that used cutting-edge technology to create an enchanting experience for all of its visitors. With thrilling performances from previously extinct creatures, magical rides, flamboyant parades and vivid fantasy simulations it promised to inspire wonder and make everyone's wildest dreams come true by giving them the 'happily ever after' they deserved. One of its most prominent creations was the Fantasists- seven android princesses engineered to delight, amuse and represent equality and tolerance in the world.
The novel was a series of flashbacks, interrogation records, court testimony, emails and more which pieced together the story of Ana, a Fantasist who was accused of murdering one of the theme park's maintenance workers. This format allows us to see the events unfold from her perspective and simultaneously see how the same events have been twisted to appear in court. It's funny how there never is any question as to whether or not she actually killed the person even though she claims to be not guilty. The case is built on whether or not Ana had the conscience to make the decision to murder someone or whether it was a programming malfunction. It was fascinating to see things from her perspective and understand her methodical manner of learning about the world. As Ana gradually unearths the hidden terrors of The Kingdom, the reader does too and it makes for a very suspenseful journey.
I found it sad that a society of the future would feel the need to have Fantasists. Beautiful, subservient princesses, admired by girls all over the world, engineered and programmed to entertain and please, to always say 'yes' and never say 'no'. And the irony was that they were represented as strong and brave- princesses who didn't need saving- when in reality their lives were not their own. Their vulnerability and naivety was exploited, they were treated deplorably, they were emotionally abused and manipulated, they were harassed and assaulted and intimidated. They were objectified and paraded and displayed for the enjoyment of others and despite all of that, they were always told to be grateful for what they had. Is that really the kind of role model young girls should have? I also found it interesting that there were no male Fantasists. It reminded me of two articles I have read recently. The first was about the increasing popularity of artificial intelligence being modelled on female personas (for example things like Siri or Alexa having default female voices). The second being about the increase in parents banning their children to watch Disney princess movies because they don't want them to think it is alright for a woman to always be saved by a man. Although The Kingdom is a work of fiction, it has some very real themes in it.
The Kingdom was the epitome of hypocrisy. At first glance, it seemed like a wonderful theme park- but beneath it's pretty façade there was relentless anguish and pain. For example, at the time of the novel, nearly all of the animals we have today had gone extinct. Therefore, The Kingdom started a program to revive extinct creatures through bioengineering. They claimed they were doing good to the planet and helping preserve our world. But why would you reintroduce an animal only to put it in chains? To make it live a life in a cage being ogled at by visitors. The animals at The Kingdom were abused and starved and most of the bioengineered animals died in days, weeks or months due to genetic defects they were created with. Is that really helping the world? It repulsed me how they thought it was alright to make the cost of entertainment for some, the suffering of others.
The reason I knocked off a star was because at times the story did become a bit too confusing as it kept switching between different formats which made it hard to keep up with the plot.
Overall, I found The Kingdom very creepy but I would recommend it to someone looking for an original, thought provoking read. After reading it, some may wish for the chance to visit The Kingdom but I wouldn't go there even if someone paid me. Why? Because my entertainment is not worth someone or something else's pain.
Thank you to Macmillan and Jess Rothenberg for providing me with a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinion expressed are my own.
More book reviews and other brilliantly bookish things can be found at Sereadipity!
August 24, 2019
Oof. With such an amazing sounding synopsis, I found this one to be lacking in both the action and thrills department. That’s a pretty hefty negative when a book takes place in a futuristic theme park with robot princess’s.
The book never allowed me to be fully immersed. It’s really choppy. On occasion when a scene was finally laid out and I could enjoy what was happening, the chapter would end and switch to a new timeline. There’s no depth. I loved that the author tried to be innovative and original with a murder mystery plot but
the book is a singular great concept that never materializes into anything. Plus the writing needed a good polish. The magical theme park atmosphere never really came through. I felt like a thin cloth blanket was draped over the setting and I was desperately trying to see through it. I wanted to spend time time in all of these places the characters were mentioning and you don’t get to.
I also have a really hard time calling this scifi. I know it takes place in the future with robots but it just doesn’t feel or read like a scifi. In fact it’s clearly dystopian. The outside world is described as destroyed, flooded, many animals are extinct.
This book isn’t bad. Let me make that clear, it’s just not the experience I thought it would be. This is a futuristic dystopian murder mystery
The book never allowed me to be fully immersed. It’s really choppy. On occasion when a scene was finally laid out and I could enjoy what was happening, the chapter would end and switch to a new timeline. There’s no depth. I loved that the author tried to be innovative and original with a murder mystery plot but
the book is a singular great concept that never materializes into anything. Plus the writing needed a good polish. The magical theme park atmosphere never really came through. I felt like a thin cloth blanket was draped over the setting and I was desperately trying to see through it. I wanted to spend time time in all of these places the characters were mentioning and you don’t get to.
I also have a really hard time calling this scifi. I know it takes place in the future with robots but it just doesn’t feel or read like a scifi. In fact it’s clearly dystopian. The outside world is described as destroyed, flooded, many animals are extinct.
This book isn’t bad. Let me make that clear, it’s just not the experience I thought it would be. This is a futuristic dystopian murder mystery
April 4, 2020
A Westworld rip-off written for kids who are (understandably) not allowed to watch Westworld. Every plot point is borrowed and dumbed down. Way, way down. And set in Disney World. That the whole thing hinges on an incomprehensible teen romance isn't a surprise. The only plot line I was interested in was the murder mystery, but it turned out as you'd expect it to turn out.
Once again, I had no business reading this novel. So I can't hate it for being what it intends to be - teen schlock flirting with some AI themes.
Once again, I had no business reading this novel. So I can't hate it for being what it intends to be - teen schlock flirting with some AI themes.
September 29, 2019
WOW, that ending.
The Kingdom was like a creepy take on the Disneyworld/Disneyland. Instead of having people in costume, it's robots. In it, you will meet Ana. She is one of the seven beautiful fantasist princesses. She's a little naïve about what's actually going on in this park - whether it's with her sisters or the investors - but she's a quick learner.
Throughout this book she is on trial for murder. We don't really know if she actually did commit the crime but we get to know more about this world and how she sees it. Ana, just like her sisters, wants her freedom. She's really interested in seeing everything that's out there but the Kingdom has a rule - never question about the outside world. Low-key felt bad for her but was really happy to see her grow throughout the book.
I liked her friendship with Owen and didn't mind that there was the possibility of something more being developed either. They were cute and definitely looked out for another. He saw Ana for what she really was - not a robot but someone who was adapting and smart. It was adorable.
Overall, the ending was what got me. I had no idea if the 'victim' was alive or not but knew things weren't adding up. It was so good and kept me on my toes. Definitely hope there might be another book but so far it looks like a standalone. Just want to know if the sisters are going to be saved or what.
The Kingdom was like a creepy take on the Disneyworld/Disneyland. Instead of having people in costume, it's robots. In it, you will meet Ana. She is one of the seven beautiful fantasist princesses. She's a little naïve about what's actually going on in this park - whether it's with her sisters or the investors - but she's a quick learner.
Throughout this book she is on trial for murder. We don't really know if she actually did commit the crime but we get to know more about this world and how she sees it. Ana, just like her sisters, wants her freedom. She's really interested in seeing everything that's out there but the Kingdom has a rule - never question about the outside world. Low-key felt bad for her but was really happy to see her grow throughout the book.
I liked her friendship with Owen and didn't mind that there was the possibility of something more being developed either. They were cute and definitely looked out for another. He saw Ana for what she really was - not a robot but someone who was adapting and smart. It was adorable.
Overall, the ending was what got me. I had no idea if the 'victim' was alive or not but knew things weren't adding up. It was so good and kept me on my toes. Definitely hope there might be another book but so far it looks like a standalone. Just want to know if the sisters are going to be saved or what.
July 20, 2019
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This was exactly what I needed at the moment - a slice of dystopian YA with subtle interesting ideas and a murder mystery that starts at the end. Ana is a Fantasist, a genetically enhanced part human/part machine that’s been designed to fulfil your every heart’s desire within The Kingdom - a theme park that allows people to view the past and design their own future. Highlights include extinct species brought back to life as ‘hybrids’ that don’t feel pain, and are not considered ‘real’, spanning several different geographical ‘lands’ from the frozen tundra to a spellbinding storybook world.
The story centres around the murder of Owen, and the subsequent trial of Fantasist Ana, who’s apparently obsessed with the maintenance man she’s suppose to have killed. Except Fantasist’s aren’t programmed to kill, or lie. So what really did happen that night? The story unfolds via court transcripts, videos and interviews between Ana and the court, as well as her own memories of the 18 months leading up to the trial. It’s an interesting and unusual way to tell the story, and is sometimes hit and miss in it’s delivery. At times it feels choppy and uneven - especially the beginning, and stops the organic flow of the story. Just as things pick up with the backstory, it cuts to a different time and place, which left me feeling frustrated. A more linear approach would have worked better, in my opinion, with a few strategic movements around the timescale, rather than the constant jumping around.
Ana starts out as a interesting character. As a Fantasist she aims to please, never questioning or doubting her surroundings. She’s painfully naive and trusting, even when faced with morally wrong situations - such as the meeting with the Investors. It was interesting to watch this naivety change over time, although I did find her relationship with Owen forced and instalove like at times. It didn’t really grow over time as I would have liked, and ends with Ana mainly fawning over him instead of asserting her independence. More interesting was Ana’s relationship with her sisters, especially the troubled Nia - who’s desperate actions lead Ana down the path of self discovery.
I did like this idea that runs throughout the story surrounding morality and the hypocrisy in engineering. As the story plays out, we see this pull of technology, the ‘fun’ of genetically designing animals for the pleasure of people but without really caring about the consequences. To challenge this, as Ana does, brings to light the idea of who decides what is right and wrong in genetic engineering? The people within The Kingdom don’t see these animals or the Fantasists as real, or worthy of any kind of proper life or consideration. Their sole purpose is to entertain, and when they fall out of fashion or ‘malfunction’ they are easily disposed of or kept chained up away from the crowds.
At times an interesting read, with some subtle darker undertones, but a stereotypical protagonist and strange nonlinear storytelling lets it down.
This was exactly what I needed at the moment - a slice of dystopian YA with subtle interesting ideas and a murder mystery that starts at the end. Ana is a Fantasist, a genetically enhanced part human/part machine that’s been designed to fulfil your every heart’s desire within The Kingdom - a theme park that allows people to view the past and design their own future. Highlights include extinct species brought back to life as ‘hybrids’ that don’t feel pain, and are not considered ‘real’, spanning several different geographical ‘lands’ from the frozen tundra to a spellbinding storybook world.
The story centres around the murder of Owen, and the subsequent trial of Fantasist Ana, who’s apparently obsessed with the maintenance man she’s suppose to have killed. Except Fantasist’s aren’t programmed to kill, or lie. So what really did happen that night? The story unfolds via court transcripts, videos and interviews between Ana and the court, as well as her own memories of the 18 months leading up to the trial. It’s an interesting and unusual way to tell the story, and is sometimes hit and miss in it’s delivery. At times it feels choppy and uneven - especially the beginning, and stops the organic flow of the story. Just as things pick up with the backstory, it cuts to a different time and place, which left me feeling frustrated. A more linear approach would have worked better, in my opinion, with a few strategic movements around the timescale, rather than the constant jumping around.
Ana starts out as a interesting character. As a Fantasist she aims to please, never questioning or doubting her surroundings. She’s painfully naive and trusting, even when faced with morally wrong situations - such as the meeting with the Investors. It was interesting to watch this naivety change over time, although I did find her relationship with Owen forced and instalove like at times. It didn’t really grow over time as I would have liked, and ends with Ana mainly fawning over him instead of asserting her independence. More interesting was Ana’s relationship with her sisters, especially the troubled Nia - who’s desperate actions lead Ana down the path of self discovery.
I did like this idea that runs throughout the story surrounding morality and the hypocrisy in engineering. As the story plays out, we see this pull of technology, the ‘fun’ of genetically designing animals for the pleasure of people but without really caring about the consequences. To challenge this, as Ana does, brings to light the idea of who decides what is right and wrong in genetic engineering? The people within The Kingdom don’t see these animals or the Fantasists as real, or worthy of any kind of proper life or consideration. Their sole purpose is to entertain, and when they fall out of fashion or ‘malfunction’ they are easily disposed of or kept chained up away from the crowds.
At times an interesting read, with some subtle darker undertones, but a stereotypical protagonist and strange nonlinear storytelling lets it down.
May 14, 2020
3.5 stars ~ I'd say this was a pretty enjoyable read that kept me on the edge of my seat with those jumping timelines! It was not boring in the least and I made sure I paid as much attention to each chapter as I do in each episode of Westworld 😂 Hats off to the creativity of this plot and Ana's character development! The ending pleasantly surprised me and left me wanting more. I wanted so much more because I feel like there is so much more potential hence not quite a 5 star read for me. A lot of details could have been expanded on further. I really do wish this was a series so I could have been more emotionally invested 😭 Definitely going to look forward to more books by this author ❤️
Want to read
May 30, 2019Hello I'm totally down for some tragic robot romance
March 31, 2019
This one is one of the smartest, most compelling books I have read this year and it will definitely be making my favorites list! I suspect this one is going to be a big hit and I'm really glad I was encouraged to pick it up.
The Kingdom is a brilliant sci-fi thriller that completely sucked me in. It is both beautiful and disturbing, weaving together hard-hitting social commentary with a page-turning mystery. Set at a futuristic theme park (think Disneyland on steroids with sci-fi technology) The Kingdom follows Ana, one of 7 biological AI hybrid princesses who only exist to make happily ever afters come true. It is told in a dual narrative, past and present. In the present timeline, there has been a murder and Ana is on trial as a suspect.
Thematically this book is so rich, I'm going to give you some bullet points.
1- The Meaning of Humanity: Unsurprisingly for a book that involves some degree of Artificial Intelligence, there is a deep consideration of what it means to be human, to feel, to have self-determination and where the line between machine and sentient being is. Most of the story is told through Ana's perspective and we see the disconnect between her internal growth, feelings, and relationships, and the way she is clearly viewed by others as, at best, a child to be manipulated and controlled or, at worst, a program with no value or sense of self. We also see different sides of this issue in documents related to the trial. (i.e. can Ana be convicted of murder if there was simply a glitch in her programming?)
2- The Commodification of Beauty and Diversity: The princesses are diverse in terms of skin tone and facial features, supposedly representing global unity, but lacking any attached cultural heritage or history. It is lip-service diversity for the purpose of corporate revenue by the theme park. (Case in point, the "authentic Nigerian" jewelry worn by one of the princesses and available for purchase in the gift shop is made in Taiwan) Likewise, they are all forced to maintain impossible standards of physical perfection and are treated by men as interchangable because they are clearly meant to be consumed. Which leads me to....
3- Rape Culture & the Objectification of Women: In terms of content, do be aware that there is on-page sexual harassment and off-page sexual assault that takes place. The princesses are treated as "not real" and as objects to be leered at and consumed rather than as people. Which very understandably results in...
4- The Legitimacy and Necessity of Female Anger: We see this anger manifest in multiple characters in different ways as a response to the mistreatment, abuse, and tight control of the princesses. Thematically, I think this is very timely. With the #metoo movement we are in a cultural zeigeist surrounding female rage and I think she really taps into that in ways that teen girls should have access to. The author also parallels this in very interesting ways with mistreatment of animals...
5- Animals and the Environment: This book is set in a future where global warming has done a number on the environment and many species of animals are extinct. The Kingdom offers an escape from that reality, partly by giving to live to extinct hybrid animals that are part biological clones, part technological construct. But this gives way to some big questions about treatment of animals (again paralleling the treatment of the princesses). For instance, some of the animals are engineered not to experience physical pain, so is it animal cruelty to raise zebras and have lions attack them in order to entertain guests? (Major content warnings for animal cruelty by the way, in this and several other scenes). On the flip side, there is a really interesting plot thread about evolution that feels very hopeful in the face of such a bleak future for the environment.
There is probably more, but I will stop there. I'm blown away at how the author was able to weave such weighty thematic content into this page-turner of a book that just leaves you wanting more. I would LOVE to see more in this world, especially from the perspectives of some of the other princesses. I received an advance review copy of this book via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Content/Trigger warnings for the following: animal abuse and cruelty, on-page sexual harassment, off-page sexual assault, self-harm and attempted suicide, manipulation and control
The Kingdom is a brilliant sci-fi thriller that completely sucked me in. It is both beautiful and disturbing, weaving together hard-hitting social commentary with a page-turning mystery. Set at a futuristic theme park (think Disneyland on steroids with sci-fi technology) The Kingdom follows Ana, one of 7 biological AI hybrid princesses who only exist to make happily ever afters come true. It is told in a dual narrative, past and present. In the present timeline, there has been a murder and Ana is on trial as a suspect.
Thematically this book is so rich, I'm going to give you some bullet points.
1- The Meaning of Humanity: Unsurprisingly for a book that involves some degree of Artificial Intelligence, there is a deep consideration of what it means to be human, to feel, to have self-determination and where the line between machine and sentient being is. Most of the story is told through Ana's perspective and we see the disconnect between her internal growth, feelings, and relationships, and the way she is clearly viewed by others as, at best, a child to be manipulated and controlled or, at worst, a program with no value or sense of self. We also see different sides of this issue in documents related to the trial. (i.e. can Ana be convicted of murder if there was simply a glitch in her programming?)
2- The Commodification of Beauty and Diversity: The princesses are diverse in terms of skin tone and facial features, supposedly representing global unity, but lacking any attached cultural heritage or history. It is lip-service diversity for the purpose of corporate revenue by the theme park. (Case in point, the "authentic Nigerian" jewelry worn by one of the princesses and available for purchase in the gift shop is made in Taiwan) Likewise, they are all forced to maintain impossible standards of physical perfection and are treated by men as interchangable because they are clearly meant to be consumed. Which leads me to....
3- Rape Culture & the Objectification of Women: In terms of content, do be aware that there is on-page sexual harassment and off-page sexual assault that takes place. The princesses are treated as "not real" and as objects to be leered at and consumed rather than as people. Which very understandably results in...
4- The Legitimacy and Necessity of Female Anger: We see this anger manifest in multiple characters in different ways as a response to the mistreatment, abuse, and tight control of the princesses. Thematically, I think this is very timely. With the #metoo movement we are in a cultural zeigeist surrounding female rage and I think she really taps into that in ways that teen girls should have access to. The author also parallels this in very interesting ways with mistreatment of animals...
5- Animals and the Environment: This book is set in a future where global warming has done a number on the environment and many species of animals are extinct. The Kingdom offers an escape from that reality, partly by giving to live to extinct hybrid animals that are part biological clones, part technological construct. But this gives way to some big questions about treatment of animals (again paralleling the treatment of the princesses). For instance, some of the animals are engineered not to experience physical pain, so is it animal cruelty to raise zebras and have lions attack them in order to entertain guests? (Major content warnings for animal cruelty by the way, in this and several other scenes). On the flip side, there is a really interesting plot thread about evolution that feels very hopeful in the face of such a bleak future for the environment.
There is probably more, but I will stop there. I'm blown away at how the author was able to weave such weighty thematic content into this page-turner of a book that just leaves you wanting more. I would LOVE to see more in this world, especially from the perspectives of some of the other princesses. I received an advance review copy of this book via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Content/Trigger warnings for the following: animal abuse and cruelty, on-page sexual harassment, off-page sexual assault, self-harm and attempted suicide, manipulation and control
October 27, 2020
I just wanted to love this book and I'm just sad that I didn't.
I expected to absolutely L O V E this book because this is how it was sold to me:
- a dystopian amusement park labeled as mystery
…that’s it, that's all I knew. I was absolutely sold with just that and I am still disappointed.
— overall thoughts: 1.5 —
I flew through this book if thats a consolation… probably because I didn’t really care about what was happening
As I said I actually went into this book expecting to like it and I actually did, at first. I am a big fan of morality topics being discussed in a dystopia kind of world (i.e. Arc of a Scythe) that was really the only saving grace but even that… wasn’t explored??
Which weighed heavily for me since that’s basically what I read the book for. I wanted to more talk about how these automatons came into play but all Ana kept talking about was how she kept getting epiphanies but how she wasn’t supposed to be getting these epiphanies cuz she’s a robot and owen owen owen owen owen.
The theme park and its rules weren't really fully laid out, they were just thrown here and there to justify an action which brings me to my next point.
I absolutely hated the romance. It felt so rushed and Owen is the embodiment of the basic male love interest. There was just nothing that made him different to me and he wasn't like... his own person, if you get what I mean. I couldn't separate him as a character aside from being the love interest.
I hate it when dystopia stories force a romance like, just give me the story without all these lovey dovey because I didn't come here for that. If I wanted the lovey dovey, I'll be over there reading a contemporary romance. Contemporary romances had a less basic love story than this to be honest.
I had no attachments with the characters whatsoever and this is coming from a person who gets emotionally attached to the protagonist’s pet animals (*cough* church, mister kindly, eclipse *cough*). and Ana kept saying she was “evolving” somehow but like… why???…how???…we all knew that this is the "I'm not like every other girl” trope (which I'm starting to hate now) but I need an explanation as to how we got here!! especially since this is a sci-fi novel
Being in Ana's head and experiencing all the story through her was also annoying because her dialogue and thoughts were so stiff which fits with her being a hybrid, but then when she out of the blue states that she feels something else and is supposedly 'Evolving' into something more, she is still stiff and annoying.
It's important to note that I am a person who has loved lovey-dovey books in the past okay. I am a Jennifer E. Smith maniac.
The mystery. WHY is this labeled as a mystery. Actually, I get why but that part of the plot is just so extra non-sensical to me because they spent more time talking about how they fell in love rather than the mystery aspect of it. Not that it was so blaringly obvious to me but when they revealed it, I was just sitting on my bed going like "oh."
I came in here for the mystery okay. I was expecting a good mystery.
This book had SO much potential: if this had a darker tone and the amusement park system and the outside world was explained and explored more, I feel like I could have loved this. And of course if I was actually attached to the characters.
- scenes feel jumpy
I like stereotypical plots when I ask for it and are done in an enjoyable manner, don’t get me wrong. But when I’m reading SCI-FI/DYSTOPIA I expect THE CRAZIEST PLOT YOU CAN THINK OF that STILL MAKE SENSE!!
plot: ★★☆☆☆
writing style: ★☆☆☆☆
world building: ★★☆☆☆
characters: ★☆☆☆☆
themes: ★★★☆☆
pacing: ★★☆☆☆
page turner: ★★★☆☆
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I expected to absolutely L O V E this book because this is how it was sold to me:
- a dystopian amusement park labeled as mystery
…that’s it, that's all I knew. I was absolutely sold with just that and I am still disappointed.
— overall thoughts: 1.5 —
I flew through this book if thats a consolation… probably because I didn’t really care about what was happening
As I said I actually went into this book expecting to like it and I actually did, at first. I am a big fan of morality topics being discussed in a dystopia kind of world (i.e. Arc of a Scythe) that was really the only saving grace but even that… wasn’t explored??
Which weighed heavily for me since that’s basically what I read the book for. I wanted to more talk about how these automatons came into play but all Ana kept talking about was how she kept getting epiphanies but how she wasn’t supposed to be getting these epiphanies cuz she’s a robot and owen owen owen owen owen.
“Why would someone say a story that isn’t true? Maybe because it’s fun to believe in a fantasy.
It helps them feel better about their own lives. Even if the story doesn’t end well.”
The theme park and its rules weren't really fully laid out, they were just thrown here and there to justify an action which brings me to my next point.
I absolutely hated the romance. It felt so rushed and Owen is the embodiment of the basic male love interest. There was just nothing that made him different to me and he wasn't like... his own person, if you get what I mean. I couldn't separate him as a character aside from being the love interest.
I hate it when dystopia stories force a romance like, just give me the story without all these lovey dovey because I didn't come here for that. If I wanted the lovey dovey, I'll be over there reading a contemporary romance. Contemporary romances had a less basic love story than this to be honest.
I had no attachments with the characters whatsoever and this is coming from a person who gets emotionally attached to the protagonist’s pet animals (*cough* church, mister kindly, eclipse *cough*). and Ana kept saying she was “evolving” somehow but like… why???…how???…we all knew that this is the "I'm not like every other girl” trope (which I'm starting to hate now) but I need an explanation as to how we got here!! especially since this is a sci-fi novel
Being in Ana's head and experiencing all the story through her was also annoying because her dialogue and thoughts were so stiff which fits with her being a hybrid, but then when she out of the blue states that she feels something else and is supposedly 'Evolving' into something more, she is still stiff and annoying.
It's important to note that I am a person who has loved lovey-dovey books in the past okay. I am a Jennifer E. Smith maniac.
Here have a small list of quotes I found stupid in the later 50% of the book because I came here for the sci-fi:
- “I never meant to fall in love with you”
- I quote “When I met you...something changed.”
- And OF COURSE, they had to use the “it’s better to have love and lost than to never have loved at all”
- “You’re perfect”
The mystery. WHY is this labeled as a mystery. Actually, I get why but that part of the plot is just so extra non-sensical to me because they spent more time talking about how they fell in love rather than the mystery aspect of it. Not that it was so blaringly obvious to me but when they revealed it, I was just sitting on my bed going like "oh."
I came in here for the mystery okay. I was expecting a good mystery.
This book had SO much potential: if this had a darker tone and the amusement park system and the outside world was explained and explored more, I feel like I could have loved this. And of course if I was actually attached to the characters.
- scenes feel jumpy
I like stereotypical plots when I ask for it and are done in an enjoyable manner, don’t get me wrong. But when I’m reading SCI-FI/DYSTOPIA I expect THE CRAZIEST PLOT YOU CAN THINK OF that STILL MAKE SENSE!!
plot: ★★☆☆☆
writing style: ★☆☆☆☆
world building: ★★☆☆☆
characters: ★☆☆☆☆
themes: ★★★☆☆
pacing: ★★☆☆☆
page turner: ★★★☆☆
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January 17, 2023
3.5/5 ⭐
Disney Princesses meet the Hunger Games in a futuristic reality where androids are a thing.
This definitely sounds like a lot and it is, I mean the concept is interesting and I can definitely say that it lived to my expectations. It even gave me the eerie feeling dystopic stories do whenever there's the female race in the centre of entertaining the masses.
Disney Princesses meet the Hunger Games in a futuristic reality where androids are a thing.
This definitely sounds like a lot and it is, I mean the concept is interesting and I can definitely say that it lived to my expectations. It even gave me the eerie feeling dystopic stories do whenever there's the female race in the centre of entertaining the masses.
May 26, 2019
4.5 stars
I received an ARC copy of this book from a Goodreads giveaway. Thank you Fierce Reads for sending me a copy. This book was so unique. Ive not read anything else like it. As a lot of other reviewers have said it's a cross between Westworld and what you might imagine Disney World being like in the future. The only reason I gave it 4.5 and not 5 stars is because I felt like I wanted more out of the ending. That being said I did thoroughly enjoy reading this and I look forward to more books by Jess Rothenberg in the future.
I received an ARC copy of this book from a Goodreads giveaway. Thank you Fierce Reads for sending me a copy. This book was so unique. Ive not read anything else like it. As a lot of other reviewers have said it's a cross between Westworld and what you might imagine Disney World being like in the future. The only reason I gave it 4.5 and not 5 stars is because I felt like I wanted more out of the ending. That being said I did thoroughly enjoy reading this and I look forward to more books by Jess Rothenberg in the future.
June 25, 2019
This is "feminism lite", but based on everything I see around me, there is still a deep need for a book like this that asks us to think about what we expect from the perfect woman: servility, beauty, and constant, unquestioned compliance.
This book shares some of the same ideas as Girls with Sharp Sticks, though it comes at the same questions from a slightly different direction. Instead of an elite school for beautiful young women to be groomed to be the perfect wives of successful men, here we have perfect princesses, "fantasists", that have been constructed and programmed to be beautiful and of service, and who work in a large theme park called the Kingdom. The girls are closely monitored all day and basically imprisoned after hours in their quarters. Even with these controls on them, there are staff and "investors" in the fantasists program who are clearly raping the young women.
Though I wasn't overly surprised by much of what happened in this book, I did enjoy how the fantasist Ana gradually awakens to the horror of hers and her sisters' situations, and begins to fight back.
This book shares some of the same ideas as Girls with Sharp Sticks, though it comes at the same questions from a slightly different direction. Instead of an elite school for beautiful young women to be groomed to be the perfect wives of successful men, here we have perfect princesses, "fantasists", that have been constructed and programmed to be beautiful and of service, and who work in a large theme park called the Kingdom. The girls are closely monitored all day and basically imprisoned after hours in their quarters. Even with these controls on them, there are staff and "investors" in the fantasists program who are clearly raping the young women.
Though I wasn't overly surprised by much of what happened in this book, I did enjoy how the fantasist Ana gradually awakens to the horror of hers and her sisters' situations, and begins to fight back.
July 30, 2019
This book really had great potentials, but I was so bored reading it.
My high hopes progressively declined after a while because:
- the theme park and its rules weren't really fully laid out, they were just thrown here and there to justify an action which brings me to my next point
- I didn't get a sense of danger or anticipation, things just happened and I couldn't care less.
- Being in Ana's head and experiencing all the story through her was also annoying because her dialogue and thoughts were so stiff which fits with her being a hybrid, but then when she out of the blue states that she feels something else and is supposedly 'Evolving' into something more, she is still stiff and annoying.
My high hopes progressively declined after a while because:
- the theme park and its rules weren't really fully laid out, they were just thrown here and there to justify an action which brings me to my next point
- I didn't get a sense of danger or anticipation, things just happened and I couldn't care less.
- Being in Ana's head and experiencing all the story through her was also annoying because her dialogue and thoughts were so stiff which fits with her being a hybrid, but then when she out of the blue states that she feels something else and is supposedly 'Evolving' into something more, she is still stiff and annoying.
September 4, 2019
Okay..........wow. This book. It’s exactly what I wanted it to be and everything I didn’t know I needed all wrapped into one magnificent, fast paced, daring adventure. It’s got a little bit of everything: mystery, romance, adventure, escape, violence, betrayal, soft sweet moments, and futurism. It was so interesting to read: one second I was rooting for one person, and the next I had no idea who to believe. Is it an unreliable narrator? Or do I just not have all the right pieces? I was SPEEDING through the book to find out.
There is so much I want to say but honestly.....I feel like I would spoil the important things. Just....definitely give reading this a shot. It had heart and gumption and great writing, and a lot of really great discussion points. (Could be a good for a book club pick, tbh.) But it also felt like an old fashioned sweeping adventure with an MC with a heart of gold, and I LOVED that about it.
I’ll definitely be reading this again, and Rothenberg’s other book, and all her future books, because wow. 😍
There is so much I want to say but honestly.....I feel like I would spoil the important things. Just....definitely give reading this a shot. It had heart and gumption and great writing, and a lot of really great discussion points. (Could be a good for a book club pick, tbh.) But it also felt like an old fashioned sweeping adventure with an MC with a heart of gold, and I LOVED that about it.
I’ll definitely be reading this again, and Rothenberg’s other book, and all her future books, because wow. 😍
September 1, 2019
Persönliche Meinung
Es war ganz klar ein Coverkauf! Obwohl der Inhalt noch gut klang, waren die meisten Rezensionen auf Goodreads aber nur mittel und das hat mich ehrlich gesagt, schon recht abgeschreckt. Aber dann habe ich einfach mal reingelesen und dann weitergelesen und irgendwann musste ich es einfach beenden, weil es so spannend wurde.
Die Kapitel sind allesamt richtig kurz, meistens nur ein paar Seiten und zeigen verschiedene Ausschnitte die vor, nach und während dem Prozess um den Mord spielen. Ehrlich gesagt, fand ich die „Fantasy“ Monatsangaben irritierend und mir hätte hier einfach eine normale Zeitangabe gereicht. Das Ganze wirkte ein bisschen wie ein Thriller, indem man versucht herauszufinden, wer den Mord begangen hat. (okay, genau so ist es haha) Deshalb weiß ich nicht, ob das Buch immer noch so catchy wäre, wenn man es ein zweites Mal lesen würde, wenn man den Ausgang schon kennt. Liest jemand Krimis zweimal? Aber für mich war es genug Spannung um wirklich wissen zu wollen, wie es ausgeht! Dieses dauernde hin und her der Zeit fand ich teilweise anstrengend, da ich nie genau wusste, ob die Szene davor vorher oder nachher war. Ich war echt manchmal verwirrt, am Ende hat dann aber alles Sinn gemacht.
«Ana: Vielleicht hatte sie keine andere Wahl.
Dr. Foster: Keine andere Wahl? Ana, ist dir klar, was du da sagst? Soll das heißen, du findest es richtig, was Nia getan hat? Wenn du das findest, wenn du das wirklich findest, dann bist du, fürchte ich, noch viel gefährlicher als wir dachten.
Ana: Das ist nicht überraschend. Schließlich haben Sie mir alles beigebracht, was ich weiß.»
Emotional war ich nicht so dabei und auch die Liebesgeschichte konnte mich nicht berühren, aber ich fand es ein unterhaltsames und packendes Buch mit einer coolen Idee! Mir gefielen auch die Wechsel zwischen den Verhören und den Gerichtsausgen in Drehbuchform und der eigentlichen Geschichte in der erzählenden Form.
Es war ein bisschen the Belles mäßig oder auch Flawed. Und damit meine ich den Teil wo die Naive Protagonistin anfängt Dinge zu hinterfragen.
Fazit: überraschend gut!
Es war ganz klar ein Coverkauf! Obwohl der Inhalt noch gut klang, waren die meisten Rezensionen auf Goodreads aber nur mittel und das hat mich ehrlich gesagt, schon recht abgeschreckt. Aber dann habe ich einfach mal reingelesen und dann weitergelesen und irgendwann musste ich es einfach beenden, weil es so spannend wurde.
Die Kapitel sind allesamt richtig kurz, meistens nur ein paar Seiten und zeigen verschiedene Ausschnitte die vor, nach und während dem Prozess um den Mord spielen. Ehrlich gesagt, fand ich die „Fantasy“ Monatsangaben irritierend und mir hätte hier einfach eine normale Zeitangabe gereicht. Das Ganze wirkte ein bisschen wie ein Thriller, indem man versucht herauszufinden, wer den Mord begangen hat. (okay, genau so ist es haha) Deshalb weiß ich nicht, ob das Buch immer noch so catchy wäre, wenn man es ein zweites Mal lesen würde, wenn man den Ausgang schon kennt. Liest jemand Krimis zweimal? Aber für mich war es genug Spannung um wirklich wissen zu wollen, wie es ausgeht! Dieses dauernde hin und her der Zeit fand ich teilweise anstrengend, da ich nie genau wusste, ob die Szene davor vorher oder nachher war. Ich war echt manchmal verwirrt, am Ende hat dann aber alles Sinn gemacht.
«Ana: Vielleicht hatte sie keine andere Wahl.
Dr. Foster: Keine andere Wahl? Ana, ist dir klar, was du da sagst? Soll das heißen, du findest es richtig, was Nia getan hat? Wenn du das findest, wenn du das wirklich findest, dann bist du, fürchte ich, noch viel gefährlicher als wir dachten.
Ana: Das ist nicht überraschend. Schließlich haben Sie mir alles beigebracht, was ich weiß.»
Emotional war ich nicht so dabei und auch die Liebesgeschichte konnte mich nicht berühren, aber ich fand es ein unterhaltsames und packendes Buch mit einer coolen Idee! Mir gefielen auch die Wechsel zwischen den Verhören und den Gerichtsausgen in Drehbuchform und der eigentlichen Geschichte in der erzählenden Form.
Es war ein bisschen the Belles mäßig oder auch Flawed. Und damit meine ich den Teil wo die Naive Protagonistin anfängt Dinge zu hinterfragen.
Fazit: überraschend gut!
June 2, 2019
This is the kind of YA speculative fiction I like to see - a few metaphors thoughtfully channeled through a unique premise (why did this Disney-like princess that's actually a human android hybrid go off her rocket and kill her only friend?), with compelling characters and lovely prose to boot. I found this quite moving, and I was impressed with the genuinely difficult questions the book explored around what it means to be human and how technology interacts with our humanity. That said, it has the classic flaw (for my own tastes, mind you) that a dual timeline book has: I was more interested in one timeline than the other. I think this is a more justified use of that contrivance than is often the case in YA mystery plots, but still. I wish this book had found a way to be told in a continual narrative without hopping back and forth with the past.
All in all, heartily recommend and I will look forward to more from this author in the future.
All in all, heartily recommend and I will look forward to more from this author in the future.
August 4, 2019
This was definitely an entertaining read with an original synopsis but unfortunately just didn’t connect at pivotal times.
Here we are immersed in the kingdom, a highly realistic digital word that has fused with technology to create a dream land. We also meet the star attractions: 7 princesses designed to emulate the best of culture and beauty.
This move unravels the fairytale image of childhood and explores the callous nature hidden from view. It was an extremely interesting take on a classic trope and I really enjoyed the novel.
All the above being said, it just didn’t move me enough to rate it higher. I enjoyed the characters, the world building..but sometimes the story just lagged a little too far behind for me and though some of the scenes described were for an older young adult audience, some of the narrative saw it trying to also engage a younger demographic.
Here we are immersed in the kingdom, a highly realistic digital word that has fused with technology to create a dream land. We also meet the star attractions: 7 princesses designed to emulate the best of culture and beauty.
This move unravels the fairytale image of childhood and explores the callous nature hidden from view. It was an extremely interesting take on a classic trope and I really enjoyed the novel.
All the above being said, it just didn’t move me enough to rate it higher. I enjoyed the characters, the world building..but sometimes the story just lagged a little too far behind for me and though some of the scenes described were for an older young adult audience, some of the narrative saw it trying to also engage a younger demographic.
October 22, 2019
This was such a nice read for me and also it took me a few hours to finish it? I don't usually read during exams weeks but I was so excited for this one that I couldn't wait more but I was not expecting to finish it so fast?
This book for me at least, was unique and so different and had a plot-twist that I was not expecting? Perhaps I got so into the story that I wasn't thinking anymore, I just wanted to read, read and read.
In this book we have the point of view of Ana, one of the seven fantasy princess (sisters) from The Kingdom and we follow her story. It starts with the explanation of a murder, following with some interviewers into the murder trial and we see a countdown of two years before the murder took place. With that, in each chapter we get to see what happens with the change from before-after the murder and gives clues and more information and more points of view.
I loved Ana, she's so soft and pure but definitely really smart and I absolutely loved her character development. I also loved Owen, I was curious about him at first and I guessed something before was revealed but it was a really nice ride!
Also, I'd like to mention how Jess Rithenberg included almost everything in one book? We're placed in a future where climate change has done too much harm and many animals are extinct and The Kingdom gives a different reality where you can find hybrid animals; how Ana is not supposed to feel anything more than what her system made her able to do and function and, in my opinion, was really well developed how there were some breakdowns between what she is supposed to do/act and what she's actually feeling.
We also have the "ideal perfect princess",the author shows how all the princess are getting ready every day to be perfect and look really good for people and this idea of the objectification of women is clear and I wasn't expecting it, in this book all the princess aren't supposed to feel anything, they're just objects, propiety of The Kingdom and the "leaders" use them however they want just to erease their memories afterwards. And obviously, we see how the sisters find things out and their anger, and I think that was powerful and what it made a really plot in the story.
I loved the book, but I think the end should have been a little bit longer? To explain more things and how it'll end because that's a hude open end there.
“In the end, it does not matter what a story is about. It only matters who gets to tell it.”
“Like Wendy, John, and Michael Darling on the night Peter Pan taught them how to fly - I think one happy thought. In my pocket, I have a knife.”
This book for me at least, was unique and so different and had a plot-twist that I was not expecting? Perhaps I got so into the story that I wasn't thinking anymore, I just wanted to read, read and read.
In this book we have the point of view of Ana, one of the seven fantasy princess (sisters) from The Kingdom and we follow her story. It starts with the explanation of a murder, following with some interviewers into the murder trial and we see a countdown of two years before the murder took place. With that, in each chapter we get to see what happens with the change from before-after the murder and gives clues and more information and more points of view.
I loved Ana, she's so soft and pure but definitely really smart and I absolutely loved her character development. I also loved Owen, I was curious about him at first and I guessed something before was revealed but it was a really nice ride!
Also, I'd like to mention how Jess Rithenberg included almost everything in one book? We're placed in a future where climate change has done too much harm and many animals are extinct and The Kingdom gives a different reality where you can find hybrid animals; how Ana is not supposed to feel anything more than what her system made her able to do and function and, in my opinion, was really well developed how there were some breakdowns between what she is supposed to do/act and what she's actually feeling.
We also have the "ideal perfect princess",the author shows how all the princess are getting ready every day to be perfect and look really good for people and this idea of the objectification of women is clear and I wasn't expecting it, in this book all the princess aren't supposed to feel anything, they're just objects, propiety of The Kingdom and the "leaders" use them however they want just to erease their memories afterwards. And obviously, we see how the sisters find things out and their anger, and I think that was powerful and what it made a really plot in the story.
I loved the book, but I think the end should have been a little bit longer? To explain more things and how it'll end because that's a hude open end there.
“In the end, it does not matter what a story is about. It only matters who gets to tell it.”
“Like Wendy, John, and Michael Darling on the night Peter Pan taught them how to fly - I think one happy thought. In my pocket, I have a knife.”
May 30, 2019
Picture this: a futuristic Disney World swarmed with robotic hybrid animals and instead of Disney Princesses, there are flawless, androids named ´Fantasists´ whose sole goal is to make the park guests' fantasies come alive.
I´ve read numerous books lately based around the post-human arguments surrounding genetic modification or the creation of flawless androids. As a result, I feel as if that altered my reading experience slightly.
The theme park was so intriguing. The book was such a quick read so I would have loved more details about this futuristic Disney-like world. I also underestimated how dark this tale would be. The men overseeing the female androids possess perverse desires. They objectify the androids and, considering they were created to simply look pretty and serve, they expect them to obey even the most twisted commands. They don´t have feelings, they don´t have desires. Or do they?
Our protagonist, Ana, is one of the seven beautiful android Fantasist sisters. She´s a machine, devoid of human emotion. That is until her relationship with a park ranger, Owen, starts to blossom. Unfortunately, from here, the whole romance plot and the what-it-means-to-be-human storyline didn't interest me much. Dreams, tears, and a fluttering heartbeat whenever she feels his gaze; these emotions and experiences are new to her. As her emotions intensify, she begins to figure out the meaning of love, life and humanity and starts to question The Kingdom´s ethics. While the story jumps back and forth between two years prior to Ana´s murder trial and to the post-trial interview, it all draws to a somewhat predictable ending.
This book may have not been my favourite, but it was a lot of fun nonetheless. It proposes some poignant questions about not only the lengths to which those in power will go to provide entertainment to the masses but also the frightening possibilities of our future technology.
Thank you, Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
I´ve read numerous books lately based around the post-human arguments surrounding genetic modification or the creation of flawless androids. As a result, I feel as if that altered my reading experience slightly.
The theme park was so intriguing. The book was such a quick read so I would have loved more details about this futuristic Disney-like world. I also underestimated how dark this tale would be. The men overseeing the female androids possess perverse desires. They objectify the androids and, considering they were created to simply look pretty and serve, they expect them to obey even the most twisted commands. They don´t have feelings, they don´t have desires. Or do they?
Our protagonist, Ana, is one of the seven beautiful android Fantasist sisters. She´s a machine, devoid of human emotion. That is until her relationship with a park ranger, Owen, starts to blossom. Unfortunately, from here, the whole romance plot and the what-it-means-to-be-human storyline didn't interest me much. Dreams, tears, and a fluttering heartbeat whenever she feels his gaze; these emotions and experiences are new to her. As her emotions intensify, she begins to figure out the meaning of love, life and humanity and starts to question The Kingdom´s ethics. While the story jumps back and forth between two years prior to Ana´s murder trial and to the post-trial interview, it all draws to a somewhat predictable ending.
This book may have not been my favourite, but it was a lot of fun nonetheless. It proposes some poignant questions about not only the lengths to which those in power will go to provide entertainment to the masses but also the frightening possibilities of our future technology.
Thank you, Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
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