Review Detail

“Project Pandora” is a really intense and creative YA sci-fi/thriller. We follow four teenagers who are all part of Project Pandora. They all have code names from Greek mythology and perform special jobs (e.g. assassin). Hades is the only one who is aware of his role/job, and he suffers greatly psychologically from the physical/emotional abuse and his role as a murderer. The others have varying degrees of anxiety/depression from their dissociative identities which are triggered with specific phrases.

Elizabeth, or Persephone, is a senator’s daughter and expected to behave and dress perfectly at all times. She finds herself drawn to a stranger at a banquet, Hades, and does not want to play her perfect role if it means staying away from him. They become closer and begin to date as things spiral out of control. Shannon (Artemis) and Tyler (Apollo) go to a nearby public school, and they are attracted to each other- unknowing that their extracurricular activities include murdering people together. Things really begin to change as Hades begins to evolve and break free from the reigns of his captors and Tyler is able to resist the assassination brain washing.

In part, the book follows teenage romance, but the bigger part of the book focuses on Project Pandora and the control a group of people have over the teens. We get the idea that this is all a very small part of a much bigger plot, and it seems that this will be continued in a sequel. There is main character death here, which I am including in my review for people who may want the warning! The book is extremely intense and really only appropriate for older teen audiences, mostly because of violence, torture, and abuse.

Overall, I found it enthralling and hard to put down as we follow these four unique but engaging characters on their journeys of self-discovery. Despite the many viewpoints, it was easy to follow and the story unfolds beautifully! I am looking forward to seeing where this series may go in the future.

Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher through netgalley. All opinions are my own.