Reactive: A YA Dystopian Romance (The Elite Trials Book 1)

“I don’t want to be dramatic and say I found the next The Hunger Games or Divergent, but I totally found the next The Hunger Games or Divergent.” — an actual text I sent to my sister while reading Reactive.

This book. Oh, man. I feel like I can’t stop talking about this book. I requested an ARC [last year] kind of on a whim, thinking it sounded interesting. I am so glad I did!! I was very pleasantly surprised.

It had been a while since I’d read a new dystopian, and it was exciting getting into this new world with a unique story. It felt like a blend of both the past and future, in a good way. The plot was original without being so far-fetched that it was hard to read. In fact, it was very easy to read and very well-written. The whole thing was done really well.

I also love the characters. Lune is this closed off character whose only goal is to win The Trials and leave the city. The entire time she’s lived there, she has kept her distance from people– both to not get hurt and to not get attached. Except for Asher, who works in the stables. Though they’re not supposed to truly interact due to their different levels of status, they’re friends. Even if Lune tries to deny it. Asher is so great and caring, he’s a true friend through everything and it was nice seeing that type of friendship, especially in this type of story. Then there’s Bren. Bren is someone from her past who turns up but doesn’t remember her. He is essentially the exact opposite of Lune. Where she is serious and emotionally-detached, he is sarcastic and light-hearted. He constantly tries to annoy Lune and make her laugh, but he’s a hard worker too and still trains as needed.

Overall, everything just felt like it was really thought out and well-developed. Nothing felt rushed, but it also didn’t drag on. I was really happy with this book.

I highly recommend this book. Especially if you like dystopians. It’s one of the best I’ve read in awhile!

*Full original review on Functionally Fictional.*

The story:

Lune Tatum, the adoptive daughter of this dystopian world’s Supreme Elite, wants out. Out of the walled city that’s been her prison, out of sight of the populace who hate her because of her privilege, and out of the clutches of the father who’s beaten her into submission since childhood. The only way to escape is to win The Elite Trials, but when a mysterious outsider named Bren enters the fray, her past comes back to haunt her. And it might cost her her future.


What I loved:

The world-building was phenomenal. It was nice to read a dystopian novel not set in the ruins of our once-great civilization, but in an actual civilization. Much of the story made me think of The Hunger Games, especially the heart, bravery, and brutal circumstances that Katniss shares with Lune. The action scenes were very well realized, and her and Bren’s tragic history evoked real emotional reactions from me.


What I didn’t love:

That being said, the interplay between Lune and Bren began to wear thin about halfway through. Lune alternated between being captivated by Bren and feeling betrayed by him. Some of the other characters could have stood to be developed further (and hopefully will in future books).


My Final Verdict:

Reactive is a worthy read for lovers of dystopian fiction, especially The Hunger Games. Lune has the right combination of vulnerability and badass-ness, and Bren is just endearing enough to steal a few hearts of his own. Moynihan’s writing style will keep you turning pages until the very end.