Review Detail

What I Liked
Dystopian is one of the most expensive genres out there. There is a multitude of things one can do with it and there is no right or wrong way to do said things. One can corrupt the government as much as one desires. There is the chosen one trope, which one can’t go wrong with. The possibilities are endless. There is a reason this genres is one of my favorites.

One of the things I loved about this book was how believable the voice of 16 year old Auror was. Too often, I find myself reading books about teenagers and they sound like 30 year old adults. That was not the case here. Aurora felt and read like a teenager throughout the entire course of the book. It was written simply but it worked because Aurora thought in black and white.

Another aspect I love was the friendship between Fletcher and Aurora. While I detected hints of romantic overtures, I found their relationship refreshing. They clearly cared about each other very much and it was pleasant to read about a boy and a girl being just friends.

What Left Me Wanting More
LIke I mentioned above, with they dystopian genre, one can do just about anything to the world with world building being one of the most important aspects. Unfortunately, that is where this book lacked. I did get some information about the floating cities that Aurora lived on but I wanted more. I wanted to know how they were structured, how they were climate controlled and most importantly how they floated about Australia. I felt that this was important to the story and perhaps we will learn more in the sequel.

The plot happens at a bit of breakneck speed. There is constant action up until closer to the end, where things slowed down a bit. I did get a bit of whiplash from time to time. Especially in the beginning. I would have loved it if there was a chapter of Aurora and her daily life. Because I mean, she lives on a floating city! How cool is that? This would have been a great way to build up the world and get to know Aurora more personally.

Final Verdict
Utopia was an excellent start to the series that I am excited to continue. It’s fast paced plot and unique concept of floating cities will be sure to draw you in and keep you hooked until the very last word.