Review: Linked by Imogen Howson

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Series: Linked #1
Pages: 368

Received: Received a copy from Simon & Schuster Canada in exchange for an honest review

Release Date: June 11, 2013
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Goodreads Synopsis:

Elissa used to have it all: looks, popularity, and a bright future. But for the last three years, she’s been struggling with terrifying visions, phantom pains, and mysterious bruises that appear out of nowhere.

Finally, she’s promised a cure: minor surgery to burn out the overactive area of her brain. But on the eve of the procedure, she discovers the shocking truth behind her hallucinations: she’s been seeing the world through another girl’s eyes.

Elissa follows her visions, and finds a battered, broken girl on the run. A girl—Lin—who looks exactly like Elissa, down to the matching bruises. The twin sister she never knew existed.

Now, Elissa and Lin are on the run from a government who will stop at nothing to reclaim Lin and protect the dangerous secrets she could expose—secrets that would shake the very foundation of their world.

Riveting, thought-provoking and utterly compelling, Linked will make you question what it really means to be human.

My Review:

I am writing this review, right after closing the pages of this book because I really don't want to forget the story I just read. When I asked about this book, the only thing I knew was that the cover was gorgeous and looked so cool that I wanted to read it. And I'm glad that this cover is so gorgeous, because this book was so great.

Imogen Howson has created such an intricate world in LINKED, I really liked how this story was not just confined to one world, but that there are many different planets, and each of these planets has it's own history. We only learn a little bit about these other worlds, but I am already intrigued with what we are given. And I do have to say as an added bonus there are pirates (and it takes place in space), that just was so cool to read about!

The characters were very interesting, I really loved how Elissa grew over the course of the story and really came to understand more about her sister. You could really see how their relationship developed and they both began to understand how the other was feeling, and began to trust one another. The relationship between these two is difficult and they both realize that.

The real thing about this book that had me interested throughout the entire thing was the political aspect, this book is a lot about what it means to be human. The entire book, these two characters are fighting to give Lin a chance to be seen and for people to understand that she is still a person despite her situation. I really love when a book deals with such a strong subject matter, I find it really adds to the reading experience and Imogen definitely did that with LINKED.

The one tiny thing I had hoped to see in the book was more of an understanding of how Lin is able to do certain things. And I do hope that the subject of Lin comes up more in the second book. I really want to know more about her and more of her history. Other than that though, this book was absolutely amazing!