This was my kinda book. I got to read an advanced copy, and some changes will be made in the final version. So I will re-review once the final version is published and I read that. I cant wait to see this in stores in paperback, on July 13th!
So this book is about an 18 year old girl called Meri, who has a special ability to see UV light, otherwise known as 'Peril', and is kind of at war, due to the historical war, between her own kind and another kind. But she is first completely oblivious to this, and is living a relatively normal life in London, at sixth form when she meets Kel and his friends. They hit it off, but a spanner is thrown into the works when new information is revealed about both characters... and basically lots of super cool fun drama... and hence the story line.
I really liked this book, although Joss Stirling has taken a new style with a dystopian book, rather than a magical realism kinda book, I loved it. It was well thought out, realistic, and really interesting. The way that this book is dystopian is that it covers what the world is like, around the end of the 21st century, if climate change has basically crapped on the world. I really liked this because it was realistic and therefore this london wasn't too different from our london. And there is not enough books around in YA set in England/ by British authors.
The book covered a lot of the idea of 'Is my red the same as your red'; basically do we see the same colours, is it possible that some see more than others? And this brought in, and brought conflict to, the romance aspect of the novel, as Meri sees differently to Kel. As a psychology student at a very biologically based psychology degree, I loved this motif throughout the novel. So fascinating.
Finally, I loved the characters in this book, they were awesome and had such complex back stories, making them feel real and honest and so so lovable. I really hope we get to see some of Meri's friends back in the next books.
Thank you to Joss Stirling for sending me an early copy, this made me unbelievably happy.
P.S. I am so looking forward to more in this series, normally Joss Stirlings books follow a group of characters, but each book as a different character as the main P.O.V, but I'm pretty sure this time that it is going to be these two characters for the duration of the series and although I love the was Joss has done it in the past, I cannot wait to learn more about these characters and this world. EXCITED!