The Le Teen Café Review Corner: Damselfly by Jennie Bates Bozic
Author: Jennie Bates Bozic
Publisher: Jennie Bates Bozic LLC
Synopsis (via Goodreads):
In 2065, the Lilliput Project created Lina - the first six-inch-tall winged girl - as the solution to a worldwide energy and food crisis. Isolated in a compound amidst the forests of Denmark, Lina has grown up aware of only one purpose: learn how to survive in a world filled with hawks, bumblebees, and loneliness. However, on the eve of her sixteenth birthday, she discovers that she’s not the only teenager her size. Six 'Toms' were created shortly after Lina, and now her creators need to prove to the world that tiny people are the next logical step in human evolution. In other words, they need to prove that reproduction is possible.
Um. No thanks. Lina's already fallen in love with a boy she met online named Jack. Only he has no idea that thumbelina1847 could literally fit inside his heart.
When her creators threaten to hurt Jack unless she chooses a husband from among the ‘Toms’, Lina agrees to star in a reality TV series. Once the episodes begin to air, the secret of her size is out. Cut off from any contact with the outside world, Lina assumes Jack is no longer interested. After all, what guy would want to date a girl he can’t even kiss?
Slowly, very slowly, she befriends the six young men who see her as their only ticket to happiness. Perhaps she can make just one guy’s dream of love and companionship come true. But her creators have a few more twists in store for her that she never thought possible.
She’s not the only one playing to the cameras.
Review:
3/5
I was given Damselfly in exchange for an honest review, so here goes. Reading the synopsis and reviews in Goodreads gave me high hopes for this book, but unfortunately, I was a little disappointed.
The good: It's a BRILLIANT premise. I absolutely fell in love with the idea of little pixies and a reality TV series. Whoop! Who wouldn't be pulled into the book with a premise like that? And the plot was very exciting too. It kept me on the edge of my seat. The writing was beautiful. And the voice was one I could just click to as a teenager. As for the main character, Lina, when her rebellious side popped up (dying her dress black and her hair purple? You go girl!) I was totally rooting for her. She seemed like a cool person to read about. Someone who, even though she's stuck in Lilliput, will stand up for herself. The first three chapters were a little drawn out, but then when the action started, it was like BAM! I also loved the big twists Jennie managed to squeeze into the plot, so good job on that!
The bad: Things went downhill near the middle of the book. Lina started to get very weak. I get it that she had a reason to not rebel, but seriously? She's acting for the reality show just for a guy she has never ever met? I don't know... I'm not entirely against online dating, but how the heck is that the real thing? Even Lina said herself that being with Jack online wasn't anything like being with the Toms who actually had heat. And speaking of characters, I found myself disliking most of them. After Lina lost my affection, I couldn't find anyone to root for. I guess George (Lina's caretaker?) was a good character, I liked him, but he was missing for most of the book. I really loved Row (one of the Toms) while I was reading, but I found myself disliking him also. Sigh.
Overall: I really, really wanted to enjoy this book, but I found myself too distracted over the manipulative characters that I couldn't really fall in love with the book. It was a good book to read, and I had fun during the five hours poring over this book, but it's not one I would read again.
-Barista Mia-
Image: Damselfly (Jennie Bates Bozic LLC)
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