Review: The Color of Jade by Mae Redding
In the blurb, this book is described as something that falls into the same category as the Hunger Games and Divergent. While I haven’t read the books and I don’t plan on doing so, I have seen the movies and quite liked them. And I can agree that The Color of Jade can easily become a favorite read for the fans of these series. It’s obviously young adult, with a dystopian setting, a lot of action and with an adventure flair to it. It also features a strong female protagonist, and is spiced up with a tender love story. Which, by the way, is very tastefully done. It was one of the reasons why I decided to give this book a try – there was a short snippet in the beginning that was so beautiful, not like some swoony romance in the usual PNR that I avoid like plague. Here’s an excerpt: The way he spoke with confidence, the way he curled his lip slightly when he smiled, the sincerity in his eyes, and the movement of his body as he walked. His fiercely protective and chivalrous mannerisms’ spoke to me in a way that rendered me speechless and burned warmth through me like nothing else I’d known, hotter than the tangible fire in front of me. It’s also a survival story with a lot of twists and turns, and the author certainly knows how to write a hooking story without a single boring chapter. I liked her creativity with names: Jade, Kane, Emery, Gage; original names like that help me distinguish the characters among the others in my head. As Jade becomes the center point of the war conflict, her friends and family unite around her, trying to keep her safe. This team of colorful characters will stay in my head for a long time. I came to love them very quickly. The plot is clear enough from the blurb, and I don’t see a reason to repeat it. But I’ll also add that the young adult aspect was very well done, as the story touches such important for teens things as self-esteem and reliance, speaks of values and virtues that they should know about. It brings up the gender equality issue without making it annoying, and without leaving any irritating imprint on the protagonist (which often happens in YA. God, make me unsee Graceling.). The short excerpt above tells you all you need to know about the author’s style. Its delicacy and beauty and precision have left me in admiration. I recommend this book to fans of dystopian and young adult, but honestly, I can’t imagine why anyone at all wouldn’t like it. I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
