Pawn

Pawn 
by Aimee Carter
The Blackcoat Rebellion, book one

For Kitty Doe, it seems like an easy choice. She can either spend her life as a III in misery, looked down upon by the higher ranks and forced to leave the people she loves, or she can become a VII and join the most powerful family in the country.

If she says yes, Kitty will be Masked—surgically transformed into Lila Hart, the Prime Minister's niece, who died under mysterious circumstances. As a member of the Hart family, she will be famous. She will be adored. And for the first time, she will matter.

There's only one catch. She must also stop the rebellion that Lila secretly fostered, the same one that got her killed …and one Kitty believes in. Faced with threats, conspiracies and a life that's not her own, she must decide which path to choose—and learn how to become more than a pawn in a twisted game she's only beginning to understand. (Description from Goodreads.com) 

This book had me hooked from page one.  Aimee Carter set an immediately intense tone for the whole book, ratcheting up the suspense and basically never letting it drop.  Kitty's potential death was around every corner and I was amazed how fast I flew through this story! 

Kitty was a great character because even though her world was falling apart around her, she stands up for her beliefs.  She has strong morals and is willing to make sacrifices for them.  She's just the right mix of vulnerable and naive to help balance the strength, making her a very believable character.  I really liked seeing her assess what was important to the people around her and then making smart choices about how to trust and interact with them based on those observations. 

I liked the set up for the world, and though some elements felt familiar from other similarly conceptualized dystopians, the plot truly held me captivated.  I'm intrigued and looking forward to continuing the story with CAPTIVE in November!

Full disclosure: eARC from Netgalley