Release Day Review: The Book of Ivy (The Book of Ivy #1) by Amy Engel

The Book of Ivy (The Book of Ivy #1) by Amy Engel 

Published November 11th 2014 by Entangled: Teen

Paperback,  304 pages

Series: The Book of Ivy

Genre: Young Adult Dystopia

Source:  I got a copy of this book from the publisher  in exchange of an honest review.
Amazon | Goodreads

Summary from Goodreads

After a brutal nuclear war, the United States was left decimated. A small group of survivors eventually banded together, but only after more conflict over which family would govern the new nation. The Westfalls lost. Fifty years later, peace and control are maintained by marrying the daughters of the losing side to the sons of the winning group in a yearly ritual.

This year, it is my turn.

My name is Ivy Westfall, and my mission is simple: to kill the president’s son—my soon-to-be husband—and restore the Westfall family to power.

But Bishop Lattimer is either a very skilled actor or he’s not the cruel, heartless boy my family warned me to expect. He might even be the one person in this world who truly understands me. But there is no escape from my fate. I am the only one who can restore the Westfall legacy.

Because Bishop must die. And I must be the one to kill him…

United States destroyed by nuclear war, causing a small group of survivors to fall into conflict over which family should govern this new nation in their darkest hour. After Westfalls loss to Lattimer's over presidency there are lots of bad blood between the two families. The peace between the two groups of people who took sides is now maintained by marrying the daughters or sons of the losing side to the daughters or son of the winners.

It's Ivy's turn. After the president's son request to marry her and not her sister Callie, Ivy is now thrown under the bus at only 16 years old to marry the presidents 18-year-old son Bishop Lattimer. She is now expected to be a good wife and bear him children as soon as possible. Yet the boy who seemed to have come from this cruel family is nothing like she had at all imagined. Bishop is kind, patient and seems to really understand Ivy. I even found myself falling in love with him. I loved the way he treated Ivy and that he came out completely opposite of what she thought he would be. I liked the understanding between them and how he opened Ivy's eyes out to the truth about his character. Their relationship wasn't perfect but I did find it cute and realistic.

This book was so much fun. I found myself hesitant at first but as the story went on I found that I absolutely enjoyed it. I liked the setting and how not everything is really black and white, that there is a lot more to what Ivy has been informed by her family and I liked learning that with her. I thought the idea for the book was well done. The city is surrounded by a fence and no one knows what's on the other side of it and are too scared to venture beyond it, so they use the fence as a punishment for the no good doers.

I have to admit, for some reason maybe it's just me but the book reminded me a bit of the Delirium series. Not as far as love being a disease, because it wasn't here, but there are other small similarities as far as the world and how it's created and the isolation and not knowing the beyond. I swear, if book 2 has a love triangle in it, I will totally scream.

Other than that, the writing was great. The author really knew how to tell a story and it showed through the emotions it invoked in me. As Ivy started to learn a little more and got two sides of the story, I found myself frustrated and angry with her family. I was even more disgusted at the end. I won't go into it, but seriously how can a father do that to his own flesh and blood. It was... disturbing to say the least.

I cannot wait for book two, even if the possible date is November 2015 :( a year from now!