The Book of Ivy by Amy Engel

Published: November 4th, 2014

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Pages: 400

Copy: From Publisher

Summary: 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…

Review

'The Book of Ivy' was a well written dystopian novel that envisions a much smaller world that has developed some odd customs to maintain balance. Ivy has grown up with her father and sister and has been effectively brainwashed by them into believing that killing Bishop Latimer is the only solution to the current problems.  

Thankfully, Ivy has a brain of her own and she starts to question everything that she has been taught to believe and she actually starts to think for herself. Bishop is a kind and caring individual who has also grown up with expectations, but who has decided to go his own way. Ms. Engel has created two likeable characters living in a well thought out world that was easy to believe.

While I enjoyed 'The Book of Ivy' I have to be honest, it didn't WOW me. There wasn't any one factor that made it stand out from all the other dystopian novels that abound these days. Will I recommend it?  Absolutely.  I can think of several kids who pop in at work that would love the slow building romance between the two main characters, and the slightly old fashioned feel to the story, but I don't think I'm going to be in any rush to read the follow-up.