Book Review - The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski

Title: The Winner's Curse

Author: Marie Rutkoski

Publication Date: 4th March 2014

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Page Count: 355 Pages (Hardcover)

Source: Purchased

Audience/Genre: Young Adult

Rating: 4 ☆ Out of 5 ☆
 
Links:

Goodreads
Amazon
Barnes & Noble 
Publishers Website

Summary from Goodreads:

Winning what you want may cost you everything you love.

As a general’s daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions. One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction.

Arin’s eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him—with unexpected consequences. It’s not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin. But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined.

Set in a richly imagined new world, The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski is a story of deadly games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart 

Review:

I really enjoyed the Winner's Curse! It's one of my favorite books of 2014! I found that it had just the right balance of character development and plot development. I gave it 4.5 stars out of 5 stars so you must know that I have really high expectations for it! I cannot wait for the next book already!

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Things I liked about the book.

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My favorite part about the book was Arin and Kestral's relationship! Technically they were the core of the book that would be a great thing! I felt that their relationship really worked because they had the right amount of romance and conflict.

As individuals, I prefer Arin to Kestral. I felt that Arin was smart, sensitive, sort of bad boy-ish at first, and of course he was a total heart throb. I really liked it and was looking forward to it when he would appear in the book again. Also, the last few moments when he became all sensitive and cool was my favorite thing about him :)

As for Kestral, once again, like I feel for most female characters, she was a little unpleasant at first. However, she grew onto me - much faster than many other female characters. If I had three words to describe her, they would be "head-strong", "intelligent" and "warrior". She's a true heroine in her own right - something you could see throughout the book.

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As for the plot development, I think everything fit in perfectly. There was rising action, a climax, and then falling action and finally the ending - the resolution/cliff hanger-ish thing. Also, there were also twists in the book which fit in perfectly.

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Things I did not like about the book.

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The only part I felt that I did not like was the writing style in some parts of the book. At some parts, the writing fell flat a little and I felt that even though the book progressed on, it was slower and less entertaining then. Other than that there weren't many things I did not like about the book.

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Overall.

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From my above review, I guess you can tell I really do love the book! I did give it 4 out of 5 stars afterall! I have really huge expectations for "The Winner's Crime" (The Second Book in the series)! 3rd March 2015 cannot come quick enough!

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About the Author

Marie Rutkoski is the author of The Kronos Chronicles, including The Cabinet of Wonders and The Celestial Globe. The Cabinet of Wonders, her debut novel, was named an Indie Next Kids’ List Great Read and a Bank Street Best Children’s Book of the Year, among other honors. Rutkoski grew up in Bolingbrook, Illinois (a suburb of Chicago), as the oldest of four children. She attended the University of Iowa, where she took Writers’ Workshop classes and studied with Pulitzer Prize-winner James Alan McPherson. After graduating, she lived in Moscow and Prague. Upon receiving her Ph.D. from Harvard University, she held dual appointments as a lecturer there in both English and American Literature and Language, and History and Literature. Rutkoski is currently a professor at Brooklyn College, where she teaches Renaissance Drama, children’s literature and creative writing. She lives in New York City with her husband and cat.

Official Links:  Author's Twitter / Author's Website

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*All pictures and graphics do not belong to me. I take no credit at all for these.

** All opinions are mine and mine only.