The Glass Arrow by Kristen Simmons [Review]

2.5 out of 5 Robots!

The Glass Arrow by Kristen Simmons 
Genre: YA Fantasy (?)/Dystopian
Release: February 10, 2015
Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: Tor Teen
My Copy: Purchased
Reviewer: Shannon

Book Summary:

The Handmaid’s Tale meets Blood Red Road in Glass Arrow, the story of Aya, who lives with a small group of women on the run from the men who hunt them, men who want to auction off breeding rights to the highest bidder.

In a world where females are scarce and are hunted, then bought and sold at market for their breeding rights, 15-year old Aya has learned how to hide. With a ragtag bunch of other women and girls, she has successfully avoided capture and eked out a nomadic but free existence in the mountains. But when Aya’s luck runs out and she’s caught by a group of businessmen on a hunting expedition, fighting to survive takes on a whole new meaning.

(Courtesy of the Publisher)

Shannon's Thoughts:

Reviews like this one are tough.  And it's mostly because I have next to nothing to say.  And that is so unfortunate because The Glass Arrow was one of my most anticipated reads for 2015.  I really enjoyed Simmon's Article 5 series and was excited to read her foray into fantasy.  Or at least I thought it was fantasy...until I realized it is actually more of a dystopian.  Now, full disclosure, I am tapped out on dystopians.  And because I had read so many, a book has to be pretty amazing to stand out to me.  And this is the biggest complaint I have with The Glass Arrow.  It read like every. other. YA Dystopian book I've read.  I'm even having trouble recalling the plot as I write this.  I do remember that I thought there were a lot of plot holes for convenience.  I also did not really understand the "whys" of the world building and it is never really explained.  It seems odd that this is a standalone, because it could have used a lot more fleshing out in that aspect. And nothing really clicked or excited me.  I didn't really care about Aya's predicament or even the romance. 

I'm so sad that I didn't really enjoy this book!  I wanted to like it.  And some people may.  It is a quick, fast paced read with a strong female protagonist.  But I was bored.  I was confused why certainly things were they way they were, or how the characters got away with certain things.  And mostly, I just felt like I had already read this story a billion times.   

Overall:
I was not impressed with this book.  I wanted more.  I wanted something unexpected.  I just wanted something...better.