Lisa the Nerd

in a sentence or so: fresh on the heels of a murder accusation, a mafiya daughter is caught between familial responsibility and new love. Anya is the head of her family. she may not be the oldest, but she’s certainly responsible for her ailing grandmother, her older brother (who will forever have a 12 year old mind) and her younger sister. since her parents died, she’s accepted that this will be her role in life - to care for her siblings and grandmother and make an honest living. then her ex-boyfriend is poisoned by tainted chocolate from her family’s business, which pushes her into the public eye just as she starts falling for the new DA’s son, Win. she must learn to balance the responsibilities of her mafiya family with the new demands on her heart. i expected this book to be largely about the relationship between Anya and Win, so i was pleasantly surprised to discover a thoughtful and challenging dystopian within these pages. in the 2080s, chocolate is illegal (as are many things), but Anya’s family remains in the business of providing people with their cocoa fix. we learn much about what it means for Anya to be a part of the mafiya, which adds depth to an otherwise romantic dystopian. if you’re on a dystopian bender and searching for that next book to fall in love with, i recommend this one. Anya is smart, loyal, and intense. her best friend Scarlet provides a nice counterpart of girlishness and companionship, while Win is the quirky and adorable good boy. there are mysteries to solve, hidden agendas to reveal, and swoons to swoon over! Zevin is a solid writer (see here and here) and hits the ground running with this start to a new series.fave quote: "You're imagining things," I told her. "Now what do you want for breakfast?""Eggs," she said. "And a love story if you've got one, Annie. A really sappy, romantic one with tons of kissing and stuff."I ignored her. "Eggs it is." (conversation between Anya and her little sister about a potential love interest, pg 186)bonus factor: Win's dad TOTALLY has a Harvey Dent thing going on and i loved it. a whole lot.fix er up: there wasn’t as much world building as i would have liked, but the dedication to the characters and their development certainly fills that void. high hopes for the future installments.