Book Review: ‘Feuds’ by Avery Hastings

feuds
(goodreads.com)

Dystopians are so 2008. Having read way too many dystopian novels in the past few years, I’ve been avoiding that genre with a passion. Imagine my surprise when I became intrigued by Feuds – even the gods above could not have predicted such a twist of fate. As you can probably infer, I’m extremely thankful for fate. I greatly enjoyed reading Feuds. Maybe I’ll even starting reading more dystopian novels… probably not.

Having seen the cover, you’ve probably guessed that Feuds is about dancing. You’re right. Davis Morrow is a Prior – she’s spent her life aiming for perfection, working her butt off dancing, and trying to be better than the Imperfects, or “Imps.” Practice makes perfect, Davis thinks. That motto seems to be true. After all, Davis is just a few weeks away from qualifying for the Olympiads. Practice, practice, practice. Meeting a guy named Cole isn’t part of the agenda, but it happens. Cole’s got a few secrets too. He’s an up and coming fighter in the FEUDS, an underground fighting ring where Priors bet on Imps. Yup, he’s an Imp. Of course, Cole and Davis are attracted to each other for some unknown reasons. When Narxis, a virus, begins to spread, it’s up to Davis and Cole to find their own happy ending. After all, what is a dystopia without death and love?

The beginning of Feuds was a little slow for my taste. However, the pace picked up drastically from then on. The rest of the book was relatively fast-paced, especially the romance. Think insta-love without insta-love, if you know what I mean. Although I was irked by the speed at which Davis and Cole’s relationship developed, I did enjoy reading about them. The romantic aspect of the book was well-written and tolerable. Coming from me, tolerable is high praise. As for the actual plot, I will admit that Feuds is unique, considering its genre. The idea of disease is uncommon when it comes to dystopian novels. Avery Hastings has prevailed.

I loved reading about Davis. Her character was incredibly well depicted. Her dedication, passion, and ambition were clear from the start. Although I’m not a dancer, I was able to understand Davis’ love for her sport. “Sometimes you have to fight for what you love” is what the front cover of Feuds says. This phrase perfectly describes Davis. Readers will admire how much she fights for what she loves. She’s kick-butt, she’s beautiful, she’s Davis Morrow.

Feuds, in one word, is captivating. There’s just something about dancing, disease, and Davis that simply cannot be replicated. Feuds is glowing to blow your socks off, so be sure to read it as soon as humanly possible.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin (September 2nd, 2014)

Source: Netgalley

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ISBN #: 9781250057716

Length: 272 pages (Hardcover)

 

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