Speed Date: The Registry by Shannon Stoker

The Plot: Mia Morrissey is beautiful, and in her world that's a good thing to be. Every girl gets "apprised" and entered into The Registry - a database that men can access when they want to look for a wife - as soon as they turn 18, and they are basically sold to the highest bidder, the fee being divided between the girls's father and the government.

Mia knows she'll fetch a good price, probably even more than her three older sisters and she can't wait. Until the night, a few months before her 18th birthday, when her sister Corinna shows up, a shell of her former self and trying to escape her husband.

At first, Mia is confused by Corinna's claims of abuse but the bruises on her sister don't lie. Then she's shocked when her parents turn Corinna back to her husband without a second thought, and don't seem to care at all when they learn, a mere week later, that Corinna has died (likely murdered by her husband).

With all her beliefs shattered  Mia begins to wonder what exactly is The Registry? why does it exists? and how is she going to escape it?

First Date: This is oddly compelling. I'm not that into dystopia, but this screwed up version of the US is interesting. I like the introduction of Andrew's POV and learning about The Service and how being a boy isn't really easier in this world. Mia's friend Whitney is annoying me. 

Second Date: Good to know that things only went crazy on the US, I somehow find that easier to believe than that something happened globally  I like that Mia keeps wanting to find out why The Registry came into existence. I'm not sure I like where the story is headed, though. Grant is way psycho, btw, almost cartoonish-ly so. 

Third Date: Well, that was a bit of a let down. The love-triangle a little haphazard and hard to buy but whatever. Would have liked to know this was a series first. Ending is totally a "First of a series" ending. 

Relationship Status: Close, but no cigar.
Here is the thing about the Registry: it started with a bang. I really liked the beginning and Mia's and Andrews voices, I liked the set up of this world - how it sucks for both boys and girls, just in different ways  - and I was really excited when Mia and Whitney decide to runaway and force Andrew to help.

But as soon as they hit the road, this book started to go south. The road-trip-ish part of the book was, well, boring, it went no where and I grew tired of it pretty on. And then the book started to fall into all type of cliches.

The love triangle was totally tacked on, and out of character. And the whole third act of the story was rushed and bad. And I really hated the parts with Grant, he was such a cartoonish bad guy that it was boring and annoying to read his section of the book.

There is a sequel on the works but I'm not sure I'll be picking it up. I don't care about the characters at the end of the book like I cared when it started.  

1/2

What's a Book Speed Date, you ask? It's a quickie review--about 150 words or so--of any genre book (variety is the spice of life, after all).

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