The White Lilac by Christina J. Adams
Book Name: The White Lilac
Author Name: Christina J. Adams
Genre/Tags: Sci-fi, Young Adult, Sacrifice, Futuristic, Dystopian , Political conspiracy, Gritty Adventure
Publisher: Self-Published
My Rating: 3 stars
From the day 15-year-old Caryn Tobin watched her best friend drown, she has carried two weights: a fear of water and the responsibilities of the oldest candidate in the Compound, a leading power on Beta Earth. Caryn is determined to live up to her friend’s memory, even if it means forcing herself to train in the water every day in order to protect the other girls so they can live and dream.
After nearly 3,000 years on the first colonized planet, there is still a deadly toxin in the air poised to wipe out the world’s population and it is the Compound’s purpose to train candidates from birth to gather the underwater cure. All the candidates compete for the chance to save the world, but only one can win and the winner will not survive collecting the cure. Caryn has to win. It is the price she must pay to atone for her part in the drowning.
Yet moments after sealing her own fate, Caryn is offered an opportunity to see the planet and leave the Compound for three days. In the city she meets Kai, a 16-year-old street kid, who is searching for answers to his past. They form an unlikely friendship and Caryn realizes she has dreams of her own. Her decision is further complicated when she discovers the Compound has been experimenting on the very people they are sworn to cure. Now she must choose between her sense of duty and her heart, with the fate of the world hanging in the balance.
From the day 15-year-old Caryn Tobin watched her best friend drown, she has carried two weights: a fear of water and the responsibilities of the oldest candidate in the Compound, a leading power on Beta Earth. Caryn is determined to live up to her friend’s memory, even if it means forcing herself to train in the water every day in order to protect the other girls so they can live and dream.
After nearly 3,000 years on the first colonized planet, there is still a deadly toxin in the air poised to wipe out the world’s population and it is the Compound’s purpose to train candidates from birth to gather the underwater cure. All the candidates compete for the chance to save the world, but only one can win and the winner will not survive collecting the cure. Caryn has to win. It is the price she must pay to atone for her part in the drowning.
Yet moments after sealing her own fate, Caryn is offered an opportunity to see the planet and leave the Compound for three days. In the city she meets Kai, a 16-year-old street kid, who is searching for answers to his past. They form an unlikely friendship and Caryn realizes she has dreams of her own. Her decision is further complicated when she discovers the Compound has been experimenting on the very people they are sworn to cure. Now she must choose between her sense of duty and her heart, with the fate of the world hanging in the balance.
My Review
I would like to thank the
author for gifting me this book in exchange for an honest review. It is my
first sci-fi novel and I must say I really enjoyed reading it. The story is set
in the backdrop of Earth's colonial planet, Beta Earth. The year is 2734, Betan
Calender.
The story starts with The White Lilac Tournament organised by the Compound, a scientific organisation with maximum privileges and sole right to gather the cure. The winner of this competition would be the one to gather the cure of a very deadly disease. The catch is that the person who will collect the cure would die within a day. Well, as you can see, it is a kind of story that starts with a bang!
Caryn is 15 years old and one of the candidates for the tournament. As the oldest of the candidates she feels that it is her responsibility to win the Tournament and gather the cure. Caryn is motivated with the will to help others and strongly believes that she is born for this. Moments after she is declared as the winner, she gets a chance to visit the planet for three days. It is like a dream come true for her as she has never set foot outside the compound.
Kai is a 16 year old who has spend a majority of his life on the streets filling his stomach dumpster diving. He comes insight of a local gangster T-man who makes him steal a rare Betan ruby in exchange for information regarding Kai's family and past. With no other choice and greedy to know about his past, he takes up the job.
Fate brings both caryn and Kai together when Kai is chosen to be her companion with the betan ruby as the payment. Together they spend a life that neither of them ever imagined they would have. Soon they form a bond and experience life's little pleasures while they accidentally uncover the truth behind the sickness, the cure and The Compound.
What I really liked in this story was the gradual way in which Caryn and Kai's relationship grows- from companions to friends to lovers. There is no love at first sight. No body is swept-off their feet. Its all very realistic that everyone can relate too. The story is told in first person form from Caryn's point of view and third person form from Kai's point of view. It is a unique way of writing and gives the readers an insight into the heart and mind of the protagonists.
Buy this book at:
Smashwords.com
Barnes & Noble
Amazon.com
The story starts with The White Lilac Tournament organised by the Compound, a scientific organisation with maximum privileges and sole right to gather the cure. The winner of this competition would be the one to gather the cure of a very deadly disease. The catch is that the person who will collect the cure would die within a day. Well, as you can see, it is a kind of story that starts with a bang!
Caryn is 15 years old and one of the candidates for the tournament. As the oldest of the candidates she feels that it is her responsibility to win the Tournament and gather the cure. Caryn is motivated with the will to help others and strongly believes that she is born for this. Moments after she is declared as the winner, she gets a chance to visit the planet for three days. It is like a dream come true for her as she has never set foot outside the compound.
Kai is a 16 year old who has spend a majority of his life on the streets filling his stomach dumpster diving. He comes insight of a local gangster T-man who makes him steal a rare Betan ruby in exchange for information regarding Kai's family and past. With no other choice and greedy to know about his past, he takes up the job.
Fate brings both caryn and Kai together when Kai is chosen to be her companion with the betan ruby as the payment. Together they spend a life that neither of them ever imagined they would have. Soon they form a bond and experience life's little pleasures while they accidentally uncover the truth behind the sickness, the cure and The Compound.
What I really liked in this story was the gradual way in which Caryn and Kai's relationship grows- from companions to friends to lovers. There is no love at first sight. No body is swept-off their feet. Its all very realistic that everyone can relate too. The story is told in first person form from Caryn's point of view and third person form from Kai's point of view. It is a unique way of writing and gives the readers an insight into the heart and mind of the protagonists.
Buy this book at:
Smashwords.com
Barnes & Noble
Amazon.com
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