Renegade (The Elysium Chronicles #1) by J.A. Sounders

Title: Renegade (The Elysium Chronicles #1) 
Author: J.A. Souders
Pages: 352
Publisher: Tor Teen/Raincoast Books
Release Date: November 13, 2012

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Summary (Goodreads) 

Since the age of three, sixteen-year-old Evelyn Winters has been trained to be Daughter of the People in the underwater utopia known as Elysium. Selected from hundreds of children for her ideal genes, all her life she’s thought that everything was perfect; her world. Her people. The Law.

But when Gavin Hunter, a Surface Dweller, accidentally stumbles into their secluded little world, she’s forced to come to a startling realization: everything she knows is a lie. Her memories have been altered. Her mind and body aren’t under her own control. And the person she knows as Mother is a monster.

Together with Gavin she plans her escape, only to learn that her own mind is a ticking time bomb... and Mother has one last secret that will destroy them all.

*Received to review from Macmillan and Raincoast Books for honest review*  

Review: 
  
Wow this book was very good, it had action romance and a different society that I never expected to happen in a YA Book. Renegade was one of the first reads that will grab your attention in the first 2 chapters to find out what is happening in the city that Evie lives in. The "surface dwellers" are the people who live in the surface (us) while they live underground in a different society based on perfection and characters that will kill you if a surface dweller was found there. J.A. Souders had great writing and I was quickly drawn to the book which I finished just one day. The cover is gorgeous and this book was so captivating because of this underwater world. 

I really liked how J.A. Souders created this world and created the good and evil. In Elysium, it is run by a matriarch named "Mother" is is a very interesting character from the very beginning. She is a very powerful and she is everything you don't expect in your average day mom, but she is described as a monster whose character is so crazy. I did like Evelyn as the main character, and I loved how we got to know her through the book. She goes through a lot, and she doesn't really know herself. Her "Mother" who is shaping her to be the next in line. Evie is strong and determined to find out who she is, and will keep fighting to find answers. 

Gavin is the Surface Dweller who disturbs Evie's world but at the same time opens up her view of what lies beyond Elysium. I loved his chemistry with Evie. He get Evie to trust him and also with her help bring him home. From the very beginning you can feel the tension and feeling between them. They both fall in love and he would also never let her stay in this crazy society! I did like the romance between them, the connection made it intense and at the same time.

I loved reading about this world, and the issues of this world. It had so many scenes which were amazing. It had all the elements that I like in a YA book. It is one of my favorite genres to read which did draw me into reading this book. I am looking forward to the next book in the series because it was a good ending because it gets you excited to read it! Overall one great read, which was also intense at times. There was also some major mind blowing information that will hopefully be answered in book. Renegade. The beginning was slow but it really picks up after 1/3 of the book. If you like dystopian books I recommend you check it out!! 

4/5