The Murder Complex (Murder Complex #1) by Lindsay Cummings
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Genre: Young Adult Dystopian
Source: eARC courtesy of the publisher via Edelweiss
Summary
An action-packed, blood-soaked, futuristic debut thriller set in a world where the murder rate is higher than the birthrate. For fans of Moira Young’s Dust Lands series, La Femme Nikita, and the movie Hanna.
Meadow Woodson, a fifteen-year-old girl who has been trained by her father to fight, to kill, and to survive in any situation, lives with her family on a houseboat in Florida. The state is controlled by The Murder Complex, an organization that tracks the population with precision.
The plot starts to thicken when Meadow meets Zephyr James, who is—although he doesn’t know it—one of the MC’s programmed assassins. Is their meeting a coincidence? Destiny? Or part of a terrifying strategy? And will Zephyr keep Meadow from discovering the haunting truth about her family?
Action-packed, blood-soaked, and chilling, this is a dark and compelling debut novel by Lindsay Cummings.
Meadow Woodson, a fifteen-year-old girl who has been trained by her father to fight, to kill, and to survive in any situation, lives with her family on a houseboat in Florida. The state is controlled by The Murder Complex, an organization that tracks the population with precision.
The plot starts to thicken when Meadow meets Zephyr James, who is—although he doesn’t know it—one of the MC’s programmed assassins. Is their meeting a coincidence? Destiny? Or part of a terrifying strategy? And will Zephyr keep Meadow from discovering the haunting truth about her family?
Action-packed, blood-soaked, and chilling, this is a dark and compelling debut novel by Lindsay Cummings.
(Courtesy of Goodreads)
My Review
Note: I received a digital review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This is a spoiler free review.
Are you sick and tired of YA dystopian books? Well I'll ask you to reconsider because The Murder Complex by Lindsay Cummings is a mind-blowing thriller that will make you forget why you were sick of the genre in the first place. Fast paced and suspenseful, I couldn't put this book down and the 400 pages seemed to fly by. Of course no book is perfect and there were certain aspects of the book I wish could have been different. Even so, I don't know how I'm going to wait a year for the sequel, because the ending, while satisfying, left me wanting to dive right back into the world of Meadow and Zephyr.
Are you sick and tired of YA dystopian books? Well I'll ask you to reconsider because The Murder Complex by Lindsay Cummings is a mind-blowing thriller that will make you forget why you were sick of the genre in the first place. Fast paced and suspenseful, I couldn't put this book down and the 400 pages seemed to fly by. Of course no book is perfect and there were certain aspects of the book I wish could have been different. Even so, I don't know how I'm going to wait a year for the sequel, because the ending, while satisfying, left me wanting to dive right back into the world of Meadow and Zephyr.
I was worried that The Murder Complex would turn out to be another over-hyped dystopian but I was happily proven wrong. While it contains elements of the genre it is so much more bloody and action packed than most first books in a dystopian series. We are dumped straight into the Shallows following two different characters, Meadow and Zephyr. We learn more about the world through their actions rather than a huge info dump. I love how their plot lines came together and intertwined in such a skillfully crafted way. I loved the dual-perspective because we got to see two different characters growth from their own points of view and it is evident throughout the book how important it is to the plot.
One thing I think this book could do without is the "insta-love" aspect between Zephyr and Meadow. Granted it is more Zypher who exhibits more of the insta-love characteristics, which is a deviation from the norm. Without giving away any spoilers, I can see how it can be justified by his characterization but I still wish it wasn't present at all. On a similar vein, I do appreciate the lack of a love triangle, which is a redeeming quality.
I loved the suspenseful thriller-like aspect of the book. I was always kept on my toes and I never guessed what was coming next. It's hard to plan out a book so well that the reader is caught by surprise but at the same time doesn't feel like the plot twists are coming out of left field and Cummings executed it wonderfully. The chunky 400 page book flew by and I read it in just a few sittings over the course of a day and a half.
If you are a fan of Marie Lu's Legend trilogy you will enjoy The Murder Complex, the first in a new series by debut author Lindsay Cummings. They both have a similar dual-perspective narration and have comparable themes while still being original. I highly recommend this book even if you are hesitant to invest in another dystopian series. It is well work the investment!
One thing I think this book could do without is the "insta-love" aspect between Zephyr and Meadow. Granted it is more Zypher who exhibits more of the insta-love characteristics, which is a deviation from the norm. Without giving away any spoilers, I can see how it can be justified by his characterization but I still wish it wasn't present at all. On a similar vein, I do appreciate the lack of a love triangle, which is a redeeming quality.
I loved the suspenseful thriller-like aspect of the book. I was always kept on my toes and I never guessed what was coming next. It's hard to plan out a book so well that the reader is caught by surprise but at the same time doesn't feel like the plot twists are coming out of left field and Cummings executed it wonderfully. The chunky 400 page book flew by and I read it in just a few sittings over the course of a day and a half.
If you are a fan of Marie Lu's Legend trilogy you will enjoy The Murder Complex, the first in a new series by debut author Lindsay Cummings. They both have a similar dual-perspective narration and have comparable themes while still being original. I highly recommend this book even if you are hesitant to invest in another dystopian series. It is well work the investment!
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