Official Review: The Watchers by JA Glass

[lauralopezb]

I recently read somewhere that there are two types of books: The ones you have to force yourself to read and the ones you have to force yourself to put down. I was glad to find out that this book belongs to the latter category. When I first read the synopsis, I thought the storyline was going to be very similar to "The Giver" or "Divergent" because of the whole utopian-but-really-dystopian theme, but I was pleasantly surprised. The plot was extremely interesting and solid, and the author succeeded in the creation of characters that experience growth and change throughout the story, and with whom the reader can easily connect.

The story revolves around Dr. Ellimeaux Edin (Ellie), a young woman who lives in a colony controlled by a group called "The Watcher Initiative," known among citizens simply as "The Watchers." They're supposed to be the ones responsible for keeping the colony crime-free and safe from radiation, but the only way they can do this is by making sure every citizen above the age of 10 goes through a painful surgical procedure, in which implants are attached behind their eyes to allow the Watchers to see what they are seeing. When a person experiences fear, the implants are activated, and the Watchers receive the signal and can eliminate whatever is causing this fear. Say, you are walking down a dark street and you see a man holding a knife begins to follow you. Your implants are immediately activated and the guy is caught within a second. Sounds ideal, right?

At nineteen years old, Ellie has already been chosen to be a surgeon, along with her friend Gideon (total McDreamy-like hottie in my head). She's in charge of giving the implants to every citizen, a job that can be highly criticized by reluctant parents and people who don't agree with the Watchers policy. Everything seems to be going on fine, until Ellie receives orders from above to perform surgery on a 6-year-old girl called Annalie. From then on, everything begins to crumble. Dr. Edin meets a wounded rebel called Nikolai, crimes begin to take place in the colony, and suddenly nothing seems to be as uncomplicated as Ellie once thought it was. So who will she choose to trust?

The author guides the reader through an amazing journey, where alliances are formed and secrets are uncovered. While some may find the lack of a love story refreshing, I can't help but hope to see it unfold throughout the second book (Will it be Gideon? Nikolai, maybe? Please, don't let it be another love triangle.) You will find yourself fearing for the consequences of the characters' actions, which can be both suspenseful and highly emotional at times. I can guarantee you won't be able to put this book down (not even when you have to study for your biochemistry midterm). The writing style is great and definitely pulls you in and keeps you hooked, but the editing could be better. If you're into dystopian thrillers and are looking for something different and original, then this is the book for you. I can't wait for the next one.

[Skillian]

Wow. What a cool concept.. totally creepy though and makes me wonder what else they might be watching. I am a bit skeptical about someone becoming a surgeon at 19 though, haha. The education system in that society must be amazing. I really like how your enthusiasm about the book is tangible in reading your review. I giggled at your hopes of there not being yet another love triangle. Though you didn't give the book a rating number for reference, still a great review. I'm very inclined to check this out. Man my reading list is getting sooooo very long since joining this site. I can barely keep up!