Tiadone has been forced to live her entire life as a female accepted as male in her community in order to survive as a firstborn child. But when she needs to pass the rites of manhood, she finds the Creator may have use for her feminine traits after all.
Tiadone is lives a life that is a lie, forced to live as a boy in a society where first born girls are left to die. Her father hid her sexuality and declared her a boy, she even has an amulet she wears to help her keep her secret. When she reaches maturity, she is expected to leave home and fight to defend it. But she will never be able to live the life that is expected of her and have a life worth living. Will she find love? Have children, a family of her own? How long can she keep the fact that she is, in fact, female a secret?
As the story progresses, Tiadone struggles with her responsibilities. There are challenges both in the pretense she's led her entire life and with defending her home. She does indeed find someone to love, but she can't share that love, for obvious reasons. To spite her struggles and the inability to truly be herself, Tiadone has a certain quality, a humanity to her that is very endearing.
The story flowed well and the chapters were concise, crisp and short. I read this entire book in one setting as I easily got lost in the story and in the characters. Grover did a great job with world building as well, but there are a lot of unanswered questions, and so much more to explore with both this world and these characters. I look forward to the next book in this series.
Must read for Dysptopian YA fans, I'm reminded of Hunger Games and Landry Park when reading this story. 5 star read!
Lorie Ann Grover is an awarded YA novelist and board book author whose works include Kirkus Starred Review, Firstborn, and Parents Magazine Best Children’s Book, Bedtime Kiss for Little Fish. She co-founded readergirlz and readertotz. Living with her husband in the foothills of Mt. Rainier, she writes, practices weapons tai chi, and watches hawks take flight.
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Music Playlist for Firstborn...
Let it Go by Idina Menzel
Music Playlist for Firstborn...
Indelible by Brooke Fraser
Out of the Rain by Etta James
Back to the Middle by India.Arie
Fire Before the Door by Any Song in the World
I Always Liked That by Maria Mena
Lay Down Your Weapons by Duncan Sheik
This Too Shall Pass by Maria Mena
Superwoman by Alicia Keys
Scarlet by Brooke Fraser
Feather Magic by Nature Tribe
I am Woman by Helen Reddy
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Thank you so much for the awesome review and all the work on my playlist! You are so kind. The whole list can be heard here, too: http://grooveshark.com/#!/playlist/Firstborn+Playlist/95551586
ReplyDeleteHappy reading to you!