Review: Possession by Elana Johnson

Author: Elana Johnson

Pages: 416

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Genre: YA Dystopian

Reading Level: 14 years old+

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Vi knows the Rule: Girls don't walk with boys, and they never even think about kissing them. But no one makes Vi want to break the Rules more than Zenn...and since the Thinkers have chosen him as Vi's future match, how much trouble can one kiss cause? The Thinkers may have brainwashed the rest of the population, but Vi is determined to think for herself.

But the Thinkers are unusually persuasive, and they're set on convincing Vi to become one of them...starting by brainwashing Zenn. Vi can't leave Zenn in the Thinkers' hands, but she's wary of joining the rebellion, especially since that means teaming up with Jag. Jag is egotistical, charismatic, and dangerous--everything Zenn's not. Vi can't quite trust Jag and can't quite resist him, but she also can't give up on Zenn.

This is a game of control or be controlled. And Vi has no choice but to play.

I’m trying to get myself more into the dystopian genre, so when I received Possession, I saw the perfect opportunity to become more acquainted with the genre and hopefully fall as deeply in love with it as others. The verdict? I loved Possession, and I love dystopian.

What I loved was that from the beginning, Vi was a total badass. She didn’t have a high regard for the strict rules of her society, and was often in trouble with the law for things that would seem petty to us in our time. But one day, Vi is caught outside with her best friend, and future match, Zenn, and she’s taken to a sort of prison facility… and thrown into a cell with a very hot, and very Bad, Jag Barque. And on top of that, Vi is hearing a persuasive voice in her head that certainly doesn’t belong to her. Together, Jag and Vi break free and head for his home, but they’re being pursued, because both Jag and Vi have special abilities that the Thinkers would like to use very much.

It was great to get inside of Vi’s head (haha, pun intended) and read the story through her eyes. She was a perfect, totally strong and kick ass female protagonist. She had to face many hardships and tough decisions, such as whether the man she thought was her father really had her best interest in mind, or whether he just wanted to use her. And coming to terms with the fact that  yes, she did love Jag and wanted to be with him, but Zenn needed her just as much, and she couldn’t just leave him behind after the years they had spent together.

Elana Johnson had a fresh and detailed writing style that clearly built up her dystopian society. There were a few brief instances when I got disoriented in the narration, but they weren’t important and didn’t affect my reading experience. Overall, the whole novel flowed well and was very well thought out. I loved the concept of the Thinkers, and how they had the power to push thoughts into people's heads, basically enabling them to make anyone do whatever they wanted. Scary.

I became very emotionally invested with these characters, especially with Vi and Jag’s relationship, and I’m fervently hoping that there will be a sequel. I enjoyed Possession, and recommend it to anyone looking for a thrilling read. I give this novel 4.5 out of 5 stars.