Brandedby Abi Ketner & Missy Kalicicki
Series: Sinners #1
Publication Date: February 18, 2014 by Month9Books
Format: eBook
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Fifty years ago the Commander came into power and murdered all who opposed him. In his warped mind, the seven deadly sins were the downfall of society. He created the Hole where sinners are branded according to their sins and might survive a few years. At best.
Now LUST wraps around my neck like blue fingers strangling me. I've been accused of a crime I didn't commit and now the Hole is my new home.
Darkness. Death. Violence. Pain.
Now every day is a fight for survival. But I won’t die. I won’t let them win. The Hole can’t keep me. The Hole can’t break me. I am more than my brand. I’m a fighter.
My name is Lexi Hamilton, and this is my story.
REVIEW
Since the book starts, it leaves the reader glued to the pages and wanting so much more. A few readers have said they didn’t like Lexi’s character because she was weak. I don’t find her weak at all. The authors wrote her life in such great detail that you can feel every emotion she went through, every pain she endured. She is not a weak character. Lexi stayed true to what she believed in, she woke up every day hoping for a better future. I honestly believe Lexi is one of the strongest characters I have ever read.
Branded is about a government that has control over everything and everyone. If you get judged for having one of the sins, you are branded and taken away from your family, from your average life. The branding consists of having a type of metal wrapped around the neck and it is scorching hot, enough to leave it permanent. The Seven Deadly Sins are:
Lexi is judged for being lustful, but it is a mistake, one that she can’t escape from no matter how hard she tries. The government takes her to the Hole, which is where they keep the branded and where they work. Seeing as Lexi has lust wrapped around her neck, she would’ve had the job of working as a prostitute, but she is being protected.
Enter Cole, Lexi’s hot guard. He was given orders to protect Lexi but no one knows why, not even the reader until the very end. Cole started out to be a mysterious character, one that I couldn’t figure out. Lexi is attracted to Cole from the moment she saw him, and even more so when she sees him shirtless.
Lexi is Cole’s assignment. His job is to make sure she isn’t harmed. As mentioned before, Lexi has the brand of lust. When people notice her, they automatically see her as someone to have fun with but she obviously isn’t like that. That is why Cole is there to protect her from harms way, from men and women’s dirty hands.
As the story developed, I found myself drawn to Cole and Lexi. They can’t show the affection they have for each other or the government will kill both of them. It’s sad because they are so close yet so far.
When I say this book has a climax that no one can expect, I mean it. When I found out who is the Commander and who tipped him off, I was mind blown completely. I totally did NOT see that coming; I got blind-sided. I enjoyed reading this book because the authors wrote the book with details. Those details were the ones that got me submerged into the Sinners world. I imagined every scenery, every character and felt every emotion the characters had. This doesn’t happen with every book that I read. It is rare to find a book like this one.
Another reason why I love this book is because it is different than any other book I have ever read. The branding, the seven deadly sins, the government…everything was so new to me. I loved that I could enter a new world that I hadn’t experienced before and you can too.
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Great review! Welcome to the #brandedsinner team!