Possession (Possession #1)
by Elana Johnson
Hardback: 416 Pages
Publication: June 7, 2011 by Simon Pulse
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.
Possession is about people with the ability to control minds in a post apocalyptic world where you never know who you can trust. Violet lives with the Goodies, who always obey the Thinkers, but then she is arrested for walking in the park with her boyfriend Zenn after dark. While in prison, Vi meets Jag, a rebellious Baddie. Together, they break out of the prison and find themselves constantly on the run from the Thinkers even as they fight against the mindless control of their society.
Violet is strong and emotional. When she is around Zenn and Jag, her heart flutters. Jag is rebellious, and not afraid to put it all out there on the line. Zenn is cool as well, but lacking in personality. I don’t really know about his appeal and wish to know more about Zenn. Still, I don’t know what to say about the relationship between Jag and Vi. Jag blames Vi for things beyond her control, and leaves her to fend for herself in the middle of nowhere. They are always either making out or angry at each other. They do make up for their unstable relationship in that they aren’t afraid to make hard decisions to protect each other and the people they care about.
It’s hard to put the book down because just when I think that I know where the story is going, the author twists the story in a whole new direction. The book is left with a lot of unanswered questions and loose ends, making you want to pick up the next book to find out what happens to Vi. Luckily for me, it was already out and waiting for me to read it!
Surrender (Possession #2)
by Elana Johnson
Hardback: 480 Pages
Publication: June 5, 2012 by Simon Pulse
Forbidden love, intoxicating power, and the terror of control…
Raine has always been a good girl. She lives by the rules in Freedom. After all, they are her father’s rules: He’s the Director. It’s because of him that Raine is willing to use her talent—a power so dangerous, no one else is allowed to know about it. Not even her roommate, Vi.
All of that changes when Raine falls for Gunner. Raine’s got every reason in the world to stay away from Gunn, but she just can’t. Especially when she discovers his connection to Vi’s boyfriend, Zenn. Raine has never known anyone as heavily brainwashed as Vi. Raine’s father expects her to spy on Vi and report back to him. But Raine is beginning to wonder what Vi knows that her father is so anxious to keep hidden, and what might happen if she helps Vi remember it. She’s even starting to suspect Vi’s secrets might involve Freedom’s newest prisoner, the rebel Jag Barque….
It was nice to get the chance to learn more about Zenn and find out what happen to Vi, but I didn’t expect it to come through the eyes of another set of characters! Surrender is centered on Gunner and Raine. Vi is a fairly constant presence, and Zenn plays a big part in the book; however, for those looking for more of the Baddie, Jag only shows up at the end of the book.
Raine is the daughter of the Director of Freedom City with a powerful talent- she can see peoples’ deepest desires and their future with a mere touch. However, she is also a member of the Insiders, a branch of the Resistance assigned to work and operate inside the Freedom City. She defies her father and believes that she can have a life outside of the city. When Jag, the leader of The Resistance is caught, Raine knows that the time has come to free Violet from her brainwashing and help Jag escape. Raine’s smarts and resilience makes her an compelling character.
Gunner, also has a powerful talent, a rare one that allows him to control people with his voice alone. He too is very smart and determined; he knows that he doesn’t want to be under the control of anyone and will do anything to fight to make his desires a reality. He does what he thinks is right even if it means sacrificing other things that are important too.
Surrender exands from the first book Possession with the Resistance’s plot unfolding. Surrender has more action, secrets, twists, and a killer ending. There is never a dull moment! I can’t wait for the next book Abandon, which comes out in 2013.
Elana is the author of the Possession series, which includes POSSESSION and SURRENDER, and short stories REGRET and RESIST. The third and final book in the Possession series, ABANDON, is coming in June 2013. In between all the smiling, she blogs for the League of Extraordinary Writers and helps to organize WriteOnCon. She also teaches, watches reality TV, and drives too fast.
Author: Crystal
A story girl at heart, Crystal is a bibliophile who can easily spend the day immersed in a good read. She writes under the name Kristy Wang. You can follow her writing adventures on X and Instagram @_kristywang.
Natalie Aguirre says
Great reviews. I loved both books but think Surrender is my favorite. I loved learning about Rayne and Gunner and I thought it was a brilliant book 2 of the series.