Branded by Abi Ketner and Missy Kalackiki

Branded is a fast-paced, action-packed and beautifully written young adult dystopian novel that has been wonderfully executed and was an absolute delight to read.

It follows the main character, Lexi Hamilton, as she is sent to the Branded world's form of a jail - the Hole. In this world people are sent to the Hole if they are accused of committing one of the seven deadly sins. Lexi is accused of committing "Lust" and now has blue markings wrapped around her neck symbolising her betrayal to the nation. Branded follows Lexi's journey as she fights to survive and to live - to really live.

The writing style of this novel was absolutely impeccable. You can tell that Abi and Missy have put in lots of effort to make this novel so beautiful to read. The stunning writing contributes to the excellency of this novel.

I loved the character of Lexi and it felt as if she was sitting right next to me the whole time I was reading this book. I was completely connected to her and I was always thinking about her fate, even if I wasn't reading the novel at that time.

The romance in this book was very well done and I felt as though it built my opinions of the two characters involved as they helped each other to develop and grow. I loved watching their relationship blossom and I now have another character ship!

The plot of this book was amazingly intense and I loved the journey that the characters went on - it had me on the edge of my seat the whole time!

The dystopian world that this book is set in is also well developed and has both a clear and in-depth description. There was not many new terms to learn and the world had a simply brilliant concept.

I would recommend to: Any Y.A. reader

Overall rating: 4.5 stars - with just a tiny bit more work on a few minor details, this book easily has the potential to be a 5-star book!

Review by Jess