ACID by Emma Pass

Title: ACID

Author: Emma Pass

Release Date: 25th April 2013

My Rating: 4/5

Blurb:

2113. In Jenna Strong’s world, ACID – the most brutal, controlling police force in history – rule supreme. No throwaway comment or muttered dissent goes unnoticed – or unpunished. And it was ACID agents who locked Jenna away for life, for a bloody crime she struggles to remember.

The only female inmate in a violent high-security prison, Jenna has learned to survive by any means necessary. And when a mysterious rebel group breaks her out, she must use her strength, speed and skill to stay one step ahead of ACID – and to uncover the truth about what really happened on that dark night two years ago.

In A Nutshell:
Set in a futuristic UK, ACID explores themes of science and technology, government regimes and human rights. ACID is fast-paced with a feisty heroine in Jenna Strong. Dystopian fans will want to read it all in one sitting as the secrets of Jenna’s life are uncovered as she fights for freedom in an isolated, police-run nation.

My Review:
ACID is a dystopian novel following the pitfalls that sabotage and shape the life of Jenna Strong. The story covers seven different periods of Jenna’s life, beginning with her time in prison and her subsequent escape, aided by an unknown group. It is impossible to outline the story without spoilers but I will say she has the opportunity to start her life afresh a number of times, meets a variety of people, some earnest and trustworthy, others manipulative, psychologically scarred and harbouring ulterior motives. She spends a lot of time on the run and is subjected to multiple brainwashing techniques, with and without her consent, as the secrets of her complicated life begin to reveal themselves to Jenna and the reader. To say Jenna endures a lot in a very short space of time (8 months!) would be quite the understatement.

I really enjoyed the majority of the book however there was a lull in the story for about 50 pages (out of 400+). While this was frustrating, it was also necessary for the story arc to be pieced together. I liked that there was no cliff-hanger ending and that the story was wrapped up, even if it was a little abrupt for me.

For the most part, I was on edge with the pace of the novel, desperate to find out how Jenna would get out of the situations she found herself in. It’s the kind of novel you have to sit down and read all at once because you just want to know how it ends and make sure the bad guys get their comeuppance. ACID explored themes of science and technology, government regimes and human rights. Set in a futuristic UK, this is definitely one for dystopian fans.