R-r-read

1. The slating.  The idea of "slating"--giving someone a completely new start at life as a form of rehabilitation rather than murdering them--was very unique and intriguing. The different reasons for slating were interesting as well. A person can request to be slated to help them overcome a particularly horrible past, called Victim Slating, but criminal slating also occurs, in which a person is slated and then reintroduced into society in an attempt to turn them into an upstanding citizen.
2. The conspiracy.  Kyla is constantly watched by everyone, and has no idea who, if anyone, to trust. One slip up and she could end up dead. My problem with this aspect of the story was Kyla's immediate trust/distrust of certain individuals for no real reason other than a "hunch". More on that later.
3. Dr. Lysander and Kyla's "Mum".  These two characters were by far the most complex and well-developed within the story. They both have dark pasts which influence their current stance on slating and government, but their views and decisions are not black and white. Both seem to spend most of their time in the ambiguous grey area between. Even by the end of the story, you aren't sure what side they are on, if any.

1. The confusing decisions.  Many of the decisions in this book are made based off of dreams Kyla has which may or may not be based on memories and hunches she has about people and situations. While that works every once in a while as a reason for doing something or trusting someone, overuse of these "hunches" makes Kyla's decisions and actions confusing and nonsensical at times.
2. The slow beginning.  The beginning of the story felt like it moved rather slowly, but quickly picked up and, by the end of the book, was at a rather good clip.
3. Kyla.  Usually in books like this, we see the main character/narrator go through a story arc in which they slowly develop into a strong, admirable hero/heroine. While Kyla does gain some independence and strength over the course of her journey, I don't feel like she ever really lived up to her potential. Because of this, it was hard for me as a reader to connect with her or even really feel sorry for her when she is put into tough situations.

3 - This book had real potential and the political questions the story brings to light involving rehabilitation of criminals and "second chances" is very interesting. What really ruined this book for me, however, was the complete lack of evidence supporting many of Kyla's decisions. She spends most of the book trusting people and doing things based almost entirely on "hunches".