Sci-fi, Paranormal, Dystopia (YA)
Characters ★★★★★
Setting ★★★★★
Writing Style ★★★★☆
Review:
Icons is absolutely phenomenal. I had first expected it to be a run-of-the-mill dystopian society, but it was written by Margaret Stohl, whose writing I love, so I was always going to read it regardless. But what I actually got, what this book delivered, was so far from what I expected, and a far cry from run-of-the-mill.
Icons is filled to the brim with exhilarating action, captivating, descriptive writing, and unique characters. From the prologue I was hooked and unable to stop reading. Set in a future world in which aliens known as the No Face have seized control of the Earth, and where a constant threat of instant death looms over the remnants of humanity, Icons tells the story of Dol, Ro, Lucas, and Tima, teens who are different, who possess heightened emotions and the ability to sense the feelings of those around them. Known as Icon Children, the four know that they are different and that they must keep their abilities secret to survive. But what they do not know is that they are human weapons created to destroy the Icons, and to bring down the No Face.
The characters of this book are strong, each different in their own ways, and incredibly fascinating people. Dol, a Weeper, feels all of the sadness in the world around her, and though she is constantly overwhelmed by the misery and despair surrounding her she does not, even once, give up. She is a brave and incredibly strong protagonist, and not once does she become whiny or irritating as most characters often do. Dol is one of the best Young Adult female protagonists to grace the pages of a book.
Ro, a Rager, can use fury to produce incredible physical strength, making him capable of just about anything. But despite his physical strength, and despite his powerful anger, Ro has an underlying vulnerability, and his affection and loyalty to Dol shows him as gentle and protective to a fault.
Lucas, while being sketchy at times, and while Dol is unsure whether she is able to trust him, is my favourite character of this book. Despite being the son of Ambassador Amare, a woman with great influence in a world where humans have none, Lucas is not privileged, superior, and condescending as I had expected him to be. He is insecure, broken, and scared more than anything of losing his mother. Though his actions come across as him working against Dol and Ro, beneath everything that he does is a desperate need for his mother's approval - and his mother's love. Lucas broke my heart, and scared me half to death!, and I can't wait to see where the rest of the Icons series takes him.
Tima, the fourth Icon child, is introduced as unfriendly, hostile, and head-over-heels for Lucas. While the latter doesn't change, Tima over the course of the book softens towards Dol and Ro, and she shows herself to be caring, brave, and very loyal. I found myself, against all odds, actually liking her.
The emotions created within this book, within the characters and their words, their actions, and their surrounding world makes this book a turbulent read with vivid and all-encompassing emotion. With breath-taking writing, Stohl creates an Earth that is far-fetched but eerily real and completely believable. Icons is instantly one of my favourite books, and I impatiently await the sequel.
Overall ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Trailer:
Alt cover:
My thoughts whilst reading (from Goodreads):
3% - "First impressions: Dol reminds me of Cassia Reyes, which isn't a bad thing, and Ro already has my heart."
6% - "I LOVE the setting of this. So unique."
24% - "Hmmmm. I want to say something about the ambassador amare that's filing these reports but I don't want to spoil anything. I have a theory though!!" [Note: Damn, my theory didn't come true! I had thought that the reports were far in the future and that Lucas would be the Amb. Amare!]
49% - "Fortis I adore you."
82% - "That's it. I'm completely and utterly in love with and overprotective of Lucas, and I'll go angry mama bear on anyone who says bad things about him."
93% - "No nononononono not my baby no nonoNOPE this isn't happening!!! He's fine. He'll be fine. He can survive this."
100% - "Emotional torment in the last ten percent!! Jeez, Stohl!! You had me scared there."
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