The Kingdom by Jess Rothenberg -- Review

Title: The Kingdom
Author: Jess Rothenberg
Pages: 352
Publishing: May 28th 2019 by Henry Holt & Company

Synopsis:

Welcome to the Kingdom... where 'Happily Ever After' isn't just a promise, but a rule. 

Glimmering like a jewel behind its gateway, The Kingdom(TM) is an immersive fantasy theme park where guests soar on virtual dragons, castles loom like giants, and bioengineered species--formerly extinct--roam free.

Ana is one of seven Fantasists, beautiful "princesses" engineered to make dreams come true. When she meets park employee Owen, Ana begins to experience emotions beyond her programming including, for the first time... love.

But the fairytale becomes a nightmare when Ana is accused of murdering Owen, igniting the trial of the century. Through courtroom testimony, interviews, and Ana's memories of Owen, emerges a tale of love, lies, and cruelty--and what it truly means to be human.

Rating: 

Disney World meets WestWorld. That's all I could think in this novel. I absolutely loved the worldbuilding and I could picture every scene and every exhibit perfectly as if I was there in the room. The story was absolutely fascinating, fast paced and I loved that I didn't know what would happen next. The only negative thing I could find about this novel was that it was just a little too short and rushed. I wish there was a little more buildup. Other than that, it was an amazing read! 

I would highly recommend this novel to readers who enjoy YA fantasy. It was a lot of fun and kept me on my toes from the very first page to the last. I loved the futuristic feel and it made me really think about what is morally right when it comes to artificial intelligence in the future. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Fierce Reads for sending this novel in exchange for an honest review. 


Rating 4/5