Pacifica by Kristen Simmons Pages: 384
Published by Tor Teen on March 6, 2018
Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Dystopian
Source: Finished Copy from Publisher
Marin is cosario royalty, a pirate like her father and his father before him. Sailing the ocean to chase adventure is in her blood. But these days no one cares that the island town her people call home is named after her grandfather. They have a new leader, one who promises an end to their hunger – and one who thinks that girls are meant for the kitchen or the brothel. Marin knows she's meant for more than that, and with the sudden influx of weapons on the island, and rumors of a pending deal with the enemy oil nation in her wake, she knows a big score to gain the council's favor is the only way to save her people, and herself.
Ross lives a life of privilege. As the president's son he wants for nothing, but he longs for a life of adventure. On a dare, he convinces his best friend Adam to sneak out to the Docks, the site of local race riots between the poor Shorlings and the upper class. But when Adam is arrested along with the other Shorlings, and not even the president is willing to find him, Ross finds himself taking matters into his own hands. He journeys back into the Docks, ready to make deals with anyone, even a beautiful pirate, if it means Adam's safe return.
When Marin and Ross meet in dangerous Shoreling territory he sees a way to get his friend back and she sees her ticket home. The ransom a president’s son would command could feed her people for years and restore her family’s legacy. But somewhere in the middle of the ocean, Marin must decide if her heart can handle handing over the only person who has ever seen her as more than a pirate.
Pacifica is a future dystopian novel by Kristen Simmons. I am kind of picky when it comes to dystopian novels, because like a lot of people, I read a TON of them several years back, and they all started to feel similar and I got burnt out on the storyline. But Pacifica sounded too good to pass up, and I am so glad that I didn’t pass it up because I loved this book! I loved it! it made me want to go binge read all of Kristen’s other books. (I already own them all, but I haven’t read them! #bookbloggerproblems)
Pacifica is set in our world in the future, when pollution and climate change has taken a very noticeable toll on the inhabitability of the earth. The waters are filled with waste and completely polluted, and people are trying to flee to this elusive uptopian island, that is supposedly untouched by the pollution of the main lands. It was scary how easy it was for me to envision this world. But as awesome as the world building in Pacifica was, the plot and the characters really stole the show for me.
I loved Marin, our kick butt lady pirate. I also loved Ross and Adam, the president and vice president’s sons respectively. Obviously, Marin Ross and Adam all come from very different backgrounds, and each of their characters felt fleshed out and wonderfully complex. They felt like real people to me. It made it easy for me to become completely immersed in this story. Right from the start. Pacifica is told in dual perspective between Marin and Ross, but Adam is a really important character as well. I loved the friendship between Adam and Ross just as much as I loved the relationship between Marin and Ross. I love it when an author is able to incorporate a wonderful friendship into a story. Very often the focus becomes the romance and friendships sour, which I hate to see. It was great to see both a wonderful romance and a great friendship.
And finally…the plot. The plot pf Pacifica kept me interested and engaged the entire time I was reading. I didn’t really encounter any slow spots. This is a kick butt pirate adventure. One that I totally dug! There are tons of political undercurrents in Pacifica, many of which Kristen Simmons drew inspiration from the internment camps of WWII (read her authors note before you read the story…it made everything so much more meaningful for me!) This book was a huge hit for me! I loved it and I can’t recommend it enough to everyone…even people burnt out on dystopian! Plus, it has pirates! 🙂
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About Kristen Simmons
KRISTEN SIMMONS is the author of the ARTICLE 5 series, THE GLASS ARROW, and METALTOWN. She has worked with survivors of abuse and trauma as a mental health therapist, taught Jazzercise in five states, and is forever in search of the next best cupcake. Currently she lives in Cincinnati, Ohio with her husband, where she spends her days supporting the caffeine industry and chasing her delightfully rambunctious son.
Kara Lauren
I would really love to live in Edwardian or Victorian times, but I am not sure how long I could handle it.
Great review, I look forward to this one!
Sabina Edwards
I’d want to live in the future, because its so unknown
Christine Yvonne Groce
I would love to live in the future. I’m a real science fiction and would love to see what we have accomplished by then. Thanks for the chance to win.
Sethia
I have always loved the idea of Victorian England.
Maddyb
Either the Renaissance or Victorian Times
Penny Olson
I would like to live in the future because, although the past is fascinating, the hygiene issues would be difficult to deal with.
Jana Leah
I’d like to live during the time period of the Impressionists painters. It would be incredible to see the masters at work.
Buddy Garrett
It would depend on how wealthy I would be. I’d love to live in the 40’s because life was so easier but of course we didn’t have medical advances.