{Review} The Kingdom by @JessRothenberg #TheKingdomAwaits @FierceReads

The Kingdom by Jess Rothenberg
Pages: 352
Published by Henry Holt & Company on May 28, 2019
Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller

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.

The Kingdom is a young adult sci-fi thriller by author Jess Rothenberg. This book took me completely by surprise. First off, I am totally in love with the cover. And then I read the synopsis, and I was immediately intrigued. Robot theme park princesses with advanced AI technology. Umm, yes please! Not only the princesses, the whole idea of the park sounds cool. Like jurrasic park, mixed with AI disney, with a Westworld vibe. I was totally down for this story. And then I started reading, and I was hooked from the very first page. I love the format that the story is told in. Mixed in with he crime/murder mystery- The Kingdom is easily one of my favorite young adult books of 2019.

Behind the gates of The Kingdom theme park, you wildest fantasies come to life. Do you love dinosaurs and animals? Awesome- you can visit AI versions of extinct animals. Are disney princesses your thing? Perfect, the Fantasists princesses are there to make all of your princess dreams come true. Love fantasy- there are the most amazing virtual reality exhibits for you to check out. All in all, The Kingdom sounds like a fantasy lovers dream theme park.

Ana is one of the theme parks 7 Fantasist princesses. The princesses are housed on park property and they have never seen a world outside of the park. The seven of them are they only family they have ever known. Ana is our main character, and the story starts out when she begins to notice some strange things going on with one of her sister Fantasists. And then there is a murder of a park employee, and none other than Ana is being blamed. From there on out the book is told in dual timelines, the timeline leading up to the murder and the present day of the murder trial. I loved the format of the present day timeline. It is told in video clips, pictures, and trial transcripts, which made the book feel interactive and kept it fast paced.

I loved seeing Ana and Owen, and I really loved the sinister mysterious vibe of The Kingdom. I am unsure if there is going to be a second book or not, but I am really, really hoping so! I loved The Kingdom. I think it is perfect for fans of murder mysteries and fans of science fiction. Honestly, I think the kingdom is a book that pretty much everyone will love. It is one of the best books I have read this year. Hands down.

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