Possession

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Possession Pub. Date: 6/7/2011 Publisher: Simon Pulse

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Overview

Toe the line between rule-following and rule-breaking in this tense and twisted start to a smart and sexy dystopian trilogy.

Vi knows the Rule: Girls don’t walk with boys, and they never even think about kissing them. But no one makes Vi want to break the Rules more than Zenn…and since the Thinkers have chosen him as Vi’s future match, how much trouble can one kiss cause? The Thinkers may have brainwashed the rest of the population, but Vi is determined to think for herself.

But the Thinkers are unusually persuasive, and they’re set on convincing Vi to become one of them….starting by brainwashing Zenn. Vi can’t leave Zenn in the Thinkers’ hands, but she’s wary of joining the rebellion, especially since that means teaming up with Jag. Jag is egotistical, charismatic, and dangerous—everything Zenn’s not. Vi can’t quite trust Jag and can’t quite resist him, but she also can’t give up on Zenn.

This is a game of control or be controlled. And Vi has no choice but to play.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

A dominant but corrupt government is one of the most familiar tropes in dystopian fiction, and Johnson's debut novel sets up a dichotomy between "Goodies," residents of the Goodgrounds, where behavior is controlled via brainwashing and omnipresent technology, and the "Baddies," who live out in the Badlands. Violet Schoenfeld, on the brink of 16, is arrested for being out after dark with a boy—two infractions in an endless litany of acts forbidden to Goodies. A repeat offender, Vi is forced to share a jail cell with a Baddie, Jag, and she begins to reassess the precepts that have been fed directly into her brain from childhood. Johnson's writing is solid, and if her plot unfolds a bit too schematically (the precise orchestration is supposedly due to the perfection of the villain's control), Vi's rebellion and process of change ring true. Some readers may question Vi's acceptance of some fortuitous events along the way, but most will be drawn in by the love triangle, revelations about Vi and her family, and a dark twist ending that maintains the faintest glimmer of hope. Ages 14–up. (June)

Children's Literature

In a society controlled by the Thinkers, fifteen-year-old Violet struggles to maintain her own thought processes. Her sister has already been taken away; her mother is distant and cruel in whatever communication passes between them. Since her father disappeared, Vi has rebelled against every rule imaginable in her anger and determination to remain a self-controlled individual. Zenn has been her match for ages but when the two of them are separated and Vi meets Jag, her life becomes even more complex and dangerous. This science fiction story will please readers who do not care about character development and are reading only for adventure, followed by quest, followed by loss, followed by betrayal, and definitely missing the "happily ever after" ending. Vi, our heroine, suffers hardship, peril, pain, and the unfaithfulness of nearly everyone she trusts. For the contemporary teen looking for encouragement or even a light at the end of the tunnel, this is not the book to read. Reviewer: Janice DeLong

More Reviews (2) Fewer Reviews

Kirkus Reviews

This debut dystopia succeeds at suspense and tension but fails at moral complexity.

Vi lives in the beige Goodlands, where good people wear required "oatmeal-colored shirts" and, by prohibition, never hug or touch. But Vi does touch and kiss her boyfriend Zenn, and she crosses forbidden borders and unplugs herself from mandatory brainwashing transmissions. She explains early on that "Goodies are walking paper dolls, devoid of personality—and brains" while authoritarian Thinkers "do the thinking so regular people won't have to." Unlike speculative fiction that successfully questions whether eliminating wars and providing adequate food for everyone might be worth losing cultural freedoms, this tale manages neither nuance nor ambiguity. Vi escapes from prison with hottie rebel Jag and travels to seek asylum, pursued by Thinkers of unknown loyalty, slowly realizing that she and Jag can control others. They lie to each other constantly, their supposedly deep love reading like simple sexual chemistry. Vi's voice is sarcastic—"we were in the park after dark (gasp!)"—with random bits of teen syrup (Jag has "blueberry eyes"). Revelations come hard and fast but don't feel meaningful, due to thin worldbuilding and sketchy details; in this society, how could Vi possibly understand a concept like "rights"?

Moral subtlety loses out to breathless pacing; the ending is derivative of Scott Westerfeld's superior Uglies (2005). (Science fiction. 14 & up)

School Library Journal

Gr 7 Up—Fifteen-year-old Violet is all about rebelling. She's angry that her father deserted the family and that her older sister is dead. She lashes out at her ineffectual mother and sneaks out for a forbidden walk in the park with Zenn, the boy she's been told she will marry. All pretty tame stuff? Not if you live in a repressive society. That walk gets Vi arrested and banished from the world of Good People. In this dystopic future world, an oligarchy of Thinkers controls the lives of Good People, and even Vi knows that being Bad is, well, really bad. But she can't help herself. In jail, she develops a relationship with a luscious young man, outsider and agitator Jag. They escape and undertake a heroic journey to a place where they just might be able to be themselves and aid the cause of liberation. Damaged as she is by the repression of her childhood, Vi just can't seem to trust Jag and her nascent feelings of lust—or is it really love? Vi also discovers that she has a very special talent, the ability to make people do her will, just like the Thinkers. She discovers, too, that her sister is alive and working with her father, who is a leader among the overlords. Emotion pumps through every scene of this thriller. Given all the urgency and action, the novel's ending may surprise readers as the heroic adventure turns into a tragic love story. As in real life, not every rebel succeeds in breaking free, but before succumbing to conformity, Vi gives emancipation a really good try.—Carolyn Lehman, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781442421257
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Publication date: 6/7/2011
Pages: 416
Sales rank: 138,746
Age range: 14 - 17 Years
Lexile: HL580L (what's this?)
Product dimensions: 8.34 (w) x 5.96 (h) x 1.32 (d)

Meet the Author

Elana Johnson

Elana Johnson wishes she could experience her first kiss again, tell the mean girl where to go, and have cool superpowers. To fulfill her desires, she writes young adult science fiction and fantasy. She lives in central Utah where she spends her time with many students, one husband, and two kids. Find out more at ElanaJohnson.com and follow her on Twitter at @ElanaJ.

Read an Excerpt

Good girls don’t walk with boys. Even if they’re good boys—and Zenn is the best. He strolled next to me, all military with his hands clasped behind his back, wearing the black uniform of a Forces recruit. The green stripes on his shirtsleeves flashed with silver tech lights, probably recording everything. Probably? Who am I kidding? Those damn stripes were definitely recording everything.

Walking through the park in the evening is not technically against the rules. Good people do it all the time. But walking through the park with a boy could get me in trouble.

When darkness fell, another rule would be broken.

The whir of a hovercopter echoed high above the trees. In this park, the saplings stood an inch or two taller than me. Some trees in the City of Water are ancient—at least a century old. But the forest is off-limits, and even I know better than to break that rule.

The filthy charcoal shade of the sky matched the impurities I’d filtered from the lake in class today. I imagined the color to be similar to the factory walls where my dad worked, but I had never been there and hadn’t seen him for years, so I couldn’t say for sure.

People don’t return from the Badlands.

“Vi, I’m glad you finally answered my e-comm,” Zenn said, his voice smooth, just like his skin and the perfectly fluid way he walked.

“You know my mom.” I didn’t have to elaborate. Not with Zenn. “I told her I was coming whether she said yes or not.” I tried to hide how desperate I’d been to see him, how happy his e-comm invitation had made me. He could’ve asked me to the moon and I would’ve gladly gone. And taken whatever punishment followed.

I’d left school during the afternoon break. The Special Forces compound is a two-hour walk south of the City of Water. I’d crossed the border and trekked for half a mile in the Fire Region just to see him. Crossing borders is also against the rules, but Zenn was worth every step.

I watched the hovercopters circle closer, comfortable in the silence with Zenn. Sometimes it said more than we did.

The sidewalks had stopped functioning thirty minutes ago, clearly curfew for this park. As one hovercopter dipped nearer, it took every ounce of courage I had to keep from reaching out, grabbing Zenn’s hand, and running.

Before, I might have done it. But there was something different about him. Something that made me think he wouldn’t run with me this time.

Another quick glance confirmed it. His eyes. They held no sparkle. No life. Maybe the Forces worked him too hard.

My sweet, wonderful Zenn. I hoped he was okay here. His eyes worried me.

“Well, now that you’re here, I’ve got something for you,” he said, smiling.

I angled my body toward him. Zenn’s e-comm had said he had a surprise for me—surely something he’d tinkered with until it was absolutely perfect. Like he was.

“The Forces have kept me busy,” Zenn continued, reaching into his pocket. He didn’t seem concerned about the circling hovercopters, but he wasn’t always living one breath away from getting arrested. “But we might not get to see each other again for a while. Your birthday is in a couple weeks, and you’re my—”

“You down there!” An electronic voice cut through Zenn’s throaty tone. I flinched and took a half step behind Zenn. A one-manned tech-craft, the hovercopter was invented especially for ruining lives. No one ever escapes from one. Not even me.

On the bottom rudder, a red rose winked through the twilight. My breath shuddered through my chest—I’d been caught by this hovercopter before. Maybe since Zenn was a Forces recruit and had invited me here, I wouldn’t get in trouble.

Yeah, right. Fairness isn’t something the Director cares about.

“Cards!” the mechanical voice shouted. Zenn pulled out his lime green activity card and held it straight up. An electric arm grew from the side of the police vehicle and flew down to scan the bar code on the back of Zenn’s card.

I slowly retrieved my own ID. No one in the Goodgrounds can so much as step onto the sidewalk without an electronic record of their activity.

My card was blue for the City of Water. I raised it halfway as the arm jangled at me, trying to get a better angle to scan the bar code. Then I’d be busted for being out of bounds—after dark.

Zenn watched me with a wary eye. “Vi. Don’t give them a real reason to lock you up.” He stepped close enough for his body heat to permeate my senses. Touching was against the rules, but he’d broken that one lots of times.

I smiled, even though he was right. Lock Up is not a fun place. The stench alone is enough to set rule-breakers straight. Still, I almost threw my activity card into the brambles where no one would ever find it.

Zenn’s face stopped me, his mouth drawn into a fine line. My bar code would be attached to his—we were in the park after dark (gasp!)—and if I got into serious trouble, he might not be able to advance in the Special Forces. And I couldn’t have that weighing on my conscience.

I rolled my eyes at Zenn, something he didn’t see because of my oversize straw hat—another rule, one I actually followed. The scanner beeped, and a horrible squeal erupted from the hovercopter.

“What have you done now?” Zenn’s voice carried a hint of laughter amidst the exasperation.

“Nothing,” I answered. “I’ve done nothing this time.” I’d been good for two months.

“This time?” he asked.

“Violet Schoenfeld, stay where you are!” the mechanical voice boomed. “The Green demands a hearing.”

“Vi! The Green? Seriously, what have you done?”

“Can I have my present now?”

*
• *

Everyone knows the Green is just a fancy name for the Thinkers. They’re the ones who broadcast the transmissions and categorize the people. The ones who do the thinking so regular people won’t have to.

Zenn would join Them when he finished training with the Special Forces. He’d wanted to be a Greenie for as long as I’d known him, but that didn’t stop our friendship. This arrest might—SF agents didn’t hang out with criminals.

Inside the hovercopter, large panels with multicolored buttons and complicated instruments covered the dashboard. Glass encased the entire bulb of the body, allowing the pilot to spot rule-breakers from any angle. A window in the floor beneath the single—and occupied—metal chair provided a good view of the ground below. Since I had nowhere to sit, I stood next to the tiny doorway.

I felt trapped in a bubble, with the charcoal sky pressing down around me. My throat tightened with each passing second.

After cuffing me, the pilot scowled. “This return trip will take twice as long. We usually send transports for arrests.”

I made a face at the back of his head. Like I didn’t know that. Almost as bad as Lock Up, transports are twice as uncomfortable as the cramped hovercopter. And the filth and stink? Nasty.

With my extra weight on board, the pilot maneuvered the craft awkwardly and zoomed back toward the towers on the south end of the Goodgrounds. “I have a break in twenty minutes. I don’t have time for this.”

Then let me out. I watched Zenn fade to a distant dot, hoping it wouldn’t be the last time I saw him.

The hovercopter slowed and the pilot turned to glare at me. “Don’t try your tricks on me, girlie.”

I had no idea what he meant. I gripped the handle above the doorway as he swung the hovercopter to the left. Toward the towers.

The Southern Rim is only accessible to Goodies with special clearance or important business. I’d never been there, not that I hadn’t tried. No one I knew had ever been—water folk didn’t make trouble.

True fear flowed in my veins as we approached. Maybe sneaking to see Zenn had been a bad idea. The thought felt strange, almost like it didn’t belong to me. It grew, pressing me down with guilt. You shouldn’t have risked your freedom to see Zenn.

The voice in my head definitely wasn’t my own. Damn Thinkers. I shook the brainwashing message away. Zenn had risked his freedom for me last summer.

Below me, fields wove together in little squares, some brown, some green, some gold. Crops grown in the Centrals provided food for those in the Southern Rim and the rest of the Goodgrounds.

The fields gave way to structures standing two or three stories high. Constructed like the other buildings in the Goodgrounds—gray or brown bricks, flashing tech lights, and red iris readers in every doorway.

Windows were blinded off from the outside world. We certainly don’t want any sunlight getting in. No, that would be bad. According to the Thinkers anyway. Sunlight damages skin, no matter what color. Our clothes cover us from wrist to chin, ankle to hip, and everywhere in between. Suits for the business class. Jeans and oatmeal-colored shirts for everyone else. Wide-brimmed hats must be worn at all times.

Goodies are walking paper dolls, devoid of personality—and brains.

Yeah, that doesn’t work for me. I don’t want to be a paper doll. That’s why I broke the rules and stopped plugging in to the transmissions.

The pilot swerved and twisted around the tall buildings. I’d never seen the city up close. My eyes couldn’t move fast enough from one shiny structure to the next.

The pilot steered toward the last and tallest building on the border of our land. The one with the symbol that can be seen anywhere in the Goodgrounds.

The olive branch is the symbol of good. It signals our allegiance to the Association of Directors. More like Association of Dictators, if you want my honest opinion. But no one does.

“So now you’ve seen the Southern Rim,” the pilot said. “Was it everything you expected?”

I didn’t know how to answer, so I kept my mouth shut—a first for me. That was the Southern Rim? No magic, no golden pathways, no perfect escape from my sucky life. The wall now towered in front of me, closing off any thought of freedom.

The hovercopter hung in midair as a door slid open in the wall. Darkness concealed whatever waited inside. And what would I find on the other side? Could I come back? Maybe I would never see Zenn again. My mouth felt too dry.

“We’re going in there?” I asked.

“After I process your file,” the pilot said. He made a note on a small screen. A long list popped up.

“I’ve cited you before,” he said, smiling slowly. I remembered the last time: I’d left the City of Water after dark, crossed through the crops growing in the Centrals, and tried to enter the Southern Rim. I’d dressed up real nice in a fancy white dress and old platform shoes—which were the reason I’d been caught. No one can run in shoes like that.

I endured six rounds of questioning until I admitted I’d stolen the shoes from the basement of a house in the Abandoned Area—another off-limits place—another violation of the rules. Wearing contraband (which I didn’t know about at the time) from an illegal area, trying to enter another forbidden district, and then there was all that nasty business about lying. Like it’s the worst thing on the planet or something.

You see, Goodies don’t lie. Ever. Honesty is sort of bred into us, but somehow mine got out-bred. Maybe when I stopped listening to the transmissions. Or maybe because I just don’t give a damn.

And I’m a good liar, but that’s all been properly documented in my file, which the pilot was now reading with interest. “Mm-hmm,” he said. “A liar, a thief, and now the Green wants you. It’s no small wonder, Vi.”

I absolutely hate it when strangers use my nickname like we’re old friends. I ignored him as he eased the hovercopter closer to the wall. A red beam scanned the rose on the bottom and a signal flashed. The pilot steered into a long tunnel with black walls, hardly a wall and more like a building. As we careened through it, panic spread through me—something I hadn’t felt since learning Zenn would be leaving me behind to join the Special Forces. I wished he’d given me my birthday present before the stupid pilot arrested me.

When we finally cleared the tunnel, I gasped at the view below me.

A second city loomed behind that wall—an entire city.

People swarmed in the streets. Silver instruments and shiny gadgets winked up at me from the vast expanse below. My stomach clenched painfully, and I forced myself to keep breathing so I wouldn’t faint.

The fierceness of the advanced tech burned in my brain. I can feel technology, I’ve always been able to. And this whole new part of the Goodgrounds produced some serious tech buzz. My head felt like it was in a particle accelerator set on high.

“So here we are,” the pilot said. “The Institute—the birthplace of tech.”

No wonder I felt like throwing up.

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pagese

Posted May 18, 2011

more from this reviewer

Book Review: Possession

I have two words for this book, forgettable and confusing. I knew while reading this that it would be a book that wouldn't really leave an impression. I spent too much time trying to decipher how this world functioned and the various terms and ideas presented and not nearly enough time getting to know the characters.

I wanted to like Vi. At first she seems like the bright spot in a dismal world. Everything is so tightly controlled and monitored and she refuses to comply. Of course she's arrested and imprisoned not long after the book begins. This is when the story goes down hill. She's imprisoned with Jag, and I mean in his cell with him. The rest of the prison is empty. Both are then sentenced to be tagged and banished to Freedom. Freedom is under complete control of the Thinkers and there they will be basically reprogrammed. For Jag, this seemed an appropriate sentence but really extreme for Vi. Which led me to believe that there was more to Vi than we know. Jag and Vi escape (of course they do) and head to the only place that offers asylum to people like them. Turns out Jag and Vi do have something in common.

When Vi discovers what she can really do and why they want her, I begin to wonder how she never figured out this before. Things fall into place way to easily for her, almost at her will. At the same time, it like her moves are known to well. The Thinkers always seem to be one step ahead of her. There are too many unknowns to factor into the story. Things that Vi doesn't know, but everyone else seems to be aware of.

I also didn't really feel the love triangle in the story. Jag seemed placed in front of her. He's the image of everything she's every been told is wrong and bad in this world. But, yet he's nothing like what she thinks he should be. I could never figure out Zen and what side he was really on. It confused the hell out of me.

In the end, I didn't dislike the book enough not to finish it. But, it left very little of an impression on me. It's one of those book you finish and have very little thought of it afterwards.

6 out of 7 people found this review helpful.
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AbGirl

Posted October 9, 2011

FANTASTIC BOOK!

I feel like I've been introduced to the next HOT series at the very beginning. This book is amazing and fast paced as well. I was never bored. I couldn't get enough of it, and I loved all the twists that totally kept me guessing. It's one of my favorites. I would HIGHLY recommend it. Can't wait for the next one in the series! :D

2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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FuzzyCoffeeBooks

Posted September 20, 2011

Not Worth The Time

What I liked: The dust cover is beautiful. You can't tell in the photo, but it's a pearlized white and very fitting. I also liked the idea. A girl who goes out of the way to find the freedoms she's denied by society. Sounds great! Unfortunately, that's about it.

What I didn't like: I was immediately turned off in the very first chapter, because I started off feeling like I'd missed something. I even got online to see if this was the second book of a series. But no, this is the first. I kept my mind open though, assuming that as I read, the world that I had been dropped into would be explained. It really wasn't. There was terminology that is used in this world that I felt like I never really understood. From the first to the last page, I felt that there was something that I had missed, that if only I knew it, I would have enjoyed the book so much better. Second, I did not like the main character, Violet. I thought I would, you know, fight the man and all that. But in my opinion, Violet is a selfish and obnoxious girl. She can't seem to figure out what exactly it is she wants to do, or work for, and she's mad at either Jag or Zenn every other page. I can't recall another main character that I felt this adversely towards.

I loathe writing negative reviews, because I admire writers, and applaud that they have the creativity and talent to come up with something like this. But I overall felt that this book was contradictory, not well explained, and not easy to relate to.

2 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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haley18

Posted September 18, 2011

more from this reviewer

hmmm good, but confusing at times

I am not much of a dystopian-lover, but I have noticed lately every dystopia book I have picked up so far..I have loved..so maybe this is a sign I need to start picking these up more. Possession by Elana Johnson did not fall short of my expectations what so ever, infact, it went way past them. Possession is about a snarky girl named Vi who lives in a world runned by the Thinkers, they tell you what to think..and if you don't listen to Them you get sent to the bad-lands a place for free thinkers..and this is exactly where they want to send Vi..she has gotten in more trouble then most..and now they want to punish her for it.the only thing is..being sent to the bad-lands isn't all that bad of an idea in Vi's head..I mean she would have Jag..the boy she just met, but can't stop thinking about.but what she doesn't realize is the Thinkers don't want to punish her, no, the Thinkers want her to join them, become one of them, become what she hates, or die.those are her choices. In a race against the Thinkers Vi will have to make hard decisions, ones that involve her head.and her heart..

I was quite surprised about how much I loved this book, I had been set up to think I wouldn't enjoy it based off of other bad reviews, but now that I have finished it I can say I loved it! I had a lot of things in this book I loved, the tech, the thinkers, the bad lands, but the thing that caught my attention the most was deff the characters. Elana Johnson has formed wonderful characters in this book, I absolutely loved Vi, and don't even get me started on Jag he was perfect. Even the 'bad guy' characters I found myself enjoying in this story.

Now..time to talk about the ending.ARE YOU KIDDING ME!? That ending was crazy, such a twist, but I loved it, it will leave you ripping out your hair in irritation! The worst part? The next book doesn't come out till next June.NEXT JUNE. Ugh why must they torture me so?

Anywho, Possession was a great debut, a great adventure, and an awesome romance. If you like dystopia books such as the Uglies, this book will not disappoint, even if you don't like dystopia you will probably like this.

-WARNING: This book will get confusing if you don't read everysingle word, so if you're a skimmer I do not recommend this book

2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Depplover4234

Posted August 19, 2011

One of my favorites

So last week I was in borders ( sorry BN .. it was in the mall) but I was looking around and noticed this book and read the back and was a little apprehensive about it but I stuck with my gut and got it. The next day I got pulled it from my book shelf and started to read. OH MAN. This book was amazing! At first I was like what the heck is going on .. but soon got into it and I finished it in 4 hours. I couldn't put it down. It has romance, suspense, action, everything that I love! However some parts were kinda boring and like can we get this over with ... but other than that it was enjoyable. If you like the Hunger Game series you'll most definitely love this book! :D

2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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VysBlog

Posted October 29, 2011

more from this reviewer

Fills my dystopian craze.

I've put Possession off to the side for a while but when I picked it up, practically finished Possession in one sitting with the fast and twisted story. A dystopian novel that puts you in a world where you no longer have to think for yourself. With a few words from the Director you'll bend right into their control. At the moment I'm a huge dystopian fan and this totally filled my dystopian craze.

As much as I loved the story itself I was a bit lost at points. I was thrown into a world full of "techie" words and it took me a bit to understand it. There were also so many labels to everyone and their relationships to each other was a bit unclear to me. I did enjoy the pace of the story and I didn't feel like I had to sit through pages to understand the setting.

Vi, whose full name is Violet, became my favorite character from the start. She's this rebellious and spontaneous person from the start. But now she became rebellious for a purpose. It felt more natural that way than to have someone who always followed the rules and then started to do crazy stuff all of a sudden. I've never felt like I've known a character as well as Vi since she's not afraid to speak her mind.

I did pick this book up for another reason, the blurb sounded like a good love triangle. Like a really complicated relationship where I can't help but like both guys, which was exactly what I got. Zenn is the guy Vi has fallen for, for 5 years. He seemed like the perfect guy and to make it even better, they were matched. Jag on the other hand was introduced to Vi when they became cell buddies in a prison. Romantic right? Usually I'd cringe when characters refer to each other as babe or baby, but it sounded fitting when it came out of Jag's mouth. Both guys are bold, strong, and would do anything for Vi including risking their lives.

The relationships to the personalities and the character developments felt really natural to me and wasn't forced. It was a great plot but, I did feel like there was so much doubt and betrayal going on that I felt like there were too many holes unfilled. It was overall a great debut novel from Elana Johnson.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous

Posted September 30, 2011

This book irritates me

ok so i just finished this book and i want to cry. First of all it was so confusing! at some points i didn't even know like what was going on, it's too scattered. Also after i flipped a page I like instantly forgot what happened on the next page. Also, the ending was terrible. I finished the book and instantly wanted to punch the author in the face. I have like a migraine right now cause the ending just stunned me with its stupidity and terribleness.

1 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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l_manning

Posted July 12, 2011

Slightly Disappointing

I was pretty excited about this book. Sadly, I was pretty disappointed. First of all, it was pretty hard to get into. I felt like I was just dropped into this world, and I struggled to figure out what was going on. The beginning was also very slow story wise. Now, once the initial story picked up in pace, the book improved greatly. There were still some aspects I didn't enjoy though. The plot twists felt pretty random. They just appeared out of nowhere and made very little sense in the context on things.

There were two potential love interests in this book, and I didn't really get a feel for either of them. One especially felt rushed. One page you're introduced to him, and on the next page it is true love forever and ever. It just kind of left me scratching my head. The ending was also vastly unsatisfying for me. I really wanted to love this book, and instead I felt like it was ok. It is by no means horrible or anything, just not as good as I was expecting.

Galley provided by publisher for review.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous

Posted April 21, 2012

Caitlyn

I loved this book.loving, passionate, mysterious, heart beating. Those who say its confusing, you only think that because you arent smart enough to understand it. You peoplebwill love it. Guarantee it.

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Anonymous

Posted April 2, 2012

Coiugh cough

Matched? Ally Condie? Has this author heard of that book? Evidently not...

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous

Posted April 2, 2012

Soooooooooooo fricking gud!!!

Omg!!!!!!!!!! I love this bookk im like inlove with this book XD Lol i almost crued at the end cuz i couldnt believe it!! But the book is gud. Really awesome and well thought off my props goez to the author, she did a really fantastic job ii dont know how u thought of writting the book like that i. Im such a creeper lol
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Gottalovereading

Posted March 18, 2012

more from this reviewer

WOW. Ever since Suzanne Collins wrote the Hunger Games the Teen

WOW.
Ever since Suzanne Collins wrote the Hunger Games the Teen Dystopian Genre has taken off! The book Possession is about a teenage girl, Vi, who just loves to break the rules. Through her adventures she meets Jag who totally changes her look on life. The book is action filled to the brim about running from the Government and whether or not you want the power. Because some people just have something that the Government wants, but Vi is not ready to give it to them. If you like: The Hunger Games, Divergent, or The Matched Series you will fall in love with this book.
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Dazzlamb

Posted March 7, 2012

more from this reviewer

This novel lets you shiver with every thought and mind manipulated!

Elana Johnson's construct of a future world is a technical-dominated and potentially engaging one. Various technical devices like recording walls really grabbed my attention and made me curious about further possibilities of this future world.

It's especially POSSESSION's beginning that is exciting, because our heroine, Violet, is thrown into prison. I couldn't wait to explore what's going to happen to her and why exactly she's in there. The fact that Violet has special talents is interesting, because her talents are a new ability in the YA fantasy world.

So POSSESSION could have been a fantastic read with the conditions of a great world concept and an engaging beginning if it weren't for various confusions that occupied my reading mind after several chapters.

In POSSESSION I experienced an incoherent and incomprehensible story that was not even clear to me in the end. Because of several- so it seemed- time warps und inexplicable changes in setting , some incidents and even characters and interactions between them left me clueless.

Unfortunately I didn't get to like one single character. At first I was happy to see more Vi and Jag and witness how their relationship developed, but then they reduced my interest in them by behaving inconsequently and absurdly. One moment they are missing and wanting the other like crazy, the other they only want to scratch out the other's eyes. Between mood swings and too rapidly developing feelings, they lost me as their cheerleader.

I simply didn't understand the story and motive of actions of Vi's lover and best friend Zenn (not near convincing in his role), her sister, Jag and even their enemies and friends (which I often couldn't even distinguish between).

Maybe it's just me that I didn't understand Johnson's writing or didn’t get the whole picture, please don't shy away from POSSESSION. I think this could potentially be a great novel, so read it yourselves and see if it works for you.

THE VERDICT

I give it 2,5/5 stars.

POSSESSION offers a gloomy vision of our future world with much room for improvement for characters and their interaction.
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Anonymous

Posted April 22, 2012

AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!

I read this book in two days i could not put it down, Best boaok since ,"Hunger Games"!!!!++!!!!!!!!!!!!!!;)
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Anonymous

Posted January 5, 2012

Awesome book!!!!!

A great book. With such great details it seems like a movie, and with so unexpected surprises. Love this book & love this author!!!!!!!

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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JeanBookNerd

Posted December 22, 2011

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JeanBookNerd Review

Possession by Elana Johnson is a fast-paced, extremely appealing dystopian novel that really held my interest. The quick pace matched the swift mind of the heroine, Violet, who had a sarcastic comment for everything. She is amusing and also charming.

I thought the world that Johnson created for Possession was very captivating. It was very fascinating reading about people using mind control and how it plays a big role of how society functions. Even with all the technology available, the mind is the ultimate technology. Johnson relentlessly keeps the reader second-guessing and there¿s no way to foretell what will happen next.

Johnson does a superb job of making the reader feel what Violet is thinking. At times, I felt like I was Violet and was living in the story. Although Violet may not understand her own thoughts, her feelings were easily understood.

It¿s revitalizing and unpredictable. It¿s a well made roller-coaster ride that leaves the reader wanting for more. You¿ll be amazed with the world Johnson has created and the effort she puts in building the characters. It promises more installments to come. Romance readers will yearn for more of the love triangle between Violet, Jag, and Zenn. The technological density will get the admiration of science fiction fans. And readers of dystopian novels will appreciate Johnson¿s world where mind control is the ultimate weapon.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Icecream18

Posted August 21, 2011

Live To Read

This is another dystopian novel with its own set of rigid moves and mind-numbed characters. Vi is an interesting character, she is "uncontrollable" and tends to go against the grain. She has been in trouble no less than eight times and doesn't seem to care. Zenn, the boy she is matched to, is protective, deceptive, and a military man. Jag is...something completely different, he actively leads the Resistance and is blase about any rules.

Vi is apprehended due to meeting with Zenn in the park, an activity not allowed. She is taken to a secret holding, interrogated, and a decision is made to send her to be trained as a Thinker...something she would do anything to avoid. While waiting for the final verdict, she is placed in the same holding cell as Jag. The two don't actually get along at first, but it is not long before they are working together to escape...from 2 hour long cold showers to avoid the "mechs" and tasers, they do anything they can to get away.

Once in the Badlands and out of the so-called Goodgrounds, Vi is left behind by Jag over a senseless argument. Later on, after Vi makes it to the Badlands, Jag finds her and reveals that he has been looking for her for two days. They continue from there, trying to avoid deadly secrets and inadvertently revealing some that affect the two of them.

This novel was certainly interesting, the plot was fairly original and the events were fast-paced. The characters were somewhat likable, not as much as one might expect as one or more characters would do something unexpected and not necessarily called for. There were many twists in this novel, the reader really can't guess what is going to happen. This book is great for young adults/teens who enjoy dystopian novels with an edge of romance.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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8778930

Posted August 15, 2011

Love hate.

This book is terriably amazing and right up me alley. I just finished but now im totally P.Oed. The way the book ends is messed up i hate it so much. I loved it i was so into it and then it ends like THAT. I cussed it out. I really hope there is a second book cause this book ended horribly. : /

0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Tribute_Books_Reviews

Posted August 3, 2011

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A little something for everybody, but lacking a defined focus

If you like young adult dystopian fiction, Possession by Elana Johnson is made up of a lot of the same ingredients of your current favorites. The agony of an arranged marriage love triangle a la Ally Condie's Matched. The physical discomfort around technology via Julie Kagawa's Iron Fey trilogy. The overreaching father figure as in Lauren DeStefano's Wither. The harrowing pursuit of teenage lovers by the law enforcement of a corrupt society as in Lauren Oliver's Delirium. The attempt at mass mind control like Beth Revis' Across the Universe. If you're a fan of any of these recent novels, you'll like Possession. However, instead of seamlessly blending all of these varied ingredients, this work comes across as half-baked.

Our heroine is Vi, a Lisbeth Salander (Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) kinda teen with short spiky hair and a rebellious attitude. Living in a highly sanctioned society, she is a notorious lawbreaker with over a dozen offenses on her rap sheet. When she's arrested for kissing her boyfriend Zenn in a public park, she ends up locked in a cell with Jag, a beefcake member of the burgeoning resistance movement. Vi feels an immediate connection to the bad boy and the two form an intense bond as they work together to break out of prison and escape the authorities.

The novel falters when Vi unconsciously explores Jag's mind through his dreams. Instead of designating the change in point-of-view through italics or a section header, it becomes unclear in places who is speaking through the narrative voice. It is only after reading through a couple of paragraphs that it becomes apparent that Vi has, in fact, yielded the floor to Jag.

I also wasn't a fan of the simplistic place names throughout the novel - the Badlands, the Goodgrounds, etc. The delineation between good and evil is dealt with in a more complex way in the actual prose, and the child-like designations take away from the book's inherent argument that all people are made up of both elements.

The crux of the novel surrounds Vi's conflicted relationship with her father. Is he seeking only to protect humanity by having a few gifted individuals control the minds of the rest of the population? Would the world suffer through another apocalypse if people were allowed to think for themselves? Do they need to be protected from their own selfish desires and fatalistic needs? Vi's fate lies in the balance. Should she choose duty and live a comfortable, approved life with Zenn, or an imminent death by following Jag into the ranks of the rebellion? Or will she sacrifice what she wants in order to save the one she ironically can't live without?

At just over 400 pages, Possession is a fast paced read that promises more installments in its impending saga. Science fiction fans will appreciate the technological complexity. Romance readers will yearn for more fully fleshed out male characters instead of Jag's one liners and Zenn's zombie-like stupor. Young adult enthusiasts will relate to the frictional dichotomy between Vi and her father. Dystopian voyeurs will feel fully acclimated in a reimagined world full of rules that are made to be broken.

Overall, a little something for everybody, but lacking a defined focus.

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Regina_Linton

Posted July 11, 2011

more from this reviewer

One of my all time favorites

Don't get me started about how amazing I thought this book was...okay do! :) So meet Violet, she lost her sister to a society she doesn't understand, a father who went MIA and a mother who doesn't care for her. Violet (Vi) is matched with Zenn whom she has known as her soul mate for years. Control or be controlled is the premise of this book. Duty or Death! Vi has many choices to make and they weigh heavy on her. Insert another hottie hunk here (Jag), who throws a few curves into Vi's life. Some sizzling connections and a power hungry monster lie in Vi's path, forcing her to make choices she doesn't to.

Anyone who is interested in reading about mind control, voice influence, people who can sense technical power sources, see premonitions and all the latest tech gear than you really want to go and pick this one up.

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Book Review: Possession

FANTASTIC BOOK!

Not Worth The Time

hmmm good, but confusing at times

One of my favorites

Fills my dystopian craze.

This book irritates me

Slightly Disappointing

Caitlyn

Coiugh cough

Soooooooooooo fricking gud!!!

WOW. Ever since Suzanne Collins wrote the Hunger Games the Teen

This novel lets you shiver with every thought and mind manipulated!

AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!

Awesome book!!!!!

JeanBookNerd Review

Live To Read

Love hate.

A little something for everybody, but lacking a defined focus

One of my all time favorites