Monday 17 March 2014

Review: The Wicked We Have Done by Sarah Harian

The Wicked We Have Done by Sarah Harian
Publisher:
Headline
Release Date:
18 March 2014
Rating: *****
Back cover blurb: Evalyn Ibarra never expected to be an accused killer and experimental prison test subject. A year ago, she was a normal college student. Now she's been sentenced to a month in the compass room - an advanced prison obstacle course designed by the government to execute justice. If she survives, the world will know she's innocent. Locked up with nine notorious and potentially psychotic criminals, Evalyn must fight the prison and dismantle her past to stay alive. But the system prized for accuracy appears to be killing at random. She doesn't plan on making friends. She doesn't plan on falling in love, either.





The Wicked We Have Done, is quite unlike any book I've read so far this year. I've seen a couple of reviews likening it to the Hunger Games, which personally I haven't read, so I can't say whether or not this is an accurate comparison, but for me this book had a unique story.

Evalyn Ibarra is a convicted criminal, sentenced to a month in the Compass Room, a unique US government facility, designed to test the inmates on their morality. Any punishment that they receive is dependant on their actions when faced with some horrific circumstances.

Along with her fellow 'prison' inmates, Evalyn has a 20% chance of surviving the Compass Room, but she is more than willing to take that chance, rather than face the alternative - the crime that she committed carries the death penalty. Evalyn figures she has nothing to lose, if she doesn't enter the Compass Room she will be sentenced to death, if she does, and survives then she will be free, forever.

Once inside the Compass Room, Evalyn and the 9 other convicted criminals placed with her, must all face up to their crimes and are forced to relive the days that changed their lives forever. As she is forced to come to terms with her own guilt, and that of those around her Evalyn does not expect to survive, let alone forge alliances with some of her fellow inmates.

The Wicked We Have Done, is one of those novels that you will find impossible to put down, for a start Evalyn's crime is drip-fed to us slowly, whereas the crimes of her fellow inmates are disclosed early on. It makes you question if she is as evil as she thinks she is, or if she has been the victim of a grave miscarriage of justice.

The more we learn about Evalyn, the more likeable her character becomes, she even grows on those around her, who are all convinced that she is the most evil of them all. She isn't...not by a long shot.

The Wicked We Have Done is set to be the first in a series of novels by this author, and I cannot wait to read the first sequel!

The Wicked We Have done is available from 18 March 2014. 
You can pre-order it now from Amazon and Headline.  

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Thank you to the publishers who approved by request on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

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