{Book Review} Disruption by Jessica Shirvington

From Goodreads

What if a microchip could identify your perfect match?
What if it could be used against you and the ones you love?

Eight years ago, Mercer Corporation’s M-Bands became mandatory. An evolution of the smartphone, the bracelets promised an easier life. Instead, they have come to control it.

Two years ago, Maggie Stevens watched helplessly as one of the people she loves most was taken from her, shattering her world as she knew it.

Now, Maggie is ready. And Quentin Mercer – heir to the M-Corp empire – has become key to Maggie’s plan. But as the pieces of her dangerous design fall into place, could Quentin’s involvement destroy everything she’s fought for?

In a world full of broken promises, the ones Maggie must keep could be the most heartbreaking. 

My Thoughts

4 "Freaky and Enjoyable" Stars

Jessica Shirvington is one of the only Young Adult authors I'll willingly read and will almost always enjoy. That is saying a lot coming from me, because I do not like YA at all! 

Disruption is a dystopian, one that's quite different from any I've read before (and I've read a lot of it!). I'm usually a bit removed from dystopians, not getting the full effect of "holy shit, this could actually happen", but with Disruption...well, I could actually see the events play out in the not-so-distant future. It was freaky, intriguing, and thought provoking, to say the least! I had chills on more than one occasion.

Disruption follows Maggie, a girl in her late teens with far too much on her plate. Despite all the challenges that face her, she remained steadfastly driven and ruthless in her pursuits. This lead her to make some morally questionable decisions, but that only made me like her more - it was so, so refreshing to see a protagonist that wasn't all sunshine and roses, someone that had real depth and wasn't always perfect. 

The Disruption world revolves around M-Bands, a mandatory device that tracks everything from  vital signs and medical history, to pheromone responses to every individual encountered. It uses a percentage rating system to judge the wearer's compatibility with others, and is generally taken as law. Friends, lovers, and life partners are chosen via the M-Band, and most see this as an amazing thing. Life revolves around the ratings.

However, there are some people that do not have any rating around others. These unlucky few, called Negs, are removed from society to be "rehabilitated" in high security facilities.

Eight years ago, Maggie's father registered as a Neg. He was snatched from their family, and Maggie has been searching every Neg center she can in order to try and find them. With a prickly partner in crime, a handsome boy just now opening his eyes to the horror of their world, and her father's secrets, she has a fighting chance...if only she can find him.

(Note: no love triangle!)

This story was action packed from start to finish, and twisty in parts. You're slammed right into the world, kept on the edge of your seat from the first page to the last, and there's never a dull moment. The world is richly done, and like I said, very intriguing and thought provoking. While I love the vast knowledge of science we're constantly acquiring, it's scary to think of the ways it could be applied to every day life, as it is here.

My only complaint is I wasn't really feeling the love interest here. I didn't especially care for the hero at all, actually! Nothing horribly wrong with him, he was just...flat. This was especially true when compared to the heroine, or to Jessica Shirvington's other love interests. 

I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator did a great job. Lots of emotion expressed!

Overall, this was an incredibly enjoyable book with a wicked cliffhanger (but book two is out, so no worries), and I can't wait to start the next.