Book Review: The Revolution of Ivy by Amy Engel

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Title: The Revolution of Ivy
Series: The Book of Ivy #2
Author: Amy Engel
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Publication Date: November 3, 2015
Genres: Science Fiction, Post-Apocalyptic,
Dystopian, Young Adult

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The Revolution of Ivy
The Book of Ivy #2
Amy Engel
Entangled Teen, November 2015
ISBN 978-1-63375-115-6
Trade Paperback

From the publisher—

Ivy Westfall is beyond the fence and she is alone. Abandoned by her family and separated from Bishop Lattimer, Ivy must find a way to survive on her own in a land filled with countless dangers, both human and natural. She has traded a more civilized type of cruelty–forced marriages and murder plots–for the bare-knuckled brutality required to survive outside Westfall’s borders.

But there is hope beyond the fence, as well. And when Bishop reappears in Ivy’s life, she must decide if returning to Westfall to take a final stand for what she believes is right is worth losing everything she’s fought for.

I’m not in a frame of mind right now to write my usual lengthy review so let me just hit the high points.

First, I really enjoyed the first book of this duology, The Book of Ivy, and became quite attached to Ivy and Bishop.
https://cncbooksblog.wordpress.com/2014/11/13/book-review-the-book-of-ivy-by-amy-engel/
Although I didn’t mention it then, one of the things I particularly liked about that book was that there wasn’t a cast of thousands so the author had the time (and energy) to really develop these two characters and bring them to life.

In The Revolution of Ivy, Ms. Engel has continued that approach and, although there are a few more secondary characters, it’s Ash and Caleb that draw the eye, so to speak, in addition to Ivy and Bishop. These four are all so well drawn that they seem like real people and, for differing reasons, I love them all.

In some ways, the plot of this book is much like other post-apocalyptic/dystopian novels and worldbuilding is still a bit thin but that was OK with me. This is essentially a character study of how people cope with extreme conditions and stress while holding on to their humanity. The Revolution of Ivy ends satisfactorily although Ms. Engel could continue the story if she wants to; either option works and I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to read both books.

And I still managed to be a little bit longwinded 😉

Reviewed by Lelia Taylor, November 2015.

About the Author

Amy Engel was born in Kansas and after a childhood spent bouncing between countries (Iran, Taiwan) and states (Kansas; California; Missouri; Washington, D.C.), she settled in Kansas City, Missouri, where she lives with her husband and two kids. Before devoting herself full-time to motherhood and writing, she was a criminal defense attorney, which is not quite as exciting as it looks on TV. When she has a free moment, she can usually be found reading, running, or shoe shopping. The Book of Ivy is her debut YA novel. Find her online at http://amyengel.net/ or @aengelwrites.

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