Posted by Lauren in Book Reviews, Contemporary, Featured | 7 Comments
Wanted by Heidi Ayarbe
Wanted by Heidi Ayarbe
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Release date: May 1, 2012
Pages: 400
Summary: Michal is her school’s bookie, but she’s never actually placed a bet. She’s fine with playing it safe. When Josh transfers in, he urges Michal to try it—after all, bookies know a heck of a lot about gambling. But soon the stakes are raised: Josh is eager to exact vigilante justice on the rich people in town, pulling Michal along for the ride. Soon both teens are caught up in a mess involving gangs, grand theft, and the code name Babylonia.
My thoughts: Wanted starts off slow, giving us a nice introduction to Michal’s everyday life. When Josh arrives, things kick into gear: the story takes off running and maintains a quick pace until the very end. The life of a bookie-turned-delinquent isn’t exactly what I’d call calm: Michal’s story can get incredibly stressful. But it’s this stress that makes you realize just how involved you are in the story—how good Heidi Ayarbe is at making sure you’re completely immersed. This is why I’m a huge fan of Heidi’s books: they make you care about fictional people in a way you never have before.
Aside from being engrossing, Wanted also makes you think about morality. Is what Michal and Josh doing right, even though it’s illegal? That’s for you to decide, obviously, but you’ll find it’s more difficult to decide than it would seem. At the very least, you’ll be rooting for Michal because she’s someone easy to relate to. I loved Michal as a narrator because she could be anyone. Michal’s illicit job aside, she’s a conflicted individual, trying to figure out her own sense of justice while managing personal problems. In other words, Michal is more than meets the eye, which is how most of us feel about ourselves.
The thing I love most about Wanted is that it never seems to go in the direction you’d anticipate. The ending, especially, is a huge surprise—but when you think about it, it’s absolutely perfect. The story twists and turns around all of Michal’s escapades in a way that—at least to me—is very creative and smart.
If you’re looking for a darker contemporary read, Wanted is the way to go. It took me a bit to get into, but it really impressed me overall. Give it a shot if you’ve ever been curious about the underside of gambling.
4.5/5 stars
For those who like: realistic fiction, bad-girl protagonists, class conflict
Source: publisher at ALA. Thank you!
I love it when books make you really care about the characters and their problems. This one sounds like an interesting story,
Great review! :)
“But it’s this stress that makes you realize just how involved you are in the story—how good Heidi Ayarbe is at making sure you’re completely immersed.”
LOVE that! That’s my favorite part of reading – when I get excited, nervous, angry, etc. Means I’m involved in what’s happening and who those things are happening too! This one wasn’t really on my list before, but I think I’d really like to give it a try now:) Thanks Lauren!
Now I want to know what the ending was! Cant wait for the release!
Wow I’ve never read a book about a bookie before! Sounds like a good read!
Ok, I won an ARC of this but I wasn’t too sure I wanted to read this, at least not right away. But I love your take on it and the 4+ rating you gave it certainly helps to convince. I’m definitely checking this out :D
I’d forgotten all about this book! And it looks so good! I’m so glad to know that it’s addicting. I just love a good dark contemp!
This sounds so good! I was just about to go buy it when I realized it was already on my bookshelf. Fail. lol. Thanks for the great review — this is definitely getting moved up the TBR! (I love me some bad girl protags ;) )