This Savage Song
V. E. Schwab
In a crumbling city where the violence has begun to breed monsters, Kate Harker and August Flynn are heirs to the divided city of Verity. Kate strives to be just as ruthless as her father, even if that means getting expelled from six boarding schools. August just wants to be human, and to play a bigger role in protecting the innocent. Torn between his ambition and the ideology of monsters given to him by Leo, who acts as an older brother to him, August is given a mission. As Kate moves into the city and joins an esteemed high school after an attempt to burn down her previous boarding school, August goes undercover to keep an eye on her. But Kate discovers him, and after a failed assassination attempt the pair is forced to flee for their lives.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Unlike many post-apocalyptic young adult books, this one has a refreshing storyline that does not revolve around a romance. The characters are not one-dimensional, they make mistakes that have legitimate consequences, and they have flaws and disabilities. The combination of a monster-run city and in-depth characters makes This Savage Song an extremely good read. Anyone who is interested in thrilling action sequences, monsters that are both human and creatures, minimal romance, and a bit of music should definitely pick up this book.
This Savage Song is the first book in The Monsters of Verity Duology. – Janki V.