The Verdant Cage by Jess Lourey

The quick cut: A girl begins searching for the truth when her mother is murdered and her brother is accused of the crime. 

A real review: 

  We all dream of a paradise world, but what if you thought you were already living in one? For Rose and the people of her village, they thought they were living in one when Rose's mother was killed. 

 The people of Noah's Valley have been protected by a large wall for as long as they can all remember. Every family has their roles and everybody helps keep it a safe place to be. When Rose's mother becomes the first murder and her brother is condemned for it, Rose becomes convinced that something else is happening. Will her search for the truth lead to what she's looking for? Or even more devastating information? 

 Dystopian I stories are a dime a dozen, so finding a new approach can be hard to do. With this story, the author managed to find a very interesting one for me. It felt like it dragged at moments, but was overall satisfying. 

 Rose had a plan for her life that got thrown completely out of whack the moment her mom died. It's interesting seeing how she turns finding her killer into a full blown search for the truth of her town. Her determination to do the right thing costs her deeply. 

 There is a twist near the end that changes the direction of the plot and definitely dictates the ending. I didn't see it coming and it made a lot of sense thinking back on what Rose has found out about what's going on. The impact could have been stronger though and I find myself wishing it made a bigger splash. 

 A dystopian novel with an interesting premise. 

My rating: 3.75 out of 5