Pawn is a fast paced, dystopian that was one of those books I couldn't seem to put down. There is enough action that it kept me engaged and definitely enough intrigue to dig into. Add to this the politics and this makes for a solid book one in this series. I think I can review this without giving anything major away….apologies for anything super vague.

Kitty Doe is seventeen and has spent her life trying to prove herself. As an “Extra” or second child, she was given up by her parents and what she really wanted was to prove she was useful and not a mistake. See, at the age of seventeen, all citizens are required to take a test to see what their rank is I and II ranks are destined for an early death as they get the worst jobs and least amount of support from the government. III’s do menial labor but it isn't always desirable - the only benefit really is they have enough food and shelter to survive. IV's are considered average but they don't have such a rough life and V's and VI's are luckier - they get better jobs and more opportunity.

Kitty knew going into the test the cards were stacked against her but she knows she isn't an idiot and she hoped she would get a IV. Unfortunately Kitty can’t read (she suffers from dyslexia) and this is what held her back during the test. Once completed she finds that not only did she only rank a III, her new placement in sewer maintenance will be in Denver…far away from D.C., Benjy (her boyfriend), and everything she knows and loves.

Carter does a great job of building out the alternate world and presenting a society that because of overcrowding and economical issues has some pretty strict rules. America is now run by a Prime Minister and although they say they are elected officials, the truth is, no one has been on the ballot against the Hart family in a long time. The Hart family consists of the matriarch Augusta and she clearly is running things even though Daxton Hart is the figurehead. Celia Hart is Daxton’s sister and the mother of Lila. Greyson Hart just happens to be Daxton’s son and next in line to lead the country. Knox Creed is Lila’s fiancé.

As an act of rebellion after her test, on her way out of the market, Kitty steals an orange and this is the catalyst to the rest of the story. She knows oranges are for IV and above and her actions draw the attention of a shield…one of the guards that work for the government. What he notices about Kitty are that her eyes are exactly like those of Lila Hart, the niece of the Prime Minister and this is what creates problems for her. Kitty and Benjy run away but they already know her name and eventually hunt her down. Not just because she stole an orange but because they need her to take Lila’s place. Although no one outside the immediate family has been told, Lila apparently was killed and because she has been such an influence on the people, they would prefer to mask Kitty and have her become Lila. See, they need her speak against the rebellion that Lila created so that more problems don't occur.

Throughout the story it is clear that no one in the Hart family trusts anyone else. They all appear to be fighting for control of the country and willing to do whatever they think is necessary to get what they want. All the while that Kitty is attempting to navigate these dangerous waters, she is struggling with the fact that she is now Lila and needs to be convincing because if she isn't, things could end badly. She is also worried about Benjy and what will happen to him. Daxton and Augusta have made it perfectly clear that they are going to hurt whoever they need to in order to get Kitty to do what they want.

While the Hart’s continue to threaten Kitty she can’t seem to avoid trouble. Mostly in the form of supporting Knox and Celia. They definitely have their own agenda and secrets. I won’t disclose any of them here but they are revealed along the way and it is clear why there is such a disconnect between these family members. While Knox and Celia have their own reasons behind supporting the masking and Kitty taking Lila’s place, Knox is the one that started to grow on me.

Eventually, we find out just what has been going on with the Harts. It isn't just that they are fighting for control. They have conflicting views on how things should be run and because of this; Celia/Lila and Daxton/Augusta are a threat to each other. They all seem to have secrets from each other - no matter whose side they are on. Add into the mix the blackcoats and the dangers they pose to the family and things are even more dangerous.

I enjoyed the characters in this book and thought Carter did a great job building most of them up. I thought Kitty’s story was developed well and I was able to understand her motives. It is clear she loves Benjy and protective of those she loves. With that in mind, the group of people she is close to is pretty small so when things start to happen to them, she is affected. Although Kitty can’t read, she is clearly smart. I especially loved the times that she stood up for herself and when she wouldn't let everyone bully her around. She was the right mix of smart and sarcastic to make the character work for me.

I enjoyed Benjy in the beginning but he fell a bit flat for me at the middle/end of the book. He definitely cares about Kitty and over the years has fallen in love with her but he didn't really seem to have a purpose other than to be the thing that the Hart’s use to threaten/blackmail her with. I get that Carter was trying to show Kitty as doing whatever she could to protect him but the fact that he would just let her go with Tab….just….no way.

Knox was great. He definitely has a plan and I don’t think he counted on the fact that Kitty would have such an impact on him. It was almost like she was a surprise – in a good way. He is another one who will do what he can to protect those he cares about. That group now includes Kitty and I honestly don’t know what’s next for him. I’m feeling a potential love triangle here but we will have to wait and see.

The character I enjoyed reading about (outside of Kitty) was Greyson. He is clearly in a position that he doesn't want and part of a family that although he loves them, he doesn't trust them at all. As the next in line to lead the country, he is in a tough position and it will be interesting to see what happens with him in the next book.

With the events that happened at the end of Pawn, I can’t wait to see what happens in the next part of the story. Changes are coming – good and bad – for everyone and I’m not sure where Carter will go with it. There is definitely a lot of potential and if you enjoy the dystopian genre with solid characters as well as a good story, you should pick this one up.

Thank you to Harlequin TEEN and Netgalley for the advance copy.