Arch-Conspirator

Veronica Roth's Arch Conspirtitor had all the makings of a great book. The premise is based on the Greek tragedy of Antigone, the girl who rises up alone. She will defy her uncle and ultimately dies young. There is also a war between siblings, death, and sadness. Antigone is enough of a story to base a new book on. But Roth took Antigone and added a new layer of depth to it. It takes place in a dystopia, in one of the last cities. Children are no longer born naturally but selected from existing cells and reproduced. This selection puts a limit on new humans and gene diversity. They do all this because of religion (waves hand). When you die, your gametes are harvested through a device inserted below your belly button. To not do so is the ultimate dishonor to someone.

The rest of the story could be more straightforward. It is too much for a tiny novella-length story. I had difficulty sifting through all the elements of Greek mythos and science fiction to make a cohesive story. I like Veronica Roth, Insurgent and Carve the Mark are exciting and well-thought-out storylines. Arch Conspirator is a good idea that aimed for too much and fell short. It has just too much going on for me to recommend it.
3/5