Court by Cat Patrick- Review

Title: Court

Author: Cat Patrick

Date of Publication: October 23rd 2014

 Goodreads

About Court:

For more than 400 years, a secret monarchy has survived and thrived within the borders of the US, hiding in plain sight as the state known as Wyoming. But when the king is shot and his seventeen-year-old son, Haakon McHale, is told he will take the throne, becoming the eleventh ruler of the Kingdom of Eurus, the community that's survived for centuries is pushed to the limit. Told through four perspectives, Court transplants us to a world that looks like ours, but isn't. Gwendolyn Rose, daughter of the Duke of Coal, is grudgingly betrothed to Haakon -- and just wants a way out. Alexander Oxendine, son of the Duke of Wind and Haakon's lifelong best friend, already grapples with external struggles when he's assigned to guard Haakon after the king dies. And commoner Mary Doyle finds whispers in the woods that may solve -- or destroy -- everything, depending on your bloodline.

Money. Love. Power. Community. What's your motivation?

Amazon

My Review:

Court by Cat Patrick
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

There is a secret monarchy hiding in modern day Wyoming. Life in the Realm is different from life in the Democracy, and what we get here is 4 main perspectives of teenagers whose lives are challenged when the king is killed. Haakon is 17 and about to be king now that his father has died. He does not feel ready. Gwendolyn wishes for freedom, but is supposed to be married to the future king in 2 months time. Mary is a commoner who begins learning secrets from a stranger in the woods. Alexander is charged with guarding the future king even as he fights his own internal battles.

Following the story from the different perspectives was interesting and I definitely started to find my favorite story lines and characters. There are a lot of peripheral characters and certain specifics that are a little hard to follow at times. I found that by focusing on the main characters and their stories, the bigger picture was easier to see. At times, I thought the dialogue was a little choppy and that sometimes I was being told things rather than shown. Overall, it was interesting to see how such a society could live within the world we all know. I think a lot of young adults would enjoy this book. It has mystery, intrigue, romance, and through it all struggles that most people coming of age could relate to.


*An ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review