While I was reading this book I felt like it was similar to Harry Potter minus the magic and Harry is a girl. It also felt like the Hunger Games minus the games with Equilibrium mixed in for good measure (one of my fav movies). That all said, it was very unigue in it's own way. I always seem to guess the mysterious past of the characters long before they are revealed, which is a bummer, but I love the other surprises throughout. The romance element was sweet and the action was edge-of-your-seat. Great world/society development and characters. Looking forward to book 2 in a few months!