These Stolen Lives was an enjoyable read. I love the dystopian genre and this had all of the things I love about it.

The story follows Mora who survived the Skol invasion of her home 6 years ago. The people they allowed to live are now indebted to them and must work to repay that debt. But when her friend is due to be put to death Mora decides now is the time to take action.

The book had good pacing, lots a bits of action, and a sweet will-they-won't-they romance plot.

These Stolen Lives introduces Mora, a girl living under the brutal Life Registry system, forced to pay just to survive. When her friend is sentenced to death, she risks everything to save him — and uncovers a much darker truth.

I have read and reviewed this as part of a double read along in preparation for This Shattered Promise!

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

This was the first book I’ve read by the author. If you enjoy reading dystopia and mystery; then this one is definitely for you! Even though it’s not a genre that appeals to me much, those who like it should definitely give it a try.

I appreciate receiving this copy from NetGalley and the publisher in return for an honest review.

A thought-provoking and moving YA dystopia with incredible world-building and suspense. A divided world filled with injustices. So much to think about.

After the Skøl invasion, the system that they imposed on all their colonized cultures is based on the motto: Life is Golden. Except that probably doesn't does mean what you think it means, because in the Skøl system, people must pay a tithe to continue to be allowed to live.

So, when teenage Mora survives the invasion, she basically faces a life of indentured servitude. And then she discovers that the handful of meaningful connections she has made are threatened by the actions of the new governor. What can Mora actually do to protect the people that she cares about? And how far will she go to do it?

A scary dystopian thriller, this novel shows how hope, and the aspirations for freedom so deeply coded into the human DNA, survive beyond challenging circumstances.