Review - Possession by Elana Johnson

 
Book: Possession
Author: Elana Johnson
Publication Date: June 7, 2011
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Description: Vi knows the Rule: Girls don’t walk with boys, and they never even think about kissing them. But no one makes Vi want to break the Rules more than Zenn…and since the Thinkers have chosen him as Vi’s future match, how much trouble can one kiss cause? The Thinkers may have brainwashed the rest of the population, but Vi is determined to think for herself.
But the Thinkers are unusually persuasive, and they’re set on convincing Vi to become one of them….starting by brainwashed Zenn. Vi can’t leave Zenn in the Thinkers’ hands, but she’s wary of joining the rebellion, especially since that means teaming up with Jag. Jag is egotistical, charismatic, and dangerous: everything Zenn’s not. Vi can’t quite trust Jag and can’t quite resist him, but she also can’t give up on Zenn.
This is a game of control or be controlled. And Vi has no choice but to play.

My Thoughts: Possession was an interesting book that started out sow, and right when I was tempted to give up on it, it became amazing!

I have seen mixed reviews aboout this book, and it caused me to skip over it on the shelves for a few months; however, thanks to the going out of business sale at Borders I built up enough courage to buy it (and quite a few other books...lets just ignore my book addiction for the moment) and I am very happy I did. This book built a world that, at first, is hard to understand. People are required to listen to transmissions that tell them how to think and feel daily. It is a system of control extremely more potent than the Matrix. Imagine looking directly at something and knowing with your whole being that you dont want to do it, or that  it's wrong, and then being told otherwise in such a strong way that your entire sense of free thought goes away and become merely a robot puppet. Other people can enter your mind and erase memories create a false sense of security, and pretty much anything else using only their minds. This book is ridiculously interesting.

There were a few love interests in this book. Zenn and Jag. I was in love with Jag, Zenn not too much. Zenn was too controlled (pun intended). He annoyed me and I wanted Vi to get over him already. Sure he was the first person she fell in love with and actually touched, but come on, eventually you have to let people go and stop harboring feelings for them, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOUR IN LOVE WITH SOMEONE ELSE!!! Jag, my wonderful and perfect and beautiful and rough and tough and amazing Jag, was the best guy in the book. I am sure some of you who read it are probably biting my head off for saying he was perfect because of course he isn't, he's a liar (but only when it counts right? that should count for something). He's also a jerk sometimes, and rude and funny and crazy, and tortured and bad...but I believe all of that makes him perfect! He also is Vi's choker (you'll see what I mean when you read it) and I mean come on, Vi should definitely date Jag and get married and have little amazing babies with even more amazing minds. Their relationship has just the right amount of everything, and I love it!

I loved the writing style of the book. The whole, "He said_______, but in Jag talk that meant______," was hilarious. (it also showed even more how conected they both are and why they should be married and all that good stuff...they connected on so many levels!) I also liked the random "He looked at me in that [im-going-to-say-something-random-here-to-show-what-they-did-in-the-book] way"It made me laugh at times. This book was somprised of such an interesting theory that I couldnt help thinking about it well after I finished reading it.

That being said, there were some things I did not like. I HATED the ending. (I hear theres no sequel, just a companion novel...ummm?) I was p'd off and, since I was reading on a camping trip with my family, was tempted to throw the book into the fire and watch it burn.  How dare they end the book like that wightou so much as an I'm sorry! Ugh! I guess sometimes the endings to books have to be sad so that you can thoroughly appreciate the ones that end happily. (that's all i'll say...i wont spoil any more)

I must say that I loved this book nonetheless. It was just something about it that I loved and couldn't get enough of. I would definitely read it again (although I think i'll stop before the ending and imagine better conclusions that make me smile).
Those of you who have read it, let me know what you thought about it, I'm curious about what everyone else thought.