STING
by Cindy R. Wilson
YA Dystopian
March 3rd 2020
Entangled Teen
They call me the Scorpion because they don’t know who I really am. All they know is that someone is stealing from people with excess to help people with nothing survive another day.
But then a trusted friend reveals who I am―“just” Tessa, “just” a girl―and sends me straight into the arms of the law. All those people I helped…couldn’t help me when I needed it.
In prison, I find an unlikely ally in Pike, who would have been my enemy on the outside. He represents everything I’m against. Luxury. Excess. The world immediately falling for his gorgeous smile. How he ended up in the dirty cell next to mine is a mystery, but he wants out as much as I do. Together, we have a real chance at escape.
With the sting of betrayal still fresh, Pike and I will seek revenge on those who wronged us. But uncovering all their secrets might turn deadly…
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From the very first page, this read grabs with an amazing character, who demands attention, as she takes on a villain one can't help but hate.
This was such a refreshing dystopian! While there is an unjust society with a huge divide between classes, this plot doesn't fall into the simplicity of blaming it all on a single, evil government. The heroine, of course, is strong, determined and quite the fighter. She carries the name of Scorpion, and the background to this added a nice touch. It was easy to root for her from the very beginning, and interesting to follow her as the situations she faced changed drastically. The side characters offered a nice richness and aren't all they seem to be. It's hard to know who to trust or what their true motives might be...and that kept things interesting.
It's hard to put this read down thanks to the fast pace. As soon as one problem is solved, a new one takes it's place. There are quite a few action scenes, which fit well with the Scorpion, and definitely keep the tension high. Romance is woven in as well, but it glides along side the main plot and offers several surprises too. Scorpion's feelings, on this end of things, are subdued and often come across more as something she isn't completely convinced about or even sure of herself. And this fits in perfectly with her personality and all the other things she's up against. It was definitely an enjoyable read.
This was such a refreshing dystopian! While there is an unjust society with a huge divide between classes, this plot doesn't fall into the simplicity of blaming it all on a single, evil government. The heroine, of course, is strong, determined and quite the fighter. She carries the name of Scorpion, and the background to this added a nice touch. It was easy to root for her from the very beginning, and interesting to follow her as the situations she faced changed drastically. The side characters offered a nice richness and aren't all they seem to be. It's hard to know who to trust or what their true motives might be...and that kept things interesting.
It's hard to put this read down thanks to the fast pace. As soon as one problem is solved, a new one takes it's place. There are quite a few action scenes, which fit well with the Scorpion, and definitely keep the tension high. Romance is woven in as well, but it glides along side the main plot and offers several surprises too. Scorpion's feelings, on this end of things, are subdued and often come across more as something she isn't completely convinced about or even sure of herself. And this fits in perfectly with her personality and all the other things she's up against. It was definitely an enjoyable read.
SNEAK PEEK
“Don’t take another step.”
My breath catches. My fingers curl around the handle of my
knife, but my feet are glued to the ground three steps outside the door.
There’s only one Enforcer, but the others can’t be far away. His gun is aimed
at my heart, and a dark smile plays on his lips.
“Are you the only one here?” he asks, voice deep.
“Just me.” I hope River and Elle are already hiding. Or maybe
they left through the back. I resist the urge to look at Atticus’s and
Magellan’s transmissions on my watch.
He narrows his eyes. “Out here all alone. What is it you’re
doing at an abandoned warehouse in the middle of the night?”
“Delivering a pizza.” I give him an easy smile, but my voice
isn’t as steady as I want it to be. When he glares, I shrug. “I saw the
warehouse and got curious.” But I’ve heard pizza is really good.
“In the middle of the night,” he says. “Hmm. And what’s in the
satchel?”
It’s not my satchel he should be worried about. It’s the
throwing knife in my hand.
“Nothing special.”
“I’ve been hearing stories about a girl they call the Scorpion,”
he says.
My heart stops. The Scorpion. How do they know? I pinch the
blade of the knife between my fingers.
He smiles. “Is that you?”
My throat is too dry to answer.
There’s movement behind him. He whips around as River appears
near the dumpsters, hands up. Crap! With a flick of my wrist, I fling the knife
at the Enforcer. It lodges in his thigh, and he howls in pain. Before he can
recover, River yanks the gun from his grasp. Elle is right behind him, eyes
wide.
“Out of here. Now,” I growl, racing away from the warehouse.
River and Elle are close by my side as we rush through the streets, dodging
dumpsters and bags of trash. The slow burn of asphalt from the heat of the day
reaches my nose. Lanterns shine in some windows, but it’s late, and, for the
most part, we can only see our path by the glow of the moon. From here, the
Light District is countless blocks away, a firefly of light buzzing with
energy.
“Are you hurt?” River asks, glancing over.
“Not as bad as the Enforcer.” I brush off his concern even
though my leg throbs and blood rolls down my calf. I shut down my receiver to
save power. I’ll summon Atticus and Magellan later. “Lost my favorite knife,
though.” One of the few mementos I have from my dad.
He lifts his arm. “Got a gun.”
“I told you this was a bad idea,” Elle says, breath short. “I
heard what he said. The Enforcer.”
I slow down after we’ve put some distance between us and the
warehouse. My heart still races, and my mind whirls. The Enforcers know about
me.
“So did I,” River says. “That’s why they were there tonight.
They were looking for the Scorpion.”
And here she is...
And here she is...
Cindy R. Wilson lives at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, and loves using Colorado towns and cities as inspiration for settings in her stories. She's the mother of three girls, who provide plenty of fodder for her YA novels. Cindy writes speculative fiction and YA fiction, filled with a healthy dose of romance. You'll often find her hiking or listening to any number of playlists while she comes up with her next story idea.
Author Links:
Website: https://cindyrwilson.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CindyRWilson
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