This Savage Song

In This Savage Song, Victoria Schwab combines the best parts of dystopian and fantasy literature, topped off with unique world-building. It follows the perspective of our two main characters, Kate and August, teens trapped in a world plagued with violence, division, and faulty peace treaties. They're on opposite sides in the territory war, but they seem to be the only ones who see that the lines drawn are specious, at best. In their world, acts of violence birth horrible monsters, and they haunt the streets after dark, hungry for more bloodshed. August and Kate have to decide if they want to fight each other to prove their allegiances or fight together for a better world. 

One of the best things about her writing is the way she's able to convey so much about someones thought process while saying so little, like "(She) tried to help, when her mind worked in columns instead of knots." or "'We are the darkest acts made light.' (he) liked to say." 

She also manages to weave backstories into the plot in small glimpses, so the reader has to keep reading, eager to find answers. She uses humor this way too. When it starts to feel a little too dark and dreary, she gives readers an (albeit short) reprieve.

And then! And then! The twists and the betrayals and the revelations appear right as you get comfortable. When it's coming to an end, and you think you've got everything figured out, something new comes along. Thankfully, The Monsters of Verity duology was published in 2016 and 2017, so you can immediately pick up the sequel, Our Dark Duet. 

This Savage Song gets a 5 out of 5 stars from me. I especially enjoy the way she paces her story, so the tension is building in a way that feels authentic. There's a beautiful balance between dark and light elements, with plenty of surprises along the way.

While there is violence and cursing, it's fairly mild, and there's no mature content. Because of this, it's a good read for anyone in the age range for a YA novel.

There's something in This Savage Song for every kind of reader. If you're looking for a unique cross-genre dystopian/sci-fi/fantasy novel, it delivers. If you are the type of reader who wants to dig deeply into the symbolism, it's a perfect book for that too. Victoria Schwab manages to use monsters of all kinds to shine a light on what it means to be human.