Go for people/teenagers who want to read about a girl's life with rasicm. It is set in the future.

In a way, this book reminded me of 1984 and The Secret Life of Linus Hoppe. It was a little bit too predictable, but I think for those who have not read any of George Orwell's books, or been exposed to the idea of a similar-like government, this would be a rather interesting book. It was a little bit for the younger teen audience (15-16) at times, and I felt that the romance at some times was too rushed or predictable--not developed as well as it could have been. But the ideas that this book exhibit are very important and intriguing.

An interesting and easy read. Both thought provoking and entertaining although the ending felt a little rushed.

Julia Karr's fast-paced, futuristic thriller XVI was not what I expected. Upon reading the first three sentences on the back cover ("Every girl gets one. An XVI tattoo on the wrist—sixteen. They say they're there for protection.") My first thought was: "Not another teenage dystopian novel!" Then I read the next sentence: "Some girls can't wait to be sixteen, to be legal." My next thought? "Uh-oh. This book has A Message." Clearly, XVI was about sex. And just as clearly, it was going to have a strong bias of some sort—which way, I wasn't sure, but I would have bet towards abstinence. But then I read it. Yes, XVI is a dystopian novel, and yes, sex as related to teenage girls does play a large role in it. The main character, Nina, lives in Chicago in 2150. The government is a Big-Brother-esque creation, and on every girls' sixteenth birthday she receives a tattoo on her wrist, signifying to the world that she's ready for sex—moreover, essentially making her a free-for-all: the girls are encouraged to be "Sex-teens", and the culture is heavily inundated with teenage sexuality. I admit, it was a storyline concept that I wasn't entirely comfortable with. But XVI is well written, fast-paced, incredibly engaging, and, while disturbing, not overly so. In fact, it manages a near perfect balance between the obligatory creepy government and the sort of teenage triumph that can be so satisfying in a young adult adventure novel. I won't give away too many plot details, because you don't really need to know them. There's a death or two, the typical shadowy resistance force that Nina gets involved with, some deadly government secrets, and a cute, prickly boy. This is not revolutionary stuff. But it is fun, original enough that you won't care that it maybe is just "another teenage dystopian novel", and never so twisted as to be off-putting. If you are up for a light read, I highly suggest XVI.