June lives in one of the few cities left in the world after nuclear war wiped out nearly everything, but the city she lives in is a beautiful, towering thing, run well and efficiently by a council of women, headed by a queen. As they rebuilt the city, they decided that men, who were largely responsible for the mass destruction of the war, should not be trusted with power, and so while the women rule for years and years (advances in medicine have made very long life a reality for those who want it) but kings have only one year in the 'office' and are then executed after making a mostly token gesture that marks the existing queen as the one to remain queen for the next year. But when a young, handsome, and dangerously charismatic young man from the poor depths of the city becomes the Summer King, he and June (the best artist in all of Palmares Tres) join forces to turn the establishment on its head. Can they accomplish their goals before Enki will die, and can June keep from falling for her king?

This is a great post-apocalyptic YA story. Original plot, excellent characters, and a pleasantly unpredictable ending. ( )

This book caught my attention because it centers on the practice of the sacrifice of a year king -- a very old mythic idea. The story is about many things: why a young man would compete to be chosen to rule for a year and then be killed, chosen death in various forms, the tension between youth and age, politics, art as a vehicle for radical disruption, love, and rivalry. It also features a trio of leads who are people of color, and a hero who is pansexual.

It's hard to describe the plot itself, but the writing is beautiful, the characters compelling, and their society fascinating. I really, really enjoyed it. ( )

Did not finish.

I tried to like the world building, being futuristic Brazil and all, but I just couldn't stomach yet another YA novel written in the 1st person pov of a female teenage character. ( )

I quite enjoyed this. I know very little about Brazilian culture so I have no idea of the story's accuracy.
None the less I liked the world building and imagery. I also like that this novel handled same sex relationships, open relationships and even masturbation in a casual way. It's all handled tastefully and not at all inappropriate or salacious.
Slow in places and some logic jumps but standard YA tropes. ( )

http://teensniper.tumblr.com/post/60027467218/150-books-in-2013-63 ( )