Since I’m starting summer school next week I wanna make sure I get a few reviews out before I become flooded with homework again… -_- For those of you with similar struggles, I feel you sis.

So… today I’m reviewing Mirage by Somaiya Daud and I actually read the advance reader copy (given to me at a meeting of the RPL Teen Ambassadors (which you should totally join 😉 ) ) of this book so I’m not sure if my review will be entirely accurate. However, I am inclined to assume that there aren’t any major plot changes between the real deal and the ARC. Below is a brief summary (no spoilers, don’t worry) and then my thoughts.

Mirage is about a girl named Amani who lives in a world dominated by the cruel Vathek empire. On the day she is supposed to receive her daan, face markings of significant traditional value, Vath bots intrude and whisk her away to their palace. Amani then finds out that she looks exactly like the half-vath princess, Maram and now she is to play her body double, in case of rebel violence/danger from the protestors. Along Amani’s journey as a double, she gains feelings for Idris, Maram’s fiance, and gets to know Maram better.

I give this book 1.5/5 stars because it wasn’t completely terrible, it just definitely was not up to my standards especially as there are plenty spectacular YA sci-fi/romance novels out there. I found the world-building a little weak and the romance very cliche. The story was also very slow and so the novel took me much longer to read than any other book of its length. This is the author’s first book though, so I really hope she improves and comes out with another book I will enjoy. (props to the cover design though, it’s gorgeous haha)