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The Line #1
Carrier
Twenty-two -year-old Naya has spent nearly half her life as a sex slave in a government institution called The Line. When she’s kicked out after getting pregnant with twins, she’s got no way to earn a living and a horrifying choice to make: find someone to replace her, or have her babies taken in her stead.
A doctor with a history of aiding ex-Line girls, Ric Bennett, wants to help. He runs a team of rebels that can delete Naya’s records and free her forever. But when The Line sniffs out his plan, things get bloody, fast. Naya means more to them than just a chance at fresh faces—her twins are part of the government’s larger plan.
As they hide from government search parties, Ric comes to admire Naya’s quiet strength. And Naya realizes Ric might be a man she can trust. If they make it off the grid, they could build a new life. But first they’ll have to survive the long, vicious reach of The Line.
A doctor with a history of aiding ex-Line girls, Ric Bennett, wants to help. He runs a team of rebels that can delete Naya’s records and free her forever. But when The Line sniffs out his plan, things get bloody, fast. Naya means more to them than just a chance at fresh faces—her twins are part of the government’s larger plan.
As they hide from government search parties, Ric comes to admire Naya’s quiet strength. And Naya realizes Ric might be a man she can trust. If they make it off the grid, they could build a new life. But first they’ll have to survive the long, vicious reach of The Line.
236 pages, ebook
First published June 16, 2014
About the author
Anne Tibbets
6 books135 followersAfter writing for television, Anne Tibbets found her way to writing novels by following what she loves: books, strong female characters, twisted family dynamics, quick moving plots, and stories with punch.
Anne is the author of the space horror, SCREAMS FROM THE VOID (2021), and of the New Adult speculative series The Line: CARRIER and WALLED (2014). Anne also co-authored, under the pen name Addison Gunn, the first book in the hard military science fiction series EXTINCTION BIOME: INVASION (2016), and authored the second, EXTINCTION BIOME: DISPERSAL (2017), also as Addison Gunn.
Anne divides her time between writing and working as a literary agent at Donald Maass Literary Agency.
Find her on Twitter and Instagram @AnneTibbets
Anne is the author of the space horror, SCREAMS FROM THE VOID (2021), and of the New Adult speculative series The Line: CARRIER and WALLED (2014). Anne also co-authored, under the pen name Addison Gunn, the first book in the hard military science fiction series EXTINCTION BIOME: INVASION (2016), and authored the second, EXTINCTION BIOME: DISPERSAL (2017), also as Addison Gunn.
Anne divides her time between writing and working as a literary agent at Donald Maass Literary Agency.
Find her on Twitter and Instagram @AnneTibbets
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
February 17, 2024
Unique. Terrifying. Thought-provoking.
“I was taken from my parents when I was five and sold here when I was thirteen.”
His expression went stony. “Making you twenty-two. So, you don’t remember your birth parents?”
It has flavors of The Handmaid’s Tale, (forced sex work, dystopian, pregnancy).
Futuristic/dystopian society
Sex trafficking
Gene modification
Forced sterilization
Extreme poverty
Intense
The book begins with the Naya waking up after a particularly brutal client leaves her battered and bruised. She walks down a sterile hallway of The Line, with many other naked young women to get checked in for the day. She is sent to the infirmary, this is when they discover her pregnancy.
“You’re pregnant.” I stared at the man and blinked, disbelieving. He went on, “Which is extremely rare, given your sterilization when you arrived.”
I will warn you that the fmc is raped at 13, just a week after her first period began, by her first ‘client.’ The scene is described, but somewhat fade to black, it was still incredibly traumatic to read as a woman and a mother. I appreciated the author’s words as to why she left this scene in the book.
There is a bit of romance which helps to offset the dark, and the story ends with a HFN. The story continues in book 2.
“I was taken from my parents when I was five and sold here when I was thirteen.”
His expression went stony. “Making you twenty-two. So, you don’t remember your birth parents?”
It has flavors of The Handmaid’s Tale, (forced sex work, dystopian, pregnancy).
Futuristic/dystopian society
Sex trafficking
Gene modification
Forced sterilization
Extreme poverty
Intense
The book begins with the Naya waking up after a particularly brutal client leaves her battered and bruised. She walks down a sterile hallway of The Line, with many other naked young women to get checked in for the day. She is sent to the infirmary, this is when they discover her pregnancy.
“You’re pregnant.” I stared at the man and blinked, disbelieving. He went on, “Which is extremely rare, given your sterilization when you arrived.”
I will warn you that the fmc is raped at 13, just a week after her first period began, by her first ‘client.’ The scene is described, but somewhat fade to black, it was still incredibly traumatic to read as a woman and a mother. I appreciated the author’s words as to why she left this scene in the book.
I came to the conclusion that nothing demonstrates the true horror of this real-life atrocity more than seeing it through the eyes of a survivor. Not one to shy away from the horrible truth, I concluded that if there is some good that can come out of it, the risk was worth taking. I therefore included the dream sequence in the hopes it will educate and horrify every reader, be them young or old. It horrified me to write it. Despite the fact that Naya’s slavery on the Line takes place in the future, there are girls and women trapped in this very situation all across the globe today. This is happening. Right now.Naya is released from her work and is set out into the real world. It is a brutal awakening. Luckily, she needs some decent people and soon finds herself on the run.
There is a bit of romance which helps to offset the dark, and the story ends with a HFN. The story continues in book 2.
November 22, 2014
This review was first posted on my blog, Olivia's Catastrophe: http://olivia-savannah.blogspot.nl/20...
This book was so amazing. I loved every minute of it, from the very beginning and was hooked until it was finished!
Is it just me, or have I been blessed with reading a lot of good books lately?
One thing I loved about this book was that it was dealing with a very serious topic – and that would be prostitution. You don’t really see many authors approach such a serious and emotional topic because if you do it wrong, it’s all wrong. But somehow, with the blunt flashbacks that told us everything about Naya’s past, we manage to get a clear picture of how horrible it is and what it must’ve been like. At the end of the book Anne attached a link to a charity which helps with stopping human trafficking and forced prostitution, and at the end I donated immediately. That’s how moving the story of that was.
But there was a lot more to this novel that made me love it as well. It would have to be the characters. First off, don’t you just love the name Naya? On top of that, she was such a great voice to see things from. She’s newly pregnant, thrown out into the world and scrambling to get a bearing underneath us. We get to see this new world through her disbelieving eyes, and see the fear of men looming over as well as her strength and she struggles through various difficulties just to protect her future kids, and herself. She loves her friends and we see this throughout the book because she would do anything for them.
Ric was a good love interest, and I liked the slow love that formed between them! But I have to say my second favourite character was Tym, the funny, confident computer hacker. He was awesome ;)
The only thing that brought down this novel a notch from scoring the full stars was that it was both original and unoriginal at the same time. Original as in we have the prostitution, the characters and the plot which has to do with the babies (can’t say too much due to spoilers!). But unoriginal because we see something we see in a lot of books set in a dystopian sort of world. There are Outsiders, outside of the wall that no one knows much about, and everyone is taught about. it just seemed so cliché, I didn’t really like the idea of it. Thankfully it isn’t too focused on in this first book and is only mentioned in passing, which makes me think that Anne is setting this up to be a major plotline in book two!
I can’t wait to continue the series. This book will suck you in right to the end, and is highly recommended from me!
This book was so amazing. I loved every minute of it, from the very beginning and was hooked until it was finished!
Is it just me, or have I been blessed with reading a lot of good books lately?
One thing I loved about this book was that it was dealing with a very serious topic – and that would be prostitution. You don’t really see many authors approach such a serious and emotional topic because if you do it wrong, it’s all wrong. But somehow, with the blunt flashbacks that told us everything about Naya’s past, we manage to get a clear picture of how horrible it is and what it must’ve been like. At the end of the book Anne attached a link to a charity which helps with stopping human trafficking and forced prostitution, and at the end I donated immediately. That’s how moving the story of that was.
But there was a lot more to this novel that made me love it as well. It would have to be the characters. First off, don’t you just love the name Naya? On top of that, she was such a great voice to see things from. She’s newly pregnant, thrown out into the world and scrambling to get a bearing underneath us. We get to see this new world through her disbelieving eyes, and see the fear of men looming over as well as her strength and she struggles through various difficulties just to protect her future kids, and herself. She loves her friends and we see this throughout the book because she would do anything for them.
Ric was a good love interest, and I liked the slow love that formed between them! But I have to say my second favourite character was Tym, the funny, confident computer hacker. He was awesome ;)
The only thing that brought down this novel a notch from scoring the full stars was that it was both original and unoriginal at the same time. Original as in we have the prostitution, the characters and the plot which has to do with the babies (can’t say too much due to spoilers!). But unoriginal because we see something we see in a lot of books set in a dystopian sort of world. There are Outsiders, outside of the wall that no one knows much about, and everyone is taught about. it just seemed so cliché, I didn’t really like the idea of it. Thankfully it isn’t too focused on in this first book and is only mentioned in passing, which makes me think that Anne is setting this up to be a major plotline in book two!
I can’t wait to continue the series. This book will suck you in right to the end, and is highly recommended from me!
July 17, 2016
Items ticked off: 7
Many of my friends have complained that in young adult (and new adult) science fiction and fantasy is no longer sci-fi/fantasy with a bit of romance, but romance with a bit of sci-fi/fantasy. I couldn't agree more. Which is why Carrier was such a pleasant surprise!
Carrier opens strong with our heroine, Naya, is a prostitute in a dystopian society where the state owns everything. It owns the companies. It owns the money. It quite literally owns every single thing you can see, and indirectly, the humans. Back to our heroine. She was dropped of at The Line. Here girls (only, I think?) are hired (not really, more like forced) for many reasons. Economic ones, to mention one. Then they're there, working as prostitutes. And this is where we meet heroine, who is one of them.But then she is forced to find a replacement for her since; a, her contract's run out, and b, she's pregnant. But after certain events, maybe there's more going on behind closed doors.
Color me intrigued.
Naya was an wonderful character. Not wonderful in the sense that she's perfect or likable all the time, but she was so complex. Even after everything she'd been through, she was still a fighter. Sure, a lot of the events that happened were carried out by other people than her, so the suspense was never really that prominent, but if we focus solely on Naya? Yeah, I liked her. Like, a lot.
And as I mentioned, there's some romance. And when I say some, I mean not much. Enough for it to not override the actual plot (can I get a hallelujah?). Although some details that were meant to be big surprises weren't really. I must say, the plot was good at times, and at other, not so much. In general though, interesting enough to keep my attention up. (I finished this in about one day, which is to say a lot because it was during a period where my classload was gigantic.)
The biggest issue (okay, more like the only real issue) for me was that the secondary characters (love interest included) weren't fleshed out enough. Okay, and another issue was that for once the book was too short. A lot of questions are left unanswered. Deliberately done so or not, I can't say. Either way, I would've appreciated a bit more details on the government. As it is, it's about the system as a whole, not about the people in the system. So yeah, those are my two complains, which aren't that huge after all. Not when there's a sequel that might answer a lot of my questions. Now I just have to find time to actually read the sequel.
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July 16, 2014
I did not expect any part of this book that I just read. I knew that it was a dystopian theme, and that pregnancy and possible forced sexual slavery was involved by the government. Well, I got all these things, what I didn't expect was to feel simultaneously awed and sick to my stomach at the same time. I haven't read a dystopian world this vivid in quite sometime. I mean usually you get some casual mention or none at all as to why the world is the way that it is.
This world became due to economic collapse--which never recovered.
Slowly, this world built upon itself, the twists and turns and adding onto itself kept me reading even if I wanted to just shut the book curl up in a ball and cry myself to sleep. It was really hard for me to read through Naya's dreams. Especially, her first 'night' or 'appointment' in the Line. Then to later come to find that the Line is in the 'red' so why is it still existing. So many questions and so many interesting characters that just keep building into the intrigue of this sad, gritty, and soul shattering world.
Each character was very vivid, alive, and breathed life into the world that wE are thrust into upon starting the book. I was weeping a lot while I read it, and at the same time having hope that something good was going to happen to Naya. I felt like this was also a world were women are treated subpar. They can be tossed to the dogs at the turn of a hat. It sort of gave steam to the whole 'war on women' going on in our actual modern day society and shows how easily government can just take it all away and well control things.
This book is a must read for those who are fans of the dystopian genre. You may not like what happens 90% of the time, but the quality of the writing sets this story apart from some of the more popular dystopian tales today.
*I received a FREE copy via Xpresso Book Tours*
This world became due to economic collapse--which never recovered.
Slowly, this world built upon itself, the twists and turns and adding onto itself kept me reading even if I wanted to just shut the book curl up in a ball and cry myself to sleep. It was really hard for me to read through Naya's dreams. Especially, her first 'night' or 'appointment' in the Line. Then to later come to find that the Line is in the 'red' so why is it still existing. So many questions and so many interesting characters that just keep building into the intrigue of this sad, gritty, and soul shattering world.
Each character was very vivid, alive, and breathed life into the world that wE are thrust into upon starting the book. I was weeping a lot while I read it, and at the same time having hope that something good was going to happen to Naya. I felt like this was also a world were women are treated subpar. They can be tossed to the dogs at the turn of a hat. It sort of gave steam to the whole 'war on women' going on in our actual modern day society and shows how easily government can just take it all away and well control things.
This book is a must read for those who are fans of the dystopian genre. You may not like what happens 90% of the time, but the quality of the writing sets this story apart from some of the more popular dystopian tales today.
*I received a FREE copy via Xpresso Book Tours*
Read
April 18, 2014(I no longer star reviews)
This book. OMG this book. I DEVOURED it. I'm not even sure where to start because most of what I say will be spoilers. The main character is Naya, and when the book opens, she is working on The Line. Or, I shouldn't say "working" because she's basically a slave. A sex slave. Now, hold up, keep reading. Because the way Anne writes, there is no exploitation. Frankly, the way she handled the issue of The Line was so sensitive and well done, I'm still blown away by it.
Naya is a fantastic character. She's 22 but she's spent nine years on The Line, living in a small cell and enduring ten "appointments" a day.
I thought Anne did such a great job with Naya's character. She's strong, because she had to be to get through what she did. But yet she's still a little naive about how the world works because she's been kept from it since puberty.
The pacing of this book was great. I didn't want to put it down. There is violence but it's not gratuitous in any way. It's sad and tugged at my heart.
This book doesn't end on a cliffhanger, but more of "happy for now." But there is still so much more of Naya's story to be told and I can't wait to read it.
If you are looking for a well-done spec fic NA, please pick this up.
This book. OMG this book. I DEVOURED it. I'm not even sure where to start because most of what I say will be spoilers. The main character is Naya, and when the book opens, she is working on The Line. Or, I shouldn't say "working" because she's basically a slave. A sex slave. Now, hold up, keep reading. Because the way Anne writes, there is no exploitation. Frankly, the way she handled the issue of The Line was so sensitive and well done, I'm still blown away by it.
Naya is a fantastic character. She's 22 but she's spent nine years on The Line, living in a small cell and enduring ten "appointments" a day.
I thought Anne did such a great job with Naya's character. She's strong, because she had to be to get through what she did. But yet she's still a little naive about how the world works because she's been kept from it since puberty.
The pacing of this book was great. I didn't want to put it down. There is violence but it's not gratuitous in any way. It's sad and tugged at my heart.
This book doesn't end on a cliffhanger, but more of "happy for now." But there is still so much more of Naya's story to be told and I can't wait to read it.
If you are looking for a well-done spec fic NA, please pick this up.
October 19, 2014
Sizzling Pages Romance Reviews
Nichole's Sizzling Reviews
Sizzling Pages @ Facebook
Twitter:@Sizzlingpages
Email: [email protected]
Oh man!!!!!
Where do I start? First of all
Warning!!!
This is not
YOUR TYPICAL ROMANCE.
While there is a beautiful burgeoning love story in the making this is not a complete romance!! But you now what?? I freaking loved it so freaking much. !!
We have Naya, who has been a sex slave for 9 years. She is suddenly released and told she is pregnant with twins. The world is post apocalyptic. Very dystopian type society. Families sell their daughters to The line for 10 year service contracts. The Line is a prostitution program where girls are forced to have sex and do not go outside or leave at all. They are locked into sleeping chambers at night.
When Naya is released she has been beaten badly. They tell her that she has to find a replacement for the rest of her term (1 yr) or they will take her babies.
From this point on this story is a roller coaster of adventure. So many characters and each and every one of them add something very important to this story.
Ric "Doc" is an amazing man. He is running a free medical clinic. Naya goes to get her pregnancy confirmed and to be checked out. He is so gentle and compassionate with her and immediately he is drawn to her and she to him. But after such a traumatic past Naya is very very afraid of human touch. So Ric is a friend and a protector but they start to care for each other deeply.
Ric's friends Tym and Sonya were so freaking special to me. I loved Sonya's attitude and bravery. I was on the edge of my seat this entire book and woke up having dreams about it to grab my Kindle and start reading some more. I devoured it in mere hours.
I am a romantic at heart and I was so enthralled with how I felt Ric and Naya belonged together and I can tell the next book should delve more deeply into a their romance.
I look forward to the sequel with bated breath and will drop everything to read it.
So much sadness and at the same time so much humanity amongst the disgusting treatment..the heroes were hidden and when they stepped forward..it took my breath away.
Anne wrote a brilliant story with a fantastic portrayal of society after greed takes over and I was intrigued and over whelmed by the sights, smells and emotions she brougth forth into an amazing story. I am hooked..all the way.
Nichole's Sizzling Reviews
Sizzling Pages @ Facebook
Twitter:@Sizzlingpages
Email: [email protected]
Oh man!!!!!
Where do I start? First of all
Warning!!!
This is not
YOUR TYPICAL ROMANCE.
While there is a beautiful burgeoning love story in the making this is not a complete romance!! But you now what?? I freaking loved it so freaking much. !!
We have Naya, who has been a sex slave for 9 years. She is suddenly released and told she is pregnant with twins. The world is post apocalyptic. Very dystopian type society. Families sell their daughters to The line for 10 year service contracts. The Line is a prostitution program where girls are forced to have sex and do not go outside or leave at all. They are locked into sleeping chambers at night.
I perform my job ten times a day.
Seven days a week.
For nine years.
You do the math.
When Naya is released she has been beaten badly. They tell her that she has to find a replacement for the rest of her term (1 yr) or they will take her babies.
From this point on this story is a roller coaster of adventure. So many characters and each and every one of them add something very important to this story.
Ric "Doc" is an amazing man. He is running a free medical clinic. Naya goes to get her pregnancy confirmed and to be checked out. He is so gentle and compassionate with her and immediately he is drawn to her and she to him. But after such a traumatic past Naya is very very afraid of human touch. So Ric is a friend and a protector but they start to care for each other deeply. 
Ric's friends Tym and Sonya were so freaking special to me. I loved Sonya's attitude and bravery. I was on the edge of my seat this entire book and woke up having dreams about it to grab my Kindle and start reading some more. I devoured it in mere hours.
I am a romantic at heart and I was so enthralled with how I felt Ric and Naya belonged together and I can tell the next book should delve more deeply into a their romance.
I look forward to the sequel with bated breath and will drop everything to read it.
So much sadness and at the same time so much humanity amongst the disgusting treatment..the heroes were hidden and when they stepped forward..it took my breath away. Anne wrote a brilliant story with a fantastic portrayal of society after greed takes over and I was intrigued and over whelmed by the sights, smells and emotions she brougth forth into an amazing story. I am hooked..all the way.
January 29, 2016
This review and many others can be found on my blog - Feed Your Fiction Addiction
Carrier is a gritty dystopian that portrays a brutal world where hope is all but impossible to find. Naya has lived for the past nine years as a sex slave on The Line and sees no way out of her bleak existence. When she finds out that she is pregnant with twins and is being inexplicably released from The Line, she's skeptical, but she is also determined to give her babies a chance at life. But she soon finds that surviving out in the real world isn't easy. When she meets Ric, who offers to help her escape Auberge (the corporation that runs The Line - and basically everything else), she finally has a sense of hope. But unknown to Naya, her and her twins are important to Auberge - and they aren't about to let her go.
What I LOVED:
Naya.
Naya was an incredibly complex character. On the one hand, at the beginning of the book, she seemed to treat her circumstances with a sense of hopeless acceptance. She didn't think that there was any way out of her circumstances besides death - and she sometimes wished that she could welcome death. But, as soon as a bit of hope was introduced into her situation, she turned a corner - suddenly, she was willing to fight. For herself and for her unborn children. She didn't wallow in bitterness about her circumstances. Instead, she was determined to make things work. Of course, there were times when she doubted - when she wondered if it was all hopeless after all - but she never gave up completely. And she found herself even inspiring others toward perseverance.
The romance.
The romance in this book was definitely slow-burning, but that was just how it should be. Considering Naya's circumstances, anything more would have seemed out of place. Ric and Naya were thrown together in some pretty intense circumstances, so the fact that they were drawn to each other was believable, but Naya also had a lot of baggage to overcome. I thought that Tibbets handled the relationship realistically.
The secondary characters.
I loved so many of the secondary characters in this book! Evie, the little girl who Naya helps when she is abandoned by her mother. Sonya, a former Line member who is now helping the resistance. Tym, a sometimes wise-mouthed computer hacker. Peni, Naya's good-hearted, optimistic friend from The Line. And Shirel, a tough lady who Naya meets at the boarding house - she actually made me cry at the end of the book! Each of these characters (and there were more!) were three-dimensional and added life to a book that could have been completely depressing. I grew almost as attached to the secondary characters as I did to Naya.
The high stakes.
Talk about high stakes! The characters in this book are fighting against an organization with complete control over their world. The danger was high - and not everyone escaped with their lives!
Real-life dystopia.
One of the biggest things that struck me about this book was actually the Author's Note at the end. I know this seems crazy, but it was there that I read Tibbets' reasoning for including the somewhat graphic sex slavery scenes (see my note below) and where she talked about the realities of sex slavery and an organization called International Justice Mission (which is a fantastic organization - I hope many of her readers decide to support it). This author's note just made me take a really hard look at the "dystopia" in Tibbets' book. The fact is, that in many third world countries, this dystopia isn't far off from reality. There really are people out there starving who end up selling their children into slavery because they can't afford to feed them. There are women even in more affluent countries that have been sold into sex slavery. The horror of this book is a reality for many women and girls. And there are places in the world that aren't that far off from the world that Naya lives in. The best dystopians are based firmly in reality, and Tibbets has definitely managed to do that.
The negatives:
Graphic scenes.
If you're uncomfortable with scenes depicting sexual assault or sex slavery, this book may not be for you. In some of Naya's flashbacks, we see what happened to her while she was on The Line, including scenes from when she was first sold at just 13 years old. As far as sex scenes go, they're not incredibly explicit, but the experience is definitely described. These scenes aren't pretty, but they're real and I understand why Tibbets felt like they were needed. Still, for some people, this just might be too much.
Carrier is an intense read, but one that I highly recommend. This book definitely gets 5/5 stars.
***Disclosure: This book was provided to me by the author in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given. All opinions are my own***
Carrier is a gritty dystopian that portrays a brutal world where hope is all but impossible to find. Naya has lived for the past nine years as a sex slave on The Line and sees no way out of her bleak existence. When she finds out that she is pregnant with twins and is being inexplicably released from The Line, she's skeptical, but she is also determined to give her babies a chance at life. But she soon finds that surviving out in the real world isn't easy. When she meets Ric, who offers to help her escape Auberge (the corporation that runs The Line - and basically everything else), she finally has a sense of hope. But unknown to Naya, her and her twins are important to Auberge - and they aren't about to let her go.
What I LOVED:
Naya.
Naya was an incredibly complex character. On the one hand, at the beginning of the book, she seemed to treat her circumstances with a sense of hopeless acceptance. She didn't think that there was any way out of her circumstances besides death - and she sometimes wished that she could welcome death. But, as soon as a bit of hope was introduced into her situation, she turned a corner - suddenly, she was willing to fight. For herself and for her unborn children. She didn't wallow in bitterness about her circumstances. Instead, she was determined to make things work. Of course, there were times when she doubted - when she wondered if it was all hopeless after all - but she never gave up completely. And she found herself even inspiring others toward perseverance.
The romance.
The romance in this book was definitely slow-burning, but that was just how it should be. Considering Naya's circumstances, anything more would have seemed out of place. Ric and Naya were thrown together in some pretty intense circumstances, so the fact that they were drawn to each other was believable, but Naya also had a lot of baggage to overcome. I thought that Tibbets handled the relationship realistically.
The secondary characters.
I loved so many of the secondary characters in this book! Evie, the little girl who Naya helps when she is abandoned by her mother. Sonya, a former Line member who is now helping the resistance. Tym, a sometimes wise-mouthed computer hacker. Peni, Naya's good-hearted, optimistic friend from The Line. And Shirel, a tough lady who Naya meets at the boarding house - she actually made me cry at the end of the book! Each of these characters (and there were more!) were three-dimensional and added life to a book that could have been completely depressing. I grew almost as attached to the secondary characters as I did to Naya.
The high stakes.
Talk about high stakes! The characters in this book are fighting against an organization with complete control over their world. The danger was high - and not everyone escaped with their lives!
Real-life dystopia.
One of the biggest things that struck me about this book was actually the Author's Note at the end. I know this seems crazy, but it was there that I read Tibbets' reasoning for including the somewhat graphic sex slavery scenes (see my note below) and where she talked about the realities of sex slavery and an organization called International Justice Mission (which is a fantastic organization - I hope many of her readers decide to support it). This author's note just made me take a really hard look at the "dystopia" in Tibbets' book. The fact is, that in many third world countries, this dystopia isn't far off from reality. There really are people out there starving who end up selling their children into slavery because they can't afford to feed them. There are women even in more affluent countries that have been sold into sex slavery. The horror of this book is a reality for many women and girls. And there are places in the world that aren't that far off from the world that Naya lives in. The best dystopians are based firmly in reality, and Tibbets has definitely managed to do that.
The negatives:
Graphic scenes.
If you're uncomfortable with scenes depicting sexual assault or sex slavery, this book may not be for you. In some of Naya's flashbacks, we see what happened to her while she was on The Line, including scenes from when she was first sold at just 13 years old. As far as sex scenes go, they're not incredibly explicit, but the experience is definitely described. These scenes aren't pretty, but they're real and I understand why Tibbets felt like they were needed. Still, for some people, this just might be too much.
Carrier is an intense read, but one that I highly recommend. This book definitely gets 5/5 stars.
***Disclosure: This book was provided to me by the author in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given. All opinions are my own***
November 26, 2020
Your IT friend is here to ask: EXPLAIN THE TABLETS. It seems like there are bunch of tablets for just like . . . individual pieces of information? Individual functions? There are all these lines about, like, "stacks of tablets." THIS DOESN'T MAKE SENSE. Granted, I'm writing this from a 2020 perspective of technology (the book was written in 2014), but still.
I think everything (except the tablets, lol) made sense in the end, but characters made leaps along the way that I didn't quiiiiite buy.
I wasn't going to read the next one (which I own), but I just read the description and I am intrigued!
Content warning: This book is about a women who was a sex slave. It does not flinch from that.
Owned ebook 1/2 for the month
Overall owned book 4/5 for the month
I think everything (except the tablets, lol) made sense in the end, but characters made leaps along the way that I didn't quiiiiite buy.
I wasn't going to read the next one (which I own), but I just read the description and I am intrigued!
Content warning: This book is about a women who was a sex slave. It does not flinch from that.
Owned ebook 1/2 for the month
Overall owned book 4/5 for the month
January 21, 2015
This book was so good. I was sucked right in. Depressing as the characters lives were, the story line is action packed. Carrier is a thrill ride full of desperation to a place that feels safe. A sex slave released to fend for herself and find a replacement, due to pregnancy. A story too sad to be true. I hope this isn’t real.
Naya is a girl on the line, and then she is cast out to find her replacement. The Line is a place girls go to work as slaves. They start young, sold by family and benefactors. They are sold to men, who are allowed to do whatever they want one hour at a time. The problem is she is pregnant at 23 years old, 1 year away from her contract ends date, with twins. She was supposedly sterilized on the line, but it didn’t take. Naya is cast out with a few credits and told to find her replacement or be force to give her children to the line for payment. After ten years as a sex slave Naya stumbles trying to live her life outside. How can she find a replacement? How can she secure a safe place for her and her children in the outside world? Was she set free because of her contract end date, or is there some other reason?
Admittedly, this book is dark. Sex slaves don’t usually make it out of the line, Naya is an exception. Naya has PTSD severely from her time on the line and can barely stand to be touched. She can’t remember her parents, she has no one. In wanting Naya to survive and be safe, I felt hopeless. There was really no chance of her becoming normal in this book. She was used up, damaged goods, and cringed away from a touch. Miraculously she finds people that are willing to help her.
Her relationships outside the line are poignant and fraught with meaning. Naya is trying to find her place in the world. She is able to save some, and loses others. I really couldn’t put this book down. I had a feeling it would not be resolved in 268 pages and I was right. I am looking forward to getting into the sequel. This is Dystopia as I never wanted to imagine it. The books sends a clear message that slavery takes it toll on its victims.
Naya is a girl on the line, and then she is cast out to find her replacement. The Line is a place girls go to work as slaves. They start young, sold by family and benefactors. They are sold to men, who are allowed to do whatever they want one hour at a time. The problem is she is pregnant at 23 years old, 1 year away from her contract ends date, with twins. She was supposedly sterilized on the line, but it didn’t take. Naya is cast out with a few credits and told to find her replacement or be force to give her children to the line for payment. After ten years as a sex slave Naya stumbles trying to live her life outside. How can she find a replacement? How can she secure a safe place for her and her children in the outside world? Was she set free because of her contract end date, or is there some other reason?
Admittedly, this book is dark. Sex slaves don’t usually make it out of the line, Naya is an exception. Naya has PTSD severely from her time on the line and can barely stand to be touched. She can’t remember her parents, she has no one. In wanting Naya to survive and be safe, I felt hopeless. There was really no chance of her becoming normal in this book. She was used up, damaged goods, and cringed away from a touch. Miraculously she finds people that are willing to help her.
Her relationships outside the line are poignant and fraught with meaning. Naya is trying to find her place in the world. She is able to save some, and loses others. I really couldn’t put this book down. I had a feeling it would not be resolved in 268 pages and I was right. I am looking forward to getting into the sequel. This is Dystopia as I never wanted to imagine it. The books sends a clear message that slavery takes it toll on its victims.
October 14, 2014
I first heard about Carrier a while back from the amazing Megan Erickson. She had read it and was gushing so I looked it up on Goodreads and I fell in love with the synopsis. It just seemed so different from the mainstream New Adult that is out right now and I knew I didn’t something different to read.
Naya hasn’t had a good, let alone easy, life. It’s riddled with abandonment, mistruths and horrible ordeals no one should be put through. She was sold into slavery at a young age and as soon as she hit puberty she was sold to Auberage to work on The Line as a sex slave.
For nine years she’s forced to take 10 appointments a day, every day. I did the math on that, it’s astronomical and I don’t even want to think about how horrible that is. But when she finds out she’s pregnant, when girls on The Line are supposed to be sterile, she’s told her contract is up and is told to find a replacement or she’s to “work” another ten-year contract and her twins will be taken from her when they’re born to also work The Line when they come of age.
I don’t know about anyone else, but I cannot fathom a life like this. It’s completely gruesome. It’s cruel, and no one should be subjected to it in anyway. But such is life in Ann Tibbet’s Carrier. From learning about Naya’s past to everything she’s been put through, it’s astonishing how far Naya has come. She’s strong because she needed to be.
The world building alone in Carrier is enough for me to tell everyone to read this book. It’s so easy to see how the a country can become Auberage and treat it’s people with such contempt, and all in the name of “safety”.
Naya hasn’t had a good, let alone easy, life. It’s riddled with abandonment, mistruths and horrible ordeals no one should be put through. She was sold into slavery at a young age and as soon as she hit puberty she was sold to Auberage to work on The Line as a sex slave.
For nine years she’s forced to take 10 appointments a day, every day. I did the math on that, it’s astronomical and I don’t even want to think about how horrible that is. But when she finds out she’s pregnant, when girls on The Line are supposed to be sterile, she’s told her contract is up and is told to find a replacement or she’s to “work” another ten-year contract and her twins will be taken from her when they’re born to also work The Line when they come of age.
I don’t know about anyone else, but I cannot fathom a life like this. It’s completely gruesome. It’s cruel, and no one should be subjected to it in anyway. But such is life in Ann Tibbet’s Carrier. From learning about Naya’s past to everything she’s been put through, it’s astonishing how far Naya has come. She’s strong because she needed to be.
The world building alone in Carrier is enough for me to tell everyone to read this book. It’s so easy to see how the a country can become Auberage and treat it’s people with such contempt, and all in the name of “safety”.
July 16, 2014
You'd think a book about the prostitution and hopelessness of young girls would be morose and depressing. Yeah, so at times, parts are a bit of a bummer.
Nevertheless, there's something altogether hopeful and optimistic about Carrier, in that the author illustrates it with real-to-life characters. "People" that are believable. And because of that there feels like there's even more reason to invest. I guess that makes me hope more. Which would make me an optimist.
The world that Ms. Tibbets main character, Naya, lives in is a harsh one. One where she's sold her body for a vile meal and a place to rest her head since she was a child. Now in her early twenties she's kicked off the Line--as it's called--and given, what she feels, is a chance to succeed. The only kicker is, the reason she's let go? Because she's now pregnant with twins. Twins that shouldn't exist, given the fact that all girls are "effectively" sterilized upon entrance to the Line.
From the beginning Naya defies the status quo and immediately attracts all sorts of interesting people in her quest to make a better life for her and her babies.
Did I fail to mention that there's a stipulation to Naya's freedom? Well, there is.
I can't give much more information on the story without giving too much away.
So let me end by saying that Naya's story, while not over, is beautifully done and has an ending that left me feeling satisfied. Well, partially. I really do want more Naya and Ric.
Ms. Tibbets is a fantastically talented writer!
Christy @ Captivated Reading
Nevertheless, there's something altogether hopeful and optimistic about Carrier, in that the author illustrates it with real-to-life characters. "People" that are believable. And because of that there feels like there's even more reason to invest. I guess that makes me hope more. Which would make me an optimist.
The world that Ms. Tibbets main character, Naya, lives in is a harsh one. One where she's sold her body for a vile meal and a place to rest her head since she was a child. Now in her early twenties she's kicked off the Line--as it's called--and given, what she feels, is a chance to succeed. The only kicker is, the reason she's let go? Because she's now pregnant with twins. Twins that shouldn't exist, given the fact that all girls are "effectively" sterilized upon entrance to the Line.
From the beginning Naya defies the status quo and immediately attracts all sorts of interesting people in her quest to make a better life for her and her babies.
Did I fail to mention that there's a stipulation to Naya's freedom? Well, there is.
I can't give much more information on the story without giving too much away.
So let me end by saying that Naya's story, while not over, is beautifully done and has an ending that left me feeling satisfied. Well, partially. I really do want more Naya and Ric.
Ms. Tibbets is a fantastically talented writer!
Christy @ Captivated Reading
July 24, 2014
*I received a free ARC of Carrier from Xpresso Booktours in exchange of an honest review*
Dark, creepy and well done dystopian, with themes that are current today as well.
Review to be posted on June 30th on my blog (un)Conventional Bookviews
Dark, creepy and well done dystopian, with themes that are current today as well.
Review to be posted on June 30th on my blog (un)Conventional Bookviews
June 27, 2014
This book sounds absolutely amazing! :D
January 31, 2015
Naya is a sex slave for The Line. When one of her "appointments" called Lover Boy beats her she is sent to the nurse. She blacks out and when she wakes up the nurse tells her she has to go to the Manager. When she gets there he tells her that she is being let go because she is pregnant. Naya was shocked because all girls were supposed to be sterile. They had a procedure done to make sure! She is also told that she has been there 9 years and the usual term of time is ten years, so before she is free forever, she has to find a replacement for her to cover lost expenses. If she doesnt, her life is over and her kids will be brought back to The Line. She has no idea what to do because she would never send another girl to the life she had. It was hell.
Thankfully she meets Ric, a doctor, who is willing and able to help her. He says that he can wipe her prints from the system and give her and her kids a new life. Naya has a very hard time trusting Ric after the way her life was but knows she may not have a choice. Will Ric be able to help her though?
Ok, wow. This book you guys was so very hard to read because it was so heartbreaking. I know this is a dystopian but the subject matter was harrowing and something that is still happening to girls in this day and age. It broke my heart numerous times reading about what happened to Naya.
Naya was taken from her home when she was 5 because her family couldn't feed her. The woman who took her owned a restaurant and Naya was put to work as a dish washer. She stayed like that till the exact day that she "matured". When she felt blood running down her leg the owner took her and sold her to The Line. From the day she arrived she was forced to take "appointments" 10 times a day EVERY day for nine years until she got pregnant. It was so heartbreaking to read this but the author handled it really well. Naya was a fantastic character though. Despite what she went through she still wanted to fight! She didn't want anyone else to suffer what she went through and was determined to get a proper life for her kids. She was such a tough cookie.
Despite where Ric comes from he despises the Line. He wants to do all he can to bring it down. He also believes that The Line may be a front for something even worse. Any of the girls that happen to leave the place are pregnant but they are never heard from again. Ric thinks that he can make Naya invisible and give her a new life. Ric was another character I loved. He was strong, brave, compassionate and willing to give up everything to stop The Line.
Naya is broken when she first meets Ric but she slowly sees that maybe not all men are like those that came to The Line. She doesn't want any man in her life but when something happens to Ric she realises maybe life is better with him. I loved seeing their friendship progress and I'm so glad with the pacing of it. Ric is just the type of friend Naya needs.
Overall, Carrier is a heartbreaking, breathtaking, thought provoking book. Add in different sectors ranging from the rich to the very poor and a corporation that owns everyone and everything and is planning something big and you get an amazing Dystopian. With fantastic characters, twists and turns and a fast paced plot, Carrier is a must read. I can not wait for more in this series and highly recommend!
Thankfully she meets Ric, a doctor, who is willing and able to help her. He says that he can wipe her prints from the system and give her and her kids a new life. Naya has a very hard time trusting Ric after the way her life was but knows she may not have a choice. Will Ric be able to help her though?
Ok, wow. This book you guys was so very hard to read because it was so heartbreaking. I know this is a dystopian but the subject matter was harrowing and something that is still happening to girls in this day and age. It broke my heart numerous times reading about what happened to Naya.
Naya was taken from her home when she was 5 because her family couldn't feed her. The woman who took her owned a restaurant and Naya was put to work as a dish washer. She stayed like that till the exact day that she "matured". When she felt blood running down her leg the owner took her and sold her to The Line. From the day she arrived she was forced to take "appointments" 10 times a day EVERY day for nine years until she got pregnant. It was so heartbreaking to read this but the author handled it really well. Naya was a fantastic character though. Despite what she went through she still wanted to fight! She didn't want anyone else to suffer what she went through and was determined to get a proper life for her kids. She was such a tough cookie.
Despite where Ric comes from he despises the Line. He wants to do all he can to bring it down. He also believes that The Line may be a front for something even worse. Any of the girls that happen to leave the place are pregnant but they are never heard from again. Ric thinks that he can make Naya invisible and give her a new life. Ric was another character I loved. He was strong, brave, compassionate and willing to give up everything to stop The Line.
Naya is broken when she first meets Ric but she slowly sees that maybe not all men are like those that came to The Line. She doesn't want any man in her life but when something happens to Ric she realises maybe life is better with him. I loved seeing their friendship progress and I'm so glad with the pacing of it. Ric is just the type of friend Naya needs.
Overall, Carrier is a heartbreaking, breathtaking, thought provoking book. Add in different sectors ranging from the rich to the very poor and a corporation that owns everyone and everything and is planning something big and you get an amazing Dystopian. With fantastic characters, twists and turns and a fast paced plot, Carrier is a must read. I can not wait for more in this series and highly recommend!
August 4, 2015
First Impression
When I first signed up for this blog tour I didn't really know what I was getting myself into. I didn't release at the time that this would be a dystopian novel. I have bad luck when it comes to this genre, mainly I never seem to enjoy any of the books. I had to put down The 5th Wave after 120 pages, haven't read The Hunger Games or Divergent. I think the only dystopian novel I've read and enjoyed is 1984. I read the synopsis and I liked what I read I just hoped I would love the book from beginning to end.
The Good
- World building - This is an author who knows how to cover her bases! This was set in the future and there wasn't a single point where I felt lost and had to flip back to try to understand how this world/economy came to be or how they live.
- Characters - I really liked the characters in Carrier! Especially Naya, and why do I love her? Because Anna Tibbets created a REALISTIC strong female character. After all the horrible things Naya has to endure she shuts down her emotions but as the story progresses we see them come back, she's such a loving and caring character! Even the secondary characters were amazing!
- Action & Romance - I thought I would get mainly action and only a little bit of romance. However, there was a good blend of both! There wasn't a point that I felt the book was stuffy with all the romance nor did I feel like it was action driven.
The Bad
- Nothing really that I would consider bad.
The In-Between
- The Ending - I put this under 'The In-Between' because this is more so personal preference and not something I think everyone will agree to. I know this is going to be a series but I still felt the ending of Carrier was so short! I felt that last chapter could have been made into at least 2 additional chapters instead of it all being condensed into one. It was still a great 'Happy ever after...for now' kind of ending!
Lasting Impression
- Overall, Carrier is a strong and well written novel! I can't wait to read the next book in the series to find out what happens to Naya and Ric and all the other great characters we got to meet! This is defiantly one I recommend and one I will re-read, yep I liked it THAT much!
July 6, 2014
Drawn in by this very nice cover and an interesting blurb, I started reading Carrier with high hopes. In the end, it was an enjoyable book with lots of potential but nothing excitingly new on the dystopian market. It didn't have unique characters and was struggling to fit the topic of sexual abuse to the romance and action aspects of the plot.
Naya doesn't know much about herself or her family. All she knows is that they let her walk away with a strange woman who eventually sold her out to the Line which is nothing else but institutional prostitution. She has spent nine years there when she's released into some sort of freedom, but not without conditions.
Naya struggles a lot in this book. I mean just imagine someone who has been sexually abused for nine years. She doesn't like to be touched at all and has a problem with people invading her personal space. I think it's exceptionally hard to write a novel about a girl like that who is supposed to develop within mere weeks. I guess nobody would be able to overcome a trauma like that in such a short time.
The few times when we see the glimpse of a strong woman or when there's something romantic developing between Naya and Ric just didn't feel authentic to me. I think Naya was just weak and broken. She would have needed years of physical therapy to overcome that and no man, be he as understanding and empathic as Ric was, should be able to get near her so soon. That's just what I thought. Another thing, that I found weird was this whole Line business. I mean I get that here are men who don't care about consent. But I still feel that most men feel better when there's at least the illusion of the woman doing this because she wants to. There can't be that many men out there who need to fulfil their raping fantasies. They're not such an evil species!!
Nevertheless, I did like the overall plotline and also the setting. The plot, the world-building, the setting, everything was well done and captivating. The writing was nice and easy to read and there were also a few interesting secondary characters. So overall, Carrier was a three-stars read and I'm still interested in finding out how the story continues in the sequel.
Naya doesn't know much about herself or her family. All she knows is that they let her walk away with a strange woman who eventually sold her out to the Line which is nothing else but institutional prostitution. She has spent nine years there when she's released into some sort of freedom, but not without conditions.
Naya struggles a lot in this book. I mean just imagine someone who has been sexually abused for nine years. She doesn't like to be touched at all and has a problem with people invading her personal space. I think it's exceptionally hard to write a novel about a girl like that who is supposed to develop within mere weeks. I guess nobody would be able to overcome a trauma like that in such a short time.
The few times when we see the glimpse of a strong woman or when there's something romantic developing between Naya and Ric just didn't feel authentic to me. I think Naya was just weak and broken. She would have needed years of physical therapy to overcome that and no man, be he as understanding and empathic as Ric was, should be able to get near her so soon. That's just what I thought. Another thing, that I found weird was this whole Line business. I mean I get that here are men who don't care about consent. But I still feel that most men feel better when there's at least the illusion of the woman doing this because she wants to. There can't be that many men out there who need to fulfil their raping fantasies. They're not such an evil species!!
Nevertheless, I did like the overall plotline and also the setting. The plot, the world-building, the setting, everything was well done and captivating. The writing was nice and easy to read and there were also a few interesting secondary characters. So overall, Carrier was a three-stars read and I'm still interested in finding out how the story continues in the sequel.
April 15, 2017
Carrier by Anne Tibbets * 4 Stars * 11/13/2016
I received an ebook copy in exchange of anhonest review. When I read the synopsis of Carrier I was caught between wanting to read because it sounded interesting and not wanting to read because I knew it would be a painful read. Carrier tells the story of Naya, who was sold to a place called The Line, to be a slave prostitute when she was thirteen years old. The description of what all Naya went through and the injustice of the world she lived made me so angry many times. Especially because even though the book was set up on the future, we know that the same kind of slavery happens in present day and it is a reality. The first 30 percent of the book was really slow and painful to read, I even considered stopping. I felt sad and angry to know people go through what she did. But I still wanted to know what was behind the real reason for the Line releasing Naya, when they clearly didn't do that to anyone without a twisted purpose. That is when Naya met Ric, who is willing to help her escape this world. Then I could see another phase of Naya’s life: dealing with trauma of her past and fear of trusting anyone. The development regarding Naya’s character and story was incredibly good. I also liked how slow but well developed was the relationship between her and Ric. I liked most of the side characters. However, I did have a problem with the big revelation on this plot. The reason for using the Line wasn't good enough to convince me. I still have many questions on my head regarding the government, the walls and the Line. I don't want to say much to not spoil anyone. On the other hand, the action scenes were really good and well described. After fifty percent the pace was fast and the book became a turn page. Overall 4 stars.
I received an ebook copy in exchange of anhonest review. When I read the synopsis of Carrier I was caught between wanting to read because it sounded interesting and not wanting to read because I knew it would be a painful read. Carrier tells the story of Naya, who was sold to a place called The Line, to be a slave prostitute when she was thirteen years old. The description of what all Naya went through and the injustice of the world she lived made me so angry many times. Especially because even though the book was set up on the future, we know that the same kind of slavery happens in present day and it is a reality. The first 30 percent of the book was really slow and painful to read, I even considered stopping. I felt sad and angry to know people go through what she did. But I still wanted to know what was behind the real reason for the Line releasing Naya, when they clearly didn't do that to anyone without a twisted purpose. That is when Naya met Ric, who is willing to help her escape this world. Then I could see another phase of Naya’s life: dealing with trauma of her past and fear of trusting anyone. The development regarding Naya’s character and story was incredibly good. I also liked how slow but well developed was the relationship between her and Ric. I liked most of the side characters. However, I did have a problem with the big revelation on this plot. The reason for using the Line wasn't good enough to convince me. I still have many questions on my head regarding the government, the walls and the Line. I don't want to say much to not spoil anyone. On the other hand, the action scenes were really good and well described. After fifty percent the pace was fast and the book became a turn page. Overall 4 stars.
March 8, 2015
Carrier is a dystopian story set in the future. The democratic government that we know has fallen and has been taken over by corporations. Naya is a sex slave for the Auberge Corporation. When they discover that Naya is pregnant, she is given some credits and sent out into the city to fend for herself, and to find a “replacement”.
I first thought that Carrier was going to be some kind of “scruples” book. What would you do? Would you screw over a stranger to save your unborn children? Oh yeah, Naya is pregnant with twins!
Carrier is so much more than this. Shortly after being released and discovering the filth that is littered throughout the city, Naya meets Ric. Together, with the help of Sonia (another former sex slave) and Tym, they discover that there is a lot more going on than meets the eye.
Tibbets has done so much more than just write a great story. She has created an incredibly unique world, but one that is not so far-fetched that our own could not become like it. She created such depth of details that I could see and smell the city.
Carrier was not exactly what I thought it would be, it was so much better. She focuses on the depths of human depravity. This is a story to make you think about what is bad in our own world. I will be finding out where Naya’s story goes from here.
I first thought that Carrier was going to be some kind of “scruples” book. What would you do? Would you screw over a stranger to save your unborn children? Oh yeah, Naya is pregnant with twins!
Carrier is so much more than this. Shortly after being released and discovering the filth that is littered throughout the city, Naya meets Ric. Together, with the help of Sonia (another former sex slave) and Tym, they discover that there is a lot more going on than meets the eye.
Tibbets has done so much more than just write a great story. She has created an incredibly unique world, but one that is not so far-fetched that our own could not become like it. She created such depth of details that I could see and smell the city.
Carrier was not exactly what I thought it would be, it was so much better. She focuses on the depths of human depravity. This is a story to make you think about what is bad in our own world. I will be finding out where Naya’s story goes from here.
July 13, 2018
review copy
I give this book 3.5 out of 5 stars.
As this is my very first review copy i got sent by the author, i was very very excited for this!
First of all, isn't that cover GORGEOUS!!!! Oh my god, i saw it and i had to get my hands on it !
The writing is really good and easy and i flew through it. I especially liked the flashback scenes, which were, i admit, kind of brutal BUT nevertheless perfectly written!
As for the plot, I actually imagined something a lot different from what it really was. For me, it had elements that were really really similar to the Divergent series by Veronica Roth. Also, i thought the beginning was a bit slow and then suddenly there happened so much and all this time i couldn't really connect to any of the characters (although i have to admit that my fave is definitely Sonya!! ;) )
I can recommend this to you if you want a quick dystopian read!!!
PS: second favourite character: TYM!!!!!!! <3
PPS: that plot twist with Docs brother though. OH MY.
I give this book 3.5 out of 5 stars.
As this is my very first review copy i got sent by the author, i was very very excited for this!
First of all, isn't that cover GORGEOUS!!!! Oh my god, i saw it and i had to get my hands on it !
The writing is really good and easy and i flew through it. I especially liked the flashback scenes, which were, i admit, kind of brutal BUT nevertheless perfectly written!
As for the plot, I actually imagined something a lot different from what it really was. For me, it had elements that were really really similar to the Divergent series by Veronica Roth. Also, i thought the beginning was a bit slow and then suddenly there happened so much and all this time i couldn't really connect to any of the characters (although i have to admit that my fave is definitely Sonya!! ;) )
I can recommend this to you if you want a quick dystopian read!!!
PS: second favourite character: TYM!!!!!!! <3
PPS: that plot twist with Docs brother though. OH MY.
June 20, 2014
I enjoyed this book a lot - it was solidly plotted and developed. The characters were engaging without overpowering the plot (which would be easy, considering what the heroine has been through), and they were very easy to root for. I appreciated the fact that nothing was too graphic in regards to Naya's plight, but the author still got her point across and the reader still felt they saw the nastiness of this dystopian world. I was very pleased to see Naya and Ric's interactions progress naturally over the course of the book, with no romantic scenes that would push my boundaries of belief when reading about a former sex slave.
I think my only minor complaint was that the book felt short to me, and though the ending wasn't necessarily a cliff-hanger - more like a "we're happy, for now" - it still felt like it was missing a couple chapters near the end. (Rating: 3.5 stars)
I think my only minor complaint was that the book felt short to me, and though the ending wasn't necessarily a cliff-hanger - more like a "we're happy, for now" - it still felt like it was missing a couple chapters near the end. (Rating: 3.5 stars)
August 4, 2015
Naya story was heartbreaking. I wish the author had spent more pages developing the secondary characters because except the little girl I couldn't care less for them but THE HERO ! Oh I love the hero so much!
The book ends in a happy for now and I found it very enjoyable. Naya gets to evolve and overall I found this book to find in my favorite kind or readings. I love distopias with a touch of dirtiness.
The book ends in a happy for now and I found it very enjoyable. Naya gets to evolve and overall I found this book to find in my favorite kind or readings. I love distopias with a touch of dirtiness.
June 19, 2015
I wanted something different and got it...
I wanted something different to read, dystopian but not your normal read. Well I got it. It takes you into the darkness of this new "world" where every person pretty much means nothing. The government is just power hungry. Naya's story is just down right hear breaking!! But the woman that she becomes by the end of the book is a complete 360 then who we were first introduced to. A great read. :D
I wanted something different to read, dystopian but not your normal read. Well I got it. It takes you into the darkness of this new "world" where every person pretty much means nothing. The government is just power hungry. Naya's story is just down right hear breaking!! But the woman that she becomes by the end of the book is a complete 360 then who we were first introduced to. A great read. :D
June 23, 2014
This book was very different from the other new adult books I've read lately. It had a very dark and disturbing world, and I'm looking forward to see how everything pans out for Naya and Ric in the next book.
B
Review originally posted here: http://thebookpushers.com/2014/06/20/...
B
Review originally posted here: http://thebookpushers.com/2014/06/20/...
December 13, 2014
A good ending to a good series.
Review coming soon.
Review coming soon.
July 18, 2020
Wow. Mind blowing. The character development was really well done & the growth of Naya is very believable from a naïve girl who has not been able to fend for herself to a strong women because of all the people who believe in her and are willing to fight for her. An amazing story.
January 3, 2020
A great quick read !
July 23, 2014
Don't judge a book by it's synopsis....what???
Honestly I loved the synopsis of Carrier, the cover drew me in....but still as I started this book I was slightly leery of the actual premise of the book. A sex slave....a pregnancy....dystopia...I figured the author was either going to butcher this or create something so incredible blended that it would blow my mind.
(I'll let you guess which of these happened for me)
Naya is strong, because she had to be, both physically & emotionally. Being sold at such a young age into such an underground world could break a girl, hell it makes me quiver just thinking about it. For Naya it's a way of life. When her retirement is forced and she has a debt to pay, survival mode kicks in. Finding a way out of this debt is her focus & drive...then Ric enters the picture.
At this point I truly don't want to cause any spoilers, but the book takes a great turn for me. There's just something about a plot twist that puts me on the edge of my seat.
Thank the book gods there wasn't a total cliff hanger at the end of this book....but I want this story to continue on, badly! So go out, grab this book & devour it!
5/5
Honestly I loved the synopsis of Carrier, the cover drew me in....but still as I started this book I was slightly leery of the actual premise of the book. A sex slave....a pregnancy....dystopia...I figured the author was either going to butcher this or create something so incredible blended that it would blow my mind.
(I'll let you guess which of these happened for me)
Naya is strong, because she had to be, both physically & emotionally. Being sold at such a young age into such an underground world could break a girl, hell it makes me quiver just thinking about it. For Naya it's a way of life. When her retirement is forced and she has a debt to pay, survival mode kicks in. Finding a way out of this debt is her focus & drive...then Ric enters the picture.
At this point I truly don't want to cause any spoilers, but the book takes a great turn for me. There's just something about a plot twist that puts me on the edge of my seat.
Thank the book gods there wasn't a total cliff hanger at the end of this book....but I want this story to continue on, badly! So go out, grab this book & devour it!
5/5
January 23, 2016
A dark, disturbing dystopia that is at times very difficult to read. Carrier depicts a horrible future where sexual slavery is widespread and there is little hope. Given the intense drama, dark themes, and horrible elements necessary to write such a book, Anne Tibbets deserves a lot of credit for taking it on.
Naya is a sex slave, kept in a corporate-owned brothel called The Line. She was sold there on a ten-year contract to payoff someone else's debts. One day, she learns she is pregnant and will be allowed to leave the Line provided she finds a replacement to take her place. She is completely overwhelmed and gets another shock when she sees what life is like right outside the building, a totalitarian city-state run by a corporation called Auberge. Somehow, she must find a replacement or some other way to escape and find some type of home to raise her babies (twins).
Right from the start, you see the dark, depressing feel of this story. It is predominantly about the abduction of young girls for the purposes of sexual slavery. Usually this is something that we hear about in third world countries, or in underground brothels managed by the mob in Eastern Europe and parts of Asia. It is a reality of our modern world that we have yet to snuff out. Even in the US, this type of atrocity takes place, albeit it is much less common.
Such a story must've been extremely difficult to write, given the heavy, complex emotions involved as well as the extreme psychological trauma, including depictions of PTSD, and other serious conditions. While the author made a strong attempt to convey them, it just never hit me as hard as it should. I was never fully convinced by Naya's character or the dystopian world.
Naya was a slave for nearly ten years, starting at age 12. That means a large part of her formative years were spent in a small cell, required to take "appointments" with men nearly all day every day. There is no attempt to train or refine the girls to attract a wealthier clientele, suggesting profit wasn't really the motivation here. This is as cheap, dirty, and horrible as you can get. Anyone growing up in this situation would almost certainly need years of psychiatric treatment and would be severely maladjusted.
At times Naya embodies this, but at other times she seems to behave like a regular girl. She seems to know things she shouldn't, has a wit about her which I doubt she would've learned in the Line, and even shows a manipulative side. It is difficult to accept a girl from her background possessing these traits. Perhaps if she had time to pick up some social skills and adjust on the outside, this would work better but she is free for a mere week or two.
It was also disappointing to see Naya have such limited impact on the plot. She is freed from servitude in the first two chapters. After that, the horrible nightmare of Auberge takes her twisting and turning through the story, while she rarely acts upon on it. In some ways she is indeed strong, but in others she is a more typical damsel in distress.
As for the dystopian setting, it was underdeveloped. An evil corporation takes over and controls a city-state in some horrible future. They build walls and let trash pile up. Why do they run a cheap brothel? How do they keep the populace in line? Why release Naya, a girl whose never left the Line, go get her replacement? The story provides some answers but they are all very unsatisfactory to me. Better world-building would've gone a long way, in my opinion.
I also believe the author made a mistake including a love interest. A former sex slave, swooning over her savior, just feels off, especially since most of the takes place only weeks after her release. A longer adjustment period outside the Line, might've been more plausible but otherwise, it just doesn't feel right to include it.
This book isn't really a dystopian novel, in a strict sense, but the story of Naya and her escape from slavery. While Naya was a decent character, even compelling at times, she just never felt like an authentic product of her world.
Since this story possesses such a high degree of difficulty (borrowing a term from Olympic judges), I give it three stars. Unfortunately, this story is too depressing for me to continue with the series.
Also note, this book may have a young protagonist but it is not a young adult novel. The content, themes, and feel of this novel is very much adult in nature. As such, I recommend it for adult readers willing to experience a dark, depressing journey.
Naya is a sex slave, kept in a corporate-owned brothel called The Line. She was sold there on a ten-year contract to payoff someone else's debts. One day, she learns she is pregnant and will be allowed to leave the Line provided she finds a replacement to take her place. She is completely overwhelmed and gets another shock when she sees what life is like right outside the building, a totalitarian city-state run by a corporation called Auberge. Somehow, she must find a replacement or some other way to escape and find some type of home to raise her babies (twins).
Right from the start, you see the dark, depressing feel of this story. It is predominantly about the abduction of young girls for the purposes of sexual slavery. Usually this is something that we hear about in third world countries, or in underground brothels managed by the mob in Eastern Europe and parts of Asia. It is a reality of our modern world that we have yet to snuff out. Even in the US, this type of atrocity takes place, albeit it is much less common.
Such a story must've been extremely difficult to write, given the heavy, complex emotions involved as well as the extreme psychological trauma, including depictions of PTSD, and other serious conditions. While the author made a strong attempt to convey them, it just never hit me as hard as it should. I was never fully convinced by Naya's character or the dystopian world.
Naya was a slave for nearly ten years, starting at age 12. That means a large part of her formative years were spent in a small cell, required to take "appointments" with men nearly all day every day. There is no attempt to train or refine the girls to attract a wealthier clientele, suggesting profit wasn't really the motivation here. This is as cheap, dirty, and horrible as you can get. Anyone growing up in this situation would almost certainly need years of psychiatric treatment and would be severely maladjusted.
At times Naya embodies this, but at other times she seems to behave like a regular girl. She seems to know things she shouldn't, has a wit about her which I doubt she would've learned in the Line, and even shows a manipulative side. It is difficult to accept a girl from her background possessing these traits. Perhaps if she had time to pick up some social skills and adjust on the outside, this would work better but she is free for a mere week or two.
It was also disappointing to see Naya have such limited impact on the plot. She is freed from servitude in the first two chapters. After that, the horrible nightmare of Auberge takes her twisting and turning through the story, while she rarely acts upon on it. In some ways she is indeed strong, but in others she is a more typical damsel in distress.
As for the dystopian setting, it was underdeveloped. An evil corporation takes over and controls a city-state in some horrible future. They build walls and let trash pile up. Why do they run a cheap brothel? How do they keep the populace in line? Why release Naya, a girl whose never left the Line, go get her replacement? The story provides some answers but they are all very unsatisfactory to me. Better world-building would've gone a long way, in my opinion.
I also believe the author made a mistake including a love interest. A former sex slave, swooning over her savior, just feels off, especially since most of the takes place only weeks after her release. A longer adjustment period outside the Line, might've been more plausible but otherwise, it just doesn't feel right to include it.
This book isn't really a dystopian novel, in a strict sense, but the story of Naya and her escape from slavery. While Naya was a decent character, even compelling at times, she just never felt like an authentic product of her world.
Since this story possesses such a high degree of difficulty (borrowing a term from Olympic judges), I give it three stars. Unfortunately, this story is too depressing for me to continue with the series.
Also note, this book may have a young protagonist but it is not a young adult novel. The content, themes, and feel of this novel is very much adult in nature. As such, I recommend it for adult readers willing to experience a dark, depressing journey.
August 1, 2014
I am usually not a huge fan of dystopian story themes, but this one grabbed my attention on page one and I couldn’t stop reading till I was finished. It was packed with suspense, intrigue, fear and story lines that aren’t common in the books I normally read. The author also did a wonderful job with her scene descriptions. When describing how the city smelt and looked, I felt I was there. She kept a great balance when she described the characters too. She let us picture the person not only by the brief description but also by the body language and tone of voice they were using so I could make my own assumptions as to how they were going to fit into the story and the life of the main character later on down the road.
As I stated this grabbed me on page one with Naya waking up after a rough session with Lover Boy. She was physically battered and bruised and emotionally void. She had been with the Line for nine of her ten year contract. Being on the Line means she was a sex slave for human traffickers. She never had a say in who used her or what they did to her. Once you are released or in their words retired, no one knew what that meant, but for some it means you are put on the street to survive with no life skills. People look down on you and won’t even allow you in their business or homes so you more than likely would have to lie about your past. She never really understood how she got there or what happens to her after her ten years is up, she just takes one day at a time. When she was sent to the infirmary after the first gathering of the day she was surprised to learn that she was being transferred over to the manager’s office for a talk.
It was during this meeting she learned some shocking information that sent her in a tail spin. Not only was the news shocking, she was free to leave the Line but with a few requirements. In order for her to be rid of the tracking device they had implanted in her and to not lose any more than she already had, she needed to find a young woman to replace her on the Line. In others words she was going to have to sacrifice another woman in order to obtain her pure freedom. Life out on the street was hard with garbage piling up everywhere, no jobs were to be had, and no places to rent and everything were purchased by credits. With no life experiences outside of the Line, she was lucky she had learned to read a few words to survive. Times were hard in the Central and everyone did whatever they had to just to survive one more day.
She finally meets some people who are willing to help her and I won’t go into the details of what they were saving her from or what they did as that would give away the most exciting part of the book. Just know that the suspense and emotions in the last 2/3 of the book had me addicted and I had to finish it before I could sleep. I loved how the author used the feelings and memories of Naya’s parents and sister to help keep her grounded and remind us readers that even though she was a strong woman, there was that shattered weak girl still resting inside of her soul. This is an example of how I was saying the author did a brilliant job at keeping her characters balanced throughout the whole story.
We meet some women in a boarding house that will shock you and make your heart break for them and one little girl that left me in tears as she told her story. I can hardly wait for the next book to come out so I can see what the next step in this journey will be. Even if you are not a fan of this genre like I am, but you do love dark and twisted stories I would highly recommend this book. The way the author paints a picture for you page by page is worth the time in reading her book.
*Copy provided for review*
Reviewed by Tbird for Crystal's Many Reviewers
As I stated this grabbed me on page one with Naya waking up after a rough session with Lover Boy. She was physically battered and bruised and emotionally void. She had been with the Line for nine of her ten year contract. Being on the Line means she was a sex slave for human traffickers. She never had a say in who used her or what they did to her. Once you are released or in their words retired, no one knew what that meant, but for some it means you are put on the street to survive with no life skills. People look down on you and won’t even allow you in their business or homes so you more than likely would have to lie about your past. She never really understood how she got there or what happens to her after her ten years is up, she just takes one day at a time. When she was sent to the infirmary after the first gathering of the day she was surprised to learn that she was being transferred over to the manager’s office for a talk.
It was during this meeting she learned some shocking information that sent her in a tail spin. Not only was the news shocking, she was free to leave the Line but with a few requirements. In order for her to be rid of the tracking device they had implanted in her and to not lose any more than she already had, she needed to find a young woman to replace her on the Line. In others words she was going to have to sacrifice another woman in order to obtain her pure freedom. Life out on the street was hard with garbage piling up everywhere, no jobs were to be had, and no places to rent and everything were purchased by credits. With no life experiences outside of the Line, she was lucky she had learned to read a few words to survive. Times were hard in the Central and everyone did whatever they had to just to survive one more day.
She finally meets some people who are willing to help her and I won’t go into the details of what they were saving her from or what they did as that would give away the most exciting part of the book. Just know that the suspense and emotions in the last 2/3 of the book had me addicted and I had to finish it before I could sleep. I loved how the author used the feelings and memories of Naya’s parents and sister to help keep her grounded and remind us readers that even though she was a strong woman, there was that shattered weak girl still resting inside of her soul. This is an example of how I was saying the author did a brilliant job at keeping her characters balanced throughout the whole story.
We meet some women in a boarding house that will shock you and make your heart break for them and one little girl that left me in tears as she told her story. I can hardly wait for the next book to come out so I can see what the next step in this journey will be. Even if you are not a fan of this genre like I am, but you do love dark and twisted stories I would highly recommend this book. The way the author paints a picture for you page by page is worth the time in reading her book.
*Copy provided for review*
Reviewed by Tbird for Crystal's Many Reviewers
December 6, 2014
I am usually not a huge fan of dystopian story themes, but this one grabbed my attention on page one and I couldn’t stop reading till I was finished. It was packed with suspense, intrigue, fear and story lines that aren’t common in the books I normally read. The author also did a wonderful job with her scene descriptions. When describing how the city smelt and looked, I felt I was there. She kept a great balance when she described the characters too. She let us picture the person not only by the brief description but also by the body language and tone of voice they were using so I could make my own assumptions as to how they were going to fit into the story and the life of the main character later on down the road.
As I stated this grabbed me on page one with Naya waking up after a rough session with Lover Boy. She was physically battered and bruised and emotionally void. She had been with the Line for nine of her ten year contract. Being on the Line means she was a sex slave for human traffickers. She never had a say in who used her or what they did to her. Once you are released or in their words retired, no one knew what that meant, but for some it means you are put on the street to survive with no life skills. People look down on you and won’t even allow you in their business or homes so you more than likely would have to lie about your past. She never really understood how she got there or what happens to her after her ten years is up, she just takes one day at a time. When she was sent to the infirmary after the first gathering of the day she was surprised to learn that she was being transferred over to the manager’s office for a talk.
It was during this meeting she learned some shocking information that sent her in a tail spin. Not only was the news shocking, she was free to leave the Line but with a few requirements. In order for her to be rid of the tracking device they had implanted in her and to not lose any more than she already had, she needed to find a young woman to replace her on the Line. In others words she was going to have to sacrifice another woman in order to obtain her pure freedom. Life out on the street was hard with garbage piling up everywhere, no jobs were to be had, and no places to rent and everything were purchased by credits. With no life experiences outside of the Line, she was lucky she had learned to read a few words to survive. Times were hard in the Central and everyone did whatever they had to just to survive one more day.
She finally meets some people who are willing to help her and I won’t go into the details of what they were saving her from or what they did as that would give away the most exciting part of the book. Just know that the suspense and emotions in the last 2/3 of the book had me addicted and I had to finish it before I could sleep. I loved how the author used the feelings and memories of Naya’s parents and sister to help keep her grounded and remind us readers that even though she was a strong woman, there was that shattered weak girl still resting inside of her soul. This is an example of how I was saying the author did a brilliant job at keeping her characters balanced throughout the whole story.
We meet some women in a boarding house that will shock you and make your heart break for them and one little girl that left me in tears as she told her story. I can hardly wait for the next book to come out so I can see what the next step in this journey will be. Even if you are not a fan of this genre like I am, but you do love dark and twisted stories I would highly recommend this book. The way the author paints a picture for you page by page is worth the time in reading her book.
As I stated this grabbed me on page one with Naya waking up after a rough session with Lover Boy. She was physically battered and bruised and emotionally void. She had been with the Line for nine of her ten year contract. Being on the Line means she was a sex slave for human traffickers. She never had a say in who used her or what they did to her. Once you are released or in their words retired, no one knew what that meant, but for some it means you are put on the street to survive with no life skills. People look down on you and won’t even allow you in their business or homes so you more than likely would have to lie about your past. She never really understood how she got there or what happens to her after her ten years is up, she just takes one day at a time. When she was sent to the infirmary after the first gathering of the day she was surprised to learn that she was being transferred over to the manager’s office for a talk.
It was during this meeting she learned some shocking information that sent her in a tail spin. Not only was the news shocking, she was free to leave the Line but with a few requirements. In order for her to be rid of the tracking device they had implanted in her and to not lose any more than she already had, she needed to find a young woman to replace her on the Line. In others words she was going to have to sacrifice another woman in order to obtain her pure freedom. Life out on the street was hard with garbage piling up everywhere, no jobs were to be had, and no places to rent and everything were purchased by credits. With no life experiences outside of the Line, she was lucky she had learned to read a few words to survive. Times were hard in the Central and everyone did whatever they had to just to survive one more day.
She finally meets some people who are willing to help her and I won’t go into the details of what they were saving her from or what they did as that would give away the most exciting part of the book. Just know that the suspense and emotions in the last 2/3 of the book had me addicted and I had to finish it before I could sleep. I loved how the author used the feelings and memories of Naya’s parents and sister to help keep her grounded and remind us readers that even though she was a strong woman, there was that shattered weak girl still resting inside of her soul. This is an example of how I was saying the author did a brilliant job at keeping her characters balanced throughout the whole story.
We meet some women in a boarding house that will shock you and make your heart break for them and one little girl that left me in tears as she told her story. I can hardly wait for the next book to come out so I can see what the next step in this journey will be. Even if you are not a fan of this genre like I am, but you do love dark and twisted stories I would highly recommend this book. The way the author paints a picture for you page by page is worth the time in reading her book.
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