Possession, by Elana Johnson

Vi knows the Rule: Girls don't walk with boys, and they never even think about kissing them. But no one makes Vi want to break the Rules more than Zenn...and since the Thinkers have chosen him as Vi's future match, how much trouble can one kiss cause? The Thinkers may have brainwashed the rest of the population, but Vi is determined to think for herself.

But the Thinkers are unusually persuasive, and they're set on convincing Vi to become one of them...starting by brainwashing Zenn. Vi can't leave Zenn in the Thinkers' hands, but she's wary of joining the rebellion, especially since that means teaming up with Jag. Jag is egotistical, charismatic, and dangerous--everything Zenn's not. Vi can't quite trust Jag and can't quite resist him, but she also can't give up on Zenn.

This is a game of control or be controlled. And Vi has no choice but to play.

In this novel set in a rather unseemingly horrible dystopian future, Vi is in trouble yet again, but this time the government has other plans for her (rather than the other 12 times). Vi was caught walking in the park with her boyfriend Zenn after hours and is sent to prison, where she meets Jag, who happens to be the male version of her. She and Jag have an instant connection and escape, enduring multiple adventures together. As she and Jag fall for each other Vi feels disloyal to Zenn, though she knows she'll probably never see him again (I said probably-nothing is predictable in this book). The two rebellious teenagers have two choices-join the Thinkers, the ones who control all the Goodies, or lead the rebellion and bring back free will.

The reason why this really good story got less than four stars was because of how confusing it was. The author never explained anything, which really achieved nothing but befuddlement. The many technological terms didn't exactly contribute to the cause and when the mind control powers started emerging in the plot line, I was totally clueless. Nevertheless, I kept on reading because the parts I did understand made up for the parts I didn't. What added to the general confusion was the fact that no one was ever dead. All the supposedly dead people weren't and there were surprises around every corner for Vi. She was constantly traveling from one rebel city to another to another to another and I never quite understood why she was going to each place.

The personalities in Possession were hard to gauge, mainly because of the shifting allegiances and motives, but also because the two main characters, Vi and Jag, were so similar that they were almost the same. The minor characters were mostly given one characteristic or a generic personality, with the most important exception being Zenn, who went so back and forth I couldn't keep track of which side he was on. Another thing-Vi spends so much time trying to be rebellious that she ends up doing incredibly stupid things. In short, she acts like the fifteen-year-old she is.

A concept that bugged me because its sheer corniness didn't belong in such a book like this was "choker". A choker is someone who fills you with so much love it almost chokes you (I feel like that when my little nephews tell me they love me but this isn't the kind of love Johnson is referring to). When Jag, the coolest guy in the world, used that word to describe his feelings for Vi, I started snickering. Choker-really? I get it, but I also think it's kind of ridiculous. Speaking of ridiculous, the ending was ridiculously amazing. Right when I thought I had a handle on what was going on it was all swept from under my feet into one of the most shocking and incredible ending. After reading it my jaw dropped and stayed down there for the next five minutes. Just thinking about it makes me anxious for the sequel.

3.7 stars.