The Kingdom by Jess Rothenberg by Marissa Posada

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Justification: I chose this title because it was listed as one of the best fiction for young adults nominees for 2020. After reading the summary I was interested in the princess gone rogue theme it had. I wanted to find out why a suicide would commit murder. I also chose this title because the cover jacket is gorgeous. I'm sorry to admit, but i judge books by their covers.

Evaluation: This book has good examples of figurative language. The story starts with a murder scene and they are describing the corpse. "Face as white as snow, skin as cold as frost, lips as blue as ice." As the story progresses Ana starts to take notice of Own Chen, especially his eyes. "...they are not simply brown, but a dark earthy shade of burnt umber. Like trees and rust and chocolate, all mixed into one." It seems she has already fallen for him with that description. This helps the reader understand the physical, but also the emotional state of the characters.

This book has an example of understatement. Since the princesses are supposed to be examples of perfection, it is not hard to believe that the girls have some problems with the male guests and staff. Kaia and Ana go to visit the new polar bear cub and the animal trainer is present. The trainer invites the girls to the VIP booth, but Kaia says she will go. The book doesn't say what happens but Ana "suddenly realizes why Mr. Casey invited us to Winter Land." This issue is revisited later in the book, but with the Investors. It is up to the reader to understand what happens in these VIP spaces.

This book has an example of unexpected insights. Ana is sheltered in the Kingdom and believes what 'Mother' and 'Daddy" tell them. Although the princesses' have access to the internet, there is a firewall that prevents them from unfiltered searching. As the story progresses Ana comes to terms with the lies they have been told. Ana asks Owen why would people lie and he answers with, "Maybe because it's fun to believe in a fantasy. Stories can help people feel better about their own lives [Pause] Even if the story doesn't end well." Ana was programmed not to lie, so she is trying to understand the human nature to tell stories that suit them. This is something that everyone has to deal with.

Response: This related to me in that I have sisters. I can understand Ana's grief of lose her sisters. Science fiction books always have great questions as to what or who can be held to human laws. When does a computer become a person? When the computers starts making decisions that aren't part of the initial programming, I think it is then able to be held to human laws. I really enjoyed this book as entertainment.

Conclusion: This book has examples of figurative language, understatement and unexpected insights. This is a great genre cross over book, although sci-fi and fantasy are closely related. I agree with the nomination for best fiction book. I was recommend this to anyone.

APA Citation: Rothenberg, J. (2019). The kingdom. New York: Henry Holt and Company.