The Book of Ivy

Written by Amy Engel

Narrated by Taylor Meskimen

What would you kill for?
After a brutal nuclear war, the United States was left decimated. A small group of survivors eventually banded together, but only after more conflict over which family would govern the new nation. The Westfalls lost. Fifty years later, peace and control are maintained by marrying the daughters of the losing side to the sons of the winning group in a yearly ritual.

This year, it is my turn.

My name is Ivy Westfall, and my mission is simple: to kill the president’s son—my soon-to-be husband—and return the Westfall family to power.

But Bishop Lattimer is either a very skilled actor or he’s not the cruel, heartless boy my family warned me to expect. He might even be the one person in this world who truly understands me. But there is no escape from my fate. I am the only one who can restore the Westfall legacy.

Because Bishop must die. And I must be the one to kill him…

• Language: English
• Publisher: Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group
• Release date: Nov 11, 2014
• ISBN: 9781101916568

Reviews for The Book of Ivy

[anissaannalise-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I've had this on my TBR list for a while and as this week I've resolved to get some of my backlog of YA titles read, I chose this as one of them. How awesome is that cover? From the summary, I thought I was getting a taut, dystopian telling of an imbeded assassin (Ivy's married into the Lattimer family thorough Bishop) but that's not really what happened. It's my own fault for having the expectation and for thinking that the sameness that seem to plague so many YA books I've read in the last few years would rear it's persistent head here. But it did. Ivy's been set to the task of murdering her mark, new husband Bishop. She's sixteen and he eighteen. In the "nation" they reside (somewhere near what used to be the Ozarks in the world we know) they are opposite sides of the winners & losers. Ivy on the losing side & Bishop on the winning. To keep the peace, the Westfall daughters marry the Lattimer sons. Founder Westfall, Ivy's father wishes to usurp the power from president Lattimer and Ivy's assassination of Bishop is the initiating domino. I was so excited to see what unfolded.

What was to come for the main of the story was fairly well telegraphed to me when in the early chapters Ivy found about 5 words to describe and further refine Bishop's eye color. Oh hell. Here we go. I knew then, there was going to be no assassination and not even a proper attempt, for you see, Ivy was falling in love. Bishop is tooth achingly perfect to the point that he's devoid of an actual personality. Because of this, I didn't like or dislike him, he registered as a null. His reason to be is for Ivy to fall in love with him and cause her family loyalty angst. He doesn't need to be a real sort of person, so I accepted his bland presence and moved along. I didn't cheer or pine for their love because he wasn't well defined as his own person so... meh on the mance. And so the main of the book is taken up with he in turn falling for her and a lot of her whinging about what she's been tasked to do for her family's shot at primacy and "blah, blah, blah" (that's a direct quote from the book, btw, on how these people got here & that takes me into my other problem with the story, the lack of world-building.

I'm a science fiction fan who loves to know the "how" and "why" of whatever world the characters I'm watching move about in. There's virtually nothing to really explain in linear detail why the people of Westfall have chosen this way of life they have. There was a nuclear war, the survivors dwindled by radiation effects and killing off one another and then voila, the Lattimers beat the Westfalls and so women gave up their autonomy and concentrate on marrying, childbearing & tending (if they're lucky) & the rest of the sad unmatched women wend their days away in nursing, midwifery or whatever other jobs the men deem good enough. Miraculously, there seem to be no persons of color in this nation (based on all the people Ivy's described in the book) save one. Perhaps they're all the anonymous people she sees in passing. There apparently are no LGBT people either and no mention about what happens to them when they obviously exist in any given population. This nation has been rolling along for three generations so I'm fairly sure there've been some instance so I wanted to know how they fare here in this place where these people are so hell bent on marrying off boys to girls. I'm just hoping they aren't the designated "tossed outside the gates" group.

So. I had a few problems with the story but then something awesome happened, the final quarter of the book. Ivy's growth arc while painfully dull at times to watch was made up for in how she came out on the other side. She dragged me along through all the romance angst to finally give me something to cheer for her. I was pulling for her when she made her choice and even empathised with her sadness at her decision. She took a bad situation and made it so that all parties were left unscathed (mortally anyway) and she bore all the consequences. That certain parties were all to easily adept at throwing her out for good an all was a good direction as well. Ivy displayed loyalty when she is shown none and it was a great moment showing her true character. That last quarter basically saved the entire book for me. It was good. So good that I want to read the next book.

[jenniferhaskin · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Fantastic.

[leahlo89 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a great book going back to the root of the YA dystopian genre where a girl is trying to overthrow the government. The book lacks in the romance department until right towards the very end, and even then it is very light. That's not a bad thing, since I picked this book up hoping it would be more action filled. There are some good twists and turns and it has a good solid ending. Very excited to see where the series goes.

My full review is posted on my blog

[empressreece · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Westfalls & Lattimers - 4.5 stars...

The Book of Ivy is the story of two warring families, the Westfalls and the Lattimers and the daughter, Ivy Westfall, who's been chosen by her family to kill her newlywed husband in order to restore the Westfall legacy. But as Ivy starts realizing that her husband and her family's motives aren't exactly what she was lead to believe, she starts questioning the mission she was set out to complete.

Ivy, Ivy, Ivy- sometimes I wanted to just shake some sense into her and ask her how can she be so naive and stupid. Then just as soon as I thought, hey she heard me and is learning after all, she'd turn around and do something else entirely stupid. I've always thought though that a good book can bring out the best and worst emotions in you and this one did just that - all the way up to the very end! So if that's any indicator, this was a damn good book! Not quite 5 stars though because there was some repetition in the writing that I thought was unnecessary. If you like audio books, I would recommend giving the audio a try because the narrator was pretty good and made the story even better.

*Thanks for the recommendation Marylou (As the Page Turns)!

[leah422 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

“You’re easy to read, Ivy, but the whole book of you is complicated.” --Amy Engel, The Book of Ivy


Book Title: The Book of Ivy
Author: Amy Engel
Narration: Taylor Meskimen
Series: The Book of Ivy #1

❖❖Why I chose that quote: It helps the title make more sense to me, and...it's all Bishop.❖❖

My Rating :

Plot: 4.7/5
Characters: 5/5 They slowly grew on me. I really like both Bishop and Ivy.
Theme: 4.5/5 Standing up for what you think is right is always a good message.
Flow: 5/5 The pacing was just right.
Originality: 4.2/5 While there is plenty of Dystopians out there, this one is only about two generations in from "the end of the world"
Book Cover: 4/5 Mostly fitting. White is always clean looking.
The Feels: 4.2/5 Ivy and Bishop's relationship is very sweet in how it progresses.
Narration: 3.8/5 OK, but sort of depressing.
Ending: 4.2/5 I think I wanted a little more. Cliffhanger: Sort of...yeah.

Overall Rating : 4.7/5

Will I continue the series: Yes, most def.

My Thoughts :

This book is an interesting take on a dystopian-esque community/town. Complete with a razor wire fence surrounding it. The politics and the intrigue abound and Ivy is caught in the middle. I found Ivy's growth throughout this book engaging, and I really loved Bishop. I would really like alternate POV's in the next book, so I could get inside his head as well. I'm so looking forward to the next book.

[brandileigh2003 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

4.5
I wanted to read Book of Ivy because Ivy sounded like the strong and take charge character that I would like, and the type of post-apocalyptic type setting with the devastation to the nation and how things have changed for teens and everyone for a matter of fact in this town. The two ruling families and the arranged marriage, plus our insight going in that Ivy was to kill Bishop and tip the scales of power.

Ivy actually was a little less decisive than I would have thought, but it just made her a more real and believable character, She is still strong and loyal, she just had extensive plans with her sister and dad on how she was to act and how to try and pull of the murder. But then Bishop isn't what Ivy expected and that enough would have been enough to make her question but then plans start to go astray from what they'd devised and Ivy isn't as good at planning ahead and thinking how these changes should in turn change her actions.

Bishop surprised me in so many ways. From his gentle nature with ivy to his deep desire to know who she is. His beliefs are more similar with hers than I ever why'd have thought and I enjoyed their conversations and debates so much. I liked that he didn't have expectations of her and how hard he tried to get to know her and supported her. His Sternberg is so covenant than his dad's and all his own matching with the bishop that ivy slowly let's on and instead of pretending feelings they turn deeper and real. Things she sees as well as what she sees from bishop and what could happen if his ideals and ideas for their society if they could come to pass. Out really confused ivy and the plans that she took on her shoulders of her dad and sister and she behind to wonder how much she blindly followed his ideals and how much of her passion is her own.

The family aspect is present and we find ought there are more lies and manipulations than I could have beloved but I also got to see that there is more behind the two leaders and the kind of society they want. Both have so many wrong beliefs as well as wrong ways to carry out their good intentions.

The way the book ended broke my heart. I know that she was so torn and that she had no good choices, but I just wish that the romance between her and Bishop didn't have to encounter this roadblock. I was so high on them and it was a delicious burn as they got to know one another. But I am so eager for the next book because reading the synopsis tells me one important thing that I can look forward to.

Bottom Line: Slow burn romance with a plot I enjoyed a lot.

[simmy905 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I received a free copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

It’s the year 2075, fifty years after a nuclear war has destroyed the United States. A small group of 10,000 survivors band together and live within the gates. No one has ventured beyond them for fear of what they may encounter.

Sixteen year old Ivy Westfall is the granddaughter of the founder of Westfall, this is the first year that the founder and president’s family will be united. But Ivy has been trained for two years for another mission; to kill her husband, the future president, Bishop Lattimer. But the line becomes fuzzy when after spending time with him she learns he’s different. When the truth come out her mother’s death, realization hits home that nothing may be what it seems. Will Ivy have the heart to murder the man she’s falling for? Could this sweet young man be the tyrant her father says he will become?

This book was extremely plausible, as many dystopian novels are. You can understand the need for arranged marriages with the hopes of increasing the population. In the same way, however, you can understand the people’s need for the freedom of choice. I enjoyed the way we got to watch Ivy mature before our eyes and slowly watch her fall in love with Bishop. From what I can see, I think Bishop has always loved her. I honestly can’t wait for book two, to find out if he goes after her or if he falls for Callie’s advances. This was a fantastic dystopian novel, very engrossing and one that was very hard to put down. A must read if you enjoy a dystopian novel with a sweet romance mixed in.