The first half had normal pacing but without a clear goal or enemy to tackle. At the second part, things started picking up and the action was intense (especially if you binge the last twenty chapters in a day). Overall it was a very good story and it left me vibrant images, since the town/building/festivities descriptions were close to excellent (I would give a 9 out of 10 for description, while I would give the narrative a 6,5-7 out of 10). There were times when I thought the protagonist's decisions were so very wrong and sometimes even stupid, but I went along anyway and enjoyed her character a lot. It was a very good book for a debut. ( )

Post-apocolypse. Pity flees her commune to escape a forced marriage. She ends up in Cessation performing in the Theatre Vespertine. She finds a family there but how far will she go to protect them? Politics can really be a deadly business no matter where you are.... ( )

3.5 Stars

This book was not what I was expecting at all. And in this case, that is a good thing. Don’t judge a book by it’s cover because this is not a western. And for the most part the main character Serendipity Jones (Pity for short), is never dressed as she is on the cover. Having said that, the cover is still a good interpretation of this story. Instead of a die hard western you get a bit more West World meets Hunger Games minus the robots. The best thing to give you an idea of what to expect: think the SyFy show Defiance. It’s the future (maybe). There has been a second civil war. The winners were CONA: Confederates of North America. The opposing sides were the Patriots. Pity’s mother was a Patriot, but in order to remain alive after the war, she took a spot on a commune to live and propagate the population. It was from her mother that Pity got her gun skills.

Pity does not have an easy life. She has just a few months until she turns 18 and can head out on her own. Until her dad sells her to another commune for breading stock. This setup has been used again and again in teen lit. She escapes. Through various events Pitty comes to be in Cessation. The last outlaw town on the end of the nation. This is a land of no law, but it has its own rules. If you want to be anyone, you obey the ruler of Cessation: Selene. Pitty gets assigned to the theater to become a new act. A wiz shot with her six shooters. The theater is both show and a death spectacle. The story progresses from there. Overall I quite enjoyed the story. There are some things that are very repetitive to current YA reads such as the carnival, the romance, and the progression of the story. And while the author has stated that this is currently a stand alone book, it could use a sequel. It perfectly leaves itself open to a franchise series. And there is so much to develop. My biggest complaint is the absence of complete world building.

The world as explained is enough to get you through the story, but there are so many gaps that are never addressed. As mentioned there was a civil war (american I’m assuming). But what brought it on? What year is it? Is this alternate reality? Are we in an altered 2018, or a future 2118? This is hard to determine. They have television, or a movie channel. or something like that. But no phones. No internet. No cell service. They have high powered rifles and body armour, but the hand guns are six shot revolving pistols. Something seen out of the old west. Why? There were Pity’s mother’s gun, yes, but why this type of gun. It doesn't play. Especially when you add the technological bullet blocking wavelength screen that protects the theater patrons from flying bullets. They have cars and trains, but no planes. Fancy drugs, and better birth control than available currently, and medical healing right out of Star Trek. Stasis Pods to hold someone in a coma for medical transport, but child bearing problems. Infertility is brought up at early in the book, and woman who are fertile have a better shot of living to old age than those that are not. But no mention of why. As I said, incomplete world building. The City of Columbia (the capitol) has technological advances that rarely get to the communes, and almost never to Cessation. This is an interesting world, and one I would like to see fully developed.

I almost wish this book would have been picked up by a fantasy/science fiction publisher instead of James Patterson Presents. Someone who specializes in this type of cyber punk meets old west would have been better able to work with the author to fill the gaps in her world. Hopefully the author decides to give it another shot (pun intended) and lets reader delve more into Pity’s world and the politics that aboud.

#LitsyatoZ ( )

Serendipity Jones lives with a father who doesn't respect anything she does. She inherited some revolvers and killer aim from her mom, but there's not much use for her talent. Her father decides to marry her off to another commune, so she decides to run away with her best friend to make a new life. On the way, her friend dies and Serendipity is captured by outlaws who decide to help her. She has the chance at a new life.

I didn't finish Gunslinger Girl. I ended around page 70 because I wasn't invested in the story. Serendipity Jones is a wet blanket of a protagonist. She's supposed to be this badass gunslinger and then doesn't follow through and is the least compelling character in her own story. Her best friend Finn is so much more interesting and gets killed off so early in the book. (I expect that she isn't really dead for a future twist.) Anyway, Serendipity is called Pity throughout the book which is just awful. This plot checks a lot of boxes that I like. However, it feels formulaic and dull. The criminals had really no reason to help her and then she descends into the hedonistic world of Cessation, the complete opposite of her restrictive upbringing. It's a clearly feminist novel, but in such an obvious, manufactured way that I didn't enjoy.

Gunslinger Girl has an interesting world where a second Civil War fractures the US into disparate factions. However, it wasn't enough to keep my interest. There are just so many other books I would love to read that this one felt like I was wasting time. ( )

Well, after a slow start, this book really picked up pace and became quite a page turner. With so much action and suspense, and with lots of twists and turns, it was difficult to know who to trust and who not to, and I was constantly changing my mind about various characters.

I enjoyed the dystopian Wild West setting - it was creative and different. The author created a believable world and educated the reader on the politics of the society, how it was run and the aftermath of the Second Civil War. Although the was detailed descriptions of the circus and the barbaric Finale, I have to be honest and say I was expecting more Wild West elements. However, this did not detract from the book.

The strongest aspect of "Gunslinger Girl" was the characters. They were quirky and unique, and it was terrific to discover so many strong, clever, independent women. I loved Serendipity (Pity) Jones, the main protagonist. Even though she was flawed and made mistakes, which made her more relatable, she was also determined, level-headed, brave, kind and caring. The fact she carried two guns and was a mean sharp-shooter, just made her that more interesting.

Max, Pity's love interest, was a sweetie despite his secrets and I was cheering for the two of them all the way. I also adored their friends - Luster, Finn, Duchess, Olivia and all the others who contributed to make "Gunslinger Girl "such an enjoyable read. ( )