Isabella's Reading Corner: The Book of Ivy & The Revolution of Ivy Double Feature

The Book of Ivy by Amy Engel

Published November 11^th 2014 by Entangled Teen

The Revolution of Ivy by Amy Engel

Published November 3^rd 2015 by Entangled Teen

The Book of Ivy takes place in a future US that has been destroyed by a nuclear war. The community of Westfall is founded as a new democratic nation. Shortly after, the Westfall & Lattimer families enter into a conflict, with the Lattimer family taking over control of the community and running it as a dictatorship. Fifty years later, peace is maintained in Westfall with an imposed law of arranged marriages between the winning and losing sides.

Sixteen-year-old Ivy Westfall has grown up with a hatred for the Lattimer family & especially for the enforced marriage law. After Ivy is paired with President Lattimer’s son Bishop to marry in the annual ceremony, she is encouraged by her father and sister to kill her new husband as part of a plan to restore the Westfall family to power.

Things become complicated and lines blurred between right & wrong, when Ivy begins to develop feelings for Bishop after the wedding.

Amy Engel has done a wonderful job of creating this world and the people who inhabit it. Most of the major characters are conveyed in such a way that you can understand what motivates them. What I found really interesting, though, is how these motivations reveal more depths to the characters and their background than was originally understood, as the story progresses.

There are so many facets to this book that gave me much to think about – the politics of Westfall, as well as the complex relationships between the Lattimer & Westfall families, the husbands and wives, the parents & children.

Ivy & Bishop are such brave and loyal characters. I never once doubted or was unsure of them, even though there were many surprises in their journey. Ivy’s relationship with Bishop evolves so realistically and naturally that it seems obvious in retrospect how inevitable it was.

The Revolution of Ivy follows on directly after the events at the end of The Book of Ivy. I don’t really want to give much away, but it is definitely a strong follow up and satisfying conclusion to the series.

I strongly recommend you have a copy of The Revolution of Ivy on hand before you finish reading The Book of Ivy, so you can read it directly after!

You can read my original Isabella's Reading Corner post on The Book of Ivy and The Revolution of Ivy here.