Book Review: Mystic City (Mystic City #1) by Theo Lawrence

Summary: 

Aria Rose, youngest scion of one of Mystic City's two ruling rival families, finds herself betrothed to Thomas Foster, the son of her parents' sworn enemies. The union of the two will end the generations-long political feud—and unite all those living in the Aeries, the privileged upper reaches of the city, against the banished mystics who dwell below in the Depths. But Aria doesn't remember falling in love with Thomas; in fact, she wakes one day with huge gaps in her memory. And she can't conceive why her parents would have agreed to unite with the Fosters in the first place. Only when Aria meets Hunter, a gorgeous rebel mystic from the Depths, does she start to have glimmers of recollection—and to understand that he holds the key to unlocking her past. The choices she makes can save or doom the city—including herself.

Release Date: October 9, 2012

Age Group: YA

Source: NetGalley

Review:
Oh, this was a great read!  I confess that I requested it from NetGalley due to the cover alone: I read the summary but it was the cover that hooked me.  Not only was Mystic City  a great dystopian read, it was also a political thriller of sorts, as well as a retelling of Romeo and Juliet.  With a dash of magic!  With all of those elements, the story could have gotten heavy or chaotic, but Lawrence did an awesome job weaving a story that I simply could not put down.

The setting and imagery were simply outstanding.  I loved the descriptions of the Aeries and the Depths.  The spires full of mystic power were so neat, and as I read I could picture them outside Aria's window.  

I knew something fishy was going on with Aria's memory.  There had to be more behind her memory loss than how things seemed.  I loved discovering the truth right along with her, although I did suspect what was happening before she did.  There were times I wished I could have just jumped into the story to tell her what was really going on!  

The love story was so perfect.  I am such a romantic, and to have this futuristic Romeo and Juliet type of story was just perfect for me.  

I loved the ending---there were definitely sad elements, but I loved the strength Aria shows and her resolve to work towards a better future.  

I would highly recommend this book.  Theo Lawrence has a brand-new fan and he is now on my auto-buy list (which is a feat, considering that he obtained this status after only one book!).