Cherry Heaven by L.J. Adlington

I recently reviewed Cherry Heaven for HarperTeen. I was very impressed with this book.

The story is set in a futuristic society on a planet other than earth. People are grown in test tubes and have gills. Status is based on the color of the tattoo on your hand, which is based on a gene test. At the top, there are the Atsumisi with their red/silver tattoos. Then, there are the blue/sliver Mazzini. At the bottom are the green/silver Galrezi.

Kat and Tanka Jones moved from City Five to the New Frontier with their adoptive parents in the hopes of having a new beginning. Things start out perfectly, until they delve into the history behind the estate they just moved into, Cherry Heaven. They learn about the Papillon family, and their fate at the hands of Oklear Foster.

But not everything is as it seems. People have lied or failed to speak up with the truth.

The alternate narrations between the Jones sisters and Luka P eventually intertwine as their lives and stories do. Some themes in Cherry Heaven are honesty and the lengths people will go through to gain power.

I think the story idea and the characters are very original, and the setting too. And it's long too, almost 500 pages. It was such a great story that I read it in a few days and then immediately reread it.

I would definitely recommend this book. If you read this and like it, you also might want to check out The Diary of Pelly D, also by L.J. Adlington.

Rating: 4.5

Review copy from publisher HarperCollins