All These Things I've Done (Birthright #1)

Title: All These Things I've Done (Birthright #1)
Author: Gabrielle Zevin
Rating: 4/5
Summary:In 2083, chocolate and coffee are illegal, paper is hard to find, water is carefully rationed, and New York City is rife with crime and poverty. And yet, for Anya Balanchine, the sixteen-year-old daughter of the city's most notorious (and dead) crime boss, life is fairly routine. It consists of going to school, taking care of her siblings and her dying grandmother, trying to avoid falling in love with the new assistant D.A.'s son, and avoiding her loser ex-boyfriend. That is until her ex is accidently poisoned by the chocolate her family manufactures and the police think she's to blame. Suddenly, Anya finds herself thrust unwillingly into the spotlight--at school, in the news, and most importantly, within her mafia family.

Engrossing and suspenseful, All These Things I've Done is an utterly unique, unputdownable read that blends both the familiar and the fantastic.

My Thoughts:I was impressed with this. I wasn't quite sure what I was getting into when I picked this up. While the author says this is not a dystopian, it still feels that way. Everything has changed. From things on rations to being illegal because of scarcity (like paper. It's illegal to have it without a permit. Crazy, huh?). And for a lot of girls out there, chocolate being illegal would be a total devastation. 

What I loved about this book was the society was a key component, but it wasn't the main focus. The focus was on Anya (aka Annie) and her mobster family legacy. While other books like this one, the people are fighting to get things back to how they should be, this is more focused on the 'Family'. Just like the Prohibition, Anya's family has a way of getting their hands on certain illegal items. Such as chocolate. I was fascinated by this new world and just what it was that Anya was trying to protect her sister and brother from.

I'm going to have to admit, Leo tugged on my heart strings. I latched onto this character and couldn't let go. I am not sure why, but after all that has happened, this one the one character that my mind kept coming back to after the book was finished. This sounds like there will be another, although I've tried to find out from the author web page, I couldn't find anything to confirm it. But the ending left it open to another book. I hope there is another. This was an awesome read.