I wasn't sure what to expect from this one. It sounded part romance, part dystopia, part fantasy, part futuristic sci fi...almost as if it was a book with a split personality which didn't know which genre it wanted to be.
However, I was totally wrong to try and judge it. The Name on Your Wrist is one of the most truly original books I have ever read. Set in the future, where life is lived within a strict set of rules, the major development within the human race is that everybody has a name permanently inscribed on their wrist. It is hidden beneath a wrist guard and must remain a secret. The name on your wrist (carpinomen) is that of your soul mate, the person you must search for in order to find love and happiness.
Corin doesn't want to be found. She is cynical about love, about life, about society. She's an angry teenager and hates the restrictions she is bound by. Can she find a way to live happily within the expectations of her family and community?
Honestly, I was blown away by this book. Marketed for the YA audience, there is definitely enough meat to it to appeal to a wider market and I really hope adults will read this book too as it has so much to offer. There aren't enough books out there which are 100% original, but The Name on Your Wrist most certainly is. It is also written in a way which draws the reader in, I honestly struggled to put it down as once I started it I could think of little else! The only downfall for me was that the ending seemed a bit rushed, although there is the possibility of a follow up, which may (or may not) have been in Helen Hiorns' mind.
I just wish the YA genre had been so vibrant when I was the target audience. This generation are totally spoilt with excellent reads!
The Name on My Wrist is out now, published by Random House.
9/10
With thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in return for my honest opinion.
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