Disruption by Jessica Shirvington

to be published by Harper Collins
on October 4, 2016

Source: eARC for review

Synopsis from Goodreads: What if a microchip could identify your perfect match? What if it could be used against you and the ones you love? 

Eight years ago, Mercer Corporation's M-Bands became mandatory. An evolution of the smartphone, the bracelets promised an easier life. Instead, they have come to control it. 

Two years ago, Maggie Stevens watched helplessly as one of the people she loved most was taken from her, shattering her world as she knew it. Now, Maggie is ready. And Quentin Mercer - heir to the M-Corp empire - has become key to Maggie's plan. 

But as the pieces of her dangerous design fall into place, could Quentin's involvement destroy everything she's fought for? In a world full of broken promises, the ones Maggie must keep could be the most heartbreaking.

Review of Disruption by Jessica Shirvington

This is a story of second chances (my review -- not this book!) Back in 2010, I read the first installment of Shirvington's Violet Eden series. There was tons of angst, a love triangle, and angels. It just wasn't for me.

What made me try this book? I'm not sure, but I'm glad I did. Despite my severe dystopian fatigue, Disruption is YA dystopian done right. It's the perfect blend of romance, science, and suspense. I was glued to this book until I finished!

Disruption takes ideas you've seen in other YA dystopian and uses them to good effect. There's the idea of a perfect romantic match based on science, a family broken by cruel laws, and a feisty girl who's not afraid to face off with the powers that be.

Disruption starts with the premise that the U.S. requires all citizens to be microchipped. This, in turn, leads to mandatory "M-Bands" that facilitate Phera-Tech, the use of pheromones to analyze the compatibility percentage between any two people. Those who don't match well with anyone are called "negs" and sent to government rehabilitation. Or are they?

Years back, Maggie's father was labeled a neg and whisked out of her life and she's determined to find him. 

There's one person who can help her: Quentin Mercer, one of the heirs to the Mercer fortune - the company who manufactures the bands. 

Maggie is the kind of heroine I adore: tough and no-nonsense but kind of lonely and vulnerable underneath. Quentin and Maggie had an excellent hate-to-love relationship trajectory. No triangle!

I'm by no means a scientist or even a science geek, but for me as a non-science person, the world-building overall was good. 

I didn't really understand the role of the government in the plot except that they required the microchipping. The book made it seem like the Mercer company worked with/for the government, but it wasn't entirely clear to me. 

As someone who's lived in Australia, it amused me that a few Aussie terms slipped in there, even though the book is supposed to be set in the Washington DC area and (I assume) the characters are supposed to be American.

Disruption was just a fun, fast-paced read with a romance that I really enjoyed. Highly recommend it and can't wait for the next book!

I also reviewed Corruption, book two in this duology, and you can read that review!