POPPY WOODS
You can put Love and Chaos in the category of books that have a dystopian backdrop for a reason. It’s not just set in one; it uses that world to put a finer point on some of the harder questions: what do you do when the system is corrupt, those with power have things to hide, and the one person you can put your faith in is someone you were raised to be at odds with?
We have Cris, hailing from the Tribes, and Tavi, a guard from the Cities. Put them in the same room and you have all the tension of two people from opposite ends of a fractured society. I was into the fact that their romance doesn’t come on easy. You have to get through some hard feelings, a lot of “I don’t trust you,” and enough emotional whiplash before they even get in the vicinity of love. In a way, it has to be this way. This isn’t the sort of thing where you have a nice little meet-cute and then you’re in love. It’s more like, “the whole place is coming down, everybody is full of it, and you’re the one who won’t put me in harm’s way.”
The book doesn’t let the setting be an afterthought, which is good. The chasm between the Cities and the Tribes is there to be felt. The way power is hoarded, the lies being told — it all adds up to a world run on fear and control. So when you see Cris and Tavi put their shoulders to each other, it’s not only about chemistry. They are having to re-examine a lot of what they were made to believe.
It is a messy dynamic, though. At times, the line between “enemies” and “lovers” is thin and hostile. Some of it will be a turn-on for you, some of it might make you want to put your foot in their backs. But I think the chaos is part of the point. The title is as good as its word. There is no feigned composure here, just a tangle of danger, attraction and rebellion.
If you’re in the mood for something with a bit of an edge, this is it. It’s a sapphic romance with some heft to it, and you get to watch these characters come to the slow, satisfying conclusion that the real problem is the system they’re in. With all the secrets and the enemies-to-lovers vibe, it’s well worth a read.
Every book hits differently for every reader.
Thanks for reading my review.
