The Girl Who Dared to Think: A Series Review

By: Daniella Standridge

Dystopian stories have a way of showing us what our world could come to, with the wrong choices. Many of these scenarios have been avoided because of what such stories have shown us. Dystopias also give us a glance into a world of strong, independent, and courageous people who decided to stand up. Sci-fi dystopias show us a world full of technologies that could be, and some that should never be.

Set hundreds of years in the future, The Girl Who Dared to Think is a series set in a dystopian world where negative thoughts are illegal. All of humanity has died off, except for those who have managed to live inside the Tower. People's worth are measured by how useful they are to the Tower and to the AI overlord, indicated by a number on their wrist. But something has gone wrong. There is a hostile takeover taking place under everyone’s noses, slowly changing the system. The people inside the Tower so blindly believe in the Tower that they mistake those trying to help as those trying to hurt.

Liana Castel has been caught up in the action after she runs into someone who shows her that there is a possibility of life outside the Tower. Others show her what leaving would cost: every person in the tower.

The Girl Who Dared to Think is packed full of action, adventure and suspense, with just the right amount of romance sprinkled in. Bella Forest’s books will keep you up at night wondering what will happen next. It is well-written with intriguing characters and a well made plot. The story shows the delicate balance in a political world that, with the slightest push, could go sour. The books shows us what might happen if humans blindly follow what they're told, instead of questioning and exploring. Following may be the easier road, but curiosity may lead to freedom.

I have recently completed the series myself. The series does tie into another: The Gender Game. There are some references in the story, though reading The Gender Game is not required, as The Girl Who Dared to Think gives you all the information you need. I loved the series. Five stars. Highly suggested for any sci-fi dystopian fan, especially fans of Veronica Roth's Divergent.