Mystic City by Theo Lawrence

Doubleday Childrens, 2012. ISBN 9780552567640.
(Age: 14+) Aria Rose is the daughter of one of the ruling families in Mystic City engaged to Thomas, the son of the rival ruling family. With an upcoming election, their marriage is the perfect way to unite the humans against mystics, humans with magical powers who are drained of their powers. The only problem with the engagement, is that Aria has overdosed on Sic, a mystic-infused drug causing her to forget her entire relationship with Thomas.
As Aria pieces her memory together, she meets Hunter, a handsome rebel mystic who she's instantly attracted to. She uncovers a political battle between her family and the mystics, and finds that everything may not be as it seems as her family will do anything to win the election.
I quite enjoyed the lies and the deception within Mystic City, and it was interesting following Aria's story as she unveiled her memories. You find that her memory loss is very targeted towards her relationship with Thomas, and the real secrets behind her Sic overdose are really easy to spot from a mile away. There were enough elements of the story to keep me going however, such as her star-crossed romance with Hunter and the rebel mystics. The mystics were very Xmen-like, with each having their different powers.
The author has a whimsical, romantic way of writing that really brings this world alive in your head. His vivid descriptions paint the struggle between the cast out mystics and how they are using their powers for a rebellion. Aria is also a strong heroine, smart, determined and courageous. Reading about how her family treats her is quite shocking, such as how her ruthless father continually puts a gun to her head.
The political struggle is fairly typical of all the dystopians of late, such as Matched, Hunger Games, Divergent. There are also elements of Romeo and Juliet here. If you enjoy those other stories, chances are you'll enjoy this as well.
Jeann Wong
Editor's note: Book trailer is available.