All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin

Source: Publisher
In 2083, chocolate and coffee are illegal, paper is hard to find, water is carefully rationed, and New York City is rife with crime and poverty. And yet, for Anya Balanchine, the sixteen-year-old daughter of the city's most notorious (and dead) crime boss, life is fairly routine. It consists of going to school, taking care of her siblings and her dying grandmother, trying to avoid falling in love with the new assistant D.A.'s son, and avoiding her loser ex-boyfriend. That is until her ex is accidently poisoned by the chocolate her family manufactures and the police think she's to blame. Suddenly, Anya finds herself thrust unwillingly into the spotlight--at school, in the news, and most importantly, within her mafia family.
Engrossing and suspenseful, All These Things I've Done is an utterly unique, unputdownable read that blends both the familiar and the fantastic.
There are books that I love to read and want to keep on reading, All These Things I've Done is one of those books. The characters are very lively and  realistic. I could relate to most of them, because of how exceptionally flawed they are. I really liked Anya. She was very tough at times, but she was also cautiously loving. I liked that she struggled with her faith and what she wanted, because that was very easy to relate with. I loved hearing from her Grandma, because she is almost from my generation and I liked hearing from her. I loved Leo. He was so sweet to his sisters.  Their younger sister Natty was very cute and sassy. Anya's best friend Scarlet was very sassy and really cared about Anya, even when a boy came between them. Win is a sweet and sensitive guy that I totally fell in love with. He really cared about Anya and wanted the best for her.
The world building of this book is really amazing. It is a dystopian novel, but unlike many other novels in  this genre,the government isn't oppressive. The government seems to be falling apart and becoming more corrupt slowly. I really liked seeing the crime aspects in a novel and how it can affect the people around them. I also love mobsters in books and really loved the futuristic ones. The fact that chocolate and coffee are banned, is depressing, but I could see that happening. Since both product are surrounded in such indulgence now. The plot of this book was exciting for me. I really loved the characters and found myself to be rooting for everything to turn out alright. The pacing varied, but I think that it fit the book well. A problem that I had with Anya's voice is that she would tell what was happening, instead of showing it. Her voice might not appeal to a more sheltered teen, because she has experienced a lot and seems older at times. Zevin's writing captures great character and an engaging plot that I loved.  I liked the mob aspect and am excited to see how this series will play out in the next books. Overall, I enjoyed this book and found it to be a fun and entertaining. If you like other dystopian books, you will probably like this book.