5 to 1 by Holly Bodger
- Pub. Date:May 12, 2015
- Publisher:Knopf Books for Young Readers
- Pages:224
- Rating:4/5
- Goodreads/Amazon/Book Depository
In the year 2054, after decades of gender selection, India now has a ratio of five boys for every girl, making women an incredibly valuable commodity. Tired of marrying off their daughters to the highest bidder and determined to finally make marriage fair, the women who form the country of Koyanagar have instituted a series of tests so that every boy has the chance to win a wife.
Sudasa doesn’t want to be a wife, and Kiran, a boy forced to compete in the test to become her husband, has other plans as well. Sudasa’s family wants nothing more than for their daughter to do the right thing and pick a husband who will keep her comfortable—and caged. Kiran’s family wants him to escape by failing the tests. As the tests advance, Sudasa and Kiran thwart each other at every turn until they slowly realize that they just might want the same thing.
This beautiful, unique novel is told from alternating points of view—Sudasa’s in verse and Kiran’s in prose—allowing readers to experience both characters’ pain and their brave struggle for hope.
First Line: "One month from today,
I'll wake to a team of
makeup artist -
hair stylist-
buzzing outside my
door."
Review: 5 to 1 is a dystopian set in India, and what made it that much more unique for its genre is that Sudasa's point of view was written in verse, while Kiran's point of view was written in prose. I love poetry but I don't really read much of it unless if I have to and Sudasa was a huge surprise because I found myself waiting to get to her chapters just to read her point of view in verse. The unique style of writing worked very well with the story.
Going in I was expecting a lot of romance but there wasn't much of it at all, instead it was a story of two individuals living in a society that was forced upon them and their fight for wanting something better. I'm huge on romance but the lack of it in 5 to 1 did not take my enjoyment away from it. Bodger did a wonderful job capturing the Indian culture and traditions, I only wish the book was a little bit longer because the world building needed more work.
Overall 5 to 1 was a captivating read. It was short and I would love to see this as a series because the way it ended you were left wanting more.
Memorable Quotes
I'll wake to a team of
makeup artist -
hair stylist-
buzzing outside my
door."
Review: 5 to 1 is a dystopian set in India, and what made it that much more unique for its genre is that Sudasa's point of view was written in verse, while Kiran's point of view was written in prose. I love poetry but I don't really read much of it unless if I have to and Sudasa was a huge surprise because I found myself waiting to get to her chapters just to read her point of view in verse. The unique style of writing worked very well with the story.
Going in I was expecting a lot of romance but there wasn't much of it at all, instead it was a story of two individuals living in a society that was forced upon them and their fight for wanting something better. I'm huge on romance but the lack of it in 5 to 1 did not take my enjoyment away from it. Bodger did a wonderful job capturing the Indian culture and traditions, I only wish the book was a little bit longer because the world building needed more work.
Overall 5 to 1 was a captivating read. It was short and I would love to see this as a series because the way it ended you were left wanting more.
Memorable Quotes
~"Test or no Tests,
I am not his.
I do
NOT
belong to anyone.
Only belong
to me."
