Girl in the Arena

by:  Lise Haine

publisher:  Bloomsbury USA Children's Books

Lyn is a neo-gladiator’s daughter, through and through.  Her mother has made a career out of marrying into the high-profile world of televised blood sport, and the rules of the Gladiator Sports Association are second nature to their family.  Always lend ineffable confidence to the gladiator.  Remind him constantly of his victories. And most importantly: Never leave the stadium when your father is dying. The rules help the family survive, but rules—and the GSA—can also turn against you. When a gifted young fighter kills Lyn’s seventh father, he also captures Lyn’s dowry bracelet, which means she must marry him... For fans of The Hunger Games and Fight Club, Lise Haines’ debut novel is a mesmerizing look at a world addicted to violence—a modern world that’s disturbingly easy to imagine.

I don't know exactly what I was expecting from this book, but I don't think it was this.  However, it was really good.  It was kind of scary because it seemed really plausible, particularly because of the "history of the sport" that was interspersed throughout.

Lyn was a great character.  She was a strong, driven girl and I appreciated that.  I loved the relationship between her and her brother.  I really liked Uber even though he killed her father.  That was kind of sad, but Uber was another great character.  In my head I pictured him to look like Crixus for all you Spartacus fans.

On a side note, I had a really hard time getting my hands on this book.  I couldn't find it at the library, it wasn't in any the local book stores, frustrating!  I finally had to get it from interlibrary loan.