Nina Oberon's life is pretty normal: she hangs out with her best friend, Sandy, and their crew, goes to school, plays with her little sister, Dee. But Nina is 15. And like all girls she'll receive a Governing Council-ordered tattoo on her 16th birthday. XVI. Those three letters will be branded on her wrist, announcing to all the world - even the most predatory of men - that she is ready for sex. Considered easy prey by some, portrayed by the Media as sluts who ask for attacks, becoming a "sex-teen" is Nina's worst fear. That is, until right before her birthday, when Nina's mom is brutally attacked. With her dying breaths, she reveals to Nina a shocking truth about her past - one that destroys everything Nina thought she knew. Now, alone but for her sister, Nina must try to discover who she really is, all the while staying one step ahead of her mother's killer.
XVI
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Book Description
Frequently Bought Together
Editorial Reviews
From Booklist
In 2150 Chicago, girls are walking billboards. Upon turning 16, they receive government-issued tattoos on their wrists that read “XVI.” They’re supposed to keep the girls safe, but in reality, the tattoos broadcast their brand-new sexual availability. As their sixteenth birthdays approach, Nina is increasingly disturbed by her best friend’s obsession with becoming the ideal “sex-teen” and entering the Female Liaison Specialist (FeLs) service, the only option for women from the lower tiers to move up the social ladder. Meanwhile, Nina works hard to uncover the mystery her dead mother left behind, a secret that could end the entire FeLs program. In her unsettling debut, Karr depicts a sex-obsessed future where women are the perpetual victims of predatory marketing, and other societal ills seen in our present—families trapped in the welfare system, pharmaceutical companies in bed with health-care providers and the media—have been taken to terrifying ends. At times the message goes overboard, but there’s no doubt this well-written, accessible sci-fi thriller will provoke discussion. Grades 9-12. --Courtney Jones
Review
Gender politics and sexual awareness play prominent roles in Karr's thought-provoking dystopian debut, set in a totalitarian future. A solid, enjoyable story. Ages 14 up. --Publishers Weekly
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More About the Author
Julia Karr was born in Indiana, and moved to Chicago when she was fifteen. After the initial culture shock of going from quiet, small town living to Carl Sandburg's, "stormy, husky, brawling," metropolis, she fell madly in love with the city. Her schooling in the art of writing came from reading, voraciously. While students were being forced to read the classics, Julia was busy going on author binges. As a young mother, reading books to, and eventually with, her daughters, she fell head-over-heels for children's literature. Not a far stretch for someone who had loved reading since the age of three. While still working a nine-to-five job, after hours Julia can be found at home, sitting on the couch tapping out stories on her laptop, with one of several cats draped behind her and her dogs sleeping nearby.Â
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
27 of 30 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars
Nice Idea, Poor Execution- or- No Matter Who You Are, Shaming Is Not Okay
July 9, 2011
Format:Paperback
The dystopian future that Julia Karr worked with in XVI should have been creepy, unsettling, and more than a little thought-provoking. It was. Unfortunately, not for the reasons the author probably intended. A lot of these comments have mentioned the way that the narrative dragged and that Nina was essentially a boring heroine. That's all true.
What no one seems to have mentioned is the awful messages that this book perpetrates. Nina's best friend, Sandy, buys into the idea of being a sex-teen (an overly sexualized, vapid sixteen year old who's only motivations in life revolve around boys). And we're supposed to sympathize with Nina on how much she wants to help Sandy out, but just can't seem to get Sandy onboard with her concerns.
I really wanted to sympathize. I did. Except that was kind of hard when Nina refused to actually TALK to Sandy about her problems. Nina finds out that her friend essentially wants to sell herself into sex slavery. Instead of sitting down with Sandy and having a conversation about it, Nina decides on her own that Sandy is too stupid to actually understand. This occurs two seconds after Nina is outlining how Sandy isn't very smart, but can be perceptive. What?
The idea that all men are basically dogs who can't control themselves was unnerving, but necessary to the premise of the story. I get that. The idea that women have no control over their own destinies? That I wasn't so on board with. The only women who had any backbone at all in this novel were those that were fortunate enough to be educated. It's a nice thought, and yes, education is important. But the idea that those girls who haven't been fortunate enough to receive the kind of learning that Nina, Wei, or Mrs. Oberon had are just too stupid to actually understand that being taken advantage of is bad? No. Nor did I like the idea that if you wear revealing clothes, you're obviously an idiot who's asking for what they get. This idea is prevalent in rape culture, and while Miss Karr made it evident that Nina 'disapproved' of how men acted when faced with a pretty girl, it was obvious that she agreed with the sentiment that the pretty girl was asking for it. The amount of slut shaming that went on in this book was simply horrifying.
I've read some reviews on other sites that dismiss Julia Karr's ideals and basically brand her as anti-woman. I don't agree- I really think that she was aiming to send a message about empowered women rising above everything. I think she wasn't TRYING to sound like an abstinence teacher, but just wanted to demonstrate that teens should be in charge of their own sexuality, when they feel like they're read.
Sadly, the message she got across was completely the opposite. Most of the mentions of sex seemed like they existed solely for shock value, and every time Nina even considered her own sexuality it was surrounded by a wellspring of guilt and horror. The only women who had even a moment to be empowered in the novel were those that had the kind of money and status that would allow them access to a decent education, and even then- they all pretty much needed the protection of the big, strong men.
I won't spoil the ending of this book, but it was so awful that it made me want to throw this book against a wall. I promptly read Beauty Queens by Libba Bray following it, which has all the messages that Julia Karr aimed for and missed about strong women. Miss Karr, you might want to check it out before you get started on your sequel. You might learn that no matter what your IQ, what you wear, or who you are inside or out, every girl is a real person who shouldn't have to ask forgiveness for existing.
What no one seems to have mentioned is the awful messages that this book perpetrates. Nina's best friend, Sandy, buys into the idea of being a sex-teen (an overly sexualized, vapid sixteen year old who's only motivations in life revolve around boys). And we're supposed to sympathize with Nina on how much she wants to help Sandy out, but just can't seem to get Sandy onboard with her concerns.
I really wanted to sympathize. I did. Except that was kind of hard when Nina refused to actually TALK to Sandy about her problems. Nina finds out that her friend essentially wants to sell herself into sex slavery. Instead of sitting down with Sandy and having a conversation about it, Nina decides on her own that Sandy is too stupid to actually understand. This occurs two seconds after Nina is outlining how Sandy isn't very smart, but can be perceptive. What?
The idea that all men are basically dogs who can't control themselves was unnerving, but necessary to the premise of the story. I get that. The idea that women have no control over their own destinies? That I wasn't so on board with. The only women who had any backbone at all in this novel were those that were fortunate enough to be educated. It's a nice thought, and yes, education is important. But the idea that those girls who haven't been fortunate enough to receive the kind of learning that Nina, Wei, or Mrs. Oberon had are just too stupid to actually understand that being taken advantage of is bad? No. Nor did I like the idea that if you wear revealing clothes, you're obviously an idiot who's asking for what they get. This idea is prevalent in rape culture, and while Miss Karr made it evident that Nina 'disapproved' of how men acted when faced with a pretty girl, it was obvious that she agreed with the sentiment that the pretty girl was asking for it. The amount of slut shaming that went on in this book was simply horrifying.
I've read some reviews on other sites that dismiss Julia Karr's ideals and basically brand her as anti-woman. I don't agree- I really think that she was aiming to send a message about empowered women rising above everything. I think she wasn't TRYING to sound like an abstinence teacher, but just wanted to demonstrate that teens should be in charge of their own sexuality, when they feel like they're read.
Sadly, the message she got across was completely the opposite. Most of the mentions of sex seemed like they existed solely for shock value, and every time Nina even considered her own sexuality it was surrounded by a wellspring of guilt and horror. The only women who had even a moment to be empowered in the novel were those that had the kind of money and status that would allow them access to a decent education, and even then- they all pretty much needed the protection of the big, strong men.
I won't spoil the ending of this book, but it was so awful that it made me want to throw this book against a wall. I promptly read Beauty Queens by Libba Bray following it, which has all the messages that Julia Karr aimed for and missed about strong women. Miss Karr, you might want to check it out before you get started on your sequel. You might learn that no matter what your IQ, what you wear, or who you are inside or out, every girl is a real person who shouldn't have to ask forgiveness for existing.
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
4.5
XVI is one of those books that stick with you. Not just because it is a well-executed and thought-provoking dystopian, but because it has so many components that lend to its greatness. Nina, the MC and a 15 year old girl who is terrified to age that one year and become a `sex-teen,' is strong, but fragile at the same time; she's far too grown up for her years, but still just a child. Her life is dictated by the world around her - which isn't a great one.
Julia Karr has created a Chicago of 2150 that is eerily reminiscent of the world of 1984 (one of my favorite books of all time) and she constantly reminds the reader just how much control the government has over its inhabitants. The technology is believable, at times it's incredible and I wish I could experience it, but other times it just shows how much the government interferes in everyday life.
Nina, her sister Dee, her grandparents, and all of her friends truly have very little control over their own lives. The tier system is very much the same as a caste system and with little hope of moving up in tiers, the girls who turn sixteen sign themselves up to literally become sex slaves, only they believe they're signing up for a better life, just with a few strings attached. Even Nina's best friend, Sandy, is convinced that joining the FeLS (Female Liaison Specialist) is the perfect way to move up in life.
Karr throws Nina into the world of The Resistance and forces her to question all she has ever known, while introducing her to the mysterious Sal too. Nina's only hope at escaping a life of forced sex and possible death, is in the whispered words of a dying woman. Those words drive Nina to become a stronger person, with an unbreakable determination.
At times an emotional thriller, XVI touches on many aspects of the society that we live in and pushes the limits on what could be. Tense, horrifying to imagine, but impossible to put down - I was enthralled in this future world, the technology, and the characters. All the characters are developed and no one felt flat to me. My only complaint is that the ending is rushed. I would have liked to see all of Nina's struggling and worrying pay off in a more fleshed out way, instead of the quick wrap-up. But still, this is a dystopian that cannot be missed.
Opening line: "Nina, look." Sandy jabbed me in the ribs. ~ pg. 12
Favorite lines: I'd choked back so many tears, they'd become a lake of sadness in my belly. ~ pg. 36
And this one:
"Personal sacrifice lies at the center of change for the better." ~ pg. 189
4.5 for sure
XVI is one of those books that stick with you. Not just because it is a well-executed and thought-provoking dystopian, but because it has so many components that lend to its greatness. Nina, the MC and a 15 year old girl who is terrified to age that one year and become a `sex-teen,' is strong, but fragile at the same time; she's far too grown up for her years, but still just a child. Her life is dictated by the world around her - which isn't a great one.
Julia Karr has created a Chicago of 2150 that is eerily reminiscent of the world of 1984 (one of my favorite books of all time) and she constantly reminds the reader just how much control the government has over its inhabitants. The technology is believable, at times it's incredible and I wish I could experience it, but other times it just shows how much the government interferes in everyday life.
Nina, her sister Dee, her grandparents, and all of her friends truly have very little control over their own lives. The tier system is very much the same as a caste system and with little hope of moving up in tiers, the girls who turn sixteen sign themselves up to literally become sex slaves, only they believe they're signing up for a better life, just with a few strings attached. Even Nina's best friend, Sandy, is convinced that joining the FeLS (Female Liaison Specialist) is the perfect way to move up in life.
Karr throws Nina into the world of The Resistance and forces her to question all she has ever known, while introducing her to the mysterious Sal too. Nina's only hope at escaping a life of forced sex and possible death, is in the whispered words of a dying woman. Those words drive Nina to become a stronger person, with an unbreakable determination.
At times an emotional thriller, XVI touches on many aspects of the society that we live in and pushes the limits on what could be. Tense, horrifying to imagine, but impossible to put down - I was enthralled in this future world, the technology, and the characters. All the characters are developed and no one felt flat to me. My only complaint is that the ending is rushed. I would have liked to see all of Nina's struggling and worrying pay off in a more fleshed out way, instead of the quick wrap-up. But still, this is a dystopian that cannot be missed.
Opening line: "Nina, look." Sandy jabbed me in the ribs. ~ pg. 12
Favorite lines: I'd choked back so many tears, they'd become a lake of sadness in my belly. ~ pg. 36
And this one:
"Personal sacrifice lies at the center of change for the better." ~ pg. 189
4.5 for sure
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
It's a little bit strange, but I feel as though I've grown particularly choosy when it comes to the dystopian novels I pick up lately. I'm not sure if this is a result of the seemingly increased number of YA ones, in particular, being released. Or if it's merely that my taste is evolving somewhat over time. I did read several for the SciFi/Fantasy panel I served on for the Cybils this year. Some were good, some not so good, as is to be expected. But so often the substance fails to live up to the premise for me. And those are sad days, where I wonder what went wrong and if it was the book, the execution, or me. In any event, I was looking forward to the release of Julia Karr's debut novel--XVI--with a fair amount of anticipation and curiosity, hoping it would stand out among its fellows and earn a permanent spot on my shelves. I read it in the space of a single evening and have been examining my thoughts on it for a little while now.
Nina Oberon is about to turn sixteen. And in her world, this monumental occasion is about more than just a driver's license and more freedom on the dating field. So much more. At the ripe old age of sixteen, or "sexteen" as her world calls it, girls are essentially fair game for any and every boy/man/pervert that comes strolling by. Girls turn sixteen and get the infamous XVI tattoo on their wrist proclaiming their newly available status and Nina, for one, is scared. Most girls, like her hyper best friend Sandy, can't wait to achieve their new status in the world. Drunk on the wealth of male attention that will come their way and the promise of a whole new host of opportunities that will come their way, they anxiously look forward to the day they get their tattoo. Not so for Nina. Raised by her pragmatic, if romantically hapless single mother Ginnie, along with her younger sister Dee, Nina has grown up dreading what will happen when she reaches her sixteenth birthday. Her mother has trained her not to believe the rosy, inane images the media blithely shoves down young girls' throats and Nina is cautious to the point that when her longtime friend Derek begins to see her in a different light it triggers outright panic in Nina. Then her mother is brutally murdered in a back alley and, on her death bed, she reveals to Nina that her father isn't actually dead and that she must find him and keep her sister Dee safe.
Okay. Lots of potential, right? I liked the setup and I definitely liked Nina. She was strong from the start and it was a relief to read about a main character who doesn't spend the entire novel in the dark, floating around believing the garbage her society has set up as reality. However. Those were the only strong points in the book. The rest of the cast of characters felt disturbingly two-dimensional. They were good cut-outs (particularly Wei and Derek) and they could easily have developed into fully-fledged characters who I really admired and followed. But they stayed in the background, flat and chirpy, never fully inhabiting a spot on my radar. Even Nina's growing relationship with a mysterious, possibly homeless, boy named Sal never got its feet off the ground. I didn't buy Nina's too-sudden weak knees, given how adamant and self-possessed she was to begin with. And I really didn't buy Sal's too convenient interest in her, given what we learn about their interlocked past and his involvement with many things underground. There were no real reasons behind their association and I found myself fairly ambivalent toward them both. The treatment of underlying themes soon began to bother me as well. What could have been a compelling exploration of adolescent life in a terrifyingly misogynistic society quickly devolved into an oddly simplistic tale with very little to recommend it. Things moved too slowly and not far enough to provide a satisfying conclusion in which I could feel as though progress was made and character arcs developed. Rather the conclusion was anticlimactic and verging on the trite--so not in keeping with its edgy, loaded premise.
Nina Oberon is about to turn sixteen. And in her world, this monumental occasion is about more than just a driver's license and more freedom on the dating field. So much more. At the ripe old age of sixteen, or "sexteen" as her world calls it, girls are essentially fair game for any and every boy/man/pervert that comes strolling by. Girls turn sixteen and get the infamous XVI tattoo on their wrist proclaiming their newly available status and Nina, for one, is scared. Most girls, like her hyper best friend Sandy, can't wait to achieve their new status in the world. Drunk on the wealth of male attention that will come their way and the promise of a whole new host of opportunities that will come their way, they anxiously look forward to the day they get their tattoo. Not so for Nina. Raised by her pragmatic, if romantically hapless single mother Ginnie, along with her younger sister Dee, Nina has grown up dreading what will happen when she reaches her sixteenth birthday. Her mother has trained her not to believe the rosy, inane images the media blithely shoves down young girls' throats and Nina is cautious to the point that when her longtime friend Derek begins to see her in a different light it triggers outright panic in Nina. Then her mother is brutally murdered in a back alley and, on her death bed, she reveals to Nina that her father isn't actually dead and that she must find him and keep her sister Dee safe.
Okay. Lots of potential, right? I liked the setup and I definitely liked Nina. She was strong from the start and it was a relief to read about a main character who doesn't spend the entire novel in the dark, floating around believing the garbage her society has set up as reality. However. Those were the only strong points in the book. The rest of the cast of characters felt disturbingly two-dimensional. They were good cut-outs (particularly Wei and Derek) and they could easily have developed into fully-fledged characters who I really admired and followed. But they stayed in the background, flat and chirpy, never fully inhabiting a spot on my radar. Even Nina's growing relationship with a mysterious, possibly homeless, boy named Sal never got its feet off the ground. I didn't buy Nina's too-sudden weak knees, given how adamant and self-possessed she was to begin with. And I really didn't buy Sal's too convenient interest in her, given what we learn about their interlocked past and his involvement with many things underground. There were no real reasons behind their association and I found myself fairly ambivalent toward them both. The treatment of underlying themes soon began to bother me as well. What could have been a compelling exploration of adolescent life in a terrifyingly misogynistic society quickly devolved into an oddly simplistic tale with very little to recommend it. Things moved too slowly and not far enough to provide a satisfying conclusion in which I could feel as though progress was made and character arcs developed. Rather the conclusion was anticlimactic and verging on the trite--so not in keeping with its edgy, loaded premise.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
awesome concept
I really enjoyed this book. I am hoping that the author will be writing a 3rd book for this series. My friends and I have all enjoyed reading it.
Published 5 months ago by Loyal Amazon Shopper
4.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting Premise and a Good Start to the Series
I can see the criticism some of the reviewers have voiced about the book emphasizing sex as a bad thing and "slut-shaming. Read more
Published 7 months ago by heyshay07
3.0 out of 5 stars
Promising premise, disappointing execution
This book had an interesting and promising premise but I was dissatisfied with the execution. The "sex-teen" thing was a specter over the entire thing, but most of the conflict was... Read more
Published 9 months ago by A.N. LeFay
1.0 out of 5 stars
Offensive yet bland
I had an immense amount of trouble finishing this book. I don't think the topic was handled well in the story. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Lizzy's Dark Fiction
3.0 out of 5 stars
XVI
This book had a lot of promise for me. After reading the synopsis, I wanted to read this book immediately. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Sierra
3.0 out of 5 stars
It's Ok
It's a very nice idea. And it explores a very dark topic. It's very brave to write about something like this, because I'm not sure that I could. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Claire M. Veade
3.0 out of 5 stars
Couldn't quite connect
I'm sad to to say I did not love this book. There were a few good aspects about it, but overall I really wasn't a fan of XVI. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Jasmine Baggenstos
4.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting Idea, interesting story, but not great
(Really more like a 3.5)
XVI by Julia Karr is a dystopian novel set in an especially horrific world, especially for women. Read more
XVI by Julia Karr is a dystopian novel set in an especially horrific world, especially for women. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Basically Amazing Ashley
4.0 out of 5 stars
XVI going on Prostitute
This book caught my attention with the talk of sex. But it was a science fiction book, so I was curious. When I picked this book up I had no idea what I was in store for. Read more
Published 15 months ago by The Jade Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting Read
The Setup:
So, Nina and her friends are living in a world where women are pretty much whores the minute they turn sixteen (either willingly or not) and the masses are... Read more
So, Nina and her friends are living in a world where women are pretty much whores the minute they turn sixteen (either willingly or not) and the masses are... Read more
Published 16 months ago by Stephanie
