A fast-paced, dark and twisted novel, Lyndsay Ely creates a world of wonder and corruption in her very first novel “Gunslinger Girl.”

After her mother died by hanging, Serendipity “Pity” Jones was left with two things: her mother’s sharpshooting ability and a pair of six-shooters. Pity lived a miserable life with her father and two brothers, but then it got worse. Her father was selling her as a “Bridal Bribe.” To escape this horrible fate, Pity and her best friend, Finn, escape North and end up ambushed.

Pity wakes up to find Finn murdered and she’s been rescued by a theatre group heading to the corrupt city of Cessation. Pity is soon swept up into a world of wonder, danger, and show theatre by the artistic stagehand, Max. This leads to the discovery of the dark side of the show, the finale. People in the city of Cessation sometimes get out of line and to return order there is a public execution. The leader of Cessation gives Pity the starring role.

James Patterson did an amazing job finding an author who can write so similarly to him, yet so different. Much like James’s ability to create nightmarish and dangerous scenes, Lyndsay takes that abillity to the next level, while continuing to create a world of romance and surprise.

However, with this being her first novel, there are faults in her writing. She has a great grasp of creating a world, but as a reader it’s quite difficult to understand.

For those who want a different look on a dystopian America, Lyndsay’s first novel will definitely do that. I, personally, loved the unexpected plot twists that always made you rethink the story. If I could change one thing about this book it would be that the universe the book is placed in. It should be explained better so that the reader may better understand the struggles of Serendipity.