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Exceptional #1
Exceptional
"In the future, things are anything but ordinary..."
In 2022, the United States commissioned a group of scientists to experiment with genetic mutations. Their goal was to create a serum that would alter the human genetic code, making the subject stronger and faster. They succeeded but their victory was short lived. Not only had they created a super serum, but also an airborne virus. By 2025, seventy-five percent of the world's population had perished. The survivors, well their lives would never be the same.
175 A.V.
Ally is an Ordinary; a human immune to the virus. She lives in a settlement outside the City with her mother and twin brother, but lately it doesn't seem to be enough. She is wrestling between being with her family and volunteering to move to the City, where she can work for the Exceptionals.
Luke is an Exceptional; a superior human being. His ancestors were infected with the virus and lived through it, leaving their super human strength and special abilities to him. He has never given much thought to Ordinarys, despite pressure from his father to choose one from the ORC. But all of that changes when he meets Ally...
In 2022, the United States commissioned a group of scientists to experiment with genetic mutations. Their goal was to create a serum that would alter the human genetic code, making the subject stronger and faster. They succeeded but their victory was short lived. Not only had they created a super serum, but also an airborne virus. By 2025, seventy-five percent of the world's population had perished. The survivors, well their lives would never be the same.
175 A.V.
Ally is an Ordinary; a human immune to the virus. She lives in a settlement outside the City with her mother and twin brother, but lately it doesn't seem to be enough. She is wrestling between being with her family and volunteering to move to the City, where she can work for the Exceptionals.
Luke is an Exceptional; a superior human being. His ancestors were infected with the virus and lived through it, leaving their super human strength and special abilities to him. He has never given much thought to Ordinarys, despite pressure from his father to choose one from the ORC. But all of that changes when he meets Ally...
259 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 23, 2012
75 people are currently reading
2370 people want to read
About the author
Jess Petosa
13 books219 followersJess Petosa resides in Indiana with her husband, three daughters, and two miniature long-haired dachshunds. Her imaginative day dreaming led her to a career in writing dystopian and science fiction Young Adult novels. Every now and then she dabbles in romance novels as well.
You can find her on Facebook under Jess Petosa and Instagram [jesspetosa].
You can find her on Facebook under Jess Petosa and Instagram [jesspetosa].
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 260 reviews
March 6, 2012
YES, YES, YES, YES, YES!!!!! Finally, I have come across a dystopian novel that does not just prattle on about how awful the world is for ten chapters and then toss in a mini-romance as an afterthought. I thought maybe Shatter Me (which, admittedly stands in a class of it's own) may be the only one, but Jess Petosa pulled it off in spades!! I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this book!
Exceptional brings us Ally, an Ordinary living in the settlement just outside the City where the Exceptionals live. Though she's intrigued by the prospect of joining their world as a volunteer to work for them within their walls, she doesn't want to leave her mother and twin brother behind. The decision is made for her when one wrong move has her being dragged into the city walls by the guards. Luckily for Ally, the sexy and sweet Exceptional Luke can't help but feel drawn to her, and it changes everything.
First off, I love Ally! She's feisty, confident, brave, and just plain awesome! She's thrown into a world that's completely foreign to her, with this stranger, and she holds her own. She's confused and isn't sure what to make of Luke, or what him choosing her means. Just as she begins to consider the feelings that Luke stirs up in her, Petosa throw us another twist and Ally is questioning everything she's seen so far. I love that Ally doesn't just accept the way of life for Ordinaries in the city; she's intrigued by how different things are for the Exceptionals, but she holds onto her ideals when it comes to how they treat her kind.
Luke is spectacular, I mean Exceptional is the perfect description for this character!! He's sexy, powerful, smart, strong, and so sweet to Ally that it just melted my heart! He is the son of Aden, the leader of the city, and his privileged life left him rarely questioning anything about the ways of their existence. When Ally comes into his life, seeing her treated as inhumanely as the other Ordinaries (oh, how the ORC angered me!!!) suddenly makes him wonder if his father's decisions could be wrong. I couldn't get enough of Luke, and I was eating up every new detail I learned about him along the way!
The spark between Ally and Luke grabbed my attention right away, they were just...HOT together! They have this amazing chemistry that just draws you right into their romance. I love that, because of the situation they're in (not giving any spoilers!!), things started out beyond where a normal relationship would start. Like the fire was already lit, and they're tending to the fire but not letting it become an inferno (yet...please, Jess Petosa, let them have many more steamy moments in the sequel!)! Their feelings seemed real and honest, and it made the whole story so much more exciting and memorable.
I can't mention how much I loved these characters without mentioning how much I HATE Luke's father. Aden is the most powerful Exceptional, and this coupled with being in charge of the city has turned him into a narcissistic, unfeeling asshole. He's the perfect antagonist, yielding his power and control over Ally and Luke to ensure things always go the way he sees fit. Few characters have brought out this much of a negative reaction from me, and I have to give Petosa credit for creating a villain so detestable!
So, obviously the love story in Exceptional was phenomenal, but that was only part of what's going on here. The plot, with the X-Men meets Half-Blood feel, was creatively written. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the way of life for both the Originals and the Exceptionals, because this story had it's own uniqueness to it. The history behind the virus and how humans dealt with the aftermath, and the twists and turns that are thrown at you left and right, are all a part of what makes this story stand out. Every time I thought I saw where things were going and started to wonder how there could still be so much of the book left to read, Petosa would throw a huge twist in that changed everything. Some were heartbreaking, others just another thrilling piece to the puzzle. My heart was doing cartwheels and my stomach was tied in knots during several scenes!
I didn't want to leave Ally and Luke's story, and I was biting my nails as my kindle came closer to that dreaded 100%! And the ending...OH MY GOD!!! This was harder to swallow than the ending to Crescendo, and it had me cursing, fuming, and crying all at once!! I'm floored, heartbroken, crushed...any word you can think of for complete and utter shock. I don't know where things will go, but I'm so excited to read the sequel!!! I highly recommend this book to all YA paranormal romance fans, and I guarantee you won't be sorry!
Exceptional brings us Ally, an Ordinary living in the settlement just outside the City where the Exceptionals live. Though she's intrigued by the prospect of joining their world as a volunteer to work for them within their walls, she doesn't want to leave her mother and twin brother behind. The decision is made for her when one wrong move has her being dragged into the city walls by the guards. Luckily for Ally, the sexy and sweet Exceptional Luke can't help but feel drawn to her, and it changes everything.
First off, I love Ally! She's feisty, confident, brave, and just plain awesome! She's thrown into a world that's completely foreign to her, with this stranger, and she holds her own. She's confused and isn't sure what to make of Luke, or what him choosing her means. Just as she begins to consider the feelings that Luke stirs up in her, Petosa throw us another twist and Ally is questioning everything she's seen so far. I love that Ally doesn't just accept the way of life for Ordinaries in the city; she's intrigued by how different things are for the Exceptionals, but she holds onto her ideals when it comes to how they treat her kind.
Luke is spectacular, I mean Exceptional is the perfect description for this character!! He's sexy, powerful, smart, strong, and so sweet to Ally that it just melted my heart! He is the son of Aden, the leader of the city, and his privileged life left him rarely questioning anything about the ways of their existence. When Ally comes into his life, seeing her treated as inhumanely as the other Ordinaries (oh, how the ORC angered me!!!) suddenly makes him wonder if his father's decisions could be wrong. I couldn't get enough of Luke, and I was eating up every new detail I learned about him along the way!
The spark between Ally and Luke grabbed my attention right away, they were just...HOT together! They have this amazing chemistry that just draws you right into their romance. I love that, because of the situation they're in (not giving any spoilers!!), things started out beyond where a normal relationship would start. Like the fire was already lit, and they're tending to the fire but not letting it become an inferno (yet...please, Jess Petosa, let them have many more steamy moments in the sequel!)! Their feelings seemed real and honest, and it made the whole story so much more exciting and memorable.
I can't mention how much I loved these characters without mentioning how much I HATE Luke's father. Aden is the most powerful Exceptional, and this coupled with being in charge of the city has turned him into a narcissistic, unfeeling asshole. He's the perfect antagonist, yielding his power and control over Ally and Luke to ensure things always go the way he sees fit. Few characters have brought out this much of a negative reaction from me, and I have to give Petosa credit for creating a villain so detestable!
So, obviously the love story in Exceptional was phenomenal, but that was only part of what's going on here. The plot, with the X-Men meets Half-Blood feel, was creatively written. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the way of life for both the Originals and the Exceptionals, because this story had it's own uniqueness to it. The history behind the virus and how humans dealt with the aftermath, and the twists and turns that are thrown at you left and right, are all a part of what makes this story stand out. Every time I thought I saw where things were going and started to wonder how there could still be so much of the book left to read, Petosa would throw a huge twist in that changed everything. Some were heartbreaking, others just another thrilling piece to the puzzle. My heart was doing cartwheels and my stomach was tied in knots during several scenes!
I didn't want to leave Ally and Luke's story, and I was biting my nails as my kindle came closer to that dreaded 100%! And the ending...OH MY GOD!!! This was harder to swallow than the ending to Crescendo, and it had me cursing, fuming, and crying all at once!! I'm floored, heartbroken, crushed...any word you can think of for complete and utter shock. I don't know where things will go, but I'm so excited to read the sequel!!! I highly recommend this book to all YA paranormal romance fans, and I guarantee you won't be sorry!
July 24, 2016
The beginning started off a little slow, then things got really interesting in the middle. Finding out what was really going on in the City. Reading about what abilities different people had. And then the ending just left me confused. Ally excepted things wayyyy to easily. Things that had me gasping and she was just like, "Ok, I guess I can see the reasoning behind that." What?? Don't know if I'm going to read the next book.
April 29, 2013
***NOTE: There is swearing in this review. Sorry!!!***
This book. Oh lordy, this book. I bought this book on my Kindle after finishing The Breeders and finding it in my Amason Recommendations. The idea presented in the summary was interesting, a world of two evolved humans; one immune to a serum-virus, and the other a superhuman race of powerful, violet eyed beings.
Sadly, the writing in the summary beat out the novel. Exceptional had its pros and cons, but in my opinion the cons FAR outweighed the pros. The author presented a GREAT idea! I found the idea of a military-engineered disease hella interesting! But sadly Jess Petosa didn't pull though with her writing. Her writing felt like a child's writing at some times in the story, which pulled me out of the tale and made me think, wow, this sentence/paragraph/chapter was really kind of poorly written. I felt Ms. Petosa could have been far more descriptive in some parts. I also found faults with her grammar and on a few occasions her spelling, which genuinely bothered me.
I also found fault with some of her character actions. If felt like once Luke and Ally got together (which was fairly quickly) they were. Always. Kissing.
Now, I've got no problem with romance and PDA's, but dear god It felt like ever fucking conversation the two of them had Luke had his tongue down Ally's throat.
I also had a HUGE! problem with the authors inconstancies! She first describes Exceptionals as tall, athletic people with violet eyes, but it seems like she forgot that when she It genuinely felt forced when that plot point occurred, and it bothered me and quite a few of my friend when it was explained to them. I also didn't like Ally's reaction to Personally, I would have flipped the fuck out, especially if the one who did the action was my BOYFRIEND'S FATHER. She seemed barely phased by this and goes on with life as usual.
These are just a few of my problems with this book. I had many, many more, and I disliked it greatly. This was not an enjoyable reading experience, and I do noy understand the reviews this book is receiving.
This book. Oh lordy, this book. I bought this book on my Kindle after finishing The Breeders and finding it in my Amason Recommendations. The idea presented in the summary was interesting, a world of two evolved humans; one immune to a serum-virus, and the other a superhuman race of powerful, violet eyed beings.
Sadly, the writing in the summary beat out the novel. Exceptional had its pros and cons, but in my opinion the cons FAR outweighed the pros. The author presented a GREAT idea! I found the idea of a military-engineered disease hella interesting! But sadly Jess Petosa didn't pull though with her writing. Her writing felt like a child's writing at some times in the story, which pulled me out of the tale and made me think, wow, this sentence/paragraph/chapter was really kind of poorly written. I felt Ms. Petosa could have been far more descriptive in some parts. I also found faults with her grammar and on a few occasions her spelling, which genuinely bothered me.
I also found fault with some of her character actions. If felt like once Luke and Ally got together (which was fairly quickly) they were. Always. Kissing.
Now, I've got no problem with romance and PDA's, but dear god It felt like ever fucking conversation the two of them had Luke had his tongue down Ally's throat.
I also had a HUGE! problem with the authors inconstancies! She first describes Exceptionals as tall, athletic people with violet eyes, but it seems like she forgot that when she It genuinely felt forced when that plot point occurred, and it bothered me and quite a few of my friend when it was explained to them. I also didn't like Ally's reaction to Personally, I would have flipped the fuck out, especially if the one who did the action was my BOYFRIEND'S FATHER. She seemed barely phased by this and goes on with life as usual.
These are just a few of my problems with this book. I had many, many more, and I disliked it greatly. This was not an enjoyable reading experience, and I do noy understand the reviews this book is receiving.
April 2, 2013
I really wanted to like this book, but it just fell short. I loved the idea of it, but there were many areas were is seriously lapsed. Here's a quick synopsis.
Pros:
- World is a great idea
- Pretty decent overall plot
Cons:
- Poor character development (characters often make random decisions that are not explained to the reader)
- Kind of ridiculous romance (love-at-first-sight infatuation...)
- Lack of world building (we don't get much explanation of things)
I was constantly put off by the lack of explanation for pretty much anything. The characters made sporadic decisions, showing little or no thought process, and a lot of the Exceptionals powers were not well explained on the world-building side. Most of the characters were simply very hollow. They were categorized pretty clearly as "good" or "bad". The romance was very spontaneous and lacked any real development.
The story was not really bad, but I would just recommend a lot of other books before this one. It starts to pick up at the end here and I was hoping that it would get better throughout the series, but I'm nearly done with the second book and it doesn't seem to have gotten much better.
If you have nothing else to read, I guess you could read this but there are certainly better YA books out there.
Pros:
- World is a great idea
- Pretty decent overall plot
Cons:
- Poor character development (characters often make random decisions that are not explained to the reader)
- Kind of ridiculous romance (love-at-first-sight infatuation...)
- Lack of world building (we don't get much explanation of things)
I was constantly put off by the lack of explanation for pretty much anything. The characters made sporadic decisions, showing little or no thought process, and a lot of the Exceptionals powers were not well explained on the world-building side. Most of the characters were simply very hollow. They were categorized pretty clearly as "good" or "bad". The romance was very spontaneous and lacked any real development.
The story was not really bad, but I would just recommend a lot of other books before this one. It starts to pick up at the end here and I was hoping that it would get better throughout the series, but I'm nearly done with the second book and it doesn't seem to have gotten much better.
If you have nothing else to read, I guess you could read this but there are certainly better YA books out there.
February 12, 2013
As a disclaimer, I am going to remind everyone that our W Valley Women's Book Club just finished WARM BODIES. So as I started this paranormal, sci-fi piece my first thought was Yogi Berra's expression, "Deja vu, all over again." Two star-crossed lovers (although they never do it...irritating)from different sides of the tracks, and whose family would never agree to, etc. There was more technology, it's the world decades from now,wars are a thing of the past but the Exceptionals use their incredible power to kill people or turn them into ash...which they see differently than war, ha. But really REALLY the same story of Ally and Luke, and no matter how much they love each other it will never work. But of course, you have to sign up for the series to learn if that is how it really ends.
The pace and tight writing worked for me. I get a good picture of Ally and of Aden, but not so much of Luke. I don't know why. He just didn't come to life for me, persona, although his feelings and hatred for Aden, father, did come through. And the subplot of the father/son was well done and kept me turning those pages.
This whole genre (i.e. Hunger Games, etc) is just a stretch for me. I did, however, enjoy this wonderfully written, action-packed, thriller and was glad it was short. Because again, as I keep saying I am not into this genre. So here goes, you can be like me and read this one with interest as kind of a Michael-Crichton-on-steroids thingy or keep up with the series and see how it all rolls out.
The pace and tight writing worked for me. I get a good picture of Ally and of Aden, but not so much of Luke. I don't know why. He just didn't come to life for me, persona, although his feelings and hatred for Aden, father, did come through. And the subplot of the father/son was well done and kept me turning those pages.
This whole genre (i.e. Hunger Games, etc) is just a stretch for me. I did, however, enjoy this wonderfully written, action-packed, thriller and was glad it was short. Because again, as I keep saying I am not into this genre. So here goes, you can be like me and read this one with interest as kind of a Michael-Crichton-on-steroids thingy or keep up with the series and see how it all rolls out.
July 15, 2014
I liked the idea behind this. The Exceptionals and the Ordinarys and the world it created. But from the very beginning I could sense something very sinister about it that I didnt like. It was like an itch that wouldnt go away and prevented me from enjoying the experience. And once the forced breeding was introduced my feelings were justified. It bothered me as much as it did in Wither, and even more at times because we were forced to accept Ally's situation. Maybe it has something to do with being a woman, but it really bothered me. And most of the book covered the romance between Ally and Luke, so that didnt help me forget about the forced breeding. And I didnt find Luke particularly interesting either. There wasnt really anything wrong with him (except one thing I will get to later), but there wasnt really anything special about him either. Not even slightly swoon-worthy imo.
Things started to pick up eventually and steered away from the romance and I was glad, and it was getting interesting, but then it ended. The ending was so sudden. I did not like it at all. Not only because it was a sad thing to happen, but I just hate cliffhanger endings in books. I feel like books should be able to stand alone when they have to. Some loose ends are ok, and expected in a series. But not a full on "To be continue", middle of the action, cliffhanger. To me it feels like a cheap trick to get people to read the next book, because the author knows its not good enough on its own to get people to come back.
And I started to get a little upset with Luke in the end. That is the one issue I have with him. Ally asked him not to lie to her while trying to protect her. She would rather have the truth. But in the end, he not only lies, he orchestrates an entire scenario that leads to several deaths in order to force her into making the decision that he thinks is best for her. I dont know if it was supposed to be romantic, that he would go that far to protect her. But I dont think it is. It was extremely controlling. Especially not after his friend asked him if he would have gone with her, and Luke replied, "I didnt want to have a chance to find out." What? What is that supposed to mean? He didnt want to have the opportunity to be with the girl he loves? He didnt want the opportunity to protect her properly? I am not sure if I will read the next book in the series or not. But I have a long time before I have to decide.
Things started to pick up eventually and steered away from the romance and I was glad, and it was getting interesting, but then it ended. The ending was so sudden. I did not like it at all. Not only because it was a sad thing to happen, but I just hate cliffhanger endings in books. I feel like books should be able to stand alone when they have to. Some loose ends are ok, and expected in a series. But not a full on "To be continue", middle of the action, cliffhanger. To me it feels like a cheap trick to get people to read the next book, because the author knows its not good enough on its own to get people to come back.
And I started to get a little upset with Luke in the end. That is the one issue I have with him. Ally asked him not to lie to her while trying to protect her. She would rather have the truth. But in the end, he not only lies, he orchestrates an entire scenario that leads to several deaths in order to force her into making the decision that he thinks is best for her. I dont know if it was supposed to be romantic, that he would go that far to protect her. But I dont think it is. It was extremely controlling. Especially not after his friend asked him if he would have gone with her, and Luke replied, "I didnt want to have a chance to find out." What? What is that supposed to mean? He didnt want to have the opportunity to be with the girl he loves? He didnt want the opportunity to protect her properly? I am not sure if I will read the next book in the series or not. But I have a long time before I have to decide.
April 29, 2012
I really liked this book. I found Ally to be a strong character and I absolutely LOVED Luke. He was so sweet and I thought he and Ally fit each other perfectly. I liked the secondary characters a lot as well. Aden, Luke's father, is a total jerk and I felt really bad for Luke.
I'm kinda sad to say that the Rogue concept was a little dull because I really liked this book, but it's I'm still ecxited to see where the rest of this story goes. I can't wait to see what happens with Luke and Ally.
I'm kinda sad to say that the Rogue concept was a little dull because I really liked this book, but it's I'm still ecxited to see where the rest of this story goes. I can't wait to see what happens with Luke and Ally.
March 3, 2014
I was intrigued by the book because I didn't see what was coming next. A lot of the typical dystopian fiction, young adult reads are somewhat predictable and this one was not. Loved Ally and her character development. I really was constantly surprised at the twists and turns in the story and can't wait to start on the second book.
October 28, 2014
********2nd Reading Review********
I originally rated this four stars but a reread has left me with a 3 star rating as there are too many negative attributes for a four star but it is an interesting plot and I'm going to reread the second one immediately so I can get to the third for a first read.
Quick Rundown: Ordinary Chick lives in the Woodcutters Suburb of 150 years in the future Chicago. A super virus ended up creating Exceptionals who have varying levels of super abilities and the Ordinaries who were immune to the virus and are just regular old humans. Chick accidentally gets taken to the City and is rescued by Dude who is the City Leader's only son. None of the Ordinaries know what happens in the city as none ever return from it and there are some good things and of course, some bad things that come to light. Insta love, secrets revealed, and then a fight for their lives?
Characterization: This is mediocre. 50% through the book and there was a lot of telling instead of showing when it came to the characters. Chick is all over the place. Sometimes she's smart, sometimes she's dumb and clueless. She's a whole big contradiction but I still rooted for her in the end. Dude came off as more developed than Chick and he's conflicted because he hates his father but comes to realize that maybe he shouldn't hate his father and his father's motives. The father is the Big Bad in this book and that's pretty clear from the get-go. But, you are left wondering at times if he truly is a bad guy or if he's making a sacrifice that is best for the people. We won't know until the plot is resolved so the discrepancy there makes sense. The secondary characters were a little underdeveloped as well. They really have no personality at all though I expect that to change in future books.
Plot: This is where I am half in and half out. The plot is a good one but you don't really feel it until about 75% in-- once I got there, I was hooked despite the first 50% being a complete juvenile read. There are plenty of twists and turns and I can't say that all are predictable as I have read this before and so I started to remember some things that were coming but despite that, I don't recall reading too many clues that would make this a predictable read. The romance is on the ridiculous side. It's not overwhelming just unbelievable. Again, it's all telling (what little there was of that) instead of showing. Lot's of kissing scenes that were just not felt by me. Again, what romance there was was very underdeveloped.
Plot Hole: There are TONS of these in this book and that's the second reason behind characterization that gave this 3 stars. This is also a reason why this might be a hard YA sell to an adult reader. Some examples: Someone gets killed by a gun which is obsolete and this person has killing superpowers so why the gun? The person who is shot isn't mourned properly by those that are attached to them even 24 hours later. Why is the Dad so old compared to his 18 year old son when he's the Leader? Shouldn't he have conceived a child a lot quicker considering he is at the top no matter the circumstances? Why are the Ordinaries in this household treated so well when you expect indentured servants to be treated someone cruelly. Twins separated and supposedly have this strong twin bond but the other twin rarely get's mentioned when the other is away from them. Why is Chick not asking questions about her place in the city? Why aren't the Exceptional Fathers wanting their ORC children? And the biggest plot hole of all----Why no mention of religion? We are only 2-3 generations from present day and it's mentioned that Ordinaries hold onto their past but there is absolutely NO MENTION OF RELIGION. I suppose it would have been too complicated to incorporate but that's a big reason why this book is meant for juveniles instead of adults. And that's a shame because the plot is good.
Writing: I think this is a better read for teenagers and there is no sex and barely any violence (zero graphic) so I see no reason why young teens shouldn't read this. Watching my 10 year old nephew play whatever that killing game is, is way more graphic than this book (Call of Duty?). With that being said, as a 37 year old adult, I'm totally pulled into the plot at this point and will keep reading despite the juvenile writing. It does get better as the plot develops and it's not a "See Spot Run" kind of writing style but there are too many inconsistencies and plot holes to make this a YA for adults book.
Overall: Totally pulled into the plot which is excellent so far but put your blinders on for above criticisms. Good rainy day read when you don't want to think but want a little action dystopian story.
-Spuffed
I originally rated this four stars but a reread has left me with a 3 star rating as there are too many negative attributes for a four star but it is an interesting plot and I'm going to reread the second one immediately so I can get to the third for a first read.
Quick Rundown: Ordinary Chick lives in the Woodcutters Suburb of 150 years in the future Chicago. A super virus ended up creating Exceptionals who have varying levels of super abilities and the Ordinaries who were immune to the virus and are just regular old humans. Chick accidentally gets taken to the City and is rescued by Dude who is the City Leader's only son. None of the Ordinaries know what happens in the city as none ever return from it and there are some good things and of course, some bad things that come to light. Insta love, secrets revealed, and then a fight for their lives?
Characterization: This is mediocre. 50% through the book and there was a lot of telling instead of showing when it came to the characters. Chick is all over the place. Sometimes she's smart, sometimes she's dumb and clueless. She's a whole big contradiction but I still rooted for her in the end. Dude came off as more developed than Chick and he's conflicted because he hates his father but comes to realize that maybe he shouldn't hate his father and his father's motives. The father is the Big Bad in this book and that's pretty clear from the get-go. But, you are left wondering at times if he truly is a bad guy or if he's making a sacrifice that is best for the people. We won't know until the plot is resolved so the discrepancy there makes sense. The secondary characters were a little underdeveloped as well. They really have no personality at all though I expect that to change in future books.
Plot: This is where I am half in and half out. The plot is a good one but you don't really feel it until about 75% in-- once I got there, I was hooked despite the first 50% being a complete juvenile read. There are plenty of twists and turns and I can't say that all are predictable as I have read this before and so I started to remember some things that were coming but despite that, I don't recall reading too many clues that would make this a predictable read. The romance is on the ridiculous side. It's not overwhelming just unbelievable. Again, it's all telling (what little there was of that) instead of showing. Lot's of kissing scenes that were just not felt by me. Again, what romance there was was very underdeveloped.
Plot Hole: There are TONS of these in this book and that's the second reason behind characterization that gave this 3 stars. This is also a reason why this might be a hard YA sell to an adult reader. Some examples: Someone gets killed by a gun which is obsolete and this person has killing superpowers so why the gun? The person who is shot isn't mourned properly by those that are attached to them even 24 hours later. Why is the Dad so old compared to his 18 year old son when he's the Leader? Shouldn't he have conceived a child a lot quicker considering he is at the top no matter the circumstances? Why are the Ordinaries in this household treated so well when you expect indentured servants to be treated someone cruelly. Twins separated and supposedly have this strong twin bond but the other twin rarely get's mentioned when the other is away from them. Why is Chick not asking questions about her place in the city? Why aren't the Exceptional Fathers wanting their ORC children? And the biggest plot hole of all----Why no mention of religion? We are only 2-3 generations from present day and it's mentioned that Ordinaries hold onto their past but there is absolutely NO MENTION OF RELIGION. I suppose it would have been too complicated to incorporate but that's a big reason why this book is meant for juveniles instead of adults. And that's a shame because the plot is good.
Writing: I think this is a better read for teenagers and there is no sex and barely any violence (zero graphic) so I see no reason why young teens shouldn't read this. Watching my 10 year old nephew play whatever that killing game is, is way more graphic than this book (Call of Duty?). With that being said, as a 37 year old adult, I'm totally pulled into the plot at this point and will keep reading despite the juvenile writing. It does get better as the plot develops and it's not a "See Spot Run" kind of writing style but there are too many inconsistencies and plot holes to make this a YA for adults book.
Overall: Totally pulled into the plot which is excellent so far but put your blinders on for above criticisms. Good rainy day read when you don't want to think but want a little action dystopian story.
-Spuffed
May 14, 2014
What I hate more than anything is having to write a bad review for a book. But I'm just going to treat this like how I would review a peer's creative writing paper.
This book is a dystopian book. Scientists make a serum which causes genetic mutations and it is airborne. It spreads all over the word causing the population to perish to what is now known as Ordinary's: those who the virus does not affect and Exceptional's those who are affected by the virus and are superior beings. They have powers and are stronger and faster than normal humans. Unfortunately, this makes them "supreme" beings and better than the humans who are immune to the virus. Ordinary;s are treated like slaves and used for other...things...
Ally an ordinary lives in the settlement outside the city. She gets captured by the guards outside her settlement and his saved by an Exceptional, Luke, who is instantly enamored by Ally... What will happen now that Ally is inside the city, somewhere that Ordinary's never return from and never hear about.
First, I am not an author. I have cool ideas but I probably could never form a book that was worthy to be published, ever. So props to getting this novel published it is a first step to an outstanding career, I hope.
Second, I am a very picky reader and I took a creative writing class in college where we spent the whole semester peer reviewing each others works and sitting in a circle three hours to discuss them. So I want to say I have a very good eye when reading obviously not when I write because I am too hasty when I type and think.
4/5 for the "idea" of the story, it has amazing potential. Very creative and interesting.
1/5 for the characters. EEEK They were so flat like cardboard. I never had a good visual image of anyone and I never felt the personality of the character. they lacked description and personality. They lacked reasoning in any of their choices.
1/5 for the details of the story. I highlighted a lot in my kindle where there was holes in the story! Why is this current situation happening there never was enough detail for anything. I never saw realistic reasoning in anything. More detail needed to be put into the story more thought into the scenes. They lacked so much. Often I thought the story didn't flow.
1/5 Dialogue, it sucked it was like horrible acting. Sorry this is brutal. But seriously? Luke was not sexy or attracting to the reader he was a cheesy little teenage boy.
0/5 Luke and Ally's relationship. IT MADE NO SENSE!!! There was never a point where I felt they were "falling" in love. There was never a moment that explained why Luke had a sudden strong attraction. It was random and made no sense. It felt like chunks of the story of their relationship was cut out of the book. Ally is seemed just decided that well this Exceptional likes me or says he does so I guess it's okay to like him back. REALLY? It was dull and robotic and sucked. I wish I could have seen Ally slowly falling for him and slowly coming to trust him not just jumping into it.
There is a start to everything and I am sure the series will get better with each book, but the first book is crucial. But I must say, this story idea is very cool and I would have continued to read it if it was composed in a better way.
This book is a dystopian book. Scientists make a serum which causes genetic mutations and it is airborne. It spreads all over the word causing the population to perish to what is now known as Ordinary's: those who the virus does not affect and Exceptional's those who are affected by the virus and are superior beings. They have powers and are stronger and faster than normal humans. Unfortunately, this makes them "supreme" beings and better than the humans who are immune to the virus. Ordinary;s are treated like slaves and used for other...things...
Ally an ordinary lives in the settlement outside the city. She gets captured by the guards outside her settlement and his saved by an Exceptional, Luke, who is instantly enamored by Ally... What will happen now that Ally is inside the city, somewhere that Ordinary's never return from and never hear about.
First, I am not an author. I have cool ideas but I probably could never form a book that was worthy to be published, ever. So props to getting this novel published it is a first step to an outstanding career, I hope.
Second, I am a very picky reader and I took a creative writing class in college where we spent the whole semester peer reviewing each others works and sitting in a circle three hours to discuss them. So I want to say I have a very good eye when reading obviously not when I write because I am too hasty when I type and think.
4/5 for the "idea" of the story, it has amazing potential. Very creative and interesting.
1/5 for the characters. EEEK They were so flat like cardboard. I never had a good visual image of anyone and I never felt the personality of the character. they lacked description and personality. They lacked reasoning in any of their choices.
1/5 for the details of the story. I highlighted a lot in my kindle where there was holes in the story! Why is this current situation happening there never was enough detail for anything. I never saw realistic reasoning in anything. More detail needed to be put into the story more thought into the scenes. They lacked so much. Often I thought the story didn't flow.
1/5 Dialogue, it sucked it was like horrible acting. Sorry this is brutal. But seriously? Luke was not sexy or attracting to the reader he was a cheesy little teenage boy.
0/5 Luke and Ally's relationship. IT MADE NO SENSE!!! There was never a point where I felt they were "falling" in love. There was never a moment that explained why Luke had a sudden strong attraction. It was random and made no sense. It felt like chunks of the story of their relationship was cut out of the book. Ally is seemed just decided that well this Exceptional likes me or says he does so I guess it's okay to like him back. REALLY? It was dull and robotic and sucked. I wish I could have seen Ally slowly falling for him and slowly coming to trust him not just jumping into it.
There is a start to everything and I am sure the series will get better with each book, but the first book is crucial. But I must say, this story idea is very cool and I would have continued to read it if it was composed in a better way.
May 24, 2012
Exceptional by Jess Petosa was a novel with a very intriguing plot that captured me from the very beginning. The background to this book is that a virus was accidentally created that caused humans to either die, become enhanced with strength and speed, or be unaffected if they were immune. The virus split society in two; the Exceptionals, and the Ordinarys. Ally was an Ordinary and Luke was an Exceptional. Through the course of this novel the reader sees how their lives were inevitably connected. There were many unpredictable twists and turns that kept you on your toes as a reader. I gave this book a three star rating because I enjoyed it, but was disappointed with how it ended. I expected an ending along the lines of Luke and Ally living happily ever after in a new society where Exceptionals and Ordinarys lived together in peace, but that was certainly not how it went. Knowing that this was the first book in a series, I was expecting it to end somewhat resolved posing a few questions for the reader for them to be interested in reading the next novel. In this book, it ends completely unresolved leaving me wanting more to the plot in the first book. This bothered me which was why I gave it a three out of five.
August 29, 2013
Tiny spoiler warning:
I found the plot very interesting in this book and still currently think that. The whole idea of Exceptionals and Ordinarys was very intriguing and that's initially what drew me to read the book in the first place. The thing that bugged me about the book was that I felt as if the author was so eager to move the book along that she didn't develop the situations that were happening or even some of the relationships. For example when Luke and Aden had their first fight it seemed like Luke's anger towards his father came out of nowhere. There were never any signs previous to the fight where the author gave us hints of Luke and Aden's bad relationship. Even with Ally and Luke I didn't feel much toward their relationship through out the book. I was hoping they would stay together and that their relationship would continue just for the sake of a happy ending, but that was really where my investment in their being together ended. Their relationship with each other didn't give me any emotions that I would have liked to feel and that I have felt in other books.
The book wasn't bad, like I said the plot was very interesting I just thought certain things could have gone more in depth instead of just being tossed in.
I found the plot very interesting in this book and still currently think that. The whole idea of Exceptionals and Ordinarys was very intriguing and that's initially what drew me to read the book in the first place. The thing that bugged me about the book was that I felt as if the author was so eager to move the book along that she didn't develop the situations that were happening or even some of the relationships. For example when Luke and Aden had their first fight it seemed like Luke's anger towards his father came out of nowhere. There were never any signs previous to the fight where the author gave us hints of Luke and Aden's bad relationship. Even with Ally and Luke I didn't feel much toward their relationship through out the book. I was hoping they would stay together and that their relationship would continue just for the sake of a happy ending, but that was really where my investment in their being together ended. Their relationship with each other didn't give me any emotions that I would have liked to feel and that I have felt in other books.
The book wasn't bad, like I said the plot was very interesting I just thought certain things could have gone more in depth instead of just being tossed in.
January 23, 2014
I didn't expect to like this book as much as I did. In spite of some minor problems, I was intrigued with the story and the world. Ally was a frustrating character because she made decisions that were clearly questionable, such as leaving the house when Luke told her that she needed to stay in for her safety that day. He should have been more clear, but it still seemed pretty clear to me what he meant, and she should have understood him. And, all of the things that they hide from each other was frustrating as well. I liked Luke's character as I could see that he was in a terrible position, and that he cared for Ally. He was reluctant to reveal the truth to her because he knew how horrible the truth would be, and was hoping to bypass her having to go to the ORC. All of his decisions were to protect her, but he was in an impossible position to do that with his father being in charge. All in all, I couldn't wait to read the next book.
January 21, 2013
Meh- I liked the concept, not something I have yet read in the dystopian genre. But the book didn't feel like it was finished all the way, kind of like a girl all dressed up to go out, but with wet hair and no makeup on. I just felt like it could have been polished up a little more. I didn't feel like the characters were developed enough to have the feelings they were having, and then when it did start to get good, it ended. Not sure if I will read the next one. Very interesting concept, but just didn't hook me in.
February 10, 2013
I felt this story was very similar to the Hunger Games series. It is a quick read, entertaining for the most part. I do feel the author rush parts of the story. I was disappointed with how she did not develop certain characters, ie how Luke's mom was so in love with her garden then slipped into a room and never heard from; Aden and exactly what his powers were and why his relationship with Luke was so problematic. My hope is that as the series continues the author will develop the story and provide the reader more details.
May 19, 2016
2.5 stars
This book was free and needed a lot of editing. Other than that, it had a fun plot. There was a fair amount of tech/language that wasn't explained, but I found most of it to be intuitive. The history was presented in the prologue and I appreciate that. I've read too many sci-fi/dystopian books recently that have you wondering "How did the world become like this?" for too long. It can get annoying.
Like a lot of others have said, the insta-love/infatuation was a little much and the chemistry between Luke and Ally was lukewarm.
This book was free and needed a lot of editing. Other than that, it had a fun plot. There was a fair amount of tech/language that wasn't explained, but I found most of it to be intuitive. The history was presented in the prologue and I appreciate that. I've read too many sci-fi/dystopian books recently that have you wondering "How did the world become like this?" for too long. It can get annoying.
Like a lot of others have said, the insta-love/infatuation was a little much and the chemistry between Luke and Ally was lukewarm.
March 24, 2012
Finally finished it and I have to say that although I mostly enjoyed it I found it rather lacking in something and honestly felt like it dragged a little and found myself being forced to read on. And just when something interesting would start to happen the main characters Ally and Luke would just accept their circumstances and not continue to fight but succumb. Oh well, The premise of the story was still interesting and I liked it I just wanted more depth.
August 26, 2013
This book is ridiculous. The plot is so far-fetched I couldn't even suspend disbelief and you kind of have to be open to that if you're reading dystopia. I mean the girl watches her boyfriend's dad kill her mother and two days later she moves back in the house with him. No biggie. ALSO Jesus Christ get an editor! There were numerous grammatical errors, including my personal pet peeve, an its / it's screwup. The horror! Not going to read the remaining books in the series.
October 8, 2014
OH MY FREAKING GOD! Possibly the most amazing thing I have read! I am so in live with Ally and Luke, it's not even funny!!
December 24, 2012
Loved this. Can't wait for a sequel
January 8, 2013
I liked the idea.............the book was blah. And by that I mean, Blah..Blah..Blah.
February 3, 2013
I really wanted to like this book. I liked the idea behind it,
but it needed an editor. It read more like a fanfiction than
a novel.
but it needed an editor. It read more like a fanfiction than
a novel.
May 29, 2013
While this book had a lot of similarities to other Dystopian novels that I've read I couldn't seem to put it down. I definitely recommend.
January 22, 2014
good book, a little less sexual tension would have worked for me but a well developed story and characters that you felt could be real. a little SciFi but not over the top. I am on to book two
November 16, 2017
I liked that this was different from other books I’ve read but what I didn’t like was the instant connection. It’s sappy and not realistic. I expected there to be more tension and anger with the characters. Especially from Ally. It was pretty good storyline but it was like everyone just rolled with the punches. I needed more fight from the characters. Overall it was okay.
March 26, 2022
I read this book a while ago but I could not go without reviewing it. It was so good such a great dystopian novel I did not want to put it down and I wanted the whole series to continue forever. I read it on kindle but I Wish I could find the hard copies to keep on my shelf forever and lend it out to friends!
December 23, 2020
I was interested all the way through. A dystopian romance with elements reminiscent of The Handmaid's Tale (which I didn't like) and other similar books. I need to get the next book in the series because it was a bit of a cliffhanger. I want to know what happens!
February 11, 2019
Super good book
This was recommended to me by a friend and I'm glad I took her advice to read it. I love the premise and how the story has evolved.
This was recommended to me by a friend and I'm glad I took her advice to read it. I love the premise and how the story has evolved.
April 2, 2022
Twilight x Handmaid’s Tale
December 23, 2013
Check out YA Book Queens!
I made a list--a freaking list--on reasons why I hated this book. I don't mean I just didn't really like it and found it boring, I hated it. I had to force myself to continue. It was so predictable. This review was originally going to be in a Mini Review post, but I realized that I just had too much to say about this book for it to be considered a Mini Review. I want to start off by saying that I hate saying rude things about someone's book, but I do anyway. So when I have a lot of rude things to say about a book, I feel like a horrible person.
Jess Petosa, if you're reading this review, I am terribly sorry. I have nothing against you. I swear. It's just that your book had so much potential, but you just executed it horribly. Seriously. I'm so sorry for writing this review (sort of?). I'm sure you're a wonderful person in real life!
The first thing I can to talk about is the instalove. I just couldn't handle the instalove in this book between Ally and Luke. The first time Ally sees Luke she notes how hot he is. Now, that part didn't piss me off. The first time I see a guy, I note how hot he is as well. But when she's already buddy-buddy with Luke and making out with him even after he put her in a fucking breeding house (sorry, spoiler, but it's predictable)? That's just a big no-no-no-no-no-no-no.
There were also inconsistencies. In one scene Ally said she had only been in Luke's room once, when in fact she had been in there before when he wasn't home to watch movies. That's a little creepy as well, if you ask me. I wouldn't want someone in my room when I'm not home if I've just me them and then claimed them as my fucking breeding mate. Yeah. I'm deep. (No pun intended.) There were also inconsistences in the Exceptionals' appearances. At first they're described as seven feet tall monsters, but then as the book goes on the height is barely mentioned ever again.
This was minor, but the science in the book was backed up horribly. I'm not saying that I'm an expert in genetics and science-y shit like that, but it just didn't make much sense to me. Pretty much just like Allegiant, the science aspect of the book sucked.
There is just way too much to elaborate on. I'll list:
- Too much monologue of OH MY GOD SHOULD I DO THIS OR SHOULD I DO THAT
- Luke and Ally knew each other one week before they started making out and saying that they loved each other
- Lally = fuck no. I had no motivation for those two. No characterization at all. Just no.
- I hated Luke. He was so ew, and the ending? What the fuck, Luke? What the fuck?
- I love how Ally, Luke (Lukin, but still), Sabine, and Aden have normal names but then you meet the other characters. Like, Stosh? What? Tighe? Pax?
- The characters were so fake. None of them had a character arc. None.
- Because of the lack of character arc, all these characters made random decisions that only made sense to the author. There was no motivation behind anything the characters did whatsoever.
The final thing that made me hate this book was the ending. It was as if Petosa was trying to get the main character out of the bad situation as fast as she could so she didn't have to write the gigantic action scene at the end of every good dystopian good. Just saying.
That pretty much sums of this review--ahem, more like rant. I'd suggest not reading this. Unless you're into all those points that I made up there, then steer clear of this book. Seriously. Don't waste your time. Read a better book that you've been wanting to read.
I made a list--a freaking list--on reasons why I hated this book. I don't mean I just didn't really like it and found it boring, I hated it. I had to force myself to continue. It was so predictable. This review was originally going to be in a Mini Review post, but I realized that I just had too much to say about this book for it to be considered a Mini Review. I want to start off by saying that I hate saying rude things about someone's book, but I do anyway. So when I have a lot of rude things to say about a book, I feel like a horrible person.
Jess Petosa, if you're reading this review, I am terribly sorry. I have nothing against you. I swear. It's just that your book had so much potential, but you just executed it horribly. Seriously. I'm so sorry for writing this review (sort of?). I'm sure you're a wonderful person in real life!
The first thing I can to talk about is the instalove. I just couldn't handle the instalove in this book between Ally and Luke. The first time Ally sees Luke she notes how hot he is. Now, that part didn't piss me off. The first time I see a guy, I note how hot he is as well. But when she's already buddy-buddy with Luke and making out with him even after he put her in a fucking breeding house (sorry, spoiler, but it's predictable)? That's just a big no-no-no-no-no-no-no.
There were also inconsistencies. In one scene Ally said she had only been in Luke's room once, when in fact she had been in there before when he wasn't home to watch movies. That's a little creepy as well, if you ask me. I wouldn't want someone in my room when I'm not home if I've just me them and then claimed them as my fucking breeding mate. Yeah. I'm deep. (No pun intended.) There were also inconsistences in the Exceptionals' appearances. At first they're described as seven feet tall monsters, but then as the book goes on the height is barely mentioned ever again.
This was minor, but the science in the book was backed up horribly. I'm not saying that I'm an expert in genetics and science-y shit like that, but it just didn't make much sense to me. Pretty much just like Allegiant, the science aspect of the book sucked.
There is just way too much to elaborate on. I'll list:
- Too much monologue of OH MY GOD SHOULD I DO THIS OR SHOULD I DO THAT
- Luke and Ally knew each other one week before they started making out and saying that they loved each other
- Lally = fuck no. I had no motivation for those two. No characterization at all. Just no.
- I hated Luke. He was so ew, and the ending? What the fuck, Luke? What the fuck?
- I love how Ally, Luke (Lukin, but still), Sabine, and Aden have normal names but then you meet the other characters. Like, Stosh? What? Tighe? Pax?
- The characters were so fake. None of them had a character arc. None.
- Because of the lack of character arc, all these characters made random decisions that only made sense to the author. There was no motivation behind anything the characters did whatsoever.
The final thing that made me hate this book was the ending. It was as if Petosa was trying to get the main character out of the bad situation as fast as she could so she didn't have to write the gigantic action scene at the end of every good dystopian good. Just saying.
That pretty much sums of this review--ahem, more like rant. I'd suggest not reading this. Unless you're into all those points that I made up there, then steer clear of this book. Seriously. Don't waste your time. Read a better book that you've been wanting to read.
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