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Blemished #1
The Blemished
A beautiful world comes at a price...
In a world filled with stunning clones Mina Hart is Blemished. Her genes are worthless and that takes away her rights: her right to an Education, her right to a normal life and her right to have a child.
Mina keeps a dangerous secret which she never thought she could share until she meets Angela on her first day at St Jude's School. But their friendship is soon complicated by Angela’s adoptive brother Daniel. Mina finds herself drawn to his mysterious powers and impulsive nature. Then there is the gorgeous clone Sebastian who Mina is forbidden from even speaking to…
The Blemished is a frightening take on a fractured future where the Genetic Enhancement Ministry have taken control of Britain. It will take you on a ride filled with adventure, romance and rebellion.
In a world filled with stunning clones Mina Hart is Blemished. Her genes are worthless and that takes away her rights: her right to an Education, her right to a normal life and her right to have a child.
Mina keeps a dangerous secret which she never thought she could share until she meets Angela on her first day at St Jude's School. But their friendship is soon complicated by Angela’s adoptive brother Daniel. Mina finds herself drawn to his mysterious powers and impulsive nature. Then there is the gorgeous clone Sebastian who Mina is forbidden from even speaking to…
The Blemished is a frightening take on a fractured future where the Genetic Enhancement Ministry have taken control of Britain. It will take you on a ride filled with adventure, romance and rebellion.
328 pages, Paperback
First published August 7, 2012
194 people are currently reading
3968 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Dalton
71 books335 followersSarah grew up in the middle of nowhere in the countryside of Derbyshire and as a result has an over-active imagination. She has been an avid reader for most of her life, taking inspiration from the stories she read as a child, and the novels she devoured as an adult.
Sarah mainly writes speculative fiction for a Young Adult audience and has had pieces of short fiction published in the Medulla Literary Review, PANK magazine, Apex Magazine and the British Fantasy Society publication Dark Horizons. Her short story ‘Vampires Wear Chanel’ is featured in the Wyvern Publication Fangtales.
She is the author of the popular YA dystopia series 'Blemished' and the gothic novella 'My Daylight Monsters'. She is currently working on a YA Fantasy series titled 'White Hart'.
Follow Sarah on twitter @sarahdalton
Sarah mainly writes speculative fiction for a Young Adult audience and has had pieces of short fiction published in the Medulla Literary Review, PANK magazine, Apex Magazine and the British Fantasy Society publication Dark Horizons. Her short story ‘Vampires Wear Chanel’ is featured in the Wyvern Publication Fangtales.
She is the author of the popular YA dystopia series 'Blemished' and the gothic novella 'My Daylight Monsters'. She is currently working on a YA Fantasy series titled 'White Hart'.
Follow Sarah on twitter @sarahdalton
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 287 reviews
October 19, 2015
Wow.
How can I put my feelings about this book into words..? I don't think I can. This book is amazing. And it's terrifying.
This is an extremely well written Young Adult dystopia which could actually happen. And that's why it's terrifying. Look around you at the world, at the way women are treated even in this day and age, at the way beauty comes before all else (no matter how you kid yourself) and then this story becomes real.
The characters in this book are amazingly well written. Mina is so real, so believable. Even the secondary characters are real. There are flaws and strengths and confusion and loyalty and love and hate shared between all of the characters.
The plot twists and turns and jumps and keeps you hooked. I could not put this down, I turned page after page as quickly as I could. It's shocking and brutal but at the same time shows love and compassion. This is amazing writing.
Feminism is presented subtly in this book. And it's done right. It isn't about rights for women, it's about rights for everyone, which is as it should be.
In this world there are the Blemished and there are the GEMs. The GEMs are superior in every way - they are genetically modified perfection who live a privileged life centered around their beauty and intellect. Then there are the Blemished, those who aren't genetically perfect. This is where the feminist issues are strongest - it may be easier to "control" the fertility of men, but oh no. The women go for "the operation" which is essentially to de-sex them, and it screws them up forever. The young blemished girls go to school to learn how to serve the GEMs. And god forbid if a woman falls pregnant. If she does she is taken away and then killed. Because it's not that man's fault, is it? And the anger I feel on this is reflected in the pages of this book and OH MY GOD IT'S AWESOME. Sorry, that just slipped out.
The message I took the most from this book is that your own choices are important. Imagine a world where you didn't have a choice? Because neither the Blemished or the GEMs have any control over their own lives.
I've only read two of Sarah Dalton's books, but I'm hooked. She's fast becoming one of my favourite authors, and I will definitely read on in the Blemished series.
How can I put my feelings about this book into words..? I don't think I can. This book is amazing. And it's terrifying.
This is an extremely well written Young Adult dystopia which could actually happen. And that's why it's terrifying. Look around you at the world, at the way women are treated even in this day and age, at the way beauty comes before all else (no matter how you kid yourself) and then this story becomes real.
The characters in this book are amazingly well written. Mina is so real, so believable. Even the secondary characters are real. There are flaws and strengths and confusion and loyalty and love and hate shared between all of the characters.
The plot twists and turns and jumps and keeps you hooked. I could not put this down, I turned page after page as quickly as I could. It's shocking and brutal but at the same time shows love and compassion. This is amazing writing.
Feminism is presented subtly in this book. And it's done right. It isn't about rights for women, it's about rights for everyone, which is as it should be.
In this world there are the Blemished and there are the GEMs. The GEMs are superior in every way - they are genetically modified perfection who live a privileged life centered around their beauty and intellect. Then there are the Blemished, those who aren't genetically perfect. This is where the feminist issues are strongest - it may be easier to "control" the fertility of men, but oh no. The women go for "the operation" which is essentially to de-sex them, and it screws them up forever. The young blemished girls go to school to learn how to serve the GEMs. And god forbid if a woman falls pregnant. If she does she is taken away and then killed. Because it's not that man's fault, is it? And the anger I feel on this is reflected in the pages of this book and OH MY GOD IT'S AWESOME. Sorry, that just slipped out.
The message I took the most from this book is that your own choices are important. Imagine a world where you didn't have a choice? Because neither the Blemished or the GEMs have any control over their own lives.
I've only read two of Sarah Dalton's books, but I'm hooked. She's fast becoming one of my favourite authors, and I will definitely read on in the Blemished series.
April 17, 2018
Ik vond dit zo’n heerlijk boek! De wereld is echt enorm interessant en goed en gedetailleerd uitgewerkt: ik vond het zo tot om te lezen over de G.E.P.’s en de Onzuiveren en ik heb echt vol gretigheid alle informatie opgezogen. De schrijfstijl leest als een trein, de personages worden gaandeweg beter en het verhaal is boeiend, spannend en verre van voorspelbaar. Het heeft zijn imperfecties, maar ik heb er absoluut van genoten! Nu maar hopen dat deel 2 en 3 ook vertaald worden... Uitgebreide recensie: http://thebookreview.nl/recensies/dys...
April 20, 2021
Unfortunately, I can't continue with this. The telling of her secret to someone she met the day before, a secret that they had to move town because, and one that could get herself and her father executed, was just too much for me. What other annoyances would lie ahead. Too many good books out there waiting to be read
September 3, 2013
This book was such a let-down in my eyes. I thought the premise sounded really interesting but it just wasn't well executed enough for me. The characters all felt quite two dimensional, nobody stood out to me at all - at least not in a good way - and I thought the love triangle or in this case.. square, was horribly done and just felt very cheesy and cliche. I know it's only 'teenage romance' but there are so many YA novels out there who got the romance part right as well.
Especially the boys in this book didn't do anything for me; Daniel was okay, I guess, but Sebastian felt really lacklustre and boring as a character. So did most of the plot, sadly; despite the interesting premise and idea, I thought it was just way too predictable (minus perhaps one or 2 turns towards the end) but especially at the one third mark things seemed to slow down quite a bit (might have been when the romance got touched upon a bit more) and it got harder and harder to get through the pages. It definitely wasn't a page turner for me; there wasn't a single point where I thought, oh wow now it's getting really good.
Last but not least I thought the writing wasn't that great either. The prose was by no means terrible, though I did occasionally roll my eyes at a choice of words here and there.
Only reason I'm not giving this book one star is because I am sure that there are WAY worse books out there and I didn't actually hate it. Perhaps I just dislike it so much because it feels like a bit of a waste of a good concept. As I said above, in my opinion the author could have done so much more with the idea of this world and the concept of the Blemished, the GEM and etc. But instead she ruined it with bad characterisation (or the lack, thereof.) Also, seriously, that love square.
Especially the boys in this book didn't do anything for me; Daniel was okay, I guess, but Sebastian felt really lacklustre and boring as a character. So did most of the plot, sadly; despite the interesting premise and idea, I thought it was just way too predictable (minus perhaps one or 2 turns towards the end) but especially at the one third mark things seemed to slow down quite a bit (might have been when the romance got touched upon a bit more) and it got harder and harder to get through the pages. It definitely wasn't a page turner for me; there wasn't a single point where I thought, oh wow now it's getting really good.
Last but not least I thought the writing wasn't that great either. The prose was by no means terrible, though I did occasionally roll my eyes at a choice of words here and there.
Only reason I'm not giving this book one star is because I am sure that there are WAY worse books out there and I didn't actually hate it. Perhaps I just dislike it so much because it feels like a bit of a waste of a good concept. As I said above, in my opinion the author could have done so much more with the idea of this world and the concept of the Blemished, the GEM and etc. But instead she ruined it with bad characterisation (or the lack, thereof.) Also, seriously, that love square.
February 21, 2018
Het verhaal leest vanaf het eerste begin vlot en het tempo blijft hoog gedurende het hele verhaal. Mina is een nieuwe leerling op de Judasschool. Oorspronkelijk woonde ze met haar vader in regio 10 in Groot-Brittannië, maar vanwege omstandigheden is zij samen met hem overgeplaatst naar regio 14, een voor Onzuiveren harde regio, om daar een nieuwe start te maken.
"Onzuiver" gaat over een samenleving waarin schoonheid en goede genen allesbepalend zijn. Genetisch gemanipuleerde mensen en kinderen zijn verheven boven de rest. Deze G.E.P.s bepalen de regels in deze samenleving. Onzuiveren hebben genen die volgens de regels waardeloos zijn en dus onbruikbaar. Onzuiveren hebben zelfs een eigen uniform om hen te onderscheiden van de rest: een zwart tuniek met een zwarte hoofddoek.
Het gedrag van G.E.P-kinderen t.o.v. Onzuiveren is regelrecht onbeschoft. Onzuiveren worden beschouwd als minderwaardig. Onzuiveren die zich niet aan de regels houden, krijgen te maken met zeer zware straffen. Sommigen zelfs met de dood tot gevolg.
Zelfs het onderwijs dat Onzuiveren volgen is compleet anders dan het onderwijs aan G.E.P.s. Zo krijgen de G.E.P.s les in alle vakken zoals wij die ook kennen van school. De lessen voor de Onzuiveren bestaan echter uit praktische lessen, zodat de Onzuiveren later in dienst te kunnen zijn van de elite, als bijvoorbeeld dienstmeisje of kok.
Het is een intrigerende gedachte, een kind op maat gemaakt. Persoonlijk moet ik er niet aan denken dat ik mijn eigen zoon had kunnen laten "ontwerpen" en genetisch perfect had kunnen laten maken voor de op dat moment geldende schoonheidsidealen. Het is zó onnatuurlijk. De wetenschap is helaas al ver op het gebied van genetische manipulatie, op dit moment om ziektes te kunnen bestrijden, maar ooit zullen wetenschappers te maken krijgen met de vraag waar de grens ligt wat ethisch en moreel nog verantwoord is.
Het boek bevat een beschrijving die mooi weergeeft hoe de kinderen die genetisch gemanipuleerd zijn er uitzien in de ogen van de Onzuiveren:
"Ondanks de verschillen in kleur hadden de G.E.P.s van hun kruin tot hun tenen iets dat overeenkwam. Ze waren allemaal zo perfect dat hun gezichten samensmolten tot een geheel."
Er vindt op school een heftig incident plaats en tot haar grote verdriet staat Mina machteloos. Dit is het begin van een aantal gebeurtenissen die Mina doen beseffen dat zij, net als G.E.P.s het recht heeft op een echt leven. Haar houding zorgt ervoor dat ze in de problemen komt en al gauw heeft Mina geen andere keus dan te vluchten samen met haar vrienden. Deze vlucht is razend spannend beschreven en ik merkte dat ik regelmatig door de spanning mijn adem inhield bij het lezen ervan.
"Onzuiver" is een spannend en fascinerend verhaal, vooral vanwege de thema's zoals klonen, racisme en het zich verzetten tegen de gevestigde orde. Ik heb genoten van dit originele verhaal en geef het graag 4 sterren.
"Onzuiver" gaat over een samenleving waarin schoonheid en goede genen allesbepalend zijn. Genetisch gemanipuleerde mensen en kinderen zijn verheven boven de rest. Deze G.E.P.s bepalen de regels in deze samenleving. Onzuiveren hebben genen die volgens de regels waardeloos zijn en dus onbruikbaar. Onzuiveren hebben zelfs een eigen uniform om hen te onderscheiden van de rest: een zwart tuniek met een zwarte hoofddoek.
Het gedrag van G.E.P-kinderen t.o.v. Onzuiveren is regelrecht onbeschoft. Onzuiveren worden beschouwd als minderwaardig. Onzuiveren die zich niet aan de regels houden, krijgen te maken met zeer zware straffen. Sommigen zelfs met de dood tot gevolg.
Zelfs het onderwijs dat Onzuiveren volgen is compleet anders dan het onderwijs aan G.E.P.s. Zo krijgen de G.E.P.s les in alle vakken zoals wij die ook kennen van school. De lessen voor de Onzuiveren bestaan echter uit praktische lessen, zodat de Onzuiveren later in dienst te kunnen zijn van de elite, als bijvoorbeeld dienstmeisje of kok.
Het is een intrigerende gedachte, een kind op maat gemaakt. Persoonlijk moet ik er niet aan denken dat ik mijn eigen zoon had kunnen laten "ontwerpen" en genetisch perfect had kunnen laten maken voor de op dat moment geldende schoonheidsidealen. Het is zó onnatuurlijk. De wetenschap is helaas al ver op het gebied van genetische manipulatie, op dit moment om ziektes te kunnen bestrijden, maar ooit zullen wetenschappers te maken krijgen met de vraag waar de grens ligt wat ethisch en moreel nog verantwoord is.
Het boek bevat een beschrijving die mooi weergeeft hoe de kinderen die genetisch gemanipuleerd zijn er uitzien in de ogen van de Onzuiveren:
"Ondanks de verschillen in kleur hadden de G.E.P.s van hun kruin tot hun tenen iets dat overeenkwam. Ze waren allemaal zo perfect dat hun gezichten samensmolten tot een geheel."
Er vindt op school een heftig incident plaats en tot haar grote verdriet staat Mina machteloos. Dit is het begin van een aantal gebeurtenissen die Mina doen beseffen dat zij, net als G.E.P.s het recht heeft op een echt leven. Haar houding zorgt ervoor dat ze in de problemen komt en al gauw heeft Mina geen andere keus dan te vluchten samen met haar vrienden. Deze vlucht is razend spannend beschreven en ik merkte dat ik regelmatig door de spanning mijn adem inhield bij het lezen ervan.
"Onzuiver" is een spannend en fascinerend verhaal, vooral vanwege de thema's zoals klonen, racisme en het zich verzetten tegen de gevestigde orde. Ik heb genoten van dit originele verhaal en geef het graag 4 sterren.
February 9, 2018
2,5/5 sterren. hmm ik vond dit boek niet zo lekker lezen. de schrijfstijl van de auteur stond me wat tegen, de liefdes driehoek vond ik in dit boek irritant en de personages vond in saai. het concept is wel gaaf, maar daar had meer mee kunnen worden gedaan.
recensie 13 februari op www.myperfectbooklife.blogspot.nl
recensie 13 februari op www.myperfectbooklife.blogspot.nl
January 30, 2025
3,5*
The story is interesting, but I didn't feel as much connected to the characters as I hoped, so therefore it doesn't quite deserve a 4 star from me.
The story is interesting, but I didn't feel as much connected to the characters as I hoped, so therefore it doesn't quite deserve a 4 star from me.
February 3, 2014
'As I followed degraded streets the sky turned to black in shadowy degrees, as though God had pulled a dark cloak above my head, except I knew that it was impossible because this world was Godless. It had to be.'
My thoughts
I read this book for a group read through December and was provided with a copy of the book by the Author. Although this was for the group read, I'd been interested in reading this before, as I'd read a novella by the same Author and enjoyed her work.
This book is set in a frightening Dystopian world in the near future. Britain has been taken over by the Genetic Enhancement Ministry, who are obsessed with perfection. Anybody with faulty genes were declared Blemished, and as such were banned from having children. People with perfect genes were chosen to have perfect children, cloned from perfect DNA. The GEM children are considered superior over the Blemished children, and they have access to education and wealth. The Blemished only learn how to serve the GEM's.
What made this book so real to me, is the fact that elements of this could very well happen in the future. We know that it's possible to clone genes now, so this book really gave me something to think about. Of course, cloning people to keep society perfect is ridiculous, as human beings aren't meant to be perfect. Having flaws is what makes us human, so for me, the clones in this story are not human at all.
Mina has a hard enough life already, being Blemished. She lost her mother when she was young, and has grown up only knowing her father. Blemished girls are expected to wear a uniform, and cover their hair with a headscarf around GEM's, as well as keeping their head down and not drawing attention to themselves. This is made all the more difficult for Mina, as she has a power that must be kept secret at all costs. If she is discovered, it could not only mean death for her, but also her father and friends.
As if this wasn't enough, there are boys on the scene too. Blemished girls are forbidden to look at boys, so it's bad enough that she starts to develop feelings for Daniel, who is also Blemished, but Sebastian, a GEM, is another matter altogether.
I really enjoyed this story and thought that it had everything to keep me entertained. It was fast paced and exciting and had me turning the pages frantically to see what happens to Mina and her friends. There were shocks and revelations that I wasn't expecting at all, which definitely made the story even more enjoyable. Just as you think they're safe from harm, something else comes bursting into the story and puts them in danger again.
If I had to say that there was anything wrong with this book, it would be that I didn't get to know the characters as well as I would have liked. While I enjoy a fast paced story, this didn't seem to leave enough time for the characters to develop in my opinion. However, I loved the story, and definitely want to read the next in the series.
My thoughts
I read this book for a group read through December and was provided with a copy of the book by the Author. Although this was for the group read, I'd been interested in reading this before, as I'd read a novella by the same Author and enjoyed her work.
This book is set in a frightening Dystopian world in the near future. Britain has been taken over by the Genetic Enhancement Ministry, who are obsessed with perfection. Anybody with faulty genes were declared Blemished, and as such were banned from having children. People with perfect genes were chosen to have perfect children, cloned from perfect DNA. The GEM children are considered superior over the Blemished children, and they have access to education and wealth. The Blemished only learn how to serve the GEM's.
What made this book so real to me, is the fact that elements of this could very well happen in the future. We know that it's possible to clone genes now, so this book really gave me something to think about. Of course, cloning people to keep society perfect is ridiculous, as human beings aren't meant to be perfect. Having flaws is what makes us human, so for me, the clones in this story are not human at all.
Mina has a hard enough life already, being Blemished. She lost her mother when she was young, and has grown up only knowing her father. Blemished girls are expected to wear a uniform, and cover their hair with a headscarf around GEM's, as well as keeping their head down and not drawing attention to themselves. This is made all the more difficult for Mina, as she has a power that must be kept secret at all costs. If she is discovered, it could not only mean death for her, but also her father and friends.
As if this wasn't enough, there are boys on the scene too. Blemished girls are forbidden to look at boys, so it's bad enough that she starts to develop feelings for Daniel, who is also Blemished, but Sebastian, a GEM, is another matter altogether.
I really enjoyed this story and thought that it had everything to keep me entertained. It was fast paced and exciting and had me turning the pages frantically to see what happens to Mina and her friends. There were shocks and revelations that I wasn't expecting at all, which definitely made the story even more enjoyable. Just as you think they're safe from harm, something else comes bursting into the story and puts them in danger again.
If I had to say that there was anything wrong with this book, it would be that I didn't get to know the characters as well as I would have liked. While I enjoy a fast paced story, this didn't seem to leave enough time for the characters to develop in my opinion. However, I loved the story, and definitely want to read the next in the series.
March 19, 2018
Pfoe, dit was absoluut een YA zoals ik hem al een tijdje niet gelezen had!
Onzuiver speelt zich af in een toekomstig Groot-Brittanië, waar de mensheid niet meer is wat het geweest is. Het is een gemengd leven geworden van Onzuiveren, en G.E.P.’s: de mensen die perfect gecreëerd zijn door middel van het gebruik van de juiste genen, en wat nogal voor wrijving tussen de mensen zorgt. Dat Onzuiveren moeten werken voor de G.E.P.’s en slecht worden behandeld, helpt daar niet aan mee, en maakt dat de kloof tussen de generaties alleen maar groter en groter wordt. Maar hoe kun je je eigen leven leven, als je niet eens achter je eigen standpunt mag staan, zowel als Onzuivere als een perfect gecreëerd persoon? Is de mensheid echt daadwerkelijk op het punt beland dat het streven naar perfectie het enige is dat nog telt, en slavernij weer terugkomt om de (perfecte) mensen nog meer tevreden te stellen?
Het verhaal draait voornamelijk om de stoere Mina, een Onzuivere die dolgraag haar eigen leven zou willen leiden en om zou willen gaan met de mensen waarmee ze zelf om wilt gaan. Het stoort haar enorm dat ze niet eens een woord mag wisselen met iemand van ‘de andere groep’, al helemaal geen gevoelens mag koesteren voor zo’n perfect persoon, en zodra dit wel gebeurt, zij hier direct de schuld van krijgt; zij is tenslotte de Onzuivere; iemand die perfect is kan gewoon niets verkeerd doen en zij komen er daarom dus altijd mee weg, wat ze ook doen. Een Onzuivere niet. Het is mede dankzij deze gedachtengang en problemen die groeien op school, dat ze klaar is voor een echte stap in haar leven, zonder dat iemand haar daar van af zal kunnen houden: ze is er klaar mee om zo behandeld te worden, ze wil haar eigen leven leven, met de mensen die ze zelf uitkiest om dingen mee te kunnen delen. Zullen zij en haar vrienden die ze ontmoet op deze spannende, onstuimige zoektocht naar de vrijheid, het ultieme - en vooral vrije - eindpunt weten te bereiken?
Onzuiver is een ontzettend vlot geschreven verhaal, dat een zeer strakke spanningsboog weet te houden van begin tot eind, mede dankzij het realistische dat erdoorheen verweven is en dat je aan het denken zet. Het zou tenslotte zomaar kunnen dat wij op den duur ook die kant op gaan…
De personages zijn boeiend: je ziet ze als lezer groeien en begint steeds meer achter hun beweegredenen te komen, waardoor ze steeds echter zullen gaan voelen. Ze vechten voor wat ze waard zijn en verzetten zich hevig tegenover de mensen die hen koste wat kost willen veranderen in mensen die zij het liefste zien. Totaal niet zoals ze écht zijn, dus! Ook de snelle, onverwachte plottwists zorgen ervoor dat je steeds weer verder wilt lezen om erachter te komen wat er daadwerkelijk aan de hand is en wat er zal gaan gebeuren. Het eind kan ergens afgerond aanvoelen, maar toch heb ik het gevoel dat er nog veel meer aan zit te komen. Nu weet ik dat het een trilogie is, en ik hoop dan ook van harte dat de rest ook vertaald zal gaan worden… ik wil gewoon weten hoe het verdergaat met het groepje vrienden!
Ik ben in ieder geval om, en raad dit begin van deze aanstaande trilogie dan ook van harte aan :)
*er is voor de liefhebbers van Onzuiver ook al een novelle vertaald: ‘De Onzuiverserie 1,5 - De G.E.P. files: Elena’, dat gaat over… inderdaad, Elena, die ook een rol speelt in Onzuiver. Ik heb ervan genoten en het heeft mij nog meer inzicht gegeven over de wereld die zo ontzettend is veranderd. Zeker een aanrader, voor als je Onzuiver hebt gelezen! En DAT EINDE…*
Onzuiver speelt zich af in een toekomstig Groot-Brittanië, waar de mensheid niet meer is wat het geweest is. Het is een gemengd leven geworden van Onzuiveren, en G.E.P.’s: de mensen die perfect gecreëerd zijn door middel van het gebruik van de juiste genen, en wat nogal voor wrijving tussen de mensen zorgt. Dat Onzuiveren moeten werken voor de G.E.P.’s en slecht worden behandeld, helpt daar niet aan mee, en maakt dat de kloof tussen de generaties alleen maar groter en groter wordt. Maar hoe kun je je eigen leven leven, als je niet eens achter je eigen standpunt mag staan, zowel als Onzuivere als een perfect gecreëerd persoon? Is de mensheid echt daadwerkelijk op het punt beland dat het streven naar perfectie het enige is dat nog telt, en slavernij weer terugkomt om de (perfecte) mensen nog meer tevreden te stellen?
Het verhaal draait voornamelijk om de stoere Mina, een Onzuivere die dolgraag haar eigen leven zou willen leiden en om zou willen gaan met de mensen waarmee ze zelf om wilt gaan. Het stoort haar enorm dat ze niet eens een woord mag wisselen met iemand van ‘de andere groep’, al helemaal geen gevoelens mag koesteren voor zo’n perfect persoon, en zodra dit wel gebeurt, zij hier direct de schuld van krijgt; zij is tenslotte de Onzuivere; iemand die perfect is kan gewoon niets verkeerd doen en zij komen er daarom dus altijd mee weg, wat ze ook doen. Een Onzuivere niet. Het is mede dankzij deze gedachtengang en problemen die groeien op school, dat ze klaar is voor een echte stap in haar leven, zonder dat iemand haar daar van af zal kunnen houden: ze is er klaar mee om zo behandeld te worden, ze wil haar eigen leven leven, met de mensen die ze zelf uitkiest om dingen mee te kunnen delen. Zullen zij en haar vrienden die ze ontmoet op deze spannende, onstuimige zoektocht naar de vrijheid, het ultieme - en vooral vrije - eindpunt weten te bereiken?
Onzuiver is een ontzettend vlot geschreven verhaal, dat een zeer strakke spanningsboog weet te houden van begin tot eind, mede dankzij het realistische dat erdoorheen verweven is en dat je aan het denken zet. Het zou tenslotte zomaar kunnen dat wij op den duur ook die kant op gaan…
De personages zijn boeiend: je ziet ze als lezer groeien en begint steeds meer achter hun beweegredenen te komen, waardoor ze steeds echter zullen gaan voelen. Ze vechten voor wat ze waard zijn en verzetten zich hevig tegenover de mensen die hen koste wat kost willen veranderen in mensen die zij het liefste zien. Totaal niet zoals ze écht zijn, dus! Ook de snelle, onverwachte plottwists zorgen ervoor dat je steeds weer verder wilt lezen om erachter te komen wat er daadwerkelijk aan de hand is en wat er zal gaan gebeuren. Het eind kan ergens afgerond aanvoelen, maar toch heb ik het gevoel dat er nog veel meer aan zit te komen. Nu weet ik dat het een trilogie is, en ik hoop dan ook van harte dat de rest ook vertaald zal gaan worden… ik wil gewoon weten hoe het verdergaat met het groepje vrienden!
Ik ben in ieder geval om, en raad dit begin van deze aanstaande trilogie dan ook van harte aan :)
*er is voor de liefhebbers van Onzuiver ook al een novelle vertaald: ‘De Onzuiverserie 1,5 - De G.E.P. files: Elena’, dat gaat over… inderdaad, Elena, die ook een rol speelt in Onzuiver. Ik heb ervan genoten en het heeft mij nog meer inzicht gegeven over de wereld die zo ontzettend is veranderd. Zeker een aanrader, voor als je Onzuiver hebt gelezen! En DAT EINDE…*
July 19, 2013
(Source: Purchased from Smashwords.com.)
15-year-old Mina is blemished. This means that she has a genetic predisposition for a disease, and in a world where only perfect babies are cloned, this makes her a lesser member of society.
After cloning cured diseases such as diabetes and mental health problems, all babies are created and birthed in a lab, and are called GEMs, whilst those with imperfect genes are sterilised and not allowed to breed. Mina has just over a year until she will be sterilised, and will then go on to be a servant – cleaning and serving the GEMs.
Mina has a secret though – she has telekinesis, and her father wants to train her to use it. Daniel, a boy at her school also has a gift – he has visions. Mina and Daniel together wonder if they could maybe make a difference in the world, but things are never that easy.
What does the future hold for Mina and Daniel? What is ‘the resistance’ all about? And is there more to life than being sterilised and worked like a slave?
This was an interesting dystopian, with a hint of romance.
Mina was an okay character. She didn’t like being a blemished, but she wasn’t afraid to stand up for her beliefs either, and if she could have run away from it all, she would only do it if her friends and family who she loved were with her.
There were quite a few nasty characters in this story, the worst being one of Mina’s school teachers. I really wanted Mina to pay her back for what she did to her, but I also didn’t want Mina to anger her further!
The storyline in this book was okay, although I did wonder if a bit more explanation of certain aspects of the world building would have helped. Otherwise, the idea of the blemished was quite clever, and I liked how possible and realistic the story seemed.
I wasn’t expecting a love triangle in this story, but there was one! In fact it was almost like two love triangles, because there was Daniel-Mina-Sebastian, and then there was Mina-Daniel-Angela. I can’t say that I was really romanced by either of the boys in this though, and I really didn’t have much of an opinion over which one Mina should pick, to be honest, I kinda felt like she didn’t really have strong feelings for either of them until the end.
The pacing in this book was okay until the end, when it seemed to get really slow, which was a bit annoying. The ending was happy enough, and things were tied up pretty nicely. I don’t really feel the drive to read the next book though, so I think I’ll probably just leave this series here.
Overall; and okay dystopian with a touch of romance.
6.75 out of 10.
15-year-old Mina is blemished. This means that she has a genetic predisposition for a disease, and in a world where only perfect babies are cloned, this makes her a lesser member of society.
After cloning cured diseases such as diabetes and mental health problems, all babies are created and birthed in a lab, and are called GEMs, whilst those with imperfect genes are sterilised and not allowed to breed. Mina has just over a year until she will be sterilised, and will then go on to be a servant – cleaning and serving the GEMs.
Mina has a secret though – she has telekinesis, and her father wants to train her to use it. Daniel, a boy at her school also has a gift – he has visions. Mina and Daniel together wonder if they could maybe make a difference in the world, but things are never that easy.
What does the future hold for Mina and Daniel? What is ‘the resistance’ all about? And is there more to life than being sterilised and worked like a slave?
This was an interesting dystopian, with a hint of romance.
Mina was an okay character. She didn’t like being a blemished, but she wasn’t afraid to stand up for her beliefs either, and if she could have run away from it all, she would only do it if her friends and family who she loved were with her.
There were quite a few nasty characters in this story, the worst being one of Mina’s school teachers. I really wanted Mina to pay her back for what she did to her, but I also didn’t want Mina to anger her further!
The storyline in this book was okay, although I did wonder if a bit more explanation of certain aspects of the world building would have helped. Otherwise, the idea of the blemished was quite clever, and I liked how possible and realistic the story seemed.
I wasn’t expecting a love triangle in this story, but there was one! In fact it was almost like two love triangles, because there was Daniel-Mina-Sebastian, and then there was Mina-Daniel-Angela. I can’t say that I was really romanced by either of the boys in this though, and I really didn’t have much of an opinion over which one Mina should pick, to be honest, I kinda felt like she didn’t really have strong feelings for either of them until the end.
The pacing in this book was okay until the end, when it seemed to get really slow, which was a bit annoying. The ending was happy enough, and things were tied up pretty nicely. I don’t really feel the drive to read the next book though, so I think I’ll probably just leave this series here.
Overall; and okay dystopian with a touch of romance.
6.75 out of 10.
August 12, 2013
The Blemished takes place in the near future, where scientific advancements have created the "perfect" humans: no family histories of medical conditions or mental illnesses, and stunning good looks. These genetically enhanced humans, or GEMS, receive all of the advantages in life while the Blemished, who are what we would consider "normal" humans, are denied many of their basic human rights. While this concept is intriguing, it's also frightening. Scientists have already found a way to screen for genetic defects before your child is even born, so the idea that people can essentially "engineer" their child - from their looks straight down to their genetic makeup - isn't hard to believe. After all, some fertility clinics already allow you to choose the gender of your child, so this society isn't a far cry from our own.
Although I enjoyed the concept behind The Blemished, its execution left a lot to be desired. About a quarter of the way through the book, the plot started to move at a very slow pace and sacrificed action and answers for the sake of romance. By now I'm sure you all know how much I dislike love triangles, so imagine my reaction when Mina found herself in the middle of a love square - complete with instalove and jealousy on all sides. I didn't really care for Sebastian or Daniel, so the many scenes focusing on Mina's confused feelings for them seemed to drag on and on.
For the most part, the characters were rather two-dimensional. I admired Mina's determination and loyalty to her friends, but I never felt as if I truly got to know her. The same could be said for almost all of the other characters; they weren't fleshed out but either possessed admirable qualities or earned your sympathy with a tragic event in their past. Elena was the only character to receive any real development and she received significantly less page time than the two main love interests.
Overall, The Blemished was merely an okay read. The premise was interesting, but the lack of character development and action caused it to fall flat.
This review can also be found at The In-Between Place. I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Although I enjoyed the concept behind The Blemished, its execution left a lot to be desired. About a quarter of the way through the book, the plot started to move at a very slow pace and sacrificed action and answers for the sake of romance. By now I'm sure you all know how much I dislike love triangles, so imagine my reaction when Mina found herself in the middle of a love square - complete with instalove and jealousy on all sides. I didn't really care for Sebastian or Daniel, so the many scenes focusing on Mina's confused feelings for them seemed to drag on and on.
For the most part, the characters were rather two-dimensional. I admired Mina's determination and loyalty to her friends, but I never felt as if I truly got to know her. The same could be said for almost all of the other characters; they weren't fleshed out but either possessed admirable qualities or earned your sympathy with a tragic event in their past. Elena was the only character to receive any real development and she received significantly less page time than the two main love interests.
Overall, The Blemished was merely an okay read. The premise was interesting, but the lack of character development and action caused it to fall flat.
This review can also be found at The In-Between Place. I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
February 18, 2013
This novel is extra scary simply because you can picture the events happening. Based on the storyline, it is so easy to see genetic engineering following this path that it makes you shudder. This leads to events and times that are completely heart wrenching. You can barely fathom the very real issues that these characters live with, yet they are brought to life so vividly that you feel for them. This realism combined with Dalton’s phenomenal storytelling creates a world that you feel completely immersed in yet never want to visit.
This novel was also very well written. Everything flows so seamlessly that you can immerse yourself completely in the storyline and characters. The world comes to live through Dalton’s descriptions of locales and settings. You can picture yourself walking through the various sections of the England that she has built for her story.
As unique as this novel was, the best part about it was the characters. Each and every one of the major characters is extremely well developed and loveable in their own way. You know who they are and where they came from. You can see the various trials and tribulations that they have been through to build them into the individuals that they are today. None of them have had easy lives. It is refreshing to read about something other than the upper strata of society. Yet at the same time, the author shows that they do not have carefree lives either.
This was a phenomenally well written first novel for an up and coming new author. It leads you into a world that you can get lost in while giving you something to hope for and believe in. Well done!
This novel was also very well written. Everything flows so seamlessly that you can immerse yourself completely in the storyline and characters. The world comes to live through Dalton’s descriptions of locales and settings. You can picture yourself walking through the various sections of the England that she has built for her story.
As unique as this novel was, the best part about it was the characters. Each and every one of the major characters is extremely well developed and loveable in their own way. You know who they are and where they came from. You can see the various trials and tribulations that they have been through to build them into the individuals that they are today. None of them have had easy lives. It is refreshing to read about something other than the upper strata of society. Yet at the same time, the author shows that they do not have carefree lives either.
This was a phenomenally well written first novel for an up and coming new author. It leads you into a world that you can get lost in while giving you something to hope for and believe in. Well done!
October 8, 2023
The Blemished is a wonderful dystopian debut by young adult author Sarah Dalton, set in a sinister re-imagined Britain which has fallen under the control of the Genetic Enhancement Ministry. The protagonist, Mina Hart, is Blemished: she has genetic defects, and the best she can expect from life is an operation preventing her from ever having children. The Blemished are the imperfect, with no rights, and only able to take on menial jobs like cooking and cleaning for the perfect GEM’s. But Mina isn’t like the others: she has a secret, an ability that would mean her death if discovered.
This story grips from the first page, and has everything a great YA dystopia needs – a compelling plot, a sympathetic protagonist, action and romance. It will definitely appeal to fans of Malorie Blackman’s Noughts and Crosses series and the Uglies series by Scott Westerfield. The inclusion of Mina’s powers gives the story its uniqueness, and the characters are very real and believable. It’s also very current, with debates about the ethics of genetic enhancement and ‘designer babies’, and the dystopian world is chillingly reminiscent of the ideals of the Nazis, and their segregation of ‘undesirable’ groups. This winning debut paints a sinister picture of a future society, and I’m keen to read the rest of the trilogy!
This story grips from the first page, and has everything a great YA dystopia needs – a compelling plot, a sympathetic protagonist, action and romance. It will definitely appeal to fans of Malorie Blackman’s Noughts and Crosses series and the Uglies series by Scott Westerfield. The inclusion of Mina’s powers gives the story its uniqueness, and the characters are very real and believable. It’s also very current, with debates about the ethics of genetic enhancement and ‘designer babies’, and the dystopian world is chillingly reminiscent of the ideals of the Nazis, and their segregation of ‘undesirable’ groups. This winning debut paints a sinister picture of a future society, and I’m keen to read the rest of the trilogy!
February 20, 2018
Onzuiver is het verhaal geschreven door Sarah Dalton en vertaald door Olga Hoekstra. Voor de blogtour Onzuiver heb ik bij deze een recensie voor jullie klaar liggen.
Terwijl ik eigenlijk nog steeds aan bekomen ben van het verhaal, schrijf ik ondertussen deze recensie. Eerst en vooral wil ik zeggen dat ik het boek Onzuiver zeer geslaagd vond. Het verhaal was vrij origineel. Zeker voor een dystopia. Waar ik zeker van genoot was de opbouwende spanning die zo goed beschreven was. Ik ging niet slapen voordat ik wist hoe het zou aflopen. Daar door doorkruiste ik een rollarcoaster van emoties die op een bepaalde manier een sterke invloed op me naliet.
Wat me wel tegen de borst stootte, waren sommige momenten die voor mij te snel gingen. Dat merkte ik vooral in het begin.
Al hoewel de hoofdpersonages vrij jong waren, en ik daar niet altijd voor ben, stoorde het me voor geen meter. Ik creëerde een liefde voor ieder van hen.
Het boek krijgt van mij een dikke 4 sterren. Van het begin tot het einde heb ik genoten van Onzuiver en ik hoop dat Dutch Venture Publishing snel het tweede deel laat uitkomen!
Pluspunten:
♡ De schrijfstijl was een combinatie van lange en korte zinnen. Het boek leest lekker weg.
♡ Een mooi gecreëerd verhaal van begin tot einde.
Minpunten:
♡ In het begin gaat het soms iets te snel naar mijn zin
Terwijl ik eigenlijk nog steeds aan bekomen ben van het verhaal, schrijf ik ondertussen deze recensie. Eerst en vooral wil ik zeggen dat ik het boek Onzuiver zeer geslaagd vond. Het verhaal was vrij origineel. Zeker voor een dystopia. Waar ik zeker van genoot was de opbouwende spanning die zo goed beschreven was. Ik ging niet slapen voordat ik wist hoe het zou aflopen. Daar door doorkruiste ik een rollarcoaster van emoties die op een bepaalde manier een sterke invloed op me naliet.
Wat me wel tegen de borst stootte, waren sommige momenten die voor mij te snel gingen. Dat merkte ik vooral in het begin.
Al hoewel de hoofdpersonages vrij jong waren, en ik daar niet altijd voor ben, stoorde het me voor geen meter. Ik creëerde een liefde voor ieder van hen.
Het boek krijgt van mij een dikke 4 sterren. Van het begin tot het einde heb ik genoten van Onzuiver en ik hoop dat Dutch Venture Publishing snel het tweede deel laat uitkomen!
Pluspunten:
♡ De schrijfstijl was een combinatie van lange en korte zinnen. Het boek leest lekker weg.
♡ Een mooi gecreëerd verhaal van begin tot einde.
Minpunten:
♡ In het begin gaat het soms iets te snel naar mijn zin
December 23, 2013
Sarah Dalton has created an intriguing world populated with full-formed characters and a heroine you worry about and cheer on as she goes from one situation to the next. The book is well-paced, getting faster and faster as it reaches it's climax, carrying you along on the wave of energy and emotion. This is a great young adult book which I highly recommend.
December 27, 2014
***2.5 out of 5 Stars***
I stumbled across this book on Amazon as one of the top free Downloads in the YA Science Fiction/ Dystopian genre, and oh, how I wanted to love this book. I really did. The premise had me salivating to dive into it and the way the book opens instantly had me hooked:
"Once, my mum told me a story about a princess, and it began with her stuck in a castle. My story begins with my head stuck in a toilet."
We then learn the protagonist is a girl named Mina who is considered Blemished - someone the Ministry deems unworthy of procreating because her genes carry predispositions to illnesses and/ or deformities. But not only are the Blemished deemed unworthy of procreating, the Ministry (the new government) ensures they don't by seeing that every Blemished girl has an Operation - basically giving them a hysterectomy - at the age of sixteen. Deplorable! And the way the Blemished are treated as dirty, second-class citizens and made to serve the GEMs (the genetically enhanced, test tube babies) who are given privileges such as an education and the opportunity to have good jobs and live in nice homes filled with nice things, is also pretty nauseating... but extremely brilliant, as far as world-building is concerned. This book has one of the strongest antagonists I've ever seen (the Ministry). Then, mix in a strong-willed, heart-of-gold heroine (Mina), a sweet, gap-toothed best friend (Angela), a bully GEM (Elena, the offending swirly-giver at the beginning of the book), a super bully in Mrs. Murgatroyd (affectionately named Murder-Troll by her Blemished students), a cute GEM boy who wants to win Mina's affection (Sebastian), only to be rivaled by Daniel (another Blemished boy), and you've got potential for an exceptional story.
And... AND... Mina has a gift - telekinesis. And we all know I have a fondness for dark-haired heroines with telekinesis. *sheepish grin*
So, given all that, I had such high expectations, but somewhere along the way the story fell flat and I ended up forcing myself to finish. I'll try and dissect it all for you below.
The Good:
The premise - I covered that pretty thoroughly above. lol
Also, Mina is an excellent protagonist. I love a strong-willed, won't-take-crap-from-anyone kind of girl. She's tender when she needs to be, strong when she has to be, and values her friends and family. Instant likeability factors. I also like that she takes a stand for what's right and isn't afraid to break the rules to do so, especially in a world where offending Blems get the electric chair for the smallest of crimes. (Another reason to despise the Ministry). Not that we need anymore reasons at this point!
Another plus is how the author has a way of creating moments that tears your heart out; I consider that an excellent storytelling trait. Regardless of how 'meh' I felt about the overall story at times, Ms Dalton had me glued to the pages and actively trying to hold myself together at others. *** SPOILER ALERT*** For instance, the scene where Mrs. Murgatroyd hacks at Mina's hair in front of the class as punishment. I was as horrified and humiliated as Mina, and man, after I recovered from my heartbreak, I was wishing I could jump into the book and strangle the Murder-Troll right then. I'm STILL seething. lol ***END SPOILER*** More heartbreaking scenes were with Angela's (and Daniel's adoptive) mother, Theresa. As someone who's witnessed a family member suffering from dementia, the scenes really hit home and made my heart ache for her kids. And honestly, without these tear-my-heart-out moments, I'd probably rate this book a star lower, because these were rare moments in the storyline I actually felt something.
I also like how the characters aren't all one dimensional. Not everyone is all good or all bad (minus Murder-Troll lol) or have only one temperament all the time, and they each have their own unique characteristics/ interests and things that make them tick. That makes for a believable cast of characters.
Lastly... Mina's relationship with her father. I'm a daddy's girl, so 'nuff said. lol I adored their closeness.
The Meh:
I usually don't have a 'meh' category, but some of the things I have to harp on aren't necessarily bad. "Meh" fits a little better. lol
First, one of my complaints is the romance/ chemistry between Mina and both her love interests. (Yes, there's a love triangle). Good chemistry really is a hard thing to create, and when an author successfully does so it makes the book that much better. I give Ms Dalton points for trying, but this is one of the main reasons the book only gets two-and-a-half stars - it simply didn't deliver in that department. Not for me, anyway. I get that the book isn't necessarily billed as a romance, but when budding romances are a pretty good chunk of the book, as the reader, we expect it to deliver. And honestly, it's hard to articulate why it didn't do much for me. Maybe it's because there were more physical reactions (skin tingling/ burning with touches, etc) than actual deep connections. There WAS a small amount with Daniel because he also has a gift and they spend a good amount of time together, BUT a lot of their time was glossed over (renovating the basement together) so we never really got a sense of how close their bond had become. We were only told that it had. Showing can make all the difference. If I were the author, I'd go back through and add some more one-on-one scenes during that timeframe. As a side note, I will say I liked that Daniel was protective of Mina, and when she was wronged, he couldn't rest until it was made right.
Next, dare I say it.... the writing. Believe me, I hate to talk about another author's writing. And please know, I'm not out to bash, because we all have room for improvement, but Ms. Dalton could benefit from going back through and tightening up her prose. There were a few places I felt like her writing got a bit lazy, and as both a reader and writer, it dampens my motivation to keep reading. For instance, my example above about glossing over key relationship-building opportunities; telling and not showing; a few too many typos for my liking; using some of the same descriptions over and over. I want to add, though, that there were times her talent shined through. For example:
"There was something about serving the GEMs at lunchtime which made my skin crawl. Everything else I could cope with: the uniform, the classes, and the way they looked at us. But to stand and serve them the food I had prepared always seemed the lowest of the low. I thought about the way Dad cooks for me and the intimate feeling you get from sharing food. It should be personal, and with love. Not forced."
The Bad:
Some of the seemingly contrived situations... to the point they induced eye rolls. For instance, ***SPOILER ALERT*** When the Enforcers come to take Mina and Daniel. Right before that, her uncle Matthew says they need to pack up and head out of town since it's a possibility they could come after Mina and Daniel for the vandalism, but then he suggests everyone needs to hang out a bit and take a nap to get some rest. Ummmmm.... WHAT? If there's a possibility you'll be captured and killed, why the hell wouldn't you go ahead and leave? Rest be damned. It came across to me that the author needed something to kill time to give the enforcers time to figure out who was responsible for said crime and get to Mina's house. I couldn't help but laugh. ***END SPOILER***
The repeated use of her telekinesis in public, yet she never seemed to worry all that hard that the Ministry/ Enforcers might be tipped off and come after her. And there were SEVERAL uses of it around the school she worked at. Like when she's trying to help another classmate escape. ***SPOLIER ALERT*** Like when after Murder-Troll cut Mina's hair, and the scissors flew out of her hand and the books flew off the shelves. ***END SPOILER*** You can't blame "a gust of wind" on those things. And yet, she never seems to worry much about her little telekinesis outbursts after having moved to Area 14 because of them in the first place because it needs to stay "secret."
The Ugly:
The ending. ***SPOILER ALERT*** So right as Murder-Troll has a gun pointed at Mina, who comes in to save the day? Elena, the GEM bully turned friend. Not that I have a problem with who saved her, I have a problem with the way it was done - in a surprise attack of Murder-Troll from behind, knocking her out. Then it was, "oh, it's Elena! You saved me! And you're in high heels? That's so you. How did you get here?" Elena's reasoning - "I heard all the noise and violence from my house, so I decided to traipse over here in my expensive high heels to see what's going on." Holy ridiculous, batman. Because, ya know... that's what every prissy, pampered girl would do. Go haphazardly seek out a source of violence and mayem in the dark. In their pumps. Just because. And, surprise! She saved her. *hand slaps against forehead* This is painfully bad. ***END SPOILER***
In conclusion, I have NO idea how this book received so many five-star reviews. MAYBE I can see how it earned some threes. But because this story has such an interesting concept with decent world and character building, it has loads of potential with the right editor and a good amount of re-writing. Until then, I can only say it fell nothing short of blah for me, borderlining on "I can never get my time back." Or maybe it just wasn't my cup of tea.
I stumbled across this book on Amazon as one of the top free Downloads in the YA Science Fiction/ Dystopian genre, and oh, how I wanted to love this book. I really did. The premise had me salivating to dive into it and the way the book opens instantly had me hooked:
"Once, my mum told me a story about a princess, and it began with her stuck in a castle. My story begins with my head stuck in a toilet."
We then learn the protagonist is a girl named Mina who is considered Blemished - someone the Ministry deems unworthy of procreating because her genes carry predispositions to illnesses and/ or deformities. But not only are the Blemished deemed unworthy of procreating, the Ministry (the new government) ensures they don't by seeing that every Blemished girl has an Operation - basically giving them a hysterectomy - at the age of sixteen. Deplorable! And the way the Blemished are treated as dirty, second-class citizens and made to serve the GEMs (the genetically enhanced, test tube babies) who are given privileges such as an education and the opportunity to have good jobs and live in nice homes filled with nice things, is also pretty nauseating... but extremely brilliant, as far as world-building is concerned. This book has one of the strongest antagonists I've ever seen (the Ministry). Then, mix in a strong-willed, heart-of-gold heroine (Mina), a sweet, gap-toothed best friend (Angela), a bully GEM (Elena, the offending swirly-giver at the beginning of the book), a super bully in Mrs. Murgatroyd (affectionately named Murder-Troll by her Blemished students), a cute GEM boy who wants to win Mina's affection (Sebastian), only to be rivaled by Daniel (another Blemished boy), and you've got potential for an exceptional story.
And... AND... Mina has a gift - telekinesis. And we all know I have a fondness for dark-haired heroines with telekinesis. *sheepish grin*
So, given all that, I had such high expectations, but somewhere along the way the story fell flat and I ended up forcing myself to finish. I'll try and dissect it all for you below.
The Good:
The premise - I covered that pretty thoroughly above. lol
Also, Mina is an excellent protagonist. I love a strong-willed, won't-take-crap-from-anyone kind of girl. She's tender when she needs to be, strong when she has to be, and values her friends and family. Instant likeability factors. I also like that she takes a stand for what's right and isn't afraid to break the rules to do so, especially in a world where offending Blems get the electric chair for the smallest of crimes. (Another reason to despise the Ministry). Not that we need anymore reasons at this point!
Another plus is how the author has a way of creating moments that tears your heart out; I consider that an excellent storytelling trait. Regardless of how 'meh' I felt about the overall story at times, Ms Dalton had me glued to the pages and actively trying to hold myself together at others. *** SPOILER ALERT*** For instance, the scene where Mrs. Murgatroyd hacks at Mina's hair in front of the class as punishment. I was as horrified and humiliated as Mina, and man, after I recovered from my heartbreak, I was wishing I could jump into the book and strangle the Murder-Troll right then. I'm STILL seething. lol ***END SPOILER*** More heartbreaking scenes were with Angela's (and Daniel's adoptive) mother, Theresa. As someone who's witnessed a family member suffering from dementia, the scenes really hit home and made my heart ache for her kids. And honestly, without these tear-my-heart-out moments, I'd probably rate this book a star lower, because these were rare moments in the storyline I actually felt something.
I also like how the characters aren't all one dimensional. Not everyone is all good or all bad (minus Murder-Troll lol) or have only one temperament all the time, and they each have their own unique characteristics/ interests and things that make them tick. That makes for a believable cast of characters.
Lastly... Mina's relationship with her father. I'm a daddy's girl, so 'nuff said. lol I adored their closeness.
The Meh:
I usually don't have a 'meh' category, but some of the things I have to harp on aren't necessarily bad. "Meh" fits a little better. lol
First, one of my complaints is the romance/ chemistry between Mina and both her love interests. (Yes, there's a love triangle). Good chemistry really is a hard thing to create, and when an author successfully does so it makes the book that much better. I give Ms Dalton points for trying, but this is one of the main reasons the book only gets two-and-a-half stars - it simply didn't deliver in that department. Not for me, anyway. I get that the book isn't necessarily billed as a romance, but when budding romances are a pretty good chunk of the book, as the reader, we expect it to deliver. And honestly, it's hard to articulate why it didn't do much for me. Maybe it's because there were more physical reactions (skin tingling/ burning with touches, etc) than actual deep connections. There WAS a small amount with Daniel because he also has a gift and they spend a good amount of time together, BUT a lot of their time was glossed over (renovating the basement together) so we never really got a sense of how close their bond had become. We were only told that it had. Showing can make all the difference. If I were the author, I'd go back through and add some more one-on-one scenes during that timeframe. As a side note, I will say I liked that Daniel was protective of Mina, and when she was wronged, he couldn't rest until it was made right.
Next, dare I say it.... the writing. Believe me, I hate to talk about another author's writing. And please know, I'm not out to bash, because we all have room for improvement, but Ms. Dalton could benefit from going back through and tightening up her prose. There were a few places I felt like her writing got a bit lazy, and as both a reader and writer, it dampens my motivation to keep reading. For instance, my example above about glossing over key relationship-building opportunities; telling and not showing; a few too many typos for my liking; using some of the same descriptions over and over. I want to add, though, that there were times her talent shined through. For example:
"There was something about serving the GEMs at lunchtime which made my skin crawl. Everything else I could cope with: the uniform, the classes, and the way they looked at us. But to stand and serve them the food I had prepared always seemed the lowest of the low. I thought about the way Dad cooks for me and the intimate feeling you get from sharing food. It should be personal, and with love. Not forced."
The Bad:
Some of the seemingly contrived situations... to the point they induced eye rolls. For instance, ***SPOILER ALERT*** When the Enforcers come to take Mina and Daniel. Right before that, her uncle Matthew says they need to pack up and head out of town since it's a possibility they could come after Mina and Daniel for the vandalism, but then he suggests everyone needs to hang out a bit and take a nap to get some rest. Ummmmm.... WHAT? If there's a possibility you'll be captured and killed, why the hell wouldn't you go ahead and leave? Rest be damned. It came across to me that the author needed something to kill time to give the enforcers time to figure out who was responsible for said crime and get to Mina's house. I couldn't help but laugh. ***END SPOILER***
The repeated use of her telekinesis in public, yet she never seemed to worry all that hard that the Ministry/ Enforcers might be tipped off and come after her. And there were SEVERAL uses of it around the school she worked at. Like when she's trying to help another classmate escape. ***SPOLIER ALERT*** Like when after Murder-Troll cut Mina's hair, and the scissors flew out of her hand and the books flew off the shelves. ***END SPOILER*** You can't blame "a gust of wind" on those things. And yet, she never seems to worry much about her little telekinesis outbursts after having moved to Area 14 because of them in the first place because it needs to stay "secret."
The Ugly:
The ending. ***SPOILER ALERT*** So right as Murder-Troll has a gun pointed at Mina, who comes in to save the day? Elena, the GEM bully turned friend. Not that I have a problem with who saved her, I have a problem with the way it was done - in a surprise attack of Murder-Troll from behind, knocking her out. Then it was, "oh, it's Elena! You saved me! And you're in high heels? That's so you. How did you get here?" Elena's reasoning - "I heard all the noise and violence from my house, so I decided to traipse over here in my expensive high heels to see what's going on." Holy ridiculous, batman. Because, ya know... that's what every prissy, pampered girl would do. Go haphazardly seek out a source of violence and mayem in the dark. In their pumps. Just because. And, surprise! She saved her. *hand slaps against forehead* This is painfully bad. ***END SPOILER***
In conclusion, I have NO idea how this book received so many five-star reviews. MAYBE I can see how it earned some threes. But because this story has such an interesting concept with decent world and character building, it has loads of potential with the right editor and a good amount of re-writing. Until then, I can only say it fell nothing short of blah for me, borderlining on "I can never get my time back." Or maybe it just wasn't my cup of tea.
January 28, 2013
Thanks you, Ms. Dalton, for providing me a copy in exchange for a review.
I look for two things when it comes to a book I truly enjoy.
1. Creative world
2. Awesome characters
Did The Blemished meet these expectations and surpass them? Let's find out.
The Blemished appeared in my recommendations and the cover definitely intrigued me. The summary of the book is really something. A futuristic world filled with genetically-altered people and their not-so-perfect counterparts. Even though, it does seem familiar, I believe Ms. Dalton was able to take this vague idea and make it her own. I love the world Ms. Dalton has created, these "perfect" people are called GEMs while the not perfect people are called the Blemished (Blems).
GEMs are people too, but they're also clones. Wealthy families can choose from a storage of genes and essentially create the perfect son or daughter. There are genes from celebrities and other "perfect" people. However, GEMs must have some DNA from their parents along with the selection they chose. But, and here's the big twist, people can only have GEM children if they're genes are disease free. If there's a history of medical or mental problems in your genes, then you are instantly declared part of the Blemished. And that is where The Blemished passed the first test.
I love how there are GEMs and Blems, that's pretty creative and that counts as the originality in the plot. From there, the typical rebellion starts and I understand why it needed to happen. Being dicated by the Ministry (pseudo-government) is not easy, and being told whether or not you can have children is almost heart-breaking.
There are a lot of characters in here, but the ones who stood out are the four main characters: Mina, Daniel, Sebastian, and Angela.
Mina is a headstrong character and because of this she is often bullied. Mina is a character anyone can relate too, she's gone through much humiliation that seems oddly real that the world here is almost the same as the world now. She fights for what she wants and doesn't let anyone push her down, but she knows when to stand down.
Daniel has seen too much of the world and maybe this causes him to be wary and guarded at times. He's lost both of his parents and has to deal with the place he has in this society. Daniel also wants to fight the Ministry, but some of his motive is due to Mina. Of course, there has to be a love triangle, right?
Sebastian is our odd character. He's a GEM while the others are Blems. He shouldn't be trusted because he is seen as a snob to the Blems. But Sebastian is different and I'm not sure if he acts that way because no one can say no to him. He's a tough character to figure out and his motives aren't clear. Sebastian doesn't follow the rules and hangs out with Mina even though she could get into trouble. Does he know about the consequences and not care because he wants to get to know her? Or does he not care because no one will harm him? Sebastian has no idea about the real world and that's why I feel the most sorry about him.
Angela seems to represent the good and hope in this world. She's always looking for the best possibilities even though happiness seems futile. She knows her place in society, but it doesn't stop her from trying to make the most out of it. However, her character does irritate me and personally I don't like her.
It seems that The Blemished has met my requirements. But the reason I did not give it a 5-star review was the pacing and descriptions. The pacing was a bit slow for me and it made the book feel much longer than it really is. I don't know why, but somehow I feel like the contents of the book is much longer than a one month time period. And this problem coincides with my next issue: descriptions. I understand that descriptions are necessary to give readers some background information, but I felt that they were too long. I expected a bit more action too, but maybe the first book needs to establish a foundation first. But due to the lengthy descriptions that book felt much slower than it actually is.
The pacing and descriptions might be an ideal mix for you, but I tend to gravitate more to fast-paced books. It's very hard for me to enjoy slow books-I don't love contemporary-but maybe the next book will lift my spirits. Ms. Dalton, you have something fabulous going on here ;)
I look for two things when it comes to a book I truly enjoy.
1. Creative world
2. Awesome characters
Did The Blemished meet these expectations and surpass them? Let's find out.
The Blemished appeared in my recommendations and the cover definitely intrigued me. The summary of the book is really something. A futuristic world filled with genetically-altered people and their not-so-perfect counterparts. Even though, it does seem familiar, I believe Ms. Dalton was able to take this vague idea and make it her own. I love the world Ms. Dalton has created, these "perfect" people are called GEMs while the not perfect people are called the Blemished (Blems).
GEMs are people too, but they're also clones. Wealthy families can choose from a storage of genes and essentially create the perfect son or daughter. There are genes from celebrities and other "perfect" people. However, GEMs must have some DNA from their parents along with the selection they chose. But, and here's the big twist, people can only have GEM children if they're genes are disease free. If there's a history of medical or mental problems in your genes, then you are instantly declared part of the Blemished. And that is where The Blemished passed the first test.
I love how there are GEMs and Blems, that's pretty creative and that counts as the originality in the plot. From there, the typical rebellion starts and I understand why it needed to happen. Being dicated by the Ministry (pseudo-government) is not easy, and being told whether or not you can have children is almost heart-breaking.
There are a lot of characters in here, but the ones who stood out are the four main characters: Mina, Daniel, Sebastian, and Angela.
Mina is a headstrong character and because of this she is often bullied. Mina is a character anyone can relate too, she's gone through much humiliation that seems oddly real that the world here is almost the same as the world now. She fights for what she wants and doesn't let anyone push her down, but she knows when to stand down.
Daniel has seen too much of the world and maybe this causes him to be wary and guarded at times. He's lost both of his parents and has to deal with the place he has in this society. Daniel also wants to fight the Ministry, but some of his motive is due to Mina. Of course, there has to be a love triangle, right?
Sebastian is our odd character. He's a GEM while the others are Blems. He shouldn't be trusted because he is seen as a snob to the Blems. But Sebastian is different and I'm not sure if he acts that way because no one can say no to him. He's a tough character to figure out and his motives aren't clear. Sebastian doesn't follow the rules and hangs out with Mina even though she could get into trouble. Does he know about the consequences and not care because he wants to get to know her? Or does he not care because no one will harm him? Sebastian has no idea about the real world and that's why I feel the most sorry about him.
Angela seems to represent the good and hope in this world. She's always looking for the best possibilities even though happiness seems futile. She knows her place in society, but it doesn't stop her from trying to make the most out of it. However, her character does irritate me and personally I don't like her.
It seems that The Blemished has met my requirements. But the reason I did not give it a 5-star review was the pacing and descriptions. The pacing was a bit slow for me and it made the book feel much longer than it really is. I don't know why, but somehow I feel like the contents of the book is much longer than a one month time period. And this problem coincides with my next issue: descriptions. I understand that descriptions are necessary to give readers some background information, but I felt that they were too long. I expected a bit more action too, but maybe the first book needs to establish a foundation first. But due to the lengthy descriptions that book felt much slower than it actually is.
The pacing and descriptions might be an ideal mix for you, but I tend to gravitate more to fast-paced books. It's very hard for me to enjoy slow books-I don't love contemporary-but maybe the next book will lift my spirits. Ms. Dalton, you have something fabulous going on here ;)
September 5, 2013
I got this book from the author, free of cost, in exchange of an honest review from my side.
firstly I would like to thank Sarah Dalton, author of The Blemished, for giving me this wonderful opportunity of reading and reviewing this fantastic books.
Well, where to start from? Okay, lets start with the outline of the story. So as we know from the blurb that in this futuristic story Britain is basically divided into two groups of people, as in sort of caste system where on one side we have the perfect and appraised 'GEMS' who are basically genetically engineered people having perfection in respect of all fields and on the other hand we have the naturally born 'BLEMISHED' who are mistreated, oppressed and are made to work for the 'GEMS'.
In this scenario we get introduced to the protagonist of this story, a fifteen year old girl Mina, who is one of the Blemished but what I loved about her was the confidence, attitude and the fact that sometimes she is a little messed up and the other doesn't make her all perfect and grown-up which would have spoiled the read.
The characterization is remarkable and I really liked the writing style of the author which grabbed my attention from the very first and established a strong bonding between the characters and the plot unlike some of the other dystopian books where the characters fail to fit in the plot.
I'm not a great fan of dystopian novels but the author really stunned me with this epic story, I just loved it and would vote it as the second best dystopian read after Veronica Roth's Divergent trilogy. If you loved that series then you would definitely love this one.
The uniqueness came in when I got the taste of fantasy mixed with dystopian and it really did spice up the story.
The romantic essence is present in this book and the author crafted well the love triangle without making it a chick flick.
All in all a great read which is full of good quality suspense, romance, emotional turmoil and over all a superb heroine who narrates the story.
Would like to recommend it to all dystopian fans and if you aren't one then I would definitely recommend it as a must read because it has the potential of changing your taste and viewpoint about dystopian novels.
firstly I would like to thank Sarah Dalton, author of The Blemished, for giving me this wonderful opportunity of reading and reviewing this fantastic books.
Well, where to start from? Okay, lets start with the outline of the story. So as we know from the blurb that in this futuristic story Britain is basically divided into two groups of people, as in sort of caste system where on one side we have the perfect and appraised 'GEMS' who are basically genetically engineered people having perfection in respect of all fields and on the other hand we have the naturally born 'BLEMISHED' who are mistreated, oppressed and are made to work for the 'GEMS'.
In this scenario we get introduced to the protagonist of this story, a fifteen year old girl Mina, who is one of the Blemished but what I loved about her was the confidence, attitude and the fact that sometimes she is a little messed up and the other doesn't make her all perfect and grown-up which would have spoiled the read.
The characterization is remarkable and I really liked the writing style of the author which grabbed my attention from the very first and established a strong bonding between the characters and the plot unlike some of the other dystopian books where the characters fail to fit in the plot.
I'm not a great fan of dystopian novels but the author really stunned me with this epic story, I just loved it and would vote it as the second best dystopian read after Veronica Roth's Divergent trilogy. If you loved that series then you would definitely love this one.
The uniqueness came in when I got the taste of fantasy mixed with dystopian and it really did spice up the story.
The romantic essence is present in this book and the author crafted well the love triangle without making it a chick flick.
All in all a great read which is full of good quality suspense, romance, emotional turmoil and over all a superb heroine who narrates the story.
Would like to recommend it to all dystopian fans and if you aren't one then I would definitely recommend it as a must read because it has the potential of changing your taste and viewpoint about dystopian novels.
December 12, 2013
I received this book from the author, free of cost, in exchange of an honest review and I just have to take the time to thank Sarah for this book!
This dystopian novel had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. The beginning of the book Mina is young and inexperienced and like all teenagers she struggles to find her path in life. The GEMs are the next generation of humans, clones that are custom made to perfection. They are trying to prevent the Blemish, natural birth humans with all their diseases, from having any more children so they die out completely. Mina is one of the Blemish and struggles to accept her upcoming surgery that will sterilize her. Oh yeah, she has telekinesis powers that she is also struggling to control and keep hidden. Things just don't go her way and it seems she is always getting into trouble.
I truly enjoyed the storyline and while I finished it in three days I contributed this to Sarah’s writing, almost every chapter had something new happening to one character or another. While this makes the story continue forward I would have liked some time to truly enjoy each character and the budding romances between Mina and the guys. This is the only reason it got 4 stars instead of five. I really wished Goodreads had 1/2 start. Overall, I truly enjoyed this book!
I would recommend this to any reader who loves dystopian novels and am very eager to continue in the series.
This dystopian novel had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. The beginning of the book Mina is young and inexperienced and like all teenagers she struggles to find her path in life. The GEMs are the next generation of humans, clones that are custom made to perfection. They are trying to prevent the Blemish, natural birth humans with all their diseases, from having any more children so they die out completely. Mina is one of the Blemish and struggles to accept her upcoming surgery that will sterilize her. Oh yeah, she has telekinesis powers that she is also struggling to control and keep hidden. Things just don't go her way and it seems she is always getting into trouble.
I truly enjoyed the storyline and while I finished it in three days I contributed this to Sarah’s writing, almost every chapter had something new happening to one character or another. While this makes the story continue forward I would have liked some time to truly enjoy each character and the budding romances between Mina and the guys. This is the only reason it got 4 stars instead of five. I really wished Goodreads had 1/2 start. Overall, I truly enjoyed this book!
I would recommend this to any reader who loves dystopian novels and am very eager to continue in the series.
July 19, 2013
I liked this one, but the beginning seemed a bit slow.
The characters:
Mina - Mina was a pretty good character. I loved how loyal she was. No matter how much she wanted to fight, she wouldn't do it without her friends.
Angela - I did like her, but she seemed to lack development in some areas. I felt like she was only really there to create another love triangle. I really wish she could of stuck up for Mina more.
Daniel - I liked how protective he was. Really wish we got to see more of his ability.
Sebastian - I liked him at first, but then he started acting shifty.
The teacher - I really didn't like her. She was horrible.
Emily and Billie - Their story was really sad, I felt so sorry for them.
Elena - I hated Elena at first, she acted like a snob. Though, as the story progressed, i had a soft spot for her.
The romance:
I didn't really like the romance. One love triangle is enough, let alone two. (Mina / Daniel / Sebastian and Mina / Angela / Daniel.) While i did like both boys at first, i didn't think that Mina had a good romantic connection with either of them.
I might read book two, but i'm not in a desperate rush.
The characters:
Mina - Mina was a pretty good character. I loved how loyal she was. No matter how much she wanted to fight, she wouldn't do it without her friends.
Angela - I did like her, but she seemed to lack development in some areas. I felt like she was only really there to create another love triangle. I really wish she could of stuck up for Mina more.
Daniel - I liked how protective he was. Really wish we got to see more of his ability.
Sebastian - I liked him at first, but then he started acting shifty.
The teacher - I really didn't like her. She was horrible.
Emily and Billie - Their story was really sad, I felt so sorry for them.
Elena - I hated Elena at first, she acted like a snob. Though, as the story progressed, i had a soft spot for her.
The romance:
I didn't really like the romance. One love triangle is enough, let alone two. (Mina / Daniel / Sebastian and Mina / Angela / Daniel.) While i did like both boys at first, i didn't think that Mina had a good romantic connection with either of them.
I might read book two, but i'm not in a desperate rush.
February 15, 2015
I hate giving negative reviews to books that hold so much promise. This is one of those books that I wished were better written and executed.
Though the story be typical - imperfect girl gets involved with two almost-perfect (if not perfect) guys while trying to battle the evil forces of society - I see potential for this. The idea that beauty is equal only to the outer appearance holds room for argument to our protagonist, Mina. In a world where there is division between those who had flawless looks and to those who are natural-born calls for change. But is that even possible? How can these kids trump over the Ministry?
Although fast-paced, I really disliked the characters. Mina liked playing hero to the point of stupidly putting everybody at risk. Daniel professed his love for Mina but selfishly led her to danger. Angela, the cool friend, still blindly believed that Daniel could love her. And Sebastian, what the hell does he really want? Lol Sorry but I just rolled my eyes a lot of times while reading this.
Hopefully, the next books would be SO MUCH better.
Though the story be typical - imperfect girl gets involved with two almost-perfect (if not perfect) guys while trying to battle the evil forces of society - I see potential for this. The idea that beauty is equal only to the outer appearance holds room for argument to our protagonist, Mina. In a world where there is division between those who had flawless looks and to those who are natural-born calls for change. But is that even possible? How can these kids trump over the Ministry?
Although fast-paced, I really disliked the characters. Mina liked playing hero to the point of stupidly putting everybody at risk. Daniel professed his love for Mina but selfishly led her to danger. Angela, the cool friend, still blindly believed that Daniel could love her. And Sebastian, what the hell does he really want? Lol Sorry but I just rolled my eyes a lot of times while reading this.
Hopefully, the next books would be SO MUCH better.
March 12, 2017
It was quite an exciting read. I especially enjoyed it from around 60% of the book till the end. The world building was well done, and the characters are likeable. On the whole, it's a good read for YA readers.
November 24, 2016
5 Words: Dystopia, control, rebellion, feminism, friendship.
This was a reread and I loved it absolutely as much as the first time round. Fantastic!
This was a reread and I loved it absolutely as much as the first time round. Fantastic!
December 31, 2017
Merhabalaar 2017ye son kitabımı bırakayım dedim.. Bu kitabı geçen hafta bitirdim, şu anda da ikincisini okuyorum ama denk gelip de yorum atamamıştım o zaman şimdi sıra yorumda!
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Kitapta Mina adında 16 yaşında olan bir kızın, distopik ve aynı zamanda fantastik dünyasında olanları okuyoruz. Yazar ikisini de karıştırayım demiş.
Mina, kadınların kısırlaştırıldığı, bebeklerin ise laboratuvar ortamında eşsiz güzellikte üretildiği bir toplumda yetişen ama lekeli olarak doğan bir kız. Bunun anlamı, mükemmel klon olmaması aslında. Lekeliler, mükemmel klonlara hizmet için yetiştiriliyor, siyahlar giyiyorlar, saçlarını kapatıyorlar. Yetiştirildikleri bu okulda bu mükemmel klonlar da var ve Mina bu mükemmel olanlardan Sebastian ile tanışıyor bir gün ve Lekelilerden ise Angela isimli bir kızla arkadaş oluyor. Angela, Mina'nın yeteneğini keşfediyor ve onu Daniel isimli başka bir yeteneği olan kişiyle tanıştıyor falan filaan..
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Kitap çooook basit! Ne yazık ki hayal kırıklığı. Gerçekten öyle, her şey geçiştirilmiş, evet toplumu sevdim hani çok değişik değil ama konu güzelleştirilebilinirdi ama yazar o kadar basitleştirmiş ki.
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Bir distopya hastası olaral, hevesle okudum yalan söyleyemem ama istediğimi alamadım.
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Böyle ortaokul-lise düzeyi okurların daha çok seveceğini düşünüyorum ama ben fazla tat alamadım.
Puanım
2,5/5
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Kitapları AŞTİ'de 10 tlye bulunca hepsini alayım dedim, distopya kötü olamaz dedim ama umarım biraz düzeltir. İkinci kitabı biraz daha heyecanlı en azından şu an.
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O zaman herkese iyi yıllar şimdiden. Bol okuyacağımız, güzel kitapların indirime gireceği bir yıl olsunn!
⛄
Kitapta Mina adında 16 yaşında olan bir kızın, distopik ve aynı zamanda fantastik dünyasında olanları okuyoruz. Yazar ikisini de karıştırayım demiş.
Mina, kadınların kısırlaştırıldığı, bebeklerin ise laboratuvar ortamında eşsiz güzellikte üretildiği bir toplumda yetişen ama lekeli olarak doğan bir kız. Bunun anlamı, mükemmel klon olmaması aslında. Lekeliler, mükemmel klonlara hizmet için yetiştiriliyor, siyahlar giyiyorlar, saçlarını kapatıyorlar. Yetiştirildikleri bu okulda bu mükemmel klonlar da var ve Mina bu mükemmel olanlardan Sebastian ile tanışıyor bir gün ve Lekelilerden ise Angela isimli bir kızla arkadaş oluyor. Angela, Mina'nın yeteneğini keşfediyor ve onu Daniel isimli başka bir yeteneği olan kişiyle tanıştıyor falan filaan..
⛄
Kitap çooook basit! Ne yazık ki hayal kırıklığı. Gerçekten öyle, her şey geçiştirilmiş, evet toplumu sevdim hani çok değişik değil ama konu güzelleştirilebilinirdi ama yazar o kadar basitleştirmiş ki.
⛄
Bir distopya hastası olaral, hevesle okudum yalan söyleyemem ama istediğimi alamadım.
⛄
Böyle ortaokul-lise düzeyi okurların daha çok seveceğini düşünüyorum ama ben fazla tat alamadım.
Puanım
2,5/5
⛄
Kitapları AŞTİ'de 10 tlye bulunca hepsini alayım dedim, distopya kötü olamaz dedim ama umarım biraz düzeltir. İkinci kitabı biraz daha heyecanlı en azından şu an.
⛄
O zaman herkese iyi yıllar şimdiden. Bol okuyacağımız, güzel kitapların indirime gireceği bir yıl olsunn!
April 8, 2024
Titel: Onzuiver
Auteur: Sarah Dalton
Het verhaal zat mooi in elkaar en Sarah Dalton weet goed hoe ze haar lezers moet laten boeien met haar levendige schrijfstijl en haar spannende verhalen. Ze maakt ook gebruik van mysterieuze personages die goed ontwikkeld zijn.
Korte Inhoud:
In "Onzuiver" bevinden ze zich in een toekomstige samenleving waarin mensen worden geclassificeerd op basis van hun genetische zuiverheid. De protagonist, Mina Hart, is een Onzuivere, wat betekent dat ze wordt gediscrimineerd door de maatschappij. Tijdens haar reis ontdekt Mina de duistere geheimen van de samenleving en komt ze in contact met een groep opstandelingen die vechten voor gelijkheid en vrijheid.
Motivatie bij Beoordeling:
Sarah Dalton slaagt erin om een geloofwaardige wereld te creëren, waarin de spanning voortdurend wordt opgebouwd. De personages zijn goed uitgewerkt en evolueren op een geloofwaardige manier gedurende het verhaal. Vooral de ontwikkeling van Mina van een onzekere tiener naar een moedige verzetsstrijder is overtuigend en boeiend. De thema's van discriminatie, macht en verzet worden op een goede manier behandeld, waardoor het verhaal diepgang krijgt.
Sarah Dalton gebruikt verschillende soorten ruimtes waardoor je goed de samenleving van de onzuivere en de G.E.P.'s kunt scheiden en dat je goed merkt dat de samenleving van de groepen weerspiegelt zijn. Het tempo van het verhaal is goed gebalanceerd, met voldoende actie om de lezer geboeid te houden, maar ook momenten van de emotionele impact versterken. De verteller, die het perspectief van Mina volgt, zorgt voor een sterke emotionele verbinding met het hoofdpersonage en maakt de lezer meelevend met haar verhaal.
Een ander sterk punt van het boek zijn de motieven die door het verhaal komen. Van verboden technologie tot de genetische zuiverheid tot de strenge regels voor de onzuivere, elk motief draagt bij aan het verhaal dat Sarah Dalton heeft gecreëerd.
Slot:
"Onzuiver" is een boeiende en meeslepende roman die lezers zeker zal aanspreken. Het combineert een spannend verhaal met diepgaande thema's en goed ontwikkelde personages. Ik zou dit boek zeker aanraden aan tieners die normaal niet graag lezen omdat het gaat over een tiener zelf die problemen heeft met haar plek in de samenleving. Ik vond dit boek ook heel aangrijpend omdat je u echt kan inleven in het verhaal en de emoties van de personages.
Auteur: Sarah Dalton
Het verhaal zat mooi in elkaar en Sarah Dalton weet goed hoe ze haar lezers moet laten boeien met haar levendige schrijfstijl en haar spannende verhalen. Ze maakt ook gebruik van mysterieuze personages die goed ontwikkeld zijn.
Korte Inhoud:
In "Onzuiver" bevinden ze zich in een toekomstige samenleving waarin mensen worden geclassificeerd op basis van hun genetische zuiverheid. De protagonist, Mina Hart, is een Onzuivere, wat betekent dat ze wordt gediscrimineerd door de maatschappij. Tijdens haar reis ontdekt Mina de duistere geheimen van de samenleving en komt ze in contact met een groep opstandelingen die vechten voor gelijkheid en vrijheid.
Motivatie bij Beoordeling:
Sarah Dalton slaagt erin om een geloofwaardige wereld te creëren, waarin de spanning voortdurend wordt opgebouwd. De personages zijn goed uitgewerkt en evolueren op een geloofwaardige manier gedurende het verhaal. Vooral de ontwikkeling van Mina van een onzekere tiener naar een moedige verzetsstrijder is overtuigend en boeiend. De thema's van discriminatie, macht en verzet worden op een goede manier behandeld, waardoor het verhaal diepgang krijgt.
Sarah Dalton gebruikt verschillende soorten ruimtes waardoor je goed de samenleving van de onzuivere en de G.E.P.'s kunt scheiden en dat je goed merkt dat de samenleving van de groepen weerspiegelt zijn. Het tempo van het verhaal is goed gebalanceerd, met voldoende actie om de lezer geboeid te houden, maar ook momenten van de emotionele impact versterken. De verteller, die het perspectief van Mina volgt, zorgt voor een sterke emotionele verbinding met het hoofdpersonage en maakt de lezer meelevend met haar verhaal.
Een ander sterk punt van het boek zijn de motieven die door het verhaal komen. Van verboden technologie tot de genetische zuiverheid tot de strenge regels voor de onzuivere, elk motief draagt bij aan het verhaal dat Sarah Dalton heeft gecreëerd.
Slot:
"Onzuiver" is een boeiende en meeslepende roman die lezers zeker zal aanspreken. Het combineert een spannend verhaal met diepgaande thema's en goed ontwikkelde personages. Ik zou dit boek zeker aanraden aan tieners die normaal niet graag lezen omdat het gaat over een tiener zelf die problemen heeft met haar plek in de samenleving. Ik vond dit boek ook heel aangrijpend omdat je u echt kan inleven in het verhaal en de emoties van de personages.
September 14, 2017
For some reason I started this book with super low expectations. That might have been because someone else bought it for me, or because I didn't like the cover. But I was completely blown away by this one . It has been a while since I devoured book as fast as I did with The Blemished.
The Blemished follows Mina heart, a girl with "blemished" genes. The blemished are second class citizens, they are considered worthless and become slaves for the Children of the GEM. "GEMs" are genetically modified clones and the only ones who are allowed to pass on their genes.
Mina also carries a secret, she is telekinetic . She tries to stay under the radar at her new school to hide her gift . But for the first time she's made friends with Angela and Angela's adoptive brother Daniel, who carries a secret as well. Mina can't help but stay out of trouble as she attracts the attention of both Daniel and Sebastian, a GEM boy. Looking out for herself and all of her friends, Mina wants to fight back
This book was incredible . I picked it up and never put it back down until I was finished . The relationships between the characters and their struggles really touched my heart. I think character development was done really well, even for minor characters . The Blemished is definitely a fast paced story, it's not very easy to find a spot to stop reading with this one, so make sure you have the time before you start because otherwise you'll be upset any time you have to put it down.
Obviously I have been in a reading slump, but this book pulled me right out of it, AND compelled me to write a review. I bought the rest of the series as soon as I finished it
The Blemished follows Mina heart, a girl with "blemished" genes. The blemished are second class citizens, they are considered worthless and become slaves for the Children of the GEM. "GEMs" are genetically modified clones and the only ones who are allowed to pass on their genes.
Mina also carries a secret, she is telekinetic . She tries to stay under the radar at her new school to hide her gift . But for the first time she's made friends with Angela and Angela's adoptive brother Daniel, who carries a secret as well. Mina can't help but stay out of trouble as she attracts the attention of both Daniel and Sebastian, a GEM boy. Looking out for herself and all of her friends, Mina wants to fight back
This book was incredible . I picked it up and never put it back down until I was finished . The relationships between the characters and their struggles really touched my heart. I think character development was done really well, even for minor characters . The Blemished is definitely a fast paced story, it's not very easy to find a spot to stop reading with this one, so make sure you have the time before you start because otherwise you'll be upset any time you have to put it down.
Obviously I have been in a reading slump, but this book pulled me right out of it, AND compelled me to write a review. I bought the rest of the series as soon as I finished it
May 10, 2017
I think this book goes down as one of the worst dystopian books I have read. It was so bad, so cheesy, so ridiculous, that I was actually laughing at the absurdity while reading!
Mina, the main character, is marked as "blemished", she is forced to wear her mark of shame, meaning that she is normal, by wearing all black, from head to toe, including covering her hair. Someone liked the Handmaid's Tale!! Oh, but they didn't have the cultural sensitivity to consider how this "punishment" may sound to a Muslim reader who dresses like this everyday and considers it a way to preserve her purity, not a punishment.
Mina character is unbelievable in every way. In one sentence, we learn that she has to protect her secret, which almost got her killed in their last town. In the next, she is telling her friend of 24 hours about it and then showing it off in front of anyone and everyone within the week. She also claims to be terrified of her teacher, and is constantly bowing down to her and trying to keep under her radar. But, then she has a moment of standing up to her and calls out this teacher as a "dinosaur" and an "old lady", while yelling at her. Okay, so now she isn't going to be afraid anymore, right? Wrong! By the next page, she voluntarily allows this same teacher to beat her with a stick (which she could stop with her magical powers, by the way), and then to cut her hair off in front of everyone (which she could also have stopped). Where was all that gumption now? She acted inconsistently throughout the book and I found her hard to believe as a character.
Elena was another character that was impossible to believe. She started the story by being the very girl who dunked Mina's head in the toilet, called her names, pushed her around, etc... She hated Mina with a passion and found the "Blems" disgusting and lower than low. She looked like Angelina Jolie and was perfect. Well, suddenly, we are supposed to believe that the second Elena gets in trouble for picking on Mina, all of her friends stop liking her and immediately pick on her! Yeah, right! We've all known enough mean girls to know that if Mina got the main girl in trouble, all of the rest would target Mina like crazy to get back at her - not attack their own. So stupid! Ok, so then, Mina helps her pick up her books when her ex-friends knock them out of her hands because they now hate her for some reason. And, instead of being angry with Mina for getting her in trouble, suddenly, Elena starts to like Mina. Well, of course she would! Of course, Elena, who is a clone based on Angelina Jolie is jealous of Mina! Suddenly, Elena and Mina are best friends and Elena is giving her a make-over and new clothes and everything... oh, it's just every girls dream come true!!! The prettiest, most popular in school will finally notice that I should be her bestie and we will do our hair and share secrets and stay up all night eating ice cream... squeee!!!!! *barf*
Ok, I'm not going to write about this all day, which I could because this book is worse than bad. It is poorly written, with unbelievable characters, and a ridiculous plot. There is nothing about it that is redeemable. It was so terrible that I need a palate cleanser from dystopians for a bit and I'm going to a different genre for a little while. Ugh!
Mina, the main character, is marked as "blemished", she is forced to wear her mark of shame, meaning that she is normal, by wearing all black, from head to toe, including covering her hair. Someone liked the Handmaid's Tale!! Oh, but they didn't have the cultural sensitivity to consider how this "punishment" may sound to a Muslim reader who dresses like this everyday and considers it a way to preserve her purity, not a punishment.
Mina character is unbelievable in every way. In one sentence, we learn that she has to protect her secret, which almost got her killed in their last town. In the next, she is telling her friend of 24 hours about it and then showing it off in front of anyone and everyone within the week. She also claims to be terrified of her teacher, and is constantly bowing down to her and trying to keep under her radar. But, then she has a moment of standing up to her and calls out this teacher as a "dinosaur" and an "old lady", while yelling at her. Okay, so now she isn't going to be afraid anymore, right? Wrong! By the next page, she voluntarily allows this same teacher to beat her with a stick (which she could stop with her magical powers, by the way), and then to cut her hair off in front of everyone (which she could also have stopped). Where was all that gumption now? She acted inconsistently throughout the book and I found her hard to believe as a character.
Elena was another character that was impossible to believe. She started the story by being the very girl who dunked Mina's head in the toilet, called her names, pushed her around, etc... She hated Mina with a passion and found the "Blems" disgusting and lower than low. She looked like Angelina Jolie and was perfect. Well, suddenly, we are supposed to believe that the second Elena gets in trouble for picking on Mina, all of her friends stop liking her and immediately pick on her! Yeah, right! We've all known enough mean girls to know that if Mina got the main girl in trouble, all of the rest would target Mina like crazy to get back at her - not attack their own. So stupid! Ok, so then, Mina helps her pick up her books when her ex-friends knock them out of her hands because they now hate her for some reason. And, instead of being angry with Mina for getting her in trouble, suddenly, Elena starts to like Mina. Well, of course she would! Of course, Elena, who is a clone based on Angelina Jolie is jealous of Mina! Suddenly, Elena and Mina are best friends and Elena is giving her a make-over and new clothes and everything... oh, it's just every girls dream come true!!! The prettiest, most popular in school will finally notice that I should be her bestie and we will do our hair and share secrets and stay up all night eating ice cream... squeee!!!!! *barf*
Ok, I'm not going to write about this all day, which I could because this book is worse than bad. It is poorly written, with unbelievable characters, and a ridiculous plot. There is nothing about it that is redeemable. It was so terrible that I need a palate cleanser from dystopians for a bit and I'm going to a different genre for a little while. Ugh!
October 7, 2012
Wow. Just wow. And also, thank heavens!
It is rare for YA novels to deal so directly and so successfully with feminist issues, and this one does it brilliantly. Girls who pick this terrific novel up will be looking for their usual dystopian fare, and they will certainly get it in spadefuls: danger, excitement, adventure, overcoming the odds, romance, racing hearts and some fantastic surprises about who can be trusted and who can't.
But they will also get something different. They will find a heroine who refuses to be controlled by the rather sexy-sounding chaps that she seems to have at her beck and call. But this is no Lara Croft, ridiculous male-fantasy game. Oh no. Girls who read this novel will be exposed to some challenging stuff about women's place in society, and how all regimes, whether religious or political, have oppressed women since the dawn of time. We see girls being judged on their appearance, girls' fertility being surgically controlled (when it would be biologically simpler to control the fertility of men), girls in a servile role, girls being punished for their sexual desires, and older women thoroughly damaged and screwed up by all of the above. "Women are being punished," one female character says (delightfully, a character that thus far we had been led to believe had little to say for herself). And I cheered for the sheer joy and rarity of our youngsters being exposed to this. There is even a character called Eve with a painful story! I love it! Dalton has shown striking skill in exposing young people to these ideas in an accessible and exciting way. Like the best books that educate, they won't even know it's happening.
Even more so, and it is essential to point this out, the male role models are sound. Hoo-bloody-rah! How sick I am of the supposedly-devastatingly-attractive (bleurgh), controlling, manipulative, misogynistic and downright whining "heroes" that young girls (and, unbelievably, adult women) are exposed to in modern novels. Quite frankly, if we can't move on from the disturbing fantasies of 19th and early 20th century novels now we're well into the 21st century, then I despair for humanity. But in Dalton's novel the wonderful Daniel is flawed, vulnerable, and supportive when he can be; he cares fiercely for our heroine, but does not wish to control her. Hallelujah. Sebastian is further flawed, not least through biological interference, and we see him learning that it's not acceptable to control women, (and, by the by, that it's not acceptable to hit them). Revelation? I hope not. But rare to see in novels. I salute Dalton's male characters not only because they are better role-models for young girls to be lusting after, but also because I am heartily sick of young boys getting such a bad press; the world is changing, and Dalton seems to be one of the few authors that understand that.
When I finished the novel this morning, my overwhelming emotion was, "YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!" I also found myself wondering whether girls who enjoy this will go on to read Maragret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale" when they are ready.
And as for the planned sequels, all I have to say to Dalton is, "you go, girl! I can't wait."
It is rare for YA novels to deal so directly and so successfully with feminist issues, and this one does it brilliantly. Girls who pick this terrific novel up will be looking for their usual dystopian fare, and they will certainly get it in spadefuls: danger, excitement, adventure, overcoming the odds, romance, racing hearts and some fantastic surprises about who can be trusted and who can't.
But they will also get something different. They will find a heroine who refuses to be controlled by the rather sexy-sounding chaps that she seems to have at her beck and call. But this is no Lara Croft, ridiculous male-fantasy game. Oh no. Girls who read this novel will be exposed to some challenging stuff about women's place in society, and how all regimes, whether religious or political, have oppressed women since the dawn of time. We see girls being judged on their appearance, girls' fertility being surgically controlled (when it would be biologically simpler to control the fertility of men), girls in a servile role, girls being punished for their sexual desires, and older women thoroughly damaged and screwed up by all of the above. "Women are being punished," one female character says (delightfully, a character that thus far we had been led to believe had little to say for herself). And I cheered for the sheer joy and rarity of our youngsters being exposed to this. There is even a character called Eve with a painful story! I love it! Dalton has shown striking skill in exposing young people to these ideas in an accessible and exciting way. Like the best books that educate, they won't even know it's happening.
Even more so, and it is essential to point this out, the male role models are sound. Hoo-bloody-rah! How sick I am of the supposedly-devastatingly-attractive (bleurgh), controlling, manipulative, misogynistic and downright whining "heroes" that young girls (and, unbelievably, adult women) are exposed to in modern novels. Quite frankly, if we can't move on from the disturbing fantasies of 19th and early 20th century novels now we're well into the 21st century, then I despair for humanity. But in Dalton's novel the wonderful Daniel is flawed, vulnerable, and supportive when he can be; he cares fiercely for our heroine, but does not wish to control her. Hallelujah. Sebastian is further flawed, not least through biological interference, and we see him learning that it's not acceptable to control women, (and, by the by, that it's not acceptable to hit them). Revelation? I hope not. But rare to see in novels. I salute Dalton's male characters not only because they are better role-models for young girls to be lusting after, but also because I am heartily sick of young boys getting such a bad press; the world is changing, and Dalton seems to be one of the few authors that understand that.
When I finished the novel this morning, my overwhelming emotion was, "YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!" I also found myself wondering whether girls who enjoy this will go on to read Maragret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale" when they are ready.
And as for the planned sequels, all I have to say to Dalton is, "you go, girl! I can't wait."
November 3, 2016
The Blemished is a about a dystopian society where the Genetic Enhancement Ministry has taken over Britain, and anyone with genetic predispositions to disease (defective genes) are known as the Blemished. Blems are denied a proper education, confined to ghettos and slums where access to food and supplies are limited by the Ministry, and trained to become servants to the GEM. Above all else, they are not allowed to have children. Then there are the GEMs, who are named after the Ministry and comprised of those considered to have good genes and their designer children, who are cloned by the Ministry.
Mina Hart is a 15-yr-old blemished girl, who is anything but the good, obedient and submissive girl she is expected to be. On her first day at her new school, Mina befriends a Blem named Angela, and is soon introduced to Angela’s brother, Daniel, who is just as wayward as Mina. Together, they can’t seem to stay out of trouble. Mina finds herself falling for Daniel. Then there is the gorgeous GEM, Sebastian, that who can’t seem to stay away from Mina. The trouble is…Blemished girls are not allowed to look at, touch, or talk to GEM boys. Mina doesn’t care, and doesn’t heed the warnings to stay away from Sebastian. This soon leads Mina on a rollercoaster ride she will never forget.
I really wanted to like this book. However, I found the story boring, predictable, and kind of ridiculous. The GEM clones are supposed to be the perfect children. However, the clones we are introduced to in this story are liars, thieves, and bullies. Not to mention, they are disrespectful, lazy, shallow, and dumb. Then, there is the GEM, Sebastian, who gives us hope. But, instead of the author making Sebastian the exception to the rule, she builds him up only to let us down later in the story. Next, I became overly excited to find out Mina was telekinetic, only to be let down by her being too exhausted to use it. The story is unrealistic, with Mina sharing deadly secrets with Blems and Gems that she has just met, Sebastian going from “we are just two friends” to “I want us to have a life together and have children,” and a 15-yr-old girl that manages to beat up her uncle, Enforcers, and Sebastian’s dad. Oh! And let’s not forget, she pulls Daniel over a wall by herself, and helps Sebastian down into the tunnel. I couldn’t help but think that the men in this book were just pitiful. To add further to the ridiculousness, the Enforcers are always shooting, missing, and getting beat up. This would be believable if these kids were Neo in “The Matrix.” I wanted to throw my Kindle on the floor when, out of the blue, Elena and Murder Troll show up at the end. This could have been a really awesome story. But, instead, I found myself fighting the urge to give up and read something else. None of the characters stood out to me enough for me to care what happens to them in the next book. Needless to say, I will not be reading any more books in this series.
Mina Hart is a 15-yr-old blemished girl, who is anything but the good, obedient and submissive girl she is expected to be. On her first day at her new school, Mina befriends a Blem named Angela, and is soon introduced to Angela’s brother, Daniel, who is just as wayward as Mina. Together, they can’t seem to stay out of trouble. Mina finds herself falling for Daniel. Then there is the gorgeous GEM, Sebastian, that who can’t seem to stay away from Mina. The trouble is…Blemished girls are not allowed to look at, touch, or talk to GEM boys. Mina doesn’t care, and doesn’t heed the warnings to stay away from Sebastian. This soon leads Mina on a rollercoaster ride she will never forget.
I really wanted to like this book. However, I found the story boring, predictable, and kind of ridiculous. The GEM clones are supposed to be the perfect children. However, the clones we are introduced to in this story are liars, thieves, and bullies. Not to mention, they are disrespectful, lazy, shallow, and dumb. Then, there is the GEM, Sebastian, who gives us hope. But, instead of the author making Sebastian the exception to the rule, she builds him up only to let us down later in the story. Next, I became overly excited to find out Mina was telekinetic, only to be let down by her being too exhausted to use it. The story is unrealistic, with Mina sharing deadly secrets with Blems and Gems that she has just met, Sebastian going from “we are just two friends” to “I want us to have a life together and have children,” and a 15-yr-old girl that manages to beat up her uncle, Enforcers, and Sebastian’s dad. Oh! And let’s not forget, she pulls Daniel over a wall by herself, and helps Sebastian down into the tunnel. I couldn’t help but think that the men in this book were just pitiful. To add further to the ridiculousness, the Enforcers are always shooting, missing, and getting beat up. This would be believable if these kids were Neo in “The Matrix.” I wanted to throw my Kindle on the floor when, out of the blue, Elena and Murder Troll show up at the end. This could have been a really awesome story. But, instead, I found myself fighting the urge to give up and read something else. None of the characters stood out to me enough for me to care what happens to them in the next book. Needless to say, I will not be reading any more books in this series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 22, 2012
***Review of an ARC***
First of all, the cover is really nice. That's what made me ask the author about getting an ARC for review. Plus the summary sounded like the kind of book that I would read.
Plot:
The summary sounded really cool and the actual turned out to be not bad. It moved at a good pace and it didn't drag on. The world building and dialogue could use a little work, but with some editing this could be a really great story. It wasn't completely original, but what is these days? Parts of it reminded me of other books including Lauren Oliver's Delirium and vaguely of Matilda, I think there was something else too, but I don't remember what.
Some of the story was predictable, but there were some twists that I didn't see coming.
Characters:
No annoying characters which is always a good thing. I think they could have been developed a little more. Maybe they'll be better in the final print. Some fell flat, but others like Elena had depth.
Romance:
The romance was probably my least favorite part. The relationships developed too fast and I didn't believe it. Plus it's not even a love triangle, it's a square. The author handled the relationships really well, but a love square is a little too much.
Overall, this is a great story with a lot of potential. And after reading so many books with cliffhangers I'm glad this book had some closure. It was open enough that the next book has a lot of possibilities, but not so much that I'm dying for the next book. I will be reading the next one to see what Mina does next.
First of all, the cover is really nice. That's what made me ask the author about getting an ARC for review. Plus the summary sounded like the kind of book that I would read.
Plot:
The summary sounded really cool and the actual turned out to be not bad. It moved at a good pace and it didn't drag on. The world building and dialogue could use a little work, but with some editing this could be a really great story. It wasn't completely original, but what is these days? Parts of it reminded me of other books including Lauren Oliver's Delirium and vaguely of Matilda, I think there was something else too, but I don't remember what.
Some of the story was predictable, but there were some twists that I didn't see coming.
Characters:
No annoying characters which is always a good thing. I think they could have been developed a little more. Maybe they'll be better in the final print. Some fell flat, but others like Elena had depth.
Romance:
The romance was probably my least favorite part. The relationships developed too fast and I didn't believe it. Plus it's not even a love triangle, it's a square. The author handled the relationships really well, but a love square is a little too much.
Overall, this is a great story with a lot of potential. And after reading so many books with cliffhangers I'm glad this book had some closure. It was open enough that the next book has a lot of possibilities, but not so much that I'm dying for the next book. I will be reading the next one to see what Mina does next.
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