Feuds

The Feuds #1

by Avery Hastings

In this breathless story of impossible love, perfection comes at a deadly cost.
For Davis Morrow, perfection is a daily reality. Like all Priors, Davis has spent her whole life primed to be smarter, stronger, and more graceful than the lowly Imperfects, or "Imps." A fiercely ambitious ballerina, Davis is only a few weeks away from qualifying for the Olympiads and finally living up to her mother's legacy when she meets Cole, a mysterious boy who leaves her with more questions each time he disappears. Davis has no idea that Cole has his own agenda, or that he's a rising star in the FEUDS, an underground fighting ring where Priors gamble on Imps. Cole has every reason to hate Davis―her father's campaign hinges on the total segregation of the Imps and Priors―but despite his best efforts, Cole finds himself as drawn to Davis as she is to him. Then Narxis, a deadly virus, takes its hold--and Davis's friends start dying. When the Priors refuse to acknowledge the epidemic, Davis has no one to turn to but Cole. Falling in love was never part of their plan, but their love may be the only thing that can save her world...in Avery Hastings's Feuds .

Genres: Young Adult, Dystopia, Romance, Science Fiction, Fiction, Teen, Young Adult Science Fiction

272 pages, Hardcover

First published September 2, 2014

Reviews

[Khanh, first of her name, mother of bunnies · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 35%. Why?

But her long, chestnut waves and wide green eyes were unmistakable, even ten yards away. They were focused directly on the pile of Prior bodies that were mounting atop the back of an old truck.

Davis’s face changed from terrified to pale to sick. She coughed in hard, hacking gasps; she was so rarely exposed to unfiltered air. A few people turned to stare. Cole saw them take in her face with its porcelain skin, invisible pores, and even features. Her long, lithe legs with their perfect muscle definition. Her silky hair, looking glamorous even disheveled.

Cause there ain't no romance like that carried over a pile of stinkin', burnin' corpses. Yee-haw!



This book was fucking awful. It is nothing more than overwhelmingly stupid, gag-worthy insta-love within a nonsensical "dystopian" universe that takes the science of society and global warming and, well, the natural laws of nature and says "Ha! Fuck you! Common sense and rationality have no place here!" Git outta here.

There is nothing to distinguish this book from the thousands of terrible Mary-Sue filled faux-dyatopias out there. There is nothing beyond swoon-inducing romance from a foolish, overprotected, virginal Mary Sue and an even dumber street boy who is willing to throw away familial piety and any chance of redeeming his oppressed lower-class brethrens for the chance at some upper-class pussy.



The Summary:

Soon her father would be in office, and he’d keep her—and the rest of the city—safe, peaceful, and segregated. Worry-free, with cleaner boundaries established, everyone happier. The Imps and Priors didn’t belong together—anyone could see that. Segregation would be better for everyone involved.

Meet Davis, or as I like to call her, Aryan Nation. Ok, fine, I lied. She isn't Aryan Nation. Let's call her Miss Eugenics instead. Because in the battle for genetic superiorty, she the shit, yo!

Miss Eugenics lives in a long, long distant era from the United States that we know now. Actually, not really. It's probably the year 2150? I guess? Maybe? My math skills aren't that great. My genes are unmodified.

It had been nearly seventy-five years since Kensington’s death in 2062, but his political agendas were stronger than ever among conservatives like her father. Davis’s father had told her horror stories of what the city had been like back when the Imps were fully integrated. Crime—rapes, shootings, theft—was through the roof until Kensington started pushing segregation.

OH MY GOD. RAPE. MURDER. CRIMES!!!!!!!!!! THE FUTURE IS A HORRIBLE PLACE.

Actually, in the good ole days, we call that Ferguson.

Too soon? :\

Anyway, more or less 150 years later, the world has gone to crap! You know how in dystopian novels, there's earthquakes, fires, global warming, volcanoes, etc, and all that fucking nonsense?! Weeeeeeell...

Mrs. Marrick’s voice droned on about the dark period after the last of the ice caps melted, when floods and hurricanes devastated the United States economy; Kensington’s alliance with India; the eventual treaties between Old Canada and the Old United States; the forming of the New Americas and its division into territories, including New Atlantic; blah blah, stuff that felt so irrelevant.

Our main character, bred for genetic superiority in intelligence certainly shows herself to be a dedicated scholar.

Anyway, blah blah, dystopian universe blah blah, we have the genetically superior (but really, no explanation of how the fuck they were bred) Priors who are segregated from the normal people like you and I...called the Imps. And the few Priors there are are sooooooooo fucking powerful that they get to have their own special little cities and their wealth and their beauty, while god knows how many outnumbered Imps just toil their ass off being slaves to the Priors without protesting at all.

Makes perfect sense, yeah? I mean, look at North Korea. Now there's a society that's built to last, I tell ya.

But I digress. As usual.

So Miss Eugenics has the perfect life as a famed, powerful, and wealthy politician's daughter. To top it off, she is beautiful, stunning, lovely, breathtaking, gorgeously perfect despite having a little imperfection, like a freckle on a plump and perky C-cup breast on a Victoria's Secret model that is covered in honey and diamonds. Did I forget to mention that she is beautiful? She is.

Her legs were her best feature, muscled and defined from a lifetime of ballet, but now she tugged on the hem of her dress, worried that it showed too much. The glitter on her shoes drew attention to her slim ankles—but should she have worn heels that were a little lower? Fia had helped her select a navy dress that clung to her frame, and her chestnut hair spread over her shoulders in uniform waves.

She has the perfect life. But something's missing ;_; (Why is something always missing? I don't know about you, but I would be happy as a clam in a rug. Wrong expression?) She doesn't know what it is...until she meets....COLE!

...Cole...who is a hardeneded Imp. Cole, who is a stunningly handsome cage fighter, despite the fact that he is genetically unenhanced (and possibly under-endowed.) womp, womp, womp. But dear Cole has been given a chance to get out of the slums! He can better himself, he can raise his family out of the gutters...all he has to do is give Aryan Nation Miss Eugenics...A KISS!!!!!!!! (and get it on photo).

“You want me to get close to a Prior. Why me?” Cole looked up.

“Let’s just say I’ve heard you have a way with the ladies.” Parson Abel jerked his head, indicating the hall down which Michelle had retreated. “It’s no secret that you’re a good-looking guy, Cole. Don’t you hear the way people react to you in the fights? No? Of course not.” Parson Abel smiled thinly. “People are hot for you out there. Men, women, everyone. That’s why I need you for this. It can’t be anyone else.”

PEOPLE ARE HOT FOR HIM. OMG!!!!!!



That fated moment. When Harry Met Sally doesn't hold a candle to when Cole meets Miss Eugenics.

Davis turned around, taking in the handsome guy standing behind her. He was cuter than the other guys she knew, who were also very cute. He was perfect like all the rest, but something was different about him.

THE FIRE. THE PASSION! I FEELS IT!!!!!!!!

But all isn't well in Aryan Nation! There is a disease! A horrible disease that's killing Priors and forcing poor, beautiful Miss Eugenics to throw up while her beauty is being admired over a pile of burnt corpses. Her fate is in danger! She can no longer ignore the threat that this horrifying illness will cause, she is consumed by the horror---when she's not thinking about Cole.

She looked at him then looked away, having trouble meeting his eyes. Was she the only one who thought the kiss was incredible? Maybe it wasn’t. Maybe it was just her imagination, tricking her into believing something she wanted to believe. Why couldn’t she stop thinking about it? Especially now of all days, when focus was more important than ever?

She can't stop herself from pondering what this horrifying disease that causes ones' skin to crack and fall apart ending in hemorrhage...Ebola...except when she's thinking about Cole.

“I’m glad I was there, too.” His eyes met hers, burning her with their intensity. Her body filled with the same indescribable heat she’d felt kissing him. Even a look from him rivaled a touch from anyone else she knew in its ability to make her skin react. She wondered if he’d kiss her again.

She can't stop thinking about how her family, her friends, her society as a whole, will be affected by this tragedy...except when she's thinking about Cole.

Davis swiveled around to glance out the rear window, but Cole had disappeared. Her stomach clenched again. He didn’t want to see her, it seemed clear. So if she happened to run into him again, she’d keep her distance. The dismissal was already too painful, and she barely knew him.

The important question, of course, is WHEN THE FUCK DOES SHE NOT THINK ABOUT COLE. Can she trust this mysterious boy?!

She knew Vera was probably right that Cole couldn’t be trusted. But then why was the memory of it as fresh as if it had happened moments ago? Why did it still, days later, make her weak with excitement? Why were these thoughts interfering with everything she’d done since, from brushing her teeth to making breakfast with Fia to practicing for the PAs?

And Cole. Now this is a couple made in hell. Or Mary Sue Heaven. Cole's people is oppresssed. No opportunities are given them. He has the chance to throw a coup, to destroy these genetically superior being who have claimed their superiority and thwarted the derogatorily-named "Imps" at every turn. Does he take the opportunity?

In a sense, Davis was the enemy. But he’d fallen for her like a fool, and now she was in danger because of him. He would do anything—even if it meant sacrificing his own life—to protect her.

He has the chance to get even. To get good money. To help his mom, his family. Does he take the opportunity?

The kiss flashed through his mind for what seemed like the millionth time. Her lips, searing into his. Her heart, pulsing against his chest. It was so overwhelming a memory that he nearly dropped the bar, nearly passed out from the exertion coupled with emotion. He struggled to replace the bar in its tray.

He has a chance for freedom. A chance at a different life. Does he take the opportunity...or will he throw away his life for a girl he hardly knows more than one day?

Cole was all about action. Winning the FEUDS was the way out. It was what he’d always wanted, dreamed of. His whole life, ever since he’d started fighting, Cole had planned to win and get outta there, bringing his family with him. He’d dreamed of moving to a faraway continent—Africa or Australia, maybe—where there was no such thing as segregation.

Now, though, the fantasy of finding a place where he could live free of Prior rule didn’t bring him the same pleasure it used to. He still wanted to live on his own terms … but he didn’t want to leave. Not unless Davis was with him.

His family's safety is at stake? Does Cole give a fuck? Or will he throw it away for some genetically-enhanced pussy?

“Let me tell you something,” Parson said, taking a step toward Cole. “You threaten me again, I’ll rip your head off. I’ll do it when you least expect it. You better believe I’ll destroy you, and your family. You want to see your mother get fired, Cole? This is how to do it. You breathe one more word about this disease, and your mother’s job is gone. Any job, anywhere."

What do you think he'll do? I know. That's why I DNFed this fucking book. An atrocity.

[Kuroi · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 stars.

In one word, this book is CONTRADICTORY.

If there was a championship for putting your foot in your mouth, Feuds would win it, closely followed by politicians and grannies with agendas.

The Plot-hole(s):

There isn't a story. There's a romance and that's it. One would expect at least a believable, character developing relationship, but don't expect that either. Only expect kisses, lots of them. There are a couple of plot twists at the end, but nothing ground breaking. You won't even yawn. There are problems lying everywhere you look, as I'll explain shortly. The only bright spot is the non-evil stepmother.

What World-building?

This is a major joke. The author seems to have given the minimum possible thought to the background. After 50 pages or so, we get one afterthought of a paragraph on the history, which is essence: ICE CAPS MELT. AMERICA NOT AMERICA. THE END.
The defining premise of the novel, that of genetic engineering separating humans into the superior Priors and the lowly Gens (or Imps, the derogatory term), is also sketchy.

"Kensington had pioneered in-utero optimization: Mozart and Brahms piped directly into the womb. math lessons, linguistics practice. He had engineered superior humans."

Ok, you create humans with better grammar, fine. But that doesn't explain why you need sanitisation checkpoints at the monorail (and everywhere else), especially when Davis states that Priors can't catch AIDS, malaria and other diseases. It forms a major part of her anxiety that she might catch something from an Imp.

Likewise, the technology is a lazy attempt at futuristic. I can't tell any difference between today and this fictional world. Despite Davis having flat screens for bedroom walls, people still use printed photos, physical wallets and neon signs. As for the DirecTalk thingies (they're phones disguised as accessories), that got busted too: http://techforever.co.uk/mobile-devic...

Finally, other than the segregation of us normal folks and the designer baby Priors, we don't know what effect this has on other things. Did crime rates go down? Did the population decrease? Has the failing economy improved because of them?

The Hypocritical Heroine:

Davis is a juvenile, inconsistent protagonist. One moment she's feeling bad for a Gen girl being groped by guards, the next she's seething with rage against Gens for "killing her mother".
One moment she thinks she should report Cole to the authorities and her dad to save his electoral campaign, the next she thinks it will devastate her dad's career.
One moment she runs away screaming from Cole because he's cage fighting, the next she's thinking how purposeful he looked.
One moment she thinks about her outfit worries as trivial, the next she puts on lipgloss to seem presentable.
She has no awareness whatsoever. She doesn't know when there's a city wide strike, repeatedly goes out at night alone even after almost dying in a stampede and doesn't find it suspicious at all when Cole doesn't know who her father is. Despite the fact that everyone else, including Gens, can identify Davis on sight and her BFF warns her away from him, Davis continues to run after Cole.
And the most disturbing part is her lack of boundaries.

Davis meets Cole at a party hosted by her BFF, Vera. She doesn't know this guy from Adam. He's slaps some cheesy line on her and promptly puts his hand on her back (and she's wearing backless.) Instead of reacting like this:



She does this:



This random guy then offers her a drink. Davis doesn't refuse, because drugs, why would he use them? DAMMIT, WHY ARE YOUR SPIDEY SENSES NOT ON HIGH ALERT?

This Davis then says that she doesn't sleep with anyone because she feels like she'd lose something with her virginity. Yeah right. Slut-shaming at it's hypocritical best.

The Life-sized Cutout that is the Hero:

Cole is incredibly boring. He has no personality whatsoever. He starts off wanting to protect his family but decides to ditch them for love, twoo luv. Then he decides to lie to this true love about his motives in order to keep her around. He completely throws his arthritic mother overboard for his true love.
True love excuses nothing buddy. Especially your lack of general knowledge. How can you not know who's running for mayor, especially when the fate of Gens and Priors lies on it?

He occasionally takes sensible decisions, like reading legal documents before signing them, but his selfishness outweighs everything.

VERDICT: This book is...



...in every way. Boring story and characters, lifeless language and hopeless logic. Not recommended.

*All quotes taken from an ARC provided by Netgalley. Thanks to the publishers for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.*

[Jilly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a futuristic, dystopian version of Romeo & Juliet with lots of added twists and turns.

Set in the future, there are two distinct groups in the world: the priors, who have been genetically enhanced since birth and live lives of privilege and wealth; then there are the geneserians, or gens, also called imps in a derogatory way by the priors, who have not been genetically enhanced and live in slums, can only work in the lowest paid servitude jobs, must wear armbands to identify themselves, are harassed by the police, and have to use different monorail cars than the priors. They are lesser and are never to forget it. A relationship between a prior and gen is illegal and would result in the gen being imprisoned, and possibly hanged.

Davis, a prior, is a perfect ballerina, and perfect daughter to her father who is running for office and wants to completely segregate the priors and "imps". He has always told her that her mother died because of a gen's mistake when she was being born. But, is this the truth?

Cole, a gen, is an MMA cage fighter whose only hope to help his family rides on the money that a man who is running against Davis's father will give him for an entry fee for a big fight coming up. He wants Cole to meet Davis and get a photo of them kissing for that fee.

But, when they meet, it's just like Romeo & Juliet and sparks fly. Can he really betray her once he gets to know her? How can they be together at all when it's illegal? Add in a bizarre illness that is killing only the priors, and a bunch of secrets coming out, and you get a pretty good story!

The first part of the book read a little slow for me, which is why I gave it four stars instead of five, but it gets very exciting by the halfway point. And, the ending kinda killed me because I'm going to have to wait way too long for the next one!

[Sarah Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley.)
16-year-old Davis loves dancing, and because she was genetically engineered before she was born, she never gets sick. When her friends start contracting a deadly disease, Davis knows that she has it too.
Where has this disease come from? And why is it only affecting those who are genetically engineered?


This was an interesting story, but I did get a little confused by all the made-up words and terms.

Davis was an alright character, and I did feel sorry for her with what she was going through. It must have been really upsetting for her for her friends to suddenly start disappearing, and to become ill when she had never been ill in her life.
Cole was also an okay character, but I didn't really like him as much as I liked Davis.

The storyline in this was okay, although it did have it's dull moments. I found myself putting this down quite a lot, even though I wanted to know what happened. All the terms were a bit confusing, and I got a bit bogged down in the info dumps at times as well.
The romance was my favourite part of this story. Cole and Davis were really sweet together, and there were some really touching moments.

The ending was a giant cliff-hanger! I hadn't realised that this was the start of a series, so I was a little disappointed by the ending. Looks like there will definitely be another book to finish this story off.
Overall; okay story, but a little slow at times,
6.5 out of 10.

[Ashley Owens · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was one of the worst books I've read. :-/ that's what you get for buying a book based on the cover!

[Dark Faerie Tales · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: I really enjoyed this novel, though I wish the focus had been more on the plot than the romance.

Opening Sentence: It was the grand pas classique.

The Review:

In Feuds, Priors have been created, the perfect, beautiful, strong humans that have been genetically enhanced. Imps are “imperfects”, regular people like you and I, who are looked down upon by the Priors. Davis is a Prior, and her father is running for office, while Cole is doing cage-fights as an Imp, because it’s the only way he can earn money to support his family. When Cole is ordered to get close to Davis and take a picture of him kissing her — the Imp and the Prior— he enters her world, and is surprised by the strong connection he feels towards her. A deadly disease affecting only the Priors, a discriminatory society, and her father’s campaign just might tear the two star-crossed lovers apart. Or worse: kill them.

I liked the duel point of views in Feuds, though Cole’s chapters were my favorite. They were generally more action-packed, though both characters were wonderfully diverse, with realistic and relatable emotions. In my opinion, the characters were the strongest point of this story. I really, really enjoyed them. You got to see as both of them worked through what was going on with the mysterious disease. They had different passions, and different ways of life. They were just very different people, that contrasted highly. Davis was rich, with a powerful daddy, one of the elite Priors. On the other end of the social structure there was Cole, a Gen, or “Imp”, someone who is imperfect. I especially liked how Davis described ballet, something she was clearly passionate about, and how she worked so hard for her position as a respected ballerina just waiting to earn her spot in the Olympiads.

Cole and Davis had such different lives, but they managed to work well together. Their relationship was cute, and the chemistry was clearly there. They managed to make each other better people, and being together opened eyes to flaws in their former reasoning. Being together, they developed into different, stronger people with good moral compasses. I liked their relationship, though it moved pretty fast, and was a clear case of insta-love. Gag. Thankfully enough, I enjoyed each of them as individuals to not let the love-at-first-sight thing get on my nerves too badly, and I did enjoy them as a couple. They leaned on one another, something that I appreciated. Even Cole could give his testosterone a rest for a second and cry in front of Davis. It was adorable how she comforted him.

The world-building in the book is something I wish could have been improved. There was this whole issue of the bias between Gens and Priors. Davis’s dad was running for office, his campaign boasting that he was for complete segregation between Gens and Priors. It was a world full of discrimination and I wish Davis had more of an intention to fix that. The romance was basically the main focal point of the story, which bothered me. The world’s problems faded into the distance somewhat. It was rather like The Selection series in that manner. I hope that in book two, with the relationship established, the more pressing problems like the unfairness of the world will come to light and be focused on more.

Altogether, I really did enjoy this book. It had a simple but pretty writing style with amazingly-made characters. I wish it had used the “show, don’t tell” rule more, but that barely bothered me. There were a couple of unsuspected plot twists that will obviously be explored more in book two: speaking of book two, where is it? I don’t even see a title! The pacing is a bit slow in the first half, but it speeds up a lot in the second, with Davis taking more and more risks. I wish Cole had been more honest with Davis in a certain scene, that was the only time I disliked his character. Something I will say is that the concept of the FEUDS did play a part in the story, but I felt that it faded to the background after the first couple chapters. Another comment of mine is that there were a lot of moments where things seemed convenient for the characters, as if the author didn’t want to spend an extra page where they figured out the problem. I think that people who enjoyed the star-crossed love of Romeo and Juliet will enjoy this book, especially if you are a dancer. I’m sure you’ll relate well to Davis!

Notable Scene:

It was ridiculous. It was impossible.

Freedom was one thing. It was remote, but still possible, maybe, if he could win FEUDS. With enough ambition, hard work, and drive.

But a freedom, in which he and Davis were together. Impossible.

And freedom without her took on a different meaning. It felt like just another set of trappings.

FTC Advisory: St. Martin’s Griffin/Macmillan provided me with a copy of Feuds. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

FEUDS was a story that had an interesting premise and great potential, but unfortunately didn’t live up to expectations. The ideas were there – a society separated by class, a deadly disease targeting those who were supposed to be perfect, an unexpected and forbidden romance – but their execution was poor and their development was lacking.

There was little backstory given to explain how the world became the way it did, why there was this disease in the first place, why it affected only the genetically “improved,” or how the characters developed into who they were. Little explanation was given about why tensions were mounting between the Priors and the Imps, how the politics “worked,” what were the implications.

Additionally, little effort was made to flesh out the main and secondary characters. Because their stories weren’t fully developed, because their personalities and characteristics weren’t presented with any real detail, and because their thoughts and motivations weren’t frequently revealed or explained, there was nothing to connect to. And in the case of the secondary characters, their purpose for being in the story other than as necessary vehicles to move the plot forward was unclear.

The romance was immediate, but not believable. There was no emotional buildup to make it so. There were no moments between the characters to make their declarations of love feel genuine.

The dual point of view allowed readers to see what was going on with both Davis and Cole and get a peek into both their worlds, however the lack of world-building left both worlds, and both characters’ stories, feel incomplete. Readers were left to make assumptions where detail was lacking and accept certain facts without any reasoning behind them.

While the Olympiads and the Feuds were potentially exciting pieces of the story, the part they actually played felt largely unnecessary. Especially as midway through the tale, the focus on the Olympiads shifted completely away. And while there was good reason why the focus shifted, it rendered them almost unnecessary.

There were moments that engaged in this story, especially when the author focused on the rising unrest of the Imps. But again, perhaps due to the fact that this will be a series, the author didn’t follow through with building this part of the story up.

A number of points appeared to be added for convenience in order for the story to progress without having to build the world any further, such as a door added to a balcony that hadn’t been seen before by the character, a computer login guest password that happened to be left sitting next to a computer that also happened to work with a different user’s login, a work stoppage that had a transport system out of commission one day but filled with inexperienced Priors the next when it needed to be working – and this only explained after the character had already used it when it was supposed to have been out of service.

The pacing in the second half of the story picked up, but not to its benefit. It made the story feel rushed, and didn’t allow for the proper development of the society’s unraveling, the romance, the betrayal, the awareness of the disease. It didn’t give the story time to touch upon all that it had presented in the first half of the book.

Coupled with several consistency problems, believability issues stemming from the characters awareness of certain information, their acceptance of certain facts that caused them to flip/flop, and the lack of technological advances to match with the scientific advances, the story’s potential was unrealized.

And so while FEUDS had a number of interesting concepts and the framework was there for a great story, it felt like a case of the author trying to do too much in too few pages. And especially with this story being the first in a series, there should have been room to get those details in place, to develop the characters and world, rather than, to borrow a phrase, attempting to throw everything but the kitchen sink into this first book.

Original comments:
I was very hopeful for FEUDS. The premise sounded awesome, but sadly it wasn't a book that worked out for me. The idea for the story was intriguing. The potential was there, but I felt there was a lack in development in the characters' backstory, the character development during the story, the world-building, the plot.

Many of the ideas presented in the description weren't fleshed out. And while I discovered that it's the first in a series and that they might be in future books, I wished they had been pursued in this first book.

I enjoyed the start and couldn't wait to learn more about the disease, the Priors, the Imps, the reason for the segregation in the first place. I wanted to read more about the dancing and the Feuds. But the focus appeared to be more on the romance. Which normally is a lovely distraction for me. But in this case it wasn't.

I couldn't understand the reason for the immediate connection. I enjoy stories where there's insta love but I have to feel like it makes sense, is believable. I didn't feel that here.

There was also a number of instances where things appeared to be added for convenience, like a door appearing on a balcony that wasn't noticed before. And I felt the characters changed their minds/believed things too quickly, on numerous occasions, which made it convenient for a certain point in the plot but made their actions and beliefs feel unbelievable. Especially when no real explanation was given for the change, no inner conflict.

And I wish there had been more about the main character's dance competition, which felt like it was left by the wayside midway through the story.

I was engaged for the first 40% in spite of my issues with the romance, but without more detail, with the pace making things feel too rushed, the characters too shallow, my interest waned.

It's possible that the finished version will offer more. It's possible the sequel will, as well. So I am still hopeful for this series and will check out reviews of the finished version and its sequel when it releases. But, unfortunately, FEUDS wasn't a book I enjoyed.

[Isis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to thank NetGalley & St. Martin's Griffin for granting me a copy of this e-ARC to read in exchange for an honest review. Though I received this e-book for free that in no way impacts my review. Technically I'd give this book 3.5 stars, but since only whole numbers are allowed I'm rounding up to 4 stars, thanks to the twist unveiled at the end of the book.


Goodreads Blurb:

In this breathless story of impossible love, perfection comes at a deadly cost.

For Davis Morrow, perfection is a daily reality. Like all Priors, Davis has spent her whole life primed to be smarter, stronger, and more graceful than the lowly Imperfects, or “Imps.” A fiercely ambitious ballerina, Davis is only a few weeks away from qualifying for the Olympiads and finally living up to her mother’s legacy when she meets Cole, a mysterious boy who leaves her with more questions each time he disappears.

Davis has no idea that Cole has his own agenda, or that he’s a rising star in the FEUDS, an underground fighting ring where Priors gamble on Imps. Cole has every reason to hate Davis—her father’s campaign hinges on the total segregation of the Imps and Priors—but despite his best efforts, Cole finds himself as drawn to Davis as she is to him.

Then Narxis, a deadly virus, takes its hold--and Davis’s friends start dying. When the Priors refuse to acknowledge the epidemic, Davis has no one to turn to but Cole. Falling in love was never part of their plan, but their love may be the only thing that can save her world...in Avery Hastings's Feuds.

Davis is a sweet girl who works very hard to live up to her deceased mother's memory. Her mother died giving birth to her, but before that she was a prima ballerina and was a medalist in the Olympiads. Like all her Prior friends, Davis takes numerous supplements each day, designed to enhance anything they can think of. Priors are considered to be superior beings, when they're really just medically 'made' people. The meddling begins in utero and continues for their entire lives. Parents select for certain qualities, and then continue to increase those qualities through rigorous training and medication. Of course Priors never get sick, for they've been bred to be immune to everything.

On the other end of the scale is Cole. He is an Imperfect, or Imps. Imps work for the Priors, but are segregated in all other ways; forced to live across the river and essentially survive on what the Priors discard, they could be equated to African Americans in the United States, all the way up to civil rights movement. Any fraternizing between Priors and Imps ends badly, the Prior being shunned and the Imp either spending life in prison or being killed outright.

Born into this miserable life, Cole is desperate to get himself and his family away, to move to someplace better. But that takes money. And the only way he can make that kind of money is to win the last match of the Fights Established Under Demolition Sites (FEUDS) - locked cage fights that sometimes end in the death of one of the fighters. But to get into the FEUDS fights you need money for the entry fee, and for that you need a sponsor. Cole's got a sponsor he can't stand, but he won't walk away from his one chance to get his family out of the horrible place they're forced to live. A few more fights and he could have everything he's ever dreamed of; everything that is until he met Davis.

After they meet life is turned upside down for both Cole and Davis. Davis has no idea that Cole isn't who he claims to be, so she's willing to explore the feelings he sparks in her. Willing regardless of the mystery surrounding him, because she has never felt so intensely about anyone before. And much to Cole's surprise he finds that he too is drawn to Davis. She's nothing like he thought she'd be, and everything he's always dreamt of. But their relationship is probably doomed before it even begins. Just one small slip and both they and their families would be ruined. But all that fades into the background when Davis' friends start dying. No one on the Priors' side will admit to any problems, but everyone on the Imps' side knows something bad is happening to Priors.

The two star-crossed lovers are in a race to find a cure for this new disease that is only targeting Priors, as well as find a way to stay together. Their emotional responses to the various situations they find themselves in feel spot on, and feel very authentic to both characters. As they race against the clock to solve this deadly mystery more questionable issues keep cropping up, until it seems that everything they've ever learned has been a lie.

Will the young couple be able to stay at least one step ahead of those in power, those determined to maintain the status quo? Are all their allies really allies, or are they being played? Will Davis get this deadly disease, or will she remain safe while they hunt down the answers needed to survive this radical shift? So many questions, and not all are answered, leaving me wondering how long we'll have to wait for the sequel to come out. Near the end of the book Ms. Hastings adds a completely unexpectedly complex twist, one that will leave you completely anxious to know what happens next!

[Louisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really great read, the world infuriated me, and I loved the story, and I can't wait to read the sequel!

[nick (the infinite limits of love) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I'm currently burned on dystopians at the moment, I wanted to read Feuds because it seemed to have a relatively new and original concept. I was also attracted to a main character who was passionate about dancing. Feuds wasn't the perfect book, by any means, but I do think this series has a lot of potential.

The world in Feuds was quite intriguing. There were the Priors, who were genetically engineered to be smart and physically strong and the Imps (or Imperfects), who were a lower caste. I thought the idea of exploring genetically engineered human beings was interesting because this could quite well be a possibility some time in the future what with the rapid advancement of science. However, I thought the world building in Feuds was very much skeletal. It was basic, for lack of better words, and I personally wanted to know more about the history and background that Hastings has created. It needed a little more meat to its bones. By the end of the book, I was left with too many unanswered questions. Now, because this is a series, I'm willing to momentarily forget my frustrations towards the paltry foundations of the world building. The plot in Feuds, also, felt like much of an introduction to what's to come next in the book. A deadly virus, Narxis, was spreading rapidly and only the Priors seemed to be afflicted with it and no one knew why. For most of the book, the book was simply building up to the fact that there was a virus spreading that was being hidden by the government, so there wasn't much development. Feuds was also on the short side, which explains this rather lacking plot. I personally thought that a stronger plot and a few more pages would have helped this book excel.

I know it seems like I was more on the disappointed side with Feuds, but that wasn't entirely the case. I actually found myself being unable to put the book down and I attribute that to the characters. Feuds is told in the POV of both Davis and Cole. Davis, especially, I liked. She was a naive character who eventually grew to become a little more stronger over the course of the novel. While I appreciated her growth, her passion for dancing was what really struck me. I've danced for a few years of my life, but I can't say that I was in love with it as most people typically are. I loved how much she loved dancing and her fears of failing that came along with this passion. Cole, on the other hand, I had reservations about. At the start of the book, we get to know that he participates in this underground fights to earn money for his family, but he also made a deal with a corrupt political candidate in order to deceive Davis by beginning a relationship with her, so you can imagine how much I wanted to figuratively strangle Cole. As he opened up to Davis and began to know her better, his heart towards Davis and my feelings towards him softened. The focus in Feuds was on the romance and while the L-word came out a bit too early for my tastes, I thought their relationship was sweet. The secondary characters left much to be desired though and I would have liked to know them on a deeper level.

Despite my issues with Feuds, I found myself enjoying the book and I will most likely be picking up the next book. I'm looking forward to seeing where things go for Cole and Davis and how they will resolve their issues.

[Melissa (thereaderandthechef) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Behold this pretty cool book! You're in for a treat if you decide to browse this perfectly imperfect dystopian world. The concept is intriguing, people. It's about a society divided in two: the Priors-- genetically altered people to grow up into perfect beings, and the Imps-- regular people (lower class) with "imperfections". They do not mix and it's actually illegal to get involved. But of course, what is prohibited makes up the best of stories!

Davis is a ballerina working hard on making into the Olympiads to live up to her late mother's reputation and to somehow make her feel proud of her. She's graceful, passionate, and like the other priors, perfect. She believes in her society that everyone should be perfect and that the Imps are dangerous. Cole, on the other hand, makes a living as a fighter at the FEUDS. Fighting is the only way he can as an Imp to make money and help out his family with food and medicine, and possibly gain enough to study and move out from the Slants. He's a good fighter and handsome as well, he could almost pass off as a Prior, but he hates the thought of them for all of what they have done to his people.

One day, Cole is forced by his Feuds sponsor to seek out Davis and destroy her reputation by getting acquainted with her. But once they meet up at a party, sparks fly off from both ends. In begins a hectic ride of love, danger, secrets and betrayals. Their worlds begin to fall apart once the Priors start catching Narxis, a rare decease, and begin to die in a matter of hours. The Priors aren't supposed to get sick, ever. Sadly, Davis could be next.

Feuds certainly has a lot of stuff going on and it might be a bit hard to keep up at first. There's the Feuds, Davis' ballerina Olympiads, the decease, the romance, and many other world-shattering secrets floating around. It was confusing and amazing at the same time. It was so much fun to enter this world and read about such a perfect race because even though they are perfect from the outside, they sure are not that perfect inside.

Besides from the interesting plot, I was excited to read about Davis and Cole's love story. As it turned out, their relationship developed quite fast, and it became a "Love at first sight/kiss" kind of thing. While this at first didn't make me happy because it didn't allow me to warm up to them as a thing, their relationship grew on me the more as I went inside the story. They actually ended up being a good couple after all.

Feuds also had a killer cliffhanger that broke my heart. It's been several weeks since I finished it and I still feel it. Ugh, that's why I hate cliffhangers. I really hope the next book comes out soon because I just need to know. You will understand what I mean once you read this book too. But for now, get your copy of Feuds this Tuesday!


P.S. Can you say cover love? It's so pretty!

*Review made possible thanks to the publisher and Netgalley. Check it out also at The Reader and the Chef!*

[Just a person · Rating 4 out of 5]

Feuds was on my radar because I am attracted to anything ballet in books or movies. I've never danced, but I am engrossed reading about it. Its so graceful and beautiful and requires such dedication and heart. Along with the dancing, there is also this virus, which is another element that would have drawn me to Feuds and its beautiful cover.

It was a bit slow to set me up and make me like Davis, the female main character. But her dream of dancing and the way that she even daydreams about riding horses makes me like her. Cole, the male main character is a fighter in hardcore underground fights, and besides his toughness, something about him drew me to him. Maybe its his strength or maybe its the sense that he is working so hard and he seems to have something driving him. Also, the way he was concerned about the girl at the party right after he met Davis made me know that he was compassionate.

I liked how they got together, and even though it was under false pretenses going both ways, because of the manipulation of Cole by Parsons, Davis' dad's rival for government. Cole didn't know she was his daughter, and Davis didn't know that Cole wasn't a Prior.

The world set up was pretty easy to grasp. They seem to be in the future quite a bit, and the Priors have plenty of genetic programming to be sick less often, and chose genes so they are stronger and better able to learn and succeed in general. But there are those on the outside, the Gens they call themselves that haven't had the genetic treatments and are on the outside of the living arrangements and they are the workers.

The virus element was interesting too. They don't go into much on how it was created or why they are vulnerable besides saying it was an effect of all of the gene therapy. The Priors were in denial that they were getting sick and they were just throwing out bodies in the Slants, outside where Priors live and also where the Gens fight in the Feuds.

The Feuds, or the fights that Cole participates in played more of a part of his character growth and showing what he is fighting for, his family, rather than just for the sport of it. It was also more of a thread in the story than Davis' dancing. That really didn't play as much of a role as I thought it would, but it may in the future books.

This is a series that I will be continuing, because while I felt like it was a semi-ending, nothing really was wrapped up to my satisfaction, and want to see how things will change for the better in this society.


Bottom Line: Great series beginner with characters I enjoyed.

[Sara Grochowski · Rating 2 out of 5]

In the not so distant future, society is divided into two groups: Priors, those who are wealthy and genetically enhanced to be more attractive, stronger, and smarter, and the Imperfects, or "Imps," lowly servants to the Priors. Davis Morrow, a competitive ballerina, is a Prior, raised to believe that the Priors represent all that is good in the world and that the Imps are worthless, wild, and separate - until she meets Cole. At first, she doesn't realize that Cole is an Imp and, by the time she learns the truth, she's already falling for him. When one by one disease immune Priors begin contracting a mysterious illness and disappearing, Cole is the only person Davis can turn to for the truth.

This book was not my favorite. Though I did think the world was interesting, I feel like readers have seen something very similar in Westerfeld's Uglies trilogy. It's still interesting here, but not unique enough that I'd highly recommend it, especially when I consider the things about this book that I didn't like.

For me, the biggest issue was the romance and relationship between Cole and Davis - which, for the record, is the driving force behind Feuds. This book is technically dystopian and there is a mystery, but it's all secondary to the romance - a romance that is built on absolutely nothing! Cole is head over heels for Davis from the very beginning, his reasoning being that she's so beautiful and so intellectually different and interesting. Two reasons, two problems: 1. All priors are engineered to be beautiful, so Davis is literally just another pretty face and 2. Davis and Cole never have a real conversation. Seriously. They almost always immediately launch into making out. How do you know she's so different and interesting? Because she's so beautiful? Then all Priors must be different and interesting! Your logic is flawed, Cole. Though I can see how you might be distracted by all the making out. You are, after all, a teenaged boy.

Normally I can easily employ suspension of disbelief for a good plot and likeable characters, but this was just too much. If the romance had been a secondary element, I might have been okay with the obvious flaws, but, because it was the novel's main concern, I couldn't ignore the issues.

Skip it.

[Jessica ❁ ➳ Silverbow ➳ ❁]

This was a DNF for me b/c it was basically a contemporary romance (of the currently ever-so-popular MMA variety) disguised as a dystopian by virtue of being set in the "future."

This is a peeve of mine, b/c many moons ago when Amazon still had its 4-for-3 paperback deal, I ordered a bunch of Lynsay Sands paranormal romances, which were really contemporary romance with the vampire hero being a vampire by virtue of his inconvenient need to drink blood for sustenance, and his inconvenient need to avoid sunlight, but otherwise--he's just a normal guy.

No me gusta.

PLUS there was that really (REALLY) bizarre line about horses' backs and whatnot o.O

[Aneta Bak · Rating 2 out of 5]

Feuds is a classic Romeo and Juliet love story, with a fascinating dystopian twist.

In a world where people can be genetically modified at birth, Davis is meant to be perfect. From her intelligence to her ballet moves. When she meets Cole at a friends party, they fall in love at first sight. What Davis doesn't know is that Cole is not as perfect as she imagines him to be, in fact he's not perfect at all. Cole was not genetically modified at birth, he is poor and will do anything to make enough money to sustain his family, including taking a picture of him and Davis for money.

I had such high hopes for this book. I find the cover to be absolutely beautiful and the synopsis to be very intriguing. Yet when I started to read this book, I was disappointed from start to finish.

There was so many problems with this book, that I don't even know where to start. So I guess lets just start with the biggest problem of them all, the romance. Like I said this is a very Romeo and Juliet type love story, and I don't mean that in a good way. The characters fall in love at first sight (boring!) and then try their hardest to be together even though society doesn't let them. I guess that doesn't sound too bad from my explanation, but trust me when I say that this story is all romance, no plot what so ever. The things that these characters do for 'love' are utterly stupid and irresponsible, even though this is a Fiction novel, I can't see anyone actually doing things that these characters would.

Davis is a Gen, meaning genetically perfect. She is supposed to be intelligent, athletic and beautiful. Well she is athletic, that's sadly one of the only things I like about her. And I guess you could say she is beautiful, but she is one of the least intelligent characters I have ever met. I honestly think my dog is smarter than her. First of all, she couldn't figure out that Cole wasn't a Gen like her. If she truly was intelligent, she would have figured it out from super easy signs like Cole not having a DirectTalk (cell phone thing) or that he never mentioned his last name, where hes from, what school he goes to and things like that. Davis's character also does pretty dumb things, like sneaking out of the city where people literally want to kill her, just to see Cole, I mean how dumb could you get. There's even a moment in the book where she believes that she wants to die if she can't be with Cole. That might have been cute back in the fourteenth century, but now that just considered incredibly stupid, especially for someone who's supposed to be intelligent. Her character's perspective was just painful to read from.

On the other hand, I must say I liked Cole a little bit more than Davis. Don't get me wrong, he is still pretty stupid, but a tad less than Davis. I really do admire the fact that Cole lives in poverty, yet he has such a strong heart to try to raise money for his family. Now hes not supposed to be intelligent, or at least not as intelligent as Davis, but he still did some pretty stupid things. First of all, he gets offered a job get a picture of him kissing Davis. I don't know, but doesn't that just scream "RED LIGHT" to you? Obviously that picture is going to get out somehow, and you will be in a pickle when it does. I have no clue why he would agree to it, that just ridiculous.
So throughout the book, we hear about how hes only in the FEUDS just for the money because he really want to take care of his family, yet near the end of the book he completely ditches his family all for Davis. I guess you could say that's kind of romantic, but when you look at character development, that send him back light-years! He pretty much just threw away his family, something that he's cared about for such a long time, to be with Davis, a girl who he recently met, who's dying from a disease where they haven't figured out a cure. I'm sorry what?!?!

The plot line of the story is.. well actually there isn't one. I couldn't tell what the climax was, or even if there was one in the first place. This story is all romance, and by that I mean all kisses, that literally it. There's tons of detail about what the characters think, but there's not plot line, or world-building.

While I do think that this book has major potential to be great, because it really is a great idea about the Narxis aspect and the forbidden romance, it just isn't. If this book went through a major edition process, I feel like it could be a huge hit, but for now, I give it a thumbs down. And sadly I would not recommend this book to anyone, well maybe if you're a giant fan of forbidden love, but even then its a maybe. If you do decide to pick up this book, I really hope you enjoy it more than me.

-Aneta

[Michelle Rebar · Rating 5 out of 5]

YES! YES! I loved this book! A Ballerina and a cage fighter get involved in a star-crossed romance while a deadly virus sweeps through a dark, futuristic dystopian world where genetics separate the classes? Um...awesome! A full review is on the way...but seriously, AWESOME!

Update 9/11/14. Review originally posted on Michelle's Minions

Davis Morrow's life is perfect. She is perfect. Davis is a Prior, a member of the upper class that has been genetically modified to be stronger, smarter, faster, physically flawless and immune to illnesses that once affected ordinary humans. Since she is basically made to be better, she's expected to strive for greatness. Her friends and family are just like her. They live lives of privelage, never worried about anything except how good they look. Her father is a powerful man and is running for city prime minister, so her life is especially privileged. Davis is a ballerina training rigorously to qualify for the Olympiads. She loves to dance, but more than anything she does it to honor her mother's memory. Her mother was a famous ballerina who died giving birth to her. So, that is her life. Dance, party with friends, worry about nothing and look pretty. At least, until the night she meets Cole Everett.

Cole Everett's life is not perfect. He is not perfect. Cole is a Geneserian, a Gen, but the Priors would call him an Imp, for Imperfect. He lives outside of the city in relative poverty with the rest of the non-modified humans. The Imps are looked down upon and even feared by the Priors, but the truth is, they are just people doing whatever they can to survive. Because of Cole's size and strength, his way to get by and his only hope of making a better life for his family is to enter the FEUDS, an underground cage fighting ring run by corrupt Priors. He doesn't enjoy beating the crap out of people for money, but he's good at it, and it's money that he desperately needs. When he's approached by the current city prime minister, who is also an influential figure in the FEUDS, about helping him to bring down his political rival, he has no choice but to agree to do it. All he has to do is enter the world of the Priors and get an incriminating picture of himself and the prime minister's rival's daughter, Davis Morrow, and return to his miserable life to fight another day. Little does he know that he's one kiss away from his life changing forever.

The night that Davis and Cole meet at a rooftop party and their worlds collide, nothing will ever be the same again. The moment their lips touch, there is no going back. Cole never expected to fall for anyone, let alone a prissy, self-centered Prior, but he sees that Davis isn't like the rest of them. She doesn't know who he really is and if anyone finds out they will both be in trouble. As their star-crossed romance blossoms, the world around them begins to crumble. A deadly virus called Narxis is killing off Priors, and it is spreading fast. The Priors refuse to acknowledge it's existence because they see themselves as too perfect to be vulnerable. Tensions between Priors and Imps are rising, political corruption is running rampant, people are dying and Cole and Davis are stuck in the middle of it all. All they have is each other, but is their love strong enough to overcome the impossible obstacles trying to tear them apart? 

My Thoughts

Yes! Yes! I loved this book! A ballerina and a cage fighter get involved in a star-crossed romance while a deadly virus sweeps through a dark, dystopian future world where genetics separate the classes... um...awesome! Not only is it a cool and interesting story, but I truly enjoyed reading it. Avery Hastings' vividly descriptive writing does an amazing job bringing the story to life in my head. This was one of my most anticipated books of the year and it did not disappoint. I was originally drawn to it by the idea of a ballerina and a cage fighter, which, in itself is awesome, but when you throw in a dark, dystopian setting, political corruption, a breathtaking romance and a race against time to stop a virus, I was hooked. The only thing I DON'T like, is that I have to wait until next June for the sequel. That's kind of a bummer. But, at least there is a short eNovella prequel releasing in December (Rivals). It's not part of this story, but it's about Davis before any of this took place. I'll happily revisit this world again.

[Kait · Rating 4 out of 5]

Feuds was far from what I expected it to be and I mean that in both a good and bad way. I started the book knowing very little about it and I went into it with an open mind. To be honest I only really knew that it was a dystopian and all I hoped was that it would be different from the rest. It definitely had a unique feel to it and that was by far my favorite thing about it.

Feuds is told from the alternating points of view of Davis and Cole. Davis is the daughter of a rich Prior who is up for election as the next prime minister. She’s a driven ballet dancer who is very concerned about the role she plays in her father’s campaign. She will do anything to help him get elected so that his new policies can be put in place. She cares a lot for her family and that shows from the start. The only problem is that she really doesn’t know the whole truth about everyone in her family and so she doesn’t quite know what it is she’s standing up for. Cole is a Gen fighter in the FEUDS who does everything for his family and is willing to risk everything for them. He’s strong and fierce but vulnerable and lost at times too. He’s a much more well rounded character than Davis. He’s also someone who should have nothing to do with Davis. However, he’s thrust into her life and once he meets her he just can’t stay away. He’s drawn to her without knowing anything about who she is. She also knows nothing about him though and that’s just how he wants things to stay. They are the definition of star-crossed love but neither of them realize that until it’s too late.

To be perfectly honest, Davis and Cole’s relationship screams instalove. That’s what it is. They meet, they kiss (very passionately, might I add), they have amazing chemistry, and they decide they are it for each other. However, they still know nothing about each other when they decide this. It’s when they find out the truth about each other that their relationship is really put to the test.

The story is a little slow to pick up but it’s interesting. Feuds is set in a futuristic society split between Priors and Gens (or as Priors call them, Imps.) The Priors are the upper class who have been genetically modified for perfection. The Gens are just normal people but they are considered low class because of this. Things aren’t so bad for the Gens though when the Priors start dying from a mystery disease called Narxis. Narxis has no cure and what’s worse, most people don’t even know it exists. The current prime minister of the Priors does not want word about Narxis to get out and he is willing to do whatever it takes to stop the Gens from speaking out about it. For the first part of the book though very little about this is actually mentioned and most of the story focuses on Cole and Davis. I get the necessity of building up the characters but I really would have liked it if the plot moved a bit faster.

Overall, Feuds definitely stands out in the dystopian genre. It’s a bit slower than your usual fare of “down with the capital!” dystopian novels but it has a lot going for it other than that. The characters, the writing, the romance (even if it is instalove) all stand in favor for Feuds. I definitely plan on checking out more from Avery Hastings especially the next book in this series!

[Momo (the Mome Rath) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Feuds is a set in a future with a dystopian hierarchy based on if you're an upgraded human or not. There are essentially two levels: super humans (Priors) and normal people (Imps), with normal people being the underbelly of society. Davis is a Prior with aims of being a ballerina and competing in the Olympiads, who unknowingly falls in love with an Imp, Cole. There is the complication of Priors getting sick with Narxis and a bunch of other stuff that's not that important to the story.

Honestly there is a lot going on and nothing at all at the same time.

The entire story -- world building, characters, plot, setting, everything -- took a back seat to the romance. And while that might not necessarily be a bad thing, the romance wasn't that spectacular of a read. It was insta-love. There was no witty banter or chemistry between characters; just all of sudden they would be making out. The conversation to make out session ratio was way off. Halfway through the book, they have kissed several times and had one instance of actual dialogue. I kid you not. One. Meaningful. Conversation. How can anyone take such a relationship seriously or rally behind the characters? I would have liked to have read a less hormone induced romance.

Characters in the story were little more than plot devices or foils. There was no depth to a single character other than Davis or the romantic interest, Cole. For example, when Vera, one of Davis's friends, brings up DirecTalk, it doesn't feel like a conversation between friends; it was an excuse to explain a piece of technology in the world. So while yes, she does have some purpose (of sorts), there are no real feelings of friendship and she doesn't move the plot in any way. The sad thing is that Vera is the most defined "friend" character.

Speaking of DirecTalk, there is very little technology or world building to speak of. DirecTalk is one of the only technological advancements to speak of and it's only cell phones disguised as jewelry. The futuristic dystopian setting felt like a filter laid over the story to add interest and cause problems for the relationship of Davis and Cole. Other than mentioning a tech here and there, it's never explored how the future is different. There's also corrupt government officials, including Davis our main character's father, but that's not really addressed either.

I was not impressed with Feuds to say the least. The writing was not fluid and immersive, the characters were one dimensional and inconsequential to the story, and the plot -- what plot? The background, setting, and everything else that was interesting in the book was skimmed over. But even the parts that were interesting formed together into another generic mediocre dystopian novel. There is nothing worth reading in this novel. The end.

This review is also posted on my blog Where the Mome Raths Outgrabe

[Mariko (The Storybook Kingdom) · Rating 2 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on The Storybook Kingdom

A copy of this book was provided by the author via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ok, here's the deal. I was pretty much back an forth on how I should rate this book. Unfortunately, my indecision wasn't because I thought it was amazingly awesome or just kinda awesome. It was more like, if I kinda liked the book but was more meh, or if I flat out didn't like it. I think I really should just get into my thoughts to make things a bit more clear.

I really think Feuds has some serious potential. There's a somewhat dystopian society, which is a huge win for me. The problem is, it' really isn't elaborated upon. I just got a glimpse of what the world was in the book, but no real explanation of anything. I want to know more. There's no real explanation of why or how the two different classes of people came about or how the genetically enhanced even come to be that way. I want to know more. Wait, I already said that. Oh well, I think it needs to be repeated.

There's romance, which I think always has great potential. Unfortunately this romance fell flat. Davis and Cole were completely unbelievable and it was pretty insta-lovey. I felt like they barely had any interaction with each other and then suddenly they're in love. I don't buy it. I need to be able to buy it. I don't even think they really even talked to each other all that much because they spent a lot of time kissing. Then they start making declarations of love. Wait, what? I think there should have been more going on in between meeting, kissing, and declaring undying love for one another.

The most interesting part of the books, the mystery surrounding Davis and her past along with all the stuff about the virus, pretty much takes a back seat to all this declaring of undying love going on. I want to know more. Maybe it will all come out in the next book, but at this point I don't think I'm really sure I want to put myself through another book to really find out. So this aspect of the book is why I might kinda like it. But since the most interesting part of the book is glossed over, I don't think I'll continue on the the series in hope that it will get better. And in closing, I realize the theme to this review is the need for more. There needs to more plot, more interaction between characters before falling in love, and more world building.

[Alyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really loathe to say this, but I feel like Feuds is just another typical dystopian novel. The characters, world-building, plot, ect. were all pretty average. The romance was the worst of all.

Davis is one of those typical "special snowflake" characters. Out of all the Priors, only she can be different. Only Davis can actually have a heart and a conscience. And of course, the Imp, Cole, must fall in love with the "more-perfect-than-already-perfect" human. Imps are supposed to have many flaws; they're described as "ugly". Yet Cole is handsome and is able to pass for a Prior. It doesn't make such sense. Why do all the characters have to be physically flawless or practically be supermodels? And even worse, their romance is "lust-at-first-sight". Cole calls it love, yet the only thing he is stricken by when he first meets Davis is her incomparable beauty- she's supposed to be more beautiful than the already beautiful and perfect female Priors. And although Davis gets an iffy feeling around Cole, she STILL follows him around and kisses him- a random stranger. Not very smart.

The world-building is pretty bad too. The story provides minimal explanation on how the world came to be and the description of the lives of the Imps and Priors is pretty weak. I felt that the way Cole's life as an Imp sounded pretty decent- in fact, I really wouldn't have minded living as an Imp. Imps are supposed to be horribly discriminated against, yet their lives sound pretty average. And the world that Davis lives in doesn't seem very futuristic- just kinda weird in some aspects.

I admit there are some twists, but I didn't feel very surprised by them. The story started out way too slow to make me feel invested or engrossed in the novel. In fact, it felt a little random at times.

I know that many people will enjoy this book, but I've just read too many dystopian novels running along the same lines of this one to really like Feuds. Frankly, there is nothing special about this book (except for its usage of ballerinas and ballet, but even that is barely written about), and like many other dystopian novels; it features the romance overtaking the plot, abysmal world-building, a supposed-to-be-significant-but-really-isn't problem, and other cliches. For me, it's just another addition to the already massive and still growing pile of YA dystopian novels.

*I received a free copy through Goodreads First Reads*

[Kristen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh. That really sums up my feelings about Feuds. It wasn't bad. It just didn't keep my attention or interest. A lot of the time I spent reading this, it felt like a chore. I'd glance over at the stack of books on my nightstand and wish that I could read something else. What I thought I was getting was going to be a dystopian with a beautiful cover. What I feel like I got was a tease of dystopian with a heavy helping of romance and a deceptively beautiful cover.

The potential was there. It was begging to crawl out from behind the insta-love. I think that's why this book was so eh for me. I'm really into dystopians. I will devour them like no other. And while there's a great premise to Feuds, it's never elaborated on. There's hardly any world building. There isn't even much character building. It's just a big ol' pot of 'here's some insta-love, so let's just ignore everything else'. Nothankyounope.

Sometimes I feel like Young Adult feels like it has to delve out insta-love. But the readers of Young Adult fiction aren't five year olds who watch Disney movies and expect a perfect Prince Charming and a happily ever after. Sure, a happily ever after is nice. But we don't need a perfect set of coincidences to get there. We want something that seems real. Something that we can relate to.

All in all, I won't be tuning in for another book in this series. As much as I want to know about the society that this story is set in and Davis' past, I just can't sit through more declarations of lust thinly veiled as love. The characters grated on my nerves because of the insta-love. There was simply nothing to redeem this book for me whenever I got to the end. It was just a lot of potential that was overshadowed and ignored.

**I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review with no compensation.

[Anna N. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 2.5


I won a copy of this book for an honest review. This will never effect how I like or rate a book.


I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this book. I know it wasn't great but then again I didn't hate it. It's not the book's fault that I've read too many books that feel like they follow this similar pattern. It's mediocre and forgettable but is not horrible. There's nothing to really hate about it. The idea is interesting enough. It just didn't feel executed right. Since as it is it really doesn't make much sense.
Beautiful cover though. I'll give it that. This book has great cover art that fits well with the book. So it does get an A+ on that. Now lets get to the problems.

The things that don't make sense. The Priors and the Imps live separately and there are those that are working to segregate them further. Yet from what I saw Imps do most of the hard labor and work for the priors. Hence why so many places are shut down when they go on strike. It's obvious that Priors don't want to really be doing the jobs yet they want to shut the Imps out of their neck of the woods so to speak. Since we're on the subject of all the work that the Imps it has to make one wonder what they're getting paid. It can't be much. They live in the slums. I'm more surprised that they haven't rioted before. Maybe they have but if so obviously nothing got resolved. Yet they've allowed it to happen and for them to live this way so long without change. The other suspense of disbelief was the Priors trying to hide that their own were dying. There is no subtle way to hide such a thing no matter how much the book tried to make you think there was.

[Tati · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’d like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

The biggest issue in this book, for me, was the lack of world building. In any dystopian book, I like seeing more of how that world came to be. One example? We are told that some genetic engineering created a division in society between Priors and Imps. Priors are the ones that have been subjected to genetic engineering, while Imps haven’t. Why? There was no reason given for why some people were left out. Was it money? Or what?

Plotwise, there isn’t that much either. It’s all about some virus killing off the Priors, and that is set in the background of a futuristic version of Romeo and Juliet. The worse thing was, this book is, so far, shown as a standalone on Goodreads. If I read a standalone, I expect the end to be satisfactory, that is, to answer the questions raised throughout the book. That is not what happened here. Here, the ending felt more like a cliffhanger than a proper ending.

I also felt that the synopsis was a bit misleading. At one point, it says this: ‘their love may be the only thing that can save her world’. But why? Her world is not saved at the end. In fact, it’s not even that clear what happened in the end. This book sorely needs a sequel, if only to better explain what happened.

[Nadine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another case of "The cover made me do it". This book had so much potential. The first few chapters were actually pretty good. But then it all went crashing down and it was a painful and cringe-worthy ride. This is probably the first time that I liked every character BUT the main protagonists. And while I'm usually one to tolerate the inherent insta-love of young adult novels, I think I got whiplash by how quickly these two "fell in love". Seriously these two met up maybe four times and had like one hour's worth of conversation before declaring their love for one another.

The premise was interesting but the world building was poor. I feel that the story could've been improved if more attention was paid to the two protagonists' family life. I wanted to empathize with Cole and the desperation he felt in wanting to support his family. I wanted to understand Davis's relationship with her step-mother and father. Everything just felt so rushed and Cole seems to only interact with his older brother and brought up his mother once. I honestly thought he was an orphan.

Overall, a good effort but I expect more from someone who used to be a book editor. The pacing was horrendous and I hope that her future endeavors are an improvement to this mediocre debut. But having read the synopsis of its sequel I doubt I'll keep an eye on any future works. Good luck Ms. Hastings.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received a free ebook copy, courtesy of NetGalley.


Feuds is a great start to what is sure to be a wonderful series. I was hooked right away by the idea of a dystopian world were people were classified as "Priors", who are genetically modified humans, and "Imps", those who were not modified. It was such an outrageous and slightly terrifying concept, that people are modified genes this way, but it caught my interest immediately.

Davis and Cole are the protagonists of this novel. Davis, is a Prior, and Cole, an Imp. Obviously, this is a set up already for a forbidden romance. And alas, it was love at first sight for these two. This is pretty much the only part of the story that bothered me. I am all for a good romance; I am definitely a romantic. However, I am not a huge fan of "insta-love". It is one thing to see someone and feel a sort of attraction for them, but another to see someone and fall hopelessly in love with them in just one second. Basically what we have here is a dystopian Romeo & Juliet.

This novel has a great story-line, romance and action as well. The FEUDS sounded horrifying, but were also an integral part of the story. I am looking forward to more from this series.

[Mackenzie Bathauer · Rating 4 out of 5]

**I received an advanced reader copy through the Goodreads First Reads Program**

If I was to walk into Barnes and Noble to pick out my next book, I never would have picked up Feuds by Avery Hastings. The cover didn't really appeal to me and the plot, while interesting, didn't really seem like the kind of book I would like. So, thank God for the Goodreads First Reads program because if it wasn't for them, I never would have experienced the pure genius that lies within this book.

Feuds was captivating. The plot was incredibly unique and even though it was set in a futuristic, dystopian world, it felt so real. The discrimination and issues that exist in the future America feel so relevant to the world we live in today. It was thrilling, intense, and absolutely incredible.

The romance in the book is heartbreaking and beautiful. It truly feels like a futuristic Romeo and Juliet. Nothing felt forced or cheesy. It was just....wow. And let me tell you, Hastings knows how to write a kissing scene.

This book is so so well written and creates a world that comes to life so vividly. I had a hard time putting it down and when I finished the last page all I wanted was more.

This book is going to be HUGE. and I can't wait for everyone to read it and share in the excitement with me.

[Monica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I liked this story, it felt...glossed over, to me. I got a sense of both Davis and Cole, but was not given a deep look at either. Just when I felt like I was getting somewhere with one of them, another direction was followed.

Maybe I'm just projecting my feelings about falling in love under duress and in a very short amount of time, but I don't think there was really enough interaction between Davis and Cole for them to really love each other. Attached, yes. Deeply crushing on each other, yes. Love? I'm not convinced.

I also think the title doesn't really go with anything. The FEUDS were discussed a few times, and Davis even sees part of one of the fights, but I don't think they were important enough, plot-wise, to gain the title.

Overall, though, I did like this story. Both protagonists are easy to like. Readers will find themselves attached to Davis and Cole, even though minor objections or questions. (I certainly was.) With a little more detail and polish, this could be a riveting YA romantic tragedy. Perhaps that's what we'll get in the sequel. I, for one, will definitely be reading it.

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

If you enjoy dystopian romance, then you'll definitely enjoy Feuds. I thought this was going to be another typical YA/dystopia genre read, but it was much more sophisticated than that. I found the idea of genetically engineering children and what might happen to our society as a result an absolutely fascinating one to explore in this context. It was eerie how closely this has mirrored many of the civil and human rights issues we've experienced as a country in the past.

The relationship between Davis & Cole felt a little rushed, but it really didn't bother me because I knew this was going to be a short read. Most importantly, the chemistry was there. Ms. Hastings was clearly going for a Romeo & Juliet type thing and she hit the nail on the head. Teenagers don't really think about falling in love (or lust)--they tend to dive in headfirst.

Great pacing. Great story. Interesting characters. Fantastic cliffhanger! Can't wait for the next in the series.

[Ashleigh · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Read as digital ARC.

I was disappointed by Feuds, likely because I had such high expectations going in. When I first read the summary--the part about the ballerina and the advancements in perfection--I thought this was an elongated, revamped YA Harrison Bergeron, and I couldn't wait to read it. (People are running around rewriting Romeo and Juliet, Great Gatsby, Pride and Prejudice all over the place, why not redo a short story as a novel, so that you actually have space to make something new???) Anyway, that's not what Feuds was about at all.

Feuds was a fine book, and there were parts--like the Olympiads--that I found extremely interesting. But, the whole Feuds thing itself and the romance? I've read a lot of books, and I think I've gotten to the point where I need more to be brought to the table. If the Olympiads had been a bigger part of the book or I hadn't gone in with such high expectations, I think I would have liked it much better.

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Confession time: I didn’t read Romeo and Juliet until a year or two ago. I have both undergrad and graduate degrees in English literature, but I guess everyone assumed we’d read it in high school (I hadn’t) and didn’t assign it. I was in no hurry to read it myself because I figured I’d just be annoyed by the main characters…and I was right, although there’s also some great writing, of course.

So if a tale by the Bard couldn’t do it for me, you can imagine how I felt about a dull, sloppily-told remake. Love at first sight needs to be done ridiculously well in order to be believable; this wasn’t. The scenes of dramatic tension were ineffective, and by the end of the book, I really didn’t care what happened to any of the characters. I feel that the concept of this one has promise, but it needs to be stronger to work.

Note: I received a review copy of this book via Goodreads's First Reads program.