Conform: For fans of The Hunger Games - a new compulsive dystopian romance with a love triangle at its heart

Conform #1

by Ariel Sullivan

'Compulsively readable and vividly written—it kept me awake long past my bedtime! Ariel Sullivan is a writer to watch'
– Sarah J. Maas, #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Court of Thorns and Roses One man could offer her the world. The other will help her destroy it . . .

Born to an Elite family, Emeline has been marked as different from birth and by a society that judges all its citizens on their ability to conform.

Emeline only has one role open to to become a mother. Offered a pro-creation contract with Collin, a member of the Illum ­­– the governing body of the Elite ­– Emeline finds herself increasingly torn between her growing complicated feelings for her proposed mate, and another man who lives on the margins of their society who challenges her ideals.

When the marginalized rise up in rebellion, Emeline begins to question everything she has ever believed in.

It’s time to choose a side . . .

'A love triangle that will have you picking sides . . . then changing sides . . . then changing sides again. I read it in one sitting' - Veronica Roth, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Divergent

Genres: Fantasy, Dystopia, Romance, Romantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction, Audiobook

Audible Audio

First published October 14, 2025

About the author

Ariel Sullivan lives in Connecticut with her husband and two sons, as well as their two French bulldogs. Growing up a military brat, Ariel moved every two years and was a perpetual new kid; she often observed from the outskirts, where a deep love of reading was born.

When she isn’t writing, Ariel loves to read everything from poetry to psychology, bake with her sons, listen to live music and travel.

Reviews

[Brady Lockerby · Rating 5 out of 5]

i LOVEDDD this book! it's giving dystopian - think The Handmaid's Tale (but a lot less graphic and intense) meets Hunger Games, with a sprinkle of romance. cannot wait for the rest of the series!

team collin 4ever ((hopefully))

[naz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I binged this book and have no regrets 😛! 4.5 ⭐

It's been a few days and I am still thinking about this book 🤯 the wayyyy that the book ended had me with more questions than answers. I NEED BOOK 2 RIGHT NOW, how dare she end the book like that 😭 (I’m kidding I loved it aka why I rounded up)

The way the world was built and how society is described had me at the edge of my seat! We follow Emeline's journey to getting her approval to join the "Elite" with her procreation contract, because duh women are only vessels to serve the Elite nothing more. We meet her Mate Collin and let me tell you he is everything you want for our girl.. until you meet Hal 🔥 and then like me you will GET SO CONFUSEDDDDDD and then you are in for a rideee.

Emeline has so many decisions to make, this poor girl 🥺 and to be honest there were some scenes that were soooo hot 🔥 and then there were others I’m screaming at the pages like GIRL JUST PICK ONE 😤!! Obviously, she does, oh and trust me it has consequences and I LOVED EVERY SECOND OF IT.

The book is fast paced, totally bingable worthy and don't get me started on the tension. It had me switching sides to what guy would be best for our girl. Let's just say my gut told me my guy was IT from the beginning but I need book 2 to confirm I WILL LEAVE IT AT THAT.

This love triangle really reminded me of Adam and Aaron in Shatter Me, but definitely with more adult topics 🌶️. SO IF YOU WANT THAT READ THIS BOOK! Not only do you get this side of romance, but you also fall in love with side characters and also have the secrets and betrayal of other people that you never expected.

I do want to shout out Gregory and Nora 🥹 their subplot story made this book ten times better, I swear because of them I’m rounding up to 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ for my 4.5 rating.

I recommend this book to anyone that loves romance 💖, dystopian, and a female character that fights her beliefs even if by the end of the book you are as confused as her. Freaking Cliffhangers 😭 (gimme more)

Thank you Ballantine Books for my eARC

⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.
➳ 𝗽𝗿𝗲-𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱｡ꪆৎ ˚⋅ a dystopian where women are vessels for the Elite for fertility purposes, sold.

[Kaila.Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unputdownable.Be still my dystopian heart. I cannot wait for the next book.

4.5 rounded up.

Getting a Team Colin shirt made.

[Rebecca Filman · Rating 2 out of 5]

I fear that if you’re going to write a dystopian series about eugenics/selective human breeding and the massive disparities between social classes, you can’t hide behind your main character’s ignorance as an excuse to avoid world-building or providing explanations for literally anything and everything. I get that this is the first in a trilogy but c’mon…
The fmc’s job isn’t even a real job she literally goes to a dinky office in a vague, nondescript building, where she spends her whole day viewing images of famous pieces of art on her screen (they’re all paintings, no other medium is important I guess) and they have already been labelled to be “reassigned” or destroyed and she hits a delete button or some other button and then moves onto the next piece. That’s. It. That’s her whole work day. Does she work for an archive? Does she work for the government? Who is she employed by? What does it matter! Does she make money at this job? Who knows! She lives in another vague, nondescript apartment building where her bare minimum needs are just sent directly to her room! But she goes to work every single day, there’s no such thing as days off in this world, no such thing as hobbies or entertainment or recreation, or any of the other things that are usually around to distract people from the bleakness of their existence.
This is the most baseline example of a character realizing that they’ve been brainwashed by the propaganda of the upperclass, and yet at the end of the book the main character is actively making the argument that there’s good and bad on both sides!!!! That the upperclass people aren’t all terrible even though they uphold the status quo, and that the rebels that are working to dismantle the system are equally as in the wrong because they are using violence to achieve their goals. So much time is spend in her head pining between these two emotionally stunted men, and so little time actually confronting that this entire society is based around eugenics, why exactly that’s even the societal model, or what the “defects” people have even ARE. The fmc’s “defect” is heterochromia, there isn’t even any significant discussion about genuinely life altering genetic conditions!!!!!!!!!!!! Have they all been bred out of people now, to the point that having two different coloured eyes is the most terrible thing you can have??? Maybe we should talk about that!!!!!!!
The more I sit with the book, the more incensed I become. It might be shit propaganda in its own right, or nobody involved in the writing of this book asked any important questions about this world or the topics that were being tackled, because there isn’t one iota of critical thought involved here.

[Maren’s Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5-5⭐️ Ariel Sullivan’s Conform is visually stunning, emotionally evocative, and character-rich as we weave our way into a world where women are a tool, the social classes are feuding, and hearts are left all but broken as children are ripped from their mothers’ arms for the “greater good.”

“𝒴𝑜𝓊 𝓌𝑒𝓇𝑒 𝒶𝓁𝓌𝒶𝓎𝓈 𝑔𝑜𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓉𝑜 𝒷𝑒 𝒶 𝑔𝑜𝑜𝒹𝒷𝓎𝑒.”

The world-building, for those of us who aren’t fantasy readers, is accessible in the way Fourth Wing was, a fact that helped its immediate success. Easy to follow, as much due to the storyline as it is Sullivan’s concise storytelling, I found myself completely immersed without being bogged down in the minutiae. And with a love triangle featuring two very distinct, equally flushed-out MMCs, and a female heroine capable of running rings around them both, readers will be hard-pressed to choose a side (and yet like me, may have a clear favorite).

“𝒯𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔𝓈 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓂𝒶𝒹𝑒 𝓂𝑜𝓇𝑒 𝒷𝑒𝒶𝓊𝓉𝒾𝒻𝓊𝓁 𝒷𝓎 𝓅𝒶𝒾𝓃. 𝒴𝑜𝓊 𝓈𝑒𝑒 𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇𝓎𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒹𝒾𝒻𝒻𝑒𝓇𝑒𝓃𝓉𝓁𝓎 𝒶𝒻𝓉𝑒𝓇𝓌𝒶𝓇𝒹𝓈. 𝒩𝑜𝓉 𝓇𝒾𝑔𝒽𝓉 𝒶𝓌𝒶𝓎. 𝐼𝓉 𝓉𝒶𝓀𝑒𝓈 𝓉𝒾𝓂𝑒, 𝒷𝓊𝓉 𝓀𝓃𝑜𝓌𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒹𝒶𝓇𝓀𝑒𝓈𝓉 𝒹𝑒𝓅𝓉𝒽𝓈…𝒾𝓉 𝒶𝓁𝓁𝑜𝓌𝓈 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓉𝑜 𝑒𝓍𝓅𝑒𝓇𝒾𝑒𝓃𝒸𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒽𝒾𝑔𝒽𝑒𝓈𝓉 𝓅𝑒𝒶𝓀𝓈.”

On the surface, this is a powerhouse of a romance wrought with tension and intrigue. What I loved most though, beyond the surface, is an underlying social commentary examining the power dichotomy between both men and women, societies’ view of women and their bodies, the waring between social classes, and the consequences of a government controlling its citizens.

While obviously set in a world very far from our own, it also strikes a similar chord to modern-day life. And the heavier themes of misogyny, the complexities of motherhood, and the struggle of fitting in, are more universally relatable, and help to form a more emotional connection to the characters like Emeline and Nora, at the center of our story. I will also note that the supporting characters, and their love stories, added immensely to my overall enjoyment.

🎧 The audiobook is equally fantastic. Helmed by Amanda Leigh Cobb, the cinematic qualities come shining through. An immersive read is my recommendation to enjoy both formats in one.


Check out my Bookstagram post here ♥

Thank you Thousand Voices and Ballantine for the gifted copies.

[Anissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

So this is a 2-star read for me.

The first problem was the main characters. I have to stress that the FMC is 27 and both of the MMC romantic interests are 32, and the writing does not meet that fact. Just tossing in a sex scene in the last third doesn't make up for 380-odd pages before it of middling teenage-level angst. The characters are so shallowly rendered that the sexual encounters were flat. I've gotten more steam off a cup of lukewarm tea.

Emeline is an incurious, flip-flopping mess of a woman. Her "defect" is heterochromia for which she wears a corrective lens when she's with the Elites. I read the entire book and I can't say what she loves about either man she's flitting between. For Collin and Hal's parts, they are barely more than vague masses of good haircuts, eyes and broad torsos. Collin's eyes are "sapphires", and Hal has "starburst" eyes (I still don't know what that means, and every time it was mentioned (it was a lot), I thought of the candy. Took me totally out of the story.). So, Emeline's personality, such as it is, is shallow and irritating. And neither man is much more than a boyfriend blank. They are too thin as characters individually, so there's no hope in rooting for couplehood either way.

But, there were some characters who showed promise: Gregory, Nora, Rose, Violet and Phillip. Sadly, they don't get much time to shine but given that they made an impression, the writer clearly knows how to craft better characters than the mains.

The temerity to invoke The Handmaid's Tale as a book-like and not meet that in prose, tone, world-building or character depth was a choice. I admit to being a fan of science fiction, dystopian settings and speculative fiction, so I clearly expected more than this book offered. The world-building is a mere sketch. This story takes place in our far future in what I assume is what used to be North America. The only language that seems to have survived is North American English. They've retained many classical paintings (no sculpture seems to have made it), and have an affinity for ball and gala society, with gowns and suits we would recognize. The food is the same as our modern times. They don't seem to have IVF or the ability to do genetic testing (given that they are preoccupied with eugenics, this was curious to me). In other ways, they seem technologically advanced, but between what exists and what doesn't, there are no explanations for any of it beyond a handwave. There is mention of there having been a nuclear war a thousand years before. Are there other people anywhere outside of this area? Other countries? Are they similarly stratified? Is there communication? Trade? War? Female Defects live to reproduce with Elite males to level up, but what do Male Defects do? Can they similarly level up with Elite females? If not, what does this society do with all their "excess" males? How do they keep them docile or occupied? How the hell is Emeline's job an actual job? What purpose does it serve beyond seeming busywork? What do the other women like her do? I could go on.

For what it actually said (on politics, resistance, violence, etc), this did not need 400+ pages. At all. It didn't do enough on anything truly compelling with the hard questions to warrant such length. Cutting this down by 80 to 100 pages (and maybe another 25 could go) would have made for a tighter narrative. The length, given what was contained, was just one more thing dragging the whole thing down. Sex scene or no, this does not read as an adult novel because it shies away from all the things that are inherent in the story components that should be there. A mostly disappointing read.

Do not recommend.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Need a winning book club pick this fall? Conform is it.

Ariel Sullivan’s debut simply demands to be discussed. Get that buddy read on the calendar, because you’ll need someone to scream, rant, swoon, and overanalyze with. I devoured Conform in a single-sitting, and boy did having someone to live-react with help because I had so. Many. THOUGHTS.

Selfishly, I need you all to read this if only so I can validate my crackpot theories.

But beyond the gab potential? Dystopian romance is so back, and I’m here for it. Conform’s vibe sits somewhere in The Handmaid’s Tale meets The Uglies. With Elites living on high—literally, in the clouds—the world here is both stunningly visual and suffocatingly awful. There’s a physical weight to Emeline’s journey from her gray, dreary Minor Defect quarters below to the colorful yet insidious opulence of society in the sky.

If you like a plot-forward, action-packed read—Conform has it in spades. The last 25% in particular elevated the entire book for me, with some particularly poignant writing and exceptionally strong character development. And while my friend and I clocked the key twists, there’s still plenty veiled in the morally gray to endlessly spin theories until the next book. I have so many questions, and no idea yet who I’m really rooting for.

What I am sure about, though? Collin. I don’t know all his secrets, but the way this morally-gray man oozes competence and quiet protectiveness? Major High Reeve vibes. I would marry, Mate, whatever him so fast.

𝑨𝒍𝒔𝒐:
🌃 Great side characters—serious Mor & the Bat Boys potential (or for the fanfic girlies, peak side Slytherins)
💫 A secondary storyline with a romance that I’m genuinely obsessed with
🩵 Is arguing as foreplay a thing for anyone else? The tension in some scenes… 🥵
☁️ Emeline embodies the “sheltered girl makes questionable choices” trope (though I loved shouting about her)
👁️ Fuel for all your feminine rage
🖼️ A father that wins Worst Dad of the Year award, no contest
👗 A love triangle with the potential to ruin friendships (personally, if this other boy isn’t Tamlin-d, I may riot)

While I think this book is a strong debut that sets up a series with incredible potential—I admittedly struggled a bit with some of the world-building, plot, and pacing.

In particular, the emotional weight of the world was a bit muted for me. Perhaps I’ve read too many darker takes on Handmaid’s Tale or dystopian-esque marriage laws, but I was so itching for Sullivan to lean more into the horror and morality. The “big moment” that rocks the FMC wasn’t particularly jarring—and given her past, shouldn’t’ve been all that surprising to her.

And while I love a plot that has me at the edge of my seat, this one sometimes packs it in at the expense of breathing room. Relationships in particular developed a little too quickly for me; with a full trilogy ahead, I’d rather linger longer in the world and characters to get acclimated and invested before too much 💩 hits the fan.

This is also one of those series where the direction of sequel is going to make me either very happy or very disappointed. Love triangles are so tricky. I feel like it’s trended the way I want it to though and have such high hopes!

𝑻𝑳𝑫𝑹; Conform is bingeable, action-heavy dystopian romance with peak buddy-read potential. If you want morally grey men, sharp tension, and endless theories to scream about with your book club—this one is it.

Thank you Ballantine for the ARC! Views as always entirely my own.

[Tania · Rating 2 out of 5]

Many readers loved this book, but unfortunately it didn’t work for me. First and foremost, it should definitely be categorised as YA. I also struggled with the lack of world-building, the one-dimensional characters, and the fact that much of the story focused on the main character’s endless outfits and dressing up for events with her "mate". Overall, it felt more like a YA romance than a dystopian novel.

The Story: In a future ruled by genetic perfection, outcast Emeline is unexpectedly chosen to join the elite — forcing her to choose between obedience and uncovering a dangerous truth.

[fromthestudyof · Rating 5 out of 5]

Your honor what is going on

I haven’t read anything like this & I honestly had a freaking blast. I love not being able to predict what’s gonna happen!!!!! It’s so rare these days

*SPOILER WARNING DO NOT PROCEED*

LISTEN I’m still thinking Collin is actually the Reaper & for that - 5 stars. Is this theory delusional? MAYBE. But the Epilogue did not say who the MMC from the pov was - and until then YOU CANNOT CONVINCE ME OTHERWISE. Him really being the Reaper & not Hal would make this story INCRED. So that is what I’m choosing to believe.

Also - Hal sending her the blue dress to wear & then playing hero? Fuckkkk thatttttttt. Another blonde man pissing me off!!!!!!! But no honestly I don’t hate him & I unfortunately found him attractive 99% of the time - so I don’t know where that leaves me.

Wishing for a why choose?? Definitely.

I actually have to know what happens next when is book 2 coming

[SHOMPA · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like it.. the whole dystopian sci-fi concept sounded awesome. But after a few chapters, it just didn’t grab me the way I hoped. The story dragged on a bit, and the characters never really came to life for me. There were some cool ideas here and there, but overall, it just fell kind of flat.

[Stefany Haston · Rating 3 out of 5]

mixed feelings about this book but overall enjoyed it and would recommend to anyone in the mood for a dystopian romance situation! This almost feels like a dystopian Handmaid’s Tale at times. I’ll go into more detail with a nice succinct lil pros and cons list

Pros:
• Such an interesting premise
• Compelling characters; i truly still don’t know why some of them acted the way they did and that’s not a slight to the writer but a compliment for writing such complex people into this story
• Easy to read and digest
• I really didn’t know what was comin’ at any point but maybe my brain was turned off

Cons:
• The writing feels “off” in places to me; almost like things are under-explained and what should be a mic drop moment ends up with me being like “well what does that mean”
• I had a lot of unanswered questions about the world and how it worked. There could have been much more world building.
• Icky pet name (imo)
• Does it bother anyone else when there are like no contractions so sentences like “I am tired.” sound unnatural in your head

[Booksblabbering || Cait❣️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

A modern take on The Handmaid’s Tale. Think Uglies and the Capital from The Hunger Games meets classic.

Emeline is one of the many women in gray - someone with a Minor defect that ruins the flawless facade of the upper city - scorned from her Elite family due to her heterochromia. Like the other women in grey, she has trained for the day her fertility is deemed optimal and matched to an Elite male to fulfil her role for the Greater Good. For the all-seeing and controlling Illum.

The women’s future depends on their ability to comply with their Mate’s wishes and this extends to the elite women too.
No, Mate does not mean the spicy fae kind.

“Horrible things happen to those who can’t conform. Did you fly too high?”

We have two love interests: her Illum mate who doesn’t follow the rules and a Major defect who shares her appreciation for art.

Whilst this is treading on familiar ground, it felt more accessible for the current Booktok audience. It is a mix of balls (not an innuendo), tense dinners, and forbidden romance.

I enjoyed the female friendships present and the glittering descriptions of the dresses Emeline is draped in. Especially interesting was the contrast between the city in the clouds and the minor and major cities.

Per usual, this dystopian uses control of information and visuals to frame a narrative that everyone is desperate to fit into.
We all want to be accepted.

“When everyone above the surface believes everyone below is uncivilized and defective and you all believe everyone above is immoral and self-serving, who wins? How can anyone win when you all hate one another?” I asked. Hal said nothing. “How are you any different from them?”

Whilst I did find the plot reveals and betrayals predictable, I am interested to see how the rebellion unfolds. That’s not a spoiler. This is a dystopia, of course there’s going to be an underground uprising.

Physical arc gifted by Pan MacMillan.

Bookstagram
Tiktok

[Josie Bullard · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️ THIS SERIES IS GOING PLACES 👏🏼 This book gripped me from the start, and after that ending, I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS🤯 I need the next book immediately

[Bethany (Beautifully Bookish Bethany) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded up

A strong new voice in romantic dystopian fiction! Conform sucked me in immediately and and kept me riveted throughout the twists and turns of the story. This is another book that I think kind of scratches the nostalgia itch for Divergent and similar series, but in a more grown up and sexy package. This follows a young woman in a dystopian future society that is heavily regulated with a caste system linked to genetic and physical perfection. Women are expected to breed if approved for a genetic match.

Emeline comes from an Elite family, but was born with heterochromia (different colored eyes) and was exiled. Now she has been approved as a match for the youngest of the mysterious Illum who run the society. There is immediate chemistry, but she also has a thing for a young man from the lowest caste who is involved in a rebellion...

One thing that may turn off some readers is that Emeline is EXTREMELY naive. She reads as quite young and sheltered, very much led by emotion rather than logic. This is sort of the classic YA heroine we get in stories like this, but she is an adult albeit a young one. I don't think this reads as YA fiction, but I do think people who dislike YA because of the heroines may not get on well with this. I didn't mind and I think her being that way drives a lot of the action and messiness.

Thematically, this is about high control societies, the way it impacts women and (to a small extent) queer people. It's also about this idea that revolution can be equally violent. It's not reinventing the wheel in terms of deep insight and certainly has a lot in common with something like The Handmaid's Tale, but it's well-paced and well written. I found it to be immersive and entertaining. It ends on a cliffhanger and I definitely want book 2! The audio narration is great. I received an audio review copy from Libro. FM, all opinions are my own.

[Shantha (ShanthasBookEra) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Conform is a debut novel for Ariel Sullivan and the first in a dystopian romance trilogy. It is the first book for Jenna Bush Hager's new imprint Thousand Voices with Ballantine. It might be lots of first but boy is it fantastic!

Emeline is a defect in a future dystopian world where class defines where you live and what your privileges are. She was cast out as a small child for having one brown eye and one blue eye. Her days are very repetitive and her job is to destroy antiquated art. Emeline is shocked when she is visited in her office by a man named Hal from underground. She is even more shocked when she is chosen to mate with Collin, an Illum who are members of the highest class - even above the Elite. The stakes are high as she is electronically monitored, closely watched and one false move could mean elimination. As she gets caught in a love triangle and meets others along the way, she gets conflicting information and doesn't know who to trust. She isn't sure how this will end. Is she willing to die to protect what she believes is right?

This is an outstanding debut where Hunger Games meets The Handmaid's Tale. I was captivated from the first paragraph and could not put this down. The world building is phenomenal and I was immediately transported there and immersed in Emeline's story. The love triangle is extremely compelling and I could not decide whether I should be Team Collin or Team Hal. I kept changing my mind and my guess is that you will too.This is a propulsive page-turner that will keep you racing ahead to the shocking conclusion with a major cliffhanger. Ariel, do you need a beta reader for book two? I will gladly volunteer as tribute! I did a combination of reading and listening to the audiobook and found it an excellent way to experience the book. The audiobook performance by Amanda Leigh Cobb is outstanding. Dystopian romance novels are out of my comfort zone and to say I am obsessed with this book is surprising and I highly recommend it.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Thousand Voices, Ariel Sullivan, and Jenna Bush Hager for an advance reader's copy and PRH Audio for an advance listening copy in exchange for my honest review. 📚🎧

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.25⭐️ Did I finish this book, or did it finish me??


It’s been a hot minute since I’ve binged/read a book in 2 days. I was skeptical at first. Didn’t think I’d like it. I was wrong. I was hooked after about 15/20%. This far future dystopian was a mash up the handmaids tale, the hunger games, divergent and 1984.

I had so much fun reading this. There were balls, family drama, spying, lying, secrets, affairs 👀, Elite and Defectives, oh my.

Did this book have flaws. Of course. Did I care? Not really to be honest.

This has a love triangle. I am conflicted. I usually have a favorite. I like them equally. Maybe I am leaning more towards one over the other. Their red flags and all.

Gah now I have to wait for book 2 😑

Good thing I highlighted the crap out of this book.

[Stefani Murdock · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5-5! Ahhhhh I need the next book so badly. Excited about this one! I have so many questions.

[Shannon | readingwithmarlow · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kept engaged but…idk I think I hated the FMC for being so thick and too quick to trust (even if that’s THE POINT) 😀

Colin > Hal (who said that?)

[Debbie H · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ⭐️ Great debut novel! This dystopian tale set in the distant future gave me Handmaid’s Tale vibes.

Society has fractured into not only class divisions but also community divides. There are the Elites living
in luxury in their cloud mansions. The Illums, the rulers and enforcers. Anyone deemed defective, either Major or Minor, are sent to the surface or underground to work.

The MC, Emeline, a Minor defect (heterochromia), was cast out as a child by her Elite family. Her job is to look at art from the before and either keep or delete. A cleaner named Hal begins stopping by and becomes very friendly.

Certain Minors are chosen for procreation with the Elites and Illums. Emeline is matched with Colin, a high up Illum leader. A bit of a love triangle develops amidst a rebellion. Team Hal? Or team Colin? Are either of them what they seem?

This is one of a trilogy. I admit it started out a bit slow. But after a lot of world building and character introduction I was hooked. The cliffhanger ending and twist left me wanting to read more!

Thanks NetGalley, Ariel Sullivan, and publishers for the eARC in exchange for my honest review

[Kendall Ferrari · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75⭐️ rounded up

Think dystopian post apocalyptic setting, handmaids tale type of vibe. So many things about this story gripped me right out of the gate and had me so intrigued. The setting/society alone evokes a lot of emotions and kept me wanting to see how the story would unravel.

Overall I feel that this was a strong debut and I will continue the series. There were parts in the middle that felt slow and like it went in circles a bit and the FMC felt very juvenile at times. The writing style is very YA and in my opinion this would have been better off in that category. There are only a few small scenes and language that used that would make it upper YA/adult.

If you like an easy to digest dystopian book, you’ll probably like this!

[Katharine Stepanian · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 70% … I physically couldn't do it anymore.

I read this because I really loved Silver Elite and I wanted another dystopian like it but sadly this book did not live up to the hype it got online. I never DNF books but I did not care about a single thing: plot, romance, worldbuilding, etc.

People online actually said that this “wasn’t a romance” 🤨 and that it had “good commentary on society” 🤨🤨 SOMEONE ALSO SAID it’s “handmaids tale meets the giver” BYEEEEEEEEE ✋✋😐

My main, glaring issues with this book:

• the plot was so confusing and poorly written, like nothing made sense at all. the world building was just SO WEAK… for example, the MC is constantly reminded that she is always being watched / the “Press” is always recording her (idk it was never fleshed out what the Press even is bc the world building sucks)- yet she is able to run around with the resistance like all the time ?? and make out with other guys even though she’s in “the Courting Phase” and is forbidden to look at other men.

• also her job is literally fake and has no purpose. she just sits in a room and looks at art? she has no boss, can leave at any time, is always late.. idk

• speaking of "she," the MC, Emeline, was so unlikable like she SUCKEDDDD. I’m talking every stereotype: pick me, somehow under 115 lb even tho she’s 27 and 5’9”, “fiery” personality but we are told that not shown it, “isn’t like other girls” SHE WAS ALSO 27 and acted like A FOOOLLLL. I’m not lying I was like oh this book has older characters it will prob be better themes, better writing, better characters … NO! to jog everyone's memory – katniss was 16 when she was in the hunger games, celaena was 17, feyre was 19, daenerys was THIRTEEN… All of them clocked emeline’s tea and were a bajillion times more mature than her

• she also snitched on the rebellion immediately to the love interest that she had just met (and he was also in the evil oligarch ruling class) and she DROPPED NAMES of people involved … and then when that person got beat up she just pretended like it wasn’t her. also she didn’t learn her lesson bc the NEXT time she learned crucial rebellion information she told her friend who wasn’t involved, literally endangering her life for no reason.

• also ofc her “defect” is having one blue eye and one brown eye … like normal humans have that. I CANT… and she was like “I can’t even look in the mirror I am so ugly” when she’s told prob every 2-3 pages that she’s the most beautiful girl in the world.

• back to the plot … it had to be ragebait. the world building was nonexistent which is JAIL for a dystopian book. it was this super oppressive society that ran on eugenics and selective breeding where women had no rights and were practically just Handmaid's Tale fertility drones… but there was just no depth to it?? no commentary?? … BYE… ALSO as I said, her “defect” was heterochromia but there was no talk of other defects, what a defect was, etc. it’s like the author had actually no knowledge about genetics.

• also- there was no explanation about WHY the defected people were forced to mate with the Elites… like why would an evil eugenic-based society want that??? make it make sense! the whole plot was nonsensical and hard for me to believe.

• my point is: if you’re going to write a dystopia w romance the DYSTOPIA needs to actually be good… this was the most blandest stupidest one dimensional no plot BS of a dystopia I have ever read… esp if you’re comparing this to THE HANDMAID'S TALE. The world building was just weak asf.. it genuinely felt like a rough draft … there was no depth or substance and half the stuff made no sense.

• also I need to call out the straight up basic names. the high society = the Elite, the war = The Last War, the city in the sky = The Clouds, the school = The Academy, the news = the Press, love interest = Mate (😑) … it was just the same, white rice and undercooked chicken dry bland basic chatGPT stuff that lacked any semblance of care or creativity …

• also the defected people were called “Minors” so imagine how sus it sounds when they’re all like “he’s in love with a Minor” “he fell for a Minor” 🤨🤨

• there were two love interests. #1, Colin, is a member of the all powerful evil oligarch leaders but trust he’s “different” 🙄🙄🙄 still, she folded immediately even though she hated him all her life

• love interest #2 is Hal, who is part of the resistance #badboy … he just shows up at her fake job one day with no explanation why or how ?? and she trusts him blindly and then he sleeps over 🤨 also he's like totally misunderstood but also an Elite prince secretly 🙄 (i'm spoiling bc ik nobody GAF, and if you do, i'm saving you from having to read this)

• there was 0 yearning. she and #1 kissed like 5 chapters in for no reason. she and #2 kissed like the third time they met. the dialogue sucked. I did not care about either love interest (honestly I couldn’t decide who was worse)

ANYWAYS, this was prob one of the worst books I have ever read. I tried to force myself to finish it but I couldn't because I truly did not care. Also, to the author, please invest in an editor... I am flabbergasted this made it through traditional publishing.

[Adi · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5! I had a great time in this unique world!!! Very dystopian - a mix of The Hunger Games & Silo & The Handmaid’s Tale and I loved every minute of it.

I don’t want to say too much about the characters because there are so many good twists revealed at the end!!! But I need to know more! I literally had to google what the hell the ending meant in this one. 😂 And the romance 👀 I am rooting for a specific character but I cannot say more.

I’m excited to see how the rest of the series shakes out - this was such a good set up book!!

[Kaitlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

handmaids tales vibes dystopian, not a romantasy!

[Bookphenomena (Micky) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

There's nothing essentially new here. A slice of handmaid's tale (but less compelling) with side orders of hunger games leadership and some old school dystopian YA echoes. Conform had a story to tell but I wanted it to be fresher and more unique. The emphasis was on the romance and an absolute tennis match of a love triangle. I found the bounce back and forth of 'he's good, don't trust the other' and in reverse a bit tiring.

Now that's a negative opening paragraph for this review and yet I've given it 3.5 stars. There were some good twists in there and I'm interested to see where Emeline will go after the last 20% of this read. I liked Nora and Gregory as side characters but I found both Hal and Collin lacking in depth. Maybe I just wanted Emeline to show more strength of character, rather than flip-flopping between the two.

The illum-elite crew gave me a bit of divergent vibes and it was clear they were shady as an elitist hell. Their leader Tabitha seemed a bit of a President Snow character.

The core story of women's bodies as vessels for procreation will always interest me but the execution fell a bit short for me. I wanted more feminine rage hanging about and felt like it was me screaming in the wings. The parting showed a bit of this but more was desired. Maybe there's more to come on that front but with the changes in Emeline's status, I'm not sure.

I'm interested enough to want to read on but if the love triangle persists at the same level, I will bow out.

Thank you to PanMacmillan for the eARC.

[Lucy Larsen · Rating 1 out of 5]

I would like to first thank Netgalley and the author for allowing me to read a digital copy of this ARC book in exchange for an honest review.

Honestly, I know this book is getting TONS of positive reviews and I think it would have been pretty decent for me except I feel like I was a little misled by the marketing and the description of the story. It was marketed as a science fiction novel – specifically a dystopian with The Handmaid’s Tale undertones. However, for me I feel like this book quickly evolved into a YA pick me romance novel with a dystopian background plot. The biggest cause of this for me was the writing style. There were just sentences and sometimes whole paragraphs or whole pages where the writing just felt off. Almost as if it had been badly translated from a different language.

On top of that I feel like there wasn’t a lot of world building. The main point behind dystopian novels that succeeded was that they had enough of a world-building background to make the current social or political struggle make sense to the modern sensibilities. I feel like this novel did not do a good job of that. It relied on the modern sensibilities and moral code to make assumptions and make modern readers upset about a dystopian future that didn’t make sense because WE DON’T KNOW HOW WE GOT HERE. I think, if this book had been marketed to me differently I might have liked it more – or at least known to avoid reading it since I’m not a fan of this type of dystopian specifically. I will not comment on the spice level because, honestly, by about 30% of the way through the writing style and characters bothered me so much I was skimming any relationship emotional scene because I didn’t like the characters.

Overall, I would rate this book a 1 out of 5 stars for me. Probably meant for a different group of people and I am just not one of those people.

[Harsitha · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

2/5 Stars

My thoughts while reading it:
- can they please stop using the words 'Mate' , 'Mated' in every sentence
- Where is the 'dyspopian' part?
- What exactly is Emelines job ? To look at art ?
- I didn't think another Collin would give me the ick but after reading "Hey Mate" I will take Collin Bridgertons mewing any day instead


My thoughts after finishing it:
- I never want to see or hear the work 'Mate' ever again
- I think the word Mate was used more than 100 times (yes I counted, but I stopped counting after 100)
- Moonlight is the worst nickname in history


The thing is, this could have been good. Seeing this was a handmaids tale type of dyspotian world was why I choose to read this book and got excited when I got approved for the ARC. But I think the author really missed the mark here. Before I get into what I didn't like, I will say that the writing was not bad at all. That's why I think it had a lot of potential.

Where was the dyspotian nature of this world? Why is the world the way that it is? Oh there was a war ? Well what happened ? What caused it ? Why does this world care about the physical appearances of people so much ? Nothing was told to the reader, yet a lot of nothing was said. I don't even know if what I am saying is making sense but that's where I'm at because this plot didn't make sense to me.

We have Emeline, our FMC who is a minor defect because she has heterochromia which apparently a physical abnormality in this world the author has created. And that's about it for her personality. She seems to be only defining herself through that while also trying to battle her feelings for hot guy 1 and hot guy 2. Hal who happens to be something closer to her social status and Collin who is her *cringe* Mate *cringe*. We do not really get to the actual conflict and meat of the plot until the last 15 pages and that felt rushed. I guess since this is meant to be a trilogy, the entirety of the first book is just a build up for the sequels. Also I totally saw THAT coming. Who the reaper was.

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy. fucking. shit. Five stars. Read in one day - actually no, one sitting. I am REELING. I honestly don’t know what to do w myself rn I am so unwell. 😭💔 this was phenomenal. What the fuck man

**came back to add a more coherent review lmao**

Calling all my dystopian romance lovers!!! FRIENDS. I don’t know what in the controlled substances was in this book, but someone alert the FDA bc I read this in one sitting. ONE. This hit on what felt like every single one of my dopamine receptors, bc I physically could not (& did not want to) put this down - it was THAT. FREAKING. GOOD.

Conform takes place in a dark dystopian world reminiscent of The Handmaid’s Tale x The Giver x Divergent, where an elite group of society rules from the clouds and all are subservient to them. The world-building was incredibly immersive & easy to follow, while also shedding light on themes of classism, bodily autonomy, & misogyny. It felt like in addition to a dystopian romance, it was a powerful commentary on our current political and social landscape & I couldn’t get enough.

The stakes were sky-high (literally), the *multiple* plot twists were jaw-dropping, and the pacing was perfectly relentless. And the romance!!! The romance y’all. There’s a delicious love triangle that has the perfect balance of tension, danger, spice, and emotional chaos. I’m rarely a love triangle girlie, but this one seriously hit just right. PLUS, while both of our MMCs are peak morally grey, one in particular was giving major Kaine Ferron energy and I ate up every single word this man said and did. 🥵😫

And that cliffhanger? No. No bc wtf do you mean? WDYM!? *insert Jennifer Lawrence meme.* That cliffhanger quite literally might’ve given me an ulcer. All I could do at the end was stare into the void with tears in my eyes and my mouth wide open like a dead fish. SO YEAH, I’m gonna need everyone to read this ASAP, bc I need to scream about it w someone!!! It’s going to be so BRUTAL waiting for book 2!!!

TLDR; highly bingeable, thought-provoking, action-packed dystopian romance that will sucker punch you in the gut.

You’ll love this if you’re a fan of:
- dystopian world
- immersive yet easy to follow world building
- love triangle done expertly well
- Plot TWISTS. ON TWISTS.
- feminine rage
- class war & rebellion
- morally grey MMCs

[Paula W · Rating 2 out of 5]

Welcome to my review of Conform, a much hyped book that has been marketed as a dystopian “Handmaid’s Tale meets Hunger Games”. It is instead a mashup of something written by SJM and one of those books from the 90s with a supposedly sexy cover featuring Fabio and a woman grasping her rumpled dress.

To be fair, this book is difficult to classify. It is certainly no ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’. I suppose it technically meets the criteria for dystopian fiction (a future earth, a class/caste-based society, propaganda control, an untouchable ruling class of elites, surveillance of citizens, etc.), but there’s no sophistication in the writing.

The worldbuilding is seriously lacking. All we know is that it is a far-future earth in which humanity was nearly wiped out during The Last War. We have no clue why there was a war, when it was, or how long it lasted. The economics of this world make no sense. No one seems to get paid or need funds for goods that magically come from nowhere and cost nothing. The main character and others in her class have jobs of looking at historical art or books from humanity’s olden times that have already been marked as keep/don’t keep and pressing a keep or don’t keep button. Not exactly sure about that. Someone makes all this sophisticated technology and keeps things running. Not sure about that either.

Society is based on genetics with a tiered structure of a god-like ruling class, a genetically perfect elite class, a working class of people with minor genetic defects, and then the scum of the earth class with major defects or those who have been cast out of proper society for some reason. These folks live underground like trolls and probably eat dirt or bugs or something.

The main character Emeline is difficult to like because she is stupid. I’m sorry but it’s true. She is 27 but is written more like an emo teen in a YA book. She starts as just another cog in the wheel doing as she’s told but then turns into a rebel. To rebel what, exactly? Because she isn’t curious enough to find out what’s happening so that we will also know. She just wants to rebel. (Say no to following these rules! Because we were told to follow these rules so we would have a society! I don’t know why I all of a sudden decided I didn’t want to follow these rules! Screw the rules!) Emeline also has a million different descriptions for people’s eyes such as sapphire eyes, starburst gaze, amber bursts of light, etc. She is perfectly okay with being nicknamed ‘Moonlight’ and that might be the reason her likability never quite gets there for me. She is naive, too trusting, flighty, and unable to grasp the concept that she is being manipulated by everyone and her big mouth is gonna get herself or other people killed. For real, her first time meeting the god-tiered Collin she opened her big mouth and ratted out the kind women who dressed her for the meeting.

There is, of course, a love triangle. Side 1 is the simple-minded Emeline. Side 2 is a physically perfect gorgeous mysterious dude from the ruling class who is her designated mate. Side 3 is a physically perfect gorgeous mysterious dude from the scum of the earth class who keeps randomly popping up. He also does this thing with his fingers.

Overall, I didn’t much like it because it had the pieces of a really great puzzle but it was only partially completed and some pieces didn’t fit at all. I don’t usually read YA dystopia with a critical eye, but if they compare it to well-written literature then they better bring the goods. The goods were not brought.

[Melanie Reilly · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Conform" is going to be one of my favorite books of the year! Fans of Fourth Wing, Throne of Glass, and Silver Elite will love this dystopian story following Emeline, Hal, Collin, and a host of other thoughtfully well-written characters as they navigate a government set on controlling citizens through various methods of manipulation and force.
I found it so hard to put this book down--picking it up every time I had even one minute free. I'll be recommending it to all of my friends and can't wait for the second in the series.

[Courtney Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel like I need time to sit and process this book. So much happened, the characters were so dynamic and real and flawed. I raged, I wanted to cry, I yelled at people that don’t exist except on paper. I felt like I was reading the Hunger Games but with adults and no Game but just as jacked up of a society. I will absolutely be preordering the prequel and sequel.