Conform

Conform #1

by Ariel Sullivan

One man could offer her the world. The other will help her destroy it . . .

Born to an Elite family, from birth Emeline has been marked as different, both for her heterochromia - her differently coloured eyes - and by a society that judges all its citizens on their ability to conform.

Emeline only has one role open to her - to become a mother. Offered a pro-creation contract with Collin, a member of the Illum, the governing body of the Elite, Emeline's finds herself increasingly torn between her growing complicated feeling 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 . . .

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

442 pages, Kindle Edition

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))

[Kaila.Books]

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

4.5 rounded up.

Getting a Team Colin shirt made.

[Reads With Rachel · Rating 1 out of 5]

This wants to be a dystopian and a romance, but it does neither of those things particularly thoughtfully. The main character is the most empty shell I have ever experienced. I’m giving this 1.5 stars and the only reason it is getting that .5 is because there were two actually good side characters that I wish had been the focus. But the main character is so unenjoyable to be in the head of because she has all of the caloric density of a communion wafer. There is absolutely nothing to her.

As far as this being a dystopian, I don’t feel like this was a particularly well cultivated world. I left this book not really having an understanding of it. And I think that having an understanding of a dystopian is sort of the bare minimum in order to do a dystopian because the point is to analyze what happens when the world goes very very wrong.

For the majority of reading this, I was convinced this was written by a conservative, but having finished it, I’m not sure. I do think it’s really weird that the author was inspired to write it because during Covid she was worried that: “"Sooner or later, we'll all have these chips in our hand, and we'll just be able to scan and it'll know if we're sick or if we have problems. Then they'll be able to tell us where we can and can't go based on it," she remembers imagining.” Which if you ask any ex fundamentalist they will say is a red flag. Again having finished it I’m not sure if this was written by a conservative or written by somebody who didn’t put an awful lot of thought they were writing. Not just in terms of world building and character building but also there wasn’t a lot of thought given to word choice here. I understand that the lower class is separated into Majors and Minors, but when you write the sentence “have you ever mated with a Minor before?” It sounds like a VERY DIFFERENT THING than what you were going for.

[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.

[Becky · 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.

[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.

[DianaRose · Rating 1 out of 5]

another failed dystopian romance, and while i am not surprised, i am just appalled that publishers are publishing supposed “romances” between oppressed and oppressor. i genuinely cannot understand this fetish authors have in writing the oppressed (almost ALWAYS FEMALE) mc falling in love with the oppressor ? please, i’m begging someone to explain this to me, because it’s just disgusting. there is nothing romantic about falling in love with your oppressor, who actively works to abuse anyone beneath them.

everything interesting about this dystopian novel was dismantled by a “love” triangle — the chips implanted in individuals to oversee them, destroying art (ironically this is our fmc's job) , women being forced into different marriages every four years to produce new “offspring”, separating people with birth defects to remain pure (eugenics)…. all interesting concepts that are completely invalidated by a vapid and ridiculous romance/"love triangle".

also, another reviewer wrote that having a faction of people called “Minors” does not work well at ALL when characters ask one another if they’ve ever had sex with a “Minor”…………

also, there is only one Reaper in all of dystopian sci-fi and his name is Darrow O’Lykos.

i am very shocked people enjoyed this, but i guess i shouldn't be anymore, just extremely disappointed.

——
i haven’t had much faith in the recent “dystopian romances” published lately… but for science i will keep trying.

[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.

[Júlia]

So pissed off I bought this on audio I am dnfing it. I rather read ACOTAR 300 times over than to read about these brainless colorless and useless characters, sorry

My fault for believing sponsored content on the internet. I know the economy is bad but damn, book content creators really are saying ANYTHING is a masterpiece nowadays. Get your bag but can you please just give me one genuine review and recommendation once in a while? This is painful

[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.

[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.

[Kennedy Larson]

I’m team Gregory

[Maeghan 🦋 · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well… I think Intelligence was not present in the making of this book. Utter absence of worldbuilding in a ‘dystopian’… need I say more? (No, but I will because I’m sad that I spent 35$ on this).

I am kind of mad at anyone on TikTok who said this was similar to Fallout. Fallout is a well thought out and intelligent piece of art - this, was not.

Excluding worldbuilding and important facts to understand your world because your fmc has a low IQ/the intelligence of a noodle is very lazy writing imo. Some could argue that this was the first in a series… and I would reply that the bare minimum wasn’t met here. The fmc has been working for 10 years… for what? What’s the money system here? What’s the end goal and why? They have no hobbies, no entertainment, no treats… and how long have they been enduring this? Why are they enduring this? What happened exactly? She’s 27yo and never really thought about getting out of this - despite knowing there’s more out there.

I don’t remember the last time I read about such a brainless fmc. And I feel so sad for her because on top of being brainless - she had absolutely no personality whatsoever. At the beginning she was being very bold with one of the mmc’s, despite having what she wanted ; and then it just stopped. These single 5 pages of her actually THINKING were the only interesting parts about her. And even then, she didn’t push enough. She ratted out the 2 ladies immediately, even if they’d told her it was dangerous to be talking like this. Hal also came out of no where and she never even thought it was weird? She was just blushing the whole time. She trusted both of them RIGHT away, and endangered so many people’s lives. One of her brothers had been super mean to her the day prior, at their first meeting - he shows up to her door like : hey come with me ; and she immediately follows with no questions asked.

And you’re telling me this brainrotted dumbass was in a love triangle out of no where????

And I didn’t want to get into this because it’s always something that makes my blood boil but she’s a 27yo virgin. Why is it such a sin for women to think about sex?

« I’d do anything for love. » dude you guys had 3-4 interactions of mere MINUTES. Can we not, please.

Also, they can’t have friendships but they’re constantly texting and seeing each other? What exactly are they controlling? And all this talk about a big disability… only for her to have 2 coloured eyes. Well. And after she’s picked by a major ; she has to keep working her job?? Ok.

I know it’s constantly thrown in your face in my review but there are MAJOR plotholes. Complaining about being watched all the time and setting up this high stake situation but she’s able to meet with the resistance CONSTANTLY? Hal sleeps at her place, they kiss, he spends time with her at her job… make it make sense. At some point Collin tells her they can’t always watch them because there’s too much of them, so they pick those who act unusually but she WAS acting unusually so what do you mean? I think the author had no clue. She just didn’t know.

I have SO many other things to say. Her brother visits her apartment and he is disgusted that she drinks tap water. How are we supposed to take this seriously when this is what the author decides to focus on? In another scene, Nora is BAFFLED that the fmc has to take pills while she gets injections because ‘it’s so much better’? I sincerely felt that no critical thought was put into this.

These words were also repeated over 100 times at least : starburst eyes, sapphire eyes, mate/mated, moonlight (as a nickname 🤮)

The more I think about this book, the angrier I get. Sue me, I just wanted to read something smart.

[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.

[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. There were some cool ideas here and there; however overall, it just fell kind of flat.

[Mikayla Noel]

Can’t wait to discuss this🫢

[Adena · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a book for adults whose literary growth stopped in middle school.

[Zoë · Rating 3 out of 5]

deadass thought she was 17 the entire time what do you mean she’s in her mid-20s ?????

[TwinreadsandReds-Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5-4.75stars—this book was like a futuristic hungry games in so many ways! I loved it but there were definitely a lot of things that I wish were different! I wanted it to be a 5 stars but it just fell a a little flat for me! Also did not love the ending I know it was a cliffhanger but I wish they gave us more at the end

[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

[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.

[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

[Reggie Ann]

Oh boy

[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?)

[Shannon Farley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg the cliffhanger!🤯 Dystopian is back!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️.25

This book has me in such a chokehold! ❤️ I was originally approved for an Advanced Reader Copy of this and man am I disappointed that I didn't start this sooner however, I do now have a beautiful hard cover copy that I can stare at in hopes that it reveals all the many secrets that I am dying to have answer to! Book two when are you coming because I need this sequel so bad!

Unputdownable! This had so many amazing aspects to it. The mystery was defiantly a major highlight for me. I didn't know who to trust or what was going to happen next. Ariel did an amazing job of giving me just enough to leave me hoping but held back the perfect amount that I am in dire need of answers! 😉 We got some amazing charterer development, build and depth with our main trio and great side characters. Shoot out to Gregory! 🥰 So good! Realistic trauma and growth with our leading lady. I loved that she was not afraid to speak her mind. That gave us some great banter and tension. The plot was constantly giving though out and the world building was so interesting and fun.

The romance!❤️ What a beautifully done love triangle. Both of our MMC are super likeable but also left us with a lot of questions. I have no idea how this is going to play out but Team Collin grily for sure!

[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.

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[Déirdre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Conform by Ariel Sullivan
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5-Stars

✔️ Dystopian Society
✔️ Rebellion vs. Control
✔️ Love Triangle
✔️ Hidden Truths
✔️ Quiet Resistance
✔️ Touch Her and Die

Conform by Ariel Sullivan is the kind of dystopian book that sneaks up on you and locks you in. The world feels controlled and uncomfortable in a way that makes you want to keep reading just to see who’s going to crack first. Every small choice feels risky, and that makes the stakes hit harder. I spent a lot of the book not sure of who to trust and I loved that!
Highly recommended.

[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.

[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.