What do you think?
Rate this book
The ARC #1
Tainted
An alternative cover edition for this ASIN can be found here.
Find out what it means to be tainted in this post-apocalyptic future where the secrets are as deep and dark as the fallout shelter humanity survives in.
Elle Winters lost everything when the day of impact transformed Earth’s surface into an icy, desolate wasteland. All she has ever known are the artificial confines of underground fallout shelter, the ARC. Under the Council’s rule, ruthless officials roam the hallways, community comes first and everyone lives in fear of failing their annual testing. With one simple blood test you could be taken away without any warning or a word of goodbye.
There are only a few people in the ARC who Elle truly cares about and she desperately tries to keep them at arm’s length away for fear of losing someone else. Especially, her best friend Sebastian who she denies her feelings for, even from herself.
Chilling secrets and mysterious disappearances plague the ARC, but Elle would never dare to voice the forbidden questions that linger on her lips. That is until they take the wrong person.
No one is truly safe in the ARC and Elle is about to experience her own personal apocalypse. With nothing left to lose she will risk everything to uncover the truth about the tainted.
Will she find what she's looking for or are some secrets better left buried deep underground?
Don't miss the first book in this young adult series!
Find out what it means to be tainted in this post-apocalyptic future where the secrets are as deep and dark as the fallout shelter humanity survives in.
Elle Winters lost everything when the day of impact transformed Earth’s surface into an icy, desolate wasteland. All she has ever known are the artificial confines of underground fallout shelter, the ARC. Under the Council’s rule, ruthless officials roam the hallways, community comes first and everyone lives in fear of failing their annual testing. With one simple blood test you could be taken away without any warning or a word of goodbye.
There are only a few people in the ARC who Elle truly cares about and she desperately tries to keep them at arm’s length away for fear of losing someone else. Especially, her best friend Sebastian who she denies her feelings for, even from herself.
Chilling secrets and mysterious disappearances plague the ARC, but Elle would never dare to voice the forbidden questions that linger on her lips. That is until they take the wrong person.
No one is truly safe in the ARC and Elle is about to experience her own personal apocalypse. With nothing left to lose she will risk everything to uncover the truth about the tainted.
Will she find what she's looking for or are some secrets better left buried deep underground?
Don't miss the first book in this young adult series!
194 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 16, 2014
1212 people are currently reading
5957 people want to read
About the author
Alexandra Moody
28 books2,684 followersAlexandra Moody is an Australian author who writes romance novels for young adults. She lives in Adelaide with her husband, three children and naughty dog. When she’s not busy writing, you’ll find her reading or spending time with her family. She loves to travel, is addicted to caffeine and has a love/hate relationship with the gym.
For more information, visit: www.alexandramoody.com
or follow Alexandra on Instagram or TikTok: @amoodyauthor
For more information, visit: www.alexandramoody.com
or follow Alexandra on Instagram or TikTok: @amoodyauthor
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 202 reviews
July 13, 2017
This series is readable but i didnt love it. It is what i call a filler book, filling a gap till my next great read. The plot is good but there are some glaring similarities to other plots and characters that it felt like a fan fiction based on the hunger games, divergent, the maze runner and x men. The female protagonist i didnt find particularly likeable, she wavered between a damsel in distress and attempting to be a warrior character, neither which, i felt, worked well. It was very fast paced which i liked but not overly descriptive, there were some areas i felt needed more information. It is worth a read if you have nothing better to do, but im glad i bought them when they was on offer.
November 12, 2019
Overall rating: 3.5 stars
I wanted to have a small and quick read to start and finish today and I picked tainted. I got this for free from the amazon store and it was only 194 pages so I wasn't expecting much from this but I liked it.
I didn't love this book but I didn't hate it either. I really enjoyed the plot of this story and I gave me flawed by Cecilia Ahern vibes. It was really fast pace but I wish it had been more descriptive. I thought that the main character was okay but she wasn't much different from other characters I've read about. I didn't really like the romance in this book, I thought it was way to rushed and didn't really make much sense to me. Overall I don't know if I'm going to continue with this series and if I do I hope the books are longer.
I wanted to have a small and quick read to start and finish today and I picked tainted. I got this for free from the amazon store and it was only 194 pages so I wasn't expecting much from this but I liked it.
I didn't love this book but I didn't hate it either. I really enjoyed the plot of this story and I gave me flawed by Cecilia Ahern vibes. It was really fast pace but I wish it had been more descriptive. I thought that the main character was okay but she wasn't much different from other characters I've read about. I didn't really like the romance in this book, I thought it was way to rushed and didn't really make much sense to me. Overall I don't know if I'm going to continue with this series and if I do I hope the books are longer.
February 25, 2016
Tainted was alright. I'm not sure if I want to continue on with this series. It was okay. I wouldn't even go as far as to say that it was good.
First off, the chemistry just wasn't there between Sebastian and Elle for me. They were basically siblings, but he has a huge attraction for her. In the beginning, Elle isn't sure what's going on. She comments that she doesn't like feeling something different for Sebastian. Then, suddenly, all she wants is to be with him, but she can't because it would be too painful to lose him?
Quinn. That whole thing in the beginning with her being so weird to Elle about her testing was strange. And I don't really know if she was a good friend to Elle or not. I can't decide.
Also, what was up with Ryan? There was some serious sparks going on there, and then we see him rescuing Elle that one time, and then we never encounter him again. I was kind of annoyed by that.
Also, the ending. Talented? Really? More useless terms that we don't know what it means. It's not even clear what Tainted means by this point (it's clearly not a disease like the ARC wants everyone to believe). And why is everything being so covered up? Why can't everyone live on the surface?
I felt like there could've been a lot more background information and worldbuilding done here. Maybe it will come in the next book. However, I don't even know if I want to read the next book.
First off, the chemistry just wasn't there between Sebastian and Elle for me. They were basically siblings, but he has a huge attraction for her. In the beginning, Elle isn't sure what's going on. She comments that she doesn't like feeling something different for Sebastian. Then, suddenly, all she wants is to be with him, but she can't because it would be too painful to lose him?
Quinn. That whole thing in the beginning with her being so weird to Elle about her testing was strange. And I don't really know if she was a good friend to Elle or not. I can't decide.
Also, what was up with Ryan? There was some serious sparks going on there, and then we see him rescuing Elle that one time, and then we never encounter him again. I was kind of annoyed by that.
Also, the ending. Talented? Really? More useless terms that we don't know what it means. It's not even clear what Tainted means by this point (it's clearly not a disease like the ARC wants everyone to believe). And why is everything being so covered up? Why can't everyone live on the surface?
I felt like there could've been a lot more background information and worldbuilding done here. Maybe it will come in the next book. However, I don't even know if I want to read the next book.
March 29, 2015
The year is 2065. Citizens of the world live below ground in a fallout shelter due to an asteroid hitting the planet and making the surface uninhabitable. This is a society where the rich live well and most of the people are poor and living in squalor and the government is lying to them. (Not sure whether to say it sounds perfectly Dystopian, or horribly like modern day.)
Our heroine, Elle, is an orphan. She’s afraid to get close to anyone because everyone she knows gets taken for being ‘tainted’. What’s tainted? Well, you’ll have to read it to find out. Yearly citizens of the ARC get tested and if they are found tainted, are never seen again. Where do they go? What happens to them? Elle can’t help but wonder, but at the same time, is too terrified to truly find out. Until her friend Sebastian is taken.
The good points: This is a good story, with major dystopian overtones. I was able to grasp that from the beginning.
The bad points: The characters felt flat to me. I couldn’t tell you what Elle looked like. The one character with the most description was Quinn and I’m not sure whether to like or hate her. But the one thing that leapt out at me from every page and sometimes every paragraph was the fact the dialogue was wrong. Dialogue is set between “” not between ‘’.
So - “This is dialogue,” I say - is correct dialogue
‘This is dialogue,’ I say - is not.
It greatly detracted from the overall story until I wished it was a paperback book so I could pull out a pen and add in marks everywhere they were needed. Yes, correct grammar and punctuation is important in me truly enjoying a book. Without it, I have to struggle to finish the book.
As for the ending of the book – it didn’t surprise me what happened. But it did surprise me how it ended. And, dang it, it made me want the next book in the series Talented to see if Elle finds…[can’t tell you that]. Only, I’ll wait to see if the author has the dialogue correct before I buy it.
It would have been four stars if it weren’t for the flat characters and the dialogue issues.
Reviewed by a-nony-mouse for Crystal’s Many Reviewers
*Copy Provided for Review*
Our heroine, Elle, is an orphan. She’s afraid to get close to anyone because everyone she knows gets taken for being ‘tainted’. What’s tainted? Well, you’ll have to read it to find out. Yearly citizens of the ARC get tested and if they are found tainted, are never seen again. Where do they go? What happens to them? Elle can’t help but wonder, but at the same time, is too terrified to truly find out. Until her friend Sebastian is taken.
The good points: This is a good story, with major dystopian overtones. I was able to grasp that from the beginning.
The bad points: The characters felt flat to me. I couldn’t tell you what Elle looked like. The one character with the most description was Quinn and I’m not sure whether to like or hate her. But the one thing that leapt out at me from every page and sometimes every paragraph was the fact the dialogue was wrong. Dialogue is set between “” not between ‘’.
So - “This is dialogue,” I say - is correct dialogue
‘This is dialogue,’ I say - is not.
It greatly detracted from the overall story until I wished it was a paperback book so I could pull out a pen and add in marks everywhere they were needed. Yes, correct grammar and punctuation is important in me truly enjoying a book. Without it, I have to struggle to finish the book.
As for the ending of the book – it didn’t surprise me what happened. But it did surprise me how it ended. And, dang it, it made me want the next book in the series Talented to see if Elle finds…[can’t tell you that]. Only, I’ll wait to see if the author has the dialogue correct before I buy it.
It would have been four stars if it weren’t for the flat characters and the dialogue issues.
Reviewed by a-nony-mouse for Crystal’s Many Reviewers
*Copy Provided for Review*
February 11, 2021
4 solid stars - I really liked this book. If only it was a bit longer!
Tainted is a post apocalyptic vision of the future where humanity lives in an underground shelter (the ARC) after an ansteroid impact has made the surface of the earth unsurvivable. I liked the setting of the story and even though there wasn't that much world building or information on the impact itself, what we got was well done and believable.
Our MC Elle was likable as well. Only in the beginning she was a bit of a walking cliché: she doesn't consider herself pretty, yet her best friend is in love with her which she doesn't see (or doesn't want to see). Luckily, the whole romance thing quickly became a side aspect of the plot when Elle and Sebastian, her best friend, began to uncover the secrets of the ARC. I also liked about Elle that she had a weakness that was showing several times - she's claustrophobic. These parts were really well done imo and it made the character stand out because it shows she's not perfect.
The pacing of the story was perfect. The first chapters were an introduction of the world and the characters, after that it got pretty clear that things aren't as they seem and our MCs began to look for some answers. The book wasn't exactly action packed, but I still couldn't put it down because I wanted to know more. It was interesting and the writing was easy to follow. My only complaint about the writing is that in direct speach, there was a lack of commas when a person was adressed which had me confused several times.
The whole book was a very fast and interesting read - maybe also because it only has about 200 pages. It felt like the whole book was just the beginning of a much bigger story (especially with that unexpected reveal in the end) and I could've easily read on just now. Unfortunately, I don't have the second book here - but I'm gonna order it asap!
Tainted is a post apocalyptic vision of the future where humanity lives in an underground shelter (the ARC) after an ansteroid impact has made the surface of the earth unsurvivable. I liked the setting of the story and even though there wasn't that much world building or information on the impact itself, what we got was well done and believable.
Our MC Elle was likable as well. Only in the beginning she was a bit of a walking cliché: she doesn't consider herself pretty, yet her best friend is in love with her which she doesn't see (or doesn't want to see). Luckily, the whole romance thing quickly became a side aspect of the plot when Elle and Sebastian, her best friend, began to uncover the secrets of the ARC. I also liked about Elle that she had a weakness that was showing several times - she's claustrophobic. These parts were really well done imo and it made the character stand out because it shows she's not perfect.
The pacing of the story was perfect. The first chapters were an introduction of the world and the characters, after that it got pretty clear that things aren't as they seem and our MCs began to look for some answers. The book wasn't exactly action packed, but I still couldn't put it down because I wanted to know more. It was interesting and the writing was easy to follow. My only complaint about the writing is that in direct speach, there was a lack of commas when a person was adressed which had me confused several times.
The whole book was a very fast and interesting read - maybe also because it only has about 200 pages. It felt like the whole book was just the beginning of a much bigger story (especially with that unexpected reveal in the end) and I could've easily read on just now. Unfortunately, I don't have the second book here - but I'm gonna order it asap!
August 5, 2019
3.5 stars well it took a while to get there but I have finished. I feel like this book dragged a little in the middle. The idea is interesting not quite sure I like the protagonist yet but she is growing on me. I think I will keep reading this series though so one to book 2!
May 25, 2020
Good
This is a good start to a series. Characters are a little flat except for the protagonist which is well rounded. I enjoyed it.
This is a good start to a series. Characters are a little flat except for the protagonist which is well rounded. I enjoyed it.
January 6, 2015
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
(Spoilers within).
This book has a pretty decent premise to work with. The surface of the Earth has been contaminated and people have moved underground in order to survive. Even so, the people living underground have to be tested to make sure that they don't get sick, and if they turn up "tainted" they disappear.
The main character, as well as pretty much everyone in the book, has dealt with losing many important people in her life. Finally, she wants to uncover what really happens to the people who are tainted.
It's not bad. I was really curious to see where it would go, but two things majorly bogged down this book: Elle and forced romance. In a book where characters are being carted away to never come back, a lot of time is given to her romantic interests. I found myself pushing through those parts and waiting for it to get back to the actual story.
It's nothing you haven't seen before. She loves her best friend, but she can't tell him she loves him, and she has no idea that he likes her even though it's blatantly obvious (she's also doesn't think she's pretty like the other girls, even though more than one guy is infatuated with her. To quote the book, "But with my large blue eyes, thick lashes and long brown hair they see me as cute, rather than hot.").
At first I gave it the benefit of the doubt, but then the uglier side of forced romances reared its ugly head: jealousy, anger, possessiveness... Sebastian sees Elle with another man and he throws a tantrum. If a high school girl told me that a boy was acting like that around her, I wouldn't find it romantic. I'd tell her to stay far away from him.
The other romantic interest is thirteen years older than her. I don't remember if Elle's exact age was mentioned, but she's still a student. This is creepy. And to be honest, I don't mind that she thinks he's sexy. That wouldn't be weird for someone her age to think that about an older man, but it makes him really, really creepy.
I'm not sure timelines added up. She talks about meeting Ryan a year before, and then talks about him disappearing for months at a time. And based on the brief meeting shown in the book, if that's how their meetings go and then he leaves for months, how much time could she have spent with him total? Half an hour? And how did Sebastian come to the conclusion that she's dating a man that she sees for a couple minutes every few months anyway?
The second thing that bogged down the book was Elle herself. She's very negative towards most other characters.
In the beginning, she gets detention for not paying attention in class.
If I didn't have this stupid detention, I'd already be on my way back home to see Quinn.
Why doesn't she say anything about why she was distracted? Most people are empathetic, and if this is a common situation then it should be easy for her to explain with a simple, "I'm sorry, Ms. Matthews, I've been having a hard time concentrating because my friend is getting tested today." Even later in the book it makes it clear that people are very understanding about this. She probably could have avoided detention easily if she just said something.
The first other girl who wants Sebastian's attention is depicted horribly by Elle, and she didn't even do anything. She just happened to talk to the guy that Elle likes. And this sort of bitterness towards side characters continues through the book. It's very strange and nonsensical in places.
For example, when Chelsea is taken, Elle is upset that other other kids are gossiping and the other half are acting devastated even though they didn't know Chelsea. Then, when Sebastian is taken, she's upset that the other kids are all being sickeningly sweet to her. First: nothing they do makes Elle happy. If they gossip like normal, she's mad. If they're upset, she's mad. If they try to be nice to the person who lost someone, she's mad. Second, why are the side characters reacting so differently based on who was taken? Why are they nice when Sebastian is taken, and rude when Chelsea is taken?
Elle is absolutely clueless about obvious things. She has no idea why Sebastian gets upset when she talks to another guy. She sees Sebastian talking to Chelsea, and then Chelsea is taken and he's upset, and she immediately jumps to the conclusion that they must have been dating. Why? This makes as much sense as Sebastian thinking that Elle is dating some guy she talks to for a couple minutes every few months.
Not only that, but this uncaring attitude towards other characters pops up in weird places and makes both of them seem unexpectedly cold. For example, again with Chelsea: Elle is mad that she thinks Sebastian is trying to find the "tainted" people because of Chelsea's disappearance. Sebastian has to convince Elle that it's not about Chelsea.
What did Chelsea ever do wrong? What would be so horrible about him wanting to find his friend? Why is Chelsea not worth finding? They basically have to agree that this character doesn't matter for it to appease Elle and it's just awful. I felt terrible for Chelsea, having two people sitting there discussing about how meaningless she is and how much they aren't doing this to find her. It doesn't reflect well on the main characters.
Elle has glimmers of hope throughout the book. At one point, another guy, Cam, is trying to get the attention of a girl he likes during a dance. Elle gets close to him and:
When I get to him I stand on my tiptoes to get close to his ear. 'Just ask her to dance already!' I yell loudly.
This is cute. This isn't self-absorbed or forced. This is her genuinely being interested in helping someone else when she knows he has a crush.
Once his arms are around me I begin to cry. Like really, embarrassingly cry.
This is another part that I like, because it's understandable. People don't usually like to cry in front of other people, and most would probably be embarrassed if they had a breakdown in front of someone. I get this. This is a part of her character that I understand and want to see more of.
Unfortunately, that gets overshadowed by this Elle for most of the book:
Away from everyone who doesn't understand what it's like to lose your best friend.
I'm pretty sure every character in this book knows what that's like.
It also takes her about 19 chapters to do anything proactive. Before that, other people have secret connections. Other people have theories. Other people have to push her into doing things, and she complains the whole way.
Chapter 20 and on the book picks up a lot. I liked these chapters and was interested in seeing what would happen.
There was another time that stuck out to me with Elle being oddly angry at people again:
I look at the boy's face on the paper and then angrily shove the picture back into my pocket, not caring if it crinkles. The doctor had been supposed to help me, not get me thrown in remand.
The only thing the doctor did was tell her exactly what she wanted to know so that she could get tainted blood. Which she successfully did. It was her own fault that she got caught. He wasn't involved with her break-in at all, and now she's beating up the photo of his grandson? The message he desperately hoped that he might be able to pass on? Why? He didn't do anything but help her!
But besides that, the last part of the book went pretty smoothly and kept me engaged. I wish the rest of this book had gone like that. In my opinion, Sebastian and Ryan could have been completely deleted and it could have been the Elle and Quinn show, and it would have been better. Nothing about the romance worked for me - both characters were uglier when it was the focus. Jealous, angry, possessive, snippy, mean, clueless, bitter... They didn't become characters I wanted to root for or spend time with. It didn't add to the story for me, either. The same story could have been told without Sebastian, and perhaps in a much more interesting way (imagine if Elle was the one making connections, learning how to play with her CommuCuff, deciding on her own to sneak into restricted areas...)
If you want to read a dystopian book and romances like these don't bother you, then you may enjoy this book. People who have read my reviews probably know that I don't like certain portrayals of romance. I would be interested in seeing what happens next - I just hope Sebastian doesn't take over again.
(Spoilers within).
This book has a pretty decent premise to work with. The surface of the Earth has been contaminated and people have moved underground in order to survive. Even so, the people living underground have to be tested to make sure that they don't get sick, and if they turn up "tainted" they disappear.
The main character, as well as pretty much everyone in the book, has dealt with losing many important people in her life. Finally, she wants to uncover what really happens to the people who are tainted.
It's not bad. I was really curious to see where it would go, but two things majorly bogged down this book: Elle and forced romance. In a book where characters are being carted away to never come back, a lot of time is given to her romantic interests. I found myself pushing through those parts and waiting for it to get back to the actual story.
It's nothing you haven't seen before. She loves her best friend, but she can't tell him she loves him, and she has no idea that he likes her even though it's blatantly obvious (she's also doesn't think she's pretty like the other girls, even though more than one guy is infatuated with her. To quote the book, "But with my large blue eyes, thick lashes and long brown hair they see me as cute, rather than hot.").
At first I gave it the benefit of the doubt, but then the uglier side of forced romances reared its ugly head: jealousy, anger, possessiveness... Sebastian sees Elle with another man and he throws a tantrum. If a high school girl told me that a boy was acting like that around her, I wouldn't find it romantic. I'd tell her to stay far away from him.
The other romantic interest is thirteen years older than her. I don't remember if Elle's exact age was mentioned, but she's still a student. This is creepy. And to be honest, I don't mind that she thinks he's sexy. That wouldn't be weird for someone her age to think that about an older man, but it makes him really, really creepy.
I'm not sure timelines added up. She talks about meeting Ryan a year before, and then talks about him disappearing for months at a time. And based on the brief meeting shown in the book, if that's how their meetings go and then he leaves for months, how much time could she have spent with him total? Half an hour? And how did Sebastian come to the conclusion that she's dating a man that she sees for a couple minutes every few months anyway?
The second thing that bogged down the book was Elle herself. She's very negative towards most other characters.
In the beginning, she gets detention for not paying attention in class.
If I didn't have this stupid detention, I'd already be on my way back home to see Quinn.
Why doesn't she say anything about why she was distracted? Most people are empathetic, and if this is a common situation then it should be easy for her to explain with a simple, "I'm sorry, Ms. Matthews, I've been having a hard time concentrating because my friend is getting tested today." Even later in the book it makes it clear that people are very understanding about this. She probably could have avoided detention easily if she just said something.
The first other girl who wants Sebastian's attention is depicted horribly by Elle, and she didn't even do anything. She just happened to talk to the guy that Elle likes. And this sort of bitterness towards side characters continues through the book. It's very strange and nonsensical in places.
For example, when Chelsea is taken, Elle is upset that other other kids are gossiping and the other half are acting devastated even though they didn't know Chelsea. Then, when Sebastian is taken, she's upset that the other kids are all being sickeningly sweet to her. First: nothing they do makes Elle happy. If they gossip like normal, she's mad. If they're upset, she's mad. If they try to be nice to the person who lost someone, she's mad. Second, why are the side characters reacting so differently based on who was taken? Why are they nice when Sebastian is taken, and rude when Chelsea is taken?
Elle is absolutely clueless about obvious things. She has no idea why Sebastian gets upset when she talks to another guy. She sees Sebastian talking to Chelsea, and then Chelsea is taken and he's upset, and she immediately jumps to the conclusion that they must have been dating. Why? This makes as much sense as Sebastian thinking that Elle is dating some guy she talks to for a couple minutes every few months.
Not only that, but this uncaring attitude towards other characters pops up in weird places and makes both of them seem unexpectedly cold. For example, again with Chelsea: Elle is mad that she thinks Sebastian is trying to find the "tainted" people because of Chelsea's disappearance. Sebastian has to convince Elle that it's not about Chelsea.
What did Chelsea ever do wrong? What would be so horrible about him wanting to find his friend? Why is Chelsea not worth finding? They basically have to agree that this character doesn't matter for it to appease Elle and it's just awful. I felt terrible for Chelsea, having two people sitting there discussing about how meaningless she is and how much they aren't doing this to find her. It doesn't reflect well on the main characters.
Elle has glimmers of hope throughout the book. At one point, another guy, Cam, is trying to get the attention of a girl he likes during a dance. Elle gets close to him and:
When I get to him I stand on my tiptoes to get close to his ear. 'Just ask her to dance already!' I yell loudly.
This is cute. This isn't self-absorbed or forced. This is her genuinely being interested in helping someone else when she knows he has a crush.
Once his arms are around me I begin to cry. Like really, embarrassingly cry.
This is another part that I like, because it's understandable. People don't usually like to cry in front of other people, and most would probably be embarrassed if they had a breakdown in front of someone. I get this. This is a part of her character that I understand and want to see more of.
Unfortunately, that gets overshadowed by this Elle for most of the book:
Away from everyone who doesn't understand what it's like to lose your best friend.
I'm pretty sure every character in this book knows what that's like.
It also takes her about 19 chapters to do anything proactive. Before that, other people have secret connections. Other people have theories. Other people have to push her into doing things, and she complains the whole way.
Chapter 20 and on the book picks up a lot. I liked these chapters and was interested in seeing what would happen.
There was another time that stuck out to me with Elle being oddly angry at people again:
I look at the boy's face on the paper and then angrily shove the picture back into my pocket, not caring if it crinkles. The doctor had been supposed to help me, not get me thrown in remand.
The only thing the doctor did was tell her exactly what she wanted to know so that she could get tainted blood. Which she successfully did. It was her own fault that she got caught. He wasn't involved with her break-in at all, and now she's beating up the photo of his grandson? The message he desperately hoped that he might be able to pass on? Why? He didn't do anything but help her!
But besides that, the last part of the book went pretty smoothly and kept me engaged. I wish the rest of this book had gone like that. In my opinion, Sebastian and Ryan could have been completely deleted and it could have been the Elle and Quinn show, and it would have been better. Nothing about the romance worked for me - both characters were uglier when it was the focus. Jealous, angry, possessive, snippy, mean, clueless, bitter... They didn't become characters I wanted to root for or spend time with. It didn't add to the story for me, either. The same story could have been told without Sebastian, and perhaps in a much more interesting way (imagine if Elle was the one making connections, learning how to play with her CommuCuff, deciding on her own to sneak into restricted areas...)
If you want to read a dystopian book and romances like these don't bother you, then you may enjoy this book. People who have read my reviews probably know that I don't like certain portrayals of romance. I would be interested in seeing what happens next - I just hope Sebastian doesn't take over again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 8, 2017
Completely different spin on post-apocalyptic stories; and it was interesting - definitely a different spin on knowing how an apocalyptic scenario is progressing! I liked the dynamic of Ryan's character and what he may possibly contribute to the future story, and thoroughly enjoyed the old parts of the ARC; learning what may have occurred there over its 15 year lifetime. Looking forward to reading the next in the series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 11, 2025
Alexandra Moody never disappoints.
This book is perfect for fans of the maze runner and shatter me.
After an astroid hit earth wiping out most of the planet, a deadly winter take over the world forcing the last of humanity to live underground in the “ARC”.
Elle who has spent her life mostly alone after her parents were taken away goes on a mission to find out what happens when people start to get taken away mysteriously.
This was incredibly thought out I loved it.
This book is perfect for fans of the maze runner and shatter me.
After an astroid hit earth wiping out most of the planet, a deadly winter take over the world forcing the last of humanity to live underground in the “ARC”.
Elle who has spent her life mostly alone after her parents were taken away goes on a mission to find out what happens when people start to get taken away mysteriously.
This was incredibly thought out I loved it.
June 24, 2018
I actually read this in the Fractured world's series box set.
WOW! Hooked from the start. Absolutely riveting. I wanted more and knew it was going to end before I got answers. However, it was so well written, I want more and will grab the next book Talented. You know the phrase "Curiosity killed the cat?" Nope, it sends you somewhere new and exciting in search of the boy she only just discovered she loves before he’s taken.
WOW! Hooked from the start. Absolutely riveting. I wanted more and knew it was going to end before I got answers. However, it was so well written, I want more and will grab the next book Talented. You know the phrase "Curiosity killed the cat?" Nope, it sends you somewhere new and exciting in search of the boy she only just discovered she loves before he’s taken.
Read
July 9, 2022YA VERDICT: 2 to 2+ stars. Maybe 3 stars for younger YAs who enjoy some mild romantic elements in their post-Apocalyptic settings, and who don't mind cliffhangers.
ADULT VERDICT: Nope, unless you insist on reading All Things Post-Apocalyptic.
NOTES (no big spoilers):
ADULT VERDICT: Nope, unless you insist on reading All Things Post-Apocalyptic.
NOTES (no big spoilers):
June 22, 2015
well this was an interesting read. although it was a bit slow, because there was a lot of detail about that shelter which sounds bigger than a whole state, and had less action than i thought it would, i still enjoyed it. that underground fallout shelter gave me headaches XD i think i need to practice my imagination more because i often got lost in those corridors XD the concept was interesting, even though at the end of the book we still didn't know what "tainted" meant, it left way for speculations and it definitely made me more curious as to what "tainted" and "talented" mean! there's a whole new world outside that shelter and i'm definitely interested to find out more about it. :)
February 6, 2018
Why does this day a review is optional if it won't let me leave without one?
The book was good, I wish it hadn't ended the way it did, and gave us a little more insight into the new setting. But I guess that's what makes you read the next book.
The book was good, I wish it hadn't ended the way it did, and gave us a little more insight into the new setting. But I guess that's what makes you read the next book.
Want to read
November 30, 2017💝 FREE on Amazon today (11/30/2017)! 💝
March 25, 2019
This was your typical young adult dystopian book and, overall, it was an enjoyable read.
You’re introduced to the post-apocalyptic underground world with a lot of secrets, mysteries, and suspense, and it’s known as the ARC.
Taking you through the ARC is a teenage girl named Elle. Her and her friend, Sebastian, grow more and more suspicious of the process of taking the tainted. Throughout the time of staying in the ARC random people have been taken by the government because they’re “tainted” by something--a mysterious consequence of the disaster that happened on the surface. No one knows what being tainted really means, or where people are taken to when they’ve become tainted. All they knew is that anyone who is tainted is taken immediately never returns.
I found myself really enjoying this book, but there was something that was very off putting to me. One of her love interests is thirteen years her senior. Now, this wouldn’t bother me if she wasn’t a teenager! There doesn’t seem to be anything physically inappropriate that will ever happen between these two characters, but it was still uncomfortable to read.
Overall, I give this book 4 stars. If you scroll down, you’ll see a bit more about how I came to this score.
Characters: 4
I really liked the main character of Elle, but I found myself wanting to know more about her. She’s an orphan so I expected there to be more diving into her life as an orphan and how it’s affected her to this day.
There was also no presence of a mentor or chaperone really at all. It seems to be revealed at the end that she has no caregiver, so her friend, Quinn is placed as her mentor during a trial Elle was involved in. I feel her not having any caretaker should have been at least mentioned or acknowledged so the reader understood Elle better. There’s no doubt that not having an adult who directly was in charge of taking care of her would have greatly affected her, but we didn’t get to see it.
Overall, I really liked all the characters presented in the story--especially Sebastian. He’s my favorite, other than Elle! I love his charisma and determination to figure out what the government’s been hiding.
Creativity: 3.5
When I think about creativity with this book, nothing really comes to mind, which immediately drops it in value down to a 4. But, what brought it down even further for me was, along with not being able to identify anything particularly creative in this book, I did think of a cliche.
The whole love triangle that always seems to happen in YA dystopian novels was present in this book. I’ve gotta admit, I’m really put off by this, but I’m sure a lot of people find it interesting.
Page-Turner: 4
I really wanted to find out more about the surface, the secrets, and what was going to come of Elle. This kept me reading the entire book. It’s a good thing these things interested me because I was a bit disappointed about the very slow pace of the book.
I really didn’t find myself seriously binging the book until the last 30% (give or take) of the book.
In a normal story, you spend a good portion of it with rising action that leads to a climax. When it came to action, it would rise and fall throughout, until the very end when the climax happened. It made it harder to get through than I would have liked.
But, again, the overall plot and stakes of the story did keep me interested enough to finish it.
Ending: 5
I was pleasantly surprised with the ending. Even though I was enjoying the book, I wasn’t sure if I would continue to read the series because of its slower pace.
It was much more captivating than I anticipated, making me want to give book 2 a chance!
You’re introduced to the post-apocalyptic underground world with a lot of secrets, mysteries, and suspense, and it’s known as the ARC.
Taking you through the ARC is a teenage girl named Elle. Her and her friend, Sebastian, grow more and more suspicious of the process of taking the tainted. Throughout the time of staying in the ARC random people have been taken by the government because they’re “tainted” by something--a mysterious consequence of the disaster that happened on the surface. No one knows what being tainted really means, or where people are taken to when they’ve become tainted. All they knew is that anyone who is tainted is taken immediately never returns.
I found myself really enjoying this book, but there was something that was very off putting to me. One of her love interests is thirteen years her senior. Now, this wouldn’t bother me if she wasn’t a teenager! There doesn’t seem to be anything physically inappropriate that will ever happen between these two characters, but it was still uncomfortable to read.
Overall, I give this book 4 stars. If you scroll down, you’ll see a bit more about how I came to this score.
Characters: 4
I really liked the main character of Elle, but I found myself wanting to know more about her. She’s an orphan so I expected there to be more diving into her life as an orphan and how it’s affected her to this day.
There was also no presence of a mentor or chaperone really at all. It seems to be revealed at the end that she has no caregiver, so her friend, Quinn is placed as her mentor during a trial Elle was involved in. I feel her not having any caretaker should have been at least mentioned or acknowledged so the reader understood Elle better. There’s no doubt that not having an adult who directly was in charge of taking care of her would have greatly affected her, but we didn’t get to see it.
Overall, I really liked all the characters presented in the story--especially Sebastian. He’s my favorite, other than Elle! I love his charisma and determination to figure out what the government’s been hiding.
Creativity: 3.5
When I think about creativity with this book, nothing really comes to mind, which immediately drops it in value down to a 4. But, what brought it down even further for me was, along with not being able to identify anything particularly creative in this book, I did think of a cliche.
The whole love triangle that always seems to happen in YA dystopian novels was present in this book. I’ve gotta admit, I’m really put off by this, but I’m sure a lot of people find it interesting.
Page-Turner: 4
I really wanted to find out more about the surface, the secrets, and what was going to come of Elle. This kept me reading the entire book. It’s a good thing these things interested me because I was a bit disappointed about the very slow pace of the book.
I really didn’t find myself seriously binging the book until the last 30% (give or take) of the book.
In a normal story, you spend a good portion of it with rising action that leads to a climax. When it came to action, it would rise and fall throughout, until the very end when the climax happened. It made it harder to get through than I would have liked.
But, again, the overall plot and stakes of the story did keep me interested enough to finish it.
Ending: 5
I was pleasantly surprised with the ending. Even though I was enjoying the book, I wasn’t sure if I would continue to read the series because of its slower pace.
It was much more captivating than I anticipated, making me want to give book 2 a chance!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 21, 2017
Goodreads Synopsis:
Find out what it means to be tainted in this post-apocalyptic future where the secrets are as deep and dark as the fallout shelter humanity survives in.
Elle Winters lost everything when the day of impact transformed Earth’s surface into an icy, desolate wasteland. All she has ever known are the artificial confines of underground fallout shelter, the ARC. Under the Council’s rule, ruthless officials roam the hallways, community comes first and everyone lives in fear of failing their annual testing. With one simple blood test you could be taken away without any warning or a word of goodbye.
There are only a few people in the ARC who Elle truly cares about and she desperately tries to keep them at arm’s length away for fear of losing someone else. Especially, her best friend Sebastian who she denies her feelings for, even from herself.
Chilling secrets and mysterious disappearances plague the ARC, but Elle would never dare to voice the forbidden questions that linger on her lips. That is until they take the wrong person.
No one is truly safe in the ARC and Elle is about to experience her own personal apocalypse. With nothing left to lose she will risk everything to uncover the truth about the tainted.
Will she find what she's looking for or are some secrets better left buried deep underground?
Don't miss the first book in this young adult series!
My Review:
It's the year 2065 and most of humanity was herded underground into the ARC, or the Asteroid Refugee Compound. Basically it's like a big fallout shelter. They're constantly running tests on everyone to check if they're "tainted" or not. The people deemed tainted are never seen or heard from again, presumed dead, but Elle and her friend and ex foster brother Sebastian, are convinced the tainted are still alive, they have to be. The world above ground is said to be pure chaos, radioactive and when the asteroid hit the planet it caused horrible storms on the surface that still rage on after fifteen years. Elle sometimes feels claustrophobic inside the ARC, though she's been there almost her whole life. She's scared to get too close to anyone and tends to keep most people at arms length, simply because she doesn't want to be torn apart again when they're inevitably taken from her. Although she has many friends, barely any of them can she really call family. It's been almost six months since the last tainted person has been taken, and people are starting to worry, and the rumours are flowing. After her roommate Quinn returns from her annual test, she has some off feelings and thoughts about the doctors, saying they were disappointed when her test came back negative, almost like they wanted people to be tainted. Like they were hoping someone would be taken. That's when things really start to get interesting for everyone. Sebastian and Elle stumble upon things they probably shouldn't for their own safety, and begin to stop trusting the government officials inside the ARC. Someone's keeping secrets and they are determined to get to the bottom of it. They just don't know what they're getting into. The characters in this book are realistic, and I really liked getting to know them. Although they're a bit younger than I am, I didn't feel too old reading this book. I really lied the ending and I definitely want to check out the next book in the series, I can't wait to see what happens next. Check out this book if you haven't already!
Thanks for reading! Check out this review and more at my blog.
(Radioactivebookreviews.wordpress.com)
Find out what it means to be tainted in this post-apocalyptic future where the secrets are as deep and dark as the fallout shelter humanity survives in.
Elle Winters lost everything when the day of impact transformed Earth’s surface into an icy, desolate wasteland. All she has ever known are the artificial confines of underground fallout shelter, the ARC. Under the Council’s rule, ruthless officials roam the hallways, community comes first and everyone lives in fear of failing their annual testing. With one simple blood test you could be taken away without any warning or a word of goodbye.
There are only a few people in the ARC who Elle truly cares about and she desperately tries to keep them at arm’s length away for fear of losing someone else. Especially, her best friend Sebastian who she denies her feelings for, even from herself.
Chilling secrets and mysterious disappearances plague the ARC, but Elle would never dare to voice the forbidden questions that linger on her lips. That is until they take the wrong person.
No one is truly safe in the ARC and Elle is about to experience her own personal apocalypse. With nothing left to lose she will risk everything to uncover the truth about the tainted.
Will she find what she's looking for or are some secrets better left buried deep underground?
Don't miss the first book in this young adult series!
My Review:
It's the year 2065 and most of humanity was herded underground into the ARC, or the Asteroid Refugee Compound. Basically it's like a big fallout shelter. They're constantly running tests on everyone to check if they're "tainted" or not. The people deemed tainted are never seen or heard from again, presumed dead, but Elle and her friend and ex foster brother Sebastian, are convinced the tainted are still alive, they have to be. The world above ground is said to be pure chaos, radioactive and when the asteroid hit the planet it caused horrible storms on the surface that still rage on after fifteen years. Elle sometimes feels claustrophobic inside the ARC, though she's been there almost her whole life. She's scared to get too close to anyone and tends to keep most people at arms length, simply because she doesn't want to be torn apart again when they're inevitably taken from her. Although she has many friends, barely any of them can she really call family. It's been almost six months since the last tainted person has been taken, and people are starting to worry, and the rumours are flowing. After her roommate Quinn returns from her annual test, she has some off feelings and thoughts about the doctors, saying they were disappointed when her test came back negative, almost like they wanted people to be tainted. Like they were hoping someone would be taken. That's when things really start to get interesting for everyone. Sebastian and Elle stumble upon things they probably shouldn't for their own safety, and begin to stop trusting the government officials inside the ARC. Someone's keeping secrets and they are determined to get to the bottom of it. They just don't know what they're getting into. The characters in this book are realistic, and I really liked getting to know them. Although they're a bit younger than I am, I didn't feel too old reading this book. I really lied the ending and I definitely want to check out the next book in the series, I can't wait to see what happens next. Check out this book if you haven't already!
Thanks for reading! Check out this review and more at my blog.
(Radioactivebookreviews.wordpress.com)
September 6, 2024
Tainted by Alexandra Moody paints a vivid picture of a post-apocalyptic world where humanity clings to survival in an underground fallout shelter known as the ARC. From the first chapter, I was quickly immersed in Elle Winters' harsh reality, thanks to the author's skill in delivering essential world-building and character introductions in a way that felt both natural and engaging. Moody’s writing style is approachable and easy to digest, though I did notice some misplaced commas in the edition I read, which occasionally disrupted the flow.
One of my main criticisms is the pacing of the story. The first few chapters set up a promising level of suspense, but this tension fizzles out as the plot progresses. By 20% of the way through, I found myself eager for the plot to pick up speed. The secrets of the ARC are revealed at a pace that feels too slow for my taste. Even when Elle and Sebastian sneak into restricted areas, which should have been thrilling moments, the revelations they stumble upon are too small to satisfy my curiosity or move the story forward significantly (if at all). By the halfway mark, it seemed like the story had barely progressed. Everything we know at that point could have been established much sooner, making the plot feel unnecessarily drawn out.
Elle’s relationship with Sebastian serves as a significant undercurrent to the narrative. Her struggle to reconcile her growing feelings for her best friend, amidst her fear of loss, adds a relatable layer to the story. However, at times, the focus on these emotional dilemmas and Elle's high school classes makes the book feel more like a teen drama than a gripping sci-fi dystopian tale. While this element provides depth to Elle’s character, it occasionally overshadows the sci-fi plotline I was more interested in.
For readers who enjoy fast-paced action, Tainted might not be the ideal pick. The story leans heavily on slow-burn mystery, with most of the action and discoveries concentrated towards the end. Even then, the climax didn’t feel as impactful as I’d hoped, as much of the investigation throughout the book doesn't lead to any grand revelations or consequences. The ending arrives without the satisfying payoff that I was anticipating.
Overall, Tainted might appeal to readers who prefer slower, character-driven stories with a focus on relationships over action. However, for those craving a fast-paced, high-stakes dystopian thriller, this book might leave you wanting more.
One of my main criticisms is the pacing of the story. The first few chapters set up a promising level of suspense, but this tension fizzles out as the plot progresses. By 20% of the way through, I found myself eager for the plot to pick up speed. The secrets of the ARC are revealed at a pace that feels too slow for my taste. Even when Elle and Sebastian sneak into restricted areas, which should have been thrilling moments, the revelations they stumble upon are too small to satisfy my curiosity or move the story forward significantly (if at all). By the halfway mark, it seemed like the story had barely progressed. Everything we know at that point could have been established much sooner, making the plot feel unnecessarily drawn out.
Elle’s relationship with Sebastian serves as a significant undercurrent to the narrative. Her struggle to reconcile her growing feelings for her best friend, amidst her fear of loss, adds a relatable layer to the story. However, at times, the focus on these emotional dilemmas and Elle's high school classes makes the book feel more like a teen drama than a gripping sci-fi dystopian tale. While this element provides depth to Elle’s character, it occasionally overshadows the sci-fi plotline I was more interested in.
For readers who enjoy fast-paced action, Tainted might not be the ideal pick. The story leans heavily on slow-burn mystery, with most of the action and discoveries concentrated towards the end. Even then, the climax didn’t feel as impactful as I’d hoped, as much of the investigation throughout the book doesn't lead to any grand revelations or consequences. The ending arrives without the satisfying payoff that I was anticipating.
Overall, Tainted might appeal to readers who prefer slower, character-driven stories with a focus on relationships over action. However, for those craving a fast-paced, high-stakes dystopian thriller, this book might leave you wanting more.
September 10, 2018
This book was an easy read and suited my interest in YA dystopian novels. The premise seemed promising enough, so I downloaded it as a free ebook when there was a deal for it. In a society driven underground after a major asteroid impact, humanity survives in a bunker, but residents fear an annual blood test that determines their fate in the settlement. The inhabitants of the ARC are kept in the dark about the details of the blood test, and the fate of those who are found to be "tainted," but they know that when someone has a certain result from the test, they disappear from the society entirely. Those left behind grieve for them as if they are dead, and worry that the sickness will lead to suffering or elimination...maybe even exposure on the uninhabitable surface. But no one knows for sure.
That all sounded cool enough, but I thought the writing was predictable and didn't live up to the potential of the premise. The main character shows the beginning signs of a love triangle, fraught with the typical YA communication problems that further alienate her from the one who will clearly end up being the "right" choice in the series. The action and character development was slow to build, and sometimes lacking altogether. There isn't much about the main heroine that draws me to her yet...she's pressured into any adventurous twist her story takes, and she's often very reluctant and somewhat passive in those roles. In a way, though, maybe I appreciate that she doesn't fall into the stereotypical "chosen one" mold that so many YA protagonists seem to embody. Maybe her hesitancy makes her easier to relate to. I also like that she clearly has claustrophobia, which is evidenced throughout the book whenever she finds herself in a setting that triggers it - I like that rather than label it as a character trait, the author just makes it become naturally apparent as Elle struggles with it day-to-day. I like natural characterization rather than a big announcement and back story about a phobia.
Ultimately, the answers to the problems set up in the first book won't come until I go further in the series. I'm undecided about whether I will continue, but a plot twist at the end and the general lack of resolution makes me think that if I can find the sequel for free, I'll give it a chance.
That all sounded cool enough, but I thought the writing was predictable and didn't live up to the potential of the premise. The main character shows the beginning signs of a love triangle, fraught with the typical YA communication problems that further alienate her from the one who will clearly end up being the "right" choice in the series. The action and character development was slow to build, and sometimes lacking altogether. There isn't much about the main heroine that draws me to her yet...she's pressured into any adventurous twist her story takes, and she's often very reluctant and somewhat passive in those roles. In a way, though, maybe I appreciate that she doesn't fall into the stereotypical "chosen one" mold that so many YA protagonists seem to embody. Maybe her hesitancy makes her easier to relate to. I also like that she clearly has claustrophobia, which is evidenced throughout the book whenever she finds herself in a setting that triggers it - I like that rather than label it as a character trait, the author just makes it become naturally apparent as Elle struggles with it day-to-day. I like natural characterization rather than a big announcement and back story about a phobia.
Ultimately, the answers to the problems set up in the first book won't come until I go further in the series. I'm undecided about whether I will continue, but a plot twist at the end and the general lack of resolution makes me think that if I can find the sequel for free, I'll give it a chance.
February 15, 2019
Catch it in full at ♀ Bookworm
Since an asteroid hit the Earth a few years back, the Arc “stores” the remaining humans safely away from the freezing surface; but what it’s not told anyone is why some people are tainted and where are they taken. Fret no more, because for once — or twice — the main character will willingly seek the answers to your bunting questions. You might get question 1a right away with this book, but you might need to reach for the remaining volumes in order to answer the final — unknown — test question. Before that happens, tainted is just a word used for the special genetic mutation, I take it gives power to the person, but I don’t get why it’s not found earlier or something since many people are taken away from the safety of the Arc, every year or so. My head can’t wrap around this mystery as yet, I feel like I’m jumping ship cause I haven’t explained why our main character went batshit crazy and how was life before this unknown future.
Our main character is Elle. She’s an orphan. She’s lost friends, family; and the little she has now is kept either at arm's length or she holds dearly to them, which is scary since every time their blood is taken, they might be tainted and gone. Even with the loss, Elle has a dysfunctional family of her own: Sebastian, Quinn and (sorry, girl, forgot your name!). Needless to say, Elle might have deep feelings for Sebastian since once he’s taken she kinda goes after him, and much later she realizes she’s trading Quinn for Sebastian. Ugh, so much drama. There’s also one character showing up in this book that got me bothered, Ryan, he’s an official, and maybe he’ll show up again. The circumstances of their first meeting rub me wrong - so, I want to know more about that.
Be prepared to read about a girl plotting to steal a vial of tainted blood, test it and go off into the sky to meet her newest home. Which begs the question: is it a better place, is Sebastian there, will she get answers as to why they haven’t returned to the surface since you can see the sun, the starts and shockingly the SKY (Good God, I’m hungry... of course it’s the sky, Larissa!!). Anyway, book 2 might answer a couple of more questions, creating a few in their spot — and god, I feel like the rest of this series will definitely deliver mystery before you get any answers.
Since an asteroid hit the Earth a few years back, the Arc “stores” the remaining humans safely away from the freezing surface; but what it’s not told anyone is why some people are tainted and where are they taken. Fret no more, because for once — or twice — the main character will willingly seek the answers to your bunting questions. You might get question 1a right away with this book, but you might need to reach for the remaining volumes in order to answer the final — unknown — test question. Before that happens, tainted is just a word used for the special genetic mutation, I take it gives power to the person, but I don’t get why it’s not found earlier or something since many people are taken away from the safety of the Arc, every year or so. My head can’t wrap around this mystery as yet, I feel like I’m jumping ship cause I haven’t explained why our main character went batshit crazy and how was life before this unknown future.
Our main character is Elle. She’s an orphan. She’s lost friends, family; and the little she has now is kept either at arm's length or she holds dearly to them, which is scary since every time their blood is taken, they might be tainted and gone. Even with the loss, Elle has a dysfunctional family of her own: Sebastian, Quinn and (sorry, girl, forgot your name!). Needless to say, Elle might have deep feelings for Sebastian since once he’s taken she kinda goes after him, and much later she realizes she’s trading Quinn for Sebastian. Ugh, so much drama. There’s also one character showing up in this book that got me bothered, Ryan, he’s an official, and maybe he’ll show up again. The circumstances of their first meeting rub me wrong - so, I want to know more about that.
Be prepared to read about a girl plotting to steal a vial of tainted blood, test it and go off into the sky to meet her newest home. Which begs the question: is it a better place, is Sebastian there, will she get answers as to why they haven’t returned to the surface since you can see the sun, the starts and shockingly the SKY (Good God, I’m hungry... of course it’s the sky, Larissa!!). Anyway, book 2 might answer a couple of more questions, creating a few in their spot — and god, I feel like the rest of this series will definitely deliver mystery before you get any answers.
December 26, 2017
Wow.
Just wow.
This story definitely had me hooked from the first page. I couldn't put it down even though I tried numerous times to tell myself to go to sleep.
So far, I really like the main protagonist Elle. There were a few times I wanted to strangle her or smack her upside the head, but overall she seems like a promising female lead. My only complaint was that she was a little too whiny and indecisive, particularly where it comes to Sebastian and whether she feels he's worth going after or not.
Sebastian also seems like a promising love interest. It was hard for me to get a good read on him though. I'm hoping for much more of him in the second book...I want to get to know him a little better.
As for some of the other characters, I had a hard time connecting with them. Elle's roommate/guardian seemed a little too ditzy for my liking. And I kept feeling as if she knew more than she was letting on, particularly considering she had been the one to first mention rumors of a mass taking event. I had hoped for a little more about that, but the author left us in the dark.
Ryan, on the other hand, I definitely didn't like. I didn't really see the point in his character, and he seemed like such a creeper. I mean he's what? Thirty? Hitting on a girl in high school and basically stalking her? He obviously knows more than he's willing to share, but nothing about him is truly revealed. To me, his purpose was simply to move the romantic subplot along where it came to Elle and Sebastian...which was unnecessary.
Mostly, what I enjoyed about this book centered around the plot--I love dystopia and the mystery of what was occurring kept me completely riveted. I needed to know what the hell was going on, why people were being taken, and what happened to them when they were. The pacing never lagged, and readers will find themselves falling further down the rabbit hole with every turn of the page.
The twist at the end also has me intrigued, so I'm looking forward to the next installment. And I just need to know: WILL SHE FIND SEBASTIAN??? And will he be glad when she does???
Just wow.
This story definitely had me hooked from the first page. I couldn't put it down even though I tried numerous times to tell myself to go to sleep.
So far, I really like the main protagonist Elle. There were a few times I wanted to strangle her or smack her upside the head, but overall she seems like a promising female lead. My only complaint was that she was a little too whiny and indecisive, particularly where it comes to Sebastian and whether she feels he's worth going after or not.
Sebastian also seems like a promising love interest. It was hard for me to get a good read on him though. I'm hoping for much more of him in the second book...I want to get to know him a little better.
As for some of the other characters, I had a hard time connecting with them. Elle's roommate/guardian seemed a little too ditzy for my liking. And I kept feeling as if she knew more than she was letting on, particularly considering she had been the one to first mention rumors of a mass taking event. I had hoped for a little more about that, but the author left us in the dark.
Ryan, on the other hand, I definitely didn't like. I didn't really see the point in his character, and he seemed like such a creeper. I mean he's what? Thirty? Hitting on a girl in high school and basically stalking her? He obviously knows more than he's willing to share, but nothing about him is truly revealed. To me, his purpose was simply to move the romantic subplot along where it came to Elle and Sebastian...which was unnecessary.
Mostly, what I enjoyed about this book centered around the plot--I love dystopia and the mystery of what was occurring kept me completely riveted. I needed to know what the hell was going on, why people were being taken, and what happened to them when they were. The pacing never lagged, and readers will find themselves falling further down the rabbit hole with every turn of the page.
The twist at the end also has me intrigued, so I'm looking forward to the next installment. And I just need to know: WILL SHE FIND SEBASTIAN??? And will he be glad when she does???
September 19, 2018
Tl;dr: Tainted is a post-apocalyptic dystopian teen novel that spends a little too much time focusing on the “teen” aspect, and not enough on the “post-apocalyptic” or “dystopian” pieces. The storyline wasn’t bad, but there needed to be some more worldbuilding and development of the idea of “taint”.
When I summarize this novel, it sounds terrific. Elle lives on the edge of poverty in an underground environment called the ARC after an asteroid hits Earth. She tries to understand the machinations of the Council, and wants to uncover the truth behind the yearly blood testing all residents get and what happens to those that are “tainted”.
This isn’t to say that the novel is bad - I thought it was definitely a good read and I felt motivated to finish. I do think the author dedicated a little too much time to teen angst. Elle attends high school, and I did like that we saw how life went on in the ARC after the collision; there was a sense of normalcy in the exams and cafeteria food and even a prom staged with old donated clothes. However, I could have done without the multiple basketball games, or the lengthy description of the library that no one goes to; it felt like these scenes did little to move the story along, and introduced extraneous characters I didn’t have a stake in.
The author built a lot of tension when Elle and her friend Sebastian explored the ARC searching for answers, and her descriptions of the physical locations were actually suitably creepy given how little we learn about the taint. Is it radiation? Is it something else? But those moments came few and far between, and when I wanted to learn more about how the ARC functions, Elle’s past, or any further speculation about the taint, I got yet another scene with Elle sitting in class, doing homework at her apartment, or spending time with the mysterious older man (read: stalker) Ryan.
I think this book is a good way to pass a rainy afternoon, but I don’t necessarily think I’d go out of my way to finish the series.
When I summarize this novel, it sounds terrific. Elle lives on the edge of poverty in an underground environment called the ARC after an asteroid hits Earth. She tries to understand the machinations of the Council, and wants to uncover the truth behind the yearly blood testing all residents get and what happens to those that are “tainted”.
This isn’t to say that the novel is bad - I thought it was definitely a good read and I felt motivated to finish. I do think the author dedicated a little too much time to teen angst. Elle attends high school, and I did like that we saw how life went on in the ARC after the collision; there was a sense of normalcy in the exams and cafeteria food and even a prom staged with old donated clothes. However, I could have done without the multiple basketball games, or the lengthy description of the library that no one goes to; it felt like these scenes did little to move the story along, and introduced extraneous characters I didn’t have a stake in.
The author built a lot of tension when Elle and her friend Sebastian explored the ARC searching for answers, and her descriptions of the physical locations were actually suitably creepy given how little we learn about the taint. Is it radiation? Is it something else? But those moments came few and far between, and when I wanted to learn more about how the ARC functions, Elle’s past, or any further speculation about the taint, I got yet another scene with Elle sitting in class, doing homework at her apartment, or spending time with the mysterious older man (read: stalker) Ryan.
I think this book is a good way to pass a rainy afternoon, but I don’t necessarily think I’d go out of my way to finish the series.
October 2, 2018
I have to say, this book really pleasantly surprised me. The first half was "just okay" to me, although if you're more into YA romancey stuff you might enjoy it more than I did, but the second half? Genuinely good stuff. I had a few guesses about how things would turn out and I wasn't completely right on any of them. Parts of the finale were an actual shock, at least in how it played out.
My only gripes were the YA school romancey stuff at the beginning of the book - I think you might find it at least a little tedious even if you're normally into that kind of thing to have to read about how Quinn dated this guy and Gemma likes that guy and Sebastian might have flirted with some girl whose name I can't remember or she flirted with him or...something. To be honest, I even kept getting Gemma and Quinn's names mixed up because the two didn't really have super distinct personalities in the beginning imo. My other gripe was that some sentences were a little awkward, missing commas where I normally would expect commas to be, causing me to have to read a few sentences over again in confusion.
These are small things, though, and kind of down to a matter of taste. I'm definitely going to look into picking up book 2 at some point in the future.
My only gripes were the YA school romancey stuff at the beginning of the book - I think you might find it at least a little tedious even if you're normally into that kind of thing to have to read about how Quinn dated this guy and Gemma likes that guy and Sebastian might have flirted with some girl whose name I can't remember or she flirted with him or...something. To be honest, I even kept getting Gemma and Quinn's names mixed up because the two didn't really have super distinct personalities in the beginning imo. My other gripe was that some sentences were a little awkward, missing commas where I normally would expect commas to be, causing me to have to read a few sentences over again in confusion.
These are small things, though, and kind of down to a matter of taste. I'm definitely going to look into picking up book 2 at some point in the future.
December 29, 2018
This book was okay. Not bad, not great, just a filler of sorts. Luckily it was a free download from BookBub.
I didn't particularly care for Elle's character. She seemed inconsistent, like the author hadn't quite nailed down her personality before writing the book. I was consistently annoyed by how stupidly blind Elle was when it came to Sebastian's feelings toward her. Sebastian's fits of jealousy over Elle interacting with Ryan, not to mention his constant 'hints' about his more-than-brotherly-love for her--made it blatantly obvious that he had strong feelings for her. Yet Elle persisted in playing dumb throughout the entire novel. No teenager is that stupid, and I've never appreciated narration that portrays them that way.
I did enjoy the world-building for the ARC and felt like I had a good grip on what that underground city looked like, but I did think it was odd that the teenagers had very little adult supervision and could live anywhere, with anyone they chose. Elle's society gives kids and teens way too much autonomy, which simply doesn't compute with the premise of a fallout shelter in which the environment would be much more restrictive. Also, how does this society have fancy technologies such as CommuCuffs, but nothing as simple as cameras and alarm systems? It was way too easy for Sebastian and Elle to poke their noses into restricted areas, and the novel never explains how Sebastian magically gained access to such areas.
I wasn't planning to read Talented (the next novel in the series), but changed my mind when I read a quick sample. The author's introduction of Sebastian's little sister April (aka: "Beth") piqued my curiosity enough to buy the book. Unfortunately I'm half way through the novel and there's still no explanation given as to what April/Beth is doing there (not to mention some head-scratching world-building issues), but the book is interesting so far, so here's hoping.
That being said, Tainted was 'good enough' to compel me to buy book #2, so I guess for the author, that's mission accomplished.
I didn't particularly care for Elle's character. She seemed inconsistent, like the author hadn't quite nailed down her personality before writing the book. I was consistently annoyed by how stupidly blind Elle was when it came to Sebastian's feelings toward her. Sebastian's fits of jealousy over Elle interacting with Ryan, not to mention his constant 'hints' about his more-than-brotherly-love for her--made it blatantly obvious that he had strong feelings for her. Yet Elle persisted in playing dumb throughout the entire novel. No teenager is that stupid, and I've never appreciated narration that portrays them that way.
I did enjoy the world-building for the ARC and felt like I had a good grip on what that underground city looked like, but I did think it was odd that the teenagers had very little adult supervision and could live anywhere, with anyone they chose. Elle's society gives kids and teens way too much autonomy, which simply doesn't compute with the premise of a fallout shelter in which the environment would be much more restrictive. Also, how does this society have fancy technologies such as CommuCuffs, but nothing as simple as cameras and alarm systems? It was way too easy for Sebastian and Elle to poke their noses into restricted areas, and the novel never explains how Sebastian magically gained access to such areas.
I wasn't planning to read Talented (the next novel in the series), but changed my mind when I read a quick sample. The author's introduction of Sebastian's little sister April (aka: "Beth") piqued my curiosity enough to buy the book. Unfortunately I'm half way through the novel and there's still no explanation given as to what April/Beth is doing there (not to mention some head-scratching world-building issues), but the book is interesting so far, so here's hoping.
That being said, Tainted was 'good enough' to compel me to buy book #2, so I guess for the author, that's mission accomplished.
February 6, 2019
This book has everything I look for when I wanted to read post-apocayltic young adult books. At least, the blurb had everything I look for. But then I read it, and it was disappointing. Elle is all over the place, flopping between two characters she either wants to be or is and can't be because there's no solid foundation for her. If the author was trying to make her an indecisive girl whose personality was pretty much everywhere, then she did it. The only thing that felt real was her claustrophobia. The romance seemed implied but Sebastian wasn't very strong, and the other guy who caused jealousy in Sebastian wasn't even a relevant character. He was present enough to make an issue between the best friends, but he wasn't even THERE to warrant a decent back story. Then there's Elle's feelings about the old dude and her lack of feelings for Sebastian, what she believes and what's so blatantly staring her in the face, and when she finally decides to go after Sebastian when he gets taken, it takes a lot for her to go and do what she should've done in the first place.
It was just very... spilt. Messy, wobbly structure, and winded in a lot of places that often lost my interest. The only time I legit got excited was the last page, when things turned around and suddenly it was a whole new world and- I don't know. I really want to know if the second installment is the X-Men city I'm envisioning, so I might actually come back to this. I recommend it only because it's free, but only to younger readers who are new to reading.
It was just very... spilt. Messy, wobbly structure, and winded in a lot of places that often lost my interest. The only time I legit got excited was the last page, when things turned around and suddenly it was a whole new world and- I don't know. I really want to know if the second installment is the X-Men city I'm envisioning, so I might actually come back to this. I recommend it only because it's free, but only to younger readers who are new to reading.
May 3, 2019
Ms. Matthews (ARC teacher) lets Amy, & Elle Winters out for the day.
Chairman Ahmed was having a meeting. Something was happening with the planets surface.
A thief had also stolen from his neighbors & he will pay for his crime.
Chelsea Turner had been taken.
Sebastian Scott (engineering apprentice) was devasted she is gone forever.
April was taken also.
Sebastian was taken.
Quinn (Hospital data/admin) is watching over Elle (narrator) now.
Aged Care Ward # 36. Elle is doing her community service with Mrs. Mayberry.
What did Elle ask Dr. Wilson?
Ms. Roberts, Jeffries, Dr. Patel, Maggie, Gord,
I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review. Only an honest one.
A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written post-apocalyptic book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great post-apocalyptic movie, animated cartoon, or better yet a mini TV series. To be continued. It was more for a younger audience so I will only rate it at 4/5 stars.
Thank you for the free author; BookBub; Amazon Digital Services LLC.; book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
Chairman Ahmed was having a meeting. Something was happening with the planets surface.
A thief had also stolen from his neighbors & he will pay for his crime.
Chelsea Turner had been taken.
Sebastian Scott (engineering apprentice) was devasted she is gone forever.
April was taken also.
Sebastian was taken.
Quinn (Hospital data/admin) is watching over Elle (narrator) now.
Aged Care Ward # 36. Elle is doing her community service with Mrs. Mayberry.
What did Elle ask Dr. Wilson?
Ms. Roberts, Jeffries, Dr. Patel, Maggie, Gord,
I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review. Only an honest one.
A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written post-apocalyptic book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great post-apocalyptic movie, animated cartoon, or better yet a mini TV series. To be continued. It was more for a younger audience so I will only rate it at 4/5 stars.
Thank you for the free author; BookBub; Amazon Digital Services LLC.; book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
April 29, 2020
**PG: Scary situations**
If you like interesting, post-apocalyptic settings with good world-building, then you need to check out this series. ARC stands for Asteroid Refugee Compound. But not everyone was fortunate enough to enter the ARC when the asteroid finally arrived.
The only reason Elle is living inside the ARC is because she was a toddler who got separated from her parents. Someone scooped her up and brought her in before the facility was sealed. She lives in the ARC as an orphan with a foster family.
The big problem for the colony is how the asteroid affected the survivors; most are fine, but some are “tainted.” Every year, every person gets a blood test to check for the taint. Or if they develop the symptoms. Then the tainted ones are separated from the rest, never to return.
Elle’s biggest fear is to repeat the loss she suffered when her foster sister was removed. When Elle’s best friend, Sebastian, is taken, she decides to do whatever is required to find him, and the only way to do that is to be tainted.
The world-building is pretty great with an intense underground society, trying to function and survive while they wait for the terrible conditions on the surface to improve. But it’s been years, and there is no end in sight.
I recommend reading the first book to see if you want to proceed. The ARC series is complete, so you can binge it like Netflix.
Four stars.
If you like interesting, post-apocalyptic settings with good world-building, then you need to check out this series. ARC stands for Asteroid Refugee Compound. But not everyone was fortunate enough to enter the ARC when the asteroid finally arrived.
The only reason Elle is living inside the ARC is because she was a toddler who got separated from her parents. Someone scooped her up and brought her in before the facility was sealed. She lives in the ARC as an orphan with a foster family.
The big problem for the colony is how the asteroid affected the survivors; most are fine, but some are “tainted.” Every year, every person gets a blood test to check for the taint. Or if they develop the symptoms. Then the tainted ones are separated from the rest, never to return.
Elle’s biggest fear is to repeat the loss she suffered when her foster sister was removed. When Elle’s best friend, Sebastian, is taken, she decides to do whatever is required to find him, and the only way to do that is to be tainted.
The world-building is pretty great with an intense underground society, trying to function and survive while they wait for the terrible conditions on the surface to improve. But it’s been years, and there is no end in sight.
I recommend reading the first book to see if you want to proceed. The ARC series is complete, so you can binge it like Netflix.
Four stars.
June 16, 2017
2.5 stars
Slow with little to no explanation for anything going on in its world left me almost putting this book on my dnf shelf, but the ending finally picked up and added substance to the story leaving me ready for the next book.
The ARC is an underground facility where people live after an asteroid hit Earth followed by basically another ice age leaving it uninhabitable. Elle Winters lives beneath the Earth in the ARC with her guardian and friend Quinn and other friend/love interest Sebastian. Life is as normal as it can get in an fallout shelter except for the existence of the tainted.
Now here's where I had some problems. There is no explanation for the tainted or even what they are and why they are bad. What are the symptoms? What happens if you are in direct contact with one before they're taken? etcetera, etcetera.
SPOILERS AHEAD
After Sebastian is taken as tainted, Elle tries to make out a plan to follow him into wherever they take the tainted as a tainted herself. The last 30 pages or so finally shines some light on the subject of the tainted and leaves off on a cliffhanger...except they're in a helicopter...above ground...also above a utopian society of the 'talented.'
I will be reading the next installment because one: I want my questions answered and two: it's free on my kindle.
Slow with little to no explanation for anything going on in its world left me almost putting this book on my dnf shelf, but the ending finally picked up and added substance to the story leaving me ready for the next book.
The ARC is an underground facility where people live after an asteroid hit Earth followed by basically another ice age leaving it uninhabitable. Elle Winters lives beneath the Earth in the ARC with her guardian and friend Quinn and other friend/love interest Sebastian. Life is as normal as it can get in an fallout shelter except for the existence of the tainted.
Now here's where I had some problems. There is no explanation for the tainted or even what they are and why they are bad. What are the symptoms? What happens if you are in direct contact with one before they're taken? etcetera, etcetera.
SPOILERS AHEAD
After Sebastian is taken as tainted, Elle tries to make out a plan to follow him into wherever they take the tainted as a tainted herself. The last 30 pages or so finally shines some light on the subject of the tainted and leaves off on a cliffhanger...except they're in a helicopter...above ground...also above a utopian society of the 'talented.'
I will be reading the next installment because one: I want my questions answered and two: it's free on my kindle.
August 4, 2019
This is the 14th book of my second summer of free amazon books. (2.14)
I’ve given it three stars, but its more like 3.5.
The prose is pretty simple, but it flows allright enough, and the story is entertaining enough to make me kinda want to read the next one.
It’s defo a good summer read.
I didn’t really connect that well with the main char, she doesn’t seem all that smart, though her claustrophobia is something I totally get.
I liked the setting though. It’s probably the best thing about the book. The dystopian feel of the light totalitarianism of their society works well within the post-apocalyptical world it resides in.
The worldbuilding is lacking though, and many of the places she ends up in seems to have been made up just for that one scene, and often is not explained at all, and is often just left there when scene ends. I’m sure the tainted/talented part of it will be explored deeper in the next book in the series, but in the first one, I feel like people aren’t quite aftaid enough of being «taken», seeing how traumatizing it is for them when someone else is.
Anyway, I liked it quite well for all of that, and it’s free, so if you like YA dystopias, you can just download and read :)
I’ve given it three stars, but its more like 3.5.
The prose is pretty simple, but it flows allright enough, and the story is entertaining enough to make me kinda want to read the next one.
It’s defo a good summer read.
I didn’t really connect that well with the main char, she doesn’t seem all that smart, though her claustrophobia is something I totally get.
I liked the setting though. It’s probably the best thing about the book. The dystopian feel of the light totalitarianism of their society works well within the post-apocalyptical world it resides in.
The worldbuilding is lacking though, and many of the places she ends up in seems to have been made up just for that one scene, and often is not explained at all, and is often just left there when scene ends. I’m sure the tainted/talented part of it will be explored deeper in the next book in the series, but in the first one, I feel like people aren’t quite aftaid enough of being «taken», seeing how traumatizing it is for them when someone else is.
Anyway, I liked it quite well for all of that, and it’s free, so if you like YA dystopias, you can just download and read :)
November 7, 2021
This is one of those average kind of YA dystopian books about a society living underground after a disaster but the 'council' are lying to the population.
There is nothing particularly wrong with the book, it has a nice writing style and flowed well, but I doubt I will remember anything much about it in a few weeks.
There was just one thing that jarred for me and that was a teen who had been living underground in the ARC having claustrophobia? Why? It made no sense! It was like it was there just to add a bit of tension for the main character. It would have made sense if it was an adult who had been raised on the surface before being forced underground, but this was someone who had been underground since the age of 2.
Also, my pet hate is books that cut out in the middle in order to force a reader to buy book 2. Well, I don't buy book 2, or any other book by the author when this happens. A story needs a beginning, middle and end. This goes for stand-alone books as well as each book in a series. If there is no conclusion to the plot of the first book, you've lost my trust and I don't keep reading. This book ended just as it felt like it was reaching the middle.
There is nothing particularly wrong with the book, it has a nice writing style and flowed well, but I doubt I will remember anything much about it in a few weeks.
There was just one thing that jarred for me and that was a teen who had been living underground in the ARC having claustrophobia? Why? It made no sense! It was like it was there just to add a bit of tension for the main character. It would have made sense if it was an adult who had been raised on the surface before being forced underground, but this was someone who had been underground since the age of 2.
Also, my pet hate is books that cut out in the middle in order to force a reader to buy book 2. Well, I don't buy book 2, or any other book by the author when this happens. A story needs a beginning, middle and end. This goes for stand-alone books as well as each book in a series. If there is no conclusion to the plot of the first book, you've lost my trust and I don't keep reading. This book ended just as it felt like it was reaching the middle.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 202 reviews