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Gifted
400 years after humanity nearly wiped out the earth, a lone city Paramus.
Its founders believed that it was their intelligence that saved them, and so in Paramus, intelligence is valued above all else.Arin Wells is 18 years old and the only one who can take care of her family because she is Gifted. When the day comes that she must take the Criterion test, she will find out if she is smart enough to land them wealth and riches, or if her family will be exiled outside of the city’s walls forever.Fans of Veronica Roth’s “Divergent” and Scott Westerfield’s “Uglies” series will enjoy this fast paced, action packed novel set in a world not so different from our own.
Its founders believed that it was their intelligence that saved them, and so in Paramus, intelligence is valued above all else.Arin Wells is 18 years old and the only one who can take care of her family because she is Gifted. When the day comes that she must take the Criterion test, she will find out if she is smart enough to land them wealth and riches, or if her family will be exiled outside of the city’s walls forever.Fans of Veronica Roth’s “Divergent” and Scott Westerfield’s “Uglies” series will enjoy this fast paced, action packed novel set in a world not so different from our own.
322 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 9, 2021
221 people are currently reading
2127 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
August 22, 2022
2.5 stars!
I bought this book because I saw the author’s TikTok which advertised it as being inspired by Divergent (a series I love). Well, let’s just say, that much was painfully obvious. “Inspired by” or a copyright issue? My second major criticism is that the social commentary was more literal than it was literary. This is the author’s debut novel, so it makes sense that her writing style (and grammar at times) is a bit underdeveloped. I don’t regret reading this book, but I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it to you, either.
I bought this book because I saw the author’s TikTok which advertised it as being inspired by Divergent (a series I love). Well, let’s just say, that much was painfully obvious. “Inspired by” or a copyright issue? My second major criticism is that the social commentary was more literal than it was literary. This is the author’s debut novel, so it makes sense that her writing style (and grammar at times) is a bit underdeveloped. I don’t regret reading this book, but I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it to you, either.
August 18, 2022
I think this book was well thought of but executed poorly. I think she is a new writer with great potential but the book fell flat for me.
August 13, 2021
Awesome story
The story line is captivating. The characters are likeable. Well worth the time to read. Be prepared this one is hard to put down.
The story line is captivating. The characters are likeable. Well worth the time to read. Be prepared this one is hard to put down.
January 11, 2022
I wish I could give this book 3.5 stars, but in fairness rounded up to 4. The plot and characters are likable and unique, while still feeling familiar if you’ve read other books in this genre.
Throughout the book there are multiple spelling, punctuation, and continuity errors to the storyline that make it hard to look past if you’re one that pays attention to detail. This is more of a knock on the publishing editor than the author, but it can tend to knock the wind out of your sails just as you’re getting excited about the next plot development.
Through any negatives I mentioned above, I still found myself struggling to put it down and looking forward to the next chapter.
Throughout the book there are multiple spelling, punctuation, and continuity errors to the storyline that make it hard to look past if you’re one that pays attention to detail. This is more of a knock on the publishing editor than the author, but it can tend to knock the wind out of your sails just as you’re getting excited about the next plot development.
Through any negatives I mentioned above, I still found myself struggling to put it down and looking forward to the next chapter.
March 12, 2025
I so very much wanted to love this. Independent author inspired by Divergent? Sign me up. However, like many dystopian stories, this fell very flat. The premise was excellent, but the execution was ROUGH. I felt like i was reading a first draft due to the grammatical errors and repeated continuity issues. Effectively no character development, so I felt zero connection to any of the characters. I, sadly, will not be reading book two.
September 29, 2022
Good story but needs better editing
Plot was good and interesting. Easy to read. Just a little disappointed by so many editing errors. At one point in the story, we were told they only had 7 days to complete a mission and then in the next chapter the main character mentions weeks passing by. Several errors like this. Also, the character development wasn’t great. It seemed very rushed. Definitely had potential and kept me interested just wished it would’ve been edited better.
Plot was good and interesting. Easy to read. Just a little disappointed by so many editing errors. At one point in the story, we were told they only had 7 days to complete a mission and then in the next chapter the main character mentions weeks passing by. Several errors like this. Also, the character development wasn’t great. It seemed very rushed. Definitely had potential and kept me interested just wished it would’ve been edited better.
January 2, 2023
I really wanted to love this book, I did. It has a great plot, and great characters.
Publishing a book is hard, I wouldn’t know I’ve never done it. But editing is so important. There were many grammatical errors, plot holes, and typos throughout this book. It really took me out of the story and made it hard to enjoy as I was just wondering the whole time who read this book at all before it was published. There were times when things were mentioned and then a contradictory statement was made only pages later. If it happened once, fine, but it happened multiple times even on the last page of the book.
I believe wholeheartedly that Kora is a great writer, it was clear from the work put into this story, but she would benefit greatly from a good editor that could read through her book to make sure that there are not mistakes like this one.
Publishing a book is hard, I wouldn’t know I’ve never done it. But editing is so important. There were many grammatical errors, plot holes, and typos throughout this book. It really took me out of the story and made it hard to enjoy as I was just wondering the whole time who read this book at all before it was published. There were times when things were mentioned and then a contradictory statement was made only pages later. If it happened once, fine, but it happened multiple times even on the last page of the book.
I believe wholeheartedly that Kora is a great writer, it was clear from the work put into this story, but she would benefit greatly from a good editor that could read through her book to make sure that there are not mistakes like this one.
August 25, 2022
I would have liked it more if someone had searched-and-replaced every "alright" into "all right," but it was too derivative anyway.
August 17, 2022
Wow, I don’t even know where to begin…
Okay, yes I do.
So I saw Miss Greenwood post about how she hadn’t felt that feeling from Divergent in other dystopian books so she wrote her own and when I say I stopped what I was doing and hopped on over into my Amazon app and bought this book with the “buy now” button and had it ordered in under 30 seconds, I am not exaggerating. I was so excited.
Then I read the Amazon reviews…
Then I read the Goodreads reviews…
And within 24 hours of receiving this book I have finished it.
I could not put it down!!!
It’s a lot like Divergent in a “Google search: books like Divergent” kinda way. The description is “a mix between divergent and uglies” but I would say it’s more similar to The Prodigy by Marie Lu on a smaller Divergent scale. The premise is that in a walled off city, students have to take an exam to prove how smart they are. The top student of each class is considered “gifted” and they get to move to the nicest building in all of the city and work for their form of government: Cortex. Of course the MC is the gifted from her class and she moves into this new role. She discovers she’s the smartest person to have ever taken the test and she’s assigned to move up the ranks pretty quickly. The director takes a liking to her and Arin is thrown for a loop when she discovers that everything she knows isn’t necessarily the whole truth.
Arin’s character, in a nutshell, is someone who is smart enough to think that the choices the city is making is rational and understands it, but the way she was raised by warm and loving parents allows her to see things a bit different and with more color.
Arin’s befriends the director’s right hand woman, Kace, and I won’t lie to you, I think she’s the reason I love this book. I love dystopian, but sometimes it’s so hard to relate because I am so not the bada** that the FMC’s are, but Greenwood created a girly, optimistic character with a hidden past, and I felt myself wishing Kace and I could be friends. The real character development is with Kace. (P.S. please give me more of a Kace, Sol, and Steele love triangle for her and Arin to debate)
Her love interest / roommate, Linc is an older, gifted person, but he’s holding many secrets and Arin needs to know if the connection she feels with him is true or if he’s just playing her.
The way these characters were put in a dystopian world, but still able to feel like young adults through dialog and relationships is truly amazing. I think it’s the “thing” that’s constantly missing from these books: the MC’s typically have to be so grown up, but not here (in a good way, I promise). I’m truly in awe and I just need the second book, please!!! I’m begging!!
Thank you for this amazing book. <3
Okay, yes I do.
So I saw Miss Greenwood post about how she hadn’t felt that feeling from Divergent in other dystopian books so she wrote her own and when I say I stopped what I was doing and hopped on over into my Amazon app and bought this book with the “buy now” button and had it ordered in under 30 seconds, I am not exaggerating. I was so excited.
Then I read the Amazon reviews…
Then I read the Goodreads reviews…
And within 24 hours of receiving this book I have finished it.
I could not put it down!!!
It’s a lot like Divergent in a “Google search: books like Divergent” kinda way. The description is “a mix between divergent and uglies” but I would say it’s more similar to The Prodigy by Marie Lu on a smaller Divergent scale. The premise is that in a walled off city, students have to take an exam to prove how smart they are. The top student of each class is considered “gifted” and they get to move to the nicest building in all of the city and work for their form of government: Cortex. Of course the MC is the gifted from her class and she moves into this new role. She discovers she’s the smartest person to have ever taken the test and she’s assigned to move up the ranks pretty quickly. The director takes a liking to her and Arin is thrown for a loop when she discovers that everything she knows isn’t necessarily the whole truth.
Arin’s character, in a nutshell, is someone who is smart enough to think that the choices the city is making is rational and understands it, but the way she was raised by warm and loving parents allows her to see things a bit different and with more color.
Arin’s befriends the director’s right hand woman, Kace, and I won’t lie to you, I think she’s the reason I love this book. I love dystopian, but sometimes it’s so hard to relate because I am so not the bada** that the FMC’s are, but Greenwood created a girly, optimistic character with a hidden past, and I felt myself wishing Kace and I could be friends. The real character development is with Kace. (P.S. please give me more of a Kace, Sol, and Steele love triangle for her and Arin to debate)
Her love interest / roommate, Linc is an older, gifted person, but he’s holding many secrets and Arin needs to know if the connection she feels with him is true or if he’s just playing her.
The way these characters were put in a dystopian world, but still able to feel like young adults through dialog and relationships is truly amazing. I think it’s the “thing” that’s constantly missing from these books: the MC’s typically have to be so grown up, but not here (in a good way, I promise). I’m truly in awe and I just need the second book, please!!! I’m begging!!
Thank you for this amazing book. <3
July 24, 2024
DNF: I got about halfway through and couldn’t do it. This is a self published novel that desperately needed an editor. I couldn’t get past the issues and was honestly bored a lot while reading it. I literally finished 4 other books during the time (1 month) that I tried reading this book.
1. The idea behind this book could have been an amazing dystopian story, but it was poorly executed. Due to sooo many plot holes and lack of world building. So if first off, I have read many dystopian novels where the world building occurs throughout the story. This does not happen. We are thrown into a story where we have more questions than answers for why the world of Paramus is the way it is. Then there are the plot holes. For instance, in the first chapter that Arin is at Cortex and finds out that her roommate is the guy who scored highest the year before, she states that she barely knew him. Then when they are talking together in next chapter, Arin says it’s as if no time has passed since they were together at school. So like, did they know each other before or not??? Linc’s hair color is both blond and brunette at various time points in the story. There’s more than that, those were just super annoying to me.
2. All the grammatical and spelling errors! This really put me off. Like I get it, no one is perfect and even in well edited novels you will find mistakes, but there were so many. Every chapter had at least one error and my brain couldn’t deal with it.
3. Slow start, somewhat interesting first 75 pages and then slows again. I kept falling asleep reading it. Ended up stopping and picking up other books. As I said above, finished 4 books before I finally gave up on this one. I kept hoping that if I stepped away and tried again I’d be able to finish it. Unfortunately, stepping away just showed me further how badly written this book was.
Props to the author for going through the process of self publishing. But may next time hire someone to fine tooth comb the story.
1. The idea behind this book could have been an amazing dystopian story, but it was poorly executed. Due to sooo many plot holes and lack of world building. So if first off, I have read many dystopian novels where the world building occurs throughout the story. This does not happen. We are thrown into a story where we have more questions than answers for why the world of Paramus is the way it is. Then there are the plot holes. For instance, in the first chapter that Arin is at Cortex and finds out that her roommate is the guy who scored highest the year before, she states that she barely knew him. Then when they are talking together in next chapter, Arin says it’s as if no time has passed since they were together at school. So like, did they know each other before or not??? Linc’s hair color is both blond and brunette at various time points in the story. There’s more than that, those were just super annoying to me.
2. All the grammatical and spelling errors! This really put me off. Like I get it, no one is perfect and even in well edited novels you will find mistakes, but there were so many. Every chapter had at least one error and my brain couldn’t deal with it.
3. Slow start, somewhat interesting first 75 pages and then slows again. I kept falling asleep reading it. Ended up stopping and picking up other books. As I said above, finished 4 books before I finally gave up on this one. I kept hoping that if I stepped away and tried again I’d be able to finish it. Unfortunately, stepping away just showed me further how badly written this book was.
Props to the author for going through the process of self publishing. But may next time hire someone to fine tooth comb the story.
September 13, 2022
DNF 37%
Divergent will always be one of those books I remember from my teen years and while Gifted tries to work the same formula, it just doesn’t flow here. The way the world was built made no sense to me and feels entirely fake. My biggest issue is there is NO build-up to things that should take time and reason to figure out (and I was only at 37%).
This one was not for me.
Divergent will always be one of those books I remember from my teen years and while Gifted tries to work the same formula, it just doesn’t flow here. The way the world was built made no sense to me and feels entirely fake. My biggest issue is there is NO build-up to things that should take time and reason to figure out (and I was only at 37%).
This one was not for me.
August 15, 2021
I could not put this book down! Such a unique idea for a dystopian setting while still keeping the familiar feelings! The main character Arin is likable and relatable. I am going to do my best to wait patiently for the sequel! Definitely recommend reading this!!
September 9, 2022
2 1/2 - 3 stars ⭐️
Gifted is about a utopian/dystopian future where intelligence literally pays. In the end, only the student with the highest Criterion score can join the greatest minds and work at Cortex. Arin scores the best and begins working at the utopian organization where she will live as well. She quickly learns about the dark side of Cortex and the secrets that will change everything.
The plot itself is interesting. Paying people based on their intelligence? A utopian future inside the walls while a dystopian one exists outside of it? All very interesting. I could see this being a movie for sure! But the book wasn’t written that well.
——————————-Spoilers—————————
I think we all had an idea of what was coming as soon as we read that Arin was adopted and the leader was a single woman. We knew her and Linc would end up together as well, of course.
The biggest issue I had was that I felt no connection to the characters. Zero. There was a lot of telling instead of showing. Linc and her developed an intense relationship, literally 0-100, with little development at all. It was like one day they’re meeting and the next there engaged. I highlight things in pink that could lead to people being together and barely highlighted anything by the time they confessed their feelings for each other.
I also didn’t feel connected to her parents. We meet them, then she’s gone, then she goes back and her mom dies. I didn’t feel sad. When her dad was killed, I didn’t feel sad. When all of them were thought to be dead, I didn’t feel sad. There wasn’t a connection there. It felt forced instead of something that was slowly developed.
There’s a part of the book right before her mom dies where they say that they have 7 days. This created a sense of urgency….that was never brought to fruition because her mom dies and then she spends a few weeks mourning.
Overall, I like the idea. I can definitely see where this is pulling from Divergent because it’s almost exactly the same. There were several scenes were I thought I’d read it in Divergent first. For example, the train jumping and looking into her head where she immediately saw Linc. These both happened in divergent as well.
I think this is the author’s first book so congrats to them! I really believe it’ll only get better from here. I’ll read book 2.
Gifted is about a utopian/dystopian future where intelligence literally pays. In the end, only the student with the highest Criterion score can join the greatest minds and work at Cortex. Arin scores the best and begins working at the utopian organization where she will live as well. She quickly learns about the dark side of Cortex and the secrets that will change everything.
The plot itself is interesting. Paying people based on their intelligence? A utopian future inside the walls while a dystopian one exists outside of it? All very interesting. I could see this being a movie for sure! But the book wasn’t written that well.
——————————-Spoilers—————————
I think we all had an idea of what was coming as soon as we read that Arin was adopted and the leader was a single woman. We knew her and Linc would end up together as well, of course.
The biggest issue I had was that I felt no connection to the characters. Zero. There was a lot of telling instead of showing. Linc and her developed an intense relationship, literally 0-100, with little development at all. It was like one day they’re meeting and the next there engaged. I highlight things in pink that could lead to people being together and barely highlighted anything by the time they confessed their feelings for each other.
I also didn’t feel connected to her parents. We meet them, then she’s gone, then she goes back and her mom dies. I didn’t feel sad. When her dad was killed, I didn’t feel sad. When all of them were thought to be dead, I didn’t feel sad. There wasn’t a connection there. It felt forced instead of something that was slowly developed.
There’s a part of the book right before her mom dies where they say that they have 7 days. This created a sense of urgency….that was never brought to fruition because her mom dies and then she spends a few weeks mourning.
Overall, I like the idea. I can definitely see where this is pulling from Divergent because it’s almost exactly the same. There were several scenes were I thought I’d read it in Divergent first. For example, the train jumping and looking into her head where she immediately saw Linc. These both happened in divergent as well.
I think this is the author’s first book so congrats to them! I really believe it’ll only get better from here. I’ll read book 2.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 21, 2023
2.5 stars from me. I liked this book just done and I’d say it’s worth a read if you’re into the hunger games or divergent series. I would not recommend it otherwise. Do not expect this book to top the writing, story, or editing in either of those stories. There is a lot of potential here of course but there are issues that I have with giving this a higher rating. My main gripes with this book are the pacing and continuity errors. There were great world details that are fleshed out well but they seem wildly imbalanced with other aspects of the story. There are several “yards yada yada” moments where we skip weeks of time in the story. They are abrupt and don’t feel quite right. It feels like they are made to keep the book more action packed and less fixated on the nitty gritty. I’m no writer but as an avid reader, I’m aware that something could definitely be changed here to have made that more successful. There are also several moments that are inconsistent with what we are told is happening.
(SPOILERS AHEAD)
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_
_
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We are told that several weeks of Arin mourning her mother have passed but then told in conversation it’s mentioned that she has only known about Ellis’s intentions for a few days. She found out about Ellis before her mother passed so that just doesn’t track.
Arin allows Ellis to go free but is informed that the soldiers have actually captured her in her escape attempt. Then in the epilogue it’s said that she escaped Cortex completely.
Both of these were situations where it was both jarring and confusing and they definitely took me out of the story.
Pacing wise, I definitely would have liked for Arins (or Kaces) relationship to not have developed as it did. It definitely could have been slowed down and still stayed satisfying. His mothers wedding ring? Really?
Overall though, I don’t think this read was a waste of my time. I quite enjoyed the way that Arin works through her moral quandaries and asks a lot of legitimate questions to both sides. I think that aspect definitely adds more depth to this and could possibly rationalize the telling instead of showing aspect of it all.
(SPOILERS AHEAD)
_
_
_
_
We are told that several weeks of Arin mourning her mother have passed but then told in conversation it’s mentioned that she has only known about Ellis’s intentions for a few days. She found out about Ellis before her mother passed so that just doesn’t track.
Arin allows Ellis to go free but is informed that the soldiers have actually captured her in her escape attempt. Then in the epilogue it’s said that she escaped Cortex completely.
Both of these were situations where it was both jarring and confusing and they definitely took me out of the story.
Pacing wise, I definitely would have liked for Arins (or Kaces) relationship to not have developed as it did. It definitely could have been slowed down and still stayed satisfying. His mothers wedding ring? Really?
Overall though, I don’t think this read was a waste of my time. I quite enjoyed the way that Arin works through her moral quandaries and asks a lot of legitimate questions to both sides. I think that aspect definitely adds more depth to this and could possibly rationalize the telling instead of showing aspect of it all.
January 15, 2023
Originally, I wanted to try this book because the author posted a TikTok claiming it had the same “feel” as Divergent. While it definitely has a dystopian, young adult, rebellious plot line like Divergent, it in no way lives up to the genre that we fell in love with.
I think the book is a good first attempt for a new author, and with some development, there’s a lot of promise. But in regards to this book, there were a lot of issues. Typos, consistency issues, the relationships seemed too unnatural and forced. I didn’t feel connected to the characters at all, so I wasn’t feeling strong emotions for anyone when big moments happened.
Most of the book leads up to the last two or so chapters, and I find myself wishing that we would’ve spent more time diversifying what the character did throughout the book and really giving the character genuine motives for what they are doing. We only got to know a few characters in general throughout the book, and I just felt like we could have utilized her workspace and the people there more. I felt that for a character that was supposed to be the smartest of her people, she was making really rash, illogical, and uncharacteristic decisions for what she’s described to be.
That was another issue that I had was the characters would make decisions or say things that seemed so out of character. It was hard to continue supporting them and WANTING to be on their side when every time they spoke I was like ????
The book is not terrible by any means and I definitely didn’t regret reading it. However, I didn’t feel myself engaged like I usually am with a good book. I didn’t find myself sitting at work wishing I could just be reading this book right now. Overall, I just was kind of left wanting this book to be more than it was
I think the book is a good first attempt for a new author, and with some development, there’s a lot of promise. But in regards to this book, there were a lot of issues. Typos, consistency issues, the relationships seemed too unnatural and forced. I didn’t feel connected to the characters at all, so I wasn’t feeling strong emotions for anyone when big moments happened.
Most of the book leads up to the last two or so chapters, and I find myself wishing that we would’ve spent more time diversifying what the character did throughout the book and really giving the character genuine motives for what they are doing. We only got to know a few characters in general throughout the book, and I just felt like we could have utilized her workspace and the people there more. I felt that for a character that was supposed to be the smartest of her people, she was making really rash, illogical, and uncharacteristic decisions for what she’s described to be.
That was another issue that I had was the characters would make decisions or say things that seemed so out of character. It was hard to continue supporting them and WANTING to be on their side when every time they spoke I was like ????
The book is not terrible by any means and I definitely didn’t regret reading it. However, I didn’t feel myself engaged like I usually am with a good book. I didn’t find myself sitting at work wishing I could just be reading this book right now. Overall, I just was kind of left wanting this book to be more than it was
January 7, 2023
** Contains spoilers regarding character names and a few small details about the characters **
Like many, I picked up this book because of the TikTok that Kora posted about her book, Gifted.
I ordered it the minute I saw the video, and was extremely excited to read! To begin, I gave this book an overall two start because I feel like it’s lacking pretty important components to a good book: consistency, and character building.
Other people have mentioned this, and I noticed several times throughout the story that Kora contradicts herself with the events of the book, and even details of the past that are supposed to create the environment for the book as a whole.
The Epilogue confused me even more, because it seems like it was just written as an afterthought to lead into a sequel. Page 308 says that they captured Director Ellis. But then the epilogue on page 312 they talk about how she got away and was trying to hide, and THEN they captured her. It was all just kind of messy in my opinion.
I did enjoy moments, Sol’s character was pretty lovable and there were a few enjoyable sarcasm bits throughout.
Overall, though, I had a hard time making it through this book. A lot of points in the plot seem to have been taken from other stories, mainly Divergent and The Hunger Games. I mean, the old lady’s name is Maz in this book. Sounds a lot like Mags from THG.
Like many, I picked up this book because of the TikTok that Kora posted about her book, Gifted.
I ordered it the minute I saw the video, and was extremely excited to read! To begin, I gave this book an overall two start because I feel like it’s lacking pretty important components to a good book: consistency, and character building.
Other people have mentioned this, and I noticed several times throughout the story that Kora contradicts herself with the events of the book, and even details of the past that are supposed to create the environment for the book as a whole.
The Epilogue confused me even more, because it seems like it was just written as an afterthought to lead into a sequel. Page 308 says that they captured Director Ellis. But then the epilogue on page 312 they talk about how she got away and was trying to hide, and THEN they captured her. It was all just kind of messy in my opinion.
I did enjoy moments, Sol’s character was pretty lovable and there were a few enjoyable sarcasm bits throughout.
Overall, though, I had a hard time making it through this book. A lot of points in the plot seem to have been taken from other stories, mainly Divergent and The Hunger Games. I mean, the old lady’s name is Maz in this book. Sounds a lot like Mags from THG.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 21, 2022
great concept
I’m writing this review very late so my thoughts are jumbled but I hope I get my point across.
This book had a great plot with so much potential to be absolutely great. It reminded me a bit of the matched or delirium series. Unfortunately the entire story just felt rushed. The love interest started from being smitten and butterflies in the stomach to just full blown love with no relationship building
The plot. Amazing plot. I wish they made this book longer. The potential to really world build here was missed. We only get a glimpse of cortex and a glimpse of outside the wall. We get the bare minimum on how the regular people live and their district. A few more chapters of working at the main place to give more context of the work they do and delve into the other levels like the red level. We also only get tidbits of the dangers outside the wall that are never elaborated on. This book had the potential to be the next divergent series but sadly fell short.
All in all I would still recommend this to someone who is missing that dystopian vibe as a good filler until you find your next series.
I’m writing this review very late so my thoughts are jumbled but I hope I get my point across.
This book had a great plot with so much potential to be absolutely great. It reminded me a bit of the matched or delirium series. Unfortunately the entire story just felt rushed. The love interest started from being smitten and butterflies in the stomach to just full blown love with no relationship building
The plot. Amazing plot. I wish they made this book longer. The potential to really world build here was missed. We only get a glimpse of cortex and a glimpse of outside the wall. We get the bare minimum on how the regular people live and their district. A few more chapters of working at the main place to give more context of the work they do and delve into the other levels like the red level. We also only get tidbits of the dangers outside the wall that are never elaborated on. This book had the potential to be the next divergent series but sadly fell short.
All in all I would still recommend this to someone who is missing that dystopian vibe as a good filler until you find your next series.
January 24, 2023
I enjoyed this story and it was a quick read! However, the author clearly took from similar YA Dystopian plot lines (which I’m not necessarily against, but I think the author could have expanded on what made her book different). There were a couple of other small things that bugged me as I read the novel; for example, the author repeated herself often, restating phrases like “I’m like a diamond, perfect under pressure” many times throughout the story. Additionally, there is a point in the book when one of the characters makes a claim that they have only one week to achieve a certain goal, but then very soon after, the author states that weeks have passed (which made it difficult to understand the timeline).
These little errors, along with the younger feel of the book, caused me to have slightly less interest in the characters, their goals, etc. than I would have liked. But with all of this said, it was still a short, enjoyable book that I would recommend to fans of books like the Divergent series.
These little errors, along with the younger feel of the book, caused me to have slightly less interest in the characters, their goals, etc. than I would have liked. But with all of this said, it was still a short, enjoyable book that I would recommend to fans of books like the Divergent series.
October 17, 2022
QUICK BITS
-Dystopian/Sci Fi
-Quick read
REVIEW
I picked up Gifted after seeing a tiktok made by the author describing it as a sort of homage to the Divergent series.
Personally I think that the author did a great job of creating that experience without ripping off the original inspiration.
It was a quick read, that has me rooting for the underdogs, as they find their own power amongst a corrupt system.
My only main squabbles were a bit of the plot that I felt slumped when I would have expected it to take off and a few logistics regarding the characters ability to go unnoticed amongst a tightly shut down and technologically advanced building.
However, overall I would easily recommend this to those like me who crave to recreate their first experience with the Divergent series.
RATINGS
Characters 8
Atmosphere 10
Writing Style 7
Plot 5
Intrigue 7
Logic 4
Enjoyment 7
TOTAL = 48 /14 = 3.42
3.50/5.00 Rounded Rating
-Dystopian/Sci Fi
-Quick read
REVIEW
I picked up Gifted after seeing a tiktok made by the author describing it as a sort of homage to the Divergent series.
Personally I think that the author did a great job of creating that experience without ripping off the original inspiration.
It was a quick read, that has me rooting for the underdogs, as they find their own power amongst a corrupt system.
My only main squabbles were a bit of the plot that I felt slumped when I would have expected it to take off and a few logistics regarding the characters ability to go unnoticed amongst a tightly shut down and technologically advanced building.
However, overall I would easily recommend this to those like me who crave to recreate their first experience with the Divergent series.
RATINGS
Characters 8
Atmosphere 10
Writing Style 7
Plot 5
Intrigue 7
Logic 4
Enjoyment 7
TOTAL = 48 /14 = 3.42
3.50/5.00 Rounded Rating
September 22, 2022
The book is good, should be a 5 but I couldn't look past something's.
I read this book SO quickly. Let me tell you, it's a great plot but definitely needed more detail. How did Paramus start, how was the council chosen, who were the council/who was whose parents.
I liked the book and the characters, that's why it's a 4.
But the timeline is off at the end unless I misread.
The grammar and spelling, while I'm no literary genius, I know some grammar, spelling and common phrases (all right v. alright / timber v. timbre / colleges v. colleagues / book back v. Book bag / write the wrong v right the wrong) these are just some not all. Some sentence formation is wonky too.
That's publishing errors and the authors own inability to proofread/understand the commonalities. These errors prevent the book being a 5. I wanted to rate this book a 3 but I just couldn't do it.
I read this book SO quickly. Let me tell you, it's a great plot but definitely needed more detail. How did Paramus start, how was the council chosen, who were the council/who was whose parents.
I liked the book and the characters, that's why it's a 4.
But the timeline is off at the end unless I misread.
The grammar and spelling, while I'm no literary genius, I know some grammar, spelling and common phrases (all right v. alright / timber v. timbre / colleges v. colleagues / book back v. Book bag / write the wrong v right the wrong) these are just some not all. Some sentence formation is wonky too.
That's publishing errors and the authors own inability to proofread/understand the commonalities. These errors prevent the book being a 5. I wanted to rate this book a 3 but I just couldn't do it.
October 21, 2022
I desperately wanted to like this book. I truly did. I found Kora's tiktok and thought this was going to be great and take me back to the time when dystopians were actually the popular book type.... unfortunately it had some problems that I think come with just a lack of practice and maybe not having the most honest support during the writing process.
I wish the conflict started earlier in the book and was clear in its complexities rather than being complex because it was confusing. I wish there was more time actually interacting with the characters rather than just telling us how they are and what their relationships look like. I wish the relationships felt genuine... the only that felt real were Arin and her parents...
I had such high hopes. I think maybe the 3rd or 4th book that Kora puts out will be great. Just some time for development is going to be needed.
I wish the conflict started earlier in the book and was clear in its complexities rather than being complex because it was confusing. I wish there was more time actually interacting with the characters rather than just telling us how they are and what their relationships look like. I wish the relationships felt genuine... the only that felt real were Arin and her parents...
I had such high hopes. I think maybe the 3rd or 4th book that Kora puts out will be great. Just some time for development is going to be needed.
November 1, 2023
I totally understand how difficult it is to write a novel- so props to Kora for even attempting it. But “Gifted” was not it. To me, at least, it was so hyped up as like divergent which was a great series (EXCEPT FOR THE LAST BOOK) that I was expecting great things. The “zeno knife” was stolen for Scott Westerfeld. It felt like all the dystopian books I’ve read before mashed together in a 300 page book. So disappointed 😫 It was so hard to follow, the plot building was… ahem… bad, to say the least. And the romance. It was so rushed and put together. Like- I totally believe that Linc if going to marry you Arin… in the first three hundred pages of the book… when the relationship is hardly described well on page. Anyways. I would love to give Kora Greenwood another chance in the future maybe…. possibly…
September 14, 2022
This was an interesting read, and I plan on reading the second book as well.
I was really bothered by the spelling and grammar mistakes. There were too many to count. Hopefully the next book is more carefully edited.
There were also several instances in the book where the story line didn’t match up. At one point it said there were only 7 days until the “virus” would be released. But then weeks and weeks went on.
And at the very end, Director Ellis was apparently captured by the rebels on the day that the walls fell. But in the epilogue it said she escaped to the outer parts of the Lost City before she was captured a few weeks later. There were other times as well, which is pretty bothersome.
3/5 stars for the interesting plot, but brought down by what I mentioned above.
I was really bothered by the spelling and grammar mistakes. There were too many to count. Hopefully the next book is more carefully edited.
There were also several instances in the book where the story line didn’t match up. At one point it said there were only 7 days until the “virus” would be released. But then weeks and weeks went on.
And at the very end, Director Ellis was apparently captured by the rebels on the day that the walls fell. But in the epilogue it said she escaped to the outer parts of the Lost City before she was captured a few weeks later. There were other times as well, which is pretty bothersome.
3/5 stars for the interesting plot, but brought down by what I mentioned above.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 22, 2022
To be totally and utterly honest with you I have high expectations for books when it comes to romance and action as well as drama there are only a few select books that actually meet the standards that I love , this book includes all the love the drama and scandals that every good book needs, for the first time in a while I really love this book to the point I will probably read this as many time as people watch there favourite comfort movies ,I love the author as well she seem super kind and creative I love that she created a series off of the divergent series. Thank god for you Kora Greenwood I love your books more then you know. And can’t wait for more to come. <3
July 15, 2023
𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚊𝚕𝚕 ★★★.5 (really liked it)
𝚢𝚘𝚞’𝚍 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎...
᪥ dystopians
᪥ FMC with all the brain
᪥ reluctant chosen one trope
᪥ a touch of romance
So, I really liked that one! It was fun to jump back into a world like and unlike so many I’ve read. In this world, only the smartest, most gifted make the cut, all the others…well, it depends. In the high walled city, no secret is safe for long. I loved that the FMC was smart and not afraid to be the brainiest in the room. Some of the plot movements seemed convenient, and at times, it lulled before the next bit of action, but I really enjoyed this read overall!
𝚢𝚘𝚞’𝚍 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎...
᪥ dystopians
᪥ FMC with all the brain
᪥ reluctant chosen one trope
᪥ a touch of romance
So, I really liked that one! It was fun to jump back into a world like and unlike so many I’ve read. In this world, only the smartest, most gifted make the cut, all the others…well, it depends. In the high walled city, no secret is safe for long. I loved that the FMC was smart and not afraid to be the brainiest in the room. Some of the plot movements seemed convenient, and at times, it lulled before the next bit of action, but I really enjoyed this read overall!
August 5, 2025
This book had so much potential ugh. The last half of the book lost the plot completely. It was too rushed. The story needed more time to make these big things more believable. I wish I had the author’s cut, everything happened too fast, too soon. The romance wasn’t believable. Again, moved too quickly and honestly out of nowhere imo. Some of the details throughout the book were confusing and inconsistent which were a bit frustrating. I honestly think it was the lack of editing that made it this way. Disappointing, the idea was brilliant.
One star for the book, one star for me for sticking to it.
One star for the book, one star for me for sticking to it.
September 22, 2022
This book really was not terrible. I read it because I saw the authors tik Tok, and I love the divergent series. You can tell this book was based off of that, as well as the hunger games and possibly even the maze runner. I loved the characters. She is a new author so I don't think this was bad for her first book. There were some grammatical errors I noticed when reading, but hopefully if she publishes more these issues will be fixed. I will see I didn't want to out it down, and I stopped reading another book to read this one!
August 17, 2022
I really wanted to like this book more, but it felt like there were too many Hunger Games and Divergent similarities. Yes, i know the book was written to attract fans of those series; and you can only be SO creative in dystopian society stories. But it just felt wildly forced to me. But i’m still going to read the 2nd book when it gets released because i did enjoy it a little; however, I will have to overlook the cheesy love story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 9, 2022
If you liked Divergent by Veronica Roth, then you will very likely enjoy this. It's the total vibe of that YA dystopian era.
Don't take my rating too seriously, I just felt like I was maybe a bit too old for it to fully sink into the story (a genuine shocker like no I can't be getting old NO) but it was also a bit like a nice familiar walk down memory lane. Regardless, I know several teens who would devour this book and I will absolutely be recommending it to them!
Don't take my rating too seriously, I just felt like I was maybe a bit too old for it to fully sink into the story (a genuine shocker like no I can't be getting old NO) but it was also a bit like a nice familiar walk down memory lane. Regardless, I know several teens who would devour this book and I will absolutely be recommending it to them!
September 26, 2022
There are some VERY strong similarities between Divergent and Gifted, however there was enough difference that I felt like it was its own story. I could definitely tell that this was the authors first book, and because of that I was more willing to forgive aspects of the book that I would usually roll my eyes at if it were another author. I enjoyed the story but it wasn’t my favourite. I will provably read the sequel when it comes out though 😂
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