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Published June 12th 2012
Publisher: Entangled Publishing, LLC
**E-copy provided by the publisher for review**
Life is bleak but uncomplicated for sixteen-year-old Tess, living in a not-too-distant future where the government, faced with humanity's extinction, created the Chosen Ones, artificial beings who are extraordinarily beautiful, unbelievably strong, and unabashedly deadly.
When Tess begins work at Templeton, a Chosen Ones training facility, she meets James, and the attraction is immediate in its intensity, overwhelming in its danger. But there is more to Templeton than Tess ever knew. Can she stand against her oppressors, even if it means giving up the only happiness in her life?
Let's start by the cover, shall we? I mean, the contrast between the girl and the floor are really good. And I love the font for the tittle. So, good cover, a good start for me.
And now the book... wow.
I absolutely love this book. The world building is fantastic and Tiffany Truitt makes an excellent job at writing the feelings that had me hooked from page one. The world of The Chosen Ones is an interesting scary place I couldn't get out from.
When I started this book, I had to take a second. This world that was presented to me in page one was a disturbing place.Tess is a Natural. A human. A week being that shouldn't have feelings at all. She lives at a compound, along with the rest of her community, protected by the Chosen Ones, artificial beings created to be soldiers and fight a war that has destroyed not only the country but people's hope.
"The absence of hope was the worst plague that ever ravaged my people"
Humanity is damned. They can't feel any emotions because it makes them week. Music, books, art and love is against the rules. Women are to blame for everything. They are the cause to this week state, so the oldest girl in every family must serve to Templeton, a training facility for the Chosen Ones for 3 years after they turn sixteen.
When Tess' older sister, Emma, dies at childbirth she must take her place and she does so willingly. She taught herself to bury every kind of emotion she ever felt and she's determined she will live, she won't make the same mistake her sister did. She won't fall in love.
In some ways, this made it a bit hard to relate to Tess, she doesn't give us an insight to her feelings right away, because she doesn't acknowledged them at all. But on the other hand, you can see that a part of her wants to fight back.
"The only time I would let them own my voice."
Her development through the book is great. I love her from page one and once she started working at Templeton and she meets James, is a whole new world in her eyes that kept me reading at night.
James is a Chosen One. He's trained to kill. He was taught he's better than a natural. And at the same time, he loves all that the rules say is bad. He has music and books.
His relationship with Tess has a steady pace and the reactions are real, they are going against everything they were ever told and I really liked that about the relationship. And the heated moments? Perfects.
Can you imagine living in a world without music or books, without feelings and love? The Chosen Ones made me feel lost.., and hope. Scared... and excited. I was angry, I wanted to fight back this organization that treated humans and women like were nothing. But most importantly I feel in love with it's characters and story. The ending was heartbreaking. I'm really looking forward to read the next one.
Get the book:
Now for the Giveaway!!
The ebook will be sent by Entangled. Contest is open internationally.
About Tiffany Truitt
Tiffany Truitt was born in Peoria, Illinois. A self-proclaimed Navy brat, Tiffany spent most of her childhood living in Virginia, but don’t call her a Southerner. She also spent a few years living in Cuba. Since her time on the island of one McDonalds and Banana Rats (don't ask), she has been obsessed with traveling. Tiffany recently added China to her list of travels (hello inspiration for a new book).
Besides traveling, Tiffany has always been an avid reader. The earliest books she remembers reading belong to The Little House on the Prairie Series. First book she read in one day? Little Woman (5th grade). First author she fell in love with? Jane Austen in middle school. Tiffany spent most of her high school and college career as a literary snob. She refused to read anything considered "low brow" or outside the "classics."
Tiffany began teaching middle school in 2006. Her students introduced her to the wide, wonderful world of Young Adult literature. Today, Tiffany embraces popular Young Adult literature and uses it in her classroom. She currently teaches the following novels: The Outsiders, Speak, Night, Dystopian Literature Circles: The Hunger Games, The Giver, The Uglies, and Matched.
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