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thebookhaze's review
2.0
Attempted to read; July 2016
I read more than 50% of the book on ebook, but while it wasn't bad, it wasn't interesting or compelling enough to keep my attention. I'm kinda indifferent about finishing it, so I decided not to. I might come back to it one day, but I doubt it.
I read more than 50% of the book on ebook, but while it wasn't bad, it wasn't interesting or compelling enough to keep my attention. I'm kinda indifferent about finishing it, so I decided not to. I might come back to it one day, but I doubt it.
sofyy1102's review against another edition
4.0
I’m really glad I read this book, totally worth the money and the time! I can’t wait to read the rest of the trilogy!
Tess, a sixteen-year-old girl lives in a postapocalyptic time. Her people are divided into Naturals (Tess being one) and the Chosen Ones (only males), before you ask, no, the Chosen Ones aren’t a little army of Harry Potters… although they do have some kind of magic.
The Chosen Ones were created by scientistS to fight the war, they are stronger, smarter and faster. The Chosen Ones were also created because they are Earth’s future. Normal human beings can no longer be born, for some reason. Women can get pregnant, but once they try to give birth, both them and their babies die. That being the reason why sex is seen as something disreputable.
Of course there are still some people who like to make some whoopee, usually those being the Chosen Ones, who sometimes don’t really choose the “good old” normal act of intercourse, they would rather force a couple of girls.
On the other hand, there are also people among the Naturals who are “married”, not from the council’s eyes, of course. Afterwards, such disasters as the wife getting pregnant and then dying along with the unborn child happen quite frequently. This happened with Tess’s older sister, Emma, Emma married Robert and then got herself pregnant, despite Tess’s warnings. I had the impression that Tess was way older than 16, the poor girl had to grow a lot faster than normal people, due to the society she was born in… that and of course, the fact that both her parents were dead (the father had been absent from her life and the mother had been an alcoholic -oh the joy!). Also, Emma, despite being older than Tess, was reckless and too innocent (not to mention annoying, even dead I felt she was annoying as fuck). After the funeral of her sister, Tess had then to take care of her younger sister Louise, who is in my opinion, a spoiled little brat. I wished Tess had just told Louise the truth about the Chosen Ones. Louise had this illusion of the Chosen Ones, she believed they were their saviors, that they would never harm them. Louise was not the only to be fooled, of course, most Naturals were deceived by the council.
Anyhow, as I was saying, after Emma’s death, Tess has to take her sister’s place at the Templeton, where the Chosen Ones live and train. There she has to do gruesome tasks…Yet, it is also at the Templeton she meets James, a Chosen One, who likes reading and classical music. James, as all Chosen Ones are, is quite handsome, and after a few encounters, she becomes his personal maid.
As life seems hopeless, Tess find happiness with James, though never allowing herself to relax or pretend the world around her is fine. She begins to notice that some things she was taught to believe in aren’t right at all, she opens her eyes to the atrocious acts happening in front of her eyes.
I loved reading this book, especially the hidden meaning… James had this weird obsession with the book Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, he identifies himself with the creature of that book, partly because he feels like he doesn’t belong, and also because he didn’t feel human at all, even if he is the most human of all the Chosen Ones.
A couple of quotes from Chosen Ones for you:
“Stories enabled you to forget your life and your limits. They urged you to reach for a world that was never meant to be yours. There was nothing more dangerous that an imagination.”
“Maybe it’s better to live in a world you don’t understand, because if you understand it, it becomes unbearable.”
“Stories enabled you to forget your life and your limits. They urged you to reach for a world that was never meant to be yours. There was nothing more dangerous than an imagination.”
Yes, this book is sad and Tess is constantly breaking my heart, I feel for the poor girl. But this book also has its “Do I dare to dream” moments and “ASDFGHJKL” moments.
So read it guys! Totally worth reading this book!
Tess, a sixteen-year-old girl lives in a postapocalyptic time. Her people are divided into Naturals (Tess being one) and the Chosen Ones (only males), before you ask, no, the Chosen Ones aren’t a little army of Harry Potters… although they do have some kind of magic.
The Chosen Ones were created by scientistS to fight the war, they are stronger, smarter and faster. The Chosen Ones were also created because they are Earth’s future. Normal human beings can no longer be born, for some reason. Women can get pregnant, but once they try to give birth, both them and their babies die. That being the reason why sex is seen as something disreputable.
Of course there are still some people who like to make some whoopee, usually those being the Chosen Ones, who sometimes don’t really choose the “good old” normal act of intercourse, they would rather force a couple of girls.
On the other hand, there are also people among the Naturals who are “married”, not from the council’s eyes, of course. Afterwards, such disasters as the wife getting pregnant and then dying along with the unborn child happen quite frequently. This happened with Tess’s older sister, Emma, Emma married Robert and then got herself pregnant, despite Tess’s warnings. I had the impression that Tess was way older than 16, the poor girl had to grow a lot faster than normal people, due to the society she was born in… that and of course, the fact that both her parents were dead (the father had been absent from her life and the mother had been an alcoholic -oh the joy!). Also, Emma, despite being older than Tess, was reckless and too innocent (not to mention annoying, even dead I felt she was annoying as fuck). After the funeral of her sister, Tess had then to take care of her younger sister Louise, who is in my opinion, a spoiled little brat. I wished Tess had just told Louise the truth about the Chosen Ones. Louise had this illusion of the Chosen Ones, she believed they were their saviors, that they would never harm them. Louise was not the only to be fooled, of course, most Naturals were deceived by the council.
Anyhow, as I was saying, after Emma’s death, Tess has to take her sister’s place at the Templeton, where the Chosen Ones live and train. There she has to do gruesome tasks…Yet, it is also at the Templeton she meets James, a Chosen One, who likes reading and classical music. James, as all Chosen Ones are, is quite handsome, and after a few encounters, she becomes his personal maid.
As life seems hopeless, Tess find happiness with James, though never allowing herself to relax or pretend the world around her is fine. She begins to notice that some things she was taught to believe in aren’t right at all, she opens her eyes to the atrocious acts happening in front of her eyes.
I loved reading this book, especially the hidden meaning… James had this weird obsession with the book Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, he identifies himself with the creature of that book, partly because he feels like he doesn’t belong, and also because he didn’t feel human at all, even if he is the most human of all the Chosen Ones.
A couple of quotes from Chosen Ones for you:
“Stories enabled you to forget your life and your limits. They urged you to reach for a world that was never meant to be yours. There was nothing more dangerous that an imagination.”
“Maybe it’s better to live in a world you don’t understand, because if you understand it, it becomes unbearable.”
“Stories enabled you to forget your life and your limits. They urged you to reach for a world that was never meant to be yours. There was nothing more dangerous than an imagination.”
Yes, this book is sad and Tess is constantly breaking my heart, I feel for the poor girl. But this book also has its “Do I dare to dream” moments and “ASDFGHJKL” moments.
So read it guys! Totally worth reading this book!
imys's review
2.0
not entirely sure why i liked it so much when i first read this, a rookies mistake-this has the most generic plot in ya lit.
postitsandpens's review
3.0
3.5/5 stars.
Chosen Ones is a book that's been on my radar for some time, so when I was asked to review it as part of the pre-release tour for Naturals, I immediately jumped at the chance. And while it did take a while for me to warm up to our main character, and get completely engrossed in the story, I ultimately came away from Chosen Ones quite satisfied, and eager to see what comes next.
As with most dystopian books, Chosen Ones tells the tale of a US that's been decimated by a third World War. Instead of one large country, we instead have two separate factions on each of the coasts, with a sort of wasteland where the Midwest once was. Not only is the country suffering under immense poverty, but women have lost the ability to bring forth life. Because humanity is too tired to fight its own battles, scientists have engineered so-called Chosen Ones, who are able to fight without remorse or feeling, making them the perfect killing machines. Tess, our main character, lives on a Compound where the Chosen Ones are engineered, and is forced to work at the actual facility that houses them after her sister's death. It's here that she meets James, and the book really starts to take off.
I do want to commend the author on her world-building. The background and history interspersed into the story via Tess' memories and her father's letters really helps the reader figure out what's going on. At times the book was quite frightening, because it's not completely implausible to see something like this eventually occurring in the (hopefully not near) future. I do wish we'd gotten to experience a bit more of the world, but considering that Tess is confined to the compound and Templeton, that's not really feasible. I hope - considering the events at the end of this book - that we WILL get a chance to dive more into the unknown world in the second installment.
The romance between Tess and James was really well done, and I loved how he slowly got Tess out of her shell. She, understandably, pushes people away and keeps herself closed off, because she's lost pretty much everything in her young life and wants to keep herself from the pain of more loss. This makes her a bit difficult to warm up to, as she's not only detached from her surroundings and the people around her, but also the reader. I loved how, the more time she and James spent together, the more it became quite obvious that she needed him to remember her humanity, and he, likewise, needed her to remember that he was more than just a killing machine. Forbidden romance can so easily go wrong, but I'm happy to report that, in this case, it's really done quite perfectly and I enjoyed every moment.
While a bit slow to get started, and having a main character that takes a while to warm up to, Chosen Ones is ultimately a solid dystopian book worthy of addition to your shelves. There is a bit of cliffhanger at the end of the book, which nicely sets up the sequel. I can't wait to see what comes next not only for Tess and James, but all the others she cares about as well!
***
To see more of my reviews, please visit me @ Read and Reviewed!
Chosen Ones is a book that's been on my radar for some time, so when I was asked to review it as part of the pre-release tour for Naturals, I immediately jumped at the chance. And while it did take a while for me to warm up to our main character, and get completely engrossed in the story, I ultimately came away from Chosen Ones quite satisfied, and eager to see what comes next.
As with most dystopian books, Chosen Ones tells the tale of a US that's been decimated by a third World War. Instead of one large country, we instead have two separate factions on each of the coasts, with a sort of wasteland where the Midwest once was. Not only is the country suffering under immense poverty, but women have lost the ability to bring forth life. Because humanity is too tired to fight its own battles, scientists have engineered so-called Chosen Ones, who are able to fight without remorse or feeling, making them the perfect killing machines. Tess, our main character, lives on a Compound where the Chosen Ones are engineered, and is forced to work at the actual facility that houses them after her sister's death. It's here that she meets James, and the book really starts to take off.
"No wonder the council had outlawed books. Stories enabled you to forget your life and your limits. They urged you to reach for a world that was never meant to be yours. There was nothing more dangerous than imagination." - 33%
I do want to commend the author on her world-building. The background and history interspersed into the story via Tess' memories and her father's letters really helps the reader figure out what's going on. At times the book was quite frightening, because it's not completely implausible to see something like this eventually occurring in the (hopefully not near) future. I do wish we'd gotten to experience a bit more of the world, but considering that Tess is confined to the compound and Templeton, that's not really feasible. I hope - considering the events at the end of this book - that we WILL get a chance to dive more into the unknown world in the second installment.
"There's more to this life than what you have settled for. You've crawled so deep inside yourself I wonder if you even know you have a self to save." - 19%
The romance between Tess and James was really well done, and I loved how he slowly got Tess out of her shell. She, understandably, pushes people away and keeps herself closed off, because she's lost pretty much everything in her young life and wants to keep herself from the pain of more loss. This makes her a bit difficult to warm up to, as she's not only detached from her surroundings and the people around her, but also the reader. I loved how, the more time she and James spent together, the more it became quite obvious that she needed him to remember her humanity, and he, likewise, needed her to remember that he was more than just a killing machine. Forbidden romance can so easily go wrong, but I'm happy to report that, in this case, it's really done quite perfectly and I enjoyed every moment.
While a bit slow to get started, and having a main character that takes a while to warm up to, Chosen Ones is ultimately a solid dystopian book worthy of addition to your shelves. There is a bit of cliffhanger at the end of the book, which nicely sets up the sequel. I can't wait to see what comes next not only for Tess and James, but all the others she cares about as well!
***
To see more of my reviews, please visit me @ Read and Reviewed!
bookishvice's review
3.0
Chosen Ones sets of with a strong premise and an excitingly horrifying first chapter, where we see Tess getting branded for her sister's transgression of falling in love and getting pregnant. All her life Tess has been taught that to have feelings is wrong. In her world, women are seen as dangerous because they're the ones to 'give into emotions' easily. They are strongly discouraged to have feelings, and relationships between male and females are strictly forbidden. Tess has always kept a tight hold on her emotions, but that one day in the piano room with the mysterious chosen one, her control started to slip. James is unlike any chosen ones she has encountered before. Not only because of the tiny scar on his chin, which makes him flawed, but because of the way he reacts to her. Through heartbreak, anger, and love, Tess will find out the truth about the chosen one's system, and she will need to decide if it's worth it to make a stand.
I thought most of the times Tess was trying to emulate the chosen ones, or at least the perfect idea everyone had of them, by being dispassionate. Her emotionless views of things around her, the hardcore uncaring ideas she had of just about everything made me not like her. I knew he point was that she did have feelings and years of brainwash by the council have made her constantly try to convince herself otherwise. She just isolates herself from the horrible world around her, and when she opens her eyes and decides to challenge this world, it's beautiful. But she keeps thinking in that detached way, and I just couldn't connect with her at any moment.
This story makes a great point of showing that the heart can't be controlled, and emotions can't be tamed. It all comes down to being human, even if you're genetically engineered. I also liked the way the Frankenstein story is weaved in, and how James compares himself to it when I saw him as the most human/natural person there. I saw and believed in his connection with Tess (with all those steamy make out sessions, who wouldn’t?), but she just made me doubt its purity every step of the way. You like him—you hate him, you think of him as human—you think he's a monster, you trust him—you doubt him? I just wanted to slap her and tell her to get her shit together.
Overall, Chosen Ones is a great story about being courageous enough to stand up for yourself and for others. If there is one thing that I liked about Tess was the fact that she saw that keeping quiet was wrong, and if no one else was ready to make a stand then why not her. As this is a first POV story I thought there was a lot of narrative, and I really wanted more action and dialogue weaved in to it. Or maybe that’s just my opinion because I didn't like Tess that much…
*I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review*
I thought most of the times Tess was trying to emulate the chosen ones, or at least the perfect idea everyone had of them, by being dispassionate. Her emotionless views of things around her, the hardcore uncaring ideas she had of just about everything made me not like her. I knew he point was that she did have feelings and years of brainwash by the council have made her constantly try to convince herself otherwise. She just isolates herself from the horrible world around her, and when she opens her eyes and decides to challenge this world, it's beautiful. But she keeps thinking in that detached way, and I just couldn't connect with her at any moment.
This story makes a great point of showing that the heart can't be controlled, and emotions can't be tamed. It all comes down to being human, even if you're genetically engineered. I also liked the way the Frankenstein story is weaved in, and how James compares himself to it when I saw him as the most human/natural person there. I saw and believed in his connection with Tess (with all those steamy make out sessions, who wouldn’t?), but she just made me doubt its purity every step of the way. You like him—you hate him, you think of him as human—you think he's a monster, you trust him—you doubt him? I just wanted to slap her and tell her to get her shit together.
Overall, Chosen Ones is a great story about being courageous enough to stand up for yourself and for others. If there is one thing that I liked about Tess was the fact that she saw that keeping quiet was wrong, and if no one else was ready to make a stand then why not her. As this is a first POV story I thought there was a lot of narrative, and I really wanted more action and dialogue weaved in to it. Or maybe that’s just my opinion because I didn't like Tess that much…
*I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review*
amber04's review
5.0
Chosen Ones, is deep, beautiful and intoxicating. Tiffany Truitt has a gift to communicate an emotional written story. This book was nothing short of AMAZING!
When I started chapter 1, my first thought was “disturbing.” They actually pulled out a branding iron to mark an innocent girl. She would be the one to carry out the term of servitude at Templeton. I immediately understood why Tess was the way she was. Any expressed emotions would result in some sort of discipline. I couldn’t ever imagine that sort of life.
The chosen ones were supposed to protect the naturals and yet they were the very reason for their demise. The council wanted bigger and better. The naturals were simply pawns, pieces to achieve their own personal glory.
When I was reading chapter 3, I felt a sense of relief. There was a flicker of hope when she found the piano and connected her fingers to those keys. She finally caved to her resistance, and opened up. I thought this was a pivotal turning point and a bonding of sorts between Tess and James. As a reader, I was drawn to that moment and felt the need for more.
I’m glad Tiffany added Tess’ father’s letters into the story. They were relevant and added an extra understanding of what the naturals were facing. In the first letter, there was a paragraph that hit home. One that really made me thing about what our future holds.
“We fought with other lands across the sea. Faraway lands that hated us for reasons that seemed ancient and ever pestering. But as we squandered away our money, we found it difficult to fight the enemy, and people became disillusioned. Why sign up to fight a war across the sea when one’s own family was starving? Why fight for a country that could not take care of its own people?”
This rings so true to what is happening today. Is this what will become of us, our world in the future. It was powerful. A touching and scary realization of what could be our future, our government and our people.
The story flowed well and kept me wanting to learn more. Just when I was in need of something, action maybe? It picked up. The execution was spot on.
The developing relationship between James and Tess, was set at a steady pace, which was refreshing. The heated moments were great, but I appreciated the self control and realism of it.
I seriously could go on and on. I wrote notes for each and every chapter, and that is no joke.
At times, I felt angry…I felt hope… This book has the ability to stir a whirlwind of emotions not touched by so many YA reads. This book leaves an imprint on your soul. When I finished this, I couldn’t fathom the idea of picking up another book. I needed time to unwind and marinate on the overall effect of such an amazing story.
This debut instantly takes Tiffany Truitt to the top of the Dystopian top reads list. You won't want to miss out on this ambitious story.
When I started chapter 1, my first thought was “disturbing.” They actually pulled out a branding iron to mark an innocent girl. She would be the one to carry out the term of servitude at Templeton. I immediately understood why Tess was the way she was. Any expressed emotions would result in some sort of discipline. I couldn’t ever imagine that sort of life.
The chosen ones were supposed to protect the naturals and yet they were the very reason for their demise. The council wanted bigger and better. The naturals were simply pawns, pieces to achieve their own personal glory.
When I was reading chapter 3, I felt a sense of relief. There was a flicker of hope when she found the piano and connected her fingers to those keys. She finally caved to her resistance, and opened up. I thought this was a pivotal turning point and a bonding of sorts between Tess and James. As a reader, I was drawn to that moment and felt the need for more.
I’m glad Tiffany added Tess’ father’s letters into the story. They were relevant and added an extra understanding of what the naturals were facing. In the first letter, there was a paragraph that hit home. One that really made me thing about what our future holds.
“We fought with other lands across the sea. Faraway lands that hated us for reasons that seemed ancient and ever pestering. But as we squandered away our money, we found it difficult to fight the enemy, and people became disillusioned. Why sign up to fight a war across the sea when one’s own family was starving? Why fight for a country that could not take care of its own people?”
This rings so true to what is happening today. Is this what will become of us, our world in the future. It was powerful. A touching and scary realization of what could be our future, our government and our people.
The story flowed well and kept me wanting to learn more. Just when I was in need of something, action maybe? It picked up. The execution was spot on.
The developing relationship between James and Tess, was set at a steady pace, which was refreshing. The heated moments were great, but I appreciated the self control and realism of it.
I seriously could go on and on. I wrote notes for each and every chapter, and that is no joke.
At times, I felt angry…I felt hope… This book has the ability to stir a whirlwind of emotions not touched by so many YA reads. This book leaves an imprint on your soul. When I finished this, I couldn’t fathom the idea of picking up another book. I needed time to unwind and marinate on the overall effect of such an amazing story.
This debut instantly takes Tiffany Truitt to the top of the Dystopian top reads list. You won't want to miss out on this ambitious story.
octagonal's review
2.0
Mehhh. This book was so meh I don't even have quippy insults to throw at it.
It's just... kinda forgettable? It had a good premise, too, with these cylons coming around and saving things, and then the whole world is all "OMG ROBOTS FOREVER, DIE HUMANS!" and such. But instead we just get this meh book that has a really unpleasant treatment of women. I mean, obviously that's the point, but it still just creeps me out.
I'm not sure what it is, but lately every time I pick out a book without reading any reviews or anything, it ends up having some weird treatment of women in it. Especially this "women = cattle" thing, which has popped up WAY TOO MANY books that I've read lately. I guess it's because they're all these books where humans are on the edge of destruction, but I'm not actively seeking this out, I'd be glad to get onto another topic right now.
Anyway. Yeah. Boring.
It's just... kinda forgettable? It had a good premise, too, with these cylons coming around and saving things, and then the whole world is all "OMG ROBOTS FOREVER, DIE HUMANS!" and such. But instead we just get this meh book that has a really unpleasant treatment of women. I mean, obviously that's the point, but it still just creeps me out.
I'm not sure what it is, but lately every time I pick out a book without reading any reviews or anything, it ends up having some weird treatment of women in it. Especially this "women = cattle" thing, which has popped up WAY TOO MANY books that I've read lately. I guess it's because they're all these books where humans are on the edge of destruction, but I'm not actively seeking this out, I'd be glad to get onto another topic right now.
Anyway. Yeah. Boring.
bstaats's review
1.0
Chosen Ones is a rather ambitious book as it seeks to tackle a number of questions and ideas, while introducing readers to an unfamiliar, disturbing future world. This is an ugly, bitter place to live in, particularly for women. And in this setting, Tiffany sets out to explore some fascinating concepts.
But I found the book to be perhaps TOO ambitious, so that it fell short for me as the first book in a series. I had really hoped for a stronger presentation in regards to themes and dangerous adventure, and found it lacking in a few too many areas and its strengths didn't make that up for me.
Reasons to Read:
1.An incredibly twisted, unique post-apocalyptic world:
The setting of Chosen Ones truly horrified me, as it was supposed to. It's in the midst of complete transformation, as "real" humans are gradually dying off with no means to reproduce, and have become inferior to the "new and improved" humans (a.k.a. chosen ones) who are essentially manufactured people, created by scientists and extremely advanced technology. Books like these are everywhere, but this is a world that I found to stand out among the rest as a very unique (and scary) idea. And because women are unable to reproduce, intimacy of any form between males and females is looked down upon and almost shunned to an extent. So the girls (like Tessa) seem to be fairly naive, which leads to some really creepy and disturbing moments.
2.Challening ideas and thoughts:
There are so many struggles within this world, and I was pleased to find that many of them are ideological struggles. It's a battle of IDEAS primarily, and I can tell that Tiffany is very intelligently trying to present some thoughtful questions and to challenge her readers. Humanity versus science. Creator versus the created. Freedom versus choice. What does faith mean? How do you challenge the norms and those in power? How far are you willing to go to fight for what you believe in? These are just as applicable to us even now, and there are no easy answers.
But this is what I mean by the book really being too ambitious; there was so much potential with where this book could have gone, and I didn't feel that it got there. It seemed like we were trying to have this strong, opinionated and thoughtful book with questioning ideas, and adventure and drama, and some good, tragic romance. And while trying to cover all these bases, I ended up feel like each area was lacking.
I had a very hard time following most of what was happening in Chosen Ones. The world was so far off and so detailed (yet riddled with secrets) that it was hard to follow what was happening and why it was happening. And nobody really seemed to question any of this; it's glossed over that, in Tessa's lifetime, women were suddenly unable to reproduce anymore. They just stopped. And I'm not clear on this, but it doesn't appear to be a generational thing either and yet no one really questions it. No one seems to find it suspicious or beyond odd- they just accept it and realize that life sucks, and so during Tessa's lifetime women are suddenly blamed for everything. There are a lot of IDEAS but they come across so forcefully instead of being subtlely woven within the story itself. And it seemed like the setting and character were being used as tools to promote an idea, rather than show the implications and results of an idea.
My friend Christa @ Hooked on Books wrote a very thoughtful blog post discussing why it seems that in future worlds, most books seem to feature a society that looks down on and even hates women. I'm sure for most it's a plot device to feature strong, brave heroines but I had a hard time buying into this idea that within the span of 12 years, women went from having children, and families were there, to suddenly being unable to reproduce and so they're taught that they're weak and emotional and will all seduce men if they're not careful and die because they'll end up pregnant. And birth control is black market, apparently. I just couldn't follow this without more background information, and I'm fairly certain we're being set up for a big reveal later on in the series. But it doesn't make sense for this book.
The other problem I had wtih this book were the characters. It seemed like there were so many, and they weren't very well fleshed out so I kept forgetting who a person was when a name was mentioned. The story itself is really about Tessa, and it seemed like the secondary characters were there as decoration more than anything. And the dynamics between them reminded me far too much of The Hunger Games in a number of ways. The story itself is drastically different, but the relationships in it? Definitely more than a few similarities. You have a cold and jaded heroine, who distances herself from just about everyone (who is also very important for the political struggle, for some reason). A younger sister she, at times, feels the need to protect from this ugly world (now, that one's usually a given in any sibling relationship). Two boys the heroine is close to - one a childhood friend with a strong desire to fight back agains the establishment, at just about any cost, and a new one who wants to protect her. Plus, a dead father and a useless mother. And I likely wouldn't have picked up on this at all, except that there's a scene where Tessa is watching another character be punished for a crime and she ends up screaming out that she volunteers to take on some of said punishment. That part really reminded me of the Reaping. But the character dynamics just weren't strong enough to make me really care. Without understanding Tessa's motivation, she's just a very aloof character that I couldn't connect with or understand why she acted in certain ways.
The book is also pretty heavy on the romance, which I didn't entirely buy into. It's far too on and off, and Tessa is such reacts so immaturely and just doesn't learn from the past at all. It felt a little too rushed and chaotic for someone as cynical and cautious as Tessa. And the story really does revolve around the love story. But I do have to say there are a couple of really sweet, totally moving scenes between the two characters. VERY touching moments at times, that I couldn't help but love a little bit. So much swoon!
There are some pretty great twists by the end too, although the action was completely ignored unfortunately. But I predict more great twists and reveals in the later books.
But ultimately, I found myself far too frustrated with the majority of the story. I was hoping for there to be something to shine through, but ended up left with very little to show for itself.
E-galley received from publisher for review.
But I found the book to be perhaps TOO ambitious, so that it fell short for me as the first book in a series. I had really hoped for a stronger presentation in regards to themes and dangerous adventure, and found it lacking in a few too many areas and its strengths didn't make that up for me.
Reasons to Read:
1.An incredibly twisted, unique post-apocalyptic world:
The setting of Chosen Ones truly horrified me, as it was supposed to. It's in the midst of complete transformation, as "real" humans are gradually dying off with no means to reproduce, and have become inferior to the "new and improved" humans (a.k.a. chosen ones) who are essentially manufactured people, created by scientists and extremely advanced technology. Books like these are everywhere, but this is a world that I found to stand out among the rest as a very unique (and scary) idea. And because women are unable to reproduce, intimacy of any form between males and females is looked down upon and almost shunned to an extent. So the girls (like Tessa) seem to be fairly naive, which leads to some really creepy and disturbing moments.
2.Challening ideas and thoughts:
There are so many struggles within this world, and I was pleased to find that many of them are ideological struggles. It's a battle of IDEAS primarily, and I can tell that Tiffany is very intelligently trying to present some thoughtful questions and to challenge her readers. Humanity versus science. Creator versus the created. Freedom versus choice. What does faith mean? How do you challenge the norms and those in power? How far are you willing to go to fight for what you believe in? These are just as applicable to us even now, and there are no easy answers.
But this is what I mean by the book really being too ambitious; there was so much potential with where this book could have gone, and I didn't feel that it got there. It seemed like we were trying to have this strong, opinionated and thoughtful book with questioning ideas, and adventure and drama, and some good, tragic romance. And while trying to cover all these bases, I ended up feel like each area was lacking.
I had a very hard time following most of what was happening in Chosen Ones. The world was so far off and so detailed (yet riddled with secrets) that it was hard to follow what was happening and why it was happening. And nobody really seemed to question any of this; it's glossed over that, in Tessa's lifetime, women were suddenly unable to reproduce anymore. They just stopped. And I'm not clear on this, but it doesn't appear to be a generational thing either and yet no one really questions it. No one seems to find it suspicious or beyond odd- they just accept it and realize that life sucks, and so during Tessa's lifetime women are suddenly blamed for everything. There are a lot of IDEAS but they come across so forcefully instead of being subtlely woven within the story itself. And it seemed like the setting and character were being used as tools to promote an idea, rather than show the implications and results of an idea.
My friend Christa @ Hooked on Books wrote a very thoughtful blog post discussing why it seems that in future worlds, most books seem to feature a society that looks down on and even hates women. I'm sure for most it's a plot device to feature strong, brave heroines but I had a hard time buying into this idea that within the span of 12 years, women went from having children, and families were there, to suddenly being unable to reproduce and so they're taught that they're weak and emotional and will all seduce men if they're not careful and die because they'll end up pregnant. And birth control is black market, apparently. I just couldn't follow this without more background information, and I'm fairly certain we're being set up for a big reveal later on in the series. But it doesn't make sense for this book.
The other problem I had wtih this book were the characters. It seemed like there were so many, and they weren't very well fleshed out so I kept forgetting who a person was when a name was mentioned. The story itself is really about Tessa, and it seemed like the secondary characters were there as decoration more than anything. And the dynamics between them reminded me far too much of The Hunger Games in a number of ways. The story itself is drastically different, but the relationships in it? Definitely more than a few similarities. You have a cold and jaded heroine, who distances herself from just about everyone (who is also very important for the political struggle, for some reason). A younger sister she, at times, feels the need to protect from this ugly world (now, that one's usually a given in any sibling relationship). Two boys the heroine is close to - one a childhood friend with a strong desire to fight back agains the establishment, at just about any cost, and a new one who wants to protect her. Plus, a dead father and a useless mother. And I likely wouldn't have picked up on this at all, except that there's a scene where Tessa is watching another character be punished for a crime and she ends up screaming out that she volunteers to take on some of said punishment. That part really reminded me of the Reaping. But the character dynamics just weren't strong enough to make me really care. Without understanding Tessa's motivation, she's just a very aloof character that I couldn't connect with or understand why she acted in certain ways.
The book is also pretty heavy on the romance, which I didn't entirely buy into. It's far too on and off, and Tessa is such reacts so immaturely and just doesn't learn from the past at all. It felt a little too rushed and chaotic for someone as cynical and cautious as Tessa. And the story really does revolve around the love story. But I do have to say there are a couple of really sweet, totally moving scenes between the two characters. VERY touching moments at times, that I couldn't help but love a little bit. So much swoon!
There are some pretty great twists by the end too, although the action was completely ignored unfortunately. But I predict more great twists and reveals in the later books.
But ultimately, I found myself far too frustrated with the majority of the story. I was hoping for there to be something to shine through, but ended up left with very little to show for itself.
E-galley received from publisher for review.
dashichka's review
5.0
This book kind of blew me away. In truth, at the beginning I didn't expect anything special. The book started a little slow, but it quickly picked up.
The heroine of this dystopian series is Tess, who has had so much stripped from her life that she's turned herself into an emotional shell to help herself cope. That is until she meets someone she shouldn't be associating with. A chosen one, but one that's different. Eventually she is forced to question everything. Her relationships with everyone around her: her older sister, her younger sister, her father, her old best friend Henry, and most importantly, her new friend, the chosen one James.
What initially won me over what the writing style. This book is so emotional. The author really captures every thought, every feeling that goes through Tess in such a beautifully gut-wrenching way. The set up of the world, of the powerlessness of the people, the cruelty of the council, were written so beautifully. This book portrayed each side showing you that nothing is as simple as black and white. You could see the background of every thought; put yourself into so many sets of shoes.
The book is written to show you a twist of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, letting you decide what is really a monster. If you were put into the situation, would you blindly follow as you were told, or would you stand up for what you believed to be right? But I couldn't read this book without thinking Hunger Games like thoughts through the whole of the book. I hate comparing books to other popular "trend" books, but this one was hard to deny. The cold, closed off heroine. The best friend/possible love interest. The evil government twisting the people's beliefs to what they want them to see. The possible resistance movements, and the need for a person to be the people's symbol of hope. But unlike Hunger Games, I loved this heroine so much more. She was so much more relatable, among many other differences. Basically, I saw similarities, but I would still consider this book a fully original work of art.
Lastly, I want to say how much I adored James. He was different, and he knew it. He was questioning everything, but he never seemed weak. He was just kind and gentle, even though he was created to be violent and self caring. The boy totally won me over. The dark curls, mismatched eyes, and perfect face didn't hurt either.
Overall, I really loved this book and will be looking forward to the next one.
For more reviews check out nightlyreading.wordpress.com
The heroine of this dystopian series is Tess, who has had so much stripped from her life that she's turned herself into an emotional shell to help herself cope. That is until she meets someone she shouldn't be associating with. A chosen one, but one that's different. Eventually she is forced to question everything. Her relationships with everyone around her: her older sister, her younger sister, her father, her old best friend Henry, and most importantly, her new friend, the chosen one James.
What initially won me over what the writing style. This book is so emotional. The author really captures every thought, every feeling that goes through Tess in such a beautifully gut-wrenching way. The set up of the world, of the powerlessness of the people, the cruelty of the council, were written so beautifully. This book portrayed each side showing you that nothing is as simple as black and white. You could see the background of every thought; put yourself into so many sets of shoes.
The book is written to show you a twist of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, letting you decide what is really a monster. If you were put into the situation, would you blindly follow as you were told, or would you stand up for what you believed to be right? But I couldn't read this book without thinking Hunger Games like thoughts through the whole of the book. I hate comparing books to other popular "trend" books, but this one was hard to deny. The cold, closed off heroine. The best friend/possible love interest. The evil government twisting the people's beliefs to what they want them to see. The possible resistance movements, and the need for a person to be the people's symbol of hope. But unlike Hunger Games, I loved this heroine so much more. She was so much more relatable, among many other differences. Basically, I saw similarities, but I would still consider this book a fully original work of art.
Lastly, I want to say how much I adored James. He was different, and he knew it. He was questioning everything, but he never seemed weak. He was just kind and gentle, even though he was created to be violent and self caring. The boy totally won me over. The dark curls, mismatched eyes, and perfect face didn't hurt either.
Overall, I really loved this book and will be looking forward to the next one.
For more reviews check out nightlyreading.wordpress.com