A review by emjay24
The Blemished by Sarah Dalton

2.0

This is the second to last book in my dystopian novels anthology, and my least favorite, so far. The whole book was kind of a chore to get through, and if it had been the last in the anthology, I probably would have given up, but knowing another story was just around the bend kept me going. In the future, genetically altered people, or GEMS, have taken over the world, and regular people, or the Blemished, are relegated to their own areas of the cities, where they are forced to watch tv, the women go to school that teaches them how to do service jobs, and the men are apprenticed out and don’t even learn to read. At 16, Blemished women get an operation that makes them not be able to have kids, but also messes with their minds, causing some to go crazy. At best, they’re docile and brain washed. Actually, no one has kids, as the GEMS just reproduce in a test tube. Our main girl is the daughter of a former professor, both Blemished, and we find out she has special powers. She’s just moved to a new area and, at 15, is in danger of getting the operation soon. I didn’t like her. I didn’t like her news best friend, either, who was kind of catty and jealous. I didn’t like anyone very much, and the story didn’t flow well. I won’t be reading the rest of this series.