Chosen Ones Review

400 pages

What if you were mankind’s last chance at survival? Sixteen-year-old Tess lives in a compound in what was once the Western United States, now decimated after a devastating fourth World War. But long before that, life as we knew it had been irrevocably changed, as women mysteriously lost the ability to bring forth life. Faced with the extinction of the human race, the government began the Council of Creators, meant to search out alternative methods of creating life. The resulting artificial human beings, or Chosen Ones, were extraordinarily beautiful, unbelievably strong, and unabashedly deadly. Life is bleak, but uncomplicated for Tess as she follows the rigid rules of her dystopian society, until the day she begins work at Templeton, the training facility for newly created Chosen Ones. There, she meets James, a Chosen One whose odd love of music and reading rivals only her own. The attraction between the two is immediate in its intensity—and overwhelming in its danger. But there is more to the goings-on at Templeton than Tess ever knew, and as the veil is lifted from her eyes, she uncovers a dark underground movement bent not on taking down the Chosen Ones, but the Council itself. Will Tess be able to stand up to those who would oppress her, even if it means giving up the only happiness in her life?

Review:
I loved the idea for this book although I wasn't sure exactly what to expect from it. What I got was a novel that showed a bleak future but also explored the depths of human love. Tess is a strong and hard character who believes love is foolish and makes people do stupid things. Sometimes I think Tess did silly things which annoyed me but she grew on me as the story progressed. While I wish I had been able to know more about the world around Tess, it didn't distract from this being an enjoyable read.The relationship between James and Tess is interesting to watch progress. James isn't like the rest of the Chosen Ones and that in itself is an anomaly that makes him a great character. There were a lot of surprises in this novel that made everything more exciting to read. I loved the fact that there was a huge twist at the end of the book that completely threw me. I can't wait to see where this story is taken in the next novel and what happens to Tess and James next. I definitely recommend this novel if you like great dystopian novels.