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thehonestpuck's review against another edition
4.0
Very enjoyable
This is a great middle grade dystopian novel. The characters are all well-developed and relatable and the writing is engaging. My only quibble is that I find the backstory of how the dystopia got this way frankly unbelievable, so it would have been better not to include it and leave us wondering how it got this bad.
This is a great middle grade dystopian novel. The characters are all well-developed and relatable and the writing is engaging. My only quibble is that I find the backstory of how the dystopia got this way frankly unbelievable, so it would have been better not to include it and leave us wondering how it got this bad.
shells's review against another edition
3.0
I liked it.
Cheesy love square aside, it was interesting world building.
It's a future of GEMS and Blemished. The GEMS are genetically modified humans, some call them clones. The children are created. Every aspect of their looks, their intelligence, their genetics are chosen. The claim is that it is a way to leave disease and handicap behind. Blemished are natural born humans. They are seen as dirty and damaged by the GEMS. The Blemished only serve the purposes of labor and service to the GEMS. At 16, Blemished girls are given, "The Operation" to stop them from being able to conceive children. A Blem that becomes pregnant is taken and she and her baby are killed.
Every aspect of this society is controlled. The girls are allowed to attend school but they only learn the path of servitude. Boys are not educated and are instead, sent to work at various jobs.
Mina and her father have moved to district 14 after Mina becomes exposed in her former home, for an unusual talent. Here she makes friends with Angela, and Angela's adopted brother, Daniel. Mina learns Daniel has a hidden ability of his own.
Mina's father decides he wants her to begin to train to use her talent. So she spends her evenings training in the basement, away from the spying eyes of the television which broadcasts GEM programming 24/7.
Her father is grooming her for something. He claims, so she can take care of herself if something were to ever happen to him. But, nothing will ever happen to him. Right?
In a fit of hatred, (rightfully so), Daniel and Mina make a stupid decision that forces them on the run, with Angela by their side. They run to Sebastian, the GEM that took a liking to Mina, only to find themselves in more hot water as nothing is what it seems on Sebastian's farm. Daniel hates Sebastian and loves Mina. Angela loves Daniel and is resentful for his attention toward her best friend. Sebastian thinks he loves Mina and is just kind of flung into the situation. And Mina has feelings for Daniel, feelings for Sebastian, and doesn't want to hurt her friend Angela, though that seems like just what she'll end up doing.
And Angela fulfills the cliched role of the "one who trips when the bad guys are chasing her" constantly.
In a climactic finale, the four of them fight off the bad guys, with the help of the Clans that they are supposed to meet up with. Murder-Troll grabs Mina and a tense confrontation ensues when Mina is saved at the last second by another GEM who bullied Mina in the beginning.
All the while, throughout the escape and evade moments, Mina used her "ability" conveniently. It is a plot device that seems to have no meaning other than to help her and her friends escape. There is no discussion as to how a supposedly normal human being in supposedly normal England that's just set in the future, developed these abilities in the first place.
There are words missing in various places. And the supposed rules of this Gem/Blemished society are followed when it's convenient to the plot. These are why the book only garnered 3 stars from me.
But, the story is interesting enough. I find I care enough for these silly teenagers caught up in their love square that I plan to read the next book in the series. Overall, I'm curious to know how Mina will take down the society of the GEMS.
Cheesy love square aside, it was interesting world building.
It's a future of GEMS and Blemished. The GEMS are genetically modified humans, some call them clones. The children are created. Every aspect of their looks, their intelligence, their genetics are chosen. The claim is that it is a way to leave disease and handicap behind. Blemished are natural born humans. They are seen as dirty and damaged by the GEMS. The Blemished only serve the purposes of labor and service to the GEMS. At 16, Blemished girls are given, "The Operation" to stop them from being able to conceive children. A Blem that becomes pregnant is taken and she and her baby are killed.
Every aspect of this society is controlled. The girls are allowed to attend school but they only learn the path of servitude. Boys are not educated and are instead, sent to work at various jobs.
Mina and her father have moved to district 14 after Mina becomes exposed in her former home, for an unusual talent. Here she makes friends with Angela, and Angela's adopted brother, Daniel. Mina learns Daniel has a hidden ability of his own.
Mina's father decides he wants her to begin to train to use her talent. So she spends her evenings training in the basement, away from the spying eyes of the television which broadcasts GEM programming 24/7.
Her father is grooming her for something. He claims, so she can take care of herself if something were to ever happen to him. But, nothing will ever happen to him. Right?
In a fit of hatred, (rightfully so), Daniel and Mina make a stupid decision that forces them on the run, with Angela by their side. They run to Sebastian, the GEM that took a liking to Mina, only to find themselves in more hot water as nothing is what it seems on Sebastian's farm. Daniel hates Sebastian and loves Mina. Angela loves Daniel and is resentful for his attention toward her best friend. Sebastian thinks he loves Mina and is just kind of flung into the situation. And Mina has feelings for Daniel, feelings for Sebastian, and doesn't want to hurt her friend Angela, though that seems like just what she'll end up doing.
And Angela fulfills the cliched role of the "one who trips when the bad guys are chasing her" constantly.
In a climactic finale, the four of them fight off the bad guys, with the help of the Clans that they are supposed to meet up with. Murder-Troll grabs Mina and a tense confrontation ensues when Mina is saved at the last second by another GEM who bullied Mina in the beginning.
All the while, throughout the escape and evade moments, Mina used her "ability" conveniently. It is a plot device that seems to have no meaning other than to help her and her friends escape. There is no discussion as to how a supposedly normal human being in supposedly normal England that's just set in the future, developed these abilities in the first place.
There are words missing in various places. And the supposed rules of this Gem/Blemished society are followed when it's convenient to the plot. These are why the book only garnered 3 stars from me.
But, the story is interesting enough. I find I care enough for these silly teenagers caught up in their love square that I plan to read the next book in the series. Overall, I'm curious to know how Mina will take down the society of the GEMS.
sonshinelibrarian's review against another edition
3.0
I liked this overall. I did find it a bit uneven in places, though.
jcqb09's review against another edition
I can't believe this was ever on my to-read shelf. This book was so cliched and there were so many technical problems; I barely made it past the fourth chapter.
melmel's review against another edition
2.0
This book was OK. I liked the idea but I got the sense that this was written for a younger crowd as I felt it was a little to simple.
The story itself was OK, but I'm not in a huge rush to read the next ones. I probably will, but I'm not going to be part if I never get my hands on a copy.
Over this book I would recommend reading "uglies". I don't remember who its by and as I'm on my tablet I'm not sure who to get it into the text but look that one up.
I think the only this I really liked about this book was that it went towards my final count for my good read challenge.
The story itself was OK, but I'm not in a huge rush to read the next ones. I probably will, but I'm not going to be part if I never get my hands on a copy.
Over this book I would recommend reading "uglies". I don't remember who its by and as I'm on my tablet I'm not sure who to get it into the text but look that one up.
I think the only this I really liked about this book was that it went towards my final count for my good read challenge.
mcampany's review against another edition
4.0
"The Blemished" by Sarah Dalton. The writing was horrible, and it was one of those young adult novels with a love triangle novels. It wasn't that great, and could have used another round of editing for clarity, flow, and occasional stilted dialogue, but I was so happy to finally have some time to read something non-academic that I read the entire thing this afternoon.
kyouen's review against another edition
1.0
This had potential. It did not meet it.
Considering that the idea of designer babies comes up frequently enough (at least in things I consume), this book should have been more scary than it was. Seriously. A company gives rich people the option to create babies with no problems and then makes so much money that they're able to oust the government and establish them as a new regime? It should be terrifying because people are concerned that this could potentially happen in the future. I just watched the episode of Bill Nye Saves the World where designer babies are talked about (episode 12). Instead, I feel like I got a shoddy dystopian novel with a concept that probably has been done better in other books. (If anyone can give me a recommendation, please send them my way!)
Between the boring, flat characters (but remember, the MC is special!), the plot moving at a breakneck pace (you have a secret that could mean your death and your father's, but you just blab it on your first day? Girl, we need to talk...), and the love triangle attempt ("There was something about Sebastian that made me want to be around him. But then there was something about Daniel too, and I found that I couldn't be around one of them without thinking about the other."--I said "Ugh" at my desk), I just couldn't move past the 35% mark. That was when I DNFed it because there's books that I'm far more interested in. I don't have the patience to waste my time trying to get to the part where it gets exciting. I really couldn't stand the main character either.
It's always disappointing DNFing a book that sounded interesting. If you just like dystopian novels but don't mind a novel saturated with overdone tropes (and in my opinion, no attempt at making the trope your own), you may like this one. Check out the 4 and 5 star reviews for their opinions. It was just not for me.
Considering that the idea of designer babies comes up frequently enough (at least in things I consume), this book should have been more scary than it was. Seriously. A company gives rich people the option to create babies with no problems and then makes so much money that they're able to oust the government and establish them as a new regime? It should be terrifying because people are concerned that this could potentially happen in the future. I just watched the episode of Bill Nye Saves the World where designer babies are talked about (episode 12). Instead, I feel like I got a shoddy dystopian novel with a concept that probably has been done better in other books. (If anyone can give me a recommendation, please send them my way!)
Between the boring, flat characters (but remember, the MC is special!), the plot moving at a breakneck pace (you have a secret that could mean your death and your father's, but you just blab it on your first day? Girl, we need to talk...), and the love triangle attempt ("There was something about Sebastian that made me want to be around him. But then there was something about Daniel too, and I found that I couldn't be around one of them without thinking about the other."--I said "Ugh" at my desk), I just couldn't move past the 35% mark. That was when I DNFed it because there's books that I'm far more interested in. I don't have the patience to waste my time trying to get to the part where it gets exciting. I really couldn't stand the main character either.
It's always disappointing DNFing a book that sounded interesting. If you just like dystopian novels but don't mind a novel saturated with overdone tropes (and in my opinion, no attempt at making the trope your own), you may like this one. Check out the 4 and 5 star reviews for their opinions. It was just not for me.
eclaidley's review against another edition
2.0
The Blemished takes place in the near future, where scientific advancements have created the "perfect" humans: no family histories of medical conditions or mental illnesses, and stunning good looks. These genetically enhanced humans, or GEMS, receive all of the advantages in life while the Blemished, who are what we would consider "normal" humans, are denied many of their basic human rights. While this concept is intriguing, it's also frightening. Scientists have already found a way to screen for genetic defects before your child is even born, so the idea that people can essentially "engineer" their child - from their looks straight down to their genetic makeup - isn't hard to believe. After all, some fertility clinics already allow you to choose the gender of your child, so this society isn't a far cry from our own.
Although I enjoyed the concept behind The Blemished, its execution left a lot to be desired. About a quarter of the way through the book, the plot started to move at a very slow pace and sacrificed action and answers for the sake of romance. By now I'm sure you all know how much I dislike love triangles, so imagine my reaction when Mina found herself in the middle of a love square - complete with instalove and jealousy on all sides. I didn't really care for Sebastian or Daniel, so the many scenes focusing on Mina's confused feelings for them seemed to drag on and on.
For the most part, the characters were rather two-dimensional. I admired Mina's determination and loyalty to her friends, but I never felt as if I truly got to know her. The same could be said for almost all of the other characters; they weren't fleshed out but either possessed admirable qualities or earned your sympathy with a tragic event in their past. Elena was the only character to receive any real development and she received significantly less page time than the two main love interests.
Overall, The Blemished was merely an okay read. The premise was interesting, but the lack of character development and action caused it to fall flat.
This review can also be found at The In-Between Place. I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Although I enjoyed the concept behind The Blemished, its execution left a lot to be desired. About a quarter of the way through the book, the plot started to move at a very slow pace and sacrificed action and answers for the sake of romance. By now I'm sure you all know how much I dislike love triangles, so imagine my reaction when Mina found herself in the middle of a love square - complete with instalove and jealousy on all sides. I didn't really care for Sebastian or Daniel, so the many scenes focusing on Mina's confused feelings for them seemed to drag on and on.
For the most part, the characters were rather two-dimensional. I admired Mina's determination and loyalty to her friends, but I never felt as if I truly got to know her. The same could be said for almost all of the other characters; they weren't fleshed out but either possessed admirable qualities or earned your sympathy with a tragic event in their past. Elena was the only character to receive any real development and she received significantly less page time than the two main love interests.
Overall, The Blemished was merely an okay read. The premise was interesting, but the lack of character development and action caused it to fall flat.
This review can also be found at The In-Between Place. I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.