Want a NOOK? Explore Now
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?
paranormalbookfan
Posted July 6, 2012
World war 4 has decimated the United States. Tess lives in a compound in the West with a group of naturals. The Easterners and Westerners are constantly at war due to disagreements in the way to re-establish the country. Women can no longer have children and men are being killed at war. The government begin a Council of Creators to build a new race who will live on when the human race has died out. They are physically stronger and faster than humans (naturals), and they are trained to fight against the Easterners. They are only creating men, no women.
When the oldest girl in each family reaches the age of 16, she must go to work at Templeton, the training centre of the Chosen Ones, as a slave for three years. When Tess' older sister Emma dies in childbirth, Tess must take her place.
Tess has had a hard, sad life. She watched her father be taken away by Chosen Ones and he never returned. Her mother was an alcoholic who killed herself. Her childhood friend Henry, stopped talking to her one day and she doesn't know why. Now she only has her younger sister Louisa, who she was never really close to, and Robert, Emma's husband, who she can barely stand to look at.
Tess has always stuck to the rules of the Council and plans to never fall in love. She buries her emotions deep and doesn't show her feelings on the outside. But everything changes when she goes to Templeton. She discovers that the Chosen Ones have everything. They are treated like Gods compared to the naturals, who have lost almost everything; books, music and education. The naturals food is rationed. Tess can't remember the last time she had butter and at Templeton she is serving foods she has never even heard of, along with champagne.
She has always been taught that the Chosen Ones are there to protect the naturals but she realises that this is not the case. The Chosen Ones are taught to hate the naturals and they see them as being beneath them. Life is dangerous for the girls at Templeton. Tess meets James and discovers he is different to the others. They share a love of music and books and spend a lot of time together. But they must be careful not to show their feelings in front of anyone else.
Tess feels that she can't just stand by and watch what the Council are doing. There must be someone or something who can help them. When Tess' life is in danger, she discovers the Resistance.
The ending of this book shattered my heart and I am really anxious for the next instalment.
I really, really liked this. It has to be my favourite dystopian. It is so well written and easy to read even though there is a lot of information involved. Tiffany did a great job at the world building, I could totally envision it. Tess is given letters that her dad had written to her when she was a little girl. Through these, her dad gives us an insight into what was going on with the Council and that he was against it.
This is a fantastic story of discord, courage and love in the face of adversity. I strongly recommend it.
"The female is dangerous because of her natural tendency to embrace humans emotional side and her ability to elicit and encourage sexual activity."..."Sex equates full and utter dependence on someone else both physically and emotionally. There is brutal war going on right outside our home; we can't afford to be distracted."
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted June 22, 2012
Truitt's work belongs next to other dystopian delights such as 1984, Brave New World, The Giver...her ability to build characters and plot are great. At each new event, I was left aching after a new twist unfolded. I can't wait for her subsequent pieces.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted June 16, 2012
With Chosen Ones, Ms. Truitt has introduced a beautifully written, complex world that tantalizes us with a taste of what will hopefully be just the beginning of a passionate tale of love, loss, betrayal, power, and greed. Dark, brooding, and deep, Chosen Ones harkens to some of the greats of modern post-apocalyptic fantasy with nods to classics of several related genres, everyone from Shakespeare to Gaiman with a bit of S.M. Stirling along the way. She masterfully answers several questions in the plot, while dangling deeper, darker ones for the next installments. This book has something for everyone. At the end, my biggest complaint was that it left me wanting more, and now I have to wait!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted June 14, 2012
So amazing. You won't be able to put it down.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Athena2010
Posted August 16, 2012
At first when I started reading this book I was not too impressed since there wasn't much details on how everything got started. As the book progressed though I found it extremely hard to put down since I had to know what would happen next. There are still many unanswered questions that will hopefully be answered in the sequel. I would recommend this book. It might take patience in the beginning to read but it is well worth it in the end.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Four
Posted July 26, 2012
Truitt's dystopian universe, like Hunger Games, sucks you right! The characters are well-developed, the action is nonstop, and the writing will cause you to stay up late to see what comes next.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.The Chosen Ones is another great dystopian that centers more around the romance between the characters of the book. However the dystopian elements are not overshadowed and we get a great deep plot with twists and turns that keep you reading to find out what happens next. The dystopian world is one where humans are becoming extinct because stronger, smarter, and better 'engineered' beings are created to win the war that the humans couldn't win. In this world humans can't marry and the fate of a woman who gets pregnant is death in her birthbed.
Our protagonist does not believe in love and only has hatred for who does, one being her older sister who married a man and got pregnant and died. She felt betrayed that she would choose a man over her family. Since her older sister isn't alive anymore to take the punishment, Tess ends up working as a maid at the Templeton as a punishment. This is where she meets James and her world turns upside down.
I loved the relationship between her and James. She is a human, while he was raised to be an emotionless killing machine. He is confused about all the feelings he shouldnt have and his want to something more than war, and she is confused about her new feelings of love. My heart was beating fast whenever they were together, one for the fear of them being found out, and second for the anticipation that they will finally admit their feelings to each other.
The dystopian elements werent just a setting like so many new 'dystopian' books nowadays, but there is actual conspiracies and hidden revolutionary movements and both the main characters are the catalyst for change. Chosen Ones was intense, heartbreaking, and thrilling; I can't believe that I have to wait over a year (I read this back in February) to get the second book, but the ending? yea, total awesome cliffhanger!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.princess_sara
Posted April 29, 2013
This book was sad. But then, how many dystopians can you actually say were happy. This is a story that felt hopeless most of the way through, until about a quarter left and then the resistance wasfinally came out. The resistance that was in the story was the one thing I was not sure about. I couldn't tell for sure who was in it, what they were doing, and if they would even appear in this book. But they finally did, and that is what made me excited for the sequel.
Tess is a 16 year old girl that seems to suffer in silence. She is strong and stubborn, but also came across as not having much hope. In her world the oldest natural(real humans) has to work as a servant for the Chosen Ones for a few years as a sort of payment or debt settlement for all the things the council and the Chosen Ones had done for them. After her sister dies while giving birth she is stuck covering the rest of the serving years. And she is going to do this in her own stubborn , rebellious way. She is pretty much angry. Angry at her father and mother. Angry at her sister for marrying and thinking she should try for a baby. And angry at the world really. But she locks her feelings away. Until she meets James, a Chosen One that chnges her world. She finally lets someone get close to her, and learns that all is not as it seems. Her eyes are slowly opened, and she gets to the point of desperation, almost.
This book was the beginning to a rebellion. A people that has been suppressed and turned almost to extinction. And finally the story was about a revolution and rebellion that is to come. I thought this book was kind of slow, yet still enjoyable. Sometimes it dragged and I would put it down, and other times, especially the last quarter, I found myself unable to put it down. I loved Tess and James' relationship and hope found myself pulling for them and hoping for it to work out. There story is still unfinished, and maybe Tess will go in a different direction, but I look forward to finding out.
AlwaysYAatHeart1
Posted March 27, 2013
Chosen Ones is set in a post-apocalyptic world where the United States has become divided after a great war, one of the after effects being that few if any women are able to give birth to children and if they become pregnant, it is pretty much a death sentence for them. Tess knows the rules, "Emotional entanglements only lead to physical trespasses. We humans, were weak. We couldn't be trusted with our emotions. The female is dangerous because of her natural tendency to embrace humans' emotional side and her ability to elicit and encourage sexual activity.....Sex equates full and utter dependence on someone else both physically and emotionally. There is a brutal war going on right outside our home; we can't afford to be distracted." Forced to recite these rules after her sister's death in front of the whole compound, Tess is branded, and sent to take her sister's place a Templeton, as is the duty of the firstborn female in each family.....sent to serve the "Chosen Ones."
The "Chosen Ones" are beings created by "The Council," and their purposes is to protect the humans or "naturals." Genetically engineered, these males are considered to superior to the naturals in every way. They fight the wars and supposedly offer hope for continuation of the species. Templeton is the training center for the Chosen Ones. This is where Tess will serve in her sister's place. She has vowed never to love, not to allow herself to feel, her heart hardened in a world with little hope. The things she sees and learns at Templeton cause Tess to question everything she has been taught, and when she meets James, a Chosen One who is unlike any other she has ever met, her whole belief system is challenged and put to the test. Love, which was something Tess vowed never to partake in, blossoms in her heart as she and James spend more time together. Their's is relationship that is forbidden, something that wasn't supposed to happen, but yet it does and they must face the consequences. When something is discovered about Tess, about how she is different from all the other females, it forces a plan to be put in motion by "The Resistance," a covert group that is opposes what the Council is doing, but this plan is dangerous, not everyone will survive, and not everyone can be trusted.
Chosen Ones is a dystopian novel set in a bleak world where little hope is given to the human race. It portrays a dark future, one devoid of love, but also one where love will find a way when it seems there isn't one. There is also a science fiction element, that being the creation of the Chosen Ones, a superior race of beings, but they are not as easily "controlled" as their creators intended them to be. The story is filled with conspiracy, murder, betrayal, revolution, and romance in a dark futuristic setting where things and people are not always what they seem. I enjoyed the relationship between Tess and James, and I look forward to seeing where that goes in the next installment of the series. There were several other interesting characters that we got to meet, Henry, a human who was Tess's best friend when she was younger. Then there is Robert, who was her sister's husband, and also the evil George, who is the kind of guy you love to hate. Overall this was an interesting and intriguing story with dystopian, science fiction, and romantic elements, and if you are a fan of these types of stories, then Chosen Ones is something you might want to check out.
This was a great dystopian novel! I would love to see it made into a movie! Tess tries to be tough and unfeeling, but her walls start to crumble after she meets James. She is a Natural, and he is a Chosen One. While the powers-that-be don't discourage contact between the Chosen Ones at Templeton and the Naturals working there, it is understood that any contact they may have is simply a physical relationship. That there can be no true feelings between the two. But let me back up.
When war has taken the life out of the Naturals, they decide to create a race to fight for them, so the Chosen Ones are created. They are all male, no emotions, fighting machines. For the first years of their life, when emotional attachments are generally formed, they are kept alive on machines with only videos looped over and over to educate them - to tell them how insignificant the Naturals were and how they are unbeatable. Women especially are viewed as insignificant and what caused the downfall of the human race. For the most part, they are now sterile and if they try to have children, both they and the child die in childbirth. This is how Tess comes to be at Templeton.
The oldest female child is forced to serve a term at Templeton. If for some reason, they cannot fulfill that term, then the next female child must finish it. Tess's older sister Emma, foolishly got pregnant and died in childbirth, so Tess had to finish her obligation at Templeton. She meets James the first day there and there is immediately a strange attraction between the two. They know it is dangerous and that they must keep it hidden, as theirs is not a physical relationship, but one of trust and caring. If it is found out, they can both be in danger.
I love how you see and feel their relationship build from the beginning. How you want to see them together, but you don't know who you can trust. The author slowly reveals the secrets of Templeton to you and begins to reveal the power of the Chosen Ones. You learn right along with Tess, so her shocks are your shocks as well.
I am so happy that I already have book two, Naturals, to read! It is being released in April, so watch for my review then!
Chosen Ones was one of my most anticipated new releases for 2012. Sadly, I wasn't able to finish it. After reading a few chapters, I was completely lost and had no idea what was going on. When I did understand the plot, I couldn't get into it. I was unable to connect with Tess, which made reading difficult. There was no urge to keep reading, no on-the-edge-of-my-seat excitement, and when it wasn't in my hand, I found an excuse not to pick it up. When I did pick it up I found the plot to be slow and not all that captivating. I did try to finish this novel, but after two weeks of trying I didn't have the heart to finish it. If you want to read Chosen Ones, I recommend borrowing it.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted December 27, 2012
AMAZING BOOK!!!!
Anonymous
Posted November 26, 2012
This book drew me in and i was hooked! Cant wait to get my hands on the next one!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Icecream18JA
Posted July 30, 2012
This book caused me to lose so much sleep! I could not stop reading because I had to find out what was going to happen to Tess, the main character. Tess has been forced to take on her sister’s sentence and work in the Chosen Ones mansion. Beautiful, brilliant, and the perfect killers, the all male, artificial human army of Chosen Ones protect the Western United States. Since the Fourth World War, the country has been divided. The East and West fight ruthlessly in the shattered Midwest. Worst of all, the women of the world are sterile. Humanity is going extinct.
Tess tries as hard as she can not to feel. Her goals are to survive and work. These goals change after she meets James, a Chosen One who shares her love of reading and music. The more her relationship with James develops, the deeper she becomes involved in a movement to resist the oppressive West Government. Will Tess escape tyranny?
I loved Tess’s character. She wasn’t the typical heroine who needed a hero. She maintained a strong exterior while still flirting with romance with love interest James. James was a good character, but did not outshine Tess. He had that charismatic feel about his character. The book focused on these two, but some of the secondary characters were developed well too. The plot was unique. Mass infertility and a dystopic feel will leave the reader fanatically turning the pages. This book is recommended to young adult/teen readers.
Anonymous
Posted July 16, 2012
Great read for teens an adults alike. Reads like a movie and I really can't wait to read the next one. Tiffany has quite a talent.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.EverAfterEsther
Posted July 12, 2012
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.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted July 9, 2012
CHOSEN ONES by Tiffany Truitt, follows Tess, a girl who struggles to do what she needs to in desperate times in a desperate place. Inspiring from the beginning to the end, readers will fall in love with the dynamic characters and fast moving plot.
I LOVED this book. When I first began reading it, I found that it was somewhat difficult to understand some of what was going on. There could have been a little more ease into the main character's world, but once it was figured out it was spectacular! Every aspect of this novel was very original to me and I felt like I hadn't read anything like it.
I've picked up quite a bit of books in the dystopian genre and Truitt did a spectacular job at WOWing me. Her world was so unique. Bringing in artificial beings that are superior to the struggling natural humans. The infertility that spread across the lives of the characters brought a harsh and original tone to the story. I loved the focus on reading and books. As a book junkie it added so much to the story!
I loved the characters, from start to finish. There is no question in regards to the characters. They all had a wonderful dynamic and I found them so real, I wanted to reach into the book and help them. The tension between the main characters Tess and James is outstanding! I could feel their frustration in me! The background characters, that are sure to play a bigger role in the future excite me. I cant wait to learn about more characters.
Tiffany Truitt constructed a beautiful and tragic story of love and betrayal, growing and learning. I was able to feel what these characters were feeling and understand them. I enjoyed reading this book immensely. Well done, I'm hooked.
ElectrifyingReviews
Posted July 8, 2012
Though I have grown a bit tired of it over time, I am still a big fan of dystopian books, and will give most any young adult dystopian that’s tossed my way a chance. That said, when I found out about Chosen Ones, I was very eager to find out which futuristic nightmare of a world Tess would occupy. What I found was a bit different, but not enough to really consider it completely unique.
In Tess’s world, the United States of America has split in half, with a west side, an east side, and a vast nothingness in the middle. Tess lives in a building with many other families on the west side. Soon, Tess must begin work at Templeton, which is home to government-created humanoids who are supposed to protect the humans. The whole concept was very interesting, but it never kept me fully connected or hooked. I will definitely want to read more of the Lost Souls books, though, because I am interested enough in this world and characters to want to know where this story goes.
Tiffany Truitt is an author who has great skill, and I’d love to read more from her. Chosen Ones is a great debut, and I can only see things getting better from here. When she continues this series, I will be first in line to get myself a copy of the sequels, because like I said, I want to see where this story goes.
Tess was a strong character, though she did have her faults. I actually liked her relationship with James, and their forbidden romance was a thrill to read. For the most part, the characters in Chosen Ones are dimensional, though sometimes hard to connect to.
Truthfully, I could go either way with Chosen Ones. While it is a book I would recommend, it isn’t an absolute favorite of mine. There’s both good and bad when it comes to Chosen Ones, but I’d say that the good outweighs the bad, and I definitely want to continue this series.
AnjV
Posted July 7, 2012
Tess lives in a dystopian world where most women are barren and having a child means death. Since they're not useful for anything else, women basically played the role of slaves for the 'Chosen Ones' - genetically engineered/man-made boys who are the perfect soldiers. They're better than humans in every way and have no imperfections.
According to the counsel, the Chosen Ones were made for the purpose of protecting the naturals from war and any harm, but Tess knows that they can be cruel too. In fact, that's the only thing she knew for sure about them..until she met James, the one boy who sees her for who she is and makes her question everything she ever believed in.
I have been dying to read Chosen Ones ever since I saw another blogger's review and I was so happy when I received the ARC! I started reading it without any preconceived notion about the story and I have to say, it definitely exceeded my expectations. Chosen Ones is unique and stays completely cear of the usual, repetitive dystopian story lines and I found it refreshing.
The world created in Chosen Ones is interesting and the characters are really memorable. Tess may seem plain on the outside but her qualities make her incredibly strong and I can't help but admire her for that. She is someone who has shunned emotions all her life because they make her weak, so to see her character develop and grow over the course of the book was awesome.
I loved that Tiffany Truitt picked James, who's technically a part of the bad guys, as the male lead. The boy gave me butterflies like, all the time. Or maybe it was just Truitt's writing, I'm not sure. James is so, so sweet! As a Chosen One, he was built to be the perfect warrior and yet he questioned his existence. It was gut-wrenching, every time he voiced his insecurities to Tess.
Oh, and I have to add - the Frankenstein references were the perfect touch. They helped me understand James better and empathize with him.
It's a little hard for me to believe that Chosen Ones is Tiffany Truitt's debut novel because the writing is both amazing and beautiful, all at once. Most debut authors lack the well-formed plot and writing style that Chosen Ones has but Truitt is clearly an exception. If you like dystopian YA novels, believe me, you want to read this.
Chosen Ones is wonderfully written, unpredictable and at times, heartbreaking. I loved every minute of it!
XpressoReads
Posted July 6, 2012
Chosen Ones brings us into a dark, dreary future where humans are near extinction, and these perfectly crafted humans, genetically enhanced for war and protection, have all the power. Almost.
When you create a dystopian or post-apocalyptic future, details, explanation, showing AND telling, can make a big different to allow readers to suspend disbelief. I found the future of the world in Chosen Ones imaginative and alarmingly foreseeable. However, I found myself a bit dissatisfied with the lack of elaborations when it came to actually showing us this unique world. We're told about the strict government control, about the compounds, about the constricted living choices, but we don't actually experience a lot of this with instances. Although I wouldn't go as far as saying it's not a well-built world, it's just not emphasized by letting us see the bleakness of the current living situations - only by the small bubble of Tess's perspective. We're also left wondering until almost the end about this apparent difficulty to have babies. Reading the synopsis afterwards, I think it's meant to give a heads up on it being a "mysterious lost ability to bring forth life", so from one who hadn't read this synopsis in months, I was left confounded as to why or how her pregnant sister had died, let alone why there was talk of extinction. Despite these qualms, what we do encounter is brutal, it's haunting, and it involves clear helplessness that left me terrifyingly entranced.
Chosen Ones is one of those post-apocalyptic stories that has romance at its core. Growing up in a society where emotions are seen as a sign of weakness, reproduction means death, thus falling in love is foolish - Tess never realized what falling in love meant. Meeting James - a beautiful, but surprisingly flawed, and remarkably human Chosen One - shows her what she's missing. While I recognize the romance as a tad insta-lovey and predictable, I would never have thought that I would find it so appealing. I always fall pray to cases of forbidden love: Feeling the longing for, yet impossibility, of a happy ending grips me emotionally. It also helps when the male character is likeable - kind, sweet, but with a dark edge. Besides, even though it begins quickly, their relationship growth is realistically filled with ups and downs that leave us emotionally frayed.
The roller coaster ride is not unique to the romance; we're also taken on quite the exceptional ride inside a plot that is brimming with unforeseeable turns. Although the pacing at the start is light, but steady, the second half of the book is exhilarating. Just when you think everything is gonna be settled for a bit... BAM. Instead of becoming overwhelming as I've seen happen, in this case, it's very well balanced with just the right amount of intense excitement layered with sweet moments. Another aspect I found enticing, and an effective way to give us glimpses into the inner workings without impeding the flow of the story, - in fact it encourages it - is the inclusion of the letters written by Tess's father. The emotions in those written words are prominent, setting the right mood by showing us the gravity of the situation.
No one and nothing can be trusted in Tiffany Truitt's Chosen Ones. Betrayals, lies, cruelty, matched with a sexy, lustful romance - you can find it all inside this gorgeous cover.
Overview
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 ...