Chosen Ones by Tiffany Truitt (Review)

Chosen Ones (Book 1 - Lost Souls Series)

By: Tiffany Truitt

·  Print Length: 400 pages

·  Publisher: Entangled Teen (June 12, 2012)

·  Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #217,001 Paid in Kindle Store

·  Goodreads Rating: 3.75/5 stars out of 1,686 ratings and 210 reviews

Synopsis:

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?

Reoccurring Statements between 47 Amazon Reviewers:

·         “You know where he stands from the beginning--you see his struggle and his desires all over him, and that just makes me love him more!  ”

9 reviewers made a similar statement

·         “She maintained a strong exterior while still flirting with romance with love interest James.  ”

8 reviewers made a similar statement

·         “It's just nothing new, unfortunately, and I feel detached from this story because too many points of the plot weren't given enough time to develop.  ”

9 reviewers made a similar statement

(*All Amazon/Goodreads stats are accurate as of the date of this post)

My Raw Status Update Reactions:

7% - "I don't know why but I came into this book thinking I would get disenchanted by the dystopian premise but it's less "the ivory tower of lies waiting to collapse" and more "ya'll need to be deprogrammed because your values anger me". Not a criticism, just me readjusting my brain/expectations. More like the book Matched, than - say - Wither at the moment." 19% - "Ugh. This dystopia has some serious misogyny happening and the chosen ones are creeps. Def reminded of Matched with the sterility and social restraint." 37% - "You know what I love in a romance - uncertainty, awkwardness and yearning. Not pining or feeling insecure about rejection but wanting someone and not knowing what you're supposed to do with yourself because of that emotion. This book has that touch of melancholy and it snares my interest." 52% - "I love how multifaceted the characters are in this novel. Tess is one of those "unpleasant" protagonists but considering her life and world, you see where her "sugar and ice" personality comes from and hope she'll thaw out. Also James is heartaching with how displaced he is in the world and awkwardly trying to humanize himself when he was bred to be something less. Great stuff." 71% - "Oh dystopia. I should be accustomed to your genre's audacity and injustice yet there are still times you drop my jaw with human depravity as well as our tolerant abiding of it. This is why I would not survive dystopia - I would get my mouthy ass killed because I would not be able to shut up about how absurd and pathetic everyone is acting! Not the book's fault - mind you - I just have a death wish.” My Unspoiled Review: A dismal dystopia that will appeal to anyone who enjoyed the stifling sterility of Matched as well as social inequality and injustice of The Hunger Games. By no mean take this to mean that I'm trying to compare Chosen Ones to those other popular series or suggest it's a knock off in anyway, I'm merely hoping to give readers and enthusiasts of the genre an overview to consider coming into this book. Chosen Ones isn't trying to sell any fantasy about dystopia. There's no pretty face hiding an uglier story. The seamy underbelly is there from the start and the protagonist, Tess, is already damaged from it. It's a broken world featuring the fractured dregs of humanity being gradually replaced by the genetically superior pretty boys - the titular Chosen Ones. The romantic plot featured in this novel truly appealed to me because it was sincere, awkward and fits well into the repressed premise while remaining engaging.

Give This Book a Chance If You Like:

• ·          Despairing dystopian settings
• ·         Paranormal romance light on the love-triangles
• ·         Flawed/damaged heroines
• ·         Sensitive love interests

 Check it out for yourself or see what other reviewers have said at Amazon and Goodreads

Thank you for considering this obscure book as a future read and feel free to leave comments if you would like to discuss this novel or recommendation more!