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Reading Level: Ages 12 and up
Hardcover: 384 Pages
Release Date: January 28, 2014
Publisher: HarperTeen
Narration: First Person: Davina
Genre: Dystopian/Thriller
Book Trailer:
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The Uninvited Series
Book One:
Uninvited
Book Two: Unknown
Book Three: Unknown
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Goodreads Synopsis:
The Scarlet Letter meets Minority Report in bestselling author Sophie Jordan's chilling new novel about a teenage girl who is ostracized when her genetic test proves she's destined to become a murderer.
When Davy Hamilton's tests come back positive for Homicidal Tendency Syndrome (HTS)-aka the kill gene-she loses everything. Her boyfriend ditches her, her parents are scared of her, and she can forget about her bright future at Juilliard. Davy doesn't feel any different, but genes don't lie. One day she will kill someone.
Only Sean, a fellow HTS carrier, can relate to her new life. Davy wants to trust him; maybe he's not as dangerous as he seems. Or maybe Davy is just as deadly.
The first in a two-book series, Uninvited tackles intriguing questions about free will, identity, and human nature. Steeped in New York Times bestselling author Sophie Jordan's trademark mix of gripping action and breathless romance, this suspenseful tale is perfect for fans of James Patterson, Michelle Hodkin, and Lisa McMann.
My Review:
First of all, I want to draw a bit of attention to the cover. My first reaction was, "Meh, ok. Just another variation of the overused face cover." You know the ones with the pretty models staring out into the distance dramatically? Yeah, those. But then. BUT THEN! I saw that her hair was photo-shopped to look like DNA strands! After that, I just felt flabbergasted, and shortly thereafter, I was applauding the cover designer. Really, it didn't make that much of a difference visually, but to me, it made all the difference in the world. I'm weird, I know. But come on, let's be honest. You thought it was cool too, right?
This world was stunning. I grew to fear for my own safety, because this world felt like a possible future reality. As Sophie mentioned at the end of the story, Davina could be any one of us. All the things that happened to her, could one day happen to us, if our world turned into the world Uninvited portrayed. It's not too hard to imagine the government requiring testing done for a killer gene. To them, the good of the many trumps the good of the few. So what if a few innocents get caught in the crossfire? It's a scary, scary thought.
"All my life people have called me
Gifted.
Extraordinary.
Blessed.
I had all these dreams to become something.
Someone.
No one ever said I couldn't.
No one ever said Killer."
Imagine going from loved, popular, admired, somewhat even worshiped, to reviled, hated, and ostracized. That's what Davina had to go through.
(For people who have already read the novel, notice how I'm using Davy's full name Davina instead of Davy? It's because it reminds me of the Davina from The Originals series on TV, who was an absolute badass. Since both characters have badassery in common, I decided to just call Davy, Davina. Sounds prettier in my opinion anyways.)
So Davina was facing a major change in her life. She didn't delude herself with the fantasy that her popularity wouldn't plummet. She knew that because of her new status as a HTS carrier, people would avoid her. However, she still clung to the hope that her best friend and boyfriend wouldn't think any differently of her. Understandable. I would've hoped for the same thing.
On a totally unrelated note, I thought she was a bit of a bitch in the beginning of the story, and even a little after she discovered that she possessed the kill gene. Prior knowledge of her HTS status, she was happy that her supposed best friend was envious of her. She wanted to be that girl that everyone was jealous of, reveled in it really. Additionally, she felt relieved that her "best friend" would be moving hundreds of miles away, so she didn't have to deal with hurting her feelings all the time. I mean, come on, what kind of friend are you?
However, I'm happy to say that she redeemed herself throughout the story. Although she still acted spoiled at times, she stayed strong through rough times and didn't want to lean on anyone for support. She took it into her own hands to fend for herself by working out, going beyond what she was expected to do, to protect herself. Although there was a part of her that was thrilled when Sean, the love interest, defended her, her indignation overcame that feeling. She knew that even though Sean's heart was in the right place, he was hurting her indirectly. She wanted to fight her own battles, and took pains to make sure that she would be able to do so. Because of that, I respected her.
Uninvited was thought provoking. It involved a lot of harsh decisions and difficult situations. What exactly is classified as right? Is it in the eyes of the beholder? Or is it something we should instinctively know? Does the end justify the means? Does the good of the many matter more than the good of a few? There's no doubt that some HTS carriers were really messed up in the head, but do they decide the fate of others? Are the new government laws for HTS carriers decreasing violence? Or are they really making matters worse, causing perfectly stable carriers to snap?
So many questions. Uninvited was a great read. Although I had a hard time getting into it at first, I became tangled in the story line as events progressed. The action was paced well, and I never reached any slow, dragging scenes. The protagonist, although a little bratty at times, redeemed herself in the end. She was an independent character who I truly admired. When many would've given up, become the animals that society deemed them, she chose to keep fighting in hopes of showing the world that everything wasn't as black and white as it seemed.
Cover- 5/5
Heroine- 4.5/5
Romance- 4/5
Writing- 3.5/5
World-Building- 6/5
Action- 5/5
Overall- 4.5/5
