Title: Aberrant
Series: Aberrant (#1)
Author: Ruth Silver
From: Netgalley
Genre: Dystopia
Release Date: 16th April 2013
Challenges: 2016 Netgalley & Edelweiss Challenge, 2016 Reading Assignment, 2016 Blogger Shame
Links: Goodreads - Amazon
Synopsis (from Goodreads): In the future Dystopian society of Cabal, the Government instills equality for all and offers its citizens the perfect system. There is food, shelter and jobs for everyone. The one requirement is to follow the rules without question, including the government's match in marriage and "The Day of the Chosen", a lottery that randomly selects families to conceive children as natural means hasn't existed in generations. Following her eighteenth birthday, Olivia Parker accepts her requirement to marry her childhood best friend, Joshua Warren, and is eager to start her work assignment and new life when it all comes abruptly to an end as she's arrested and thrown in prison. The only crime committed, her existence. Olivia is unlike the rest of the world born not from "The Day of the Chosen." The truth haunts the government and puts her life in grave danger as one simple fact would destroy the perfect system. With Joshua's help, Olivia breaks free of prison and is forced on the run. Together they set out to find the promised rebel town in search of a new home and new life together. Their situation seems less than promising as they reach the town of Haven. New rules and customs must be adhered to in order to stay. Leaving would mean most certain death in the large expanse of the Gravelands. Time is running out as the government mounts an attack to destroy Olivia and bury her secret with her. Thrown into a world unlike their own, they must quickly adapt to survive.
This is one of those books where I end up questioning why it took me so long to get around to reading it! I've thought about picking it up a Couple of times but until now I just hadn't and I've been missing out by not! After a little bit of a slow start this one drew me in and made me part of the world, and in some ways I think that it breaks some of the YA dystopian mould which is definitely a good thing!
The main thing that broke the mould for me is that the couple was pretty much established before the book started. While they didn't quite realise how the felt about each other they were both well on the way to it, and as best friends they were well placed for that. There were a couple of touch and go moments where one of them said the wrong thing but that just made them more realistic as a couple. Basically I really bought into Olivia and Joshua, they worked well together.
I loved the fact that the rebels in this situation were almost as bad as the dystopia itself in some ways, and I liked it that Olive and Josh actually figured that out. Even when things were set against them they worked together and found a way, though I am unsure about how a certain surprising character is going to affect the future.
There were definite twists and turns in the book and it kept me turning pages. The characters were mature enough to feel real but naive enough to be believably 18. The settings were interesting and the dystopia complex, especially with what's been revealed so far!
I'm looking forward to continueing this series!
Series: Aberrant (#1)
Author: Ruth Silver
From: Netgalley
Genre: Dystopia
Release Date: 16th April 2013
Challenges: 2016 Netgalley & Edelweiss Challenge, 2016 Reading Assignment, 2016 Blogger Shame
Links: Goodreads - Amazon
Synopsis (from Goodreads): In the future Dystopian society of Cabal, the Government instills equality for all and offers its citizens the perfect system. There is food, shelter and jobs for everyone. The one requirement is to follow the rules without question, including the government's match in marriage and "The Day of the Chosen", a lottery that randomly selects families to conceive children as natural means hasn't existed in generations. Following her eighteenth birthday, Olivia Parker accepts her requirement to marry her childhood best friend, Joshua Warren, and is eager to start her work assignment and new life when it all comes abruptly to an end as she's arrested and thrown in prison. The only crime committed, her existence. Olivia is unlike the rest of the world born not from "The Day of the Chosen." The truth haunts the government and puts her life in grave danger as one simple fact would destroy the perfect system. With Joshua's help, Olivia breaks free of prison and is forced on the run. Together they set out to find the promised rebel town in search of a new home and new life together. Their situation seems less than promising as they reach the town of Haven. New rules and customs must be adhered to in order to stay. Leaving would mean most certain death in the large expanse of the Gravelands. Time is running out as the government mounts an attack to destroy Olivia and bury her secret with her. Thrown into a world unlike their own, they must quickly adapt to survive.
This is one of those books where I end up questioning why it took me so long to get around to reading it! I've thought about picking it up a Couple of times but until now I just hadn't and I've been missing out by not! After a little bit of a slow start this one drew me in and made me part of the world, and in some ways I think that it breaks some of the YA dystopian mould which is definitely a good thing!
The main thing that broke the mould for me is that the couple was pretty much established before the book started. While they didn't quite realise how the felt about each other they were both well on the way to it, and as best friends they were well placed for that. There were a couple of touch and go moments where one of them said the wrong thing but that just made them more realistic as a couple. Basically I really bought into Olivia and Joshua, they worked well together.
I loved the fact that the rebels in this situation were almost as bad as the dystopia itself in some ways, and I liked it that Olive and Josh actually figured that out. Even when things were set against them they worked together and found a way, though I am unsure about how a certain surprising character is going to affect the future.
There were definite twists and turns in the book and it kept me turning pages. The characters were mature enough to feel real but naive enough to be believably 18. The settings were interesting and the dystopia complex, especially with what's been revealed so far!
I'm looking forward to continueing this series!
