Author : Sophie Jordan
Genre : Sci-Fi
Published Date : January 28th 2014
Publisher : HarperTeen
Pages : 384
Source : Publisher, in exchange for a fair and honest review
From Goodreads :
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.
Review
The first thing that lured me into trying this book is, as you can guess, its cover. Notice how the girl's hair is shaped into a DNA? And those intriguing blurb that promises you a seemingly amazing story? Well of course, I decided to try this one. But when I dived into it expecting a riveting, suspenseful, and action-packed story, that's not exactly what I got.
P.S : Beware for my review-slash-ranting here. If you happens to be an avid fans of this book or something, then maybe you should not read further.
"Everyone in here. Everyone out there in the world. A world so afraid of carriers, it makes killers out of the innocent."
—Davy
The plotting and the way the story flow is average to me. Not too slow to make us bored and yawning all the way, but not so dynamic that it makes us curious and glued to its page, either. But here's one word that's best for describing this book : Hyperbolic. And here is why :
One, HTS is like those genetic disease that doesn't express itself when we have it. Like colorblind, maybe. We have to be tested, and when we came out positive, maybe we can't go to medic school or whatever is that which required your eyes to be no less than perfect. But that is colorblind.
With HTS, when you came out positive, you were taken away from the society, locked, and caged. Yep, read that right. Over-reaction toward the character, and voila, they're caged.
And in my opinion, the way people treated the HTS when they've never seen an HTS-carrier in action just looked so overrated. Over maybe, say, 10 HTS, only one actually killed. And then people caged and isolated them from the society like they're dealing with a bunch of hardcore terrorists. And I couldn't even let myself believe that the people would be THAT scared to something they've never seen. See? hyperbolic.
And then, there happens our main character Davy Hamilton. And the way everything about her is just perfect is actually annoying.
So she's a musical prodigy and straight A's student, with an adoring hot boyfriend that everyone wants, and a freaking rich family. Mm-hm? What else, what else? Here's an eye roll that you don't have yet from me.
And honestly, the way it was mentioned several times throughout the book that Davy is amazing with instruments and amazing this and amazing that is sooo overdone.
And then, what's more, after all of that, there's also this :
"Ever since I was three I knew my destiny."
—Davy
And it's like, oh my God. Can this book be even more hyperbolic?
Three years old didn't even go to school yet, please. I couldn't even remember my three years old self, much so knowing my destiny when I could crying and yelling like crazy for just falling. Kids like that? Knowing her destiny?
That above is a pic of a three-year-old. And you gotta be kidding me if she knows what her destiny is. And also, did I mention that those side character are just so bitchy and freaking annoying and seemed like they have no brain at all? (Well, sorry people. But read the book and you'll understand what a jerk they are).
It's just that I honestly can't believe that her former boyfriend—that looked at her like she's his whole world and that this earth could collapse with her is she willed it to—and friends can be that antagonistic when she's proved positive of HTS.
Apathy, maybe. But treating her like that? Seemingly lesser than the most shunned person alive? Maybe this is the first time I literally want to throw a book across the room. But then, it would be a physical abuse to a perfectly beautiful looking book, so I decide better.
But even though all those over-the-top description, I still found Davy as a kinda good main character actually. She hold to her belief, and she don't let the world bend her to what they want, and plus, she's not this dumb-naive girl either.
This books overall fell flat for me, with such a hyperbolic reaction to something we've never witness—which make it even more hard to believe—and an even more hyperbolic narration. Topped with a super frustrating and aggravating bitchy side character, I don't think I'll recommend this book. Some redeeming quality I found from it is maybe its pretty cover and intriguing blurb, and this determined main character. But still, the bad over-weighed the good.
Cheers, x
NK
Meet the Author
This is Neysa & Kessy, two girls who enjoys reading good stories as much as we enjoy talking about it. Stay tune with our journey as we find and share the latest story we've read here in Papier Revue.
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