Uninvited (Uninvited #1)
by Sophie Jordan
Summary: 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.
Source: I purchased a Kindle copy.
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Review:
I picked up Uninvited without knowing what to expect. As it began, I figured it would be a light, but adventurous YA book where the main character might have some crisis and then fall in love. I suppose maybe I was kind of right, but I was not expecting to be so enthralled by the book or feel real fear, horror, and disgust at the society in the book. Uninvited was not light by any means. I could feel my pulse pounding and the goose bumps forming on my arms when I realized that what was happening to Davy could happen to any one of us one day.
Uninvited was terrifying to read. It wasn’t horror, creepy, or supernatural. It was the kind of every day horror as you watch something slowly happen. If our government or any society could ever isolate the “killer” gene and somehow mark people, everything would and could change exactly how it did in the book. Wouldn’t you want the carriers of the gene separated from the normal population? Are you looking at a carrier because you feel real fear or is that what you think you should feel? By separating the carriers and stripping their opportunities from them, are you creating more of a killer when you’re trying to stop one? When normal people lash out in anger or defense, is that somehow more rational than when a carrier does it? What makes some violence okay? Davy’s life was completely flipped upside down and I felt so terrified for her.
Uninvited had me asking all sorts of questions and I loved how many questions it raised that are relevant to society. Is who we are genetic or part of the environment we are raised in? What makes some violence okay and other acts not okay? Do we behave in the way that is expected of us and would we behave differently if people expected something else?
I am incredibly impressed with Uninvited. It was so horrifying to read in some parts because I could imagine being Davy and it was agonizing to watch everything just get worse and worse for her because of one DNA test. It was awful, but definitely worth reading. I loved that she stayed optimistic and she didn’t let her fear take over in some of the worst situations. I felt protective of her like Sean because she was a girl and she wasn’t brought up in the tough world that a lot of other carriers were and she didn’t know how to tread in certain situations. With so many of the carriers of the gene being male, the fact that Davy was a female was also terrifying and I think nearly all women would be able to grasp and feel that terror for Davy.
Still, the book was YA and I think I actually loved that it kept some familiar tropes because it balanced the book out. There was a little bad decision making and romantic areas and Davy definitely clung to Sean, but I absolutely loved it. I love it when a book makes my spine tingle in fear or anticipation and Uninvited definitely gave me a glimpse of quite the horrific scenario that is so incredibly plausible, you can’t help but think.. what if? I highly recommend it. It would be a wonderful book club book because of all the questions it raises and discussions you could have about the subject matter.
I do hate this cover, though. I think it makes it look like a ghost story. I don’t know why.
Labels: Dystopian, Review, YA
