Published by: HarperTeen, January 28th 2014
Genre: YA, Science Fiction (has a more thriller/contemporary feel to it, however)
Pages: 384
Format: Ebook
Source: HarperTeen via Edelweiss (thank you!)
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.
Uninvited tells the story of Davy, a privileged girl who is thrust into a life of suspicion and isolation when she's confirmed as having the kill gene. Davy, in the space of a day, is ripped from her familiar life - moved from a prestigious school to a basement 'cage' in a public school, left friendless and without a boyfriend, and marked with a imprint that tells everyone that she's violent.
Uninvited was not what I expected from a book marked as science fiction. The blurb and cover all set me up for a different book, but instead I got Uninvited - a thriller. Despite my expectations, I liked this book. It was unique in premise and plot. The writing wrought powerful emotion and terrified with high impact action scenes. And Sean was a complex and complicated love interest. Often my deep interest in Sean, his actions, his past, and my intrigue of how his mind works kept me turning pages.
Davy started off as a predictable sheltered girl, but grew into herself - somewhat. I suppose it's because of all the ruthless and determined protagonists in YA these days, and because of what I would do myself, but I found Davy's unwillingness to do necessary things and her complete obliviousness of how the real world works irritating. But that was Davy, and who she was, and to her credit she did learn. By midway I found her almost admirable.
However I had a few issues. The Mount Haven plot and purpose felt kind of left ... stranded I suppose. There was a lot more potential in that, and I wanted to read about that, about what Davy would do had she been trained as an assassin. That being said, I understand why it ended the way it did.
The ending was a huge disappointment. Little no no conflict, no obstacles to overcome. It was literally climbing over a wall and getting in a car ... Like? What? I suppose there was enough conflict and bad crap in the rest of the book to make up for it, but I find it hard to believe that a military camp/training ground would be so easy to escape. And to be stopped by a fellow resident/inmate/trainee instead of a highly trained guard that would be vigilantly on the lookout for escapees ... a little unfeasible.
Despite my gripes, I did like this book. I would definitely, like the blurb says, recommend to fans of Mara Dyer. It's very grounded in reality, but has the 'science' elements weaved quite seamlessly with normal life like Mara Dyer does with paranormal elements. And there's a lot of action and fighting scenes that would appeal to fans of thriller novels.
I was very close to giving this book four stars, but the ending let it down, so it's a solid three stars for Uninvited.
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.
Uninvited was not what I expected from a book marked as science fiction. The blurb and cover all set me up for a different book, but instead I got Uninvited - a thriller. Despite my expectations, I liked this book. It was unique in premise and plot. The writing wrought powerful emotion and terrified with high impact action scenes. And Sean was a complex and complicated love interest. Often my deep interest in Sean, his actions, his past, and my intrigue of how his mind works kept me turning pages.
Davy started off as a predictable sheltered girl, but grew into herself - somewhat. I suppose it's because of all the ruthless and determined protagonists in YA these days, and because of what I would do myself, but I found Davy's unwillingness to do necessary things and her complete obliviousness of how the real world works irritating. But that was Davy, and who she was, and to her credit she did learn. By midway I found her almost admirable.
However I had a few issues. The Mount Haven plot and purpose felt kind of left ... stranded I suppose. There was a lot more potential in that, and I wanted to read about that, about what Davy would do had she been trained as an assassin. That being said, I understand why it ended the way it did.
The ending was a huge disappointment. Little no no conflict, no obstacles to overcome. It was literally climbing over a wall and getting in a car ... Like? What? I suppose there was enough conflict and bad crap in the rest of the book to make up for it, but I find it hard to believe that a military camp/training ground would be so easy to escape. And to be stopped by a fellow resident/inmate/trainee instead of a highly trained guard that would be vigilantly on the lookout for escapees ... a little unfeasible.
I was very close to giving this book four stars, but the ending let it down, so it's a solid three stars for Uninvited.
Characters ★★★☆☆
Setting/world building ★★★☆☆
Writing Style ★★★☆☆
UNINVITED asks the question: will you let the world define who you are or will you choose to define yourself? Put simply: I loved this book!
- Carrie Ryan, NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author of The Forest of Hands and Teeth series
A riveting, disconcerting vision of a near-future corrupted by genetic profiling. Thoroughly unputdownable.
- Rachel Vincent, NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author
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