Chosen Ones

Title: Chosen Ones
Author: Tiffany Truitt
Series: The Lost Souls #1
Read: April 20, 2014

Summary: Life is bleak but uncomplicated for sixteen-year-old Tess, living in a not-too-distant future where the government, faced with humanity's extinction, created the Chosen Ones, artificial beings who are extraordinarily beautiful, unbelievably strong, and unabashedly deadly.

When Tess begins work at Templeton, a Chosen Ones training facility, she meets James, and the attraction is immediate in its intensity, overwhelming in its danger. But there is more to Templeton than Tess ever knew. Can she stand against her oppressors, even if it means giving up the only happiness in her life? goodreads

Review: To be honest, this book left me feeling a little confused and wanting more. I really liked the sci-fi, post-apocalyptic/dystopian premise. Tess lives in a world where females are no longer able to reproduce which is fortunate because the government is now manufacturing "chosen ones" who are only males and perfect beings. Don't get me started on the sexism. I think the premise is a solid idea but I'm left wanting more. I wanted to understand some more of the history and how things got as bad as they did. This is only the first book in the series so they may go into more in other books but I did't feel like the world was created as well as I wanted to.

While reading this book, I kept asking myself why Divergent made it and a book like this didn't? Similar genres and narrators but Divergent was so much better and obviously more popular. I feel like the problem was that I didn't particularly connect with Tess like I did with Tris. I liked the rebellious traits she had but at times, she just felt a little dumb.

Of course, at some point Tess meets a boy who is, gasp, a chosen one and there is some insta-love (which I hate) but I kind of liked James anyway. I think my main issue with this book is it just felt a little chaotic and rushed. The plot had so much potential and I liked parts of it but, in the end, I just wanted more. I think there are some very positive aspects of this book but it wasn't enough for me. I won't be finishing this series because I wasn't that hooked but I think if I did, I would enjoy learning what happened to the characters and some more background about how society got to where it is.

Have you read this? What did you think?