Hello everyone!
I was supposed to write my review for The Unadjusteds a looong while ago, but due to a very stupid accident where I hit my head very hard I drastically had to reduce my screen time and couldn’t read or write for a few weels. I am only just now getting back into it, so I get to write this review only just now. Even though I missed my spot on the blog tour (by weeks..feeling awful about it!), I still wanted to post this because I absolutely loved The Unadjusteds and wanted to tell you all about it, so you can read it too! Here we go…
The Synopsis
Sixteen-year-old Silver Melody lives in a world where 80% of the population has modified their DNA. Known as the altereds, those people now possess enhancements like wings, tails, and increased strength or intelligence. Although Silver’s parents created the nanite pill used to deliver these genetic modifications, Silver is proud of her unadjusted state.
However, when the president declares all unadjusteds must take a nanite, Silver has no choice but to flee the city with her father and some friends to prevent the extinction of the unadjusteds.
With Silver’s mother in prison for treason, Silver’s father is the unadjusteds’ only hope at finding a cure. But time is running out as Silver’s father is captured by the president’s almost immortal army. Vicious hellhounds are on Silver’s trail, and her only chance to recover her father involves teaming up with a new group of unlikely friends before all humanity is lost.
My Review
It’s been a while since I last read a dystopia. During my teenage years I read so many of them and absolutely loved them, but since we all basically live in a dystopian world ourselves I cut back on them and usually opt for more ‘happy-ending’ reads. However, when I heard about the plot of The Unadjusteds, I was instinctively drawn to the book and I’m so glad I got to read this awesome story! Big thanks to Dave at TheWriteReads and the author for letting me read this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.
So, what did I think? The main character, Silver Melody, is celebrating her 16th birthday, but it’s not a happy birthday. She is worried about her own and her family’s safety. Why? Well, she is one of the so called ‘unadjusteds’ – those people who are not gifted with special physical or mental abilities like the ‘adjusteds’. In a place where the adjusteds rule and are privileged, Silver and her parents – scientists who invented the pills that are responsible for those abilities – refuse to take them. They are in the minority, and in great danger. Because her parents rebelled against the evil president’s wish for even further DNA manipulation, the family is now being observed closely. And then comes the day when the president wants EVERYONE to take one of those DNA-changing pills, leading to terrible riots that leave Silver, her family, and the other unadjusteds on the run.
From the first page on, I was hooked. This book is packed with action, and yet there was enough time taken to write characters you can see before your very eyes. Characters you like, characters you fear for, characters you want to scoop up and keep safe. The scenes that are almost bursting with action sometimes drip with brutality, and yet that sense of hope, love, and humanity is never missing either. If you read between the lines, you can draw parallels to our own world, and that made it feel even more real.
Especially because it’s a dystopian novel, The Unadjusteds manages to look at certain aspects of society with a critical eye. Corrupt politics and dangerous leaders, the dangers of social media, and the constant striving for perfection only being some of them, the author manages to interlace realistic elements of our own world into the narrative.
I loved the character of Silver. Even though she is the heroine of a fantasy novel, she is in so many ways almost painfully human and also very relatable. Being caught in the midst of dangerous fights between dangerous people, Silver manages to portray a sliver of hope for those in the minority – the innocents who just want to live their life their own way.
Sprinkled between those action-packed battle scenes, you find themes of friendship, family, and love – something that I really liked and that made it even easier to feel with the characters. I was reminded of The Hunger Games while reading this book, but it’s not at all a copy of it (or other popular dystopias). The story itself is unique, it is fast-paced, action-packed, and engaging. Between the lines you find deeper morals and motivations, parallels to our world, and a heroine that shows you how important it is to fight for what’s right, even if standing up against the enemies is dangerous and scary.
The Unadjusteds is – despite the dystopian theme – a quick and easy read that will have you wanting more. 5 deserved stars from me, and I can’t wait to read more books by the author!
Thank you all so much for reading!
xoxo
Noly
Author Bio
MARISA NOELLE is a writer of young adult and middle grade novels. She leans towards grounded science-fiction, urban fantasy and paranormal but mental health issues are important to her writing too. Published books include: The Shadow Keepers, The Unadjusteds, and The Mermaid Chronicles – Secrets of the Deep.
Growing up, Marisa had plenty of ideas for career and still regrets not moving to Hawaii to train dolphins and pretend the real world didn’t exist. Struggling with anxiety and anorexia lead her to the field of psychology.
Heavily influenced by underdog movies such as The Karate Kid she realised her mission in life was to help other people, through any medium. Embarking on a psychology degree, she wanted to emulate her hero, Jodie
Foster, from Silence of the Lambs and actually tried to secure work experience at Broadmoor. Thankfully she left the idea of criminal profiling behind, but uses many of these aspects in her novels.
