The premise of this book was SO right on! I couldn't say no, and I'm glad I didn't because it was a really great read.
In
Sophie Jordan's Uninvited, scientists
have discovered a gene that can predict whether a person will become a
murderer. This idea hooked me even
though I've seen it before. Minority Report, anyone? I actually enjoyed MR. But this YA was so much better, and I'll
explain why.
Instead
of a Tom Cruise-ish character, who's all secret agent-y and capable of kicking
some major butt, our heroine is a high school senior. Davy Hamilton has her whole life ahead of
her. She's a music prodigy who's been
accepted to Julliard. She's got friends,
loving parents, and a hot boyfriend.
But
all that changes the moment Davy finds out she has HTS (Homicidal Tendency
Syndrome).
Her
entire life falls apart--and we get to see it crumble. This was one of my favorite things about the
book. I got to experience everything
Davy experiences after finding out she carries the kill gene. Her disbelief that quickly morphs into
despair, her heartbreak when everyone she thought she could depend on turns
against her.
Davy's
parents basically pretend she
doesn't exist. Her boyfriend turns out
to be a jerk (called that one wayyy
before Zac showed his true colors ;)).
Her best friend betrays her in an awful way. She's "uninvited" from her high-brow
private school. The only person who stands
by her is her older brother Mitchell--who I absolutely adored! Mitchell, the loser-problem-child-screw up,
was such a great big brother and character.
Actually,
there was one other person who stood by Davy, and I'd say he's possibly the #1
reason to read the book.
Sean O'Rourke. Gahhh, what can I say about Sean? He's another HTS carrier, but he looks the
part: big, tough, amazingly HOT, tattooed with the circled-H that marks
you for life as violent. The scenes
with him are charged. Sexy, sweet, and
completely captivating. I hoped for a
great romance to match the awesome plot, and Jordan didn't disappoint. Sean was everything I look for in a book
boyfriend and more :-D.
Another
thing I loved was how Jordan kept Davy in her home environment. She wasn't suddenly spirited away to a
government facility or internment camp.
By keeping her in the same setting, we got to really see the "Before"
and "After." It was so much
more emotionally affecting than if Davy had been taken somewhere else
immediately after finding out she has HTS.
If
you couldn't tell: I loved this book!!
I'd definitely recommend it. With
so many series out there--especially in YA--Uninvited is a definite Must-Read.
Happy
Reading,
Ninja
Girl
