UNCHOSEN by Katharyn Blair is a YA Dystopian novel set in the future after the Crimson, a virus-like curse, turns people into Vessels, zombie-like creatures. For Curseclean to survive, they must avoid eye contact with these Vessels; otherwise, their own irises will turn red and they will become cannibalistic. Aside from escaping this fate, Charlotte’s also trying to find her own way in this new world. Her older sister Harlow is one of the leaders of their settlement and her younger sister Vanessa is The Chosen One— the sole person who can bring an end to this nightmare. Charlotte can’t seem to step out of their shadows— that is until she sacrifices herself for Vanessa and ends up on a mission she didn’t expect. One that will make her the lead of her own story. And one that might save the world.

This book is an invigorating shot to the dystopia genre. It’s such a fun blend of sci-fi, fantasy, and girl power. I couldn’t put it down. Firstly, Charlotte’s goal isn’t to take down her government, which doesn’t even exist anymore in a centralized way. Her job is to break a curse, which she ultimately discovers is really a call to confront her own self. This shift alone in the hero’s journey is refreshing, especially because while it may feel strange to read about the end of the world after this past year, Charlotte’s internal struggles are ones a lot of us can now relate to more intimately. Also, Blair takes The Chosen One trope and turns it on its head, basically indicating that we could all be The Chosen One if we decide to be.

Beyond that, Blair’s characters are so vivacious that they jump off the page. I especially love Charlotte, Seth, Dean, and Harlow, and wish there had been a bit more space to bring their love-square to a more satisfying conclusion. I was missing a deeper conversation between Charlotte and Dean, but understand there wasn’t enough time as this book is a standalone. Typically, for a story like this, I’d expect it to be a trilogy, which is another element that makes UNCHOSEN so unique. From one side, I like that we don’t have to wait years for a resolution. However, I also feel as though the second half of the book is a bit rushed as it’s a lot of plot to fit into a single novel. I would have preferred this as a duology, just so the plot had the expansion it deserved, and also so selfishly, I’d get to live in this world Blair created a bit longer.

That being said, UNCHOSEN is a getaway car of adventure. It’s perfect for fans of THESE REBEL WAVES by Sara Raasch and LEGEND by Marie Lu.

UNCHOSEN is a fantastic and completely captivating YA apocalyptic fantasy, filled with feminism, friendship, sisterhood, and romance. Charlotte is the middle sister, who has always fallen in the shadows of her older and younger sisters, Harlow and Vanessa. Charlotte felt like the world ended, when her BFF and long-time crush fell in love with her older sister, Harlow. It ended again when the Crimson struck her town and family in one horrible night. That night marked Vanessa as the Chosen One.

Harlow is the commander of the forces at their outpost, keeping the monsters at bay. Vessels as they are called are those infected with the Crimson (a zombie twist). They seek to destroy and/or turn humans who have not yet been infected, called Cursecleans. When raiders come into the settlement looking for the Chosen One, Charlotte pretends that she is the one they are looking for, protecting Vanessa. This sets off a cascade of events where the world hangs in the balance.

What I loved: The premise of the Crimson is about a pirate, Anne, who threw herself off the bow of her ship rather than be forced into marriage with a man she did not want. It was said that she spoke a curse, and when her remains were found and desecrated by greedy treasure hunters, the Crimson began. The way that this ends up unfolding was really unique and does have some strong feminist tones. The way this and the Chosen One pieces came together throughout the book and at the end definitely gave me chills. It's really brilliantly and intricately plotted- the mark of an excellent fantasy read.

I also really appreciated the character growth we see in Charlotte during the story. She seems to be just the extra one, but as she is forced into the world, she begins to learn who she is and who she wants to be outside of the way her sisters have defined her. That being said, I also appreciated the sister-love that is contained throughout, and the way that they always have each others' backs no matter what.

The romance, and the way that it evolves as Charlotte does, was definitely a win for me. From where she begins, in love with her BFF and her sister's boyfriend, to where she lands, it definitely showed her character growth- and was also totally swoony. I was there for it.

There are some great themes in the book about power, misogyny, fate, and ethics/morality that would be really interesting to discuss in a book group. At the end of the world, how an individual defines themselves and the roles they choose to take are really telling and definitely thought-provoking.

Final verdict: UNCHOSEN is an intricately plotted and masterfully told story of sisterhood, self-realization, and internal power that is sure to captivate readers. Highly recommend for fans of FABLE, SEAFIRE, and/or LEGEND.