I love the premise of this book and overall it had a unique feel.
I did find the language felt quite clunky though, it didn't meld with the characters, who were fantastic.

The Diseased Ones brings together Divergent and X-Men in this dystopian series. Similar to the former, it follows Hollis, who on her sixteenth birthday has to go for a test. This is to see if she has an almost extinct biomarker. Those who fail are labelled Diseased Ones, as they hold special powers, easily comparable to mutants in the latter. Unfortunately, the plot felt unoriginal and never stood out as its own unique entity.

That said, Hollis' flaws were realistic, being torn between the world she's always known and struggling to accept one she's been forced to survive in. But, her thoughts were repetitive because of this theme, often coming across as arrogant.

As an avid-reader of this genre, I read through The Diseased Ones in two days. While it was engaging, I really wanted to see it pioneer more fresh ideas.

This would be best suited for teens.

A test you have to do at age 16... not original. But I think I have said it before: sometimes originality is overrated. Hollis turns out to have an almost extinct biomarker which makes her A Diseased One and unfit to take part in society...so people with guns try to kill her but she gets saved at the last moment by a group of other diseased ones.
The culture shock between the society Hollis knows and the civilization underground is put into words very well. Normally I don't really like the first perron narrative but it works better in this book I think to really get Hollis' thought process towards the end. And what an ending! There can better be a sequel soon. To sum it up: it's in the future, people with abilities vs a society that thinks emotions are wrong, like able teenagers and trying to find your own path. If these things interest you, you would be a fool to not pick up this book.

4.5 STARS - this was captivating and so enjoyable! A dystopian world with “diseased ones” that have powers. I was thoroughly enjoying this! But that ending.... I need to know if there’s going to be a second book! Omg

Thanks Netgalley for giving me a chance to review a new dystopian book. I am always on the lookout and this one seems like it will be off to a great start. A hint of the Hunger Games and a few others thrown in here, it all wraps up into a compelling story of a society full of lies and on the edge.

Hollis has finally made it to sixteen and she gets to be a citizen in the world. She just needs to pass her tests and then she can get her career assignment and start a new and wonderful life. Except....she fails the bio-marker test and it marks her as Diseased one. These are people shunned from society who have powers and "bad blood". She is forced underground with them and then sees that maybe everything society has taught her is wrong. Very wrong. Hollis sets out to figure out what the truth really is and how it can allow her to rejoin society, but can she bring this together or is it too far gone already?

The Diseased Ones tells the story of Hollis, a sixteen year old on the brink of becoming an adult and a useful member of society. Until the day she is found to have a genetic marker establishing her as one of the deadly "Diseased Ones" - a group of "others" responsible for a terrible war that nearly wipped out mankind...

I really liked the premise of this story - all the different powers are interesting, and the idea that those with powers are in hiding. However, I couldn't work out why the teenagers seemed to be in charge. There were plenty of references to the adults, but they never seemed to do turn up and instead left the teens to run a top secret underground bunker.

The beginning was a bit of an info dump, and so the story felt quite forced. It was also cheesy in places, with characters that don't really have any personality. Hollis is arrogant, to the point where she just becomes really annoying. And I can't even remember anything about any of the other characters.

This story had a great premise, but it just didn't go anywhere. This book was not for me.

This review has been posted to Goodreads and Amazon.

In The Diseased Ones,  it is the year 2647 and Hollis Timewire has discovered she was born with a biomarker that alters her genetic makeup. This makes her one of the Diseased Ones which means she will have to leave society. However, she is carried to live with other Diseased Ones in their underground hideout. Here, she discovers that what she grew up learning in school may not be the truth and the government edited history to cover up their horrific crimes. However, all Hollis wants is to go home and she is willing to risk everything for that chance. 

I wanted to strangle Hollis at some points during this book even though I knew she only behaved the way she did because she was severely brainwashed. It was so irritating to see how stubborn she was about believing what she was taught instead of what she was seeing. 

The atmosphere at the Diseased Ones' hideout was friendly and open. I took to Tiffany and Jonah as soon as they were introduced in the story. However, I was instantly turned off by Ashton's ways. 

From the beginning, I was rushing to see what happened next in this book. The plot started quickly and continued holding my attention. It ended on a cliffhanger so I would definitely have to find out what happens next with Hollis. 

This is a series aimed at young adults and teens. I found it quite fascinating and would definitely be looking out for the next installment. Anybody interested in sci-fi would enjoy this book. 

Recurrent themes: Superpowers. Genocide. Conspiracy theories. Brainwashing. No emotions. Government deception

Violence: Mass murder. Violence against children
Sexual Content: Kissing 
Profanity: None
Religious Themes: None
Alcohol/Drugs/Smoking: None

'The Diseased Ones (The Hollis Timewire Series Book 1)' by Danielle Harrington is an urban dystopian story about a society that is basically all about a 'purity' and 'cleansing' of its people. A lot of metaphors can be drawn here, but I really don't feel like it's driven by some need to make a statement about things going on in the real fabric of our lives.

It's basically a painfully eye-opening experience for the main character, Hollis. After years of what she believes is a society free of these genetic anomalies, on Testing Day, she discovers she's carrying the anomaly herself.

Thrust into the middle of the conflict between the government, who seems to only want her and her kind dead, and others like herself that are in hiding.. she doesn't know who to trust. Everyone seems to have their own agenda and no one seems to want to be completely honest about what they know, but as far as she can tell.. they're trying to help her anyway. Even if it's just so they can help themselves.

As the story goes, it may not be spectacular, but it's decent. Aside from the fact, any really pertinent information moment by moment has a convenient way of falling into the lap of both Hollis and the reader, it really doesn't suffer from any major pitfalls.

I felt a bit too much time was devoted strictly to Hollis learning how to manage her powers. I get that it was her story and the author felt her development was important, but it felt unnecessary and was the only part I got a bit restless reading.

Possibly the most interesting aspect of the story though, isn't the abilities any of The Diseased Ones carry, or the bit of intrigue regarding which side is actually the good.. and which is the bad. It's a pair of twins. They appear late in the story and really should have been given more page time.

Their story is actually the most moving, and the knowledge gained about them is impactful. It's a shame we only see them briefly.. but perhaps in the future.. in another part of the series.

All in all, I did read it all in one sitting and it was a bit of a page-turner. So, if you're looking for a quick read with some likeable characters (Jonah, Keith, Tiffany) and a bit of high stakes action, this is probably worth picking up.

This was an interesting novel, taking place in the far future, where certain people have a biomarker that gives them special abilities. However, they were wiped out, or believed to be. Hollis Timewire is the main protagonist in this novel. She is rather naive in many ways and at times thinks only of herself, not seeing the entire picture. Hollis is a Diseased One, and is completely brainwashed by the government. However, she plans to draw the Diseased Ones in and escape while honing her abilities. She never expected to see this "monsters" as people nor develop friendships with them. After learning their history about the war, she does not know what to believe, but seeks answers to this weapon that could possibly remove her ability. She feels she is a danger to everyone, but she does not see what consequences her actions will bring. The truth is subjective and Hollis needs to figure out who is really on her side and who is using her before something terrible happens.

What would you do if you found out that everything you've been taught has been a lie?

On the morning of her sixteenth birthday, Hollis Timewire receives the worst possible news: she can't become a citizen of the world. She's a diseased one. Born with a biomarker that bestows dangerous, brain-altering powers, Hollis is forced to hide underground with other Diseased Ones, who believe the government falsified history to cover up their genocide.

The new world that Hollis has been cast into is full of emotional and colorful characters -- a stark contrast from the cold, calculated society she once knew. Hollis' character development and internal monologue make up a large portion of this book as we see her navigate her new life and struggle to try and find the truth of what really happened between the Diseased Ones and the government she's been raised to trust and revere. I think Harrington did an amazing job with executing this. Her writing style is fluid and suspenseful, full of rich descriptions that move the story forward and paint a vivid picture in your head without being too overbearing. The ending is twisted and absolutely shocking, and it left me on the edge of my seat, yearning for more!