Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

I have elected not to read and review this book due to time constraints. Thank you for the opportunity.

This book was not what I expected. It was a zombie/end of the world meets pirates and high seas adventure meets magic and mythology. A fun and fast read that I plan on stocking in my high school library.

***Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.***

Unchosen follows Charlotte Holloway as she tries to keep her sisters safe in a world infected with the Crimson: a disease that pretty much turns you into some form of a zombie. Only when we finally meet present day Charlotte and her sisters, we also find out these “Vessels” (or the people who are infected with the Crimson) are evolving as we met a few who were able to keep their mind and person in one piece.

One thing I enjoyed about Unchosen is it defies the “Chosen One” idea. We get to see what it’s like for someone who is simply trying to survive in order to keep the Chosen one alive.

Fans of sci-fi and apocalyptic setting will enjoy reading this book.

I was a little confused about a few things in the book that my brain kept focusing on- apparently I like things completely spelled out for me and this story left more open to interpretation than I care for. For example, how does infecting 3 people save you from turning? I wanted more science and explanation but the details stayed vague for the duration of the story, which I am sure some people will really enjoy. This is a standalone zombie/end of the world book so maybe if it was a series there would be more details whereas this just hits the main points and moves on.

And that brings me to the focus of the story- romance. This is very much an angsty romance story that just so happens to be set in the middle of the world as we know it ending. And it is a love triangle/unrequited love, just to make it more complicated and explain the angst. We have the main character Charlotte, the plain, overlooked middle sister who has been in love with her best friend Dean for years- Dean who is dating and madly in love with her older sister and does not know Charlotte's feelings. And then we have the mysterious Seth who is basically instantly captivated by Charlotte but she throws up barriers so he does not find out the truth behind her actions. Oh the complicated web we weave.

This was not in any way a bad book, I will say that I wanted more scary intense or action packed scenes. Instead we get more Seth-Charlotte tension filled moments with just a few scary encounters in the whole book. Seriously, like 50% of the book was Seth and Charlotte at sea getting to know each other and fighting their attraction. Sigh. I am sure other people will adore the story and the dramatic relationship but I picked this book up for the zombies and possible horror aspect.

I fell in love with this book early on. But sadly that love ran away as I started getting into the core of the story. Things just started feeling to far fetched (Yes I know its science fiction) but you still have to have rules. When the book stated that the only way to kill these creatures was with an iron blade and you had to decapitate them it lost me. I mean I wish the author would have had an example of what would happened without the blade being made of iron. I mean does their head just grow back? Can they reattach it somehow? It just made the story kind of silly. I wished that part and the three people spread part would have been taken out of the story. Becuase I would have totally kept reading and falling even more in love with it.

I ended up only reading half of this book and not posting much of a review. While the ideas behind the story were somewhat unique and interesting, the characters had little to no depth and I could barely tell them apart. The way that everything in the story worked almost would have been better had this taken place in a fantasy world rather than modern day. And I'm not talking about just the way the curse spreads and how it affects the infected, but also the way people travel by ship (brig, even), and traffic people by ship with no one even trying to stop them, as well as the fact that there's a chosen one with no explanation of how the general population came to find out such a thing. I think overall, the setting and the lack of explanation of how any aspects of the fantasy elements came about made me not enjoy this book enough to review it.

https://confuzzledbooks.blogspot.com/2021/06/shannons-review-unchosen-by-katharyn.html

Charlotte and her two sisters have survived the virus that has spread throughout the world. There is a mythology about the chosen one who will save the world. The chosen one happens to be Charlotte’s younger sister. Her older sister is the leader of their compound who fights the infected. Charlotte feels average but fights for her life not to be.

I enjoyed this from the very beginning. The character Charlotte is very relatable. She will do whatever she can for her family even if that means being cannon fodder for them. The facts we learn about the virus and how it affects people was interesting and different from anything I had seen before. The different levels of infection made a good creepy atmosphere.

Charlotte was sometimes very whiney. She very much had the “Jan Brady Complex” going for her which isn’t flattering. I tried to chalk it up to she is a teenager and dealing with life the way it was for her...so she was allowed some whining. If it were me as a character I bet I would have whined more.

I enjoyed the story and at times reminded me of Buffy The Vampire Slayer. The writing was very easy to jump into, and I feel I will be reading more from the author, Katharyn Blair.

SYNOPSIS:
Meet the MC, Charlotte Halloway: she is just like any other girl; imperfect, with no special talents and is in a mess- her childhood crush; Dean , is in love with her sister!!
But, her siblings Harlow and Vanessa are quite the opposite- one is a leader and the other ; the Chosen One. They are the survivors of the apocalypse - an illness named Crimson; where the affected humans become flesh eating Zombies. When a search group comes for Vanessa, a.k.a the Chosen One, who can allegedly break the curse; Charlotte takes her place. When Dean's life is in danger, she has no other way; but to break the curse.

READ THIS BOOK FOR:

1. The title- Nobody writes about the unchosen ones; all we hear about are the Chosen ones and heroes. The author has picked up an unusual lead character.

2. Badass women: All women; be it the leads; their sidekicks or villains are all brave , resolute women- you' ll love every single one of them.

3. Supernatural elements in a post- apocalyptic world with a pandemic has been blended well.

4. Writing style: This fantasy is fast paced and has ornate writing style ; you'll be lured into the Universe.

WHAT COULD HAVE HAD BEEN BETTER:

I felt that the ending was a bit hurried up. This could have had easily been a duology.
Spoiler alert: Many of the characters could have been given backstories- especially the grey characters.

Rating: 4/5

The Crimson has swept through the world and there is only one who can bring it to an end. The Chosen One. Charlotte, however, is NOT the Chosen One. That would be her younger sister Vanessa- a secret they guard closely. Her older sister, Harlow, is special in her own way as well- the leader of their band of survivors and girlfriend to Dean, Charlotte's long-time crush. That leaves Charlotte largely unnoticed. Being unnoticed isn't all bad- it does give her the chance to chase after bits of the legend they believe led to The Crimson. But when a group cursed with the Crimson finds their camp, Charlotte shoves herself into the spotlight in order to throw them off her sister's trail.

This was a great pirate tale. There was a good bit of adventure, treachery, and of course, love. While I think there are "better" books out there, I enjoyed this one and would absolutely recommend it to my students.

This was one of the first books I read this calendar year, and it is still one of my favorites! I was worried that a book about a virus/pandemic might be too much when we are currently experiencing a global pandemic, but I found I actually enjoyed getting out of the current world and into a world where they are experiencing similar problems but in a wildly different way. I adore Charlotte as a character, I felt like she was so relatable and someone I would be friends with if she lived in our world (or me in hers!). The concept of the "Chosen One'" is not one I think about often, but I loved it in this book, both looking at a supposed "chosen one" as well as an "un-chosen one".

Highly recommend it for fans of All the Stars and Teeth, and Daughter of a Pirate King!

I'm a sucker for anything dystopian. Sure there are some familiar tropes in this story, but overall it is a fun, fast read.

This will definitely be a book I add to my shelf. I got this as a Netgalley arc and ended up loving it. The romance was just the right amount of build and payoff and I ship it! I also loved a few of the reveals towards the end. The beginning had a few struggles for me. I initially had a hard time buying into the Crimson disease and how it spread. The depiction of the day the world changed didn't seem realistic too me. I also think the action scenes weren't as well written as they could have been. A lot of times I had a hard time envisioning what was happening during the fight scenes. If you like YA dystopians I think this would be a good addition to your collection.

I couldn't really get into this one. Charlotte was the only character who I thought was even halfway interesting, and even then I couldn't really bring myself to care overly much about what happened to her. The plot was confusing and the writing dragged on and on, way too concerned with useless details and unceasing backstory.

Unchosen is an action packed post-apocalyptic novel with zombies. Charlotte grew up in her sisters’ shadows. Her little sister is The Chosen One. Her older sister is dating her best friend that she has feelings for. Charlotte decides to claim she is the Chosen One to protect her sister. Charlotte is taken in hopes of saving everyone. Soon her lies start to unravel and she has to figure out how to save her loved ones.

Unchosen is full of action. The heroine is a young woman like in all of my favorite post-apocalyptic novels. The curse and flesh eating humans was an interesting addition. I loved the characters in the novel. Charlotte is determined and strong. She doesn’t give up and will do anything to protect her family. There is an unexpected love interest that adds to the story. He is a great match for Charlotte and their interactions are great. There are many twists and action throughout the Unchosen. It was interesting to read Unchosen during a pandemic especially during the winter storm. I recommend Unchosen for fans of post-apocalyptic novels with strong female leads especially those that like zombies.

Thank you Megan Beatie Communications, Katherine Tegen Books, and Epic Reads for Unchosen.

It’s the end of January and I’m closing the month out with a BANG (not a whimper). It was a weird month after a weird year, and something tells me it’s going to be a wild ride from here on out. So, featuring a dystopian with a wild twist on zombies focused on survival felt very fitting. Plus, look at that cover. It’s screaming for you to look at it, but beware––eye contact is NOT recommended from this point forward…

Charlotte Holloway already survived the world ending. At least, she thought she did. Watching her crush fall in love with her older sister felt like the world was ending anyway. Until it really did. The Crimson struck all at once, ending things in a blink. Eye contact was all it took to take hold, and once infected, it was only a matter of time before people turned into flesh-eating monsters.

While the world fell apart, Charlotte stayed the same. Still stuck between her perfect older sister, Harlow, who now commanded a group of survivors. Still taking care of her talented younger sister, Vanessa, who is marked by the curse as the Chosen One. The only one who can end it.

But when others start looking for the Chosen Ones and invade their settlement, Charlotte does the only thing she can think of. She claims to be the one they’re looking for. As word of her capture spreads, forces from all sides close in and Charlotte’s lie begins to unravel. Armed only with fragments of prophecy, she has to figure out the key to ending the curse before the Crimson overtakes the world forever.

I know. INTENSE!!!

Before we get into the review, though. It’s important to figure out if you’re ready. I’ve come up with this handy survival checklist, so you can be sure you’re going in 1000% prepared. I mean, sure, it’s only a story. But that’s how the Crimson started. As a story…

To be fair, this kind of checklist is mostly viable outside of dystopian life. I mean, mostly. Listen, it’s never a bad idea to be apocalypse ready. I think January taught us all that…

You may be experiencing a few thoughts right now. Like, I did use the dreaded trope of all tropes: Chosen One. It’s there. No reason to lie about it or hide. But this is one of those use your assumptions against you kind of things. This Chosen One isn’t really about the Chosen One. Not the way you’d expect, anyway. And if my vague, non-spoilers arguments haven’t swayed you just take a peek at the title again. Unchosen. This book has nothing to do with being chosen at all, and I am here for how this trope played out.

And yes, there are flesh-eating humans that may feel a lot like zombies. They’re hard to kill, have heightened senses, are super strong, and can parkour the shit out of any obstacle. I loved that it isn’t a virus, it’s a curse and that infection is spread through eye contact. How engrained in our nature is it to simply look someone in the eye? I think it’s a brilliant twist on an established monster trope and makes it all the more terrifying. Don’t believe me? Try going without any eye contact for a single day and see how hard it is! If this was real we’d all be so dead, so fast.

Outside of curses and prophecies, I loved the characters. Charlotte is exactly who you’d expect her to be. She’s the middle child, always there but never seen. She sees strength in Harlow and important in Vanessa. But she doesn’t really know who she is.

And yet, she still shows up for herself time and time again. She’s resilient and strong in her own quiet way. She wrestles with her fears and struggles with the scars the world ending has left. I loved that she isn’t always sure of herself and that she makes a lot of mistakes. She doesn’t give off cheerful or optimistic vibes, in fact, she’s terrified and uncertain most of the time. But somehow, for not being hopeful, simply by refusing to stop, by never giving up, by always demanding they move forward, Charlotte ends up inspiring hope all around her. And I really love that.

There’s a bit of a found family theme in Unchosen. Most of humanity is dead or well, not human anymore. So survivors had to band together in whatever way they could. But this isn’t a black and white world where humans fight the infected. Nope. They have to fight other humans too. Turns out there’s a way to survive the curse, but it comes at a significant price.

This adds a way darker feel to the book, but it also gives it a realism that sometimes YA books shy away from. It’s definitely not about good or evil, right or wrong. This world tackles all the shades of grey that an impending apocalypse would highlight. I think the people looking to profit would do it, even in the face of destroying humanity. And I think this raises the opportunity for so many conversations about greed and how it influences our current world.

Unchosen is ultimately a book about choice. Which, again, is turning that Chosen One thing on its head. It’s a book about identity and the important of finding yourself. There are a lot of things Charlotte believes about herself, her sisters, and the world at large. But like all of us, these beliefs are tinted through the lens of her experience and expectations. She’s forced time and time again to reevaluate these beliefs and I think it’s a lovely way to show teens how to do the same in their own lives.

Blair presents a layered story about our complicated world. Sure, things aren’t exactly the same as they are today, but take away the curse and it’s chilling how similar they are. Who we are, who we expect others to be, what we would do to defend the people we love or fight injustice or escape persecution. There are facets of modern life in every detail of Unchosen and while the answers aren’t as clear as breaking the curse, once again, the book offers a path towards conversation and discovery.

People make the wrong choices in Unchosen and they make the right choices for the wrong reasons. For all the tropes present, nothing about the story reads as cliche or tired. It’s all so relevant, so vivid, and so intense, I couldn’t put this book down to save my life. I was fully immersed and I still find myself longing to go back into the world. The end of the world may not be the best place to dream for an Airbnb, but the people in it are the exact types of people I do want as friends.

In all, this book from start to finish is captivating. Four stabby stars.

I really enjoyed this book. The character development and the actual storyline stood out for me as I couldn't help but feel for Charlotte and everything that she was experiencing. I loved how loyal Charlotte is with Harlow and Vanessa despite like any sisters, they have their own frustrations. Charlotte recognizes that she isn't anything special compared to what her sister's bring to the table for this apocalypse but even though she believes that, I would disagree because what she does when she finds herself in the midst of a pretty bad situation, says a lot about who she is.

I don't want to give any bit of this story away but I thought Blair did a great job building in some twists and turns to the story and I found myself unwilling to put the book down. If you're looking for an apocalypse story that doesn't follow the normal plot line, you should consider checking this book out. Even the approach to the monsters and how the virus spreads was a new twist.

Thank you so much to the author and Netgalley for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. This, like many books, is one I read in practically one sitting. It was engaging, interesting, and yet I find myself at a crossroads with my thoughts, with the rating. Something I will say, is that I loved that this is a standalone novel. I love a good series to sink my teeth into, but it's refreshing to have a standalone YA novel, wrapped up in a neat bow with no delay in the ending.

I need to take a moment to say, how absolutely gorgeous is that cover? I think it's one of my favourites so far, it's so beautiful.

I'll start with the plot, which I loved. The idea of zombies but combined with piracy and curses was magnificent and fresh, and brought something new to the genre that I found incredibly interesting. I loved the idea of our main character not being the chosen one, the child of legend - it was another deviation from standard YA that was again, fresh and enjoyable.

I liked the surrounding characters, they were individual and felt very separate from each other. They had back stories, and hopes, and I loved how each felt fleshed out and planned. They linked together, intertwined in ways you wouldn't expect. It both made the story feel real, and at times small - but not in a bad way. It created some fantastic twists and turns; because as a reader you don't expect things to be that small, that linked.

The concept of spreading the virus to get rid of it was familiar, <em>a la</em> the ring, but a nice twist on the zombie plot. I'm sure I've seen the concept of eye colour before, but can't remember where. The use of mirrors was cool, and made me think of gorgons. Something I've always liked with post-apocalyptic fiction is the way humanity adapts to their new way of life, and seeing it fleshed out so well here was fantastic. Marking off bottles of water as they're drunk, strapping mirrors to their wrists and onto necklaces - I think I would have liked to have seen more of it, but what was there is amazing.

I'm going to get onto some of the things that I found brought the rating down though. Whilst there's a lot of unique features in this book, if you read a lot of YA... it’s a bit familiar. First off, ages. How old is she, and how old is he?? This is something that always takes my mind when I'm reading books like this. She refers to herself as a teen, and talks of highschool; which makes sense for her character. But the characters around her, are they all teens too, or are they in their 20's?

But...the male love interest. How old is he? She immediately switched love interests, which considering the whole ‘in love with my sisters boyfriend’ was such a huge plot point...I really wish she’d instead ended the book on her own but maybe interested in someone else. Poured out her heart and was turned down, or just accepted that maybe she was over those feelings. It felt too sudden and one dimensional. I loved that she was just the normal middle child, which made the ending a bit conflicting within me. On the one hand, I found the ending stunning, powerful and amazing. I loved the twist of the curse, I loved the jump and the decision she made. But... I liked her not being the chosen one. It made the story feel more unique.

3.5 Stars

Unchosen fits within the familiar zombie genre, this time playing out along the Pacific Coast. I’m not a huge fan of this genre so I was glad that author Katharyn Blair chose to focus more on the survivors than the gore. Her ability to create tension is the highlight of this book. A number of strong plot twists — most of which you won’t see coming — keep this a fresh read.

Harlow is a compelling character that readers will want to succeed. Her sisters are equally as interesting, though not as developed as I would have liked.

There’s a definite “ick” factor to Unchosen that readers will want to take into consideration before picking it up. While Blair does a good job of balancing things, it may make some people squeamish. I suggest ages 14 and up because of this.

Unchosen is a fast-paced read that I finished within 24 hours. I recommend it as a library read.