Unfortunately, I was initially told that this was more of a contemporary pirate fantasy than what it really is - a post-apocalyptic zombie virus outbreak novel. Regardless I gave this book a chance but eventually decided to put it down. The YA-ness of this book wasn't a good fit for my tastes, and the impenetrable obtuseness of the romance and the "chosen one" narrative made it hard for me to get excited. This book was not for me, but might appeal to people who love the Walking Dead, love triangles, and sisterly bonds put to extreme tests.

I devoured this stand alone! I’m not a huge fan of the “in love with my sisters boyfriend” trope but the intriguing take on a zombie apocalypse, seafaring captains (that are GOOD, strong, and handsome), a strong sister bond, and some seriously Bad A females kept me reading!
I loved the unique and fresh feel of the Crimson! Things like zombies can be so repetitive, but Unchosen felt incredibly imaginative! I was completely engrossed in this story from the get go and found my heart pounding and my fists clenched more than once! The writing really put me into the headspace of a post apocalyptic America and was detailed enough that coming back to reality felt jarring!

My biggest complaint is the ending felt a tad rushed (to the point I would have sworn there was going to be a second book I just didn’t see how things could be summed up!) but the love story that developed was sweet, natural, and made my heart so happy! Definitely a book I’ll be adding to my shelves!

Charlotte's world was turned upside down when the Curse took her parents from her, leaving her and her sisters to survive on their own. Her older sister is take-charge, a clear leader. And her younger sister, Vanessa? She's the prophesized Chosen One, the one who can bring an end to this Curse. And Charlotte is just Charlotte. No one really thinks much of her, always dismisses her. So when the sisters are captured, Charlotte sacrifices herself, claiming to be the Chosen One in order to give her sisters a chance to escape.

Unchosen follows Charlotte as she makes new allies and new enemies as she tries to unravel the secrets of the Curse, knowing her lies might doom them all. I was skeptical I would enjoy a book about a pandemic so soon, fictional or not. But Unchosen did a fantastic job of taking me out of a real-life pandemic, allowing me to enter a unique yet familiar world where love and hope can still thrive. I enjoyed that the whole premise of the book flipped the "Chosen One" trope on its head. I thought Charlotte had a great redemption arc throughout the novel, and there was a lot of great action throughout Charlotte's adventure. Unchosen is perfect for fans of fantasy, action/adventure, and anyone who's ready to re-do the "Chosen One" trope.

I ended up really loving this one!

Unchosen isn't quite your typical zombie story. Charlotte and her sisters are together, but their parents were turned. The Crimson hit and the virus is spread by a Vessel looking at a person in the eyes. There is said to be a Chosen One that will break the curse. Charlotte's younger sister, Vanessa, is that person. Along with her older sister, Harlow, Charlotte tries everything to keep Vanessa safe. Even if it means risking her own life. Charlotte is taken, but kind of by choice. She wants to save Harlow's boyfriend, Dean. Charlotte has actually been in love with Dean since she was young, but he fell for Harlow. Charlotte doesn't feel special like her sisters. Harlow is this badass fighter and Vanessa is a level ten gymnast. So Charlotte makes the quick decision to do whatever she can to help. Most of the book takes place on ships. There are Runners that sell Curseclean. Charlotte meets a new group of people that help Charlotte see that she is so much more than she realizes.

What I loved most about this book was the relationships. The siblings, Charlotte and Dean, and the group Charlotte meets later on. Seth is definitely my favorite person in the book. My heart broke for him more than once. I actually loved that whole group. I also loved Charlotte's growth and how her self esteem improved. She got so much stronger. There are some plot twists in the book and the pacing was good throughout.

I gave this book 4 1/2 stars rounded up to 5 on Goodreads. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my review copy.

Warnings for blood, drowning, loss of parents, captivity, death.

A young woman who has been ordinary in between her two extraordinary sisters finds herself at the center of a puzzle to the apocalypse. Charlotte has always been the middle sister between Harlow, the gorgeous sister who attracted Charlotte's crush, Dean, and Vanessa, the gifted athelete. But now the world has ended, with a zombie apocalypse unlike any other - the Crimson, a curse that spreads through eye contact - and Char once again finds herself the middle sister yet again, with Harlow the leader of the survivors and Vanessa the actual Chosen One - a prophecy fulfilling woman who will bring a cure to the Curse by finding the mystical Heart that started the curse. In an attempt to protect Vanessa, Charlotte and Dean accidentally lead a group of Vessels (those that have been overtaken by the curse) to the survivors' door and Char quickly pretends to be the Chosen One to keep her sister safe. She is taken prisoner and Dean is taken elsewhere, and all Char knows is she will stop at nothing to save her family and her crush.

Throw in some swashbuckling, a hot guy who just might return Char's feelings and the truth about the Curse as well as the Chosen One and you're in for a good time with this one. There's plenty that will appeal to readers here.

Unchosen is a fast-paced young adult fantasy about a girl who will do anything to protect those she loves. The Crimson is a virus that is spread through eye contact and turns people into zombie-like monsters. When Charlotte’s parents fall victim to the Crimson, Charlotte and her sister’s lives are forever changed.

Charlotte is determined to protect her younger sister, who is The Chosen One – the person who supposedly can stop the virus and save the world. When her sister’s life is threatened by raiders, Charlotte pretends to be the Chosen One. The raiders take her, which leads Charlotte on a danger-filled, epic odyssey filled with flesh-eating monsters, pirates, and fierce women who will do whatever it takes to protect those they love.

I loved Charlotte’s character and growth throughout the novel. She is the middle sister and often feels ordinary in comparison to the other girls. She loves her older, popular sister and her younger, talented sister but feels she pales in comparison. It takes an apocalypse and being on her own for Charlotte to find herself.

Charlotte is strong and resilient, a determined person who survives against all odds. Deadly viruses, flesh-eating monsters, pirates, and more threaten her at every turn. Charlotte’s character goes through so much throughout the story, which helps her realize just how fierce she really is. Charlotte examines what it feels like to be ordinary compared to others and finds out how truly extraordinary she is.

Though the ending felt a bit rushed and some of the characters weren’t as dynamically developed as Charlotte, I enjoyed this stand-alone coming-of-age story with its immersive world and dynamic protagonist. I think it will appeal to readers who like young adult apocalyptic fiction. Thanks so much to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

Ugh, I wanted to like this book so much.
However, the opening is terrible. Very confusing describing the before time and then it was suddenly 2 years or so later with an unexplained, or very badly explained virus that turns humans to flesh eaters that hold legit conversations. And they are stealing a historic item from a museum.....
All way too much at one time but with too little information at the same time.
I couldn't get past the first few minutes of the book.

Too bad.

I can definitely see this being made into a movie for netflix/hulu. Dystopian, but not in the far off future. The scenario feels plausible with everything happening in 2020 and then has the element of magical pirate queen curse. The only thing I wish is that everyone wasn't depicted as the hottest, the most beautiful, and the perfect person just flawed by the curse. Good quick read and loved the story arc for Char.

This book had a lot going on and I think that was ultimately unhelpful for the plot and character development. Where this book shines though is the action. It is high paced and definitely pulls the reader along for the ride. I wish there had been a bit more space in the book to fully explore some of the plot points and to further develop some of the characters, but overall thought this was a descent read.

Unchosen by Katharyn Blair is a fast-paced and thrilling novel that will hook you in from the first page!

After the world becomes cursed by a deadly virus, Charlotte does everything she can to protect her younger sister. Her sister isn't just anyone, she is The Chosen One - the one who is supposed to be able to stop the virus and save the world. When a threat comes looking for the The Chosen One, Charlotte steps up and claims she is the one they are looking for. The adventures that follow lead Charlotte to places she never expected and help her to discover her own inner strength. She may not be The Chosen One, but she will fight to save the ones she loves and possibly the world along the way too.

Katharyin Blair is very talented at crafting an intense and addictive story. The post-apocalyptic setting with the pirate-like vibes was great! This book had a lot going on and a lot happen. There were lots of characters and connections between characters, and there were plot points and details I felt could have been further expounded upon. Due to this, I actually felt it would have been better suited to a duology or even a trilogy. While I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I ultimately would have liked even more. However, it was still a fun read and I would recommend anyone who likes post-apocalyptic or dystopian novels to read it!

Book Review for “Unchosen” by Katharyn Blair. I read this book as an eARC from NetGalley. Thank you to NetGalley, Katharyn Blar, and Katherine Tegen Books for the opportunity to read and review this book!

“Unchose” is the story of Charlotte Holloway, and her life being stuck as the middle sibling. Charlotte lives in her older sister’s shadow, and she is the caretaker of her younger sister. Both of her sister’s are talented, and Charlotte is pretty ordinary. She is also in love with her older sister’s boyfriend, who treats her like a sister. Everything changes when a virus called “crimson” quickly spreads from person to person via eye contact. The only way to end this deadly virus is for “the Chosen One” to save humanity. As it turns out, Charlotte is not the chosen one. Her sister is.

“Unchosen” is awesome. It’s action packed from the first page. There are pseudo-zombies, pirates, high sea adventures, romance, post-apocalyptic viruses, megalomaniacs, and butt kicking feminism. What’s not to love? Charlotte is a great character, and her main objective throughout the novel is to keep her sisters and the man she secretly loves safe.

The character development in this book is great. The personalities are really fleshed out, and the characters are relatable. My only qualm is that the physical description of characters was a little lacking. I have no idea what the main character looks like, even after finishing the book. Ms. Blair did a great job with physical description of secondary characters, but not the main characters, which was a tiny bit of a let down. But other than that, I really enjoyed this book. I give it 4 out of 5 stars, and I highly recommend this if you like any of the things I listed above.

I enjoyed Katharyn Blair's debut and have to admit - I like this one a bit more. Timely about a pandemic/virus that infects people super easily (through sight/eyes!), this novel looks at "zombies" who aren't called zombies, what we do to protect those who love, and how strong girls don't need to be Katnisses.

Charlotte feels in the middle. She IS in the middle. The second of three sisters, she's caught between guitar playing (and now military hustling) Harlow and gymnastics practically pro Vanessa. And after the virus hit, she definitely feels that way. She wishes she had *something*. When raiders invade their settlement looking for the Chosen One who will supposedly end the virus for good, she lies. She says she's the Chosen One when she isn't at all. She feels she is nothing special.

What follows is realizing that she *is* special - just by being her. It's about a feminist sea pirate, a lost archived item lost possibly at sea, a ragtag crew, and trying to get home. It's about finding your voice in a sea of so many others.

This book is UNPUTDOWNABLE. I read it in 5 hours. I loved this story and look forward to recommending it to teens who love The Walking Dead and The 5th Wave. For the kids, who unlike those of us who read a lot and have been reading since 2008, who want dystopians -- because they were five when the Hunger Games came out and haven't read a gauntlet of them. For the kids who loved Tris in Divergent. For those who want their leads like Lena Holloway in Delirium, but who turn out to be brave all just the same.

And this cover? Super. Incredibly eye catching. (Pun intended)