The Unexpected Inlander

Set in a time of government control and compulsory genetic modification. Where you have to apply for a child license and where the sectors are homogenous, one culture, one people. In such a world, of course, not everything goes smoothly; there are those who are against genetic modification - called 'purebreds' who are shunned by society and only allowed to live in a community with their own kind, with low socioeconomic status. Except for a select few families. The rich are coastal and the poor are the Inlanders.

Chris Rockford is a government agent, an assassin. His job is to eliminate a purebred family of anarchists to maintain the order. While on a mission he meets an intriguing and mysterious woman called Jenna, a purebred inlander. They are instantly drawn to each other and she makes Chris feel for the first time. As he becomes more immersed in her life as an inlander he begins to see how differently they are treated, the inequalities they face and he starts to question things in his life. He also knows his job will scare her away. But Jenna has secrets of her own.

This is a very interesting and well-written story. To be honest, in the beginning, I was a bit confused with the whole purebred society, the modified people, and the people born before the ban on pure breeding. However, that is really the only con I have for this book. It was well-paced and well balanced in the plot, with Chris' life as an agent and the romance he and Jenna formed. The characters were layered and there was good character development and I enjoyed how inequality was highlighted and the questioning of the status quo. Chris had lived quite a privileged life working for the government so it was nice to see his eyes opened to the life of people who aren't as privileged and questioning whether life is fair after all.