Hello and welcome to my blog tour post for
GIFTED by H.A. Swain!
Today I have a review of the book for you plus you can enter to win one of three finished copies of the book (US/Canada), which you DEFINITELY want! But first, let's learn more about the book...
GIFTED
Author: H.A. Swain
Source: ARC via Publisher
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Publication Date: June 14, 2016
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Summary:
In Orpheus Chanson's world, geniuses and prodigies are no longer born or honed through hard work. Instead, procedures to induce Acquired Savant Abilities (ASAs) are now purchased by the privileged. And Orpheus's father holds the copyright to the ASA procedure.
Zimri Robinson, a natural musical prodigy, is a "plebe"--a worker at the enormous warehouse that supplies an on-line marketplace that has supplanted all commerce. Her grueling schedule and her grandmother's illness can't keep her from making music--even if it is illegal.
Orpheus and Zimri are not supposed to meet. He is meant for greatness; she is not. But sometimes, rules are meant to be broken. Here is a thriller, love story, and social experiment that readers will find gripping--and terrifying.
Purchase:
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this one. I thought it was a good mix of class issues, learning how to use your station to make a difference, and creation. I liked the idea of genius being bought and sold. I thought the beginning was a little slow but it picked up nicely and ended up being a really exciting novel.
I am a sucker for dystopian novels about creation. I think they are the best type of science fiction novels because it is about art and I feel like art and culture is always overlooked in these novels when really it should be front and center. I think GIFTED does this really well because it focuses on art and culture and how it affects our world.
I really liked the characters. I liked that they felt like teenagers and their interactions were plausible and interesting. I think that they had good chemistry and it was nice to see both Zimri and Orpheus be involved with someone who wasn't quite right for them and then get together because they were the right match. I thought their relationship was really well written.
I would say that I kind of wanted this to be a duology. I thought that the ending was really rushed and could have done with more time spent on it, which could have been expanded upon in another novel. However, the really cool thing about it was that it was written in sections like a song and I LOVED that.
Overall this is a really interesting dystopian about how culture affects our world. I think the characters were really well written and I liked seeing how the world was built and expanded. I did think the beginning was a little slow but it really picked up speed and kept me interested in the end!
Heather Swain lives in a crooked house in Brooklyn, New York with her husband, two children, a barkless dog, and two rescue cats. She is the author of four novels for young adults, two kids craft books, two novels for grown ups, and numerous short stories, personal essays, and non-fiction articles.
Connect with the Author:
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr | Instagram
Tour Schedule
Week 1:
7/18: The Book Cellar - Q&A
7/21: The Plot Bunny - Review
7/22: Readwritelove28 - Top 10
Week 2:
7/25: Mundie Moms - Review
this novel does sound unique with the way it's written. I love the arts, including music, and even though you mentioned the ending was rushed, I want to read this book. Thanks for the review today.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a pretty interesting dystopian, which I'll admit aren't always my favorite. I definitely think I'll check it out!
ReplyDeleteOoh, I love books that look at class systems. I haven't read any dystopian in ages, but it was one of my favourite genres for a while there. Thanks for the review, Jamie <3
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