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zapkode's review
5.0
“It all comes down to one simple fact – the children of the {gem} are perfect. We are the ugly and imperfect. We are the {blemish}.” {sarah dalton}
{my thoughts} - This book is about a girl named {mina hart}. She is what is considered to be {blemished}. There are two classifications of individuals in this book the {blemished} and the {gems}. {blemishes} are trained to be the servants of the {gems}. Their sole purpose in life is to be slaves or maids. The {gems} are {genetic enhancement ministry} in other words they are spoiled rotten, they are entitled, and they are self-absorbed. They are created in test-tube environments in order to cater to the desired offspring that parents ideally want. They are fashioned to be perfect, flawless and the new future of human kind.
This book really surprised me. It wasn’t what I was expecting and I enjoyed reading it. Its about a teenage girls desire to overcome diversity, to become more then she is meant to be, to show that she is worth something, and to save her life despite the odds against her. She has three main friends {angela}, {danial} and {sebastion}. Together the three of them go on an incredible journey to prove they are more and can become more then they have been predestined to be.
{reason for reading} - I had been accepted to read an ARC for the second book in this series {the vanished}. Before I could read it I knew I needed to read this book. I don’t like reading in mid-series and being completely lost.
{my thoughts} - This book is about a girl named {mina hart}. She is what is considered to be {blemished}. There are two classifications of individuals in this book the {blemished} and the {gems}. {blemishes} are trained to be the servants of the {gems}. Their sole purpose in life is to be slaves or maids. The {gems} are {genetic enhancement ministry} in other words they are spoiled rotten, they are entitled, and they are self-absorbed. They are created in test-tube environments in order to cater to the desired offspring that parents ideally want. They are fashioned to be perfect, flawless and the new future of human kind.
This book really surprised me. It wasn’t what I was expecting and I enjoyed reading it. Its about a teenage girls desire to overcome diversity, to become more then she is meant to be, to show that she is worth something, and to save her life despite the odds against her. She has three main friends {angela}, {danial} and {sebastion}. Together the three of them go on an incredible journey to prove they are more and can become more then they have been predestined to be.
{reason for reading} - I had been accepted to read an ARC for the second book in this series {the vanished}. Before I could read it I knew I needed to read this book. I don’t like reading in mid-series and being completely lost.
outoftheblue14's review
4.0
Review copy received through Enchanted Book Promotions
In a world full of genetically-altered clones called GEMs, Mina Hart is a Blemished, i.e. imperfect. She's forced to cover her hair with a headscarf, work as a servant for the GEMs, and forbidden to have children. On her first day at St. Jude's school, Mina befriends another Blemished girl, Angela. Then she meets Angela's adoptive brother Daniel and is soon drawn to him. Then there's Sebastian, the handsome GEM boy that Mina is forbidden to even talk to. Moreover, Mina is keeping a big secret, one that could threaten her whole life...
First of all, this dystopian series is set in Great Britain, and it's refreshing to read something set on this side of the Atlantic for once. Britain has been taken over by a company called Ministry, which creates babies artificially by combining their DNA according to the requests. Thus, babies are not created naturally. Those who are rich enough to afford services from the Ministry can have GEM babies; the others are called Blemished and forced to work as servants. They get only a partial education: girls study Sex-Ed (some biology), while boys don't go to school at all and do manual labour. Blemished girls are forced to wear a headscarf covering their hair and to have an Operation at sixteen which makes them infertile. I liked this side of the story, à la The Handmaiden's Tale.
Mina Hart has just moved to a different Area of Britain with her father. Her mother is long gone; she joined the Resistance (a group who fights against the Ministry) and is probably dead. But Mina is also special; she has powers that could put her life into jeopardy, were they to be discovered. She's a spunky, brave heroine ane easy to relate to.
The story is action-packed and moving fast; there's never a dull moment. We're led to gradually discover different aspects of life in Britain under the Ministry rule. I'm definitely going to keep reading this series.
In a world full of genetically-altered clones called GEMs, Mina Hart is a Blemished, i.e. imperfect. She's forced to cover her hair with a headscarf, work as a servant for the GEMs, and forbidden to have children. On her first day at St. Jude's school, Mina befriends another Blemished girl, Angela. Then she meets Angela's adoptive brother Daniel and is soon drawn to him. Then there's Sebastian, the handsome GEM boy that Mina is forbidden to even talk to. Moreover, Mina is keeping a big secret, one that could threaten her whole life...
First of all, this dystopian series is set in Great Britain, and it's refreshing to read something set on this side of the Atlantic for once. Britain has been taken over by a company called Ministry, which creates babies artificially by combining their DNA according to the requests. Thus, babies are not created naturally. Those who are rich enough to afford services from the Ministry can have GEM babies; the others are called Blemished and forced to work as servants. They get only a partial education: girls study Sex-Ed (some biology), while boys don't go to school at all and do manual labour. Blemished girls are forced to wear a headscarf covering their hair and to have an Operation at sixteen which makes them infertile. I liked this side of the story, à la The Handmaiden's Tale.
Mina Hart has just moved to a different Area of Britain with her father. Her mother is long gone; she joined the Resistance (a group who fights against the Ministry) and is probably dead. But Mina is also special; she has powers that could put her life into jeopardy, were they to be discovered. She's a spunky, brave heroine ane easy to relate to.
The story is action-packed and moving fast; there's never a dull moment. We're led to gradually discover different aspects of life in Britain under the Ministry rule. I'm definitely going to keep reading this series.
annettebooksofhopeanddreams's review against another edition
3.0
Een goede dystopische roman schrijven valt niet mee. Het icoon Katniss Everdeen heeft het daarmee voor veel auteurs verpest en daar lijdt dit boek wat mij betreft inderdaad ook wel een beetje onder. Ik heb dit boek vanochtend uitgelezen en ben sindsdien al aan het twijfelen wat ik ga doen met de sterren en met deze recensie.
Laat ik vooral beginnen met de pluspunten: Het boek heeft een heel interessant uitgangspunt. De wereld die is gecreëerd voelt aan de ene kant als een ver van mijn bed show, maar aan de andere kant is het niet ondenkbaar en zien we de inspiratie van deze zieke maatschappij overal al om ons heen. Dat is alvast een goede bouwsteen voor een goede dystopie. De makkelijk schrijfstijl en de snelheid waarmee het boek weg te lezen is, zijn ook een groot pluspunt.
Helaas is er voor mij één heel groot minpunt dat eigenlijk de rest overschaduwt: De personages. Ik weet niet zo goed hoe ik het in woorden moet vangen, maar ik vind met name het hoofdpersonage roekeloos en bij vlagen zelfs behoorlijk dom overkomen. Hierdoor mist ze die spark die een heldin maakt. Wellicht kan ze de lezers bevredigen die zich storen aan personages die zich aanpassen aan hun maatschappij, maar ik zie vooral een heel impulsief meisje voor me. En daardoor bestaat zo ongeveer de helft van het plot uit het oplossen of ontvluchten van de problemen die ze eerst zelf gecreëerd heeft.
Op zich erg jammer, want er had zeker meer in dit verhaal gezeten en ik heb het ook zeker niet met tegenzin gelezen. Er was gewoon veel meer mogelijk geweest en daardoor is het aan het einde toch vooral een gemiste kans.
Laat ik vooral beginnen met de pluspunten: Het boek heeft een heel interessant uitgangspunt. De wereld die is gecreëerd voelt aan de ene kant als een ver van mijn bed show, maar aan de andere kant is het niet ondenkbaar en zien we de inspiratie van deze zieke maatschappij overal al om ons heen. Dat is alvast een goede bouwsteen voor een goede dystopie. De makkelijk schrijfstijl en de snelheid waarmee het boek weg te lezen is, zijn ook een groot pluspunt.
Helaas is er voor mij één heel groot minpunt dat eigenlijk de rest overschaduwt: De personages. Ik weet niet zo goed hoe ik het in woorden moet vangen, maar ik vind met name het hoofdpersonage roekeloos en bij vlagen zelfs behoorlijk dom overkomen. Hierdoor mist ze die spark die een heldin maakt. Wellicht kan ze de lezers bevredigen die zich storen aan personages die zich aanpassen aan hun maatschappij, maar ik zie vooral een heel impulsief meisje voor me. En daardoor bestaat zo ongeveer de helft van het plot uit het oplossen of ontvluchten van de problemen die ze eerst zelf gecreëerd heeft.
Op zich erg jammer, want er had zeker meer in dit verhaal gezeten en ik heb het ook zeker niet met tegenzin gelezen. Er was gewoon veel meer mogelijk geweest en daardoor is het aan het einde toch vooral een gemiste kans.
alyssaindira's review
3.0
hey guys, so i just finished Blemished by Sarah Dalton and i must say it was a interesting little novel. twas definitely a new look on a alternative society. A lot of the aspects shone were similar to the works pf The Giver, Delirium, you get the vibe. So just a girl in a tumbling, crumbling society trying to hold on by the the tiniest threads. Can already tell she is going to be the spark to fuel a rebellion. I must say, i am torn between the two hotties of the book. Its like they are polar opposites yet only so similar in detail. Im not sure if i will pursue the series, perhaps after i am done with all the other books that need my attention. Questions?
kaytee_murphy's review
4.0
I love dystopians so much! And this one was, after reading the description, sounding really good. And it was! I instantly got caught up in this story. Its clear right away the tensions between the GEMs and the blemished. The blemished are those people with genetic illnesses or predispositions for diseases. In order to stop these things from continuing, the Ministry requires the blemished women to go through a surgery at 16 that takes their ability to have children. it is also illegal for those that have not yet received the surgery to have children.
The GEMs are clones: perfect, genetically made babies that are beautiful and illness free. The blemished are forbidden from having contact, even conversations, with the GEMs. And the GEMs make it clear that they are superior. We first meet Mina, the main character, with her head being flushed in the toilet by the GEMs.
I like Mina. She accepted her fate in public,being a good little blemished girl, while questioning everything that goes on, particularly regarding her special powers. She didn't sit around whining about her life like it seems a lot of female main characters do these days.
Overall, the book was great. There was a good story line, a great main character, great supporting characters, action adventure, romance, rebellion, and so much more! Definitely a book worth reading!
The GEMs are clones: perfect, genetically made babies that are beautiful and illness free. The blemished are forbidden from having contact, even conversations, with the GEMs. And the GEMs make it clear that they are superior. We first meet Mina, the main character, with her head being flushed in the toilet by the GEMs.
I like Mina. She accepted her fate in public,being a good little blemished girl, while questioning everything that goes on, particularly regarding her special powers. She didn't sit around whining about her life like it seems a lot of female main characters do these days.
Overall, the book was great. There was a good story line, a great main character, great supporting characters, action adventure, romance, rebellion, and so much more! Definitely a book worth reading!
emjay24's review against another edition
2.0
This is the second to last book in my dystopian novels anthology, and my least favorite, so far. The whole book was kind of a chore to get through, and if it had been the last in the anthology, I probably would have given up, but knowing another story was just around the bend kept me going. In the future, genetically altered people, or GEMS, have taken over the world, and regular people, or the Blemished, are relegated to their own areas of the cities, where they are forced to watch tv, the women go to school that teaches them how to do service jobs, and the men are apprenticed out and don’t even learn to read. At 16, Blemished women get an operation that makes them not be able to have kids, but also messes with their minds, causing some to go crazy. At best, they’re docile and brain washed. Actually, no one has kids, as the GEMS just reproduce in a test tube. Our main girl is the daughter of a former professor, both Blemished, and we find out she has special powers. She’s just moved to a new area and, at 15, is in danger of getting the operation soon. I didn’t like her. I didn’t like her news best friend, either, who was kind of catty and jealous. I didn’t like anyone very much, and the story didn’t flow well. I won’t be reading the rest of this series.
floorflawless's review against another edition
3.5
The story is interesting, but I didn't feel as much connected to the characters as I hoped, so therefore it doesn't quite deserve a 4 star from me.
lilacs_books's review
3.0
First off, AMAZING cover! If I rated this book based on the cover alone it would definitely receive 5 stars. Also, the synopsis – wonderful! As soon as I read the synopsis I knew I'd have to read this book. You can imagine how delighted I was to see it available in an ARR! :)
Unfortunately, reading it was a slight disappointment. Probably only because I had such high expectations for it, but still. It was still a good book, just not as great as I'd hoped. The story was actually really great but there were too many other aspects of the book that were lacking which is the only reason I couldn't give it any more than 3 stars.
Most importantly, the characters. It may have just been me but quite a few of the characters were annoying. The main character, Mina, was just so whinny half the time. But then, all of a sudden, she'd stop being that mopy girl and turn into one of those kick-ass characters who won't let anyone mess with her or her friends and family. I'd have preferred her to be somewhere in the middle all the time instead of bouncing between the two extremes. Two of the other important characters, Angela and Sebastian, were a bit 2D. By the end of the book they began be feel real, but throughout the first three quarters they were really flat and boring. At least by the end all the characters were much better so I doubt I'll have this problem with The Vanished. The dialogue was a bit stiff at first too, but again, by the end of the book that problem was gone.
Anyway, it had a really interesting plot and the ending was great. In fact, the last 20% or so of the book was very good, good enough for 4 or 5 stars. I can't wait to read The Vanished (and luckily I don't have to) because all the worst bits of The Blemished had been ironed out by the end so the sequel should be super. :D
Unfortunately, reading it was a slight disappointment. Probably only because I had such high expectations for it, but still. It was still a good book, just not as great as I'd hoped. The story was actually really great but there were too many other aspects of the book that were lacking which is the only reason I couldn't give it any more than 3 stars.
Most importantly, the characters. It may have just been me but quite a few of the characters were annoying. The main character, Mina, was just so whinny half the time. But then, all of a sudden, she'd stop being that mopy girl and turn into one of those kick-ass characters who won't let anyone mess with her or her friends and family. I'd have preferred her to be somewhere in the middle all the time instead of bouncing between the two extremes. Two of the other important characters, Angela and Sebastian, were a bit 2D. By the end of the book they began be feel real, but throughout the first three quarters they were really flat and boring. At least by the end all the characters were much better so I doubt I'll have this problem with The Vanished. The dialogue was a bit stiff at first too, but again, by the end of the book that problem was gone.
Anyway, it had a really interesting plot and the ending was great. In fact, the last 20% or so of the book was very good, good enough for 4 or 5 stars. I can't wait to read The Vanished (and luckily I don't have to) because all the worst bits of The Blemished had been ironed out by the end so the sequel should be super. :D