Anomaly by Krista McGee.
Thalli has fifteen minutes and twenty-three seconds left to live. The toxic gas that will complete her annihilation is invading her bloodstream. But she is not afraid.
Thalli is different than others in The State. She feels things. She asks questions. And in the State, this is not tolerated. The Ten scientists who survived the nuclear war that destroyed the world above believe that emotion was at the core of what went wrong—and they have genetically removed it from the citizens they have since created. Thalli has kept her malformation secret from those who have monitored her for most of her life, but when she receives an ancient piece of music to record as her community’s assigned musician, she can no longer keep her emotions secreted away.
Seen as a threat to the harmony of her Pod, Thalli is taken to the Scientists for immediate annihilation. But before that can happen, Berk—her former Pod mate who is being groomed as a Scientist—steps in and persuades the Scientists to keep Thalli alive as a test subject.
The more time she spends in the Scientist’s Pod, the clearer it becomes that things are not as simple as she was programmed to believe. She hears stories of a Designer—stories that fill her mind with more questions: Who can she trust? What is this emotion called love? And what if she isn’t just an anomaly, but part of a greater design? (Synopsis from Good reads).
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review from Net galley.
General Overview (No Spoilers)
I found this book enthralling yet a little hectic, there was not a dull moment but it was too much sometimes. It was like being on a roller-coaster, loving every second, then next thing you know you are getting dizzy and want to stop twisting around. That’s what the plot felt like, that the author thought of every possible twist she could put in and used them all. Don’t get me wrong I enjoyed it, but I would have liked to coast along for a little while between the twists and turns. I will most likely read the second one in the book, it will be very different I am sure. I also do not feel that this imagined future is plausible. I did like how music was integrated into the story, it was done beautifully. The story gets a little preachy about God and belief at times, not so much to make me out the book down, but I do wish it was less.
3.5 stars out of 5.
Step by Step Overview (Spoilers)
0% – Dystopian is a good genre, but since there is so much of it nowadays, there has to be something unique to make it great. Looks really good, full of action. I am stickler for being plausible.
10% – So ten people only survived a nuclear war, I am guessing that was just in one place, otherwise how did they find each other? Also the main character’s friend has yellow goo coming out of her? Is she a robot? They are viewing themselves as “flawed”, what exactly makes them flawed? So they are underground, explains a few things. I am not sure why they know what miles are because from the sound of it they are not allowed to travel that far. Okay, so I think they are human but have genetically engineered DNA, so they can be what the scientists want them to be. The whole society is intriguing, not sure it’s plausible but it’s interesting.
20% – The parts about music make Thalli a really interesting character (not that I understand most of it). I have a sneaking suspicion that the end of the story will be the as the start and you have to wait until book two to find out what happens. Hope I am wrong. Could all the anomalies live away from everyone else? Could the Scientists be born and everyone else genetically engineered. Is that what makes them different?
30%- So she is trapped, yet she found a friend in John, who was born before the nuclear war. He has a great belief on God and does not believe in what the scientists are doing. I have seen a few reviews that don’t like all the religious preaching that John does, it is not bothering me too much yet, just hoping that it does not get worse.
40% – I am guessing that Berk is not in on the big secret, otherwise I would assume that he would help her get her freedom, unless he is being selfish. I hope she does go up to the world above. But I am guessing she doesn’t if she is going to be annihilated. I liked how all the people in the pods are named after elements from the Periodic Table, it’s a nice touch.
50% – Insta-love for someone who has only just learned the existence of love is not real for me. I am now thinking that you need to be annihilated to be allowed to the town called Progress, (or something like that). How is sourdough bread not a luxury? It takes over a week to make!
60% – I honestly do not know whether or not Progress is real or not. I hope it is, it seems such a wonderful place, but I am leaning towards that it is not.
70% – That was extreme. If they are wiping her memory, what are they going to tell her happened to all her Pod mates? Why was she and Berk warned in advance? Is this some kind of trick?
80% – This is getting confusing at times to be able to tell the difference between simulation, real life and what is possibly simulation. I am honestly not sure which is which.
90% – Something must have happened to Berk, maybe he is now being tested? The solution may be just too perfect. Was the annihilation at the beginning of the book just a simulation?
100% – Nice end, was not expecting it. I will read the next book, just hope the intrigue can be kept up in an entirely different situation.
Who would I recommend this book to?
Anyone who likes dystopian books, not mind very fast paced, no stop for breath books.
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