Originally published: 1 November 2019

Author: Marisa Noelle

Published by: Write Plan

Genre: YA Dystopia

Page count: 403

Reading dates: 28-31 October 2019

Set in a world where 80% of the population have modified their DNA using nanite pills, we meet 16 year old Silver Melody, who has chosen not to alter her DNA and is proud of her unadjusted state.  Silver’s parents created the nanite pill, originally for the purpose of curing disease but gradually, they have been modified to give people special abilities.  Some have a physical effect to the person taking them, being able to toughen skin, add bulk, give the ability to fly; others can make the taker invisible, give them the power of telekinesis, make them really intelligent or give them power to heal.

The downside, is that people don’t always react well to taking them and they can kill.  When Silver’s best friend Diana dies after taking a nanite pill, Silver and their best friend Matt, vow never to take the pills themselves.  However, on Silver’s 16th birthday President Bear declares all the unadjusteds must take a nanite in order to further the strength of their country and Silver is forced to flee the city, along with her father and her friends.

With Silver’s mother in prison for treason, Silver’s father is the unadjusteds’ only hope at finding a cure, but when he is captured by the President, Silver and a group of new friends and allies must find a way to rescue him.

Marisa kindly contacted me earlier this year and asked if I would be interested in reviewing the book and I thought the blurb sounded interesting, kind of a cross between X-Men, Divergent and The Hunger Games, all books and films I have enjoyed.

The book certainly hits the ground running!  Within the first few pages we have seen a death from a boy taking a nanite pill and President Bear’s announcement!  From that moment on Silver seems to be under constant threat, first escaping with her father from the city through the sewers along with mutated rats who have eaten the discarded nanite pills, almost getting killed by hellhounds (wolves that have been genetically modified) and finding her way to a cave where other people who don’t agree with the President are living.  There are adjusteds as well as unadjusteds and Silver has to put aside her prejudice so they can work together to try and stop the President.

I loved all the special abilities detailed in this book and although I think I’d be too scared to take a nanite pill, I think I would like to see what it is like to be able to fly with some pretty wings! The author has an amazing imagination and an ability to keep the book flowing at a swift, exciting pace.

I think if you are a fan of young adult dystopian fiction I think you should definitely give this a go!

Thank you to Marisa for getting in touch and kindly sending me a proof copy.

About the author:

Marisa Noelle is the writer of MG & YA SFF & mental health novels. The Shadow Keepers is due out July 2019, The Unadjusteds in November 2019 & The Mermaid Chronicles – Secrets of the Deep at the end of 2019. When she’s not writing or reading or watching movies, she enjoys swimming. In the pool she likes to imagine she could be a mermaid and become part of some of her make-believe words. In the water, she can ignore the real world and focus on the plots of new novels and scenes. She lives in Woking, UK with her husband and three children.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarisaNoelle77
Website: https://www.theunadjusteds.com/