Unchosen

November 1, 2020

Gr 8 Up-In a near-future America, a viral pandemic called the Crimson sweeps the world and turns people into Vessels, red-eyed, hungry-for-human-flesh monsters that retain some of their mental capacities, making them more dangerous than typical zombies. Charlotte, the middle child in the shadow of her very talented sisters, can't find her footing in the world before the Crimson, or after. The prophecy states that one reborn in water the night of blood will be the one to save the world and end this nightmare. Charlotte and her sisters were all reborn in different ways, but only one of the sisters is the Chosen One. Charlotte lies to protect her sister's identity and sacrifices herself to a vicious group of runners who plan to take her to the Vessel Queen and kill her to prevent her stopping the outbreak. In a world full of danger at every turn, Charlotte seeks to find her sisters and save the Chosen One. This adventure has a fast-paced plot that holds readers' attention, with strong writing and vibrant descriptions. Unfortunately, a same-sex couple is introduced seemingly just to kill one of the characters off, and is the only relationship in the book that doesn't get a happy ending. The main characters lack any type of physical description. VERDICT Recommended for mature middle school and high school collections.-Erica Coonelly, Monroe Township M.S., NJ

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2020
The world ended three times for Charlotte: when she left Ohio, when she realized the boy she loved actually loved her sister, and when the Crimson came. No one took the legend of Anne de Graaf seriously--curses weren't real, or so everyone thought, until the real-life nightmare of the Crimson arrived. Locking eyes with an infected person spread the curse, turning victims into cannibalistic Vessels. After the first major wave, survivors banded together in settlements. The one hope left was finding the Chosen One who would save the world. When traffickers who profit from the disaster show up, Charlotte pretends to be the Chosen One in order to protect her younger sister, Vanessa, who is the actual Chosen One. This starts an exciting chain of events that takes Charlotte across the ocean in search of the man she thinks she loves, the sisters she's lost, and maybe even Anne herself. Vessels feel like a mix of zombies and vampires: They are quick, smart, deadly, and terrifying. The worldbuilding is well thought out, with clear rules around how the Crimson works. However, messages of female empowerment and self-direction get lost in Charlotte's pining for a boy--an instigator for most of her major decisions, which often leads her to put herself and others in danger. Experienced readers may find the resolution predictable. Main characters are White by default; passing mentions of diversity in the supporting cast have no bearing on the story. A fun and action-packed read. (Horror. 13-18)

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November 16, 2020
In this near-future dystopia with a largely female cast, humankind inadvertently unleashes the Crimson, a viruslike curse that causes the end of the world as it is known. Several years later, Charlotte feels invisible between her two sisters: older Harlow, the fierce military commander of the siblings’ postapocalyptic Malibu community, and younger, athletically talented Vanessa, who is prophesied to be the Chosen One who will end the Crimson. Pretending to be the Chosen One herself to protect Vanessa, Charlotte begins to develop self-confidence and unravels a conspiracy behind the virus’s spread. While fast-paced action and romantic tension make up the bulk of the story, and an incident of queer pain seems unnecessary, Blair deftly uses her dystopian framework to amplify issues of sexism, classism, and racism, as well as explore the tension between moral responsibility and survival. The Crimson lays bare many of this society’s flaws, as the rich and powerful are able to escape its worst consequences at the expense of the vulnerable. Strengthened by a female protagonist whose insecurities ring true and whose growth is hard-won, this relevant adventure is sure to interest socially conscious fantasy fans. Ages 14–up. Agents: Brianne Johnson, Writers House. (Jan.)■

January 15, 2021
Grades 9-12 Life can't get any worse for Charlotte Holloway. Her crush is in love with her older sister, and most of humanity has been transformed by a terrible curse into flesh-eating monsters. Plus, Charlotte lives with the burden of having siblings who outshine her in every way. Her older sister is a master guitarist turned great military leader, and her youngest sister is an Olympic-bound gymnast turned Chosen One, destined to save all of humanity from the curse, known as the Crimson. When zombies descend upon Charlotte's settlement looking to capture the Chosen One, she must rise to the occasion in order to save those she loves. Blair (The Beckoning Shadow, 2019) capably builds an exciting world studded by zombies and seafaring, and she subverts the "chosen one" trope in an entertaining way. Readers can look forward to a fast-paced plot, dynamic cast of characters, and fierce heroine, all packaged in a thrilling adventure that doesn't disappoint.

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