The Unexpected Inlander

I don’t usually read sci fi, so I may not be the best judge of this book, which is set in a dystopian future. It is essentially a love story between 2 people (male & female), who both have carefully kept secrets about their lives. The male is our main character, and we see a positive change in him as the story progresses. For the most part, the book is a well-paced, smooth read with likeable characters, and I found it really interesting. Notably, the book raises really interesting issues e.g. state-instituted control for the purpose of safety at the expense of personal freedoms, the ethics of genetic modification for physical traits, prejudice, the challenge of breaking out of one’s socioeconomic class. Unfortunately, the end of the show more story was anticlimactic, and unexpectedly bland. I was surprised when I turned the page and discovered that it was the end of the book.
I did receive a free copy of the book but have done my best to write an honest review. show less

Thanks to the author for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It’s been forty years since The War that Brought Order. The world is now split into three Sectors with 12 presidents residing over them. No one can marry or reproduce without government approval. Everyone has been reduced to two classes – Modifieds and Purebreds. The Modifieds are those who have gone through genetic modification in the womb to correct abnormalities that once made the human race weak. The Purebreds have opted out of genetic modification and remain susceptible to disease, thus requiring them to live separate from everyone else. The Coastals are the wealthy Modified, while the Inlanders, also Modified, are middle and lower show more class, and live on government incentives. Agent Christopher Rockford, a Coastal, is an assassin for the Department of Anarchy Prevention. Day in and day out he eliminates targets deemed threats to the government. His biggest mission is at hand – taking out the family at the top of the anarchist organization, Pure Star. In pursuit of his last target, he meets Jenna Macklemore, a Purebred, someone he never thought he could fall for, but he senses something different about her. Never has he let himself become so vulnerable. They both have their secrets, but true love is hard to find these days. Are they willing to risk revealing their true selves for a chance at happiness?

I found the story to be exciting and dramatic. It was a good balance of action and romance with neither being too heavy or graphic. The omniscient point of view made it a little difficult to establish a connection with the main characters in the beginning, with the transitions being a bit rough, but it improved as the book progressed. The depth of the romance between Jenna and Chris seemed a little rushed, but it wasn’t unbelievable, and will definitely have the reader cheering on what their society would call a doomed relationship. The setting of the book was well detailed and intriguing to help thrust the reader into a believable dystopian-style future of the world. The story flowed very nicely which made it a quick read and hard to put down. I would recommend it for readers who enjoy thriller or suspense novels with a bit of light romance. show less