What I loved about True Born is that it always kept me guessing. While this was a hodge podge of other elements I’ve seen before, it was combined in a new inventive way. I never could predict really where the plot was going.
Summary
After the great Plague descended, the world population was decimated…and their genetics damaged beyond repair.
The Lasters wait hopelessly for their genes to self-destruct. The Splicers pay for expensive treatments that might prolong their life. The plague-resistant True Borns are as mysterious as they are feared…
And then there’s Lucy Fox and her identical twin sister, Margot. After endless tests, no one wants to reveal what they are.
When Margot disappears, a desperate Lucy has no choice but to put her faith in the True Borns, led by the charismatic Nolan Storm and the beautiful but deadly Jared Price. As Lucy and the True Borns set out to rescue her sister, they stumble upon a vast conspiracy stretching from Dominion’s street preachers to shady Russian tycoons. But why target the Fox sisters?
As they say in Dominion, it’s in the blood.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this free book from Netgalley. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
So what really impressed me about True Born was how inventive the plot was. Reading this was like seeing a casino machine swirl and the fruit symbols come together in different combinations. (I know that there are only so many combinations, but the way these elements came together was what astonished me). Sterling doesn’t ease us in slowly. We are thrown in head first and I appreciated that we didn’t need our hand held.
I still have some reservations. For some reason, I couldn’t really connect with the main character, Lucy. I wanted to, because she has to go through this journey of dismantling the privilege she was born into. And don’t get me wrong, Lucy’s character development was fascinating. So I could definitely look over the fact that she and I wouldn’t have been friends. (I do not have to be friends with everyone!! And this doesn’t mean I dislike the book).
Additionally, while this book mashes a lot of elements together, if you disliked certain elements – like insta-attraction/obsession – then you won’t like them mashed together. BUT if you don’t like a few elements, like I did, because they are mashed together, you won’t be discouraged for long.
True Born is like the mafia meets science fiction meets the end of humanity meets genetics. For that sentence alone I continued reading. Not to mention the fact that the world only develops and it only becomes more complex as the book develops. Who can we trust? What do we really know about the world? Check out True Born on Goodreads.
great review!!!
books that mix together some things – especially unexpected ones – are always the best. i remain in awe of ppl who can come up with all this mash-ups, honestly. that they dare to dream like that……….
I know right!? It’s like, how did you decide to do this??