*ARC* Aberrant - Review

Aberrant

By: Ruth Silver

Published: April 28, 2013

240 pages

Source: Netgalley ARC from publisher

(Goodreads / Amazon / Book Depository)

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Summary:

In the future Dystopian society of Cabal, the government instills equality for all and offers its citizens the perfect system. There is food, shelter and jobs for everyone. The one requirement is to follow the rules without question, including the government's match in marriage and "The Day of the Chosen", a lottery that randomly selects families to conceive children as natural means hasn't existed in generations. Following her eighteenth birthday, Olivia Parker accepts her requirement to marry her childhood best friend, Joshua Warren, and is eager to start her work assignment and new life when it all comes abruptly to an end as she's arrested and thrown in prison. The only crime committed, her existence. Olivia is unlike the rest of the world born not from "The Day of the Chosen." The truth haunts the government and puts her life in grave danger as one simple fact would destroy the perfect system. 

With Joshua's help, Olivia breaks free of prison and is forced on the run. Together they set out to find the promised rebel town in search of a new home and new life together. Their situation seems less than promising as they reach the town of Haven. New rules and customs must be adhered to in order to stay. Leaving would mean most certain death in the large expanse of the Gravelands. Time is running out as the government mounts an attack to destroy Olivia and bury her secret with her. Thrown into a world unlike their own, they must quickly adapt to survive.

MY REVIEW:
This story is about a girl named Olivia who by some miracle was born naturally.  The only of her kind, the government fears what this would mean to their tight control over their people.  Families are only allowed one child each, and those children are made in a lab somewhere, not conceived naturally, due to a virus that caused infertility among women.  This secret of Olivia's conception is only rumored among the people but the government wants to take no chances and so they arrest her on her wedding day - a wedding match that was chosen for her, along with all others aged 18 years in their city.  To defy the government of Cabal means banishment to the Gravelands - a very rough place where only those exiled lived, with no protection.

Her best friend and now husband, Joshua, helps her break free and they go on the run in search of safety. What they come to discover though is that each city is run differently, and one government system isn't necessarily better than another.  Even the rebels want something from her.  Olivia and Joshua eventually learn that to have the freedom they so desperately seek they will have to fight for the world they desire.

I really enjoyed this book!  It had elements like The Hunger Games, such as the government control of the people and games.  It also had elements like The Forest of Hands and Teeth, where the government decides what you wear, how you live, everything being the same and equal for those living in Genesis.  Aberrant puts its own twist into these elements and makes it very unique.

Aberrant - departing from an accepted standard.  Olivia is aberrant.

Favorite Quotes:
Was one government system better than another?  Back home things were a mess, but I hadn't seen how it was any better here.

I didn't ever want to take that for granted - choices.

I was not going to watch by the sidelines while those beside me...risked their lives for my freedom.  I would stand among them and fight for the world we desired.  I believed it was still attainable, within our grasp, and would be won.
Final Rating - 4.5 stars!

This post is part of the ARC Thursday feature on Words Fueled by Love.