By Krista McGee
Question.
Feel.
Believe.
Thalli is an anomaly. She thinks. She questions. And she feels!
In a world where emotion has been eliminated Thalli is a threat not only to herself but to Pod C. Emotions destroyed the world but for the few that managed to survive below the surface. Pod C is the third generation to be created and emotion was to have been stripped from their genetic make-up, but something is wrong with Thalli - she feels.
With minutes left before her life is ended Thalli must decide whose truth she is going to believe. Is the truth that she has been taught her whole life true? Or should she believe John, a man from before when times were primitive, a man who believes in The Designer a being who is not human? Even more intriguing John speaks of emotions and feelings as if they were a blessing and not a horrible disease. And what about Berk her childhood friend that has tried to protect her and save her life?
Anomaly is the first book in a new dystopian trilogy from Thomas Nelson, who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. If you like books that hook you with the climax at the beginning of the book you will LOVE Anomaly, just don't let The Ten know or this may be the last book you ever read!
Though of a different genre than her previous works, Krista still hits the mark with an entertaining and enjoyable reading experience. She creates characters that one truly cares about and doesn't mind spend time getting to know them. Though the target audience is Young Adult I would say that adults and some older J Fiction readers will find much to capture their attention as well.
Book blurb:
Book blurb:
Thalli has fifteen minutes and twenty-three seconds to live. The toxic gas that will complete her annihilation is invading her bloodstream. But she is not afraid.
Decades before Thalli’s birth, the world was decimated by a nuclear war. But life continued deep underground, thanks to a handful of scientists known as The Ten. There they created genetically engineered human beings who are free of emotions in the hope that war won’t threaten the world again.
Thalli is an anomaly, born with the ability to feel emotions and a sense of curiosity she can barely contain. She has survived so far by hiding her differences. But then her secret is discovered when she’s overwhelmed by the emotion of an ancient piece of music.
The Ten quickly schedule her annihilation, but her childhood friend, Berk—a scientist being groomed by The Ten—convinces them to postpone her death and study her instead. While in the Scientists’ Pod, Thalli and Berk form a dangerous alliance, one strictly forbidden by the constant surveillance.
As her life ticks a way, she hears rumors of someone called the Designer—someone even more powerful than The Ten. What’s more, the parts of her that have always been an anomaly could in fact be part of a much larger plan. And the parts of her that she has always guarded could be the answer she’s been looking for all along.
Thalli must sort out what to believe and who to trust, before her time runs out.
Interview with Krista McGee
Author bio:
1) What inspired you to write Anomaly?
I have always loved dystopian stories, from books like 1984, Brave New World and The Giver to movies like Gattica and Matrix. But I always wished a dystopian story would be told from a Christian worldview. When my publisher asked if I'd be willing to tackle just that, I jumped at the chance!
2) How was writing Anomaly different than First Date, Starring Me, and Right Where I Belong? And do you have a preference in the these two genre?
Writing Anomaly was different in so many ways. In my first books, the world in which my characters lived was real, and the time period was now. In Anomaly, the world is fictional and it is set in the future. Also, in my first books, the plots were taken from biblical stories. In Anomaly, the plot was all mine. So there was much more creative freedom in Anomaly, but it was more difficult to write. I love both genres, though. I don't think I could pick a favorite.
3) What 3 adjectives would you use to describe Anomaly?
Unflinching, Unpredictable, and Underground
4) If you had to pick one character that you most closely related to in Anomaly, who would it be and why this character?
I am probably most like Thalli - as a teen, especially, I felt different from everyone around me. I also love music, and God has used music to draw me closer to him. And I can sometimes be a little too curious and overly emotional :).
5) You open Anomaly with the line "Fifteen minutes and twenty-three seconds. That's how long I have to live." This opening just pulled me right into the story and I have to admit kept me up until 4:30, because I wanted to know what happened. Did this opening come to you early in the process of writing this book, or did it come later?
That line was actually there from the beginning. When I sat down to write the proposal for this novel, it was there. I knew readers would need to be pulled in immediately - especially since the setting and characters are so different from setting and characters in contemporary novels. What better way to grab the reader than by giving them a countdown to death?
6) Will this be a multi-book series or will there just be two?
This is a trilogy - the second book, Luminary, will release in January and the third, Revolutionary, is out next July.
7) Which of your characters(any book) would you most like to spend the afternoon with? Why this character?
Great question! I'd probably go back to Right Where I Belong and hang out with Brian. He was my favorite character to write, partly because he is a projection of what I think my son, Thomas (age 10), will be like when he is 18. I'd enjoy listening to his antics and hearing his stories.
When Krista McGee isn’t living in fictional worlds of her own creation, she lives in Tampa and spends her days as a wife, mom, teacher, and coffee snob. She is also the author of “Anomaly,” “First Date,” “Starring Me,” and “Right Where I Belong.” Learn more about Krista at www.KristaMcGeebooks.com or connect on Facebook.
Anomaly is available from Amazon
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