The Blemished (Blemished Series) [Kindle Edition]

Wow. Just wow. And also, thank heavens!

It is rare for YA novels to deal so directly and so successfully with feminist issues, and this one does it brilliantly. Girls who pick this terrific novel up will be looking for their usual dystopian fare, and they will certainly get it in spadefuls: danger, excitement, adventure, overcoming the odds, romance, racing hearts and some fantastic surprises about who can be trusted and who can't.

But they will also get something different. They will find a heroine who refuses to be controlled by the rather sexy-sounding chaps that she seems to have at her beck and call. But this is no Lara Croft, ridiculous male-fantasy game. Oh no. Girls who read this novel will be exposed to some challenging stuff about women's place in society, and how all regimes, whether religious or political, have oppressed women since the dawn of time. We see girls being judged on their appearance, girls' fertility being surgically controlled (when it would be biologically simpler to control the fertility of men), girls in a servile role, girls being punished for their sexual desires, and older women thoroughly damaged and screwed up by all of the above. "Women are being punished," one female character says (delightfully, a character that thus far we had been led to believe had little to say for herself). And I cheered for the sheer joy and rarity of our youngsters being exposed to this. There is even a character called Eve with a painful story! I love it! Dalton has shown striking skill in exposing young people to these ideas in an accessible and exciting way. Like the best books that educate, they won't even know it's happening.

Even more so, and it is essential to point this out, the male role models are sound. Hoo-bloody-rah! How sick I am of the supposedly-devastatingly-attractive (bleurgh), controlling, manipulative, misogynistic and downright whining "heroes" that young girls (and, unbelievably, adult women) are exposed to in modern novels. Quite frankly, if we can't move on from the disturbing fantasies of 19th and early 20th century novels now we're well into the 21st century, then I despair for humanity. But in Dalton's novel the wonderful Daniel is flawed, vulnerable, and supportive when he can be; he cares fiercely for our heroine, but does not wish to control her. Hallelujah. Sebastian is further flawed, not least through biological interference, and we see him learning that it's not acceptable to control women, (and, by the by, that it's not acceptable to hit them). Revelation? I hope not. But rare to see in novels. I salute Dalton's male characters not only because they are better role-models for young girls to be lusting after, but also because I am heartily sick of young boys getting such a bad press; the world is changing, and Dalton seems to be one of the few authors that understand that.

When I finished the novel this morning, my overwhelming emotion was, "YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!" I also found myself wondering whether girls who enjoy this will go on to read Maragret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale" when they are ready.

And as for the planned sequels, all I have to say to Dalton is, "you go, girl! I can't wait."

I bought The Blemished on Kindle and didn't turn my light off till 1.30 am this morning because I couldn't put it down! This is a great YA dystopian novel which ranks up there with Divergent and The Hunger Games. Mina Hart has all the usual teenage worries and a whole lot more - from bullying and first love to the more sinister threats of 'The Operation' and 'Twitching Sundays'. There are two love triangles, some terrifying characters and all this is set against the backdrop of a sinister and unrecognisable Britain. REALLY GOOD!

I did a promotion post for this book last year and the author sent me an e-book copy of the book to read if I could. As my mountainous pile has been hanging over me for the past year I hadn't got round to it. But tonight it called to me and as my pile is getting down to a more manageable size I got stuck in.
This book is a dystopian/paranormal cross. Set in a world where beauty and perfection are cherished and strived for anyone deemed at fault is looked down on - they are called the 'Blemished'. The Blemished are children that have a family history of illness but were born the 'old way'. Most babies now are called 'GEMS' - they are genetically enhanced, almost like clones to be perfect - health, beauty, behaviour, it's all bred into them.
Mina is a Blemished but she has a special secret - she has a hidden power, but in a world where she should be hidden in the shadows and is looked upon as a waste, it's hard to stand up for what is right.

I liked the world created by Dalton here, it's scary because it's something that probably could happen, it's been on the news about genetic experiments with babies already so this isn't too out there, and the result is not positive. This is so well written the world comes alive off the page and I could visualize it all.

Mina is a great heroin, confused and a bit lost but with a great inner strength and feistyness that shows you she is willing to fight no matter what. She is loyal and caring and will stand up for those that need help.
Angela is Mina's new best friend, she's a bit of a gossip but seems generally quite nice, she has quite a hard time of it and handles everything as best she can, but I'm not sure how invested she really is in the friendship.
Daniel is Angela's adopted brother and has a secret power too, he becomes utterly devoted to Mina and Angela, willing to sacrifice everything to keep them safe. I loved his loyalty and fearlessness, but he did get a bit self-pitying at times which I wanted to slap out of him.
The whole controlling government set up was sufficiently terrifying and their teacher at the school made Miss Trunchball seem like a pussy cat!
There is a romance element to this book, some love triangles involved and it adds to the suspense, I'm not sure who I want to end up with who, but I was gripped to see how it would all unfold.

This book will totally hook you in. I read it in one sitting and did not want to put it down. I have also downloaded book 2 straight away to get stuck into. I have to know what will happen to everyone.

An excellent book and world, Dalton has some pure talent.