What a fun ride this read was. Zombies, curses, prophetic dreams, an epic journey, and a hot pirate captain, what more could you want? Unchosen is a great standalone read when you don’t want to devote the time to a full series but still want the rich and full world and adventure of one. The world building is absolutely incredible and the interactions between the characters can not be beaten. The dialogue and emotions between the sisters is so authentic and believable. The author truly captures what it feels like to be that middle child. To feel forgotten, unseen, and not special at all. Every single one of us has experienced feelings of inadequacy and inferiority at some point in our lives. I think that’s why the story resonates so well with the reader.
Charlotte is your average teenage girl nothing special about her as far as she is concerned, especially when she compares herself to her sisters. Her feelings are made worse when the boy next door, who she has secretly loved for years, chooses her big sister over her. Growing us she has always heard the story of Anne, the female pirate that spoke a curse on the world with her death rather than have her freedom ripped from her at the hands of a man that felt entitled to her. Long after her story faded into myth and legend, the curse came upon the world and with it the end of life as we know it. Prophecy says the chosen one will end the curses grip on the world and save them from the plague that turns loved ones into cannibalistic monsters, and the remnants of humanity against themselves. Charlotte’s little sister is reborn as the chosen one after an accident that takes her life the night the world ended. Her big sister becomes the military leader in the community of survivors they live in, and Charlotte is left feeling even more lost and alone with no purpose. When her younger sisters secret is almost discovered she chooses to take her place and starts a journey of self discovery and adventure. Guided by the nocturnal ramblings of her younger sister, she plays the part of the chosen one learning along the way that the only choices that truly matter are the ones you make for yourself.
I love the personal journey that Charlotte takes of self discovery and learning that true worth comes from inside not others. The zombies are unique in that they have some sense of self agency, at least for a while or under certain circumstances instead of just being a completely mindless hoard. Their remnants humanity makes them all the more terrifying. In a world where zombies roam you would think they would be the most dangerous and horrifying thing out there but as this book shows what you really need to fear is the effect on the remaining humans. Unchosen illustrates how the worst of humanity can thrive in a world filled and controlled by fear.
With plenty of action, mysterious riddles, swoon worthy romance, and a relatable heroine you can’t stop yourself rooting for, Unchosen is a must read for anyone looking to lose themselves in an adventure about the end and remaking of the world and the choices that make it all happen.
