Death Was Expected. There Were No Exceptions

After a devastating World War 4, life appears to be at a stand still. Women are no longer able to give life, and death is always close by. The Council of Creators has determined that instead of making life, they will create it. They have created a master "race" of Chosen Ones; beautiful, strong, and deadly to all.
Tess and her family are the last of the Naturals, those who were naturally born and not created. When her older sister dies during childbirth, Tess is forced to spend ten years at Templeton, being a unpaid maid for the Chosen Ones to pay for her sister's disobedience. Tess is cold, alone, and unwilling to succumb to any help. She then meets James, a Chosen One who loves music, reading, and has a kindness in his soul that others do not share. Their attraction to each other is immediate, but it doesn't take away the danger and intensity it could lead them too.
As her time at Templeton continues, Tess discovers that rebellion is brewing, but not against the Chosen Ones; against the Council. She encounters situations that make her challenge her once black and white views. Slowly, she finds out that rebellion may be in her blood, and also she may carry something that everyone thought was lost. But, will she be able to help her people if it means giving up this one chance at happiness?

It is no surprise that dystopian societies are my forte. I actually bought this book for my kindle last year when it came out, but failed to return to it until last week. I am so glad I did. The Chosen Ones by Tiffany Truitt takes us to a future where all seems lost. Life can no longer be made, so the Council has decided to create a superior "race" to keep watch over the Naturals. The idea of the Council is so hauntingly real, and I think that's what really kept me craving more. There are the rules: Naturals all bunk together in horribly crowded living conditions, while the Chosen Ones have their own boarding house that provides them with food, education, and every luxury the Naturals are prevented from having. If a Natural is disobedient and deserves to be punished, they will be branded with marks on their neck signifying how "lucky" they are to receive 3 stikes.
Tess is so cold. After her sister's death, she is unable to forgive her brother in law, unable to get close to any of her remaining family members, and just closes herself off from the world. I found her character was so broken, and in desperate need of affection, but she refused it. She is not a typical heroine, and she is by no means "liked" by any of the other characters. As a reader, I felt bad for the characters she was rejecting because I knew how badly she need some kind of positive emotion in her life. She meets James, but she does everything in her power to fight the emotions she feels. She is so set on following the Council's rules that she ignores the fact that this boy is different than the other Chosen Ones; she still can't trust him.
Throughout the book I found myself highlighting a lot of the lines because there were so beautiful and telling about the character. The more I read, the more I wanted because I could see the uncertainty within Tess. She wanted to learn more, she wanted to prove herself, and you can tell something is stirring.
This book was a great read. I finished it within a week because I just couldn't stay away from it for too long. After I finished it, I immediately bought the second one in the series because I need to keep the story going.
People may be skeptical about the book because Tess's character can be seen as an ungrateful brat, but I truly believe inside she's an empty shell. James teaches her to be human, to feel something again, and I think that is the amazing thing. If you're into the dystopian society scene, this one is worth checking out!