Review - Aberrant (Aberrant, #1) by Ruth Silver

Blurb from Goodreads:

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.

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My Review:

* I received a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review. Thanks to Patchwork Press and Ruth Silver*

3/5 stars

 The Day of the Chosen starts perfectly for Olivia when she is paired with, and marries, her childhood best friend and secret crush Joshua. 

Things take a turn for the worse when Olivia is thrown into prison quickly followed by her mother. Olivia's crime? She was conceived naturally in a time where all children are won by a lottery and made in labs because of a disease that resulted in women becoming infertile. With the help of Josh and his mother, Olivia escapes from Genesis and goes to Haven, a Rebel Alliance city, with Josh. 

Things become even worse when the rebels demand that Olivia have a child within the next three years with anyone except Joshua.

I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand it is a dystopian novel with a unique twist but there were parts where the dialogue didn't flow well and the characters reacted oddly .e.g. When Olivia escapes from prison she doesn't say goodbye to her mother even knowing that she will probably never see her again.

Despite this I enjoyed the book overall.