"The Choosing" by Rachelle Dekker

 About this book:

  ““Not to be Chosen would yield a cruel fate of my own making.”
  Like all citizens since the Ruining, Carrington Hale knows the importance of this day. But she never expected the moment she’d spent a lifetime preparing for—her Choosing ceremony—would end in disaster. Ripped from her family, she’ll spend her days serving as a Lint, the lowest level of society. She knows it’s her duty to follow the true way of the Authority.
  But as Carrington begins this nightmare, rumors of rebellion rattle her beliefs. The whispers contradict everything she’s been told; yet they resonate deep within.
  Then Carrington is offered an unprecedented chance at the life she’s always dreamed of, but she can’t shake the feeling that it may be an illusion. With a killer targeting Lints and corruption threatening the highest levels of the Authority, Carrington must uncover the truth before it destroys her.”


Series: Book #1 in “The Seers” series.

Spiritual Content- It’s said many times that the law was given to the Authority from God; A handful of Scriptures are quoted, mentioned and twisted; Mentions of God’s plan; the Veritas is God’s Word; Isaac is the keeper of said Veritas; Talks about God, the Veritas and those who have strayed; ‘H’s are capital when referring to God; Three mentions of damnation; Mentions of Prayers.

*Note: a “devilish”.

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘crap’, an ‘idiot’, a ‘shut up’, a ‘suckers’, two ‘freakin’’s, two forms of ‘screwed-up’, two forms of ‘sissy’, five ‘stupid’s; Curses are said but not written; Mentions of cigarettes and tobacco; Punching, beating & slapping someone (semi-detailed); Mentions of punishments (semi-detailed); Many mentions of executions & an actual execution (semi-detailed to detailed); Blood (up to semi-detailed); Pouring bleach down girls’ throats (semi-detailed); Smelling rotting flesh (semi-detailed).

Sexual Content- a semi-detailed kiss and a detailed kiss; a cheek kiss and two forehead kisses; Wondering what a kiss would be like (barely-above-not-detailed); Married couples kiss (barely-above-not-detailed); Touches (up to semi-detailed); Noticing & Flirting; Helms thinks he is a ladies’ man; Two men look at Carrington with “perverse curiosity” and are stopped before anything sexual happens; Isaac says the “women had always made him uncomfortable. Their cunning glances, their sexual temptations…”; Stark teases Remko and calls Helms his boyfriend; Love, falling in love & the emotions.

              *Note: a “pain in my behind.” and a “something shoved up his--.”.

-Carrington Hale, age 17
                                  P.O.V. switches between Carrington, Isaac & Remko (and the Killer)

                                              Set in 2257 (Dystopia)
                                                        424 pages

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Pre Teens-

New Teens-

Early High School Teens-

Older High School Teens-

My personal Rating-

I don’t know where to start this review. The publisher told me the author would be looking at my blog today, hmm. So, author, you might not want to read this review.

I wasn’t sure what to expect with this book. The author’s father is Tedd Dekker, and I’ll be honest when I say that his books scare the living daylights out of me and I’ve had horrible nightmares from reading just an article he wrote. Another reviewer compared this book to if Francine Rivers wrote a Dystopia, it would be this book. And y’all know how I feel about her books. You’re most likely wondering why in the world would I read this book then, yes? Simple. I was hoping she (a new Teen/YA genre author) would be better than the two people she’s been compared to; I was going to give her a chance. I’ll give her that she was much clean than one, and less spooky and thriller-y (is that a word?) than the other, but I’m having difficulty finding what was the point of this book. Some people might pull out the self-worth at the end, but it was not enough in my opinion. (Which is what this is. My opinion.)

It’s not a good sign when you want to:

1. Shake one of the P.O.V. character to get her to be all Dystopia-tough-girl-wins like. In Dystopia novels, I expect the lead girl to be, you know, tough, fierce basically everything Carrington wasn’t. She was brainwashed, I get that, but I expected her to snap out of it about half-way. Ha! She was very…compliant, anything that was thrown in her path or her path in general was God’s plan/law and the devil would never tempt you with a path that seemed all great and good but really isn’t. *sigh*
2. Have one of the P.O.V. characters murder/killed. In my defense he is the villain. Great guy *sarcasm*, twisting Scriptures, killing girls by pouring bleach down their throats and saying basically that if God want them saved, He would. What God do you worship, ya freak? (This character would be the closest Rachelle Dekker gets to her father’s style of writing.) Oh, and sinners can’t be saved. ‘Cuz he’s so perfect and all. (The twisting Scriptures is the part that makes me just plain mad.)
3.  Sing “Time for You to Go” by BarlowGirl to said previous character. (Which I did. Many times.)
4.  Tell the third P.O.V. character to run for the hills and not look back because everyone else is loony!

I also am still puzzled about: This book was set in 2257 and there was zip-ties to hold the villain’s prisoners. There is a way to get out of zip ties, you know, google it. I was more than a little shocked that the author put zip-ties in a Dystopia book.

“I am so done
Listening to you
Time for you to go
Time for you to go, whoa
I refuse to give one more day to you
Time for you to go, time for you to go, whoa

I am so done
Listening to you
Time for you to go, time for you to go
Whoa. I refuse to give one more day to you
Time for you to go, time for you to go, whoa
No more wasting my life on this worlds addiction
Time for me to take you to find your place
I am letting go, time for you to go

We're missing out on His voice
We've traded God for ashes
We've got to think for ourselves
Where's our passion?

I am so done
Listening to you
Time for you to go
Time for you to go, whoa”

~”Time for You to Go” by BarlowGirl

See y’all on Friday with a book great for Pre & New Teens!

*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.

*I received this book for free from the Publisher (Tyndale House Publishers) for this review.