Unchosen

Gr 8 Up–In a near-future America, a viral pandemic called the Crimson sweeps the world and turns people into Vessels, red-eyed, hungry-for-human-flesh monsters that retain some of their mental capacities, making them more dangerous than typical zombies. Charlotte, the middle child in the shadow of her very talented sisters, can’t find her footing in the world before the Crimson, or after. The prophecy states that one reborn in water the night of blood will be the one to save the world and end this nightmare. Charlotte and her sisters were all reborn in different ways, but only one of the sisters is the Chosen One. Charlotte lies to protect her sister’s identity and sacrifices herself to a vicious group of runners who plan to take her to the Vessel Queen and kill her to prevent her stopping the outbreak. In a world full of danger at every turn, Charlotte seeks to find her sisters and save the Chosen One. This adventure has a fast-paced plot that holds readers’ attention, with strong writing and vibrant descriptions. Unfortunately, a same-sex couple is introduced seemingly just to kill one of the characters off, and is the only relationship in the book that doesn’t get a happy ending. The main characters lack any type of physical description.