Unchosen by Katharyn Blair

Katherine Tegen Books, 2021

ISBN-13 : 978-0062657640

Available: Hardcover, Kindle edition, audiobook  ( Bookshop.org | Amazon.com )

Two years ago, the world was cursed with an infection that spread through direct eye contact, turning the infected into bloodthirsty, cannibalistic killers whose personalities and intelligence degrade over time, leaving only the monster behind. An infected person can gain immunity if they look directly into the eyes of three uninfected people, meaning there is a huge market for uninfected people. I thought this was a creative, unusual idea for spreading and controlling the infection.

The infection was caused by the defiling of the remains of Anne de Graaf, a young woman who cursed a pirate captain and jumped to her death rather than allowing her body to be claimed. Her remains were discovered and treasure hunters attempted to rob her body, activating the curse. According to prophecy, only the Chosen One can end the curse (why this infection is the curse is unclear to me, but Blair does such a vivid job creating her apocalyptic world that it didn’t really matter to me).

Harlow, Charlotte, and Vanessa are sisters, living in a survival camp and attempting to avoid the notice of raiders and infected, or Vessels. Harlow, the oldest, is nineteen, attractive, athletic, musical, and a leader in the camp. She’s also the long-term girlfriend of Dean, Charlotte’s crush. Vanessa, the youngest, is a talented gymnast and also the Chosen One, something that’s kept very carefully under wraps. She has night terrors and makes prophecies in her sleep. Charlotte shares a bedroom with her and writes them down. Raiders searching for the Chosen One discover the camp. They know she is there, but not which sister. To protect her sisters, Charlotte claims to be the Chosen One. The other members of the camp, including Dean, Harlow, and Vanessa, are led to a different ship that will take them to the Blood Market to be sold.

Thus begins a series of terrifying adventures mostly based in Charlotte’s memories of Vanessa’s prophecies, some lucky breaks, and a lot of lies. Charlotte uses her status as “Chosen One” to manipulate those who have grown to consider her an ally, including a potential romantic partner, Seth, into her search for Dean rather than aiming straight for the area she will need to get to in order to break the curse.

Charlotte is resourceful and convincing, but she’s also selfish, and her inability to ever follow directions, even when it’s a life-threatening situation for herself or others, is maddening. Her treatment of both Seth and Dean was frustrating to watch, and the message of women claiming their power for themselves was undercut by Charlotte’s continual search for Dean and the back-and-forth with Seth, who clearly respects her much more than she respects him.

There’s also a science fiction aspect to the story. One of the characters, a virologist, is seeking a cure for the infection. The combination of “infection caused by a curse” and “infection cured using science” begs the question of what kind of story is this, really? If science is the cure, why is there a need for a Chosen One?

Despite its flaws, this is an enjoyable colorful, action-packed apocalyptic story with a little romance that teen girls 12 and older will probably enjoy.

Reviewed by Kirsten Kowalewski