Deviation (The Sophisticates)

*This book was provided to me by the author for a honest review!

Cleo the herioine is s Sophisticate, it's a awesome life. She is an ideal "human" that anyone dreams for. She is pretty much perfect. Well at least until she gets upset. Things kinda go KABOOM!!! She is sent to special training and meets up with the big guy on campus Ozzy!! Hmmmmm... Interesting Indeed.

In a book world filled with dystopian novels, I have to say that this one pretty much...

DELIVERS! My only discontent was waiting so long to read and review this gem. Christine Manzari built a world of pure sophistiaction. You could tell she enjoyed her character development and every twist and turn in the book was perfectly matched with the characters vigor.

I do plan to dive right into book 2 as this one I am sorry I slept on for so long!! I tip my Nerd Girl Hat to you Christine Manzari! YOU HAVE THE MAKINGS OF A TRUE TIMELESS SERIES easily rivaling the likes of the Hunger Games and Maze Runner!!!

*This review was done in conjunction with Nerd Girl Official

Excellent novel.
I walked past this book, everyday, sitting on my to be read book case. Never really feeling it. Now, Im wondering what the heck I was waiting on. This book hit all the right notes for me. This is Hunger Games, Divergent, Dark Angel all rolled into one. Great concept/plotting. The entire premise of creating children to be better appeals to me since I perceive a drastic decline in civility/manners/respect/loyalty/pride/work ethics in todays youth. Great pace. Wonderful character development, especially the genetic concepts behind each of the Deviant Dozen. Incredible writing. I read this in less ten hours. That's how much I enjoyed it. Couldn't put it down. And, I ordered the sequel, today, as well.
Highly recommend for all GR friends who enjoy the YA dystopian genre.

I was pleasantly surprised with how well written this book was and how it kept my interest. I read it over the Christmas holidays and couldn't quit reading it. I'm sixty years old and it still was a good read for me. Loved the cover and quality of the paperback,too. This book is more like the size of a hardback, which makes it a pleasure to read. Excellently written!

Deviation is a well-crafted novel richly spiced with fun dialogue. The story unfolds with artful pacing, uniquely interesting - lovable characters, and a clever, unexpected wrap-up. Deviation by Christine Manzari is the real deal, a solid, enjoyable good read.

***** Full Disclosure: I know the author personally *****

First, some context: YA fiction isn’t really my thing. I read "The Hunger Games" and "Divergent" because I thought they were books my daughter might read, and I wanted to get an idea of what they were about. But otherwise, I have avoided the genre. (I refuse to read "Twilight." Thankfully, so has she.)

That being said, I enjoyed "Deviation" very much. Other reviewers have made comments about what this book shares with other, more well-known members of the genre, and they’re more or less right. However, what I’d like to add is that the key thing that many of these books share is that they are tales of discovery. Like Tris from "Divergent," Christine Manzari’s Cleo is forced by her circumstances to learn what she is really capable of, the extent of her limits, and what her desires are (though she may sometimes refuse to acknowledge them). And it’s in this journey that the author finds her groove.

In my opinion, what makes this book fun are the characters the author has created and fleshed out. It’s not hard to see yourself spending time with Cleo and Arabella. Or to relate to their dislike of Quinnie. Or to understand why the mysterious Ozzy entices Cleo. For a first time novelist, Manzari gets this right, and from there you’re just enjoying the ride from one crisis to another.

Some of you may ask “Why only 4 stars?” I’m just a tough grader, that’s all. On goodreads.com I’ve only rated 2 out of over 200 books 5 stars. "Deviation" is worth your time. I can’t put it any plainer than that.

Great read! Deviation left you wanting more and sad you finished the book. I can't wait for the next volume.

Loved this book! Kept reading until I couldn't read anymore & can't wait to find out what happens in the next book! Although not my typical genre, I thoroughly enjoyed reading Deviation & immersing myself in the well-developed characters. The vivid descriptions frequently created a picture in my mind & I loved all of the hometown references! Incredible debut novel...can't wait for more...especially of Cleo & Ozzie!!

Amazing debut novel! Well written and an overall fun read. I look forward to reading the next books. The author did a great job making characters you will love!

This is definitely a character-driven story, and I loved it! Despite being a dystopian novel with some dark themes, the vibe was fun/funny. Even a few of the stunts during action scenes were amusing (I’m looking at Arabella, who’s probably my favorite character). The love interest, Ozzy, is a charming yet mysterious character who’s sometimes sweet and sometimes shady, and I enjoyed the way his relationship with Cleo (the main character) progressed. The end was a bit of a cliffhanger, but that only makes me more excited to get my hands on the next book! Overall, if you like boarding schools, superpowers, and complex character dynamics, you’ll enjoy this book!

I fell in love with this wonderful adventure. The world is a dystopian style, post 911, terror-ravaged Baltimore, MD. Terrorists have attacked America and killed millions by poisoning water supplies in major cities across the country. The government has responded by genetically altering an army of teenagers to save the world from these enemies, called Sophisticates. There are universities and military academies catering specifically to this elite group whose lives are not their own. There are no choices when you are a Sophisticate. You are property of a government experiment, and the idea of that life is terrifying!

“You have no friends. You have no family. You have no choices. The sooner you accept that, the easier things will be for you. You exist because the Program says it is so.”
Our main character, Cleo quickly realizes what happens when you have no control over your own fate. Once a University student studying languages and computer programming, she is extracted from the only life she has ever known and thrown into a military academy. Her strange powers are growing but is she really meant to be a killer? I fell in love with our protagonist throughout the story. Her strength in the face of the horrors she faces is inspiring, not to mention snark is my favorite character trait. Ever.

“The girl may have been tiny, but everything about her said, I’m not scared of you, so piss off.”
The secondary characters are all well-written and lovable in their own ways. Ozzy, our male protagonist is frustrating, arrogant and of course, sexy as hell. Arabella is fun, funky, and full of snark. Sterling is super nerdy and sarcastic.

“SQUATS, Clementine! And don’t stop until class is over. Your legs look like they’d snap under the weight of a sack of flour. How do you walk around on those things?”
“I don’t know, Professor. One foot in front of the other, I guess.”

I enjoyed adventuring with this rag-tag group of super-powered teenagers! The 80’s influence was an added bonus as well! This story is full of roller derby and bad 80’s music– and I couldn’t be happier. I have already purchased the final two books in the trilogy, and I can’t recommend checking this series out more! Give Christine Manzari a follow on Instagram and be sure to show her some love for this wonderfully written YA dystopian series!