Talented by Sophie Davis ~ Review

Talented (Talented #1)

By Sophie Davis

Rating: 4.5

In a futuristic setting, life on Earth has turned upside down. 

Due to the Great Contamination - and the leaking of nuclear waste resulting in nuclear contamination - a generation of children with abnormalities are brought into the world. Some, though, are slightly weirder than others. 

They are the Talented. 

Whether Morphers, Light Manipulators or Telekinetics, these kids are taught to hone their abilities and make use of them under the protective eye of the government. To use their Talents for good. 

But all Talia wants is revenge.

Talia joins the Hunters, in the hopes of one day killing Ian Crane - the man who had her parents murdered right before her eyes. But she has a lot to learn. With help from Hunters Erik and Henri she trains to become what she believes will help ease the pain inside. A thousand question run through her head.

Who is she really hurting? 

Is Donovan, her life-long friend, her true love? Or is Erik, her right hand man? 

Is revenge a dish best served cold? 

And most importantly, is the government really protecting the Talented...or is there something sinister occurring behind the smiling facades? 

A action-packed H.I.V.E-like adventure, about a group of teenagers who aren't afraid to embrace their fears and fight for what they believe, Talented is a must-read for all YA fans.

My thoughts on the book:

First things first - I loved it.

The whole idea was so vividly put to paper, that I could immediately see it in my mind - all thoroughly explained so as to immerse the reader in this world so like our own and yet, so different. 

Talia's emotions are yours; her pain your pain, her loss yours. She never scrambles her words, and funnily enough - unlike most heroines - is the first to admit to be either too clingy, or too afraid. She sees her faults and it is that which makes her all the more real.

The other characters are a joy to read: Erik (whom I nickname the Fire Truck 'cause his looks could set the building on fire!) is sarcastic, strong, has that relaxed graceful way of doing everything - like he was born to be brilliant - and yet underneath all the bravado is a really sweet and concerned guy, who's just afraid to be rejected. 

Henri's basically like Talia's stand-in Dad - there with all the curfew reminders, no-boys-allowed rules and of course the heart-felt advice that makes him such a loveable character. 

Donovan...well. Hmph. You'll see, that's all I'm saying for now. I like him so much better before he got so...clingy. Not a good boyfriend trait. 

Penny's fantastic. She reminds me of Penny from Hairspray mixed with a really nail-polish happy, chirpy BFF of any typical teenage girl. 

I especially love Talia, for no better reason other than she's part Italian and I love Italy and Italian food! But seriously, all jokes aside, I love her because she has a moral compass and a sense of struggle. She's not afraid to give it all she's got and she knows how to prioritise. 

In other words imminent danger over boy problems! 

Finally, I want to just thank Sophie herself for introducing me to her lovely and engaging novel.