Series Review: The Ones & The Equals by Daniel Sweren-Becker

Summary:  
Cody has always been proud of being a One. She and her boyfriend James were two of the lucky babies from the 1% of the U.S. population that were randomly selected to benefit from genetic engineering. Now, she and the rest of The Ones are excelling. They are healthy, beautiful, and talented. They aren't otherworldly, just perfect. And to some, that's not fair. The Equality Movement, capitalizing on the growing fear and jealousy, gains political traction and actually outlaws their existence. Society shows its darker side as The Ones are marginalized. The line between right and wrong blurs in the face of injustice and Cody becomes closer to a group of radical Ones intent on fighting back. James begins to fear just how far she is willing to go for the cause.



What happens when your own government turns against you?

The Equality Team continues to round up and subject The Ones--the 1% of the American population who were genetically engineered in vitro--to a vaccine that will level the playing field. Desperate to save her boyfriend James from this fate, Cody flees into the wild to seek assistance from a shadowy rebel group dedicated to equal rights for the Ones at any cost.

But when she grows closer to a radical named Kai, she's brought deeper into the fold, only to realize the group's leader has a secret plan more dangerous than Cody could have imagined--something that could change the course of the Ones' future.

Release Date:  September 2017
Age Group: YA, Dystopian
Source: Review Copy from Publisher
Reviewed By:  Nat

Review:
I was really excited to get my hands on this new dystopian set! It took me a minute to get vested in The Ones, the pacing was a bit slow for me, but once I became familiar with the society I was all in and ready to fight.

I liked Cody but I never really fell in love with James, I tried, he was just too good. Now Kai, hands down #yass The love triangle was centered on Cody. There really wasn't any beating of the chest between the guys and it kind of let me down a bit. We need some real teenage angst here!

As soon as I finished The Ones I rolled right into The Equals. 

I loved the fast-pace of The Equals and all the grit that came from a deteriorating society. This book had a better plot and I felt like it really carried the story-line better than The Ones. As far as dystopians go, there were some real crazy story arcs that were almost Neal Shusterman worthy (almost) but in the end I was left wanting closure. This felt more like the middle book of a series.

I still feel like there is more to the story. It can't end so cut and clean for Cody, you don't get your cake and eat it too! I feel like she never made her choice and was just dealt her cards and was happy to be done. Let's just say she ain't no Katniss Everdeen.

Now if there is another installment, I'm interested! Count me in, sign me up.