Dualed by Elsie Chapman

Series: Dualed (bk. 1)

Genera: Dystopian Sci-fi

Subjects: Murder, assassins, clones, futuristic, post-apocalyptic, action, Canada

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 290 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: Random House

Summary/ product description: “You or your Alt? Only one will survive.
The city of Kersh is a safe haven, but the price of safety is high. Everyone has a genetic Alternate—a twin raised by another family—and citizens must prove their worth by eliminating their Alts before their twentieth birthday. Survival means advanced schooling, a good job, marriage—life.
Fifteen-year-old West Grayer has trained as a fighter, preparing for the day when her assignment arrives and she will have one month to hunt down and kill her Alt. But then a tragic misstep shakes West’s confidence. Stricken with grief and guilt, she’s no longer certain that she’s the best version of herself, the version worthy of a future. If she is to have any chance of winning, she must stop running not only from her Alt, but also from love . . . though both have the power to destroy her.
Elsie Chapman's suspenseful YA debut weaves unexpected romance into a novel full of fast-paced action and thought-provoking philosophy. When the story ends, discussions will begin about this future society where every adult is a murderer and every child knows there is another out there who just might be better.”

My Rating: êêê1/2

My Review: This book had a very unique concept behind it. The world building was also very unique. The idea that everyone has a twin that’s born into a different family, and that they have to kill the other. Could you kill someone with your own face and features?  I’m sure that actually having to do that would mess your mind up big time.

Every kid in this book is taught in school about Alts and how to fight them. Alts are not mindless clones, they’re just the other version of you. You and your Alt. are made up of the genes of 4 parents, rather than 2. The parents that raised you and the parents that raised your Alt. Anywhere between age 10 and 20 you can be forced to go from idle to active, meaning you only have 31 days to kill your Alt or you’ll Alt will kill you, and if neither is dead by 32 day, you both die.

This book has a pretty creative city layout. It’s based off of Vancouver, Canada but it’s called Kersh. The city, not the island. There’re 4 different sectors. I’m not sure where she got the names for each sector. They’re not on the map, so she probably made them up. For the most part, Kersh reminded me of the city of Los Angeles in Legend by Marie Lu, but colder and rainier.

The characters are not fully flushed out, or very deep. They’re not boring either. West is really tough and brave, but didn’t deal with her problems in the best possible way. I think if she tried to find a way not to kill she would have been more interesting. The love interest, Chord, was always trying to help her, but she kept pushing him away because she didn’t want to put him in danger. She should have taken his help more often. It would have been more realistic.

Overall I did enjoy this story. The plot was okay, and the book was written in 1^st person present, which I like. It was really action packed and well written. There’s a few minor this that made it tough to get through. Mainly the long chapters. I like short chapters. Chapters that are 20 to 30 pages, or even longer make me feel bored. I made it to the end of the book, and liked it enough. I don’t really understand how it’s a series since the ending wrapped up so well. It’s worth reading if you like dystopia.

Cover Art Review: Very cool cover. I like the metallic title. I love that the shadow is different (scarier than) from the girl. That street looks very dystopian.

~Haley G