Title: The Choosing (Seer #1) by Rachelle Dekker

Pages: 464

Genres: YA, Dystopian, Christian

Published by: Tyndale House Publishers (May 19th, 2015)

Summary

“Not to be Chosen would yield a cruel fate of my own making.”

Like all citizens since the Ruining, Carrington Hale knows the importance of this day. But she never expected the moment she’d spent a lifetime preparing for—her Choosing ceremony—would end in disaster. Ripped from her family, she’ll spend her days serving as a Lint, the lowest level of society. She knows it’s her duty to follow the true way of the Authority.

But as Carrington begins this nightmare, rumors of rebellion rattle her beliefs. The whispers contradict everything she’s been told; yet they resonate deep within.

Then Carrington is offered an unprecedented chance at the life she’s always dreamed of, but she can’t shake the feeling that it may be an illusion. With a killer targeting Lints and corruption threatening the highest levels of the Authority, Carrington must uncover the truth before it destroys her.

What I Thought

This book had been on my TBR for such a long time now!  Pretty much since it was released in 2015, I’ve been meaning to read The Choosing.  I was just drawn to the plot, the gorgeous cover, and the fact that the author is the daughter to one of Christian fiction’s biggest thriller writers, Ted Dekker!

One of the things I really loved about this book was its message.  So many dystopians leave you feeling so hopeless, and The Choosing didn’t!  Its overarching theme about how every single person has worth and value was so important, and it was done in such a great, non-cheesy way.

I also really appreciated the risks Rachelle Dekker took.  I know this aspect of The Choosing disturbed some people, but I found it really thought-provoking how she addressed taking the Bible out of context.  The way certain characters in this book twisted the Bible around to fit their agenda is something that far too many people do, and it is not addressed often enough how harmful that can really be.  I also appreciated that the author wasn’t afraid to be edgy.  This is a Christian novel, but don’t underestimate this book!  The Choosing has some intense scenes in it, with violence and twisted bad guys, and is not for the faint of heart.

The first half of the book was a bit slow for me, however.  It took me about halfway through the novel until I really found myself connecting to the characters and invested in the story.  So, that was a little disappointing for me.  I wanted to love The Choosing so much that when I wasn’t immediately invested, I was worried I wouldn’t end up liking this series after all.  That being said, the second half of the book really picked up, and I couldn’t stop reading!

I really did like Carrington, as well!  I thought she made a great main character, and she, along with all the other characters, were so well written.  I’m excited to see where the rest of this series takes her.

Overall, I enjoyed this book!  It was a bit slower in the beginning than I would have preferred, but the story really started to pick up later on, and I am so excited to continue the rest of the series.  I also love the overall message of hope this book brought.  There are some intense scenes in here, so I would not recommend it to the extremely sensitive, but for those that can handle it, I would recommend The Choosing to anyone who is a fan of dystopian novels!

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