Unleashed by Sophie Jordan

Genre:  YA Dystopian

Uninvited Series, Book 2

Sophie Jordan's website

Expected publication date:  February 24, 2015 (my birthday!)

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Note:  This is the second book in a two-part series.  Reading anything from below can slightly spoil the first one for you.

Description (taken from Goodreads):

Unleashed, the romantic, high-stakes sequel to New York Times bestselling author Sophie Jordan's Uninvited, is perfect for fans of James Patterson's Confessions of a Murder Suspect.

Davy has spent the last few months trying to come to terms with the fact that she tested positive for the kill gene HTS (also known as Homicidal Tendency Syndrome). She swore she would not let it change her, and that her DNA did not define her . . . but then she killed a man.

Now on the run, Davy must decide whether she'll be ruled by the kill gene or if she'll follow her heart and fight for her right to live free. But with her own potential for violence lying right beneath the surface, Davy doesn't even know if she can trust herself.

Davy has just escaped a training camp for HTS carriers: people who have a genetic tendency to kill.  She along with her friends are trying to escape the US by fleeing to Mexico.  But as Davy comes to grips with what she recently did and who she is in this new world, will she have reason to hope for a better life?  The world calls her a killer, and she's finally believing it, believing what her genetics say about her.  But can she actually run from the person she's become?  Can anyone truly run from themselves?

When an escape attempt goes awry, Davy finds herself on the wrong side of the border and in no condition to survive.  But with the help of a stranger, she does exactly that.  Meeting a guy with an H imprint who claims wanting to help her out of the goodness of his heart raises red flags for Davy.  But despite her trust issues, the will to survive is greater.  And this is how she's comes into contact with the HTS Resistance.  But can she rally behind a cause or has she truly lost hope?

This story kind of leaves the whole HTS-scenario behind.  Yes, the world's been set up already, and we're aware that people with the kill gene are discriminated against.  But that scenario takes a major backburner to Davy's trust issues and love life.  And I guess I couldn't reconcile the two.  I wanted more action, more history, more science, and more world issues revolving the HTS gene.  Instead what I got was a colorful love story with small HTS snippets in between.  And while I certainly enjoyed this new love interest, I still felt like groaning at the end of the story (that little voice inside my head that figures all plots out was thinking 'please no, please don't end this way').  Yes, it was a good love story.  No, it was not a good dystopia read.

Honestly if you've read the first one, you've got to finish the series out.  And if you know what you're getting yourself into beforehand, I think you'll be better prepared.  My absolute honest opinion is yes, I still think this series is worth it and a good read.  Just make sure the readers have a romance side...

Thanks goes to Around the World ARC Tours for providing me a review copy.