Hatred Day (Hatred Day #1) by T.S. Pettibone (2016)
-eARC Review-
NA Fiction | Science Fiction
Blurb:
“In the year 2052, it’s not love but hate that unites the world.
Humanity is unified against the Inborns, an extraterrestrial species with godlike intelligence and abilities whose arrival on earth caused an environmental and biological crisis.
Enslaved and despised even by her own Inbornkind, 18-year-old Snofrid Yagami reawakens to the world after having her memories stolen and is certain of only one thing: she will do anything to ensure her freedom. But her resolution is soon tested when the son of a high-ranking human official is murdered and her home city becomes the center of the interspecies war, one that might see the Inborns purged. Desperate to find a way out of the city for herself and her family, Snofrid risks making a deal with the manipulative Inborn Commander, Hadrian, and his brutal cadre of soldiers. Her task is simple: take part in a historic hunt that will bring wealth and fame to all who survive. Unfortunately, Snofrid’s role is one in which survival is rarely seen—the bait.”
–Goodreads
Expected Publication Date: January 23, 2016
pooled ink Review:
Thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy to review!
A dangerously captivating story about aliens called ‘Inborns’ that have come to Earth and all the injustice and inhumane chaos that has since ensued, this book creates an interesting angle of a fateful not-so-distant future. From the first page you’re dropped right into the midst of danger and heightened emotions as Neko and Desya infiltrate the Gehenna slum to find Snofrid. As you tumble through the opening and stagger to your feet you’ll find yourself armed and tense but not quite sure where you are. It’s almost like you woke up in a nightmare mid-run and you don’t have time to stop and ask for directions so you just keep running alongside the characters grasping at any hints they drop and cling them to you slowly piecing this world together.
This future is quite grim filled with a toxic atmosphere, a massive slave trade, mutated alien beasts, and a war between the Inborns and the humans with neither side seeing peace in the near future. After Snofrid is brought back home she has to wade her way through life protecting her secret blood-status in the midst of a human society while simultaneously having to surreptitiously mine for information about her past. Her mind wipe is where Snofrid’s story and the reader’s journey begin. Together we witness her present, stiffen at her future, and gasp at her past. Difficult choices press upon Snofrid’s shoulders shoving forth deals and bargains with enemies and allies alike. But perhaps one choice weighs on her more deeply, one that stems straight from her heart and the path of forbidden love.
Okay, so if I’m to be totally honest then I must admit that while this book is definitely good it didn’t manage to sink its claws into me. On the downside I had no problem putting it down and switching to Netflix, but on the upside every time I returned to this book I was instantly back inside the story. Pettibone definitely have a gift for writing, world building, and creativity, all of which is evident with every page and breath of this dark whirlwind of a story. And let me just say, a heck of a lot of stuff happens in this book. The plot charges up peaks, tumbles down pits, launches forwards, and shuffles softly all in a distinct cadence of dark adventure.
The characters are interesting, not 2-dimentional, and constantly evolving with every obstacle and discovery thrown their way. The Inborns have special powers such as the ability to heal, heightened senses, great intellect, elemental control, and more. This broadens the genre of this science-fiction story giving it a bit of a paranormal/fantasy flair that I enjoyed.
Filled with aliens, gas masks, love, secrets, and high stakes, Snofrid’s escapade is definitely one many will be eager to join. Hatred Day is a fast-paced rush for freedom through the sludge of a future war-torn Earth. Humans vs. Inborns: Who do you fight for?
Cheers.
Purchase here: Hatred Day
Meet T.S. Pettibone!
T.S. Pettibone is the pen name of identical twins, Brittany and Nicole Pettibone. They were born in California, grew up in Kansas, and these days, live and write in California. On the rare occasion that they break from writing, they enjoy taking their dog on night walks, reading books by long deceased authors, drinking too much coffee and tea, traveling the world, making friends out of strangers and trying new things.
-Goodreads
pooled ink 