Review: True Calling by Siobhan Davis

True Calling by Siobhan Davis 4/5

For Ariana Skyee, Planet Novo was everything it promised to be until the authorities introduced “The Calling” as their response to repopulation. Now, all seventeen-year-olds are to participate in this Bachelor-style pageant to find their perfect match, marry, and have children.

But that’s not Ariana’s only concern. Thanks to the government-sanctioned memory erase, she has no recollection of Zane, the mystery boy who haunts her dreams. Things are further complicated when the pageant commences and her feelings for fellow Cadet Cal Remus intensify. Together, they start to realize not everything about their new home is as it seems.

Entangled in a dangerous web of deceit, Ariana sets out to identify the truth. Conflicted over warnings that Cal isn’t trustworthy and alarmed at the government’s increasing interest in her, she doesn’t know where to turn. But her search for the truth comes at a high personal price. When her world implodes, discovering the past shapes her future with devastating consequences.

Review:

Ariana lives on Planet Novo, a man-made habitat twelve hundred miles from the surface of Earth. Repopulation is taken seriously and The Calling is a bizarre, televised way to pair seventeen year olds with their perfect match to ensure more children.

I started reading this book in 2016, but had to stop due to ARCs and review requests. I picked up where I left off and easily fell back into the story once again.

This book had a strong Hunger Games feel to it- without the killing of the opponants. The us and them (government) factor was a strong, underlying theme. I found The Calling a weird, futuristic way to pair people to repopulate. It’s a unique concept, and I had great fun learning how the system was set up and at what lengths the government would go to ensure it’s success.

That’s not all. Ariana is caught in a love triangle; one that enfolds for Ariana just as much as it does for the reader. What are the government hiding? Ariana has to try and fill in the void of her erased memories and keep those feelings separate from her current feelings. The narrative is well paced and kept me engaged until the end. I want to say more, but I must refrain from spoilers.

The two POVs added an interesting dynamic to the narrative. I enjoyed Zane’s perspective, although, I did feel like I was getting double doses of the same information from time to time.

Fans of the Hunger Games and Divergent will enjoy True Calling immensely.

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The opinions expressed here are those of K.J.Chapman and no other parties

All books reviewed on this blog have been read by K.J.Chapman

K.J.Chapman has not been paid for this review

 

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