The world didn't end all at once but drip by drip...
Manon Pawlak has just turned eighteen, a debutant at the start of the Virtue Season: a process that will result in a match with a suitable genetic mate. Her best friend, Agatha, has been decommissioned, forbidden to partake in the season and unite with the boy who has had her heart since they were children.
When Manon's mother wades out into the waters of Penn Vale with stones sewn into the lining of her coat, Manon's genetic purity is called into question and she's forced to rely on the fisherman's son, Wick, to keep her secret. But as they dance, the truth about their world starts to unravel, and Manon finds herself at the centre of it all. And the council is watching.
The Virtue Season is an incredibly thought-provoking and highly entertaining YA novel that challenges the concept of perfection. Only those without flaws will be matched with a mate to ensure the purest bloodlines will prosper.
Manon and her friend Agatha are coming of age and will partake in the Virtue Season unless any flaws are found. Agatha takes a fit that sees her decommissioned and Manon has to bury a family secret to ensure she is matched. I can feel my blood boiling just thinking about these so called flaws and I think that's exactly the point that L.M. Nathan is trying to make. We are all flawed!
There's a lot going on in the book to keep the reader entertained with plot lines of family secrets, forbidden love and rebellion. It has hints of The Handmaid's Tale and The Hunger Games to provoke debate and it would be a great book club book. I'd like to see it made into a film as there are some incredible scenes painted by L.M. Nathan's vivid writing.
Powerful, thought-provoking and entertaining, The Virtue Season is a dystopian YA novel than both teens and adults will enjoy. It's well worth a read.
I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.
My rating:
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About the author:
L.M. Nathan grew up in the East Midlands, flitting from there to Bristol where she studied English and Drama and then to Malta where she completed an MA in Literature. She also has an MA in Journalism which she studied for in Manchester. She now lives in rural Lancashire in the shadow of Pendle Hill. The Virtue Season is her debut YA.
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Thanks for the blog tour support x
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