The Killables (The Killables, #1)

Apr 25, 2012 Tiffany rated it 2 of 5 stars

I only give this book three stars because I'm intrigued by the plot itself. I was thoroughly confused about why the book ended where it did, but I can live with that.

What I cannot live with is how much I actively hated some of the characters, Raffy in particular. His character never progresses past a possessive, petulant child and I found myself actively rolling my eyes at his constant whining. I understand the plot tries to set it up as he was young and believed his whole life that his brother...more

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Mar 09, 2013 Sarah rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: dystopia, romance, young-adult

This book wasn’t amazing but something about it kept me reading. Maybe it was the theme of the existence and the origin of evil, the premise the book was based on which I found highly interesting. The story was set in the near future, in the ‘City’, formerly known as London where evil has been eradicated by removing the amygdala from its citizens, the part of the brain that causes disruptions in mental states. The inhabitants of the city are required to wear labels on their clothes denoting thei...more This book wasn’t amazing but something about it kept me reading. Maybe it was the theme of the existence and the origin of evil, the premise the book was based on which I found highly interesting. The story was set in the near future, in the ‘City’, formerly known as London where evil has been eradicated by removing the amygdala from its citizens, the part of the brain that causes disruptions in mental states. The inhabitants of the city are required to wear labels on their clothes denoting their rank, A, B, C or D, with A being the most virtuous people and D the least. They live completely within the walled city protected from the Evils, the savage, cannibalistic outsiders whose amygdalas are intact. I found the whole premise of the novel fascinating, and Malley didn’t disappoint as she slowly revealed the city’s secrets to Evie, the main character and to the reader as well.

The writing was okay, but Malley seemed to overdo the info-dumping, particularly at the beginning of the story. There seemed to be long passages with no dialogue, which some readers might find boring, and I thought Malley could have achieved some of the world-building through conversations between the characters.

Despite the novel’s interesting themes and plot, the characters were a bit disappointing. The only one I was really invested in was Lucas, who I didn’t like to begin with, but I liked how Malley developed his character throughout the story. I found Raffy to be petulant and childish, and he remained that way throughout the entire story. I liked him at the beginning but when I saw that he wasn’t maturing in the slightest, I found him annoying. Evie was slightly childish as well, but I suppose that is to be expected considering the community she grew up in.

I wasn’t a fan of the love triangle between Evie, Raffy and Lucas either, and it seemed a bit redundant and its only purpose was to add a sub-plot. I much prefer Lucas and I couldn’t understand what Evie was doing with Raffy when his older brother was clearly so much better for her.

I’ll read the sequel, because I want to find out what happens to Lucas. Also, I thought that Linus was a bit creepy and mysterious and I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that he has some evil intentions, so that might keep me interested in the sequel when it is released. I liked the plot of this novel (apart from the pointless love triangle) but I can’t help feeling that Malley has used some many good ideas in the first book and will have nothing good to use in its successor.
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Dec 30, 2012 Lydia rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: dystopia, romance, teen

Premise: There have been a lot of poorly written future dystopian novels in the wake of The Hunger Games, but I knew from reading Gemma Malley’s previous series (The Declaration trilogy) a few years ago that Malley is original and successful in inventing a crumbled future society. I found this idea of people being forced to have part of their brain removed and being labelled and ranked for their ‘bad’ behaviour very interesting.

Characters: The main character, Evie, was rather flat and naive, bu...more Premise: There have been a lot of poorly written future dystopian novels in the wake of The Hunger Games, but I knew from reading Gemma Malley’s previous series (The Declaration trilogy) a few years ago that Malley is original and successful in inventing a crumbled future society. I found this idea of people being forced to have part of their brain removed and being labelled and ranked for their ‘bad’ behaviour very interesting.

Characters: The main character, Evie, was rather flat and naive, but I could accept that she was that way because it was how the society and her parents had shaped her to be. The seemingly more intriguing love interest, Raffy, who challenged the system, was actually a rather temperamental and petulant boy when Evie spent extended time with him outside of the City. The twisted ruler of the City, known as the Brother, was also rather weak, but it seemed he was intended to be so. The only character I could actually invest in was the ‘robotic’ Lucas, who had a hidden story.

Plot: What Gemma Malley is good at is creating the concept (although using a Wikipedia article as an introduction isn’t the strongest base). It was interesting enough that I wanted to keep reading to find out what Lucas was really doing, and if Evie could survive outside the City, and the reality behind the ‘Evils’ outside of the City (who added a scarier dynamic to the story when they were described as ‘cannibals’, although this was replaced with an entirely different one when Evie found out the truth).

Other Comments: The only problem I have with Malley’s work (which may be just me, as I’m not a big fan of romance being the sole point of a story) is that the story always has to be driven by romance between a boy and a girl who want to escape only so that they can be together, as with Anna and Ben in her previous books. When there is such a good setting of a ruined society, it seems a shame to me to ignore that in favour of creating a (rather forced) love triangle between Evie, Raffy and his brother Lucas, when other events would have much more impact in driving the story. In The Killables, I can give Malley credit for having Evie join with a resistance group who want to take back the City and reshape the system, though she actually does little other than what she is told, and only seems to be going along with it rather than standing up for herself and the people with some passion and ferocity, which at least Raffy does. (less)

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Nov 06, 2012 Ella rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: just-read, favourite-book

This book is now my all time favourite book, it incorparates every possible level into it, Romance, Action, Fantasy, everything, i love the way the book makes you feel deeply for each and every character and has you in the same position as Evie, and i love the way that everything you read and thought in the beginning turns out to be a lie, but you don't know it when your reading it becasue you believe what Evie believes, the book finishes at i massive cliffhanger and especially the taster from t...more

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Oct 02, 2012 Sarah rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Evie, die Protagonistin dieses Buches, lebt in der Stadt. Diese Stadt ist eine in sich abgeschottete Einheit, die sie alle vor den „Bösen“ außerhalb schützt. Diese Stadt kann man sich beinahe wie eine sektenartige Kommune vorstellen und auch, wenn die Bewohner nichts von ihrer Abhängigkeit ihres Anführers ahnen, wird dem Leser schnell klar wie blind diese Menschen doch sein müssen, denn ein Mann der bei Zusammenkünften von spirituellem Zusammenhalt und Ausschluss des Bösen spricht wirkt in der...more Evie, die Protagonistin dieses Buches, lebt in der Stadt. Diese Stadt ist eine in sich abgeschottete Einheit, die sie alle vor den „Bösen“ außerhalb schützt. Diese Stadt kann man sich beinahe wie eine sektenartige Kommune vorstellen und auch, wenn die Bewohner nichts von ihrer Abhängigkeit ihres Anführers ahnen, wird dem Leser schnell klar wie blind diese Menschen doch sein müssen, denn ein Mann der bei Zusammenkünften von spirituellem Zusammenhalt und Ausschluss des Bösen spricht wirkt in der Weise wie er hier in „Das letzte Zeichen“ auftritt nicht gerade vertrauenerweckend – für den Leser. Die Kontrolle durch „das System“ um die Einstufungen in verschiedene Charakterklassen/Ränge soll die Menschen vor sich selbst schützen und niemand schöpft Verdacht, denn das System weiß alles.

Die Menschen leben in ständiger Überwachung. Sie sind Marionetten des „Bruders“, derjenige, der hinter dem System steckt. Doch die Menschen sind blind vor Angst vor allem Bösen und lassen auf eben dieser Angst vieles über sich ergehen. Es wird deutlich, wie beeinflussbar der Mensch doch ist, wenn ihm nur genug Furch eingeflößt wird, denn jeder in der Stadt weiß, dass das Leben außerhalb der Mauern gefährlich ist, wenn nicht gar tödlich. Doch gibt es nur einige wenige, die das System hinterfragen. Doch, wer traut sich schon sein eigenes Leben zu riskieren?

Im Grunde klingt das alles sehr interessant, doch schon der Klapptext verrät eigentlich schon zu viel und ist zum Teil sogar unwahr. Zum einen wissen unsere Protagonisten nichts davon, dass das Zeichen „K“ Killable bedeutet und zweiten muss Evie auch nicht Raffys Rang in eben diesen ändern.
Das der Inhalt schon zu viel verrät sagt aber auch einiges über das Buch selbst aus, denn in den ersten zwei Dritteln passiert herzlich wenig. Der Leser lernt ein bisschen über die Stadt und die Ränge (was theoretisch schon auf dem Klapptext zusammengefasst ist) und begleitet Evie auf dem Weg zum großen „Ahaa“, als sie erkennt, dass „K“ Killable bedeutet (auch das weiß der Leser bereits von Klapptext). Dazu genommen, dass der Alltag des Mädchens nicht gerade spektakulär gestaltet, sonder eher fade und eingespielt ist, sorgt ebenfalls nicht dafür, den Leser zu packen. Durch recht sachliche Beschreibungen und Gedanken durch Evie zum Verständnis der Stadt kommt gleichfalls keine Spannung auf und so plätschert der Informationsfluss ungehemmt vor sich hin und nimmt einfach nicht an Fahrt auf.

Im letzten Drittel kommt endlich etwas Spannung in die Geschichte. Unerwartete Wendungen, die wirkliche Geschichte hinter der Stadt und was sonst noch für Lügen verbreitet wurden. Doch leider wird dies gestoppt (oder getoppt) mit einer – ja genau – beinahe Dreiecksbeziehung! Na, wer hätte das gedacht? Im Grunde wirkt es an dieser Stelle ein bisschen gezwungen und wie der letzte Versuch etwas Stimmung und Emotionen hineinzubringen, doch mal im Ernst: Das ist so abgedroschen.

Evie – Raffy. Lucas – Evie.

Leider konnte mich „Das letzte Zeichen“ gar nicht überzeugen. Natürlich gab es ein paar hoffnungsvolle Momente auf Besserung und auch die Grundidee ist nicht schlecht, nur hapert es ganz schön an der Umsetzung. Sobald endlich genug Handlungen da sind und erste Emotionen der Protagonistin überspringen endet das Buch und, wer hätte das gedacht, verweist darauf, dass die das Ende des ersten Bandes ist. Juhu. Ich persönlich werde die Geschichte nicht weiter verfolgen und kann sie auf Grund der oben genannten Gründen auch nicht weiter empfehlen.(less)

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Sep 21, 2012 Tessa rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Nouvelle dystopie, nouveau monde, nouveau concept, on ne peut pas enlever ça à l’auteure, ce livre est réellement original!
Même si l’histoire peut se rapprocher d’autres livres, Gemma Malley a su jouer sur différents aspects de la Cité pour la rendre effrayante à bien des égards. Je me suis sentie gênée plusieurs fois lors de ma lecture en constatant la réalité dans laquelle vit notre héroïne Evie.
Il y a un mélange de secte, d’autarcie, d’endoctrinement, de régression de la situation de la femme...more Nouvelle dystopie, nouveau monde, nouveau concept, on ne peut pas enlever ça à l’auteure, ce livre est réellement original!
Même si l’histoire peut se rapprocher d’autres livres, Gemma Malley a su jouer sur différents aspects de la Cité pour la rendre effrayante à bien des égards. Je me suis sentie gênée plusieurs fois lors de ma lecture en constatant la réalité dans laquelle vit notre héroïne Evie.
Il y a un mélange de secte, d’autarcie, d’endoctrinement, de régression de la situation de la femme, d’esclavage et ajoutez à cela la folie de certains hommes.

Le livre commence sur un extrait de Wikipédia, expliquant les avancées des études autour de l’amygdale présente dans notre cerveau. De quoi nous mettre dans le bain tout de suite et d’annoncer le ton. J’ai trouvé que c’était une bonne idée, et même si en soit, ce qui est dit dans l’extrait n’a rien d’inquiétant, on sent que cela sous-entend quelque chose que l’on n’a pas forcément envie de savoir. Quelque chose de gênant.
C’est donc ainsi qu’on entre dans la Cité et dans la vie d’Evie.

Malheureusement, ce n’est pas un personnage qui m’a touché. Je l’ai trouvé un peu plate, se répétant un peu trop et elle en devient agaçante. Elle se révèle naïve et est prête à croire un peu à tout à certains moments, quand à d’autres elle nie l’évidence.
Le personnage de Raffy ne m’a pas non plus touché. Il est caractériel et n’apporte au final pas grand chose à l’histoire. Pour le coup, c’est plutôt son frère, Lucas, qui est le vrai héros du livre, qui lui apporte contenance et retournements de situation. Il est surprenant, énervant et touchant à la fois. Tout du long, j’avais réellement hâte de le retrouver et d’en apprendre plus sur lui.
Le Frère et Linus sont des protagonistes intéressants pour leur passé, et c’est en en apprenant plus sur eux que l’on comprend dans quel monde nous a emmené l’auteure.

Malgré un concept réellement intéressant, le début du livre a été trop lent à mon goût. Il faudra attendre plus d’une centaine de page pour enfin que l’action se débloque et que l’histoire avance. Evidemment, n’ayant pas totalement accroché au personnage d’Evie, il est normal que je me sois ennuyée étant donné que l’histoire tourne autour d’elle au début. J’ai donc beaucoup plus apprécié la seconde partie du livre où chacun se révèle sous son vrai jour et où la Cité est remise en question…

Voilà donc une histoire qui manque un peu de piquant mais dont le monde totalement nouveau donne à être découvert!(less)

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Aug 14, 2012 Hannah rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone

Shelves: dystopian

*Contains slight spoilers*

The book that started my love for Dystiopian fiction. My school libary had Gemma Malley come to our school a week before the release of The Killables to promote it, i was lucky to attend and the book just sounded fantastic.

It was a great read, the introduction to the City wasn't overdone but covered enough so the story wasn't confusing. Evie's character was likable as you understood her situation and felt for her because of the pressing laws of the City.

Raffy was a char...more

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Jul 24, 2012 Emy rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was pretty good.It was not excellent,but I've still enjoyed it.I didn't really like the love relationship that Evie and Raphael had.I would have better chosen Lucas -by the way,this name is sooo common ! Why does every author use this name for the "perfect boy" ?.I would have chosen Lucas because Raphael seemed to be really annoying at some parts.I hated it when he didn't want to entertain Evie,as Lucas could do.I hated it when Raphael was getting angry too fast and it seemed just like...more

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Oct 16, 2012 Almas rated it 4 of 5 stars

My rating of this book would be about 4.50, I just can't get the star to be half a star so it's on the four. So when I saw this on my friend's bookshelf I was like 'oh my days' I want to read that book and the next thing she knew it was on the way to my house, finally I sat down and read the book this weekend, she'll be pleased to know. I've been a fan of Gemma Malley since I read her previous series, starting with The Decleration (If you haven't read them, I suggest you do!), probably one of th...more My rating of this book would be about 4.50, I just can't get the star to be half a star so it's on the four. So when I saw this on my friend's bookshelf I was like 'oh my days' I want to read that book and the next thing she knew it was on the way to my house, finally I sat down and read the book this weekend, she'll be pleased to know. I've been a fan of Gemma Malley since I read her previous series, starting with The Decleration (If you haven't read them, I suggest you do!), probably one of the first dystopian style book I read and I loved it!

[The following Paragraphs may be viewed as Spoilers, if you do not want to read the spoilers skip ahead to the next set of brackets]

So characters: My favourite is definitley Lucas, okay so he may seem to be evil and hogging all the knowledge of what's really going on but everything he did was to protect the people he loves, what's wrong with that? So hiding the truth from Rapheal was not the best option and led the younger lad to despise, hate being to weak a word in this case, him he just didn't want him to loose out on growing up and being safe, he was told by his father how to play the game, how to hide, but would a four year old Raffy really understand how to do that? Raffy to me seems to act slightley childish in his actions, yes he has been kept out of a lot of things but his actions do not make me think 'strong, clever, seventeen year old' he just seems to me like a moody little boy who is angry at everything because it didn't work out the way he wanted, written in the book from Linus' point of view his emotions are all over his face, so easy to read. Evie for me is a good female lead, she isn't the best as I've noticed with Malley's female leads, but she is an improvment from Anna, Evie isn't as dependant or needy, but she did seem to follow Raphael, this annoyed me a little as at times she seemed really strong and could stand on her own two feet but as soon as he is in the picture she is subdued and doesn't seem to have a mind of her own but is just waiting for him. Thier relationship to me seems that it wouldn't last that long, they both seem to have diferent ideas and I wouldn't be surprised if it doesn't last, although Malley may surprise me!
Linus is a character I was falling in and out of trust with, when he first appeared in the book He was bad, then good and continued that way until he disappeared and The Brother was also missing, this was a confusing time and it almost seemed to me like he was bad, he wasn't! Yay!
My favourite parts of the book were when Lucas and Evie kissed, she sees him for who he truly is for the first time and holds him as his masks slips, the kiss is the point where I think Evie realises things aren't exaactly what they seem, even before she meets Linus and after he has talked to her, when she sees Lucas for his true self, when she believes him, she is already aware that nothing is the same. My heart breaks for Lucas though who is in love with her yet he knows and won't (apart for the two kisses) come bewteen his brother and his love. My second favourite part was when Evie was ready or attempting to shoot The Brother but Lucas does it instead, he sees through her attempt at putting on a mask and that's when he tells her she couldn't lead that difficult life, he saves her from committing something that she wouldn't be able to live with, where was Rapheal at this point? He's the one who should have spoken, said something, done something, even Linus speaks to her, tries to calm her down.

The twist on the 'Evils' could not have been more shocking, I didn't expect them to be brain damaged, forom the way they were introduced through Evie it seemed maybe there would be cannibals involved, but it was simply a trick, we are decieved into thinking there is actually a danger out there when infact people were being abused and enslaved, it's almost like we fall for the brainwashing of The City. When I learnt about the truth of the 'Evils' I thought that it is definitley an original idea, they are people who are being used over and over again to do The City's dirty work. The fact that The City came about after 'The Horrors' and 'The Evils' are caused by a brain Surgery which removes the Amygdala just gives us an image in our heads, what if our world does spiral out of control one day and turns into that mess? There are wars out there and if they increase what if the people left create a world like that? This Dystopian, Fiction novel is one I think that mixes fiction with an idea of what our future may turn out to be. I don't belive other Dystopian novels make someone think what if that happens? because they seem so unrealistic, but this book to me links the science of today in very well, the fact it starts of with a Doctor who has this idea of perfecting the human race, who is snubbed but then ends up with someone who is greedy for power in charge and in control of thousands of desperate people...

[No more Spoilers]
If you're getting bored of Dystopians, but still want to read them give it a shot, it's different.
If you haven't read this book then I think it is a great read, it isn't slow paced like some books that drag out the plotline, for this book though I think it works well that things are happening at a faster pace as it wouldn't work with being slightley slower like others.
Personally the ages were a bit confusing for me, I couldn't work out what age most people were supposed to be, but that is only a tiny tiny part of it so it doesn't really matter altogether.

That's all I can think of of the top of my head for this book, so I think i've gone over the main parts, I hope the review helped or you just enjoyed reading it. Leave any comments if you want to discuss something or just share your opinion about it, say if you disagree with what I think!(less)

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Aug 03, 2012 Tuyen (Books freak:P) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: dystopias-world, love-triangles, favorites

Spoiler free-ish.
I dont know what to say about this book. I have mixed feeling to say.
This is another dytopian book.

We have The City. A safe place where the outside is surrounded by Evils. The people inside are 'good' and you are also ranked that way. A, B, C, D and K. (this makes me think of high school. You're an A student or your an C student.) The City is ruled by 'The Great Leader' who we never meet. So its really control by 'The Brother'

The main character is Evie. She is ranked an B. Whi...more

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Jun 15, 2012 Anorielt rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Erster Satz: Augen und Nase verklebt von Dreck und Staub.

Das letzte Zeichen war eines der Bücher von diesem Monat auf das ich mich am meisten gefreut habe. Den Einstieg empfand ich als etwas schwierig. Evie's Angst und ihre Überzeugung Böse zu sein, können einem nach einiger Zeit doch auf die Nerven gehen. Auch ihre Mutter hätte ich manchmal am liebsten geohrfeigt, bis zum Schluss hatte ich den Eindruck das diese Frau ihre Tochter überhaupt nicht liebt sondern froh ist wenn sie diese los ist. D...more Erster Satz: Augen und Nase verklebt von Dreck und Staub.

Das letzte Zeichen war eines der Bücher von diesem Monat auf das ich mich am meisten gefreut habe. Den Einstieg empfand ich als etwas schwierig. Evie's Angst und ihre Überzeugung Böse zu sein, können einem nach einiger Zeit doch auf die Nerven gehen. Auch ihre Mutter hätte ich manchmal am liebsten geohrfeigt, bis zum Schluss hatte ich den Eindruck das diese Frau ihre Tochter überhaupt nicht liebt sondern froh ist wenn sie diese los ist. Die Welt in der Evie lebt ist trist und trostlos, auch wenn die Menschen die in der Stadt leben dies nicht so sehen. Wie sollten sie auch, wo doch jeder Angst hat vom System im Rang herabgestuft zu werden.

Auch die Liebesgeschichte lässt nicht lange auf sich warten, nur ist diese hier schon seit Jahren vorhanden und trotzdem kommt dabei kein Gefühl rüber, auch später im Buch nicht wo sie das System nichtmehr fürchten müssen. Ich konnte mich auch weder mit Evie, noch mit Raffy oder gar der kleinen Dreiecksbeziehung anfreunden.

Gegen mitte des Buches wurde es besser, ab dem Zeitpunkt in dem klar ist das Raffy zum K herabgestuft und ausgesetzt wird kommt endlich Leben in die Geschichte. Evie und Lucas tuen alles um Raffy zur Flucht zu verhelfen, wobei erstere ihn begleitet da sie zuvor etwas erfahren hat das dafür sorgt das sie nur noch raus aus der Stadt möchte. Das Buch bleibt durchaus spannend, man lernt viele neue Charaktere kennen und erfährt endlich die ganze Geschichte und vorallem die volle Wahrheit über die Stadt und alles was damit zusammenhängt.

Was mir allerdings richtig gefehlt hat war die Beschreibung der Umwelt nachdem sie ersteinmal aus der Stadt draußen waren. Die Autorin geht darauf kein Stück ein und ich weiß selbst jetzt nicht wie die Welt nach der Schreckenszeit aussieht. Das Ende allerdings, das hat mich schließlich verwirrt und absolut unbefriedigt zurück gelassen. Es ist unvollständig und man hat das Gefühl als würde kaum etwas passieren, so wie das ganze Buch lang schon. Abgeschlossen ist für mich etwas anderes.

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Fazit
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Absoluter Durchschnitt mit vielen Schwächen.(less)

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Apr 26, 2012 Booknut rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: dystopian-challenge, fangirling-in-progress

This. Book. Was. Amazing! The Killables, a definite must-read by Gemma Malley, came into my possession on one of my frequent trips to buy out my local Dymocks. I was searching the shelves for something good to read when BAM. There it was. I had read the Declaration, and loved it, and I was intrigued by the blurb so I decided to give it a try.

An excellent Dystopian novel. Evie's struggle for understanding - to come to terms with whether or not the laws and regulations of the society she has known...more This. Book. Was. Amazing! The Killables, a definite must-read by Gemma Malley, came into my possession on one of my frequent trips to buy out my local Dymocks. I was searching the shelves for something good to read when BAM. There it was. I had read the Declaration, and loved it, and I was intrigued by the blurb so I decided to give it a try.

An excellent Dystopian novel. Evie's struggle for understanding - to come to terms with whether or not the laws and regulations of the society she has known her whole life, and the society itself, are truly as 'good' as they make out to be. She seems to be in a state of semi-conciousness. She KNOWS that something is off about what is happening, but she has been conditioned to ignore that feeling and to doubt herself. She gets angry at her parents? Must be evil inclinations and she should repent and try harder. Having bad dreams? It is her fault because she refuses to try and be good and she is evil. It is a tiring life Evie lives and you empathise with her. You want to shake her and show her the truth.

My crash-course on The Killables:
- Evie lives in 'the City' where the Goods live.
- Goods are people who are not evil, but have the capacity to be 'tempted' towards evil
- Outside the City live the Evils
- They are evil and long to lead the Goods to the 'dark side' (sorry...a little too Star War-sy, perhaps?!)
- The Good's society is strict, regulated and stifling. People are graded - A, B and C being acceptable. D means you are in Danger of becoming an Evil.
- Evie longs to come to terms with how she feels about her Society.
- She keeps having weird dreams about being carried to safety by a man and a woman
- She is to be engaged to a boy who has the emotions of a Siberian wasteland and whom she does not love
- She is in love with that boy's brother who is trying to find a means of escape
- The City has eyes everywhere. No one is safe. It is all-knowing.
- There is a final grade. K. It stands for Evils, so they are told. Evils are given a New Baptism, to help them become good again. But really, K stands for Killable. Which means, they are to be killed without a moment's hesitation.

It really makes us ask ourselves whether our identity is with our society and the environment we grow up in or whether we ourselves have to break away from the norm and discover our own identity. Oh, and I loved Raphael. And Lucas. Though personally I couldn't pick between the two if my life depended on it. It would be like choosing between books or chocolate...you just don't go there!:D(less)

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Apr 21, 2012 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: dystopian, young-adult

The Killables is an enjoyable entry in the crowded field of dystopias. The story has a similar feel to Gemma Malley’s Declaration trilogy, and while it is good, it doesn’t quite measure up to Declaration.

The Killables takes place in the not to distant future, after our world has been torn apart by war and destruction. Evie is living the City, an enclosed society where everyone has undergone the new baptism, an operation to excise the portion of the brain responsible for evil.

The City is run by t...more The Killables is an enjoyable entry in the crowded field of dystopias. The story has a similar feel to Gemma Malley’s Declaration trilogy, and while it is good, it doesn’t quite measure up to Declaration.

The Killables takes place in the not to distant future, after our world has been torn apart by war and destruction. Evie is living the City, an enclosed society where everyone has undergone the new baptism, an operation to excise the portion of the brain responsible for evil.

The City is run by the Brother, an evangelical-like character who preaches about the good of the society and the evils of the world outside the City walls. The City is run by a system which monitors the inhabitants. The system data labels each citizen as an A, B, C or D according to their inherit propensity for “goodness.” Evie is a B, but she is matched to marry, Lucas, an A model citizen. Unfortunately, Evie is in love with Lucas’s brother, Raffy.

Without revealing too much, I will say that the story does eventually venture outside the city walls and Evie learns some truths about the world she has been living in.

The premise of a monitored, controlled society with secrets is nothing new, but Gemma Malley does manage to create a world with some unique characteristics.

Evie is a relatable, likeable heroine and I wish I could say the same about Raffy. Unfortunately, he never seems to grow beyond being a spoiled brat, and because of that, I had a hard time with the relationship between Evie and Raffy. I just couldn’t understand what Evie loved about Raffy.

The other issue I had with the book is that there are hints of a love triangle between Evie and the two brothers. While Raffy is Evie’s age, Lucas is almost a decade older than Raffy, which means he is in his late 20s while Evie is still a teenager. I can’t understand why an adult would be interested in a teenager.

Overall, I enjoyed The Killables and I will definitely pick up the next book in the series. I would recommend it for fans of Gemma Malley’s Declaration series and other dystopias.
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Feb 21, 2013 Elena rated it 4 of 5 stars

*** Review contains spoilers ***

The Killables - I really enjoyed this book. From the outset it was intriguing and exciting and I appreciated Evie as a protagonist in a dystopian fiction because unlike a lot of other dystopian protagonists she didn't seem to whine or reminisce about something every minute! (probably being too stereotypical but that's what I felt)

The one downside of this book for me was the love interest which was just too obvious from the start - as soon as Evie described Raffy a...more

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Jun 04, 2013 Lara rated it 1 of 5 stars

If I knew this book was written by Gemma Malley, and that the "research" blurb at the beginning of the book is freaking referenced from Wikipedia (lol, who does that really? And a published author... Who uses Wikipedia as their go-to source?) I wouldn't have wanted to read this book.

I picked this book up because it was a Goodreads recommendation and I thought the premise was interesting. I don't have high expectations for dystopians knowing how they usually turn out - Across the Universe and Und...more If I knew this book was written by Gemma Malley, and that the "research" blurb at the beginning of the book is freaking referenced from Wikipedia (lol, who does that really? And a published author... Who uses Wikipedia as their go-to source?) I wouldn't have wanted to read this book.

I picked this book up because it was a Goodreads recommendation and I thought the premise was interesting. I don't have high expectations for dystopians knowing how they usually turn out - Across the Universe and Under The Never Sky for one. I was just looking to read a book that I can pass some time with.

This is not that book. Not even on a basic, fundamental level.

Let me explain what's wrong with the book:

1. The research. I have a friend who is going into neuroscience and she has talked about these terminology, effects and behaviors before and incorporated them into her writing. I learned most of the things I know about neuroscience now from her. If I give this book to her to read, she'd be really, really pissed off that the author decided to quote Wikipedia, as if she was too lazy to quote from an academic journal -- which she said she read in the interview at the back, but why did she choose Wikipedia over the journal(s)? This to me is just sloppy slap-dash research and it makes me question the book's credibility.

2. 1984 references. Yes, I get that there's "Big Brother" watching over the city and monitoring everyone's actions, but can I get the information in a way that's less... preachy? Everything about the book is preachy, and Gemma Malley tries too hard to build her dystopian world. I got tired of the preaching, the exposition, and the utter lack of plot and action.

3. The characters. Evie was an annoying, passive narrative and she just seems to me to float around, and do nothing. She keeps thinking there's something wrong with her even though that would mean she would possibly get downgraded to a D or even undergo a New Baptism. Raffy is an angsty teenager who thinks his brother had ratted out their father. I find him super intolerable and I hated the love triangle - though definitely expected there. Lucas wasn't that annoying, but there was just no chemistry or any motivation for him to like Evie, and everything just seems "oh it's supposed to be this way in the City so it is, and they are getting married because they are."

I can go on and on about the book and how bad it is, but I won't make you suffer from the rant.

The book is bland, boring, horribly paced and insufficiently researched with questionable sources, and nothing to like about the book. (less)

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Jan 27, 2013 Beth rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book ... was okay.
It was another dystopian novel that I'm sure was influenced by the fame of the Hunger Games, although Gemma Malley is a well-known author, with a dystopian series under her belt already which, though I haven't read it, I've heard many good things about.
The Killables really wasn't that great. The premise was (to me) rather reminiscent of The Giver: a society where evil is said to be eradicated, removed from the brains of its citizens. They are ranked according to "goodness...more This book ... was okay.
It was another dystopian novel that I'm sure was influenced by the fame of the Hunger Games, although Gemma Malley is a well-known author, with a dystopian series under her belt already which, though I haven't read it, I've heard many good things about.
The Killables really wasn't that great. The premise was (to me) rather reminiscent of The Giver: a society where evil is said to be eradicated, removed from the brains of its citizens. They are ranked according to "goodness", and our main character is arranged to marry Lucas, a seemingly cold-hearted puppet of the brother, one of the leaders of the city. She, however, is in love with Lucas's brother, Raffy. She begins to question the true goodness of her society, and ends up fleeing.

Quite simply, the writing style needed some polishing. There were several phrases that made me frown, it was as though Gemma Malley wrote the book in a frenzy and didn't have time to sort out any problems. Phrases like "welling up like an avalanche" were incredibly questionable (Gemma Malley, honey, I hope you realise that avalanches definitely don't well, especially not up). It was still quite gripping, the plot moved quickly and kept me interested.
The dialogue, especially in scenes including villains, was very stilted and sounded almost very much like something from a low budget movie. I can't imagine people actually talk that way.
The romance was also unconvincing, the only thing that made Evie and Raffy's relationship believable was the backstory about their childhood, how they met in the tree and such. Otherwise, I was shown nothing at all to make me truly feel like they were in love - they bickered, fought, felt betrayed, cried, but I just didn't find it hard to believe. Raffy was impossibly whiny, and I know that characters are meant to be people and not necessarily likeable, but it was difficult to believe that he was seventeen years old. He behaved as though he was about fourteen, if not much less.
Evie was naive as well, but more more reasonable and believable.

Overall, I'm giving this three stars because the plot was well-constructed, and there was undeniably something very gripping about the whole story.(less)

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Apr 08, 2012 Jordan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

http://wandering-world.skyrock.com/30...

4,5/5

Sentiment 26 est mon premier roman lu de Gemma Malley, auteure de la trilogie La Déclaration. Ce qui est formidable avec Mme Malley, c'est qu'on a l'impression de connaître son écriture depuis toujours. Sa façon d'écrire est vraiment magnifique, on plonge corps et âme dans l'univers qu'elle nous offre. Nous découvrons par ailleurs qu'elle maîtrise vraiment le monde qu'elle a créé, et nous sert une bien belle dystopie.
Nous faisons ici la rencontre d'Ev...more http://wandering-world.skyrock.com/30...

4,5/5

Sentiment 26 est mon premier roman lu de Gemma Malley, auteure de la trilogie La Déclaration. Ce qui est formidable avec Mme Malley, c'est qu'on a l'impression de connaître son écriture depuis toujours. Sa façon d'écrire est vraiment magnifique, on plonge corps et âme dans l'univers qu'elle nous offre. Nous découvrons par ailleurs qu'elle maîtrise vraiment le monde qu'elle a créé, et nous sert une bien belle dystopie.
Nous faisons ici la rencontre d'Evie, seize ans. C'est une jeune femme très respectueuse des lois de la Cité, lieu où vivent toutes les personnes dont on a supprimé le Mal en elles, et qui tente à tout prix d'éviter d'être piégée par le Système, car elle possède un secret qui pourrait faire chavirer son existence. En effet, elle est tombée amoureuse de Raffy, dix-sept ans. Sauf qu'Evie est promise au frère de ce dernier, Lucas ( qui a tout de même vingt-huit ans selon mes calculs ), depuis des années. Elle doit l'épouser et vivre toute sa vie avec lui. Mais, évidemment, rien ne va se passer comme prévu.
Mais ce n'est pas tout. Dans l'univers contre-utopique d'Evie, les êtres vivants possèdent tous une étiquette : de A à D. A signifie Admirables, B Bienveillants, C Convenables, et D Déviants. Et puis il y a cette étrange lettre, E, dont personne ne connait la signification. Evie travaille dans le service d'étiquetage de la Cité, ce qui permet une immersion totale dans le récit. D'ailleurs, cette idée d'étiquette ne vous rappelle rien ? Personnellement, il y a une phrase dans le livre qui m'a fait réfléchir : "on colle des étiquettes à tout le monde". Oh god ! J'ai bien l'impression que Gemma Malley a osé pousser à l'extrême cette expression pour nous livrer un monde où nous ne jugerions plus que par des labels imposés. Assez troublant, n'est-ce pas ? Car ceci n'est-il pas ce que la plupart des gens font aujourd'hui ? Haha, ça pousse à la réflexion, moi je vous le dis !
Bref, je m'égare. Comme je viens de vous le démontrer, on croit sans aucun mal aux propos de l'auteure, ce qui rend son récit vraiment palpitant et prenant. De plus, les protagonistes que nous suivons sont très touchants, très bruts de caractère, très humains. Evie et Raffy sont juste adorables. Ils s'aiment, et ça se sent. Les flash-back qui nous racontent leur rencontre et leurs habitudes depuis des années sont attendrissants. On craque sans peine pour leur idylle en apparence impossible. Quand à Lucas, c'est un personne très énigmatique au début du roman. Il est froid, distant, et agit comme une machine à ce que lui ordonne la Cité et son dirigeant, le Guide Suprême.
Très vite, ces trois personnages vont former un trio indissociable, et ils vont devoir affronter main dans la main les horreurs que la Cité a prévu de leur infliger. Car oui, tout est sur le point de changer dans la vie de chaque habitant de la ville. Raffy va être expulsé de la Cité, et Evie va décider de le suivre. Sauf que rien ne les a préparé à ce qui les attend. Et nous non plus, d'ailleurs. Si, au premier abord, on peut s'attendre à ce que l'histoire ait du mal à prendre son envol, très vite l'action prend le dessus.
En effet, même si les rebondissements ne sont pas énormes, il y en a tellement qu'on en a le souffle coupé. Le surprises s'enchaînent et se suivent sans cesse mais ne se ressemblent pas ! Evie, Raffy et Lucas nous en font voir de toutes les couleurs. Dans ce monde où le chaos et le mensonge règnent, la passion, l'espoir et la peur s'allient pour les détruire. Ainsi, Gemma Malley nous offre une histoire saisissante et fascinante, au coeur d'un univers aussi extraordinaire que choquant.
A contrario, même si j'ai vraiment beaucoup aimé Sentiment 26, il m'a manqué un petit quelque chose. Je ne saurais pas vous dire quoi exactement, mais je n'ai pas eu la flamme qui fait que je serais tombé amoureux du livre. En même temps, les premiers tomes des sagas dystopiques finissent par tous plus ou moins se ressembler. Du coup même si l'auteure parvient à innover, je n'ai pas vraiment été happé au maximum. Mais je ne doute pas une seconde que la suite de ce roman me conquerra entièrement vu la fin de ce premier opus !
En effet, la conclusion de Sentiment 26 est juste haletante ! Durant les dernières pages, tout s'accélère : l'action, les trahisons, les rebondissements, notre souffle, notre coeur. On panique, on se ronge les ongles ( j'ai encore mal aux doigts en tapant sur mon clavier ), et on se torture la tête à force de chercher des échappatoires pour nos héros. Bref, on est totalement saisis par la tournure que prennent les choses. Jusqu'à la dernière ligne, je n'avais rien vu arriver. La fin du livre est vraiment parfaite : il reste quelques questions en suspens ( mais pas de grosses interrogations qui nous tuent ), il y a déjà pas mal de choses qui sont mises en place pour le tome 2, et, surtout, l'épilogue, est très touchant.
En résumé, Sentiment 26 est un très bon roman, qui plaira très certainement aux accros du genre dystopique. A plusieurs reprises, il m'a rappelé le fabuleux roman La Forêt Des Damnés ( avec le Mur de la Cité et les Maudits derrière ) et mon coup de coeur Delirium. Donc si vous avez aimé ces deux livres, vous pouvez acheter les yeux fermés le nouveau roman de Gemma Malley. L'histoire est réellement captivante, les protagonistes sont formidables, et, même s'il manque un tout petit truc, on ne peut pas s'empêcher de replonger encore et encore dans l'univers passionnant qu'est celui de Sentiment 26. (less)

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Mar 23, 2012 Lauren Murphy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: dystopian

3.5 stars

The protagonist in The Killables is Evie who has dreams and urges which she has been led to believe are evil. Her mother is quite punitive of her and is very keen to have her marry her ‘match’ Lucas ASAP. Only problem is, Evie has been secretly meeting her lover Raffy, Lucas’s brother and their relationship is now at risk of discovery. When things become messy, Evie and Raffy make plans to escape the system and break free.

Dystopian is all the rage at the moment and I have enjoyed readi...more 3.5 stars

The protagonist in The Killables is Evie who has dreams and urges which she has been led to believe are evil. Her mother is quite punitive of her and is very keen to have her marry her ‘match’ Lucas ASAP. Only problem is, Evie has been secretly meeting her lover Raffy, Lucas’s brother and their relationship is now at risk of discovery. When things become messy, Evie and Raffy make plans to escape the system and break free.

Dystopian is all the rage at the moment and I have enjoyed reading various series that fall under this umbrella i.e. The Hunger Games, Delirium etc, so when I read the premise for The Killables I thought I would love this one too.

Unfortunately, I don’t feel The Killables really lived up to its potential. When I started to read it, the first thing I noticed was the similarities to the Delirium series by Lauren Oliver- love matches are prohibited and instead the ‘system’ matches partners to each other. In Malley’s series, evil has been eliminated by removing the evil part of the brain known as the amygdala. This was introduced by a crazy scientist and after a war (The Horrors) the operation was introduced to create a society that lived within a controlled system without ‘evil’ emotions. The society is divided into 4 classes- A, B, C and D with A’s being the most highly valued in society. When one tips over the edge of being a D and become classified evil… they then become a K which means they are Killable.

Okay, maybe I’m a little sceptical about the whole amygdala thing given the author provides a snippet about it from ‘Wikipedia’ (not the most reliable source) and I have a psychology degree and the one thing I remember about the amygdala is that it is the fear centre of the brain and it is needed for survival. So, I’m not really sure how the whole society believed the scientist when he said removing the amygdala would result in removing evil from the brain… but anyway that’s getting too technical.

There’s also a spiritual/ religious element to the story with the Brother running the town and a book of sentiments which is cherished like a bible. There were a couple of church-like scenes that obviously aimed to show the brainwashing/ cult-like workings of the system, but I felt like it was a bit much at times.

So, far my review probably sounds quite negative but I did actually like the book once it took off (slow to start due to world-building) and I was pleased by the various twists and turns in the story- in particular the love triangle between Evie with Raffy and his brother Lucas. The ending did actually leave me wanting more and I will likely read more in the series despite my initial impression of The Killables.
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Feb 24, 2012 Annie rated it 5 of 5 stars

I seem to be irresistibly drawn to YA dystopian reads - and this was one of the best I've read in a long time, the beginning of a new series that looks like it will shape up to be every bit as good as The Declaration trilogy. Gemma Malley writes so well, and is expert at drawing a vivid world peopled with strong young characters. This one is set in The City - a walled society set up after the end of the Horrors, where the Evils lurk outside the gates and people's lives are ruled by the System pr...more

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Jul 20, 2012 Bücherfresser rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2012, utopie-dystopie

"Leider sehr kurzweilige und bildlose Dystopie …"

Inhalt:
Evie lebt mit ihrer Familie gemeinsam in der Stadt, einer der letzten Zufluchtsmöglichkeiten in einer Welt, die vom Krieg zerstört wurde. Hinter meterhohen Mauern ist Evie glücklich, zumindest scheint es so, denn sie wird immer wieder von Albträumen geplagt, die Bewohner der Stadt einfach nicht haben sollten. Dennoch versucht sie ein guter Mensch, ein guter Bürger zu sein und ist froh doch noch ein “B” zu sein, denn die Stadt teilt Menschen...more

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Mar 30, 2012 Carrie Stewart rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya

Set in a future London after much of the country has been destroyed by The Horrors, The Killables by Gemma Malley is yet another YA dystopia. I don’t mean ‘yet another’ as if it’s a bad thing, I’m the one seeking them out, after all. But it does mean it’s becoming difficult to find something fresh. The Killables carries on in a very similar vein to other books in the genre. There’s the leader with sinister motives, a terrified population and a young girl caught up in a resistance, again risking...more Set in a future London after much of the country has been destroyed by The Horrors, The Killables by Gemma Malley is yet another YA dystopia. I don’t mean ‘yet another’ as if it’s a bad thing, I’m the one seeking them out, after all. But it does mean it’s becoming difficult to find something fresh. The Killables carries on in a very similar vein to other books in the genre. There’s the leader with sinister motives, a terrified population and a young girl caught up in a resistance, again risking herself for love.

Cut off from the rest of the country in the ‘safety’ of the City, Evie lives in relative comfort with her parents. She has a good government job and she has been matched to a respected young man for marriage. If only she could stop the nightmares that tell her she is bad, that she is susceptible to evil, that any moment someone will notice and she’ll be made a K...

Labels are very important in the City. Each citizen has one, from A to D, with A of course being the highest, the most good, and Ds being bad, on the edge, ones to watch. Evie works in labelling, using The System to make changes everyday, moving people up and down, depending on what The System captures in their behaviour. Anyone made a D is shunned from society, some are beaten by those who are supposed to be good. Everyone spies on each other and are quick to turn on each other. All are terrified of being made a K. No one really knows what it means, other than they disappear, never to be heard from again.

Evie’s world changes when her best friend, and lover, Raffy is made a K. Together they must escape and find out what really lies outside the City’s walls.

I’m not really sure what I thought of this one. On the one hand I did enjoy it and read through it quickly to find out what happened next, but I also thought it was missing something, that obscure something that would have made it excellent rather than just merely good. The story is told in a very simple writing style, making it a quick and easy read. I was certainly engrossed, but I wouldn’t say the story has left a lasting impression on me. This is a grim future, but it’s not one I really see happening, and none of the events have stayed with me. It’s not haunting, which I think the best dystopians are, with that awful ‘What if?’ factor. I think this may be more suitable for earlier teens, rather than one that would interest readers of all ages, but I definitely still enjoyed it, on the whole.

One of the things that worked least for me were the main characters. I really actively detested Raffy. He came across as immature and foolish, quick to anger and unforgiving. He wants his own way and doesn’t think of others, except as a brutish ‘protector’ of Evie. Other than the fact that they have known each other since they were children I cannot see what Evie sees in him. He’s just a frustrating character. And Evie brings her own frustrations, being a follower and quite weak for most of the novel. I am hoping that this will change as the trilogy moves on, and she does offer a glimmer of strength towards the end. The next books need to build on that for me to become more invested in her, and her world.

I’m still intrigued enough by the world to continue with the series when the next book comes out, but it is not one I am itching to have right now, desperate to read on. That probably says everything.
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Apr 19, 2012 Meg rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012reads, kindle

What a hot mess. Why does every YA dystopian read need a love triangle? Why was there zero character development? What is the point of Raffy beyond constantly being annoying? Why does the timeline for this book seriously not work in my head? Why is the main character named Evie when V for Vendetta got there first? (This seriously bothered me the entire book because when I hear the name Evie my brain automatically reads it in Hugo Weaving's voice, so.)

The only reason this wasn't a one star read i...more

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Jun 29, 2012 Alli rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: dystopian-ya

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Apr 15, 2012 Gemma (Passion for Novels) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Like my reviews? See more at http://passionfornovels.blogspot.co.uk/

I really enjoyed this book, it is an interesting take on a supposedly Utopian future world. Where the hero has to be convinced that the System is evil too. I can tell this triolgy of books is going to be really good and it has been set up for what I can imagine will be a very exciting second book. Malley has created a well developed world in this book and has left it open ready for the second one to take flight.

At the start it...more Like my reviews? See more at http://passionfornovels.blogspot.co.uk/

I really enjoyed this book, it is an interesting take on a supposedly Utopian future world. Where the hero has to be convinced that the System is evil too. I can tell this triolgy of books is going to be really good and it has been set up for what I can imagine will be a very exciting second book. Malley has created a well developed world in this book and has left it open ready for the second one to take flight.

At the start it was a little slow, but I always find that with dystopians, how are you going to eriadicate the dystopian world if you don't know what it is? The concept of this world is brilliant, a world where everyone is labelled according to how 'good' they are A is the best which Lucas, and then our heroine who is currently a B. Then there's Raffy; Lucas' brother who is about to become a K. No one ever sees the K's again and its a nice touch by Malley that we know what K stands for right from the start compared to the characters, obviously its 'killable'

The main character, whom we follow is Evie who is scared she is evil because of the recurring dreams she keeps having of a man holding her in her arms. Evie is a very strong female character at times but is lead very easily by Raffy. As you know from my other reviews I love secondary characters and in this novel the one that stood out for me was Linus, I won't tell you too much about him though, don't want to give it away. He is a very strong character who is quite witty and clearly intelligent, we see his true nature really come through at the end because he is a very secretive narrator to the main characters and the reader. Quite often the reader might question his true nature.

I found myself really disliking Evie's mother, which I find a lot in dystopian fiction -mothers are not nice. Perhaps if this wasn't the case the children wouldn't need to rebel? Who knows? And although Lucas and Raffy's mother were not mentioned I found myself disliking her too. But, being brought up in the system maybe they aren't to blame. I did like the concept of the 'evils' which Malley has developed in the novel. They are there to evoke fear into the citizens of the city to make them shy away from rebelling. But when the truth of the 'evils' comes to light? Well you'll just have to read it for that twist.

At times I felt I couldn't put this down, there were times where the action was riveting and others I just wanted to read on to find out the truth about the system. It has a cheeky bit of science in there, where you find out a little about the brain and an interesting extract taken from Wikipedia at the very beginning.

I really enjoyed this novel, but I think the best is yet to come from this series, I will definitely be trying to get my hands on the next one. Unfortunately I will have to wait til March 2013 for that! Malley has done an excellent job and it is well worth a read. Because I can't wait til 2013 I'm trying out her other dystopian trilogy of which The Declaration is the first in the series. (less)

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Jun 07, 2012 Emmy Styles rated it 3 of 5 stars

As always with Gemma Malley's work, I feel incredibly frustrated reading it- because it has so much potential, but it just falls flat. On the first few pages, I'd already spotted so many capitalised words, just like with The Declaration, which was quite irritating. The two main characters, Evie and Raffy, were very two dimensional, and I felt like the big twist in the book, of K's being Killables, wasnt a twist at all because it was so obvious from the title. Also, it is said the world is ravage...more

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Dec 30, 2012 Rose rated it 3 of 5 stars

The Killables is a dystopian novel in which you are labelled with how good or bad you are. The story is centred around the life of Evie, who is in love with the rebellious Raphael. Evie is engaged to Lucas, Raphael's brother but Evie loves Raphael more because Lucas is quite brainwashed by the society and does not have to much of a personality. Later on however I discovered the truth about him and I began to like him a lot more and is the most likeable charter in the story. Raphael is one of tho...more

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Feb 15, 2013 Thea Liwanag rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: crime-suspense-thriller, sci-fi-dystopian-romance-ya, ya-mystery-drama, ya-paranormal-3-stars

Question: What's worse than a weak, whiny and immature female?
Answer: A weak, whiny and immature male.

I wouldn't say I enjoyed the whole time being of reading this book, I wouldn't say I didn't enjoy it either. The story had it's interesting moments and it had it's opposite.

So, the setting was post-apocalyptic London where a Great City was made under the guidance and protection of the Great Leader and his faithful right hand man, the Brother. The city thrived and flourished by renouncing ever...more

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Mar 13, 2012 Clarabel rated it 3 of 5 stars

Une histoire sans grande originalité, avec des personnages bien peu charismatiques.
J'ai peiné pour en venir en bout. Franchement, je suis déçue.
J'ai trouvé l'ensemble long et froid. Il y a plusieurs raisons qui expliquent cette sensation, mais je n'ai pas su faire abstraction.
Le fait de ne pas aimer les personnages est également handicapant. Evie est plate, Raffy idiot et Lucas trop convenu. Il n'y a que le Grand Méchant qui trouve grâce à mes yeux, on suit d'ailleurs ses agissements mesquins et...more

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Apr 10, 2013 Nicole rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: i-own, a-z-challenge-titles

This is a 3.5, but I'm in a good mood so I rounded up.
I like the premise of removing the 'evil' part of your brain, especially because that could scarily be plausible.
But I felt like I was reading one of the other post-apocalyptic dystopian novels, like Matched, Hunger Games or Pretties. I agree with some of the other reviews about the character depth. I also wasn't a fan of the narration style/perspective.
I really wish this was left where it was, rather than being the first book in a series. A...more

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Oct 01, 2012 Emma H. rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-quarter

I think that The Killables by Gemma Malley was a very basic sort of dystopian novel. In the story, Evie grows up in the city. The people want for nothing. All is calm. There is no violence. However, people in the city are labeled according to how good they are. It's a little like Santa Clause gone crazy. People are worried that their label will be changed, that they will be scorned, that they will become a K. The system is what decides your label. In the system, As are the best, Bs are good, but...more

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12355133-the-killables?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327915754l/12355133.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12355133-the-killables?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Killables by Gemma Malley[/url]

The Killables (The Killables #1)

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