Talented (Talented Saga, #1)

Feb 23, 2013 Booknut rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-love-dearly, can-t-get-enough-of, cliff-hanger, favorites

In a futuristic setting, life on Earth has turned upside down.

Due to the Great Contamination - and the leaking of nuclear waste resulting in nuclear contamination - a generation of children with abnormalities are brought into the world. Some, though, are slightly weirder than others.

They are the Talented.

Whether Morphers, Light Manipulators or Telekinetics, these kids are taught to hone their abilities and make use of them under the protective eye of the government. To use their Talents for goo...more

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Jun 06, 2012 Beth rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: making-connections, dystopian, ya, young-adult, paranormal, paranormal-romance, paranormal-sci-fi, scifi

Talia was part of a happy, loving family. Their family travels to do research on the effects the nuclear meltdown had on world’s population. Many people were born with unique powers, after the nuclear disaster, these powers are referred to as talents. Conflicts and revolutions started over these talented individuals. It seems that power is in controlling the powerful. Her family, unfortunately, was deemed a threat in this conflict. A team is sent out to eliminate them, Talia does survives but on...more

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Mar 19, 2013 Christina (Ensconced in YA) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: author-request

I was given this book by the author in exchange for an honest review. I give this book 2.5 stars.

Talented by Sophie Davis is a Paranormal/dystopian YA of sorts that stars Talia, a girl with the Talent of telekinesis and telepathy, who has been recruited to become a Hunter. This will allow her to avenge the death of her parents by the nebulous organization, Toxic. At the same time, she has a bit of a romantic conundrum where she has a long time relationship with Donovan but is attracted to her te...more I was given this book by the author in exchange for an honest review. I give this book 2.5 stars.

Talented by Sophie Davis is a Paranormal/dystopian YA of sorts that stars Talia, a girl with the Talent of telekinesis and telepathy, who has been recruited to become a Hunter. This will allow her to avenge the death of her parents by the nebulous organization, Toxic. At the same time, she has a bit of a romantic conundrum where she has a long time relationship with Donovan but is attracted to her teammate, Erik. Can Talia find the strength and bravery to avenge her parents' death?

What I liked: actually, I was pretty drawn in from 70% of the book to almost the end. Talia has become a bit stronger and likeable of a character, and we get to see some cool stuff she trains with. On top of that, we see a lot more of Erik and Henri, who are probably the most likeable characters in the book. The background of the story could have been cooler with a few tweaks.

What I had trouble with. This section will have some minor spoilers, which will not give away plot points but will discuss issues I had in the later part of the book.
1. Talia whines. A LOT. You probably don't want to use the word "whine" to describe a protagonist that we are supposed to like.
2. Science in books is very important to me. Even if it's "made up," it has to make sense within the constructs of the book. The whole gene mutation bit is not explained enough. On top of that, there is no such thing as a "hangover shot" that will rehydrate someone. You can give IV fluids to rehydrate someone with vitamins. If this is a new invention for the future, this needs to be explained.
3. The love triangle. Donovan is not likeable at all. Either he needs to be more likeable, or his role needs to be reduced (because of him, I almost put down the book before I finished it), or his role needs to be explained in THIS book, not the next. Also, Talia gets more and more annoying when we are talking about her love life.
4. The evil corporation and "bad guy." This whole side plot, which actually only takes front and center in the end, should have been talked about throughout the book. What should have happened is we should have seen a lot more angst in Talia about her parents and this "bad guy" that has ruined it. Instead, we get a description of the dude 70% in?!
5. There is a handwritten letter that plays an important part and reveals a TON of secrets. WHAT?! Why is there a handwritten letter in the first place with people with great technology and telepathy?! Just tell your secrets in your head!
6. Why would every country let their Talented all go to the US? That makes not sense to me-- every country would want to hoard these powerful people to safeguard its own interests. To get a much more brilliant take on this scenario-- read the Ender's Shadow trilogy.

Overall, ideas had promise, but my experience of this book got bogged down in issue after issue that never got resolved.(less)

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Aug 10, 2012 Brian Wilkerson rated it 1 of 5 stars

A Trickster Eric Novels Review

"Talented" has a great opening hook. Its not easy to write a panicked introduction with first person but Miss. Davis pulls it off. Then she seamlessly transitions into a calmer atmosphere and more day-to-day routine for the protagonist, Natalia. For the first seven chapters I had to tell myself, "put it down, you've been reading too long." Those chapters had amusing character development, training scenes to avert "Instant Expert" and interesting world building. All...more A Trickster Eric Novels Review

"Talented" has a great opening hook. Its not easy to write a panicked introduction with first person but Miss. Davis pulls it off. Then she seamlessly transitions into a calmer atmosphere and more day-to-day routine for the protagonist, Natalia. For the first seven chapters I had to tell myself, "put it down, you've been reading too long." Those chapters had amusing character development, training scenes to avert "Instant Expert" and interesting world building. All of them them come into play during Natalia's missions. Those are my favorite parts. Miss. Davis puts a lot of thought into the logistics (i.e the most important and yet often overlooked part of such missions) of them and can write a suspenseful infiltration.

A special note about the world building. It goes into much detail early on and I loved that. I love it when authors really think about how their world works. Miss. Davis talks about things that have nothing to do with the plot but provide a 'flavor' that makes the world seem more concrete. 'worlds exist in details' and I this one I could believe exists. Best of all, the exposition has its own chapters so there's no awkward 'as you know' between Natalia and others.

The biggest problem with "Talented is that the bulk of the story is bogged down in Natalia's relationship issues. The description states that her driving goal in life is to avenge her parents but this rarely comes up. Its not even mentioned until her first mission in chapter 14. Occasionally she states her resolve in the third act but right at the start of the next she's internally angsting about her boy issues. I seriously thought she was schizophrenic. Even this wouldn't be as big a problem if they weren't so predictable. I saw every 'twist' in her relationship coming; a bad soap opera. Characters are derailed to make it happen. Donavon is made into a jerkass, Eric losses his humor for jealous not-yet-boyfriend aggression, Henri is pushed to the sidelines, and Penny's role is reduced to pushing Natalia towards Erik. In my opinion it all falls flat.

The second biggest problem is related to the first. The missions are, for the most part, glazed over in favor of the relationship trouble. 'went off without a hitch' is how one is described. Even the more in-depth ones lack important details: such as the nature of the information they seek or why this one guy is marked for assassination. Even worse, Miss. Davis subordinates the missions to the relationship drama by using them to set up more drama. At this point I wanted to stop reading.

A third problem is editing. Words are frequently missing. Miss. Davis repeats a piece of world building for no apparent reason. The pacing is wonky because the stated conflict 'avenging her parents' is usually missing.

I was glad when I finished this book. I did not like it. I thought I was going to love it which made me dislike it even more because it disappointed me. More than that it deceived me. The 'duplicity' and 'betrayal' and 'inner turmoil' in the description have nothing at all to do with her parent's murder or her quest for revenge. Nor does it make he doubt her powers. I will not read the sequel.(less)

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May 25, 2013 Wendy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Where should I start?

Are we familiar with how books nowadays come about? We find a theme that is profoundly popular, give it a love triangle, drone out the storyline and make it completely romance driven. The formula might have worked for Twilight but it ain't gonna work now! Why? Because this same plot is being rewritten into every book that is targeted for YA!!

The world where Talented is set in is deep. Not gonna lie, things like; the different forms of government, what 'talented' people are...more Where should I start?

Are we familiar with how books nowadays come about? We find a theme that is profoundly popular, give it a love triangle, drone out the storyline and make it completely romance driven. The formula might have worked for Twilight but it ain't gonna work now! Why? Because this same plot is being rewritten into every book that is targeted for YA!!

The world where Talented is set in is deep. Not gonna lie, things like; the different forms of government, what 'talented' people are and how did humanity get into such a predicament were all intricately explored...Except maybe it was too intricate. The first fifty or so pages felt like a history text book. We literally see monologues of historical events being told from our protagonist Talia which puts the capital B in BORING! Now I am not usually picky for when it comes to world building, but I do hope for less authenticity and more fresh approach to introducing a new world.

So after a not so interesting beginning, you would hope for that action and hue of romance promised by the blurb to come right? NUP, zilch action for the next 200 pages and an abundance of poorly plotted drama. The story falls shamelessly flat when it comes to keeping me semi entertained. It was difficult for me to physically invest energy into the story. I got tired of the quickly glossed over time lapses; how all the heart pumping events were clustered at the end and the fact that the only prominent use of descriptive language were in use of describing electric attractions - SERIOUSLY?!?!

Talented presents a myriad of different characters. Most of them were likeable but not bedazzling, I enjoyed reading the relationship between Erik and Henri (I would ship them if I can) However, despite having a couple of people I like, the book wavers into my danger zone for putting too much focus on the wrong characters. Warning the book contains a character called Donovan who deserves a Jerk of the Year tittle. The guy is obnoxiously over protective, vexingly self absorbed and deserves to face the ninth ring of Inferno. (view spoiler) I'm not going to go into why I hate him, but lets just say that if Donovan and Talia were a ship, I'd use my rocket launcher to sink them.

Alas, here is why I avoid love triangles as if it were some disease. Most author never seem to grasp the essence of a love triangle. Why? Because in real life, no guy would be stupid enough go through any extreme extents for a girl that might not even like him<~this may seem pessimistic but it's true. Talented is an epitome for a miserable love triangle. The conflicts between Talia, Erik and Donovan were what practically drove the entire story. It's just terrible to see how a book, that could've rival Divergent, to be shunned by a hopeless attempt to squeeze out a bit more money and fandom. The love triangle had also made its terrible impact on Talia which turns her character into a whiny needy teenager. I've completely lost every ounce of respect for the girl because there is nothing to like about her. She isn't charming, nor is she relatable; she can't seem to make to good decisions and has a very funny way of always blaming others.

Overall, reading the book was hard. I felt cheated in a sense that the story wasn't what was promised. To me the story would be what might happen when X-man meets soap opera and trashy American films. Plus if I want to read a book that is 100% romance oriented then I'd read something like Perfect Chemistry ...not a romance/action/YA/fantasy/love triangle/try hard/silly/nerve burning book.(less)

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Jul 03, 2012 Ana Araujo rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: No one.

Shelves: 2012, downloaded, dystopian, read-in-english, so-silly

So, this was the first book I received from the author in exchange of review about it. The story seemed interesting and I really wanted to like it, but I just couldn't. I always was into dystopian, since I read "Brave New World". And I absolutely adore The Hunger Games trilogy. But, this book was kinda cliche. The main character, Talia, was annoying, immature, silly and I didn't like her at all. Her boyfriend was a… well, I can't describe it. I hated him from the very first page. The whole thing...more

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Mar 02, 2013 Julie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Ebook: Talented
Author: Sophie Davis
Fiction, Paranormal,
This review may contain spoilers
Summary: When Talia Lyons was just a child, her parents were murdered before her eyes. Offered a choice between accepting their fate and exacting revenge, Talia trains to become one of the country’s deadliest assassins in order to kill the man responsible for their deaths: Ian Crane. Luckily, Talia was born with a gift- the ability to read and influence the minds of others. At sixteen, Talia is poised to gradu...more Ebook: Talented
Author: Sophie Davis
Fiction, Paranormal,
This review may contain spoilers
Summary: When Talia Lyons was just a child, her parents were murdered before her eyes. Offered a choice between accepting their fate and exacting revenge, Talia trains to become one of the country’s deadliest assassins in order to kill the man responsible for their deaths: Ian Crane. Luckily, Talia was born with a gift- the ability to read and influence the minds of others. At sixteen, Talia is poised to graduate from the McDonough School for the Talented, where she learned to control her abilities. Now there is only one obstacle standing between her and the retribution she craves... Talia herself.
Her greatest asset may also be her undoing; while a formidable weapon in the field, Talia’s talents prevent her from both shutting off the mental connection she shares with her questionable boyfriend and blocking out the thoughts of a beguiling fellow recruit. But Talia can’t afford to have the feelings and distractions of a normal teenage girl, when her life is far from normal.
She must regain the single-minded determination that has brought her this far, or it may cost Talia her life when she finally faces Crane. And even after being molded in to a weapon of war, she’ll still have to find the strength it takes to pull the trigger.
If James Bond and Sookie Stackhouse had a love child with a yearning for vengeance, her story would be TALENTED: an adventure about powerful teenagers who aren’t afraid to embrace their fears and fight for what they believe in.

The Review
How have I not read this series, bad bad reviewer, I loved this book, Book 2 & 3 are both firmly ensconced in my TBR list, Talia is such a great character, I really believed I was going through everything with her, she was so kick ass when she needed to be, but she had a soft side that really touched my heart, this book has an amazing plot line, different from anything else I have read, it will keep you on the edge of your seat, The characters are well written, full of character, there were others in the book that to me really brought the book together as a whole, I love Talia’s room mates, the fact that she has 2 males she is living with really made this book super funny in places, I would recommend this to everyone, it will have you laughing in so many places, I even cried in a couple of places, this was so well written, I felt Talia’s pain, 5/5
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Jun 11, 2013 Lexie rated it 4 of 5 stars

I've typically stopped writing reviews, because I read so much and a book has to really capture my attention for me to take the time to sit down and review it. Talented did just that. Well, I got Talented for free & had to immediately read the rest of the series the next day, so I'm just now writing the review. This was an excellent book. There are many YA books out there dealing with superpowers and dystopian elements, and it's easy to read through them and not really get involved, but Tale...more I've typically stopped writing reviews, because I read so much and a book has to really capture my attention for me to take the time to sit down and review it. Talented did just that. Well, I got Talented for free & had to immediately read the rest of the series the next day, so I'm just now writing the review. This was an excellent book. There are many YA books out there dealing with superpowers and dystopian elements, and it's easy to read through them and not really get involved, but Talented has characters that are so well developed that you can't help but get sucked in. I loved Talia, she was so tough yet also extremely naïve. She follows her heart and beliefs, even when they get her in trouble. The plot has been explained by other reviewers, so I won't expand on that part very much. Talia is an Elite-level Mind Manipulator with major juice. It was evident to me that she has much more power than she realizes, and I was anxious to find out when she would discover her full potential. And no, it's not in this book. Come on, we all know that character development takes time throughout a series. 

However Davis as a writer, is an expert at pulling you into the story. Her characters, Eric, Henri, Talia, Mac, Penny, and Donovan all jumped off the page. Davis is also talented enough as a writer to leave some large (and some tiny) clues for readers to pick up on if they choose to. I knew exactly where the series would head, even before Talia's encounter with Ian crane (the ultimate bad guy presented in the story) but I was compelled to go out and get the next book immediately because I wanted to experience the journey with Talia and the others. For me to follow through on a series is a testament to the writer and the world they have created. I am a speed reader (reading 3-4 books a day) so I have to be completely engaged in a novel to decide whether I want to spend money to continue reading a series. The entire Talented saga did just that. Talented is a great read; it's funny, a little sad, and drew me into the world Davis created for a couple of hours until I was through with the book. I loved reading about all of the "talents" that various people had; Davis did a great job with creativity in developing these powers. She also did a good job of tying the dystopian elements in through her explanation of the war and the effects of radiation on various animals and people. I think her greatest strength is character development. I felt like each character was my own friend or foe. There were times I wanted to smack Talia for not questioning things more, and that's when I knew I had to go out and buy her next book. I had connected with the characters and I wanted to join their ongoing adventures, and find out if my own theories were correct. I wasted no time in reading Caged, and then Hunted. Now, I am dying to get my hands on Created.

Trust me, with this book being free all you have to lose is a couple of hours if you don't like it. But, I'm betting that you'll like it if you're here reading the reviews. It's an excellent read, and while the plot of the series follows a similar plot line of all of book in this genre, joining Talia and her friends in their journey is well worth the time. The rest of the series just keeps getting better and better.
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Jun 05, 2013 Alana rated it 5 of 5 stars

First of all, I'd like to thank Sophie Davis for this book because it is hands down one of my favourites at the moment!
I got this book for free on Amazon, originally I was just like "Hey, cool cover. Let's read."
That's when everything went bad (and when I say bad I mean good).
I stayed up until 3AM on the edge of my seat. Every time I thought I could put the book down it'd suck me into it even more.

My thoughts on the characters!

Talia: Talia is the main character. She has the power to manip...more

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Apr 28, 2013 BB rated it 4 of 5 stars

I picked up this free read at the request of the Author to review. Not knowing what to expect or even what genre this belong to, after a few chapters I wasn't sure what I had gotten myself into. I then researched and found it to be categorized as YA Dystopian / YA Paranormal Romance. I had a tough time getting into it as this is not my typical read but my experience with Adult PNR drove me to continue on.

First...... There was well written character building in this book. Being a huge fan of ser...more

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Apr 17, 2013 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars

I read "Talented" after the updated review on March 30, 2013 had been uploaded to my kindle. The plot is solid, the action believable, and the characters are very likable. However there are sentences that have words left out, paragraphs shift from past to present tense when they shouldn't, and words that aren't conjugated correctly. These discrepancies made it difficult to read at times. I had to re-read some sections over and over to see what I had missed.

I also felt that we were missing vital...more

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Mar 24, 2013 Julia rated it 5 of 5 stars

oh my wow this was such an amazing book and series...we find Tal is a child born after a chemical spill and now has ability to use her mind to bend other to her will and telepathically talk and dig in others minds...(in short she rocks) she is also dating the son of headmaster of the McDonough School of the Talented, Donavon. Donavon is the oh so nice guy whom Tal has been friends with since the day her parents died, she had started out as friends and now are dating but not all is what it seems...more

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Jul 11, 2012 Michelle Cornwell-Jordan rated it 5 of 5 stars

I received a free copy of Talented as part of a Goodreads read to review. This was the story of a young girl who lost her whole world at a very early age. Both parents killed, on orders of a man named Ian Crane. Talia is sent to live with one of the officials of an elite governmental unit. Talia grows up with determination and the desire to avenge her parents deaths on the man who ordered their assignations.

So Talia grows up and is trained, she is one of the “Talented”, those in this dystopian s...more

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Jun 16, 2012 Jane Stewart rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult-dystopia

It felt thrown together instead of well thought out.

STORY BRIEF:
Dystopia set in the future U.S. Radioactive exposure caused many humans to have special powers. They are called talents. In eastern U.S. talents are recruited and trained to work for the government. Some western U.S. states seceded and are governed by Ian Crane. In those states talents are treated as undesirables.

The story is told in first person by Talia. She can manipulate minds and communicate mentally. She is in talent school, t...more

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Jun 11, 2012 Kelley rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: People that enjoyed Uglies

Recommended to Kelley by: The author

Shelves: dystopian, easy-read, romance, well-now-i-need-the-next-one, superheroes

This review also appears on Reading to Stay Alive

Wow, where to start. This book was a wonderful surprise. From reading others reviews about it and also it's high ratings, I expected this to be an entertaining story, but never did I expect something quite like what I found.

The story is gripping and brings a whole new twist on supernatural powers combined with a futuristic world. Talia, herself, has an exceptionally extraordinary power, making her special, and making her stand out. Her powers are...more

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May 30, 2012 Marissa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Honestly I did not know what to expect. I do not read many Dystopian novels, but am for sure glad I read this one. It was purely amazing! From page one, I was sucked in to this futuristic story. The first page is just so compelling as we enter in this new world that seems familiar but at the same time it’s still so mysterious. I liked that in the beginning chapters, we learn the main character’s goals; why Talia wants to become a Hunter, and who she is wanting to specifically hunt. So, there is...more Honestly I did not know what to expect. I do not read many Dystopian novels, but am for sure glad I read this one. It was purely amazing! From page one, I was sucked in to this futuristic story. The first page is just so compelling as we enter in this new world that seems familiar but at the same time it’s still so mysterious. I liked that in the beginning chapters, we learn the main character’s goals; why Talia wants to become a Hunter, and who she is wanting to specifically hunt. So, there is a good amount of past information to learn about Talia’s current daily life, her current motives. I loved how in between chapters, there is a rich history of civilization after The Great Contamination occurred. I sometimes see books in my head as though it is a film. This one was definitely a film in my head, and those explanation chapters were seen as clear flashbacks with a narration. I just loved it! I think when Talia trains with either Erik and Henri or on her own, those would be some great scenes to see on screen too; they would definitely be filled with a lot of action! :)
I love that this story was from Talia’s point of view except from one point in the story (not going to say when/where!). But through her POV, we feel her emotions, her sense of betrayal that can connect to readers; I know I felt the sense of shock and numbness, and then a bubble bursts and frustration and anger pours right in. You’ll see when those types of emotions play out. There are also the emotions of seeking revenge, and for really falling for someone that just feels right falling for. Speaking of falling for someone, there are two love interests that are actually pretty different. There’s Donovan and Erik. I loved Erik: his characteristics were just more appealing, and you’ll see why. Other characters are wonderfully presented by Davis including Henri, who felt like a big brother. I really enjoyed how this story flowed. Davis has a wonderful writing style, and I must admit I have attempted to start the second book in the series! This was a delightful and fantastic read, and I hope you have the opportunity to read it for yourself; I’m sure you’ll love it! :) (less)

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Mar 12, 2013 Fiona Wilson rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-books

Natural disasters had started what was called The Great Contamination. These occurrences led to nuclear reactors within the earth starting to leak, killing millions and contaminating the world's oceans.

Years later children being born started to show signs that something wasn't right. As they reached the age of five the affected children began to show various traits, or Talents as they came to be called.
Some were able to morph into different animals, others could read minds, or compel people to...more

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Dec 27, 2012 Jessi - a Lover of Reading rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle-books, special-humans, young-adult

I only meant to read a few chapters before I went to bed at midnight but ended up finishing it at 5am.

4.25

After a nuclear spill that contaminated the world, some humans were affected with certain powers. Tal is one of those people and is going to a school that helps her perfect her powers while doing missions for the Agency. Seeking justice for her parents death, she only wants to become a Hunter in order to seek revenge on the man that ordered her parents death.

There is a love triangle, but not...more

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Jul 11, 2012 Aliaa El-Nashar rated it 5 of 5 stars

The idea of the book reminded me a bit of the movie ‘Push’. Not that it’s a bad thing, at all. I had absolutely loved the movie and enjoyed it, just as much as I enjoyed this book. The cover changed to be honest; I do prefer the new one. Though I guess it’s not as attractive as it could have been, this book is one of the rare books I’ve actually chosen according to the synopsis, which was very intriguing. Just like I’d said before, the idea sounded amazing so I chose to ask for a copy to read, a...more The idea of the book reminded me a bit of the movie ‘Push’. Not that it’s a bad thing, at all. I had absolutely loved the movie and enjoyed it, just as much as I enjoyed this book. The cover changed to be honest; I do prefer the new one. Though I guess it’s not as attractive as it could have been, this book is one of the rare books I’ve actually chosen according to the synopsis, which was very intriguing. Just like I’d said before, the idea sounded amazing so I chose to ask for a copy to read, and the book didn’t disappoint.

I love how much actual thought was put into writing this book, the idea and how it was developed, and the different kinds of ‘Talents’ the author had come up with. The details in creating this new world in the future were brilliant. The explanation of the different consequences of the nuclear spill was inspired in combination with the aftermaths and the ‘TOXIC’ government agencies. It was like a new twist to X-Men (a series of movies I also love so much).

Though Talia’s character was happier than I had expected. I was given the impression she would be gloomy, detached, more to herself than anything else. She had this hatred inside her, the pain of losing her parents and seeing it happen. I know she said she couldn’t make friends and she said she was unable to be happy or communicate well with others. But that wasn’t the impression I had gotten.

Donavan’s character was a bit confusing though. I mean, Joey in One Moment, appeared to be such a cad, I could sense it way before it had become obvious, and frankly I hadn’t understood how the main character hadn’t. But Donovan, he was such an amazing person, he treated her like a younger sister up until they had become romantically involved, and even then he appeared to really love her. Which obviously didn’t add up, I mean, if he cared that much he wouldn’t have hurt her thusly, or even continued when Erik beat him up. I personally wanted to do more than destroy his cabin.

Erik was my favourite character to be honest. I totally loved the way he evolved throughout the book. The way he cared about Talia was adorable.

So to sum it up, an amazing read and I really would recommend it.

Rating: 5/5
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Jun 22, 2012 Michael Griffith rated it 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed they book more than what I expected. I initially thought that it was be another fad book, a YA coming of age story about a young girl who meets her dream guy in trying times. Surprisingly this did not happen in this book. She started out with a boyfriend and the book follows their romance. There was a love triangle in the book and that did detract from it, but I will say this, the love triangle was well done. The author didn’t make it overt but you could feel the tension in Natalia thr...more I enjoyed they book more than what I expected. I initially thought that it was be another fad book, a YA coming of age story about a young girl who meets her dream guy in trying times. Surprisingly this did not happen in this book. She started out with a boyfriend and the book follows their romance. There was a love triangle in the book and that did detract from it, but I will say this, the love triangle was well done. The author didn’t make it overt but you could feel the tension in Natalia through the entire novel, not only about her love life but about her abilities and just her life in general. I think the author portrayed the history of the society very well, it was rich and vibrant and seemed like it could be a very realistic future, which made the novel all the better. I enjoyed the dichotomy of the story, where there are two forces waging war against each other and as the story progressed you see that either side may not be the pure good that they try to portray. Normally I enjoy having a pure villain that you can hate and despise all the way through but that this is a political intrigue novel in some ways I am glad that the author made the two sides’ complex and having both good and bad sides to them, just like any real organization. I also enjoy how the author portrayed the Talents of the people, She did it in a way that made them seem normal, and it didn’t seem to be X-men esque as the ending of Shatter Me did, at least to me. There were many similarities to X-men but the limited number of powers and varying degree of strength was interesting to me. I think if you enjoy the X-men story then you should enjoy this story also.

My favorite character would have to be Penny and Erik. I knew that Erik would be the love interest of the story from the very beginning and I was glad about how he handled the entire situation with Natalia. I also love his power because of its usefulness to his lifestyle. I hope to learn more about him in the future works of this series. Penny I liked because she served as the foil to Natalia and worked to help bring Natalia out of her shell and helped her to grow into the woman that she is at the end of the story.

Character I hated from the get go was Donovan. He rubbed me the wrong way from the beginning, just didn’t seem right to me, and I was honestly glad that things happened the way they did for him. I also didn’t like his dad, Mac, because of the controlling manipulative director mentality that he had. To find out more you will just have to read the book.

All in all I think it was a great book and I am eager to read the next novel in the series.
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May 31, 2012 Catie Taylor rated it 4 of 5 stars

I don't know what I was expecting when I picked up Talented by Sophie Davis, but now I know that this book can be summed up in one word: awesomesauce. Yes, ladies and gents this story has pretty much everything, a kick-ass heroine, amazing secondary characters, an eerie dystopian setting, hot guys, oh and did I mention teenage super heroes?! Talented truly is the entire package. I could gush and gush, but maybe I should just get to the review huh?

LIKES:

Pretty much everything. First of (and prob...more I don't know what I was expecting when I picked up Talented by Sophie Davis, but now I know that this book can be summed up in one word: awesomesauce. Yes, ladies and gents this story has pretty much everything, a kick-ass heroine, amazing secondary characters, an eerie dystopian setting, hot guys, oh and did I mention teenage super heroes?! Talented truly is the entire package. I could gush and gush, but maybe I should just get to the review huh?

LIKES:

Pretty much everything. First of (and probably most importantly) there is Talia. She is strong, capable and unique while still being lovable. Her motivation (the deaths of her parents) is different than in a lot of YA books and it really makes her more believable. Second, we have the two boys in Talia's life, Donovan (her boyfriend) and Erik (her partner). These characters are so dynamic and their roles in Talia's story change drastically throughout the book. I wasn't really a fan of Donovan from the get-go (even if he was her love interest) but by the end I absolutely hated him (in the best way though) and Erik is just freaking amazing and adorable and funny and awesome and I could go on and on (sigh). Next, there's the world-building. Davis does a great job of setting up the story and then making the reader feel like they really know the post-spill system that the characters are living in and it's super disturbing sometimes. She creates a super believable history for her world and then weaves an impressive setting for her characters. Finally, I just loved that not one single second of this book was boring. It was so fast paced that I flew through it and the ending just left me wanting more and more. I can't wait for book two!

DISLIKES:

Really, I can't say I had many dislikes. I will say that the language was a bit strong at some points for a YA book. Sometimes it was called for but there were other times where I think some different vocabulary could have been used. Along those same lines, the description of some of the more violent parts of the book were a little disturbing (although in fairness these were usually pretty important to the plot).

Other than the, maybe, overly-mature content at some points this book was great! I would definitely recommend it if you love action and suspense and especially if you want to see some great world-building and an amazing heroine. Four stars for this one!

Disclaimer: *Disclosure of Material Connection: I am a member of Reading Addiction Blog Tours and a copy of this book was provided to me by the author. Although payment may have been received by Reading Addiction Blog Tours, no payment was received by me in exchange for this review. There was no obligation to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, publisher, publicist, or readers of this review. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision’s 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning Use of Endorcements and Testimonials in Advertising*(less)

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Jun 10, 2013 Linda rated it 5 of 5 stars

Hmmm, I wavered between 4 and 5 stars and actually went with 5 because I still find this story interesting. And although there were times when there were missing words here or there, I still liked how well this book was written. It wasn't dark like Hunger Games, and regardless of what anyone says, that series (although written well) was not my favorite series. The idea of sentencing children to kill children is just plain horrible. This one will have teenagers killing, but those described (Henri...more Hmmm, I wavered between 4 and 5 stars and actually went with 5 because I still find this story interesting. And although there were times when there were missing words here or there, I still liked how well this book was written. It wasn't dark like Hunger Games, and regardless of what anyone says, that series (although written well) was not my favorite series. The idea of sentencing children to kill children is just plain horrible. This one will have teenagers killing, but those described (Henri, Erik, and Talia) did not enjoy it and actually had to force themselves to do it for different reasons. And at least she is the youngest at 17 and not 12 like in Hunger Games.

Talia was definitely a teenager and a bit spoiled at that. Yes, she lost her parents young and should not have been a witness to it, but she gets taken in by Mac and Gretchen, who proceed to buy her tons of beautiful clothes, give her her own suite of rooms, cooks and pampers her, and then Mac gives her special privileges that other pledges don't have including pulling for her to be a Hunter. And yes, she does spend a lot of time angst-ING about Donavon and Erik, and was quite annoying sometimes. So she wasn't my favorite character, but I didn't hate her. As for Donavon...I wanted to like Donavon, but as the book progressed you did begin to suspect something was off about him and their relationship and you started to hope she and Erik would end up together. Although there was also a part of me that didn't think she deserved him. I loved Erik, even if he was a bit of a man-whore. At least he was up front about it and he did charm me. I also really liked Penny and Henri. There is definitely more to know about Henri and Frederick (like Frederick's reason for not staying with TOXIC.

I really enjoyed the first book even if it wasn't perfect. Reminded me of X-Men and how many people believe any of that was possible other than the possibility of telepathy? However, if you're not into teenage angst, then this book may not sit well with you and may just leave you annoyed. (less)

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May 01, 2013 Oana D. H. rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

"Some Talents were revered, while others were feared."

Talented was a book about people with special powers.Those were named Talented.

Talia Lyons is a mind manipulator-one of the most powerful Talented,but all she ever wanted was revenge.Why revenge?She wanted to kill the man who killed her parents.
Short description above-at least that’s how I see it.

Honestly,I’m a sucker for this kind of stories ,especially if the heroin is badass.

"It’s not unheard of for Talents besides Morphers, Light Man...more

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Feb 22, 2013 Crissy rated it 5 of 5 stars

“Talented” is about children born with special talents due to a nuclear spill. Children who possess these special talents are tested to see if they were talented enough to enter McDonough School for the Talented. Talia is a girl who possesses special powers. As a child she watched as her parents were murdered by Ian Crane. Ian is president of the Coalition Force, or rebels as they are known. Mac McDonough president of the school took Talia in as a child and treated her as one of his own.
Talia t...more

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Jun 27, 2012 Stacy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Although I thoroughly enjoyed reading Talented, there are two reasons why I did not rate this book higher. First is that it is not a stand-alone novel - even with a series, I want an actual ending, not a stopping point until the next book in the series. In my opinion, you can wrap up one story line and still leave a reader interested in the next one. The ending here leaves too much unanswered, which of course will be explained in the next book (or two). The other problem with the book is the lar...more

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Jun 30, 2012 Jedaia Rose Doñoz rated it 4 of 5 stars

Intriguing. Kick-ass. And I'm smitten

I was captivated by the summary and I'm happy to say that I was not let down by Talented. I was even surprised in a very good way as I wasn't really expecting to be ultimately caught up.

Natalia Lyon's world was set after the world had gone through extreme environmental changes, after the world was contaminated by nuclear leaks that probably induced powers, abilities, TALENTS on the children born. It wasn't a totally unique concept but the twists and the plot

...more

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Mar 20, 2013 Bèbè rated it 4 of 5 stars

OVERALL RATING: 4 STARS

SUMMARY.The world that the story takes place was affected by Great Contamination over a hundred years before she was born. It started with natural disasters that destroyed many small cities and devastated large industrial nations. After the disaster the world has been contaminated from nuclear reactors that were buried deep in the Earth’s surface and started to leak. The eco-system was destroyed and there were come consequences.

Horses were born with horns, fish with thre

...more

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Mar 20, 2013 Elizabeth Ashley rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: dystopian, great-love-stories, love-the-series, sci-fi-ish-paranormal

Check out my full review at my blog:

http://beautysinbreakdown.blogspot.co...

I really enjoyed this book. I must say I was really surprised at how much I liked the book, and I am really looking forward to the rest of the "saga."

For starters this is a book that I would normally put on my "maybe/curious" book shelf for a day when I want something different. The book was offered to me for free by the author, in return for an honest opinion. When I first started the book, I wasnt sure I was going to...more Check out my full review at my blog:

http://beautysinbreakdown.blogspot.co...

I really enjoyed this book. I must say I was really surprised at how much I liked the book, and I am really looking forward to the rest of the "saga."

For starters this is a book that I would normally put on my "maybe/curious" book shelf for a day when I want something different. The book was offered to me for free by the author, in return for an honest opinion. When I first started the book, I wasnt sure I was going to like it. And admittedly it took me a while to get into the book, maybe 20% which is more than I usually give a book, to hook me. But it was more than worth the wait! I ended up not being able to put the book down.

Sophie Davis is extremely Talented. No pun intended. Her ability to make her world come alive on paper was fascinating. At first the book moved somewhat slowly, the progression of events made me wonder where the book was going, why is it so incredibly descriptive (almost overly so one might think, and I in fact did at first) but as the story continues, it is plainly obvious that every sentence, every word, carried a purpose to lead the reader through the novel. I was clinging to every word by the end!! I couldnt put the book down.

I loved the way the "love triangle" all panned out. I also liked how things played out during Talia's final mission. (And that the author included other missions to give perspective!) While I figured out some of it along the way, it also set the book up nicely for another book (or two) and put pieces out there that need to be resolved and leave the reader thinking.

Overall, I thought the author did a nice job of weaving the characters together, without force, and that relationships were built. My only issue, which hopefully will be resolved in the next book, was that I felt Talia the main character did not grow as much as she should have.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and recommend anyone with a fantasy/sci-fi itching with some love, lots of adventure mixed with the "dystopian future" should read this book!(less)

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Jun 09, 2012 Alyssa rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Everyone

OK so where to begin... I was really excited to read this book because of its raving reviews and because the description seemed so interesting. And for the most part this book exceeded my expectations! It was well written but there were a few grammatical errors here and there where words were missing, but you can always tell the point of the sentence. I really loved the characters especially the scenes with Talia and her team - they had such a great dynamic that I could see everything playing ou...more

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Apr 14, 2013 Tonya rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is the first time I have ever read one of Author Sophie Davis’ books and I am a fan for life now. Yes that’s how much I liked this book and can’t wait to get into the next book “Caged”. But for now let’s talk about Talented and why I liked it so much.

This book starts right off leaving you sitting back shaking your head and wanting to run in and scoop up Natalia (aka Talia by her friends) and holding her close hiding her from what she sees, the pain, the anger, the fear. Growing up with som...more This is the first time I have ever read one of Author Sophie Davis’ books and I am a fan for life now. Yes that’s how much I liked this book and can’t wait to get into the next book “Caged”. But for now let’s talk about Talented and why I liked it so much.

This book starts right off leaving you sitting back shaking your head and wanting to run in and scoop up Natalia (aka Talia by her friends) and holding her close hiding her from what she sees, the pain, the anger, the fear. Growing up with some great parents who work for some very important people she does a lot of travelling but suddenly that is all ripped away from her and her world is about to change.

Talia has a Talent or that is what they call it, what Talia does in this book makes me hope it never comes true but at the same time oh man how cool would it be to have her gift, her “Talent.” Sure would make finding a guy a lot easier I bet LOL (oh did I just slip out my nonexistent love life there – LOL) No but seriously she does have a Talent and she joins what is known as the Hunters something she has wanted for a long time, she has a goal to get better and one day get revenge. She is paired with two partners guys, Henri and Erik those are her teammates and learning to be the only girl in their living quarters and deal with conflicting emotions with one of them is hard enough. But dealing with the fact that one truly hates her boyfriend Donovan, also the son of the director and the man who took her in makes life even harder.

Already shy learning to become a hunter, expand on her talent and deal with her feelings for long time boyfriend Donovan and crush on Erik starts to take a front page. Suddenly things explode beyond what Talia had imagined. From her first battle where things go very wrong and when Erik does something she never would have expected from him, something happens. To a fight where she is given no explanation to her world crashing in and her heart shattering. This book keeps you moving.

Here is a snippet that should show you what I mean – this part really grabbed me and had me feeling so much for Talia and yes even Donovan –

   I dug through Donovan’s mind, searching frantically for every memory involving the girl. I pulled on and discarded his memories, like his mind was a dresser drawer and I was looking for a matching pair of socks. He struggled harder the deeper I went, unlocking memories and thoughts that he’d worked so hard to keep from me. 

Finally, I pulled out of Donovan’s head when I couldn’t handle it anymore. Feelings of betrayal and pain swirled inside of me, fighting to get out. Thunder boomed, rods of electricity streaked across the night sky. A huge explosion reverberated through the cabin, blowing windows inward spraying the entire room with shards of glass. A sliver sliced open my cheek, and then my entire world went black.

This story gets very intense at times which I really like. I love suspense and love to be hanging on the edge wondering what is going to happen next. There is no lack of action in this book, the Hunters (the group that Talia is in) are sent on a lot of missions many of which are detailed and really interesting. And the moments between Talia and Donovan are as sweet as the moments between Talia and Erik are hot and have you in anticipation for what is going to happen. The friendship that grows between Talia and Penny is so cute. I love Penny she is a breath of fresh air, colored hair, bubbly attitude and all.

The ending can I just say OMG hold on for a ride everyone, because you are going to be in for a real shocker and what a way to leave the door open for the next book. Can I say I am rushing for book #2 as I write this? Yes I am awesome at multi-tasking and I cannot wait to see what happens to Talia, Erik, Henri, Penny, Donovan and the rest of the characters.

Sophia – amazing job, what a truly great book I really enjoyed reading this.
(less)

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topics	posts	views	last activity
The (Not-So) Aust...: YA Paranormal/Dystopian Romance FREE this weekend for Kindle, Nook AND iPad	8	45	Jun 13, 2013 05:56am
Booksy Cup Freebi...: Giveaway of Talented by Sophie Davis	1	11	Jun 03, 2013 02:32pm
David Estes Fans ...: R&R # 10 - TALENTED (Talented #1) by Sophie Davis	54	92	May 05, 2013 02:40pm
Booksy Cup Freebi...: Freebies! Talented by Sophie Davis	2	43	Apr 10, 2013 09:34am
♥!The Young Adult...: Giveaway - Talented by Sophie Davis	1	9	Apr 09, 2013 02:38pm
Addicted to YA: YA Paranormal/Dystopian Romance FREE this weekend	2	23	Mar 13, 2013 05:11am
We ♥ YA Books! : YA Paranormal/Dystopian Romance FREE this weekend for Kindle, Nook AND iPad	2	11	Feb 23, 2013 02:48pm

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Talented (Talented #1)

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