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Anomaly

(Anomaly #1)

Krista McGee (Goodreads Author)

3.72 · Rating details · 1,923 ratings · 394 reviews

Thalli has fifteen minutes and twenty-three seconds left to live. The toxic gas that will complete her annihilation is invading her bloodstream. But she is not afraid.

Thalli is different than others in The State. She feels things. She asks questions. And in the State, this is not tolerated. The Ten scientists who survived the nuclear war that destroyed the world above beli ...more

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Paperback, 312 pages

Published July 9th 2013 by Thomas Nelson Publishers

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Christian Dystopia

39 books — 60 voters

Ultimate List of Christian Dystopian Books

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Jul 07, 2013 Khanh, first of her name, mother of bunnies rated it did not like it

Shelves: boring-main-character, boarding-school, dystopian, mental-illness, high-school, religious-spiritual, sci-fi, tstl, why-do-i-hate-myself, ya

Recommended for: religious readers who like their Bible with a side of plotless dystopia. If you are one of the aforementioned, then just skip reading this review, it'll save you some time and you won't have to waste any more effort in leaving me a rage-filled and profanity-laced comment.

Like a moth to a flame, I am drawn to the word "dystopia."

Like a moth to a flame, I almost always get burned.

Did I say dystopia? I meant Joel Osteen. At least it wasn't Glenn Beck, but still, that's not saying m ...more

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Jul 11, 2013 Lindsey (Books for Christian Girls) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read-reviewed, own

5 stars (again). Hi, I'm Lindsey and this series emotionally destroys me.

{{Official Content Review to Come.}}

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May 14, 2015 C.B. Cook rated it it was amazing

Shelves: e-books, dystopian, favorites, pure-awesomeness

...

Wow.

So... I don't read much dystopian, simply because all of the dystopian books I want to read, I don't have. BUT this went on sale a while back and I actually had money on Amazon *cue gasps* so I got it. And boy am I glad I did!!!

The Good

This world is small... in this book, at least. It was delicately, extraordinarily developed, and I absolutely loved it. Or hated it. Not sure. But Krista McGee did an AMAZING job with this world, and the characters. The characters were just awesome. I didn' ...more

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Jul 17, 2013 Alyssa rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favourite-books-of-all-time, christian-fantasy-dystopian

5 Stars!
Goodreads Synopsis:
Thalli has fifteen minutes and twenty-three seconds left to live. The toxic gas that will complete her annihilation is invading her bloodstream. But she is not afraid.

Thalli is different than others in The State. She feels things. She asks questions. And in the State, this is not tolerated. The Ten scientists who survived the nuclear war that destroyed the world above believe that emotion was at the core of what went wrong—and they have genetically removed it from the ...more

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Dec 15, 2018 Kate Willis rated it it was amazing

Shelves: christian, dystopian, sci-fi, sweet-teenage-pre-romance, sweet-romance, artists, cover-love, favorites

The Christian bookstore can be a very tempting place, at least for me anyway. Especially when it’s Black Friday and there are clearance sales. O.o. They almost got me to buy the second book in this series, but after evaluating my huge stack of lovely prospective purchases, I left it behind.

A week later I found the entire series gently used for less than that one clearanced book. :D (Thanks, Lord!)

I literally gobbled this book up the moment it came. I read it in more than a day only because I ha ...more

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Nov 28, 2016 Shantelle rated it really liked it

Shelves: dystopian-sci-fi, romance, read-in-2016, reviewed, christian-fiction, young-adult

4.5 stars! I really, really liked Anomaly by Krista McGee, and am super excited to finish the ANOMALY series! This is a Christian dystopian/science-fiction tale (which I love!) It's intriguing, raw, unique, and thought-provoking. There's also a heartfelt, beautiful journey to finding truth.

The dystopian world, the characters, the plot ... all so well done. I definitely had the feels while reading Anomaly. It drew out my emotions and made me think about what the world would be like without emotio ...more

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Dec 30, 2013 Lisbeth Avery {Domus Libri} rated it did not like it

Shelves: anti-favorites, disappointed, library, makes-no-sense, one-star, reviewed

Before I start the review, I want to make it clear that my review will be biased and I will not attempt hide this in any shape or form. I am not the intended audience for this novel (deeply, devout Christian teens). Despite how naïve this may be, I do not believe that religious novels should only be read and appreciated by religious people. I have read novels written to and by people of many faiths and have enjoyed some of them. I've seen that the main issue of these sorts of books is not the pr Before I start the review, I want to make it clear that my review will be biased and I will not attempt hide this in any shape or form. I am not the intended audience for this novel (deeply, devout Christian teens). Despite how naïve this may be, I do not believe that religious novels should only be read and appreciated by religious people. I have read novels written to and by people of many faiths and have enjoyed some of them. I've seen that the main issue of these sorts of books is not the presence of religion but the fact that the authors seem to make religion a singular focus in a book that does not call for it. Dystopias, such as Anomaly, should not have God as the main focus.

Despite the genre, books should always have strong characterization and an engaging plot, not to mention being well-written. Anomaly has none of these three things. The characters are pitiful cardboard cutouts that bear little to no resemblance to actual people. The main character, Thalli, is the one of the only characters that actually has emotions yet it would be impossible to tell had it not been for her constant reminder of how superior she was. One of the supporting characters', John, only purpose in life is to preach to Thalli. The plot was one dimensional and boring. At all times, I felt like someone was shouting into my ear 'religion over science'.

Anomaly had a strong beginning, as far as dystopias go. It's set in a futuristic world, destroyed by a nuclear war. Thalli's society lives underground and is ruled by ten scientists. These scientists have genetically designed human beings to have no emotions, since they believed emotions were the downfall of civilization and the reason for the war. Not much background is given for the book nor any concrete world building. It seems like everyone is white, cisgendered, and heterosexual, though. Not that sexuality matters because neither romance nor sex occurs in these Pods (is pod the current dystopia buzzword?).

It wasn't perfect, but it was engaging enough. If the book continued the way it started, it could have easily gotten a decent 2.5 - 3. But alas, it was not meant to be and around 100 pages in, the dreaded preaching came in.

Religion is totally okay in books, I am completely fine with it. However, I cannot tolerate preaching in novels. The main reason I couldn't enjoy Warm Bodies was because of the overwhelming feelings of being lectured to. I cannot stand that. I don't want a book where I feel physically uncomfortable reading it because there isn't a page where a character isn't preaching about God.

If only McGee had more skill in writing, this book may have been saved. But, sadly, her writing is as bland and lifeless as her plot and characters. It's emotionless and boring. She has little skill in the art of storytelling.

Anomaly was an extremely disappointing way to start the new year with. I can't say I'll be reading any of McGee's books again, nor any subsequent books in the Anomaly series. ...more

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Dec 02, 2013 Lizzie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

Wow! A Christian Dystopian? Yes please! I really did like this book, although it wasn't the most fast paced it was still very much enjoyable, there were lots of plot twists, and many similarities to Divergent, I found. If you're a Christian and you're wanting a YA Dystopian where you don't have to worry about there being anything negative in them, this is a fantastic book. Can't wait for the next one!!

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Apr 02, 2018 Libby May rated it really liked it

Yay for Krista McGee again! I like this book a lot. Although the second to last scene was very confusing and I'm still not clear on what happened in the computer and how it would help to solve the oxygen problem, but I'm fascinated by the characters and the way that simulation was possible.

Can't wait to read the next book. :D

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Jun 21, 2014 Zac rated it it was amazing

Shelves: dystopian, ya, sci-fi, 2014-favorites, christian

Synopsis:

Thalli has fifteen minutes and twenty-three seconds left to live. The toxic gas that will complete her annihilation is invading her bloodstream. But she is not afraid.

Thalli is different than others in The State. She feels things. She asks questions. And in the State, this is not tolerated. The Ten scientists who survived the nuclear war that destroyed the world above believe that emotion was at the core of what went wrong—and they have genetically removed it from the citizens they h ...more

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Sep 26, 2013 Tonina rated it did not like it

Shelves: heavy-duty-religious-overtones, ya-dystopian, too-awful-to-finish

For me, Anomaly was true to its name, in that its sheer level of terrible landed it on my extremely rarely used "too-awful-to-finish" shelf.

A YA dystopian? Sure, I'll give it a whirl. A YA dystopian that beats me over the head with the author's particular brand of religion and is more than a little short on character development, believable worldbuilding, and plot? Pardon me while I Hail Mary the book like there's five seconds left in the Super Bowl and I'm Tom Brady trying to finish off a drama For me, Anomaly was true to its name, in that its sheer level of terrible landed it on my extremely rarely used "too-awful-to-finish" shelf.

A YA dystopian? Sure, I'll give it a whirl. A YA dystopian that beats me over the head with the author's particular brand of religion and is more than a little short on character development, believable worldbuilding, and plot? Pardon me while I Hail Mary the book like there's five seconds left in the Super Bowl and I'm Tom Brady trying to finish off a dramatic comeback.

I ran across this book in July while perusing my library's new YA ebook purchases. There were already quite a few people on the hold list, which piqued my interest, and the blurb looked okay at first glance, so I signed up for it. I waited nearly three months for my turn to arrive. Today I was notified that the book was finally available to me. Excited, I downloaded it. And that's when I discovered that this book treats people like they're heathen tent pegs that can be forced into the desired position on religion if hit hard and often enough with a Christian hammer.

Now, I'd like to point out that I'm not knee-jerk hating on this book. In the past, I've enjoyed certain stories that included or were based on religious themes and elements, Cynthia Hand's Unearthly series being a prime example. However, Anomaly contains a ton of evangelical Christian messages and biblical quotes and not a whole lot else - like characters that are sufficiently developed for the reader to give a rat's ass about them, or a coherent plot. To me, the MC, Thalli (yes, the kids in this book are named after elements from the periodic table, because Evil Scientists), was about as interesting and appealing as a bowl of cold oatmeal. She's supposed to be this huge danger to the Pod where she lives BECAUSE SHE HAS EMOTIONS AND NO ONE ELSE DOES, OH NOES! But she doesn't do much of anything, so it was hard for me to take that portrayal at all seriously. Now, I will freely admit that I couldn't make myself finish this book (an extremely rare event for me), so it's possible Thalli becomes a dynamic and fascinating character by the end. It could have happened. For all I know, it did happen. I'm just going to say I doubt it.

What's more, the contemptuous portrayal of science and scientists is extremely disturbing. Yeah, scientists, those evil jerks. What have they ever done for the world? It gets even worse when Thalli encounters a ~~plot device~~ man named John who tells her about the almighty Designer. And of course, we're talking about a very evangelical-friendly Christian version of said Designer. From that point on, we're on our way into Preachytown by way of the Science Is Bad line, and it's one hell of a fast ride.

To be fair, I shouldn't have assumed the book would be an entertaining read on the basis of a generic blurb and a long waiting list at my local library. That was stupid on my part, especially considering that I live in an area that's home to a large evangelical college. However, there are plenty of ways to include religious ideas and elements in a story effectively. Unfortunately, this book uses none of those options. Instead, it shifts quickly from storytelling into preaching and stays there, with an occasional jump into proselytizing for variety. But the true deal-breaker for me was the overwhelming impression I received that it was a vehicle for evangelical Christian messages first and an actual story a sad and distant second. If you want to preach, fine, but be up front about it. Don't encapsulate your message in a hollow shell of a YA dystopian in a ham-fisted attempt to make it more palatable to teens and to attract more readers. Just be honest about your true purpose. ...more

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Jul 24, 2013 Christian Fiction Addiction rated it it was amazing

Minutes into the first few pages of "Anomaly", I knew I was in for trouble...that there was no way I'd be putting this book down any time soon! Krista McGee has created a fascinating futuristic world, a post-nuclear war age where science rules the day, and feelings and spirituality have been genetically removed from human DNA. I loved the idea of Thalli, a character who doesn't fit the mold but instead questions why things are the way they are, and feels things on a deep level. She is a wonderfu ...more

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Dec 20, 2014 Sierra Faith rated it liked it

Shelves: own

3.5 stars! I really didn't connect with Thalli..... I don't know why! Excited to read the next book in the series though.

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Oct 26, 2015 J.C. rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2015-challenge, adventure, dystopia, my-favorites, wish-list

A great addition to the dystopian genre, Krista McGee’s Anomaly was a great read, full of action, adventure, yet with a strong Christian themes and elements that I absolutely loved. They were written in cleverly and very well done, adding to the plot without taking over. The themes and messages sent were very strong.

The storyline was creepily realistic and extremely capitivating. It tells the story of a futuristic world, after the dry land has been completely demolished through a Nuclear War, se A great addition to the dystopian genre, Krista McGee’s Anomaly was a great read, full of action, adventure, yet with a strong Christian themes and elements that I absolutely loved. They were written in cleverly and very well done, adding to the plot without taking over. The themes and messages sent were very strong.

The storyline was creepily realistic and extremely capitivating. It tells the story of a futuristic world, after the dry land has been completely demolished through a Nuclear War, sending the last 10 survivors (The Ten) into an underground society they founded themselves. They create every human present, mixing DNA to create each one to have a specific talent to make for a productive life as possible. This element was done very well.

The characters were easy to like. I was drawn in immediately to their stories. Though at first it seemed like another cliche where the main character is the one “different” one (and there were some cliche-y elements), overall this really felt much more true to the story and much more real. Thalli was a believable character, with her own flaws and strengths and yet real enough to feel like a friend. Berk was a strong male lead. Rhen was simply wonderful and done so well. John was just—wow. His character, as one who saw the land and lived before the War, was done just so well. The way he interacted with Thalli and the others was amazing.

The Christian message was there in this book, too, presented in a simple way but with a natural feel. It didn’t feel preachy, but rather like a part of the story. I enjoyed watching Thalli’s transformation; I couldn’t help cheering for her.

On the downside, this book was very confusing in some parts. While the plotline never lacked action and answers were always given, the way the story went about this was very confusing. It all paid off in the end, but there were some very flustering sections where I had no real idea why they were doing what they were doing. The majority of my confusion was the lack of description in the changing of settings. I couldn’t figure out where they were or how it lined up with the rest. It was abstract, for sure, only in this case maybe a little too abstract.

Another thing was the writing wasn’t the best quality. The sentences were short and easy to comprehend, with no real challenges. While this is good for some people, I felt as this book was targeted for the teenage audience, a little more should be expected, and in the case of Anomaly, unfortunately, it fell flat.

All in all, this was a great read. Though it lacked a lot in some areas, the rest of the book was very enjoyable. I sped through this book in two days, it was so hard to put down! Greatly looking forward to reading the next book, Luminary. 4.0 stars.

Like my reviews? Follow my blog:
http://jcbuchanan.com ...more

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Jul 05, 2013 Tressa (Wishful Endings) rated it really liked it

Shelves: book-tours, 2013, christian, ya-dystopian, series, clean-reads

3.5 stars

What I thought:

When I signed up for this tour I didn't realize that this was in the Christian Fiction genre. I thought it was just going to be a YA Dystopian. It turned out to be both, so it's a good thing I like Christian Fiction. It's the first time I have read this type of book and it was an interesting mix.

The whole premise was also different. The world has basically faced an apocalypse, which is nothing new, but in this story a community survives under ground in a scientific living 3.5 stars

What I thought:

When I signed up for this tour I didn't realize that this was in the Christian Fiction genre. I thought it was just going to be a YA Dystopian. It turned out to be both, so it's a good thing I like Christian Fiction. It's the first time I have read this type of book and it was an interesting mix.

The whole premise was also different. The world has basically faced an apocalypse, which is nothing new, but in this story a community survives under ground in a scientific living space and pods that were set up for just such a scenario. Then the following generations are engineered to not feel things or think specific things. Those that somehow still retain these characteristic, even though engineered not to, are called anomalies. Thalli is just such an anomaly. Because of this she has feelings she shouldn't, developing friendships when she shouldn't, and possibly something more with one young scientist. There are other things driving the plot, such as the agenda and issues among the scientists and a new threat to their survival.

I actually really liked Thalli, although I think she took too many risks by not hiding her feelings enough. On the other hand, I think that would be difficult to do every single day for all of her seventeen years. I also liked Berk, who is very smart, kind, and loyal. The other characters were also interesting. I was surprised that we only see mainly two scientists through the whole book, one more than the other. However, this made a little more sense at the end.

The religious content did seem a little unrealistic and I think someone who doesn't normally read Christian Fiction or who isn't Christian may be turned off by this, so I would recommend it to those who enjoy this genre. There really aren't that many Christian Fiction books that aren't Historical or Contemporary Fiction, so I'm glad that this author decided to write a dystopian. I think there is definitely a market for it in Christian YA.

Overall, it was an interesting read, one I ended up liking. I am actually quite curious to find out what happens in the second book, which comes out next year.

Content: Clean
Source: Copy received from tour host. This did not affect the opinions shared in my review in any way. ...more

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Mar 23, 2013 Megan rated it it was amazing

Shelves: jc-dystopian-spell-out, 2013-electric-lime, christian-fiction, favorite-series, read-in-2013, review-books, young-adult, dystopian, us-colorado

I have only read one other book by this author, Right Where I Belong (view spoiler), and was quite pleased with it. However with Anomaly being such a different type of book I wasn't sure how much I would like it. Sure the synopsis sounded good, but I went into it with a little apprehension. I needn't have worried! This book was SO amazing!

It kept me guessing throughout the entire book, I was never quite sure what was r ...more

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Dec 27, 2015 Hannah Rodes added it

Shelves: dystopian

Anomaly by Krista Mcgee

Anomaly was a very intriguing read for me. Krista Mcgee is one of my favorite contemporary authors so I was eager to start into Anomaly. I was not disappointed. I really liked Anomaly. (Disclaimer: I am writing this review three month after I read it. So, it will be short)

The Good.

The Plot was intriguing and kept me interested. The Ending freaked me out! I mean it almost—she almost—*rapid hand motions*

The Bad.

I didn’t necessarily like Thalli. She was okay, just not an ...more

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Jul 03, 2013 Jeann (Happy Indulgence) rated it did not like it

Shelves: did-not-finish, netgalley

DNF - A religious novel under the guise of dystopian fiction. Last thing I want is to be preached to in my reading time.

Also, the writing was terribly difficult to get into, stunted sentences, pretty much skimmed all the way to 27%. When the mentions of God and the Church came out, I decided that was that.

Received this book from Netgalley as part of a blog tour, but chose not to take part in it.

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Jul 09, 2013 Kathleen (Kat) Smith rated it it was amazing

Shelves: christian-action-adventure, christian-fantasy-fiction, christian-fiction, christian-science-fiction, christian-teen-fiction, fantasy-adventure-fiction, science-fiction-and-fantasy, young-adult-fiction

There are only a handful of humans remaining after the Nuclear War decimated what used to be the world as we know it. Only for those of us left, we don't have any memory of that world. All we have are the lessons we study about the world that once was. We are segregated by generations and in my Pod C, there are only about thirty of us. Each of us has a talent that only we alone possess. For me, Thalli, I am a musician. I can read and create music as though that was all I was born to do. For my r There are only a handful of humans remaining after the Nuclear War decimated what used to be the world as we know it. Only for those of us left, we don't have any memory of that world. All we have are the lessons we study about the world that once was. We are segregated by generations and in my Pod C, there are only about thirty of us. Each of us has a talent that only we alone possess. For me, Thalli, I am a musician. I can read and create music as though that was all I was born to do. For my roommates they have their own special skills, cooking, inventing, designing and even logical thinking. We are kept away from the other Pods B and A, as they are another generation ahead of us. We have no parents and we don't even consider those of us dwelling in this Pod as friends really. We just go about our days like we're supposed to only for me, I am considered an anomaly, because I think. I ask too many questions. I wonder why more than I just accept things like my Pod mates. My only ally is Beck who is a wonderful scientist and who sense there is more to me than I am supposed to be.

Whenever illness comes, we are removed and never seen again. They call it annihilation and we cease to be. Thanks to a group of scientists known as The Ten, we are able to live and find ways to grow food beneath the ground. We can't go above because the air is toxic and we would simply die. So for now, we continue to work on finding a way to survive in this existence, but if they learn that I am not all I am supposed to be, it will be my turn for annihilation. Only scientists are allowed to ask questions and to wonder why. I am simply to create music. However when I am asked to play an old piece of music left behind by the world before us, I can't hide the emotions that the song brings out in me. Now I am moved to isolation and the experiments begin to see if I possess anything that can be useful before I am annihilated.

But will the world I believe is my home turn out instead to be a virtual one? A simulation so real that all of my senses are engaged and I can not longer differentiate from what is real and what is not? What is my true calling in this life? Is there hope for something more than simply what I was created to be? How much longer will I be allowed to live before I am no longer a viable option?

In the novel Anomaly by author Krista McGee, Thalli is a young girl who begins to wonder if there is something more than what she has been lead to believe her whole life. She knows nothing of parents, love or God other than what she is reading about through her history lessons on her learning pad. This calls into question what would happen if just a handful of humans remained on the earth after a horrible nuclear war. How would they survive? What would they do to maintain law and order in their society? This is just that premise that Krista breathes to life in this dystopain fiction that sounds like a futuristic version of Lord of the Flies. I absolutely LOVED all the shifting of realities and soon found myself questioning what is real or isn't in this wonderful science fiction young adult novel. For anyone who loves this type of genre, you will not be the slightest bit disappointed.

I received Anomaly by Krista McGee compliments of Thomas Nelson Publishers and Litfuse Publicity for my honest review. I received no monetary compensation for a favorable review. Knowing how quickly we are creating our own virtual reality's in video games, this one really took me by surprised and wondered just how far along are we really. This really does create a sense of what if, when you read this one and makes us question just how beneficial is technology in the future. How will this world survive if we found ourselves in the situation Krista created in this novel. This is definitely a novel that makes you wonder how you would handle creating a lasting remnant if given the chance. How much freedom would you allow people to have? I rate this one a 4.5 out of 5 stars and there's even some discussion questions included for book groups or small group study. ...more

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Dec 29, 2014 Rebecca (whenallotherlightsgoout) rated it really liked it

Shelves: christian-fiction, dystopian, young-adult

What a rollercoaster ride!

I am having a hard time writing a review for this book. I am really not sure how to put my feelings into words. So I think I will 'write' this review in gifs. My first review in gifs!

My reactions while reading this book:

Promising!

Really enjoying it!

.....This is kinda meh

What just happened!? Ugh! Don’t like!

Woah, did not see that comin’

Getting good again…

WHAT?!!?

Yeah. That pretty much says it all. This book has so many twists and turns, you really don’t know what to ...more

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Sep 05, 2013 Jill Williamson rated it really liked it

Thalli lives in Pod C where everyone has a unique job. She is the musician of Pod C and does her job well. She also hides secrets well. See, people aren’t supposed to show emotion in Thalli’s world. Emotion is a weakness, and people with weaknesses are taken away and never return. But Thalli feels. And when her best friend Berk is promoted to a Scientist and taken away for training, she feels the loss of a dear friend.

Thalli is unable to hide her anomaly forever, though, and soon she is taken aw ...more

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Apr 12, 2013 Melanie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: review-books

Review on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/review/R9015TKB...
Review on my blog (to be posted 7/16): http://christianbookshelfreviews.blog...

I've heard great things about Krista McGee's books, so when I found out about Anomaly, I knew I had to read it - especially since it's dystopian (I absolutely love this genre!).

Anomaly completely met my expectations, as I ended up loving it. The story held my attention throughout and I loved the characters. I think my favorite character would have to be Berk, t ...more

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Dec 29, 2015 Halee rated it it was amazing

Shelves: best-books, conspiracy, dystopian, life-changing, mystery, perfect-for-summer, perfect-for-winter, up-all-night-reading

Whoa. Guys. This book. I cannor believe that this book is over. Ot was just unlike anything I've ever read. It was clean, Christian AND dystopian?? *gasp* How could this be so? Because it's Krista McGee! Agghhh...... Cliff. Hanger.

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May 08, 2015 Ember rated it it was amazing

Shelves: the-best-4-plus-stars, the-best-of-the-best-5-stars, christian-fiction-ya, books-i-own, dystopian-ish

I love this book! It was better the first time around, because I didn't know what was going to happen, but it's still amazing the second time around!

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Jan 13, 2017 Celestria rated it really liked it

Loved it, can't wait to read Luminary!

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Jul 25, 2013 Renn Shearin rated it it was amazing

Thalli has fifteen minutes and twenty-three seconds left to live. The toxic gas that will complete her annihilation is invading her bloodstream. But she is not afraid.

Decades before Thalli’s birth, the world ended in a nuclear war. But life went on deep underground, thanks to a handful of scientists known as The Ten. Since then, they have genetically engineered humans to be free from emotions in the hopes that war won’t threaten their lives again.

But Thalli was born with the ability to feel emot Thalli has fifteen minutes and twenty-three seconds left to live. The toxic gas that will complete her annihilation is invading her bloodstream. But she is not afraid.

Decades before Thalli’s birth, the world ended in a nuclear war. But life went on deep underground, thanks to a handful of scientists known as The Ten. Since then, they have genetically engineered humans to be free from emotions in the hopes that war won’t threaten their lives again.

But Thalli was born with the ability to feel emotions and a sense of curiosity she can barely contain. She has survived so far thanks to her ability to hide those differences. But Thalli’s secret is discovered when she is overwhelmed by the emotion in an ancient piece of music.

She is quickly scheduled for annihilation, but her childhood friend, Berk, convinces The Ten to postpone her death and study her instead. While in the scientists’ Pod, Thalli and Berk form a dangerous alliance, one strictly forbidden by the constant surveillance in the pods.

As her life ticks away, she hears rumors of someone called the Designer—someone even more powerful than The Ten. What’s more, the parts of her that have always been an anomaly could in fact be part of a much larger plan. And the parts of her that she has always guarded could be the answer she’s been looking for all along.

Thalli must sort out what to believe and who she can trust, before her time runs out…

Anomaly by Krista Mcgee was gripping story that kept me hooked until the very last page. The story is not in Krista Mcgee's normal style, but it still has her typical realistic characters, sweet romantic undercurrents, and well written plot line. Starting in on this book I was not sure what to expect; however, the plot line quickly pulled me in with its unique setting, spectacular twists, and unexpected character and plot developments. The story was told from the perspective of Thalli, one of the only surviving humans that still has the ability to feel emotion. An anomaly. Thalli is a wonderfully complex character who struggles to understand what is going on around her and within her. She can play and feel beautiful music, and she wonders what it all means. John, the oldest human still alive, helps Thalli understand the existence of an ultimate Designer who designed her feelings and gave her life and true freedom and salvation. As Thalli learns to trust and feel, she is faced with many trials and heartaches as the Scientists work to eradicate her emotions...and possibly her. I loved Thalli's interactions with Berk; they were both sweet together and had to learn how to help one another survive. Berk is a wonderful character who begins to understand the importance of love, honesty, and trust in the great Designer as he spends more time trying to save Thalli and John. Overall, I found Anomaly to be quite different from Krista Mcgee's previous novels, but I enjoyed the uniqueness and the flavor the storyline and characters as well as their introduction to God and His saving love and Son. I look forward to reading the next novel in the series, and I would highly recommend Anomaly to any reader looking for a provoking read set in a futuristic world.

I received this book for free from Booksneeze.com and Thomas Nelson Press in exchange for an honest review.
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Jul 16, 2013 Jalynn Patterson rated it it was amazing

About the Book:

Thalli has fifteen minutes and twenty-three seconds left to live. The toxic gas that will complete her annihilation is invading her bloodstream. But she is not afraid.

Thalli is different than others in The State. She feels things. She asks questions. And in the State, this is not tolerated. The Ten scientists who survived the nuclear war that destroyed the world above believe that emotion was at the core of what went wrong—and they have genetically removed it from the citizens th ...more

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Jul 20, 2013 Create With Joy rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2013-reviews, book-reviews

Imagine we live in a post-apocalyptic world. Decades ago, life as we knew it ceased to exist. The Ten – the scientists who survived the nuclear war – now run the world. They make the rules. Everything they do is for our good. Or so, we've been taught.

The Ten create life. They create us for a specific purpose. They manipulate our DNA. They eradicate any traits deemed detrimental to life in the underground pods where we live. Weaknesses such as sickness, emotions and curiosity are all deemed undes Imagine we live in a post-apocalyptic world. Decades ago, life as we knew it ceased to exist. The Ten – the scientists who survived the nuclear war – now run the world. They make the rules. Everything they do is for our good. Or so, we've been taught.

The Ten create life. They create us for a specific purpose. They manipulate our DNA. They eradicate any traits deemed detrimental to life in the underground pods where we live. Weaknesses such as sickness, emotions and curiosity are all deemed undesirable in this new world the scientists have created.

Thalli – a bright 17-year old girl with enhanced musical abilities – has lived her entire life in this world. She lives underground in Pod C, a controlled living environment where her every move is watched. She knows the lessons the scientists and their assistants have taught her and the manner in which she must live to survive. But – as each day passes – she is beginning to suspect there is something wrong with her. Thalli is beginning to suspect she is an Anomaly. She questions things that her fellow pod-mates accept. She notices things that her fellow pod-mates ignore. She feels things that are foreign to those around her.

And, Thalli's smart enough to know that none of these things are good for her long-term survival.

Anomaly by Krista McGee is an interesting, Young Adult / Dystopian novel that engaged me from the start and kept me intrigued until the very end. In Anomaly, Krista creates a bleak world full of complex characters that I grew to care about very much. The plot was full of surprising twists all along the way. Unlike most Dystopian novels, Krista even manages to weave a Christian message of hope within its pages as well!

I highly recommend this book for both your personal and group reading pleasure (discussion questions are included at the end to facilitate group discussions). I'm also thrilled to announce that Anomaly is the first in a trilogy by Krista McGee. I am looking forward to the release of the next book in the series – Luminary – in July 2014.

This review was written by and originally published at Create With Joy.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the author for review purposes. I was not compensated or required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. ...more

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Nov 30, 2015 Sarah rated it really liked it

Shelves: favorites, dystopian, books-i-ve-reviewed

Why do I like dystopian so much? Maybe I should rephrase that. Why am I starting to like dystopian so much? Dystopian shows awful circumstances and the normal people stuck in these awful situations. Normal people, who grow through these experiences becoming unique and strong. Each character reacts differently, some of them hold on to hope no matter how dark it gets, other entirely lose hope causing them to turn dark. But when you watch characters go through awful tribulation, it empowers and en Why do I like dystopian so much? Maybe I should rephrase that. Why am I starting to like dystopian so much? Dystopian shows awful circumstances and the normal people stuck in these awful situations. Normal people, who grow through these experiences becoming unique and strong. Each character reacts differently, some of them hold on to hope no matter how dark it gets, other entirely lose hope causing them to turn dark. But when you watch characters go through awful tribulation, it empowers and encourages you to survive and thrive in the midst of your own real problems. In dystopian I am always cheering for the characters to hang on to hope.

Imagine a world where teenagers don’t laugh, don’t tell corny jokes, don’t have a passion, never argue, have no opinions or convictions and no question’s. It is a hard concept to grasp right? Emotions define who we are, it allows us to feel. In Anomaly we follow Thalli a girl who HAS emotions. She has lived her entire life concealing her emotions. People with emotions are Anomalies. Anomalies are annihilated. All emotions were genetically removed from the human race after a nuclear war destroyed the earth. Ten scientists moved underground and genetically modified humans without emotions to prevent conflict. But science isn’t perfect Thalli is proof of that. When a piece of music moves her to tears, she is scheduled for annihilation. But a young scientist tries hard to prevent this. Once again in man’s attempt for a perfect world they messed up, miserably.

I love Christian dystopian very much, because just as this book states, as Christians we know death is only the beginning, the beginning of an eternity of actual living. Death is not loss but gain. This book is aimed at teenagers, making it an easy read. I am really looking forward to book number two! The romance was weaved heavily into this book, but it was built more on friendship of the past and character. It wasn’t like.. girl see’s pretty boy, boy sees pretty girl bla bla bla and they fall in love with that being the foundation. Nope I’d say friendship is the foundation. Ah! the next book is gonna rock! Can’t wait to read it.
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Jun 16, 2013 Iola rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2013, christian-fiction, kindle, netgalley, speculative, ya

Seventeen-year-old Thalli has been scheduled for annihilation. She is the Musician for her pod, her group of peers, and she feels emotions, something the post-apocalyptic society she lives in has attempted to remove through genetic engineering. Berk, her childhood friend, is now a Scientist and persuades his colleagues to save her for study. She is given a reprieve, but as the experiments start, she soon starts to wonder what is real and what is not.

Krista McGee’s last three books were contempo Seventeen-year-old Thalli has been scheduled for annihilation. She is the Musician for her pod, her group of peers, and she feels emotions, something the post-apocalyptic society she lives in has attempted to remove through genetic engineering. Berk, her childhood friend, is now a Scientist and persuades his colleagues to save her for study. She is given a reprieve, but as the experiments start, she soon starts to wonder what is real and what is not.

Krista McGee’s last three books were contemporary YA chick-lit romances, stories of young women finding God and finding love in the hot-house of reality television (so perhaps they were actually fantasy?). Anomaly is YA Christian sci-fi, which is both a dramatic departure from her earlier books, and a small but growing niche in Christian fiction. That was a surprise: not only that an author with a following in YA romance would move into such a different genre, but that she’d do it so well. This is good. Really good. Read-in-one-sitting good.

Anomaly has similarities to many other sci-fi classics I read as a teenager or as an adult (most of which I can’t remember the names of but The Giver, TV shows such as Jeremiah, and movies like Logan’s Run do spring to mind). Anomaly paid homage to some of these classics with its post-apocalyptic emotionless society living deep in the mountains of Colorado, a society that assigns children into roles at birth and terminates those who don’t fit in. It has a definite Christian take on that future society, from John as the remnant to the concept of a Designer.

It wasn’t perfect: I do have some questions, like why a small science-driven society that genetically engineers people to serve a specific purpose saw the need for a Musician, and how John’s son has such different values and beliefs to those of his parents. But these are small niggles. The sequel (Luminary) is due out in January 2014, and I’ll be looking forward to it.

Recommended for those who enjoyed books like The Giver and The Hunger Games. Thanks to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review. ...more

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What's the Name o...: SOLVED. Dystopian YA novel. People live underground. Female lead. Government lying and creating hallucinations. Spoilers ahead. [s]	10	65	Apr 02, 2018 07:28AM
Clean YA Girl's B...: Anomaly	3	16	Jan 31, 2016 07:41AM
Crazy for Young A...: Anomaly (#1) by Krista McGee → Start Date: April 6th, 2015	26	55	Apr 20, 2015 03:38PM
Christian Fiction...: ❀Abbi, Megan and Melanie❀ Anomaly by Krista McGee	51	21	Jul 09, 2013 12:14AM

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About Krista McGee

Krista McGee

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Krista writes for teens, teaches teens, and more often than not, acts like a teen. She and her family have lived and ministered in Texas, Costa Rica, and Spain. Her current hometown is Tampa, FL.