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Deviations #1
Deviations
“People don’t just create diseases to wipe out nations,” I argue.
“The bubonic plague, typhoid fever, smallpox, the bird flu—would you like me to continue?” His voice rises as if he’s determined to make me understand, “They’re created in labs, then given to people to see who is strong enough to survive them. They’re trying to limit the amount of people in the world.” I watch him stand and turn for the door. “There’s a lot about your parents that you don’t know and the sooner you realize that, the sooner you can start doing something about it.”
From the day we’re born, we’re introduced to the marvels of modern medicine. It is amazing how a simple vaccine can prevent polio, hepatitis B, rotavirus—the list is almost endless. But, what if that were no longer the case? What if the government unleashed each virus for the sole purpose of controlling the population? Henly Sawyer finds herself discovering this truth for the first time, and as she does, the world that she thought she knew shatters. She wakes in Aurora, a quarantine miles from home, and is forced into a grueling reality. Henly strives to piece together the truth about her parents and their involvement in the unfolding chaos. With the help of her new friends, Renner and Dex, Henly sets out to understand a world that is now filled with Deviations—an infected group of violent, murderous humans.
“The bubonic plague, typhoid fever, smallpox, the bird flu—would you like me to continue?” His voice rises as if he’s determined to make me understand, “They’re created in labs, then given to people to see who is strong enough to survive them. They’re trying to limit the amount of people in the world.” I watch him stand and turn for the door. “There’s a lot about your parents that you don’t know and the sooner you realize that, the sooner you can start doing something about it.”
From the day we’re born, we’re introduced to the marvels of modern medicine. It is amazing how a simple vaccine can prevent polio, hepatitis B, rotavirus—the list is almost endless. But, what if that were no longer the case? What if the government unleashed each virus for the sole purpose of controlling the population? Henly Sawyer finds herself discovering this truth for the first time, and as she does, the world that she thought she knew shatters. She wakes in Aurora, a quarantine miles from home, and is forced into a grueling reality. Henly strives to piece together the truth about her parents and their involvement in the unfolding chaos. With the help of her new friends, Renner and Dex, Henly sets out to understand a world that is now filled with Deviations—an infected group of violent, murderous humans.
355 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2014
9 people are currently reading
642 people want to read
About the author
Crystal Cervantes
20 followersI’m a self-proclaimed villain, writing plot twists for my protagonists to fight, but I disguise myself as a Marketing Coordinator in the entertainment industry.
As a first-generation Mexican-American, I've yearned to see diverse narratives like mine represented in the media I hold dear. Through my writing and lens, I weave together backgrounds and capture diverse human experiences that bind us together.
When I’m not plotting, I'm reading or spending my time with my husband and two children, discussing writing in Manuscript Academy or checking in with my community from Adrienne Young's Writing With the Soul. I’ve had work featured in the Calgary Poet Laureate online exhibition, Portraits of People, and various print and online publications.
As a first-generation Mexican-American, I've yearned to see diverse narratives like mine represented in the media I hold dear. Through my writing and lens, I weave together backgrounds and capture diverse human experiences that bind us together.
When I’m not plotting, I'm reading or spending my time with my husband and two children, discussing writing in Manuscript Academy or checking in with my community from Adrienne Young's Writing With the Soul. I’ve had work featured in the Calgary Poet Laureate online exhibition, Portraits of People, and various print and online publications.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
May 25, 2015
At first, you'd think that this was sort of like another Divergent, after Henly wakes up in quarantine. There are various serums the people there force her to undergo to make sure she is of the right mind to continue living, especially with the other survivors of a zombie-like apocalypse.
To her surprise, her family is deeply involved in the origin of the "flu" outbreak, and she finds out some pretty horrifying truths about her family, too! Then again, what else can you expect from a distant mother named Ana and an adoring father?
Add some juicy bits of romance with a deceased senator's son Renner, and you've got yourself a pretty intriguing novel! Especially in a dystopian society living in the after-effects of a pretty freaky pandemic, that created Deviations (zombie-like demeanor who do not eat people, are very smart, and prone to violence).
If I don't read the next book, I will literally explode. The cliffhanger of the epilogue just KILLED me! Absolutely KILLED!!!!!!
To her surprise, her family is deeply involved in the origin of the "flu" outbreak, and she finds out some pretty horrifying truths about her family, too! Then again, what else can you expect from a distant mother named Ana and an adoring father?
Add some juicy bits of romance with a deceased senator's son Renner, and you've got yourself a pretty intriguing novel! Especially in a dystopian society living in the after-effects of a pretty freaky pandemic, that created Deviations (zombie-like demeanor who do not eat people, are very smart, and prone to violence).
If I don't read the next book, I will literally explode. The cliffhanger of the epilogue just KILLED me! Absolutely KILLED!!!!!!
February 9, 2014
Deviations is the book that is so exciting and so intense you will stay up all night to finish it. In a world where everything is crazy and unknown you are wishing and hoping for the best for Henly. I can't wait to read the next book when its out.
You would like this if you liked Hunger Games, Divergent, etc.
You would like this if you liked Hunger Games, Divergent, etc.
March 10, 2016
If you enjoyed Divergent you'll like this YA novel from Crystal Johnson. Deviations has the same feel but with a zombie twist. It was a little too predictable and formulaic for my taste but I don't usually read young adult novels.
P.S. I won this book through a goodreads giveaway.
P.S. I won this book through a goodreads giveaway.
July 27, 2017
Loved Creations so much! My heart raced throughout the entire story! It's an absolute page turner! I cannot wait for the third book to come out!!
June 25, 2021
Gripping and interesting story line that makes you hold on to the book till it ends. And it ends with a cliffhanger that continues in book 2 - Creations. I really enjoyed reading it and enjoyed the plot and story. I love science fiction with a touch of romance and this ticked all those boxes for me. If you enjoy Sci-Fi for sure read it.
March 1, 2020
I found this on my kindle and must have downloaded it for free I think because although I enjoyed the story, it still had hundreds of typos, incorrect words and bad grammar which interfered with the enjoyment of the book. I assume if it’s now in print it won’t have so many of those!
May 6, 2014
A book that just misses the mark and leaves you with an unsatisfying ending.
The book had all the makings of a first rate novel if you could get pass the awkward sentence structure, misspelled words and a new editor. Most of the mistakes could have been easily fixed with good editing.
However the storyline could have been immensely more interesting with a little more thought. The heroine and the chemistry she shared with the hero of the story was believable and I looked forward to a fitting ending to their affair. I didn't get one.
The ending seemed rushed and it spoiled the best part of what was an interesting and thought-provoking storyline. There was no satisfactory conclusion to the love story between the main characters or any of the characters for that matter. It just ended and it seemed like a cop out, as if the author just wanted to finish the book as quickly as possible with no regard to the readers or to her characters. It left me feeling cheated, not knowing what happened to the characters that I became emotionally involved with and left me hanging at the end wanting more... but not in a good way.
I'm glad it was free the day I got it from Amazon. It would have been even more disappointing if I had paid for it. The only reason I gave It a 2 instead of a 1 was because of the characters and how much I rooted for them throughout the story. I do believe that with a little more thought, a better editor and an ending more in tune with the strength and unwillingness to give up she imbued her characters with,no matter the odds, this would be a first rate book. It is this strength and her excellent job at creating characters that we can love and hate that makes the ending so disappointing. They deserved better.
The book had all the makings of a first rate novel if you could get pass the awkward sentence structure, misspelled words and a new editor. Most of the mistakes could have been easily fixed with good editing.
However the storyline could have been immensely more interesting with a little more thought. The heroine and the chemistry she shared with the hero of the story was believable and I looked forward to a fitting ending to their affair. I didn't get one.
The ending seemed rushed and it spoiled the best part of what was an interesting and thought-provoking storyline. There was no satisfactory conclusion to the love story between the main characters or any of the characters for that matter. It just ended and it seemed like a cop out, as if the author just wanted to finish the book as quickly as possible with no regard to the readers or to her characters. It left me feeling cheated, not knowing what happened to the characters that I became emotionally involved with and left me hanging at the end wanting more... but not in a good way.
I'm glad it was free the day I got it from Amazon. It would have been even more disappointing if I had paid for it. The only reason I gave It a 2 instead of a 1 was because of the characters and how much I rooted for them throughout the story. I do believe that with a little more thought, a better editor and an ending more in tune with the strength and unwillingness to give up she imbued her characters with,no matter the odds, this would be a first rate book. It is this strength and her excellent job at creating characters that we can love and hate that makes the ending so disappointing. They deserved better.
June 23, 2014
Author Crystal Johnson started with a great Young Adult, Post-Apocalyptic premise, and floundered. I was only able to finish reading it as an exercise in the genre.
Crystal's book reads like a Sophomore English major who increases the indentations and line spacing to make her work feel more profound, simply from the weight of it. Wasting trees doesn't impress me. Quality writing does. If your book is 100 pages and good, then it's good! If you turn those 100 pages into 400 with filler, it offends me. It also isn't fun to be flipping pages every five seconds because there are only 150 words per page.
It has grammar errors, syntax abominations, and (to be generous) perhaps regional slang?
The romance is not believable and boring. The twist at the end is weak and left me unsatisfied. I would not buy this book or recommend anybody read it.
Edit: after posting my review, I'm blown away, shocked, that this book has an average of 4.35 rating... YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING ME! Absolute false advertising with a rating anywhere near 4! Who are you people rating this, and have you ever read a REAL book? Crystal Johnson must have a big family or email chain going around begging for reviews. Crystal - keep writing, I'm sure my review won't discourage you, but this is not a finished work worthy of publication. It's a college writing prompt gone bad.
I received a free copy from goodreads giveaways, and this is my honest review.
Crystal's book reads like a Sophomore English major who increases the indentations and line spacing to make her work feel more profound, simply from the weight of it. Wasting trees doesn't impress me. Quality writing does. If your book is 100 pages and good, then it's good! If you turn those 100 pages into 400 with filler, it offends me. It also isn't fun to be flipping pages every five seconds because there are only 150 words per page.
It has grammar errors, syntax abominations, and (to be generous) perhaps regional slang?
The romance is not believable and boring. The twist at the end is weak and left me unsatisfied. I would not buy this book or recommend anybody read it.
Edit: after posting my review, I'm blown away, shocked, that this book has an average of 4.35 rating... YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING ME! Absolute false advertising with a rating anywhere near 4! Who are you people rating this, and have you ever read a REAL book? Crystal Johnson must have a big family or email chain going around begging for reviews. Crystal - keep writing, I'm sure my review won't discourage you, but this is not a finished work worthy of publication. It's a college writing prompt gone bad.
I received a free copy from goodreads giveaways, and this is my honest review.
April 25, 2014
3.5 rounding up
In my book, Deviations = Zombies. I know they really aren't, because they are supposedly still alive and don't want to eat your brains, just kill you, but they sure seemed very Zombie like to me! You should see the alternate cover for this book. It scared me. (yes. I am a big chicken. It's no secret.)
There was a lot that I liked about this book. It has a definite forward movement that keeps you on your toes, interested in what is happening and wanting to know more. In most books you get an idea what is really happening through that omnipotent standpoint or though other characters but in this book I was just as clueless as Henly! Pretty much the whole time. I totally didn't see that ending coming.
I think I liked Renner and Dex more than Henly. Maybe even Dex the best. I liked Dex's chill and how he thought things through. Yeah, I just liked him. And his little dog too.
Something I really loved about Henly though was her loyalty to her sister. She will do anything to find her and save her. She is single minded and almost desperate in this goal.
Man, the ending is a whopper. If you love cliff hangers, this is your book. It's got a big crescendo ending that leaves you hanging over a big, big cliff. Oh, the betrayal. Oh, the sadness. NOOOOOOOOO!
Content: There is some mild swearing and quite a bit of violence.
In my book, Deviations = Zombies. I know they really aren't, because they are supposedly still alive and don't want to eat your brains, just kill you, but they sure seemed very Zombie like to me! You should see the alternate cover for this book. It scared me. (yes. I am a big chicken. It's no secret.)
There was a lot that I liked about this book. It has a definite forward movement that keeps you on your toes, interested in what is happening and wanting to know more. In most books you get an idea what is really happening through that omnipotent standpoint or though other characters but in this book I was just as clueless as Henly! Pretty much the whole time. I totally didn't see that ending coming.
I think I liked Renner and Dex more than Henly. Maybe even Dex the best. I liked Dex's chill and how he thought things through. Yeah, I just liked him. And his little dog too.
Something I really loved about Henly though was her loyalty to her sister. She will do anything to find her and save her. She is single minded and almost desperate in this goal.
Man, the ending is a whopper. If you love cliff hangers, this is your book. It's got a big crescendo ending that leaves you hanging over a big, big cliff. Oh, the betrayal. Oh, the sadness. NOOOOOOOOO!
Content: There is some mild swearing and quite a bit of violence.
February 13, 2014
This book was great! So well written and an adventure from chapter one. Crystal C. Johnson created a world where we can escape and form relationships with her characters and feel what they feel.
Henly is a powerful young woman who is someone girls of all ages can look up to. Her resilient attitude and her ability to face anything that comes her way is a refreshing take on a female lead character. She would do just about anything to protect the people she loves and cares about. Her willingness to sacrifice for others is something women of all ages should aspire to look to as an example.
The twists and turns of this story keep you guessing until the very end, and do not disappoint. I was left with my jaw on the floor, wishing I had more to read.
Deviations gives the readers something to ponder and characters to fall in love with.
I can not wait for the story to continue!
Henly is a powerful young woman who is someone girls of all ages can look up to. Her resilient attitude and her ability to face anything that comes her way is a refreshing take on a female lead character. She would do just about anything to protect the people she loves and cares about. Her willingness to sacrifice for others is something women of all ages should aspire to look to as an example.
The twists and turns of this story keep you guessing until the very end, and do not disappoint. I was left with my jaw on the floor, wishing I had more to read.
Deviations gives the readers something to ponder and characters to fall in love with.
I can not wait for the story to continue!
March 20, 2014
Deviations by Crystal C. Johnson is a thriller, mystery, Sic-Fi and touch of romance, with the theme of medical population control. The story is skillfully written, lots of action and well developed characters. I do not usually read Sci-Fi and did not realize Deviations had this component until nearly half way in my reading. The reader is drawn into the story through Henly's fight to survive and the involvement of her family and friends. Many twists and turns keep you wondering how much more Henly and the group can endure. The author's ability to peek my imagination with her words and descriptive writing was a bonus. Johnson's story keeps you involved throughout. The ending was a surprise. I have no hesitation in recommending this book.
September 4, 2016
This story will pull at every emotion you have and then some. It takes a person who has been hurt and truly knows pain to understand this book. The ending is left a bit open but it truly is like no other. You will not read another book quite like this one and as many books as I have read that says a lot. Sometimes it takes not knowing and fear to make you do some of the things you would never be able to do without them. Sometimes love prevails even if it is not what you wanted or expected in the end but not all stories have a great ending even if the ending costs us more than we expected in the beginning
June 1, 2016
I was hesitant to read this book at first because of all the dystopian type novels that have taken over the young adult book shelves, but I am so glad that I picked this one up. The story line is so intriguing and fast paced and I loved the characters. They are so relatable and I felt as if I really knew them by the end. It definitely kept me on the edge of my seat and I cannot wait to read the next one.
February 17, 2014
You're going to want to read this book! I don't usually read YA books, but this one was good. The action was well placed, and the story was exceptional and almost believable. If I had to compare it to other books I've read I would have to compare it to The Hunger Games and Walking Dead, but only because of the interest of the plot and the action. GREAT read
September 13, 2016
I read this book in basically three sittings. I'm a sucker for teen fiction and this one kept me gripped right until the last page. There were a lot of unexpected plot twists and I found the lead character very relatable. This book is action packed and I couldn't put it down.
April 27, 2014
Action packed
not your typical zombie story, very creative. shocking ending. is there a second book!? I'm dying to read more. have to pay attention or you'll get confused about what is going on.
not your typical zombie story, very creative. shocking ending. is there a second book!? I'm dying to read more. have to pay attention or you'll get confused about what is going on.
May 6, 2014
Good storyline. The book held my attention.
The story moved a long at a good pace. Two characters were interesting and well developed. I can't wait for the next book in, I hope, a series. Don't miss this one!
The story moved a long at a good pace. Two characters were interesting and well developed. I can't wait for the next book in, I hope, a series. Don't miss this one!
July 14, 2014
Wow, talk about deception, this story has so many twists and turns you begin to wonder which side is up. I want more of this story, but it shakes one's faith in the goodness of mankind. Thankfully my circle who I run into doesn't include the types of "bad guys" found in this story!!
August 13, 2016
I really did like the book. It follows some of the popular themes of today but with some awesome twists that keep you wanting more.
February 28, 2014
This wasn't a book I would typically read but I ended up really liking it. The main characters were fascinating and the psychology behind their motives really kept me guessing all the way to the end.
May 3, 2014
Awesomeness
I like reading books like this I really hope you like as well when you buy it (: (: (:
I like reading books like this I really hope you like as well when you buy it (: (: (:
August 6, 2014
fantastic but I want the next book now
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews