What do you think?
Rate this book
Acceptance #1
Rite of Rejection
Straight-laced, sixteen-year-old Rebecca can’t wait for her Acceptance. A fancy ball, eligible bachelors, and her debut as an official member of society. Instead, the Machine rejects Rebecca. Labeled as a future criminal, she’s shipped off to a life sentence in a lawless penal colony.
A life behind barbed wire fences with the world’s most dangerous people terrifies Rebecca. She reluctantly joins a band of misfit teens in a risky escape plan, complete with an accidental fiancé she’s almost certain she can learn to love.
But freedom comes with a price. To escape a doomed future and prove her innocence Rebecca must embrace the criminal within.
A teen and young adult dystopian adventure of crime, romance and survival.
A life behind barbed wire fences with the world’s most dangerous people terrifies Rebecca. She reluctantly joins a band of misfit teens in a risky escape plan, complete with an accidental fiancé she’s almost certain she can learn to love.
But freedom comes with a price. To escape a doomed future and prove her innocence Rebecca must embrace the criminal within.
A teen and young adult dystopian adventure of crime, romance and survival.
ebook
First published December 4, 2014
327 people are currently reading
1255 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Negovetich
12 books84 followersSarah Negovetich knows you don't know how to pronounce her name and she's okay with that.
Her first love is Young Adult novels, because at seventeen the world is your oyster. Only oysters are slimy and more than a little salty; it's accurate if not exactly motivational. We should come up with a better cliché.
Sarah divides her time between writing YA books that her husband won’t read and working with amazing authors as an agent at Corvisiero Literary Agency. Her life’s goal is to be only a mildly embarrassing mom when her kids hit their teens.
You can learn more about Sarah and her books at www.SarahNegovetich.com.
Her first love is Young Adult novels, because at seventeen the world is your oyster. Only oysters are slimy and more than a little salty; it's accurate if not exactly motivational. We should come up with a better cliché.
Sarah divides her time between writing YA books that her husband won’t read and working with amazing authors as an agent at Corvisiero Literary Agency. Her life’s goal is to be only a mildly embarrassing mom when her kids hit their teens.
You can learn more about Sarah and her books at www.SarahNegovetich.com.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 173 reviews
March 16, 2017
This book had so much potential, but, to me, fell short. Becca is condemned to the PIT, where all the 'criminals' go for the safety of society, but doesn't truly belong there. Sounds promising, right? I don't know, I just kept expecting something really big to happen, but even the parts with action were pretty predictable. It did have a really big twist around the middle that was a big surprise, but other than that.... There was a bit of romance, but with the wrong guy until the end. It was sad to hear some of the reasons that people were sent there for. I get the feeling most of them weren't criminals, but deemed 'defective' by the government. This book had a hell of a cliffhanger, but I don't know if I'm going to read book 2.
June 24, 2018
⚡ Read for the KU Shitathon 2018 Challenge over at the MacHalos ⚡
Between 3.5 and 4 Stars <--- Subject to change
Hmm not sure how to rate this.. *rubs chin while thinking of potatoes*
I need to deliberate so review coming ✔
◼ Book: #2 -- Week: 17/06 - 30/06 ◼
Between 3.5 and 4 Stars <--- Subject to change
Hmm not sure how to rate this.. *rubs chin while thinking of potatoes*
I need to deliberate so review coming ✔
◼ Book: #2 -- Week: 17/06 - 30/06 ◼
December 20, 2014
As a Dystopian addict I was excited by the premise of this book, unfortunately I was left disappointed The main character was extremely childish and naive. Now at first I thought this was on purpose, however she never changed from that personality. Her character growth came in the form of supposedly stronger muscles but no strength of mind.
My other issue with this story was that nothing felt real, the characters were two dimensional, essentially lifeless and the plot felt underdeveloped and flat. Overall, interesting concept but the execution failed.
Buy, Borrow or Bin Verdict: Bin
Note: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
February 15, 2016
4.25 stars!
Amazing writing. Evolving characters. Engaging plot twists. This is how I summarize Sarah Negovetich’s debut novel, Rite of Rejection.
First, I loved the premise of the book–a future society uses a machine to predict a person’s tendencies while still a teen, to weed out people who will harm the society in the future. I’d not seen such an idea explored and it’s pretty scary if you really think about it... Read my full review on my blog at
http://blog.lrwlee.com/2016/02/15/rev...
Amazing writing. Evolving characters. Engaging plot twists. This is how I summarize Sarah Negovetich’s debut novel, Rite of Rejection.
First, I loved the premise of the book–a future society uses a machine to predict a person’s tendencies while still a teen, to weed out people who will harm the society in the future. I’d not seen such an idea explored and it’s pretty scary if you really think about it... Read my full review on my blog at
http://blog.lrwlee.com/2016/02/15/rev...
January 12, 2015
Full Review on Brianna's Bookish Confessions.
I received a copy in exchange for an honest review from the publisher. It does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Rebecca along with her classmates are waiting Acceptance day where they are accepted into society. However, if you are not accepted, your sent to the PIT because you could potentially be a criminal. This is the fate Rebecca is given even though she would never hurt a fly. So why is she in the PIT?
“In the PIT, no one is safe and every day is a fight for survival.” — Sarah Negovetich, Rite of Rejection
I really enjoyed this world, it did remind me of some other ones I’ve read and loved. Although, I didn’t feel any attachment to any of the characters. Rebecca at first came off to me as whiny, but as the story progressed, her character really started to develop and I started liking her more. I did like the side characters, Molly probably being my favorite of them. I wasn’t a big fan of the love triangle that developed, and thankfully that didn’t last long. I did like the romance that did blossom by the end of the book though. Though, at the beginning of the book I was rooting for the other guy and by about half way, completely changed my mind!
I’m hoping that in the sequel we will get to see more of the world. I’m curious to see the world outside the PIT as there wasn’t many scenes outside from the PIT. I felt this is where the book for me was lacking the most, was world development and back stories to better understand this world. The characters and romance definitely were developing, but as the story progressed, the world was left behind. I want to know more about the Cardinal and why he is like this and all things that come with it. I felt the back story that was given was a little rushed and I didn’t get to truly understand the world.
I also really liked the machine that would tell you whether your an acceptable citizen or a criminal. I found it very interesting how the machine told you whether you were or not. I also liked the concept of the Acceptance day and what went about that day- finding your potential husband and the dances.
I’m really hoping there is a sequel, mostly because of the cliffhanger at the end, but also because I want more to this world. This definitely could have been an easy 5 star read if I would have gotten more explanation to the world and connected more with the characters. I would still definitely recommend this to friends who are fans of dystopian.
I received a copy in exchange for an honest review from the publisher. It does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Rebecca along with her classmates are waiting Acceptance day where they are accepted into society. However, if you are not accepted, your sent to the PIT because you could potentially be a criminal. This is the fate Rebecca is given even though she would never hurt a fly. So why is she in the PIT?
“In the PIT, no one is safe and every day is a fight for survival.” — Sarah Negovetich, Rite of Rejection
I really enjoyed this world, it did remind me of some other ones I’ve read and loved. Although, I didn’t feel any attachment to any of the characters. Rebecca at first came off to me as whiny, but as the story progressed, her character really started to develop and I started liking her more. I did like the side characters, Molly probably being my favorite of them. I wasn’t a big fan of the love triangle that developed, and thankfully that didn’t last long. I did like the romance that did blossom by the end of the book though. Though, at the beginning of the book I was rooting for the other guy and by about half way, completely changed my mind!
I’m hoping that in the sequel we will get to see more of the world. I’m curious to see the world outside the PIT as there wasn’t many scenes outside from the PIT. I felt this is where the book for me was lacking the most, was world development and back stories to better understand this world. The characters and romance definitely were developing, but as the story progressed, the world was left behind. I want to know more about the Cardinal and why he is like this and all things that come with it. I felt the back story that was given was a little rushed and I didn’t get to truly understand the world.
I also really liked the machine that would tell you whether your an acceptable citizen or a criminal. I found it very interesting how the machine told you whether you were or not. I also liked the concept of the Acceptance day and what went about that day- finding your potential husband and the dances.
I’m really hoping there is a sequel, mostly because of the cliffhanger at the end, but also because I want more to this world. This definitely could have been an easy 5 star read if I would have gotten more explanation to the world and connected more with the characters. I would still definitely recommend this to friends who are fans of dystopian.
June 24, 2017
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to Sarah Negovetich and NetGalley.)
This story started out okay, but I lost interest.
I didn’t really love any of the characters in this book; Rebecca was sweet but naïve, but the rest of them didn’t make me feel anything at all.
The storyline in this dragged a bit for me, and I began to lose interest. I didn’t initially understand the relevance of ‘the PIT’, or why people were really sent there, and I started to not really care either.
There was some romance, but I wasn’t really interested in it.
The ending was okay, but it just didn’t feel like anything had really been solved. Sure they had a plan, but it was half-baked, and I really didn’t see anything major coming from it!
6 out of 10
This story started out okay, but I lost interest.
I didn’t really love any of the characters in this book; Rebecca was sweet but naïve, but the rest of them didn’t make me feel anything at all.
The storyline in this dragged a bit for me, and I began to lose interest. I didn’t initially understand the relevance of ‘the PIT’, or why people were really sent there, and I started to not really care either.
There was some romance, but I wasn’t really interested in it.
The ending was okay, but it just didn’t feel like anything had really been solved. Sure they had a plan, but it was half-baked, and I really didn’t see anything major coming from it!
6 out of 10
March 3, 2016
3.5 stars
So there were some things I didn't see coming so that was a plus. I really had a hard time liking Rebecca until the end. And speaking of the ending - ugh! I will never remember what happened in the book once the next one comes out, and it ends in the middle of the action. It was a really fast read so re-reading is not out of the picture. I just hate to read something that I've already read. Maybe Recaptains will have a summary by then. This was a good, solid dystopia. Some of the logic behind the world is a little shaky. I never believe in a world where everyone agrees with the rules. For example, no matter what the government said about my child being a criminal, I would fight with my dying breath before I let them take her. Too many people in the pit had parents for there not to be some unrest and disobedience.
So there were some things I didn't see coming so that was a plus. I really had a hard time liking Rebecca until the end. And speaking of the ending - ugh! I will never remember what happened in the book once the next one comes out, and it ends in the middle of the action. It was a really fast read so re-reading is not out of the picture. I just hate to read something that I've already read. Maybe Recaptains will have a summary by then. This was a good, solid dystopia. Some of the logic behind the world is a little shaky. I never believe in a world where everyone agrees with the rules. For example, no matter what the government said about my child being a criminal, I would fight with my dying breath before I let them take her. Too many people in the pit had parents for there not to be some unrest and disobedience.
December 9, 2014
This was a refreshingly original dystopian. At first it seemed similar to others (in the beginning it reminded me of The Selection, Delirium, and Matched), but it quickly diverged and took its own path. I've gotten pretty good at figuring out the plots of YA novels, but this one had me guessing. Not that the plot was shocking, but it was relatively original. Rebecca is looking forward to her Acceptance ceremony and the ball that follows after she's been accepted into society. At the Acceptance ceremony, everyone goes through the Machine, which tells who will become criminals. Those people are removed from society and put in a prison camp. Of course Rebecca unexpectedly is deemed by the Machine to be a criminal. She's sent to the PIT, where the real story starts.
There's some romance, but it's not quite the focus of the book the way I expected it would be. And the ending!! Ugh! Such a cliffhanger! I wanted to read the next book anyway, but now I can't wait!
This and other reviews can be found at Folded Between the Pages of Books
There's some romance, but it's not quite the focus of the book the way I expected it would be. And the ending!! Ugh! Such a cliffhanger! I wanted to read the next book anyway, but now I can't wait!
This and other reviews can be found at Folded Between the Pages of Books
January 10, 2015
This book is Matched crossed with Delirium. Rite of Rejection has renewed my faith in self-published novels. Generally, I avoid them because they are not normally submitted to the same amount of editing and revising that books published by a big publishing company are. In this case, I'm wrong. It's a dark dystopian novel where all the teens have to go through the ceremony of Acceptance before they are officially a member of society, except that the ceremony is corrupt and it's not just the criminals and low-lifes that end up in the Pit. It's a pretty dark book but it has an interesting plot and is well-written. The ending--although unique--is a bit unsatisfying but I read on the author's blog that there might be a sequel (big might) so my fingers are crossed.
Check out my full review on my blog here.
Check out my full review on my blog here.
December 3, 2014
REVIEW. RITE OF REJECTION
In the totalitarian dystopia in which Rebecca grew up, lives, careers, and roles are of course prearranged for the benefit of society, not individuals. Now 16, she is ready for the ceremony of Acceptance at which she will find an appropriate suitor. Boys receive Assignment to career positions. But Rebecca's hopes are in vain, and instead of Acceptance, she is granted Rejection, and must leave her community, branded a criminal and outcast. Readers of Dystopian YA will surely devour this well-designed story.
In the totalitarian dystopia in which Rebecca grew up, lives, careers, and roles are of course prearranged for the benefit of society, not individuals. Now 16, she is ready for the ceremony of Acceptance at which she will find an appropriate suitor. Boys receive Assignment to career positions. But Rebecca's hopes are in vain, and instead of Acceptance, she is granted Rejection, and must leave her community, branded a criminal and outcast. Readers of Dystopian YA will surely devour this well-designed story.
December 3, 2014
(I received a copy from Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.)
Actual rating - 2.5
This started out alright, but i quickly lost interest.
The characters weren't awful, but i didn't warm to any of them enough to like them, or really care about them.
The main problem i had with this was the pacing. It was a bit too slow for me, and everything dragged because of it. I felt like the book would never end at some points.
Overall, Not a read that i enjoyed.
Actual rating - 2.5
This started out alright, but i quickly lost interest.
The characters weren't awful, but i didn't warm to any of them enough to like them, or really care about them.
The main problem i had with this was the pacing. It was a bit too slow for me, and everything dragged because of it. I felt like the book would never end at some points.
Overall, Not a read that i enjoyed.
February 15, 2016
4.25 stars!
Amazing writing. Evolving characters. Engaging plot twists. This is how I summarize Sarah Negovetich’s debut novel, Rite of Rejection. Read my review on my blog at http://blog.lrwlee.com/2016/02/15/rev...
Amazing writing. Evolving characters. Engaging plot twists. This is how I summarize Sarah Negovetich’s debut novel, Rite of Rejection. Read my review on my blog at http://blog.lrwlee.com/2016/02/15/rev...
November 25, 2014
I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review
I featured Rite of Rejection in a cover/chapter reveal at the beginning of November. While dystopian is not my go to genre, I just had to read this book after reading Chapter One. Beautifully written with a great main character, Rite of Rejection did not disappoint. Frankly, this novel had the best first chapter that I've read in a long time. I was sucked in from page one.
Ms. Negovetich does an amazing job with main character Rebecca. We are thrown into her life at a major turning point. It didn't take many pages for me to develop feelings for this character. While I enjoyed all of the characters in the story, none were quite as developed as Rebecca. There are so many stories about these interesting people waiting to be told, hopefully in future books. I really wanted a bit more about the main secondary characters, especially Daniel and Eric. Eric was an enigma whose actions I had trouble understanding.
The first third to half of the book is amazing-- can't put it down even if I had to amazing. It slowed a bit at the halfway point before picking up again toward the end. It's rather interesting in that the first portion of the book takes place over a few days, while the later part over a few months. Sometimes I felt like things were a bit rushed in the second half. There were many instances when I was left wanting more: detail, explanation, just more.
The imagery in this novel is very well written. I swear there were times I could smell and taste the stink of the PIT. The ending was intriguing. While some would call it a cliffhanger, it still satisfied my need for some resolution. I'm not sure if the author planned this as a series or not, but the ending can serve either purpose. Personally I would devour more and gladly. I have a mountain of questions in need of answers. I highly recommend Rite of Rejection to everyone, even those who think they don't like dystopian. This novel might just change your mind.
I featured Rite of Rejection in a cover/chapter reveal at the beginning of November. While dystopian is not my go to genre, I just had to read this book after reading Chapter One. Beautifully written with a great main character, Rite of Rejection did not disappoint. Frankly, this novel had the best first chapter that I've read in a long time. I was sucked in from page one.
Ms. Negovetich does an amazing job with main character Rebecca. We are thrown into her life at a major turning point. It didn't take many pages for me to develop feelings for this character. While I enjoyed all of the characters in the story, none were quite as developed as Rebecca. There are so many stories about these interesting people waiting to be told, hopefully in future books. I really wanted a bit more about the main secondary characters, especially Daniel and Eric. Eric was an enigma whose actions I had trouble understanding.
The first third to half of the book is amazing-- can't put it down even if I had to amazing. It slowed a bit at the halfway point before picking up again toward the end. It's rather interesting in that the first portion of the book takes place over a few days, while the later part over a few months. Sometimes I felt like things were a bit rushed in the second half. There were many instances when I was left wanting more: detail, explanation, just more.
The imagery in this novel is very well written. I swear there were times I could smell and taste the stink of the PIT. The ending was intriguing. While some would call it a cliffhanger, it still satisfied my need for some resolution. I'm not sure if the author planned this as a series or not, but the ending can serve either purpose. Personally I would devour more and gladly. I have a mountain of questions in need of answers. I highly recommend Rite of Rejection to everyone, even those who think they don't like dystopian. This novel might just change your mind.
December 4, 2014
Rite of Rejection is a totally new dystopian world created by Sarah Negovetich.
Rebecca thought her life was set but instead of her debut, she is thrust into a terrifying future chosen by “the Machine” that rejects her as a criminal. This is Rebecca’s story and her fight to survive as a pampered young woman thrown into a the criminal element living on the fringes of her society.
Interesting and entertaining, Rite of Rejection had huge potential. The synopsis screamed this was a perfect read for me. But in the end, it left me wishing it had more details/world building and Rebecca had a more substantial backbone.
There is a love triangle and I really appreciated how Negovetich handles Rebecca’s ultimate choice.
I did like this story and saw many possibilities with this society as a whole and the potential it could bring to extending stories.
I received this copy of Rite of Rejection from the author in exchange for a honest review.
Written by: Sarah Negovetich
Page Count: 322 pages
Publication Date: November 12, 2014
Rating: 3.5 Stars
ISBN-10: 1500675652
ISBN-13: 978-1500675653
Genre: Dystopia Romance
Find this book on: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Reviewed for: http://tometender.blogspot.com
Rebecca thought her life was set but instead of her debut, she is thrust into a terrifying future chosen by “the Machine” that rejects her as a criminal. This is Rebecca’s story and her fight to survive as a pampered young woman thrown into a the criminal element living on the fringes of her society.
Interesting and entertaining, Rite of Rejection had huge potential. The synopsis screamed this was a perfect read for me. But in the end, it left me wishing it had more details/world building and Rebecca had a more substantial backbone.
There is a love triangle and I really appreciated how Negovetich handles Rebecca’s ultimate choice.
I did like this story and saw many possibilities with this society as a whole and the potential it could bring to extending stories.
I received this copy of Rite of Rejection from the author in exchange for a honest review.
Written by: Sarah Negovetich
Page Count: 322 pages
Publication Date: November 12, 2014
Rating: 3.5 Stars
ISBN-10: 1500675652
ISBN-13: 978-1500675653
Genre: Dystopia Romance
Find this book on: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Reviewed for: http://tometender.blogspot.com
November 18, 2014
Rebecca looks forward to her Acceptance ceremony where she'll join the rest of society as a full citizen and become a wife and mother. The society here is a juicy throwback to American in the 1950s, complete with structured and controlled gender roles. When crime became out of control, society found a way to fix it by banishing all the criminals and all future ones.
Imagine Rebecca's surprised when the girl who never breaks a rule is sent to the penitentiary colony called the PIT. Here she must learn to survive among true criminals and those deemed unworthy. And of course, there's a guy or two along the way.
I really liked Becca's character when she grew and began to stand up for herself. The transition between scared crybaby to assured girl was handled brilliantly! Becca evolved very naturally and believable.
The mood of the PIT was well set up with enough scenes to show the horrors of the place, but not too much to bog down the pacing. Plot and character development all moved along swiftly with no room for a reader to get bored or fidgety.
The world building was superb. So many little details really sell the reader.
I'm not a huge fan of love triangles but I couldn't really count this as one. The competition for Becca had barely gotten started before the author resolved it. I do however want to know more about the ending. Rite of Rejection cleverly leaves the reader wanting more!
Elizabeth was my favorite character and I hope a sequel includes her.
I received my copy from Net Galley for an honest review.
Imagine Rebecca's surprised when the girl who never breaks a rule is sent to the penitentiary colony called the PIT. Here she must learn to survive among true criminals and those deemed unworthy. And of course, there's a guy or two along the way.
I really liked Becca's character when she grew and began to stand up for herself. The transition between scared crybaby to assured girl was handled brilliantly! Becca evolved very naturally and believable.
The mood of the PIT was well set up with enough scenes to show the horrors of the place, but not too much to bog down the pacing. Plot and character development all moved along swiftly with no room for a reader to get bored or fidgety.
The world building was superb. So many little details really sell the reader.
I'm not a huge fan of love triangles but I couldn't really count this as one. The competition for Becca had barely gotten started before the author resolved it. I do however want to know more about the ending. Rite of Rejection cleverly leaves the reader wanting more!
Elizabeth was my favorite character and I hope a sequel includes her.
I received my copy from Net Galley for an honest review.
March 17, 2015
Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com
Rebecca can't wait for her Acceptance. Because, as a good civilian, there's no way she'll fail Acceptance. The machine doesn't make mistakes. It filters the good people from the future criminals. So, when Rebecca gets Rejected, she keeps asking herself one question: why?!
The story of Rite of Rejection is remarkably similar to that of Branded that I read last year, only I liked this one a lot better. Okay, the story might not be the most original out there, like all YA dystopians that flood the publishing world lately, I did really enjoy myself and finished this book almost in a single session (except for the first 10% or so which I read months ago).
I'll admit that Rebecca starts as a whiny character, but for once I had to agree that this was indeed logical. She has been spoiled all her life and almost shell-shocked into being labelled a criminal. She's hopelessly naive though (and some very convenient plot points help her out a lot). It didn't bother me a lot though.
I started sighing at the first signs of the love triangle, but although it was completely unnecessary and added nothing to the plot it didn't last too long. The side characters were better than most other books I recently read.
The story had it's moments and some nice twist. I'm looking forward to the sequel.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Rebecca can't wait for her Acceptance. Because, as a good civilian, there's no way she'll fail Acceptance. The machine doesn't make mistakes. It filters the good people from the future criminals. So, when Rebecca gets Rejected, she keeps asking herself one question: why?!
The story of Rite of Rejection is remarkably similar to that of Branded that I read last year, only I liked this one a lot better. Okay, the story might not be the most original out there, like all YA dystopians that flood the publishing world lately, I did really enjoy myself and finished this book almost in a single session (except for the first 10% or so which I read months ago).
I'll admit that Rebecca starts as a whiny character, but for once I had to agree that this was indeed logical. She has been spoiled all her life and almost shell-shocked into being labelled a criminal. She's hopelessly naive though (and some very convenient plot points help her out a lot). It didn't bother me a lot though.
I started sighing at the first signs of the love triangle, but although it was completely unnecessary and added nothing to the plot it didn't last too long. The side characters were better than most other books I recently read.
The story had it's moments and some nice twist. I'm looking forward to the sequel.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
December 21, 2014
So many emotions hit me while reading this one. I found it at Netgalley, where I got a copy for free in exchange for an honest review. I didn't read the blurb, had no idea what the story was about - saw the cover and it listed in YA, and jumped in. Read the whole thing from cover to cover in one day. During the first chapter, I was like, cool...so it's a steampunk? Nope. Then I began to realize it was dystopian. There are only two factions - the haves and the havenots in this one, and a machine chooses where each belongs. So then it started to feel a little cliche, but please, read on! The book is full of emotional twists and turns. I would have liked if the author stayed away from the slightly religious element (negative on religion in a Phillip Pullman kind of way) but it did not deter from the great read. This easily would have been my favorite read of 2014, had it not been for the ending that made me flip back and forth and ask, that was the end? FOR REAL?
June 14, 2017
Die Welt von 'Rite of Rejection' liegt in der Zukunft. Der Herscher des Landes hat eine Maschine, die die Guten von den Schlechten trennt. Das passiert wenn die Jugendlichen in die Gesellschaft eingeführt werden im Alter von 16. Die Mädchen werden, wie früher bei einem Ball teilnehmen und ihre Verehrer tragen sich auf die Tanzkarte ein.
Rebecca ist ganz aufgeregt, weil sie endlich auf den Ball gehen darf. Sie freut sich und ist komplett aus dem Häuschen, als beim Mittagessen ein gutaussehender, selbstbewußter Junge sie anspricht und sich in ihre Tanzkarte einträgt. Aber vor dem Ball steht die Auswahl der Maschine und ab da geht für Rebecca alles bergab.
Sie wird aussortiert und kommt in ein Lager für die Aussortierten. Dort ist es gefährlich, erst recht für junge, naive Mädchen. Sie trifft dort erneut auf ihren Verehrer und er holt sie in die kleine Gruppe um seine ältere Schwester. Gemeinsam überlegen sie, wieso sie hier sind und wie man das ändern kann.
Der Plot und das Setting ist spannend. Aber Rebecca ist kein sympathischer Mensch. Sie hat eigentlich keine eigene Meinung. Die Wende am Ende kommt plötzlich. Da wird sie zum großen Anführer, aber der Weg dahin ist nicht nachvollziehbar.
Alles in allem ok, aber es reizt mich nicht den nächsten Band zu lesen.
Rebecca ist ganz aufgeregt, weil sie endlich auf den Ball gehen darf. Sie freut sich und ist komplett aus dem Häuschen, als beim Mittagessen ein gutaussehender, selbstbewußter Junge sie anspricht und sich in ihre Tanzkarte einträgt. Aber vor dem Ball steht die Auswahl der Maschine und ab da geht für Rebecca alles bergab.
Sie wird aussortiert und kommt in ein Lager für die Aussortierten. Dort ist es gefährlich, erst recht für junge, naive Mädchen. Sie trifft dort erneut auf ihren Verehrer und er holt sie in die kleine Gruppe um seine ältere Schwester. Gemeinsam überlegen sie, wieso sie hier sind und wie man das ändern kann.
Der Plot und das Setting ist spannend. Aber Rebecca ist kein sympathischer Mensch. Sie hat eigentlich keine eigene Meinung. Die Wende am Ende kommt plötzlich. Da wird sie zum großen Anführer, aber der Weg dahin ist nicht nachvollziehbar.
Alles in allem ok, aber es reizt mich nicht den nächsten Band zu lesen.
July 14, 2017
This was an interesting book. Imagine taking a jaunt into a dystopian society where you land on the loser's side of the line--no trial, no questioning, just tossed to the wolves...while your family stands by.
Welcome to the world of hard knocks. For that reason, I enjoyed this book. Rebecca was a likable character, and I am very tempted to continue reading this book series. Great conflict. Interesting cast.
Content warning: No language. Mention of prostitution and distant glimpses of crime.
Welcome to the world of hard knocks. For that reason, I enjoyed this book. Rebecca was a likable character, and I am very tempted to continue reading this book series. Great conflict. Interesting cast.
Content warning: No language. Mention of prostitution and distant glimpses of crime.
January 1, 2015
Full review and more available at:http://oneguysguidetogoodreads.blogsp...
*********************************************************************************
My Thoughts
Sarah first approached me back in October about reviewing her upcoming novel. I read the synopsis and thought it sounded pretty awesome. I responded back to Sarah, and an awesome partnership was born. While it took me quite a bit longer than I anticipated to get this novel read and reviewed, every second was worth the wait. Holy smokes, what a phenomenal way to end 2014! This book actually ended up being one of my favorite reads!
In true One Guy's Guide to Good Reads, allow me to get the negatives out of the way first. While I ended up truly loving this novel, it didn't start out that way. For some reason, it really took me a bit to get into this story. I'm not sure if it was my mindset or what, but I really couldn't get into it. I have to say that the dystopian genre is getting to be pretty bloated, so it takes something pretty amazing to grab my attention. There is only so many times I can read about a futuristic War-torn United States before I am going to lose my mind. Hunger Games, Divergent, Matched... Need I go on? This novel really reminded me a lot of some of the other extremely popular dystopian series out there. It really wasn't until we got passed the introductory stage of the book that I became interested. It wasn't due to any bad writing or anything negative on Sarah's part, I was just looking for what made Rite of Rejection different. And then I found it. That's where any and all comparisons stopped.
My only other complaint about Rite of Rejection is kind of a moot point, but bear with me here. So in RoR there were more than a few moments that were.... cringe worthy. Moments where I was like "is this really about to happen...?" or "Oh no, I hope that doesn't...." and then they actually don't. Sarah is tricky. Seriously several times in this novel I thought the book was going to take one direction, then at the last moment something came out of left field and 'rightened' out the plot. I dig it. I like being kept on my toes, but those few moments of hesitation were almost more than I could handle!
Complaints over. Let's rave.
So the characters in Rite of Rejection were phenomenal. I loved each and every one. As you guys all know, I have a soft spot for villains and as it turns out, this time was no exception. My favorite character in RoR was actually the villain. I can't say who or why because it would be a huge spoiler in the plot line, but seriously. It happened. Sarah's character development in this novel was spot on. The way I felt about these characters was genuine. Every triumph had me cheering, while every pitfall gave me the blues. We all know how important characters can be to a storyline, and Sarah did a great job incorporating phenomenal ones into hers. I also loved how the characters did a really great job of representing society in different facets. Unlike other dystopians, in RoR, it is through the characters in which we learn about the surrounding world and life, not the plot. That was very unique to me. It's amazing how much Sarah was able to say with so few words.
The originality of this read is what really made it stand out for me. Dystopians are everywhere these days so you really have to do something special for me to take this much interest. Sarah did. Never before have I ever seen such an idea implemented in a novel. This was absolutely fantastic. Sarah is on top of her A-game and Rite of Rejection is a work that definitely stands on its' own. I have mad respect for that. There is no need for any comparisons here, in fact, others should be trying to live up to this standard. If every dystopian author put half as much work into their novels as Sarah clearly did here, we would have such an over-inflated sub-genre.
The last big thing I want to bring up is the setting in RoR. So if you guys read the synopsis and have heard about the book, you've heard of the PIT. The PIT is where the "outcasts" of society are sent to live after their Acceptance 'Rejection". The world that Sarah creates inside the pit is amazing. It was truly like I was there. Imagine the worst post-apocalyptic city you can, covered in trash, filth, crawling with rapists, and never knowing what may lurk around the corner. Yes. That. Seriously. The mood that Sarah set for the settling was perfect. I seriously think that was my favorite part of this novel.
I don't know about you guys, but I absolutely cannot wait for the next book in this series. Fair warning, book one ends on a rather abrupt note with a massive cliffhanger. Don't say I didn't warn ya. I was so upset to see it end there!
In the end, Rite of Rejection proved to not be just an amazing book, it proved to be one of my favorite reads of 2014. Seriously. I saved one of the bests for last in this instance because I wouldn't have changed a thing. Loved. This. Book. It should be no surprise then, that I am granting Rite of Rejection an extremely well-deserved 5-star review! You guys have got to check out this debut novel from Sarah Negovetich, you will not be disappointed!
*********************************************************************************
*********************************************************************************
My Thoughts
Sarah first approached me back in October about reviewing her upcoming novel. I read the synopsis and thought it sounded pretty awesome. I responded back to Sarah, and an awesome partnership was born. While it took me quite a bit longer than I anticipated to get this novel read and reviewed, every second was worth the wait. Holy smokes, what a phenomenal way to end 2014! This book actually ended up being one of my favorite reads!
In true One Guy's Guide to Good Reads, allow me to get the negatives out of the way first. While I ended up truly loving this novel, it didn't start out that way. For some reason, it really took me a bit to get into this story. I'm not sure if it was my mindset or what, but I really couldn't get into it. I have to say that the dystopian genre is getting to be pretty bloated, so it takes something pretty amazing to grab my attention. There is only so many times I can read about a futuristic War-torn United States before I am going to lose my mind. Hunger Games, Divergent, Matched... Need I go on? This novel really reminded me a lot of some of the other extremely popular dystopian series out there. It really wasn't until we got passed the introductory stage of the book that I became interested. It wasn't due to any bad writing or anything negative on Sarah's part, I was just looking for what made Rite of Rejection different. And then I found it. That's where any and all comparisons stopped.
My only other complaint about Rite of Rejection is kind of a moot point, but bear with me here. So in RoR there were more than a few moments that were.... cringe worthy. Moments where I was like "is this really about to happen...?" or "Oh no, I hope that doesn't...." and then they actually don't. Sarah is tricky. Seriously several times in this novel I thought the book was going to take one direction, then at the last moment something came out of left field and 'rightened' out the plot. I dig it. I like being kept on my toes, but those few moments of hesitation were almost more than I could handle!
Complaints over. Let's rave.
So the characters in Rite of Rejection were phenomenal. I loved each and every one. As you guys all know, I have a soft spot for villains and as it turns out, this time was no exception. My favorite character in RoR was actually the villain. I can't say who or why because it would be a huge spoiler in the plot line, but seriously. It happened. Sarah's character development in this novel was spot on. The way I felt about these characters was genuine. Every triumph had me cheering, while every pitfall gave me the blues. We all know how important characters can be to a storyline, and Sarah did a great job incorporating phenomenal ones into hers. I also loved how the characters did a really great job of representing society in different facets. Unlike other dystopians, in RoR, it is through the characters in which we learn about the surrounding world and life, not the plot. That was very unique to me. It's amazing how much Sarah was able to say with so few words.
The originality of this read is what really made it stand out for me. Dystopians are everywhere these days so you really have to do something special for me to take this much interest. Sarah did. Never before have I ever seen such an idea implemented in a novel. This was absolutely fantastic. Sarah is on top of her A-game and Rite of Rejection is a work that definitely stands on its' own. I have mad respect for that. There is no need for any comparisons here, in fact, others should be trying to live up to this standard. If every dystopian author put half as much work into their novels as Sarah clearly did here, we would have such an over-inflated sub-genre.
The last big thing I want to bring up is the setting in RoR. So if you guys read the synopsis and have heard about the book, you've heard of the PIT. The PIT is where the "outcasts" of society are sent to live after their Acceptance 'Rejection". The world that Sarah creates inside the pit is amazing. It was truly like I was there. Imagine the worst post-apocalyptic city you can, covered in trash, filth, crawling with rapists, and never knowing what may lurk around the corner. Yes. That. Seriously. The mood that Sarah set for the settling was perfect. I seriously think that was my favorite part of this novel.
I don't know about you guys, but I absolutely cannot wait for the next book in this series. Fair warning, book one ends on a rather abrupt note with a massive cliffhanger. Don't say I didn't warn ya. I was so upset to see it end there!
In the end, Rite of Rejection proved to not be just an amazing book, it proved to be one of my favorite reads of 2014. Seriously. I saved one of the bests for last in this instance because I wouldn't have changed a thing. Loved. This. Book. It should be no surprise then, that I am granting Rite of Rejection an extremely well-deserved 5-star review! You guys have got to check out this debut novel from Sarah Negovetich, you will not be disappointed!
*********************************************************************************
February 24, 2015
Originally on The Fictional Reader
4.5/5 stars
If you’ve read the synopsis I’ve given above, you might understand why I requested this from Netgalley. I like dystopian books and this seemed like it would be a good one. I am so happy that I got approved for this book, I enjoyed it even more than I was hoping to!
First of all, I will talk a bit about the plot. This book starts the weekend of the Acceptance, when Rebecca is getting ready for the ceremony. But for a reason unknown to her the Machine labels her as a criminal and she is sent to the PIT. Every person/child who is a danger to the society they live in is sent there and it functions as a prison -without any rules.
The story was quite fast-paced in my opinion. In the beginning of the novel, Rebecca is a girl ready to become Accepted, then she soon gets Rejected and labeled as a criminal and stuff happens. It wasn’t rushed at all yet I felt as if so much happened.
I feel as if the writing style didn’t just give you a fast-paced feeling but a descriptive one as well. The author didn’t skim over the terrible things that will probably happen when humans are put in those situations -ever seen/heard of Das Experiment? Witnessing life in the PIT through Rebecca’s eyes was really interesting, but gruesome at the same time. I don’t want to give anything away, but the abuse -both physical and mental- is not skimmed in this book which in my opinion is a good thing, it’s a big part of how the society works and views those labelled as “criminals and waste”.
Secondly, the characters. There were so many interesting characters in this book: I don’t even know where to start. Rebecca, Eric, Daniel, Elizabeth, Molly, Constance, Thomas. Even if they only had the smallest part in the book they intrigued me. I would be interested in novellas from every single person’s POV. The novel combines characters from different social classes, sexual orientations, skin color, everything. Rebecca seemed a bit superficial in the beginning, which I guess is how everyone is raised in this society, but still. The only point when she “bothered” me a bit is when she first got sent to the PIT. She truly saw herself as deserving to be there and a criminal even though she had never done anything wrong -or had any intention to do so in the future. Just because a machine said it. What? She soon evolved and grew though and it was truly great to see.
This novel also deals with topics that are important, yet which people don’t like to talk about. I can’t really tell you which ones because that would probably be a spoiler but you see the main characters go through a hell of a lot.
About 50% into the book, there was a little alarm bell going off in my head: ERROR. LOVE TRIANGLE. Well, not really a triangle, more a rectangle? Without giving anything away about the story, I want to say: there is no love rectangle, nor is there a triangle -to my huge relief. Trust me on that. It may seem like it for a while but there isn’t one.
I would definitely recommend this book to you -if you like YA or dystopian books of course. If you hate the genre, then don’t read this. I thought the writing was fast-paced and so descriptive and honest. The scenes of situations happening in the PIT were horrible to read -although I do think they probably happen in normal prisons now, unfortunately- and I could really envision the PIT. The characters were great as well and I found myself getting quite attached to them.
As a last note, I really hope this is going to be a duology and not a standalone. I can’t deal with that being the ending!
P.S. Note that I said duology. I think this story could benefit so much from a sequel and I would gladly read it. Even though I am obviously not the author and have no say in that whatsoever, I just wanted to mention it.
4.5/5 stars
If you’ve read the synopsis I’ve given above, you might understand why I requested this from Netgalley. I like dystopian books and this seemed like it would be a good one. I am so happy that I got approved for this book, I enjoyed it even more than I was hoping to!
First of all, I will talk a bit about the plot. This book starts the weekend of the Acceptance, when Rebecca is getting ready for the ceremony. But for a reason unknown to her the Machine labels her as a criminal and she is sent to the PIT. Every person/child who is a danger to the society they live in is sent there and it functions as a prison -without any rules.
The story was quite fast-paced in my opinion. In the beginning of the novel, Rebecca is a girl ready to become Accepted, then she soon gets Rejected and labeled as a criminal and stuff happens. It wasn’t rushed at all yet I felt as if so much happened.
I feel as if the writing style didn’t just give you a fast-paced feeling but a descriptive one as well. The author didn’t skim over the terrible things that will probably happen when humans are put in those situations -ever seen/heard of Das Experiment? Witnessing life in the PIT through Rebecca’s eyes was really interesting, but gruesome at the same time. I don’t want to give anything away, but the abuse -both physical and mental- is not skimmed in this book which in my opinion is a good thing, it’s a big part of how the society works and views those labelled as “criminals and waste”.
Secondly, the characters. There were so many interesting characters in this book: I don’t even know where to start. Rebecca, Eric, Daniel, Elizabeth, Molly, Constance, Thomas. Even if they only had the smallest part in the book they intrigued me. I would be interested in novellas from every single person’s POV. The novel combines characters from different social classes, sexual orientations, skin color, everything. Rebecca seemed a bit superficial in the beginning, which I guess is how everyone is raised in this society, but still. The only point when she “bothered” me a bit is when she first got sent to the PIT. She truly saw herself as deserving to be there and a criminal even though she had never done anything wrong -or had any intention to do so in the future. Just because a machine said it. What? She soon evolved and grew though and it was truly great to see.
This novel also deals with topics that are important, yet which people don’t like to talk about. I can’t really tell you which ones because that would probably be a spoiler but you see the main characters go through a hell of a lot.
About 50% into the book, there was a little alarm bell going off in my head: ERROR. LOVE TRIANGLE. Well, not really a triangle, more a rectangle? Without giving anything away about the story, I want to say: there is no love rectangle, nor is there a triangle -to my huge relief. Trust me on that. It may seem like it for a while but there isn’t one.
I would definitely recommend this book to you -if you like YA or dystopian books of course. If you hate the genre, then don’t read this. I thought the writing was fast-paced and so descriptive and honest. The scenes of situations happening in the PIT were horrible to read -although I do think they probably happen in normal prisons now, unfortunately- and I could really envision the PIT. The characters were great as well and I found myself getting quite attached to them.
As a last note, I really hope this is going to be a duology and not a standalone. I can’t deal with that being the ending!
P.S. Note that I said duology. I think this story could benefit so much from a sequel and I would gladly read it. Even though I am obviously not the author and have no say in that whatsoever, I just wanted to mention it.
April 26, 2016
Pretty good. I actually bought this book by accident, but it was on my Amazon wish list...on my Kindle it is very easy to hit the "Buy Now" link because it is not touchscreen and has no keyboard. Luckily, this book was only $.99. So I wasn't devastated. I guess it was meant to be, right?
Because really, I don't know if I would have ever gotten around to buying it on my own. I have a $50 Amazon gift card that I have been meaning to put on my account, but I'm saving it for the books that I really can't get...it's rare to have $50 to spend on books.
Having said that, I also decided to start reading this for a challenge: the theme was Pick A Color (for a cover) and the designated color was green. I planned on reading another book, but I had this one sitting on my device, begging me to read it. The description was too enticing to resist. So I read it, and I liked it a lot. I didn't LOVE it, but I enjoyed it enough to want to continue the series.
Rebecca Collins is a privileged girl. Though her father is a simple processor, her mother makes sure she is decked out in the best for her Acceptance ceremony. The ceremony is similar to a "coming out" society party, and she even gets her first signature on her dance card by a cute boy with stunning blue eyes named Eric. Things couldn't be better: she just has to get through the process of going through the Machine, and she will go to the ball.
When Rebecca stands at the Machine, waiting for the light to turn green and say she is ok for society, and that she is not a future criminal, the lights turn red and she is Rejected. Gone are her fantasies about dancing with Eric, getting married, and being a mother. Her new future is the PIT: the Permanent Isolation Territory. Taken away and thrown in with other "criminals," Rebecca's luck has turned into meager meals and dangerous cliques all around her. Her only method of surviving comes in the form of a scraggly boy with killer blue eyes: Eric is a Reject, too...but maybe, not for long.
That's all I can say without ruining it for others...there's a lot that transpires in this book, and Negovetich does a good job of creating a story world mimicking elements of The Hunger Games and The Selection, with just a hint of Minority Report for flavor. I didn't give it five stars because though it wasn't predictable, similar stories have been done before. She made it different in her own way, and it definitely kept me reading...but it could've been more, you know? It does end abruptly, and I know it is a series...but it could've been a little more conclusive than the sudden cliffhanger that leaves the reader hanging completely. I wanted to give it five stars: I really did. But I just couldn't. But it's a solid four stars...even four and a half if they would just let us give half stars. (I'm so tired of not being able to do that! Sometimes an author deserves a half star, so we either are forced to round up and oversell the book or round down and undersell it. I'm pushing for the half stars, people!!!)
One benefit to this book: though it was set in a future dystopic world, the characters had normal names! Rebecca, Eric, Elizabeth, Daniel...finally! I'm getting really tired of the crazy names. It's getting old, ok? Someone could be a hero and still be named Sally or Sarah or Jessica. Or Stephanie (hint, hint). Nothing wrong with normal names...we've had them for a long time. To the authors of other books: who names their kid "America?" You know what I'm saying...
★★★★☆. Or ★★★★☆ and a half, if they would let me, darn it.
Because really, I don't know if I would have ever gotten around to buying it on my own. I have a $50 Amazon gift card that I have been meaning to put on my account, but I'm saving it for the books that I really can't get...it's rare to have $50 to spend on books.
Having said that, I also decided to start reading this for a challenge: the theme was Pick A Color (for a cover) and the designated color was green. I planned on reading another book, but I had this one sitting on my device, begging me to read it. The description was too enticing to resist. So I read it, and I liked it a lot. I didn't LOVE it, but I enjoyed it enough to want to continue the series.
Rebecca Collins is a privileged girl. Though her father is a simple processor, her mother makes sure she is decked out in the best for her Acceptance ceremony. The ceremony is similar to a "coming out" society party, and she even gets her first signature on her dance card by a cute boy with stunning blue eyes named Eric. Things couldn't be better: she just has to get through the process of going through the Machine, and she will go to the ball.
When Rebecca stands at the Machine, waiting for the light to turn green and say she is ok for society, and that she is not a future criminal, the lights turn red and she is Rejected. Gone are her fantasies about dancing with Eric, getting married, and being a mother. Her new future is the PIT: the Permanent Isolation Territory. Taken away and thrown in with other "criminals," Rebecca's luck has turned into meager meals and dangerous cliques all around her. Her only method of surviving comes in the form of a scraggly boy with killer blue eyes: Eric is a Reject, too...but maybe, not for long.
That's all I can say without ruining it for others...there's a lot that transpires in this book, and Negovetich does a good job of creating a story world mimicking elements of The Hunger Games and The Selection, with just a hint of Minority Report for flavor. I didn't give it five stars because though it wasn't predictable, similar stories have been done before. She made it different in her own way, and it definitely kept me reading...but it could've been more, you know? It does end abruptly, and I know it is a series...but it could've been a little more conclusive than the sudden cliffhanger that leaves the reader hanging completely. I wanted to give it five stars: I really did. But I just couldn't. But it's a solid four stars...even four and a half if they would just let us give half stars. (I'm so tired of not being able to do that! Sometimes an author deserves a half star, so we either are forced to round up and oversell the book or round down and undersell it. I'm pushing for the half stars, people!!!)
One benefit to this book: though it was set in a future dystopic world, the characters had normal names! Rebecca, Eric, Elizabeth, Daniel...finally! I'm getting really tired of the crazy names. It's getting old, ok? Someone could be a hero and still be named Sally or Sarah or Jessica. Or Stephanie (hint, hint). Nothing wrong with normal names...we've had them for a long time. To the authors of other books: who names their kid "America?" You know what I'm saying...
★★★★☆. Or ★★★★☆ and a half, if they would let me, darn it.
December 15, 2014
Rebecca has been the model daughter and can't wait for her Acceptance and the ball that follows. She thrills at the idea of finally being accepted into society and having all the rewards that come with it, but little does she know that she isn't destined for that life!
The day of her Acceptance dawns and Rebecca puts on her finery. She is nervous because she already has a boys name in her dance card and cant wait to dance with Eric. She goes to the ceremony to see that it's different this year because it's being televised. Her best friend steps up to the machine and it turns green to indicate she was Accepted. Now it's Rebeccas turn, she steps up and puts her hand on the machince, waiting for it to turn green, but it doesn't. It turns red and she is immediately whipped away from the ceremony to the PIT.
She has always been told that the pit is a lawless place for hardened criminals. Why was she sent here? Can she survive? When she meets Eric in the pit she is equally stunned, just what is going on here?
While I loved Rite of Rejection, there was two little things I didn't like that made it less enjoyable. For this review, I'm going to list my likes and dislikes. Let's get the negative out of the way first.
My biggest problem with the book was it was lacking. It was lacking information and it was lacking action at parts. I wanted to know a little more about the mechanics behind the machine and more about the world Rebecca lives in. We don't really get any background information on why the world is like it is and why the machine was introduced. We also never get a clear reason why Rebecca was sent to the pit. Also what's with the Cardinal? Who is he? Why is he like he is? As I said, it lacked information.
Parts of the story was also quite slow. I thought when she went to the Pit the action may pick up, but it didn't. Most of the Pit was spent talking about leaving but it did pick up towards the end.
Now onto what I loved.
I really enjoyed the concept of Rite of Rejection. The idea of a machine that can tell if you are a criminal or not is awesome. I also liked the idea of the Pit. Its like a separate society and even though the criminals are sent there, you can still have a decent life (if you don't mind horrible food, guards, and all the bad stuff you can think of).
I loved the characters. While Rebecca is quite shallow at the start, she does grow during the book and becomes stronger. Eric is handsome and comes across as sincere in his feelings for Rebecca. Daniel is my favourite, he is strong, nice and smart. He is an all round nice guy. While Elizabeth is grouchy at the start, her true self shines through. I loved finding out their stories and seeing them grow throughout the book.
I loved how the author put so much into the Pit. It's not a nice place to be and she really puts across that point. Physical abuse is rampant in there and the guards don't care, they even take part sometimes. It's a harsh and dangerous place and the author nailed it!!
Anyway, overall I enjoyed Rite of Rejection. It's a unique and interesting book and I look forward to the next installment (if there is one). The ending left it open for a sequel and I really hope there will be one because I would like to see what happens. Despite the problems I had with the book, which were only minor, I still think it's well worth the read. It would of been a definite 5 star if there was a bit more information.
The day of her Acceptance dawns and Rebecca puts on her finery. She is nervous because she already has a boys name in her dance card and cant wait to dance with Eric. She goes to the ceremony to see that it's different this year because it's being televised. Her best friend steps up to the machine and it turns green to indicate she was Accepted. Now it's Rebeccas turn, she steps up and puts her hand on the machince, waiting for it to turn green, but it doesn't. It turns red and she is immediately whipped away from the ceremony to the PIT.
She has always been told that the pit is a lawless place for hardened criminals. Why was she sent here? Can she survive? When she meets Eric in the pit she is equally stunned, just what is going on here?
While I loved Rite of Rejection, there was two little things I didn't like that made it less enjoyable. For this review, I'm going to list my likes and dislikes. Let's get the negative out of the way first.
My biggest problem with the book was it was lacking. It was lacking information and it was lacking action at parts. I wanted to know a little more about the mechanics behind the machine and more about the world Rebecca lives in. We don't really get any background information on why the world is like it is and why the machine was introduced. We also never get a clear reason why Rebecca was sent to the pit. Also what's with the Cardinal? Who is he? Why is he like he is? As I said, it lacked information.
Parts of the story was also quite slow. I thought when she went to the Pit the action may pick up, but it didn't. Most of the Pit was spent talking about leaving but it did pick up towards the end.
Now onto what I loved.
I really enjoyed the concept of Rite of Rejection. The idea of a machine that can tell if you are a criminal or not is awesome. I also liked the idea of the Pit. Its like a separate society and even though the criminals are sent there, you can still have a decent life (if you don't mind horrible food, guards, and all the bad stuff you can think of).
I loved the characters. While Rebecca is quite shallow at the start, she does grow during the book and becomes stronger. Eric is handsome and comes across as sincere in his feelings for Rebecca. Daniel is my favourite, he is strong, nice and smart. He is an all round nice guy. While Elizabeth is grouchy at the start, her true self shines through. I loved finding out their stories and seeing them grow throughout the book.
I loved how the author put so much into the Pit. It's not a nice place to be and she really puts across that point. Physical abuse is rampant in there and the guards don't care, they even take part sometimes. It's a harsh and dangerous place and the author nailed it!!
Anyway, overall I enjoyed Rite of Rejection. It's a unique and interesting book and I look forward to the next installment (if there is one). The ending left it open for a sequel and I really hope there will be one because I would like to see what happens. Despite the problems I had with the book, which were only minor, I still think it's well worth the read. It would of been a definite 5 star if there was a bit more information.
December 1, 2014
I only read 40% so
Reasons I DNF this Book;
At the start of the novel the MC and her friend are both shopping for the acceptance ball and apparently dance cards have a great importance to these teen girls. Rebecca chooses a paper version of the dance card and the salesman guy comments how wise she is for choosing a paper version over the electronic. Interesting, being wise is now tested on your choice of dance cards. As this was the introduction for the story I think the author was trying to hint that Rebecca was a smart character but what kind of way is that to highlight your character’s cleverness. How long she spent choosing and talking about dance cards was pointless and boring.
There were a lot of clichés. Her friend just ticked the stereotype of being the cutesy boy crazy best friend. Rebecca not knowing her own beauty but then getting the attention of a ‘hot’ guy seconds later. Rebecca being brainwashed by the government before the acceptance ceremony and let’s not talk about her preferences in men, Miss I want a man who demands power and who can save me from every situation.
Eric being so perfectly fake, when he was first introduced I was hoping she would ditch him when she left to go to the Pit but no such luck. Shocker he got rejected! Also Eric and Daniel – I bet that’s going to be a love triangle. Of course they are going to compete against each other for her attention and I bet she loves that. Also Eric is a creep – he’s all over Rebecca and he’s moving way to fast.
What I don’t understand is if the Pit is so bad and everybody is to be feared why are people approaching her, only her and giving her advice. Why are two guys protecting a Rebecca, a stranger to them! Why are they so accepting of her? Have they learned nothing from their experience at the Pit! Also when she’s doing the test that Elizabeth sets her to do when she goes into the building she isn’t caught by any workers, surely even without cameras they’d spot a criminal walking around.
One thing this book includes is how badly women are treated. The circumstances of the Pit and anything like it as the idea isn’t exactly original, it’s a harsh life and realistically women are abused physically, verbally and sexually in these situations. So there’s this scene when someone new to the Pit like Rebecca is raped by a man from the Pit or a guard and no one helps her and Rebecca feels this shame and fear and in this scene you really understand the dangers of the Pit and you connect to Rebecca. After this scene Rebecca decides she wants to be safe and so she decides she’s going to try and join the team and also that night all the girls hide in their shared room and as a reader you see the character growth and you feel sadness. But what pissed me of me so much was this was such an important scene and then the next day she’s thinking about boys again. Like seriously you witness something like that and you decide to change but then you just go and be stupid.
Reasons I DNF this Book;
At the start of the novel the MC and her friend are both shopping for the acceptance ball and apparently dance cards have a great importance to these teen girls. Rebecca chooses a paper version of the dance card and the salesman guy comments how wise she is for choosing a paper version over the electronic. Interesting, being wise is now tested on your choice of dance cards. As this was the introduction for the story I think the author was trying to hint that Rebecca was a smart character but what kind of way is that to highlight your character’s cleverness. How long she spent choosing and talking about dance cards was pointless and boring.
There were a lot of clichés. Her friend just ticked the stereotype of being the cutesy boy crazy best friend. Rebecca not knowing her own beauty but then getting the attention of a ‘hot’ guy seconds later. Rebecca being brainwashed by the government before the acceptance ceremony and let’s not talk about her preferences in men, Miss I want a man who demands power and who can save me from every situation.
Eric being so perfectly fake, when he was first introduced I was hoping she would ditch him when she left to go to the Pit but no such luck. Shocker he got rejected! Also Eric and Daniel – I bet that’s going to be a love triangle. Of course they are going to compete against each other for her attention and I bet she loves that. Also Eric is a creep – he’s all over Rebecca and he’s moving way to fast.
What I don’t understand is if the Pit is so bad and everybody is to be feared why are people approaching her, only her and giving her advice. Why are two guys protecting a Rebecca, a stranger to them! Why are they so accepting of her? Have they learned nothing from their experience at the Pit! Also when she’s doing the test that Elizabeth sets her to do when she goes into the building she isn’t caught by any workers, surely even without cameras they’d spot a criminal walking around.
One thing this book includes is how badly women are treated. The circumstances of the Pit and anything like it as the idea isn’t exactly original, it’s a harsh life and realistically women are abused physically, verbally and sexually in these situations. So there’s this scene when someone new to the Pit like Rebecca is raped by a man from the Pit or a guard and no one helps her and Rebecca feels this shame and fear and in this scene you really understand the dangers of the Pit and you connect to Rebecca. After this scene Rebecca decides she wants to be safe and so she decides she’s going to try and join the team and also that night all the girls hide in their shared room and as a reader you see the character growth and you feel sadness. But what pissed me of me so much was this was such an important scene and then the next day she’s thinking about boys again. Like seriously you witness something like that and you decide to change but then you just go and be stupid.
July 17, 2020
It's been a few years since I picked up this book originally, but from the moment I did, I became a Sarah Negovetich fan. Her YA books are auto-buys. (I haven't checked out her Adult stuff, but she's also branched off into Romance if you want something different.) Her writing is intriguing and addicting. And I know it's been awhile since Dystopia was the Thing but I have to admit I think I enjoyed my reread even more the second time around.
Sarah sent out a newsletter recently, with the news of Rite of Rejection now being available in audiobook. She offered a few free codes and you wouldn't believe how fast I clicked and prayed that I would be able to snag one. Honestly, I would have bought it anyway. But here we are, less than 24 hours, and I've finished the entire thing. And now I'm sad the other two books in the trilogy don't have audio yet.
Rite of Rejection is a blend of The Selection and Pintip Dunn's Forget Tomorrow series, which, of course, you should also check out. Rite of Rejection follows our protagonist, Rebecca, as she prepares to be debuted to society but instead is suddenly thrown into a nightmare called the Pit. The Pit is home to criminals and others the Cardinal deems not fit for society. Rite of Rejection follows a few Dystopia cliches but it does also stand well on it's own.
I contacted Sarah to see if the other books have audio plans but I may have to go ahead and reread the other two anyway.
The entire trilogy is currently available for free on Kindle Unlimited. 📚💖
Sarah sent out a newsletter recently, with the news of Rite of Rejection now being available in audiobook. She offered a few free codes and you wouldn't believe how fast I clicked and prayed that I would be able to snag one. Honestly, I would have bought it anyway. But here we are, less than 24 hours, and I've finished the entire thing. And now I'm sad the other two books in the trilogy don't have audio yet.
Rite of Rejection is a blend of The Selection and Pintip Dunn's Forget Tomorrow series, which, of course, you should also check out. Rite of Rejection follows our protagonist, Rebecca, as she prepares to be debuted to society but instead is suddenly thrown into a nightmare called the Pit. The Pit is home to criminals and others the Cardinal deems not fit for society. Rite of Rejection follows a few Dystopia cliches but it does also stand well on it's own.
I contacted Sarah to see if the other books have audio plans but I may have to go ahead and reread the other two anyway.
The entire trilogy is currently available for free on Kindle Unlimited. 📚💖
November 17, 2014
Rebecca is excited for the Acceptance ceremony like all the other girls, but it's immediately obvious that she's not exactly like the other girls. She is drawn to older, more personal things. This includes a dance book that requires boys to sign their names instead of using high-tech devices. I knew right away that Rebecca was different, and I liked that about her. When she gets to the Acceptance ceremony, she never expects to be rejected and labeled as a future criminal, but that's exactly what happens. She's sent to live in the PIT with the others who were rejected. Life in the PIT is tough and Rebecca loses a lot of weight. Luckily for her, she finds a group of teens like her and they take her in.
The group is full of interesting characters, each with his/her own distinct personality. Rebecca is paired up with Eric, who is labeled as her future husband as part of their plan to escape from the PIT. Eric seems like a great guy and he obviously likes Rebecca. If only she felt the same way. Still, she's sure she'll learn to love him over time. And she's also sure her feelings for another one of her group members will fade. But Rebecca's about to find out nothing is what she thinks.
I won't give spoilers, but things take a big turn for the worse. I didn't see that twist coming, and since I can usually figure books out pretty easily, I was so happy that Negovetich surprised me. Everything changes after this big event. Rebecca's world is turned upside-down once again and it's time for a new plan.
I really had trouble putting this book down, and when I got to the end I wanted more. I really hope there's a book two in the future.
The group is full of interesting characters, each with his/her own distinct personality. Rebecca is paired up with Eric, who is labeled as her future husband as part of their plan to escape from the PIT. Eric seems like a great guy and he obviously likes Rebecca. If only she felt the same way. Still, she's sure she'll learn to love him over time. And she's also sure her feelings for another one of her group members will fade. But Rebecca's about to find out nothing is what she thinks.
I won't give spoilers, but things take a big turn for the worse. I didn't see that twist coming, and since I can usually figure books out pretty easily, I was so happy that Negovetich surprised me. Everything changes after this big event. Rebecca's world is turned upside-down once again and it's time for a new plan.
I really had trouble putting this book down, and when I got to the end I wanted more. I really hope there's a book two in the future.
December 11, 2014
Even though you know it's coming, it's still comes as a shock that Rebecca fails her Acceptance. She is sweet, kind, and follows the rules. Little do we know is that she also has a lot of questions and those questions are what leads to her failing. NOT that she is a bad person or that she will become a murderer like everyone thinks. In fact, what everyone thinks isn't how things are at all.
You don't get a good feel for who Rebecca really is until after the Acceptance ceremony. Everything she has known is ripped away from her and I think she handles it as best as someone in her position could. She starts out pretty naive and grows into someone she should be proud of. There is a romance in RITE OF REJECTION. I don't really want to get to much into it because it's kinda complex and I don't want to spoil it for anyone. I will say that I was happy about how things turned out for Rebecca and her significant other and hopeful for their future.
There is a great amount of both character development and world building in RITE OF REJECTION. You get a good feel for where the story takes place and the characters that are involved. By the end you are invested and you want to know what happens next. As of right now there's no guarantee of a sequel. The author says there is probably going to be one, but until its announced you can never be sure. I hope there's a sequel. I think the characters have a lot more in them and the storyline can be taken to many more places. So in saying that, I would read more.
* This book was provided free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
You don't get a good feel for who Rebecca really is until after the Acceptance ceremony. Everything she has known is ripped away from her and I think she handles it as best as someone in her position could. She starts out pretty naive and grows into someone she should be proud of. There is a romance in RITE OF REJECTION. I don't really want to get to much into it because it's kinda complex and I don't want to spoil it for anyone. I will say that I was happy about how things turned out for Rebecca and her significant other and hopeful for their future.
There is a great amount of both character development and world building in RITE OF REJECTION. You get a good feel for where the story takes place and the characters that are involved. By the end you are invested and you want to know what happens next. As of right now there's no guarantee of a sequel. The author says there is probably going to be one, but until its announced you can never be sure. I hope there's a sequel. I think the characters have a lot more in them and the storyline can be taken to many more places. So in saying that, I would read more.
* This book was provided free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
July 30, 2018
I will be the first to admit that I was beyond pleasantly surprise about how good this book was. I take that back – it was FANTASTIC! Rite of Rejection is a perfect example of how young adult dystopian fiction should be done.
Rite of Rejection pulled me in with the first chapter and held my attention until the very end. I devoured this story, unable to put it down; believe me I tried, but this one kept creeping into my thoughts, begging for me to finish. This is a story of desperation, hope, love and the desire to change a corrupt system. Ms. Negovetich’s attention to detail and solid writing really drew me into this story and I could picture the entire thing unfolding in my mind. From the filth and stench of the PIT to the desperation of the colony, I could not help but want something better for the characters.
Rite of Rejection has its own unique personality, and I believe fans of dystopian fiction will love it. The ending did leave me with some questions, but overall I finished with a feeling of great satisfaction. If there is a sequel to this awesome story, I will definitely be reading it.
*I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
- See more at: The Avid Book Collector
Rite of Rejection pulled me in with the first chapter and held my attention until the very end. I devoured this story, unable to put it down; believe me I tried, but this one kept creeping into my thoughts, begging for me to finish. This is a story of desperation, hope, love and the desire to change a corrupt system. Ms. Negovetich’s attention to detail and solid writing really drew me into this story and I could picture the entire thing unfolding in my mind. From the filth and stench of the PIT to the desperation of the colony, I could not help but want something better for the characters.
Rite of Rejection has its own unique personality, and I believe fans of dystopian fiction will love it. The ending did leave me with some questions, but overall I finished with a feeling of great satisfaction. If there is a sequel to this awesome story, I will definitely be reading it.
*I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
- See more at: The Avid Book Collector
December 12, 2014
Negovetich has created a completely new and unique world in which to set her dystopian story. Her descriptions are so realistic that I could not only picture everything, but feel it as well. It was as if I was standing in the middle of her world. The inviting writing style ties this all together, allowing you to immerse yourself in the action of the tale. This well and creatively written novel was a fantastic debut novel for Negovetich.
The characters that we come to know in this story were fantastic. Negovetich’s multifaceted character development ensures that you not only get to know the main characters very well, but all of the major characters become more than mere acquaintances. The multiple personalities really allow you to identify with some and ally yourself against others. It was fantastic. Not only that, but the plight in which the main character finds herself is not only unique, but it endears you to her. I found myself wondering what I would have done in that situation and if I’d have had the strength to do what she did.
Overall, this was a fantastically unique novel that deserves a place in the ever-growing world of YA dystopian works.
Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this work in exchange for an honest review.
The characters that we come to know in this story were fantastic. Negovetich’s multifaceted character development ensures that you not only get to know the main characters very well, but all of the major characters become more than mere acquaintances. The multiple personalities really allow you to identify with some and ally yourself against others. It was fantastic. Not only that, but the plight in which the main character finds herself is not only unique, but it endears you to her. I found myself wondering what I would have done in that situation and if I’d have had the strength to do what she did.
Overall, this was a fantastically unique novel that deserves a place in the ever-growing world of YA dystopian works.
Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this work in exchange for an honest review.
December 29, 2016
I was in the mood for a dystopian and this one was the only one (besides George Orwell) that I own and haven't read yet.
This book was really entertaining! I read it in 24 hours (which is a big thing for me) and I just kept reading.
Then why gave I this one 4 stars instead of 5? There were three things that bothered me:
1. The way women were treated and the seperation things between men and women. A dystopian is a genre takes place in the future, so by now you'd think that those things will be already gone.
2. Raping. Just no.
3. Rebecca falls in love with this guy in the middle of the book when an other guy kisses her. We get to know that in the middle of the book, even though she thought about that as soon as she gets there (well not that soon, but in the beginning). It was so suddenly that I thought: what?!
I really like the story though and it was great there was a minor lesbian romance in it as well (even though it's a minor thing, yay for variety!)
If you're in the mood for a dystopian and you want to read something that isn't hyped up (yet): it's worth the read!
This book was really entertaining! I read it in 24 hours (which is a big thing for me) and I just kept reading.
Then why gave I this one 4 stars instead of 5? There were three things that bothered me:
1. The way women were treated and the seperation things between men and women. A dystopian is a genre takes place in the future, so by now you'd think that those things will be already gone.
2. Raping. Just no.
3. Rebecca falls in love with this guy in the middle of the book when an other guy kisses her. We get to know that in the middle of the book, even though she thought about that as soon as she gets there (well not that soon, but in the beginning). It was so suddenly that I thought: what?!
I really like the story though and it was great there was a minor lesbian romance in it as well (even though it's a minor thing, yay for variety!)
If you're in the mood for a dystopian and you want to read something that isn't hyped up (yet): it's worth the read!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 173 reviews