Untamed – Madeline Dyer

— DISCLAIMER: I received a free digital copy of this novel via NetGalley – thank you! All opinions expressed in this review are my own. —

STAR RATING: 3.5/5 ✶

Summary: In a world where the human population is divided into “Enhanced” and “Untamed”, we are thrust into the world of the Untamed, the underdogs in this system. We meet Seven, who is abducted by the Enhanced, but soon rescued by her own people. The story focuses on her struggle between the side that is now supportive of the Enhanced, and her upbringing as one of the Untamed, with the belief that death is preferable to life as an Enhanced.

Opinions: Seven is a conflicted character – an unwilling heroine. She is thrust into adventure against her will, as all she wants is to be at peace with her family. Her relationship with Corin grows organically, along the usual lines of the enemies-to-lovers trope (which is one of my favourites). While they used to be friendly, Seven’s semi-transformation into an Enhanced makes matters more complicated and they are continually bickering and denying any interest until they are in a situation where they simply have to face their growing feelings. The end is one huge cliffhanger, and there are quite a few unexpected plot twists over the last 20 percent or so of the book. However, there are also many passages which are predictable and fall into YA clichés. Nevertheless, I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good dystopian read!