This was a great debut and I thoroughly enjoyed it! A dystopian novel set in a world of hierarchies, with the Illum ruling everyone, and women only being “vessels” to carry on the Greater Good. Forced into contracts with their “Mate”, women do everything they can to elevate their stature in life to a more comfortable existence. That is…until one woman decides to question the establishment. With a love triangle thrown in and a world in flux at the end, I am very excited to continue this trilogy!

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the ARC!

Loved this one. Reminded me of Divergent and Bone Season.

I believe this will be the next big thing this fall. With Jenna Bush publishing it, how could it not be?

Also how do I get my hands on the next one? The ending 🤯

I really don't know where to start with a review of CONFORM because like the entire book...my thoughts are all over the place. I love dystopian romance, and I am all for the 'adult' fiction version of the dystopian romance trend taking over for a little bit. Maybe my standards were - are - too high, but CONFORM basically was a case of great concept, poor execution that left me puzzled at how *this* particular title has been chosen as one of the two leads for the dystopian romance revolution (the other being SILVER ELITE, recently released).

The book basically deals with a far future where war has ravaged the world so much that a new form of government has stepped in and decided that there are certain genes and traits they don't want in the world. Women basically become chattel, breeding stock to weed out defects, both major and minor. If you're born without these defects, you're deemed an Elite and get to live a glossy life. If you have minor or major defects, you're basically sent to be mindless workers, or even killed. Women who have minor defects can save themselves by breeding with Elite men in the hopes their gene pool will eliminate the defect. A fairly cool concept, but one so poorly executed because we really get nothing to go on. The world building is one-dimensional and the writing is either a bunch of info-dump you can't quite sift through or too rushed, so you never really get any sort of sense of place. Technology is advanced, people get shot around into the sky in pods, everything seems to be made out of glass towers, but you can never get a sense of the world - new and old - that the book inhabits. Adding on to this, the author leans heavily on romantasy-style language like 'mates' that seem cringe and out of place.

The characters themselves are incredibly one dimensional. Emeline as a main character is severely under-developed, even for someone who is supposed to be living in conformity her whole life. She wants to save herself from a lifetime of blandness so says she will do anything to be 'mated' to an Elite, yet from the moment she gets the opportunity, she behaves poorly and never seems to learn any consequences from her actions. For example, we meet one of the love interests (Hal - how am I as a reader supposed to want to cheer on someone named Hal???) when he breaks into her "office," and rather than question why this strange man has suddenly appeared in her quarters - where no-one ever goes except her - she just shrugs her shoulders and allows him to come back time and time again. The other love interest works for the bad people, barely gets any screen time except for when he's angry about something and refuses to communicate it. And of course, Emeline doesn't have an original thought in her head, she never questions anything properly until we as the reader are told she is starting to. I am looking forward to the Warner-fication of this character in particular.

Overall, this was a very underwhelming start to a series. It was an easy read however, and I think readers who go for vibes instead of plot will probably love this a lot more than I did; though I'm also a big vibes/mood reader. One thing I also enjoyed was how the author brought in the theme of who really is good vs who is bad, and what happens when both sides are doing bad things.

I really do want this genre to succeed, but I'm not sure if this is the right book to be platforming it from the start. I also question the fact that it's a Jenna Bush Thousand Voices pick, and how such an underdeveloped manuscript got picked up in the first place. But I'm always a sucker for how things end, so no doubt I'll end up reading the sequel if I remember it.

Emeline waited years for a Procreation Agreement, meaning her fertility was deemed the best for an Elite male. The Illum that ran the city had kept Minor Defects like her hidden away, unable to live a free life. Everything they do is watched, and strict rules are not to be disobeyed. The only escape for women is becoming a mate, though that is not freedom by any means.

***Dystopian world
***Love triangle
***Arranged mating

This was a fast-paced read that kept me hooked; I finished in under 24 hours. The world building was fascinating and unique. I was constantly surprised by what progressed. I adored the love triangle in this; though I will say, I wish it had been drawn out a little longer. The ending was great; love that we kind of have no idea what’s going on!

Definitely intrigued - are we getting another book? Cuz I would absolutely read it!

Thank you to Ballantine/Random House Publishing Group and Netgalley for the ARC of this novel; all opinions are my own.

Oh my lord. The beginning was very interesting, and the ending killed me! I need the next one! This had romance, dystopia, betrayal. I thought this was a wonderful story. I've never read anything like this before and I was a little hesitant but man I'm glad I did.

I loved the dystopian world that the author wrote. The ending has me thrilled to continue reading this series and see how this characters react to their new normal. I felt that the first meetings of these characters were fast and a bit brushed over and would have liked to know a bit more about the how and why they felt this way. I would say start of the book is very fast paced and then it mellows out towards the end but it kept me hooked the entire read.

Conform is a strong debut with an intriguing mix of dystopian romance, rebellion, and a complicated love triangle. The story kept me interested, and Emeline’s journey had some great emotional moments. The writing felt choppy at times, and the world-building could have been more detailed. I often wasn’t sure what certain terms meant, which made it hard to fully connect with the setting.
Still, this is a solid start for a debut novel, and I’m curious to see how the story and world develop in future books. 3.5/4 ⭐️. Thank you to NetGalley, Ariel Sullivan, and Ballantine Books for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Dystopian
Forbidden love
Political intrigue
Arranged couples
Forced proximity

WOW. I absolutely loved this; I devoured it so quickly. Throughout each plot twist my jaw kept dropping, and nothing could keep me from turning the pages! I’m absolutely heartbroken that I now have to wait for more of this story.

When Jenna Bush Hager revealed the premise of this book and boasted about how good it was, I knew I had to get my hands on a copy. The premise was so intriguing and to say this book was amazing is an understatement.

Emeline, deemed a Minor Defect by the Illum, spends her days alone, sorting ancient art for destruction. Life seems pretty bleak until she’s selected by an Illum named Collin who is both cold and protective of her. She’s thrust into a controlled society where one wrong move could be her elimination by the Illum. And when she meets resistance leader Hal and is drawn to everything he stands for, she must decide what she’s willing to sacrifice for freedom.

This book was amazing. The complexity of the characters, fast pacing and emotional depth had me questioning everything along the way. I can’t wait for others to get their hands on this masterpiece in October because I have questions. And don’t even get me started on how long we’ll have to wait for book two.

Thank you to Ariel Sullivan, Ballentine and NetGalley for a gifted digital copy for the book for an honest review.

Are. You. KIDDING ME?? Conform absolutely wrecked me—in the best possible way. It’s like The Handmaid’s Tale had a baby with The Hunger Games and sprinkled in just enough angst to make me scream into my pillow at 2am. I was obsessed with Emeline and don’t even get me started on Collin vs Hal. I kept switching sides like a traitor and I REGRET NOTHING. The world was sooo addictive. I gasped. Out loud. Multiple times. Everything was… chef’s kiss. So happy I read this!

I have v mixed feelings about this book but overall enjoyed it and would recommend to anyone in the mood for a dystopian romance situation! This almost feels like a dystopian Handmaid’s Tale at times. I’ll go into more detail with a nice succinct lil pros and cons list

Pros:
• Such an interesting premise
• Compelling characters; i truly still don’t know why some of them acted the way they did and that’s not a slight to the writer but a compliment for writing such complex people into this story
• Easy to read and digest
• I really didn’t know what was comin’ at any point but maybe my brain was turned off

Cons:
• The writing feels “off” in places to me; almost like things are under-explained and what should be a mic drop moment ends up with me being like “well what does that mean”
• I had a lot of unanswered questions about the world and how it worked. There could have been much more world building.
• Icky pet name (imo)
• Does it bother anyone else when there are like no contractions so sentences like “I am tired.” sound unnatural in your head

Captivating story right from the start. I felt just as conflicted Emeline between Hal & Collin. I need the next installment ASAP

When I saw Jenna Bush Hager was starting an imprint and the first book was YA dystopian, I had to get my hands on this book as quickly as possible. Ariel Sullivan’s story highlights a caste like society where Emeline works while waiting to be chosen as a mate for the purposes of child bearing. Her day to day routine starts to unravel hidden secrets, forbidden love, and a modern day Robinhood figure called The Reaper. The plot line feels like a cross between The Handmaids Tale and The Hunger Games as Emeline navigates choices that could unravel not only her life, but those around her as well. It was SUCH a good read I will be waiting on pins and needles for the next one. 5/5 stars, thank you so much to NetGalley for the ARC!

Warning, spoilers will abound in this review.

I came into this book intrigued by the premise, as it had a Handmaid's Tale feel about it (the book I read in a college lit class, not the TV series which I haven't seen). The development of the storyline in the first half of the book was interesting, but the second half did not pay off in the way I had expected.

Since this is a dystopian love triangle, the expected patterns appear: the protagonist naturally seeks to give up wealth and external comfort to fall for the rebel bad boy. There is, of course, an overly descriptive, extra spicy romance scene in the third act. Also, the ending seemed predictable and mysterious all at the same time.

What redeemed the story were two sentences that perhaps the thesis of this tale: “There was no good or bad guy. There were no saviors, just varying shades of morally corrupted people with different lines in the sand.” This was a new and provocative admission by the protagonist, but I am not sure Emeline carries it far enough.

Sure Hal and Collin are both flawed (and Hal in a definitely surprising way, which was a great plot twist), but was Emeline also corrupted? How about Nora? The perceived leader of the rebellion (though Nora's role in all this is not fully developed) and the the one to crush the rebellion see themselves as morally justified in their actions but are not fully, but Emeline is quite possibly a double agent, Nora has the man she loves and the man she's mated to, but other than some pain, just blames the system. I get that she feels trapped but I was hoping for a bit more overt rebellion here.

Any maybe it's just me, but when you've been in want and enjoyed plenty, the struggle to give up the latter for the former seems like it should be a bit harder. Both Hal and Collin are trying to redeem their sins in Emeline's eyes, but Hal seems to get a pass and Collin doesn't. If she had rejected both outright and been embittered by the whole thing, I would have preferred that ending. Or I'd take a Thelma and Louise ending with Nora too.

All that said, the story follows the patterns of this sub-genre of sci-fi: the trappings of wealth hiding a dark secret and the woman choosing between the scrappy rebel over the wealthy but ultimately cruel alternative. And the spicy scene, of course. If that's what you're looking for, you are in the right spot.

I guess that was not me.

WOW. This book was fantastic! The characters were wonderful, the pacing was pretty much perfect; I loved everything about this book. I truly am going to struggle waiting for more!!

are you KIDDING ME? THIS WAS SO GOOD. I read it in one sitting. its honestly cruel that after the ending i have to WAIT FOR A WHOLE OTHER BOOK????? I have so many questions I NEED ANSWERS TO.... NEED. How am I supposed to sleep? breathe? exist? im actually begging you.... write faster!!!

Its like i love being a reader.. but then you read an amazing book (THIS) and now im just sat devastated. what is life? how will i go on?

**THEORY**
ok, at first im like the reaper is Hal... but thats WAY TOO OBVIOUS. Then I thought what if its Collin or Gregory... But the comment about "who said its a man?" ....hear me out... what if its Alice????

Ariel Sullivan wrote a real page-turner in Conform! With relatable, fleshed out characters, plenty of action and suspense, and a few unexpected twists, this book kept me hooked all the way through. I couldn’t believe that this was the first book the author had gotten published! Emeline, the main protagonist, showed traditional signs of trauma and anxiety for much of the front half of the book, but changed once she experienced the life-changing events that came her way; either giving up or reaching for more were her only true options. I hesitate to say that this book did world-building; I would describe it more as system-building, giving the reader a real sense of the disparate power dynamics that were created by the mysterious and powerful Illum. This book had romance, lust, and two “culmination” scenes, so I wouldn’t say it was steamy, but the scenes had passion and Emeline was certainly left satisfied on both occasions ;)

Conform appears poised to explore familiar dystopian themes – rebellion against oppressive regimes, the fight for individuality, the definition of humanity in a controlled society – through the intimate lens of Emeline's emotional and ethical struggles. The central mystery surrounding why she was chosen, Collin's true motives, and the escalating brutality of the Illum promise narrative tension. Sullivan seems ready to ask compelling questions: What does it mean to love when choice is restricted? What sacrifices are necessary for freedom? And can one break the mold without shattering oneself?

For readers seeking a character-driven dystopian tale blending high-stakes societal conflict with intricate romantic and political intrigue, Conform presents itself as a compelling new entry, promising a journey of self-discovery amidst rebellion and forbidden connections. The series potential suggests a broad canvas for exploring this meticulously controlled, yet simmering, future world.

I absolutely loved Conform. This book has everything that makes me fall for a romance, but it’s so much more than just the love story. Jenna Bush Hager creates a world where control, resistance, and love collide, and I was hooked from the first page. The romance is messy, complex, and feels so real. The relationships are crafted with such emotional depth, and the story constantly had me questioning everything. I couldn’t stop thinking about it long after I finished. I’ll definitely be eagerly awaiting the next book in the series.