An Absolute Whirlwind! You Won't See What's Coming!

Wow. Just... wow. What an absolute masterpiece of a read! From the very first page to the last, this book locked me in a vise-grip of intensity, and I literally could not put it down.

The author masterfully weaves a tapestry of twists and surprises that left me gasping and guessing at every turn. Just when you think you've got it figured out, something completely unexpected slams into you, making for an exhilarating and utterly unpredictable journey. This story is intense from start to finish, living up to its promise of keeping you on the edge of your seat.

But it wasn't just the thrilling plot that captivated me. The world-building in this story is simply breathtaking. The author paints such vivid pictures with words that I felt like a silent observer, breathing the same air as the characters, witnessing every detail as if I were truly there. It's an incredible feat of immersive storytelling that transported me entirely into their world.

And let's talk about the FMC. Her journey in this first installment is nothing short of compelling. You feel her pain, her struggles, and the profound impact of her "twisted life." I have a strong feeling that everything she's endured is merely forging her into an unstoppable force, a character whose true power and impact no one will see coming. Her growth is going to be phenomenal, and I am here for every single step.

I have absolutely no idea where this series is going next, and that's precisely why I'm on the edge of my seat. The anticipation for the next book from this author is almost unbearable. What an incredibly satisfying and exhilarating read. If you're looking for a story that grabs you and refuses to let go, packed with surprises and a protagonist you'll champion, pick this up immediately!

Thank you to Thousand Voices Books, Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the chance to read the advanced copy.

Think Handmaid's Tale meets Divergent meets Hunger Games. Very creative premise with likeable and at the same time unlikable characters. I will be thinking about this book for a long time and am looking forward to the sequel.

handmaids tales vibes dystopian YA, not a romantasy! DYSTOPIAN ERA IS BACK THIS YEAR. WE ARE BEING FED. I read this one sitting. I could not stop. It consumed me,

Thank you, #Partner @ballantinebooks @randomhouse and @netgalley for my #gifted (free) copy. Pub date 10/14/25.

I am predicting this is going to be the next "BIG" series! This is a a mashup of dystopian and romance (#dystomance), and I am now obsessed with this genre. It has similar vibes to The Hunger Games and The Handmaid's Tale, but totally different in it's own way. Yes, I totally recommend this one, and it is going to be so hard waiting for the second book to come out in this series.

Set in a dystopian world where there are tiers people are placed in. The Illum, Elite, Minor, and Major defects. The Illum are ranked the highest and they live up in the clouds where the Major defects are the lowest and they live underground in the tunnels. For the the Minor and Major defects they are not to have friends, they have a tracker in their arm, their meals have nutrients and are just mush, and they do not get to pick who their partner is, they are to be mated. Our main character Emeline, who is a Minor defect is finally mated at the age of 27 to Colin an Illum. But, she just recently met Hal and she has to keep their talks a secret. As Emeline gets to know Hal and Colin she has some very difficult decisions to make. I had to read the epilogue multiple times (you will see what I mean), but I guess I'm just going to have to wait till the next book to figure it all out! 4.5 stars!

I did not enjoy this book at all, unfortunately. It is being marketed as new adult but the writing is certainly young adult level. DNF.

Conform was such a happy surprise for me. I didn’t really know what to expect when I received the ARC but the second I started reading I was immersed in this world Ariel has created. Many dystopian and fantasy books lack proper world building but this was not the case for this book. The characters were varied and interesting and the complexities of this society really added to the dynamics between all the characters. Every relationship Emeline has in this book is unique and every character has a personality of their own. I was rooting for both Collin and Hal at different points of the book which shows how well they were written. There were plot twists, drama, and still so many things that have yet to be revealed. I cannot wait for the next book in this series!

Thank you to Thousand Voices Books x Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the ARC!

This book asks: what if the government picked your soulmate based on your DNA and mandatory procreation quotas? And what if your options were a terrifyingly perfect man from the ruling elite or the chaotic rebel trying to burn it all down? Welcome to Conform, where surveillance is constant, art is illegal, and a single misstep during the state-sponsored dating Hunger Games could get you disappeared. Come for the dystopian panic, stay for the bisexual yearning and seething political rage. We will be rooting for Hal and storing dry goods just in case.

I liked this one but didn’t love it. This is definitely dystopian not romantasy. I didn’t think a ton happened but will read book 2.

Dystopian story that explores identity, control, rebellion and includes many thought provoking moments. It read like a mix of Hunger Games, Handmaid’s Tale, and Divergent! Had some good twists and left me ready to read the next book. It’s an easy read that could be a YA novel if not for the tiny bit of spice. This one HAS to be the start of a series!!!
Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC

2/5 Stars

My thoughts while reading it:
- can they please stop using the words 'Mate' , 'Mated' in every sentence
- Where is the 'dyspopian' part?
- What exactly is Emelines job ? To look at art ?
- I didn't think another Collin would give me the ick but after reading "Hey Mate" I will take Collin Bridgertons mewing any day instead

My thoughts after finishing it:
- I never want to see or hear the work 'Mate' ever again
- I think the word Mate was used more than 100 times (yes I counted, but I stopped counting after 100)
- Moonlight is the worst nickname in history


The thing is, this could have been good. Seeing this was a handmaids tale type of dyspotian world was why I choose to read this book and got excited when I got approved for the ARC. But I think the author really missed the mark here. Before I get into what I didn't like, I will say that the writing was not bad at all. That's why I think it had a lot of potential.

Where was the dyspotian nature of this world? Why is the world the way that it is? Oh there was a war ? Well what happened ? What caused it ? Why does this world care about the physical appearances of people so much ? Nothing was told to the reader, yet a lot of nothing was said. I don't even know if what I am saying is making sense but that's where I'm at because this plot didn't make sense to me.

We have Emeline, our FMC who is a minor defect because she has heterochromia which apparently a physical abnormality in this world the author has created. And that's about it for her personality. She seems to be only defining herself through that while also trying to battle her feelings for hot guy 1 and hot guy 2. Hal who happens to be something closer to her social status and Collin who is her *cringe* Mate *cringe*. We do not really get to the actual conflict and meat of the plot until the last 15 pages and that felt rushed. I guess since this is meant to be a trilogy, the entirety of the first book is just a build up for the sequels. Also I totally saw THAT coming. Who the reaper was.

I absolutely loved this book. It gave me how dystopian books are supposed to be! It had political intrigue and lots of steam! I cannot wait for this book to come out so I can buy it! I need to see this on the big screen one day. Kudos to everyone involved!

(Full review hidden on Goodreads for spoilers.) I've never hidden a whole review before, but I really don't know how to discuss my ambivalence about this without including specifics. Obviously I flew through it--the first half I couldn't stop reading because I was so drawn in. There was a period I kept reading because I wanted to get through my annoyance or get it over, but then I was back intrigued again for the final segments. Most of the issues I had with cohesion are sort of "explained" by the end when you realize why someone wouldn't be in a frame, why Hal would randomly show up to talk to her, or why the FMC would talk to her friend on the com device when they were constantly tracked . . . all part of the FMC being manipulated. (Although I still argue that the job itself doesn't make sense. The author tries to address it by saying "maybe they want us to remember that . . . " but what is the advantage of one person remembering? Is everyone actually locked away doing the exact same job?) The parts with Hal never seemed real--honestly he gave me the ICK. So was that the author not being able to commit to that relationship because she also knew it wasn't the real one, or was it supposed to be the clue to what was coming? Still not sure. My biggest issue was how annoyingly clueless the FMC was. There is a difference between being innocent and in the dark and manipulated by powers far greater than you and being blind to simple and obvious manipulation. I mean the rebels insult you and push buttons telling you are a vessel and telling you how to feel and what to do. Collin clearly takes risks working inside the ropes and respects you and never tells you what to think but instead of looking at the complexity of the situation, you just follow orders from group A. AND even after Hal clearly admits he doesn't want to get rid of the system at all (just reverse it), you just continue being manipulated. So much for the Hunger Games comparison because that is when Katniss put the arrow in her chest, but this FMC marches right along and is even upset in the end that she messed up what THEY were working for. Pretty early to go out on a limb like this--October publication and the next book are quite a ways off--but I actually think Collin is the good guy and the real love. I think he's the one speaking in the last chapter, in love and referencing leading a revolution not a rebellion. I think they were on to him, but the no trial for Emeline really would have done it anyway. I know we are supposed to think Hal is the good guy and Hal is the reaper, but really Emeline is the only one who ever says that. If I'm right and Collin is the Rhys of this series then I can't wait for the next one. If I'm wrong, there's gonna have to be a big change in the FMC to rescue this series. Thank you to Ballantine/Random House and NetGalley for the advanced copy and the opportunity to share my review.

Conform - to comply with rules, standards, or laws.

In a society where beauty reigns, and any defects earn you a place in grey (or worse, blue). Where having friendships, much less love, is not permitted. Where music and art are destroyed to prevent the population from feeling too deeply…one girl must navigate two new worlds, new feelings and all the terrifying things that come with them.

Positives ✨

-This felt very reminiscent of some dystopian YA from the 2000s, and not in a bad way. It felt very nostalgic with an adult twist. The focus on beauty as a determining factor in your role in this world is always an interesting one.

-Complex main characters. Our FMC has a lot of conditioning that she’s actively working through and I felt like it was portrayed in a very realistic way. She has moments where her conditioning takes over and then moments where she’s able to see clearly. Her love interests aren’t one note, and I’m sure there’s more to them than what we find in the first book (this will be a series)

-Supporting characters with their own motives and agenda. These supporting characters aren’t just there to fill in the book, they’ve got their own stuff going on.

-Beautiful and insightful passages about what it means to be a human. They’re kinda sprinkled in but when they show up, man do they hit hard.

Negatives ✨

-tone is all over the place. Unfortunately, I got whiplash from how inconsistent the tone of the book is. At times I actually felt like I had skipped pages because it was so disorienting.

-about 100 pages longer than it needed to be. This could have been much shorter in my opinion. I think it could be cleaned up and the tone could be iron out and it would make a really cohesive narrative but as it stands right now, it’s a bit difficult to get through on the back half.

Meh ✨

-FMC has no backbone for most of the book. This could go either way for me, I do find her complex and am sympathetic to her trauma but until the last 25ish pages her motivations are unclear and even she has no idea what she wants. I hope we dig deeper for book 2.

-the plot twist???
🚨🚨🚨SPOILERS!!!! 🚨 🚨🚨This is a me problem but I hate miscommunication and I hate plot twists where the relationship was a farce at first. It’s just boring to me and makes me not care about the character development going forward. Also I just know that book 2 is going to somehow humanize the *other* “love interest” and I’m not interested in that if I’m being honest. It could go either way but right now I’m not about it.

✨Conclusion ✨
Overall I think this book had some great moments and ideas regarding humanity and the role creatively, love and individuality plays in a society. It’s nothing we haven’t seen before but it has fun concepts and an intriguing main character. I would recommend to anyone who was a fan of The Uglies, Matched or similar dystopian YA books who want an adult version of that.

I initially found this book brilliant — I adored the unique twists on a common dystopian trope. Power and class.


But by the end, became muddled. I don’t feel desperate for the second novel — I don’t know what I got if anything. The friend didn’t have a sufficient amount of information, the birds may have been troublesome, but is the idea that everyone in this novel is a great actor all the time?

I will read the second book, because I still love the premise but I’m not confident in what comes next and how alluring it will be to me

Thank you #NetGalley for this ARC

I was super excited by the premise but it’s ended up taking me so long to read because it all felt so predictable. I kept reading because I still liked the book and wanted to know what happened but it definitely did not have me on the edge of my seat. A lot of the scenes could she’s been condensed for sure. But still fun read just was hoping for more

Conform by new to me author Ariel Sullivan, published by Random House Ballantine is a dystopian romance. Set in a post apocalypticl world wher a young woman, Emmeline, 27 years old, has to chose between love and duty.
The blurb was intriguing, so why not give it a try. So here it goes. The writing is ok, the story has some lengths, but that's ok too. I was torn about the sometimes abrupt change in directions, the storyline left me with more questions than answers, but still an ok read.

I really liked the premise of the book and the plot driven narrative. I’m not a huge fan of world building so some of the descriptive parts of the different levels got me stuck in the weeds. But enjoyed the plot and look forward to future books.

#TeamCollin

That is it. That is the review.

JK, lol.

I cannot wait to see what happens in the next installment, and I am equally as excited for the prequel. I am Team Collin all the way, and I cannot wait for his secrets to be revealed!

This is an absolute 5 out of 5 gem of a novel, and it has taken me a few days after finishing to collect my thoughts and be able to articulate how much I LOVED this book! I cannot stop thinking about this world, these characters, and that cliffhanger- I am fully invested in this series and cannot wait to read the next book!

The story follows Emeline as she navigates life in a post-war dystopian society based on a caste system made up of the ruling Ilum class, the Elites, and then the Minor and Major Defects. When Emeline, a Minor Defect, is chosen as a Mate by Collin, a prominent member of the Ilum, she is thrust into a completely different world, making her question the very reality that she has been living. While Collin provides her a glimpse into a life of luxury of extravagant dinner parties and fancy dresses, she also befriends a charming yet mysterious member of the Major Defect class, Hal, catching her in between two different worlds, two different men, and two different versions of herself. Emeline learns that not all is what it seems behind the glitz and glamour amongst the Elite and soon finds herself examining what is morality, privilege, power, and choice.

All the characters were so well-developed, and between them all, there was plenty of tension, angst, and secrets to keep me engaged from the first word to the last. The worldbuilding is multifaceted and exquisitely immersive. I really enjoyed the author’s style of writing- her descriptions of the setting and characters were so lush and vivid, ranging from harsh and futuristic to more ethereal and magical.

This is a top recommendation of 2025 for me, and I am excited to read more from this author! Thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for a copy of the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

•• “𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘨𝘶𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘣𝘢𝘥 𝘨𝘶𝘺, 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶? 𝘙𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘥. “𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘯𝘢𝘪𝘷𝘦”

No judgement here, I thought it would be that simple too, but boy was I wrong. This is full of all the shades of morally gray and had me questioning even my own morals at times.

This brutal dystopian world sits on the edge of revolution, while our fmc, Emeline, is torn between both sides as she fights to do what she feels is truly right. Her eyes are opened, risks are taken, and betrayals come from the most unlikely of places as the true nature of our characters are revealed. I do still have some questions about the class system and workings of the world, but it makes sense that information is kept from us as the entire story is in Emeline’s pov.

Learning with her makes all of her discoveries that much more emotional and also made the ending of this that much more painful. She takes a bit of an emotional battering at the end and you won’t be able to help but feel every hit with her. Unfortunately, she’s not the only one my heart was breaking for - we get a few different relationships to root for and the most unexpected one is actually my favorite of all.

•• “𝘛𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦’𝘴 𝘢 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘐 𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶”“𝙄 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙤𝙧 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚, 𝙈𝙤𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙄 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙛𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙩. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙨𝙖𝙮 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙𝙗𝙮𝙚”

•• “𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘯. 𝘠𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘶𝘯𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘳𝘶𝘭𝘦𝘴. 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘦𝘵 𝘐 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘺 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶”

•• “𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘳. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘢𝘪𝘳. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘥𝘰 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘳”

Love triangles and forbidden love galore - things are messy and complex all around so be prepared for a bumpy ride. I loved that this had me questioning all sides and I can’t wait to see how these characters surprise me next.

What you can expect:
•𝗗𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱
•𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗲-𝗶𝘀𝗵
•𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗯𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲
•𝗛𝗮𝗿𝘀𝗵 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺
•𝗥𝗲𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻
•𝗢𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁
•𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘁𝘀 / 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘆𝗮𝗹𝘀