This is one of my favorites out of the current crop of YA Dystopian series. Though looking at genetic modification is not new in this genre, this particular book kept it in the forefront of my mind.

When Jess begins to show signs of being a Deviant (someone who is different from the genetic specimens developed over 100 years by the nation) she changes her age in official records in order to join the Special Forces early before she's discovered. Since the Special Forces are those who travel outside of the fences and kill Deviants, it's an interesting choice for her. She's trapped between what she's been raised to be and what she might truly be and that was interesting to me. This book also gives the reader a good and hard look at war and death and how it effects not only the non-combatants, but the soldiers.

Jess fits in with her Special Forces friends. She's happy there, the happiest she's been. So when the time comes for her to choose a side, it isn't something she approaches lightly. There's an entire world outside the fences and Jess is going to explore it.

The one thing I didn't like was the "surprise! this is about a seed bank!" idea that was introduced late in the book. It absolutely fits with the genetic modification theme but it could and should have been introduced earlier so the reader was aware of just how much of everything had been genetically modified.

(Provided by publisher) ( )

A century has passed since the Genetic Integrity Act was enacted and America closed its borders to prevent genetic contamination. Only the genetic anomalies classified as Deviants - known to all as the enemy - remain beyond the heavily guarded border. The Department of Evolution carefully guides the creation of each successive generation and deviations from the divine plan are not permitted.

When sixteen-year-old Jess Grant begins to show signs of deviance, she enlists in the Special Forces, along with her best friend Jay, in a desperate bid to evade detection by the Devotees. Jess is good with data, not so good with a knife. So when the handsome and secretive Sergeant Matt Anderson selects her for his Black Ops squad, Jess is completely baffled and is determined to figure out why.

As her deviance continues to change her, Jess must eventually decide who she can trust with her deadly secret. She needs to know what's out there, in the Deviant wasteland over the border, if she has any hope of surviving to see her seventeenth birthday. Because if the enemy doesn't kill her first, the Department of Evolution probably will.

First let me say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The characters were wonderfully drawn, and I was completely intrigued by the plot. I'm usually never sure about reading dystopian science fiction, but with External Forces, I was absolutely caught up in the story and wanted to see how it would develop. I give External Forces by Deborah Rix an A! and look forward to reading the next book in the series - Acceleration - some time very soon. ( )

I didn’t dislike this book, but I didn’t love it either. It’s a good read and I finished it quite fast, but one of those where I don’t really know what to say about it now because there was nothing I found awesome, but at the same time there was nothing specific that I didn’t like. There were some parts that I think could have been explained better, but nothing that left me with a questionmark-face.

One thing that I didn’t like so much was how Jess was sometimes a bit too mature for her age and other times a bit childish, to the point where she was even annoying. I guess that everybody has some of those moments sometimes, but the distance between those points (if you could measure it) was a bit too big.

On the other hand, something that I liked is how fast the story develops after it gets over the slowlier parts.

All in all, not a bad book and it kept me reading until the end, but at the same time it didn’t left me curious enough to read the rest of the series.

[I got this book as an ARC via NetGalley] ( )

OMG what a great book this is.

I couldn't stop reading. There is lots of action, mystery, surprises, romance, friendships, betrayal and belief in a better world.

This book is as good (possibly even better) than the Divergent series.

I can't wait to read the second book. I hope it comes out very very soon. ( )

OMG what a great book this is.

I couldn't stop reading. There is lots of action, mystery, surprises, romance, friendships, betrayal and belief in a better world.

This book is as good (possibly even better) than the Divergent series.

I can't wait to read the second book. I hope it comes out very very soon. ( )