Enhanced: A Review

I loved this book. Lee Urban was a fantastic protagonist, the concept was so fun and immersive, and the themes were great. And for those of you who, like me, see romance mentioned in the Amazon reviews and go ‘uh oh,’ don’t worry. Candace Kade kept it clean and real, and there was never a point when I thought the relationship was toxic or distracting. It was very realistic, and both characters are in it with the goal of marriage, not some silly fling. Plus, it never took over the plot, either, which is one of my biggest pet peeves.

Lee Urban is living a lie.
 
In a society where everyone’s DNA determines their destiny, being a Natural means automatic relegation to the gritty and dangerous Outskirts. With the harnessed power of gene-editing, the ability to create a super-human race has transformed the world and offered the opportunity of a genetically enhanced life. But only to those who can afford it.
 
Born a Natural, Lee Urban was adopted into the Enhanced high society of the Asian Federation and forced to conceal her genetic roots. When her dream of attending Peking University becomes a reality, she is determined to go despite a warning from a mysterious source. 
 
Targeted by a hacker bent on exposing her true DNA, Urban faces off with an Artificial Intelligence Game that puts her—and her lies—to the test. What was supposed to be a dream come true turns into a lethal gamble of hide-and-seek with her genetics. Can Urban continue the act, or will the cracks in her story expose her and endanger her family?

Amazon Blurb

I loved Lillian, Trig, and Ash — not only do they have cool Enhancements, but their personalities are also distinct, and with Lillian especially it was great to see a smart, supportive older sister, instead of a rival or an idiot. Ash is just plain funny (the T-rex moment in Hybrid was great.) And Trig’s cool in a quiet-but-dangerous way. Coral was fun to have around, blatantly walking all over societal expectations and being an example of ignoring peer pressure. I was very glad that Urban’s family played a big part — even if they have their struggles — and that extended family also plays a part in the second book, Hybrid. That’s just not something you see a lot in YA fiction these days.

The writing was excellent and the book is quite clean. There is fighting and there are tournaments in which characters and animals frequently get hurt. But there are no gory details, never going any further than blood and broken bones. No language, nothing spicy, and no steam beyond a few times when Urban is reflecting on Everest’s appearance (strong arms, jawline, etc.)

The world, and the mashup of sci-fi and opulescence with old Chinese tradition, was quite unique. Though the concept was large and there was lots of tech, new terms, and jargon, it wasn’t ever confusing or overwhelming. It was the perfect balance.

Urban was relatable as a female heroine — never too overdramatic, never frilly and silly. Plus, the whole concept of a social score and how she handled that and struggles with socializing/being popular was very easy to transfer to real-life human experiences.

Also, as Kade mentioned in the author’s note at the end, there are some easter eggs in the cover design, so that’s just plain cool!

All in all, I was hooked by this book. It’s been a while since I found something that kept me up reading late, but Enhanced totally did it.

The only sad thing is that while the second book, Hybrid, is out, the third book doesn’t release until September. ☹️

Oh well.

Has anyone else read Enhanced? (And anyone else think it would make for a seriously cool movie, too?)

Let me know in the comments! I’d love to geek out with you.

Until next time, cheers!

A Quick Bit of News: Following this, I am going to be dropping down to publishing one post a month (excluding things like book news and releases) just to keep things slightly more manageable, as my life has gotten a bit busier. Have a nice day!