Authorly Love: Ultraxenopia by M.A. Phipps (repost)

I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Ultraxenopia (Project W.A.R. #1) by M.A. Phipps
Genres: Dystopian (YA)
Pages: 355
Goodreads

Don’t stand out. Blend in. Remain invisible. Those are the rules I lived by—the rules I thought would keep me alive. 
I was wrong.
Wynter Reeves is a law-abiding citizen of the State, a willing conformist whose daily life is haunted by terrorism and oppression. With the constant threat of death hanging over her like a shadow, she forces herself to live by a strict set of rules, all in the hope of ensuring she is never noticed. However, on her twenty-first birthday, as she prepares to take the placement exam that will determine her future within society, she begins to show symptoms of a rare and debilitating illness—ultimately attracting the attention of the State. Taken into the custody of the feared research facility known as the DSD, her worst nightmare becomes reality.
Ripped away from the life she knew, Wynter is forced to become the test subject of the mysterious Dr. Richter. Through him, she learns the true and terrifying nature of her condition: a disease called Ultraxenopia.

Originally published on 4/9/2016. I’m reposting this in order to share it with you for my Authorly Love feature! This is BOOK ONE of the Project W.A.R. series by M.A. Phipps!

You can read my interview with her & enter the giveaway to win Ultraxenopia and Type X here!

I thought the plot was great! It definitely reminded me of how much I’ve missed the dystopian genre. The book just dives right into the plot, it wastes absolutely no time with fluff – which is perfect for me. It set the tone for the rest of the story. I found it to be a thrilling plot. It leaves you questioning what’s going to happen next, and when you think you know, it throws a twist at you.

However, I found there were some plot holes or questions that weren’t answered. Like, why was Jenner rescued? How did Wynter’s father hide a piano from the government? Sure, kind of silly things to care about, but I wanted to know. Some other questions will probably be answered in future novels.

Overall, I think Phipps did a good job at creating an exciting story and providing enough information to keep you entertained while also leaving you with questions to continue with the series.

The main character Wynter is a tough one for me to “review”. Sometimes her behavior and decisions came across as very naïve. In a different novel, this probably would have bothered me more, in this novel, it didn’t. Wynter’s world tells her to suppress emotions, don’t be unique, blend in. With that in mind, her personality makes sense. When she’s put into situations, she doesn’t know how to handle them because of her upbringing. I think this also plays a role in her decisions – mostly with romance. I mean, if you weren’t allowed to touch anyone or show emotion, then suddenly a cute boy comes into your life and does all those things, wouldn’t you kind of swoon, too?

That’s not to say she’s not intelligent. She may be timid and a tad naïve, but I think she still has a sensible head. She realizes that sacrifices must be made and wants to help people – that is honorable. Overall, I enjoyed her character.

As for the side characters, I want a little more, which will probably come in future novels (this is a series). What I got of them I enjoyed so far, especially Jenner. He was one of my favorite characters in the book because he’s clearly a very complex person with contrasting personalities – a fun side and a serious, leader side.

What was shown of the secondary characters, I enjoyed, I just hope for more in the future.

I enjoyed both the writing and the pacing. There’s a lot of times when Wynter talks about some of her internal battles, which really felt like you were getting to know her and understand how she was feeling. I loved the detail Phipps put into that.

She also created a fast-paced novel. As I said in the plot section, there is always something happening. I never found a dull moment, even when Wynter was reflecting. It all just set at such a great pace.

I very much enjoyed this novel. I think the characters are written really well and the story is thrilling and fast-paced. There are some unanswered questions or character backgrounds that I’d love to know, but since this is a series, I suspect those questions will be answered later. This is a fantastic first novel that definitely reignited my love for the dystopian genre. If you’re a lover of The Giver or Divergent, you’ll love this as well!

Rating Report
Plot
Characters
Writing
World Building
Overall:	4.5 / 5