Book picks similar to
Undesirable by Liz Iavorschi-Braun


reviewed
young-adult
read-for-review
s-dystopian

Queen of Hearts


P.G. Van - 2019
    She becomes vital for him to close a deal, and he needs to make her believe she is his wife until the contract is finalized on his dream project. What happens when the temporary set-up starts to seem real for him? When she realizes what he had done, will he still be able to hold on to her? Queen of Hearts is a standalone, contemporary romance novel.

True Calling


Siobhan Davis - 2014
    Now, all seventeen-year-olds are to participate in this Bachelor-style pageant to find their perfect match, marry, and have children. But that's not Ariana's only concern. Thanks to the government-sanctioned memory erase, Ariana has no recollection of Zane, the mystery boy who haunts her dreams. Things are further complicated when the pageant commences and her feelings for fellow Cadet Cal Remus intensify. Together, they start to realize not everything about their new home is not as it seems. Entangled in a dangerous web of deceit, Ariana sets out to identify the truth. Conflicted over warnings that Cal isn't trustworthy and alarmed at the government's increasing interest in her, she doesn't know where to turn. But her search for the truth comes at a high personal price. When her world implodes, discovering the past shapes her future with devastating consequences.

Transient (Transient #1)


K.M. Hill - 2018
    A biological algorithm developed by Silicon Valley, it can determine with precise accuracy the lifespan of every human being on the planet. Everyone gets tested when they come of age, but Rae wants to opt out. She hates how the system labels and categorizes society according to longevity - like Transients, whose short lifespan automatically renders them useless, Interims, the hard-working majority - or elite Constants, whose long lives guarantee opportunity and power. But when Rae’s intentions to avoid the test are impeded and her lifespan is revealed, the future seems set in stone. Or does it...?

Justice Buried


Hilary Thompson - 2014
    Now the community of Asphodel is trapped underground, waiting for the prophesied maiden of Justice to rescue them.Sixteen-year-old Astrea is supposed to be this savior - too bad for them she isn't a believer. Astrea fights her fate until discovering a power she never knew she had, and a handsome ally she never expected. With her life in danger, Astrea must choose between saving her city or herself.This thrilling young adult adventure is the first in the richly-imagined Starbright series, which is laced with mystery, mythology, romance, and magic. Justice Buried will have you questioning fate versus free will along with Astrea's strong female lead, and wondering who can be trusted when everyone is keeping secrets.

The Willful


Lauren Nicolle Taylor - 2014
    It’s an all-encompassing love that sweeps her off her feet but also leaves her dangling with nothing to hold onto. It’s thrilling, unlike anything she’s ever felt before, and she gives her whole heart to this marriage, to this willful, passionate man.Things change when she becomes a mother. It’s not just the two of them anymore, and as Esther gives a large piece of her heart to her daughter, Rosa, she starts to realize that maybe love shouldn’t be this hard. That she shouldn’t have to give up her whole self to be with him. That now that she’s a mother, she can’t.Set in the years leading up to The Woodlands, The Willful follows Esther, Rosa’s mother, as she navigates young motherhood, a marriage on the brink, and the hard decisions that come with living in a controlled world with an uncontrollable man.

The Blemished


Sarah Dalton - 2012
    Her genes are worthless and that takes away her rights: her right to an Education, her right to a normal life and her right to have a child.Mina keeps a dangerous secret which she never thought she could share until she meets Angela on her first day at St Jude's School. But their friendship is soon complicated by Angela’s adoptive brother Daniel. Mina finds herself drawn to his mysterious powers and impulsive nature. Then there is the gorgeous clone Sebastian who Mina is forbidden from even speaking to…The Blemished is a frightening take on a fractured future where the Genetic Enhancement Ministry have taken control of Britain. It will take you on a ride filled with adventure, romance and rebellion.

Scythe


Neal Shusterman - 2016
    Humanity has conquered all those things, and has even conquered death. Now scythes are the only ones who can end life—and they are commanded to do so, in order to keep the size of the population under control.Citra and Rowan are chosen to apprentice to a scythe—a role that neither wants. These teens must master the “art” of taking life, knowing that the consequence of failure could mean losing their own.

Perfect Ruin


Lauren DeStefano - 2013
    Your life is yours to embrace or to squander. There's only one rule: you don't approach THE EDGE. If you do, it's already over.Morgan Stockhour knows getting too close to the edge can lead to madness. Even though her older brother, Lex, was a Jumper, Morgan vows never to end up like him. There’s too much for her at home: her parents, best friend Pen, and her betrothed, Basil. Her life is ordinary and safe, even if she sometimes does wonder about the ground and why it’s forbidden.Then a murder, the first in a generation, rocks the city. With whispers swirling and fear on the wind, Morgan can no longer stop herself from investigating, especially once she meets Judas. Betrothed to the victim, Judas is being blamed for the murder, but Morgan is convinced of his innocence. Secrets lay at the heart, but nothing can prepare Morgan for what she will find—or whom she will lose.

Freak of Nature


Julia Crane - 2013
    Check.When seventeen-year-old Kaitlyn checked the box, she never suspected she’d have her life–and her body–stolen from her. She awakens one day in a secret laboratory to discover that her body is now half-robot and is forced to hide her own secret: that she still has human emotions and a human mind. If the scientists who made her find out, they’ll erase what remains of who she was.Kaitlyn finds an unlikely ally in Lucas, a handsome, brilliant scientist who can’t get over the guilt he feels knowing she was once a vibrant, beautiful young woman. He never expected a science project to affect him the way she does. As he tries to help her rediscover her past, he finds himself falling for the brave girl struggling to find her place and acceptance between the human and computer worlds.

These Broken Stars


Amie Kaufman - 2013
    Then, catastrophe strikes: the massive luxury spaceliner is yanked out of hyperspace and plummets into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive. And they seem to be alone. Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a young war hero who learned long ago that girls like Lilac are more trouble than they’re worth. But with only each other to rely on, Lilac and Tarver must work together, making a tortuous journey across the eerie, deserted terrain to seek help. Then, against all odds, Lilac and Tarver find a strange blessing in the tragedy that has thrown them into each other’s arms. Without the hope of a future together in their own world, they begin to wonder—would they be better off staying here forever?Everything changes when they uncover the truth behind the chilling whispers that haunt their every step. Lilac and Tarver may find a way off this planet. But they won’t be the same people who landed on it.The Starbound Trilogy: Three worlds. Three love stories. One enemy.

The Harvest


Alanah Andrews - 2019
    Childhood friends, Eve and Hana, have grown up in an underground compound, their emotional control monitored at all times.But the harvest is approaching . . .In two days, the low-ranked students will be culled and the worthy assigned to their permanent positions in society.Eve is a high-ranked student, but harbours secret concerns about her brother leaving—feelings that she must conceal from her monitor if she wishes to succeed. Hana has always struggled to control her emotions, and she fears that this harvest will be her last.Both know there's no place for friendship when they're competing for their lives.The harvest is coming, and only the worthy will remain.

Resist the Machine (Avant Nation, #1)


C.D. Verhoff - 2015
    So when her innermost desires conflict with her rigidly planned life, she must hide them or risk losing everything.Fresh out of the academy, she loathes her new assignment as a medical technician, but those who complain tend to disappear, so what can she do? Deciding to make the best of it, she works hard to become one of the top techs at the hospital, specializing in the use of memory retrieval equipment. As her skills gain recognition, she begins to make peace with the system until the day a loved one vanishes without a trace.Seeking answers, Clara's retrieves a memory nobody was supposed to see. Suspense with a touch of romance—Avant Nation will take you on a thought-provoking ride into the near future.

Tainted


Alexandra Moody - 2014
    All she has ever known are the artificial confines of underground fallout shelter, the ARC. Under the Council’s rule, ruthless officials roam the hallways, community comes first and everyone lives in fear of failing their annual testing. With one simple blood test you could be taken away without any warning or a word of goodbye.There are only a few people in the ARC who Elle truly cares about and she desperately tries to keep them at arm’s length away for fear of losing someone else. Especially, her best friend Sebastian who she denies her feelings for, even from herself. Chilling secrets and mysterious disappearances plague the ARC, but Elle would never dare to voice the forbidden questions that linger on her lips. That is until they take the wrong person.No one is truly safe in the ARC and Elle is about to experience her own personal apocalypse. With nothing left to lose she will risk everything to uncover the truth about the tainted.Will she find what she's looking for or are some secrets better left buried deep underground?Don't miss the first book in this young adult series!

Alien Boyfriend for Christmas


Luna Kingsley - 2020
    Her dream job as the lead botanist on Niri was worth traveling across the galaxy, but she’s not going to miss out on the trappings of her favorite holiday. Not to mention she misses everyone back home. Everyone except her ex, of course. She’ll do everything she can to avoid seeing him again but running into him around town is inevitable.Verrik is tired of the monotony of his day-to-day life on Niri. He works long days as an electrician to try to get ahead and save what money he can. One day he hopes to be able to support a family of his own but as an orphan, his opportunities are limited. The one good thing that comes from his current job is meeting the unique, curvy little botanist from Earth.She’s headed back to Earth for the holidays. He’s ready for his own adventure. Her suggestion to be her fake alien boyfriend is unconventional, but the payment is too good to pass up. When the lines between fantasy and reality begin to blur, they find themselves navigating unexplored territory.Can a Niri Alien and Earth female find a way to make a relationship work for real?Alien Boyfriend for Christmas is a standalone sci-fi romance full of steam with no cheating, no cliffhanger and a happily ever after guaranteed!

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes


Suzanne Collins - 2020
    In the Capital, eighteen-year-old Coriolanus Snow is preparing for his one shot at glory as a mentor in the Games. The once-mighty house of Snow has fallen on hard times, its fate hanging on the slender chance that Coriolanus will be able to outcharm, outwit, and outmaneuver his fellow students to mentor the winning tribute.The odds are against him. He's been given the humiliating assignment of mentoring the female tribute from District 12, the lowest of the low. Their fates are now completely intertwined -- every choice Coriolanus makes could lead to favor or failure, triumph or ruin. Inside the arena, it will be a fight to the death. Outside the arena, Coriolanus starts to feel for his doomed tribute... and must weigh his need to follow the rules against his desire to survive no matter what it takes.