Under my Skin

Title: Under my Skin (The Immortality Strain #1)
Author: Shawntelle Madison
Genre: YA dystopia
Rating: 4.5/5
Cover: 10/10
Publication Date: December 9th

I was given an ARC of this book from the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was one of those 'oh my god I love that cover... and oh yay the blurb looks amazing' kind of situation. And let me tell you, I just love it when the first impressions turn out to be right.

Tate was a very engaging character - and even if she wasn't, the nemesis would make sure that we'd all be rooting for her. Her independence and self-reliance aren't seen enough in YA protagonists, and it made her so much more special. Her love for her family was really touching - and I really liked how Madison kept reminding us of them. Tate didn't forget about her family even in the face of her own astronomical problems.
Zoe was a delight to read about. I know she's about the same age as Tate, but her excitement over all the luxury was very childlike and endearing, even though we just know everything's going to go to hell soon.
The whole idea of the Guild was very original, I thought. The two-minds-one-body thing did, at times, remind me of The Host, but obviously the similarities pretty much start and end there, since the person who's taken over Tate's body isn't a friendly alien, but a ruthless general.
And of course this review wouldn't be complete if I didn't mention Quinn. His character intrigued me from the start. It was obvious that he'd be love interest, so of course I payed special attention to him. I liked his backstory, but quite honestly, I'd like to maybe hear more about him in the next book. Surely he'd be pretty pissed off that she had told the General everything he needed to know to mess up his life?
Anyway, so if it's so awesome, why 4.5/5? While the characters were fabulous and the plot was brilliant, there were moments, particularly towards the end of the novel, where the descriptions grew weirdly vague. It wasn't at a point where description was particularly needed, but it felt almost like a too-casual treatment of what was happening.
Definitely read this one! I'd say this is a weird mix between The Host and The Selection, with an awesome main character who just won't take no for an answer.