Goodreads says, "Centuries after a catastrophic world war nearly decimated the human population, a city arose from the ashes, ruled by an elusive and technologically advanced group called the Illum.
At twenty-seven, Emeline lives in limbo, wasting away her days in a job sorting ancient human art for destruction and waiting to be selected as a Mate for a procreation contract. Where others look forward to being chosen, Emeline has never felt like she fit into a society where a person’s worth is determined by constantly monitored genes, health, and the ability to procreate. She’s struggled to keep her discomfort secret, but when she is finally chosen, her Mate is revealed to be a member of the Illum named Collin, a man who seems to be harboring secrets of his own.
It is the first time an Illum has taken a Mate in decades, leaving Emeline—and others—baffled as to why she was chosen. Soon, she is swept into the dangerous game of Courting, filled with ballgowns, lavish dinners, and watchful eyes, where one wrong move can mean elimination. While parts of this elite lifestyle are unexpectedly appealing, the more embroiled she becomes, the more she sees its dark underbelly—and a rebellion rising in secret. Collin is confusing, both cold and protective, and worse, she finds herself drawn to the very last person she should be falling for: Hal, one of the resistance leaders.
As she draws closer to both Collin and Hal, the Illum exercise their power in increasingly brutal ways, forcing Emeline to question everything—most of all whether she’ll have to give up her heart and even her life to stop them."
Emeline works a job on the ground, helping go through old works of art after the Last War. The Last War raged through the world, and now society is left with the main focus being on procreation, but with requirements. The Illum, the elite group of authoritarian rulers, run the show and prioritize procreation, but with people who have the best genes and traits. Emeline, a "minor defect, " is paired with Collin, the youngest Illum, which seems like an unconventional pairing and one that is unprecedented. This could be a way out of the drudgery for Emeline and a way into their world of comfort in the clouds. Except this isn't going to be easy. Emeline has met a charismatic man, Hal, while at her job. He just showed up in her office one day, as he is interested in the art she is going through. They hit it off and have a connection, but she slowly realizes that Hal is on the outskirts of society. With her recent pairing with Collin, how on earth could she actually have a genuine relationship with Hal, and even worse, what if the people in charge find out? While all this is brewing, there is an uprising occurring that makes Emeline question which path she should take. Conform, a debut novel by Ariel Sullivan, is an engaging dystopian, reminiscent of the many young adult dystopians that swept the literary world years ago.
I enjoyed the character of Emeline a lot in Conform. She recognizes her place in society, but isn't exactly a conformist. She has dreams and desires outside of what the Illum want for her. While Conform does have a love triangle (Collin vs. Hal), I think it is done well as each man represents a different path Emeline could take. Plus, there are some twists and turns coming down the road as she progresses with her assigned relationship with Collin.
My only issue with Conform was the lack of world-building. Usually, dystopian novels really flesh out the setting a bit more, and that wasn't the case here in Conform. I wish Sullivan had explained it a bit more, but other than that, I really enjoyed the novel.
If you, like me, were really into all those dystopian novels from 10-15 years ago, this will be right up your alley. Conform ended up being one of my favorite books of the year!
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