"Fourteen-year-old Ion Jacobs just wants to belong to a normal family and feel normal. but his past is a mystery, his future is a question, and his whole life is about to change. Tossed from one foster home to another and shadowed by his mysterious past, Ion fears he’ll never fit in – until one day, when he drops a pencil and instead of falling to the floor . . . it floats."

Kate Emmons has been one of my favourite bloggers for over a year. I have yet to read her Blood Race trilogy (which I’ve heard raves about). But the trilogy’s prequel gave me the perfect opportunity to read one of her books and get a taste of The Blood Race’s world.

Anomaly I can only describe as hard-hitting. It grips you from the start and the pages just keep turning. It is, in many ways, an engaging, quick and “easy” read. But the subject matter is tough and gritty, often unpleasant in its authenticity. Kate doesn’t shy away from exploring Ion’s struggles and probing things like fear, rejection and loneliness. She looks at the power of our thoughts, and the dreadful things that happen when we dwell on the darkness; the searing pain of feeling like “something no one wants”; the hopelessness of not knowing who you are and being constantly uprooted.

No, not an easy read. But it’s also infused with hope, lovely turns of phrase and descriptions of nature. There were poignant moments between the characters, made sweeter by the bleakly ordinary backdrop. Ion, despite his questions, fears and darker side, wins your sympathy (you are VERY glad when he’s stopped from drowning himself before he gets a proper chance at life). I also really enjoyed Ava’s character and how she was fleshed out.

And although we don’t struggle with our pencil-levitating powers like Ion, we all fight a daily battle in our minds. As the old man puts it, in one of my favourite phrases of his, “We get to choose which thoughts to water. Which thoughts to put out in the sun. We’re the gardeners of our own minds.” Boy, can that be a challenge.

The prose contained some really cool, vivid imagery, but I felt the writing needed some more editing and general tightening. There’s a fair bit of swearing, although it’s understandable given the characters and their surroundings.

Kate has successfully whetted my appetite for The Blood Race and given me a desire to see how Anomaly fits in there. She has also given us a gripping, fast-paced read that churns in your mind long afterwards. There is a lot to chew on here – if you’re brave enough.

I received and ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Anomaly is a prequel to The Blood Race trilogy. It follows Ion when he was young, and we get to see him try and understand his powers and see him struggle with it.
This book was a intriguing read, fast paced the story pulled you in and does not let go. The author knows how to make readers feel for the character and that's how you know it will be an amazing read.
Overall this was a good read and I recommend it to everyone.