Rite of Rejection

Acceptance, Book 1

By: Sarah Negovetich

Narrated by: Stacey Glemboski

Before you stands the future.

Straight-laced 16-year-old Rebecca can't wait for her Acceptance. A fancy ball, eligible bachelors, and her debut as an official member of society. Instead, the Machine rejects Rebecca. Labeled as a future criminal, she's shipped off to a life sentence in a lawless penal colony.

A life behind barbed wire fences with the world's most dangerous people terrifies Rebecca. She reluctantly joins a band of misfit teens in a risky escape plan, complete with an accidental fiancé she's almost certain she can learn to love.

But freedom comes with a price. To escape a doomed future and prove her innocence, Rebecca must embrace the criminal within.

A teen and young adult dystopian adventure of crime, romance, and survival.

©2014 Sarah Negovetich (P)2017 Sarah Negovetich

Fantastic!!!

I really enjoyed this creative and unique story! I loved these characters, the plot, the romance - everything about this book was perfection! I can't wait for book 2. Also, the narration was absolutely perfect for this story and really brought these characters to life! Highly recommend!


I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Amazing!

Amazing listen! Loved the characters and the story was intriguing and kept me hooked. The narrator did an awesome job of bringing the story to life. I love dystopian books and this one is on my can’t miss list, I highly recommend this for fans of books like Divergent. I received a free review copy of this audiobook at my request and I have voluntarily left this review.

Rejection!

I enjoy the genre of YA Dystopian books, so I am always looking for the next great series. This book might just be the start of that series!

Rebecca is a very naïve 16 year old girl who is preparing for her Acceptance ritual. This ceremony is the most important event of every 16 year olds' life. Acceptance means that you are going to be a productive part of society. If you are rejected, you are sent to the PIT. A machine has been developed that shows who is a threat to society, those who are (or will become) criminals. The Cardinal has assured that everyone is protected.

The first part of the book were very poignant and reminiscent of things I have read about people when they were thrown into Nazi Concentration Camps. You could really feel the pain and anguish of the newly rejected.

Many reviews I have seen point out that Rebecca is too naïve. However, I was raised in a very sheltered Christian environment, never questioning what I was told or why certain things were done. I found her to be very believable in that aspect!

The story has love, betrayal, doubt and fear throughout. I did find the love story part a little much, but then I am a 60 year old female, not a teenager! I would have preferred more about the Cardinal or how he came to have so much power instead of all the lovey-dovey parts.

I also found it a little unbelievable that these young people would be put in a prison (the PIT), then allowed to basically do whatever they wanted to do instead of forcing them into some kind of jobs.

All in all, a good start to the series. The book was well-written and engaging and the narrator did a great job, added to my enjoyment of the book.

Riveting and Enjoyable

This is one of the best dystopian stories I've listened to or read. The characters are well written. The plot is excellent. I would recommend this book to anyone...adult or teen. Well done.

Amazing Dystopian Story!!!

First I want to say I was given a copy of this audio book by the author at my request and am voluntarily leaving this review with my true and honest opinion.
Rite of Rejection was a great book it just pulled me in. It has romance, scandal and danger. What more could you ask for. Can't wait for installment number two.

Worth your time and credit

Awesome book with fantastic narration. Very entertaining, engaging and enjoyable. If your looking for your next Dystopian fix you've found it. I was looking forward to this book and was disappointed at all. It pulled me right in and held my complete attention from start to finish. I was irritated anytime I had to pause the book for any reason and couldn't wait to get back to it. It's definitley worth your time and credit.

It's well written, has an interesting and engaging storyline and a great cast of characters. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.

Stacey Glemboski did a fantastic job with the narration. She has one of those voices that was made for narrating books. She has become one of my favorite narrators. Clearly spoken with a nice even pace. Great character voices. Both male and female. Her voice sounds age appropriate for the characters. She was able to bring the characters, their emotions and the story to life. Very enjoyable

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and voluntarily provided this review.

Missed some more descriptions

Every year the Rite of Acceptance is celebrated in Carnal City. Teens from all territories must participate when they reach the age of 16 to be accepted into society. There is a special machine that detects any potential criminal, and those are sent to the Pit. Rebecca Collins has always been a good girl, and for her this is just another step in the way, nothing to worry about. But the machine has a different opinion, and Rebecca is sent to the Pit, where she will meet new friends and will try to understand why and how their society really works.

I loved the premises of this book. A dystopian society where everybody seems happy but is watched with a magnifier by a leader. People who are unjustly rejected and erased from society just because they may think different or have certain abilities that could pose a danger to the leader.

From the few details we got, the story is set in the future. There is some technology unknown to us but not extremely developed, so it could be just near future. Somehow society has evolved just oposite as it should. Women’s aspirations are getting married and having children, and this really shows in Rebecca, the main character. I sympathized with her, but only to a certain point. The damsel in distress attitude, and her obsession with boys was just too much for me. I understand that she was only sixteen, but her mantle of victimhood and the need for a knight to save her was just the opposite to anything I want to see in any girl. Fortunately Rebecca evolves during her stay in the Pit, and towards the end of the book she becomes a different person.

The story is focused in Rebecca, her feelings, and the little group of friends she met. I missed more descriptions about the world in general and the Pit in particular. If the machine did not only send criminals to the Pit, but different people in general, why was this place so dangerous? It is true that there were no rules of respect from the guards towards the prisoners, but among all the people there, there should have been more good people than the ones Rebecca met. I got especially angry at the ordeal she had to pass to gain acceptance to the group, and I would have stayed away of toxic people who would ask me the impossible just to avoid accepting me. There were very few background characters, and from the story and descriptions it was difficult to have a real idea about the Pit and the people inside. I am sure there would have been many different groups, but this was just not in the book, which is a pity, because it would have contributed to make the story richer.

The book ends on a massive cliffhanger, but as it is just the first book in a series, this is something we are getting used to.

Stacey Glemboski’s narration was absolutely amazing. She delivered different voices for all the characters, and transmitted Rebecca’s emotions in a such a powerful way that took away my breath several times. Her voice is clear and helped to improve the final product. The audio production was perfect.

I enjoyed the story, and the way that Rebecca felt close, even though our personalities are very different. I think this book would work on young audiences and anyone with special interest in dystopian novels.

I received a copy of this book in audio format from the narrator in exchange for an honest review.

This book was dark

I love dystopian listens. Many books in this genre leans towards the dark. That was definitely the case here.

The reasons behind the machine rejecting people is the side B to this story. The side A is the world building and the abject despair for those living in The Pit. Actually, this could have been darker but trust me, it was dark enough.

The ending shed some light on the situation and while there was resolution, there is definitely a want to check out book two.

The narrator was really good. In fact, she was so good that a few times I actually forgot this was a single narration.

If you like dark dystopian novels, this one delivers.

Uniquely Satisfying YA Dystopian Story

Rite of Rejection is a compelling story that is reminiscent of the classic Stepford Wives with its Pollyanna view of how boys grow up to be men who will go to work to provide for home and hearth, while girls grow up to be housewives and mothers. At the same this book reminds me a little of Divergent with corruption parading around under the guise of protection.

This unique story begins on the eve of a grand ball celebration where debutantes and other citizens are formally accepted into the community. Rebecca Collins is just like all other debutants dreaming of being accepted into society and dancing at the ball with a handsome young fellow. However, Rebecca’s dreams are crushed when she is deemed a future criminal, arrested, and sent to live in the Permanent Isolation Territory (the “PIT”) without being able to say goodbye to her parents. Rebecca is devastated because she always followed the rules and never did anything to warrant her banishment from society. The rest of the story of how Rebecca adjusts to living in the PIT, how she finds her voice, and how she ultimately survives. In short, she becomes much more than a stereotypical “Stepford wife” and she matures into the outlaw the system foretold.

I listened to the Audible version of Rite of Rejection narrated superbly by Stacey Glemboski. Her style is very natural with great intonation and pace. She provides differing voices for all characters and she conveys urgency in all the right places without becoming shrill. Simply put, I highly recommend this audiobook to anyone who enjoys a good dystopian novel.

Excellent story fringed with a disappointment

The story and development of each character are excellent, strong and realistic. I really liked Eric for Rebecca right from the beginning and that didn’t stop all the way through.
The narrator was brilliant. Her reading is heartfelt and spot-on for every character.
I would have given this story 5 stars but for the disappointment of the betrayal. I’d have preferred the other party to be the traitor. But my rating is personal as I tend to read ya for it’s escapism and idealism of first love. To me this book would otherwise have been every bit as good as The Hunger Games and Divergent series. I’ll definitely be looking out for the next and still hope for my perfect couple match. 😊