What made this book so real to me, is the fact that elements of this could very well happen in the future. We know that it's possible to clone genes now, so this book really gave me something to think about. Of course, cloning people to keep society perfect is ridiculous, as human beings aren't meant to be perfect. Having flaws is what makes us human, so for me, the clones in this story are not human at all. Mina has a hard enough life already, being Blemished.

She lost her mother when she was young, and has grown up only knowing her father. Blemished girls are expected to wear a uniform, and cover their hair with a headscarf around GEM's, as well as keeping their head down and not drawing attention to themselves. This is made all the more difficult for Mina, as she has a power that must be kept secret at all costs. If she is discovered, it could not only mean death for her, but also her father and friends. As if this wasn't enough, there are boys on the scene too.

Blemished girls are forbidden to look at boys, so it's bad enough that she starts to develop feelings for Daniel, who is also Blemished, but Sebastian, a GEM, is another matter altogether. I really enjoyed this story and thought that it had everything to keep me entertained. It was fast paced and exciting and had me turning the pages frantically to see what happens to Mina and her friends.

There were shocks and revelations that I wasn't expecting at all, which definitely made the story even more enjoyable. Just as you think they're safe from harm, something else comes bursting into the story and puts them in danger again. If I had to say that there was anything wrong with this book, it would be that I didn't get to know the characters as well as I would have liked. While I enjoy a fast paced story, this didn't seem to leave enough time for the characters to develop in my opinion. However, I loved the story, and definitely want to read the next in the series.

Pfoe, dit was absoluut een YA zoals ik hem al een tijdje niet gelezen had! Het is een gemengd leven geworden van Onzuiveren, en G.


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Dat Onzuiveren moeten werken voor de G. Is de mensheid echt daadwerkelijk op het punt beland dat het streven naar perfectie het enige is dat nog telt, en slavernij weer terugkomt om de perfecte mensen nog meer tevreden te stellen? Het verhaal draait voornamelijk om de stoere Mina, een Onzuivere die dolgraag haar eigen leven zou willen leiden en om zou willen gaan met de mensen waarmee ze zelf om wilt gaan. Het is mede dankzij deze gedachtengang en problemen die groeien op school, dat ze klaar is voor een echte stap in haar leven, zonder dat iemand haar daar van af zal kunnen houden: Zullen zij en haar vrienden die ze ontmoet op deze spannende, onstuimige zoektocht naar de vrijheid, het ultieme - en vooral vrije - eindpunt weten te bereiken?

Onzuiver is een ontzettend vlot geschreven verhaal, dat een zeer strakke spanningsboog weet te houden van begin tot eind, mede dankzij het realistische dat erdoorheen verweven is en dat je aan het denken zet. Het zou tenslotte zomaar kunnen dat wij op den duur ook die kant op gaan… De personages zijn boeiend: Ze vechten voor wat ze waard zijn en verzetten zich hevig tegenover de mensen die hen koste wat kost willen veranderen in mensen die zij het liefste zien.

Ook de snelle, onverwachte plottwists zorgen ervoor dat je steeds weer verder wilt lezen om erachter te komen wat er daadwerkelijk aan de hand is en wat er zal gaan gebeuren. Het eind kan ergens afgerond aanvoelen, maar toch heb ik het gevoel dat er nog veel meer aan zit te komen. Nu weet ik dat het een trilogie is, en ik hoop dan ook van harte dat de rest ook vertaald zal gaan worden… ik wil gewoon weten hoe het verdergaat met het groepje vrienden! Ik ben in ieder geval om, en raad dit begin van deze aanstaande trilogie dan ook van harte aan: Ik heb ervan genoten en het heeft mij nog meer inzicht gegeven over de wereld die zo ontzettend is veranderd.

Zeker een aanrader, voor als je Onzuiver hebt gelezen! Aug 16, Sarah rated it liked it Shelves: This means that she has a genetic predisposition for a disease, and in a world where only perfect babies are cloned, this makes her a lesser member of society. After cloning cured diseases such as diabetes and mental health problems, all babies are created and birthed in a lab, and are called GEMs, whilst those with imperfect genes are sterilised and not allowed to breed.

Mina has just over a year until she will be sterilised, Source: Mina has just over a year until she will be sterilised, and will then go on to be a servant — cleaning and serving the GEMs. Mina has a secret though — she has telekinesis, and her father wants to train her to use it. Daniel, a boy at her school also has a gift — he has visions. Mina and Daniel together wonder if they could maybe make a difference in the world, but things are never that easy. What does the future hold for Mina and Daniel? And is there more to life than being sterilised and worked like a slave?

This was an interesting dystopian, with a hint of romance. Mina was an okay character. The storyline in this book was okay, although I did wonder if a bit more explanation of certain aspects of the world building would have helped. Otherwise, the idea of the blemished was quite clever, and I liked how possible and realistic the story seemed. In fact it was almost like two love triangles, because there was Daniel-Mina-Sebastian, and then there was Mina-Daniel-Angela.

The pacing in this book was okay until the end, when it seemed to get really slow, which was a bit annoying. The ending was happy enough, and things were tied up pretty nicely. Overall; and okay dystopian with a touch of romance. Aug 09, Erin Laidley rated it it was ok. The Blemished takes place in the near future, where scientific advancements have created the "perfect" humans: These genetically enhanced humans, or GEMS, receive all of the advantages in life while the Blemished, who are what we would consider "normal" humans, are denied many of their basic human rights.

While this concept is intriguing, it's also frightening. Scientists have already found a way to screen fo The Blemished takes place in the near future, where scientific advancements have created the "perfect" humans: Scientists have already found a way to screen for genetic defects before your child is even born, so the idea that people can essentially "engineer" their child - from their looks straight down to their genetic makeup - isn't hard to believe.

After all, some fertility clinics already allow you to choose the gender of your child , so this society isn't a far cry from our own. Although I enjoyed the concept behind The Blemished , its execution left a lot to be desired. About a quarter of the way through the book, the plot started to move at a very slow pace and sacrificed action and answers for the sake of romance.

By now I'm sure you all know how much I dislike love triangles, so imagine my reaction when Mina found herself in the middle of a love square - complete with instalove and jealousy on all sides. I didn't really care for Sebastian or Daniel, so the many scenes focusing on Mina's confused feelings for them seemed to drag on and on.

For the most part, the characters were rather two-dimensional. I admired Mina's determination and loyalty to her friends, but I never felt as if I truly got to know her. The same could be said for almost all of the other characters; they weren't fleshed out but either possessed admirable qualities or earned your sympathy with a tragic event in their past. Elena was the only character to receive any real development and she received significantly less page time than the two main love interests.

Overall, The Blemished was merely an okay read. The premise was interesting, but the lack of character development and action caused it to fall flat. This review can also be found at The In-Between Place. I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Dec 15, Jonel Boyko rated it really liked it. This novel is extra scary simply because you can picture the events happening. Based on the storyline, it is so easy to see genetic engineering following this path that it makes you shudder. This leads to events and times that are completely heart wrenching. You can barely fathom the very real issues that these characters live with, yet they are brought to life so vividly that you feel for them.

This novel was also very well written. Everything flows so seamlessly that you can immerse yourself completely in the storyline and characters. You can picture yourself walking through the various sections of the England that she has built for her story. As unique as this novel was, the best part about it was the characters.

Each and every one of the major characters is extremely well developed and loveable in their own way. You know who they are and where they came from. You can see the various trials and tribulations that they have been through to build them into the individuals that they are today. None of them have had easy lives. It is refreshing to read about something other than the upper strata of society. Yet at the same time, the author shows that they do not have carefree lives either. This was a phenomenally well written first novel for an up and coming new author.

It leads you into a world that you can get lost in while giving you something to hope for and believe in. Sep 19, Emma Adams rated it it was amazing Shelves: The Blemished is a wonderful dystopian debut by young adult author Sarah Dalton, set in a sinister re-imagined Britain which has fallen under the control of the Genetic Enhancement Ministry.

The protagonist, Mina Hart, is Blemished: But Mina is The Blemished is a wonderful dystopian debut by young adult author Sarah Dalton, set in a sinister re-imagined Britain which has fallen under the control of the Genetic Enhancement Ministry. This story grips from the first page, and has everything a great YA dystopia needs — a compelling plot, a sympathetic protagonist, action and romance. I hate giving negative reviews to books that hold so much promise. This is one of those books that I wished were better written and executed.

The Blemished

Though the story be typical - imperfect girl gets involved with two almost-perfect if not perfect guys while trying to battle the evil forces of society - I see potential for this. The idea that beauty is equal only to the outer appearance holds room for argument to our protagonist, Mina.

In a world where there is division between those who had flawless l I hate giving negative reviews to books that hold so much promise. In a world where there is division between those who had flawless looks and to those who are natural-born calls for change.

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But is that even possible? How can these kids trump over the Ministry? Although fast-paced, I really disliked the characters. Mina liked playing hero to the point of stupidly putting everybody at risk. Daniel professed his love for Mina but selfishly led her to danger. Angela, the cool friend, still blindly believed that Daniel could love her.

And Sebastian, what the hell does he really want? Lol Sorry but I just rolled my eyes a lot of times while reading this. Nov 29, Erin Farwell rated it it was amazing. Sarah Dalton has created an intriguing world populated with full-formed characters and a heroine you worry about and cheer on as she goes from one situation to the next.

The book is well-paced, getting faster and faster as it reaches it's climax, carrying you along on the wave of energy and emotion. This is a great young adult book which I highly recommend. Dec 10, S. The premise had me salivating to dive into it and the way the book opens instantly had me hooked: My story begins with my head stuck in a toilet. But not only are the Blemished deemed unworthy of procreating, the Ministry the new government ensures they don't by seeing that every Blemished girl has an Operation - basically giving them a hysterectomy - at the age of sixteen.

And the way the Blemished are treated as dirty, second-class citizens and made to serve the GEMs the genetically enhanced, test tube babies who are given privileges such as an education and the opportunity to have good jobs and live in nice homes filled with nice things, is also pretty nauseating This book has one of the strongest antagonists I've ever seen the Ministry.

Then, mix in a strong-willed, heart-of-gold heroine Mina , a sweet, gap-toothed best friend Angela , a bully GEM Elena, the offending swirly-giver at the beginning of the book , a super bully in Mrs. Murgatroyd affectionately named Murder-Troll by her Blemished students , a cute GEM boy who wants to win Mina's affection Sebastian , only to be rivaled by Daniel another Blemished boy , and you've got potential for an exceptional story.

Mina has a gift - telekinesis. And we all know I have a fondness for dark-haired heroines with telekinesis. I'll try and dissect it all for you below. The premise - I covered that pretty thoroughly above. I love a strong-willed, won't-take-crap-from-anyone kind of girl. She's tender when she needs to be, strong when she has to be, and values her friends and family. I also like that she takes a stand for what's right and isn't afraid to break the rules to do so, especially in a world where offending Blems get the electric chair for the smallest of crimes.

Another reason to despise the Ministry. Not that we need anymore reasons at this point! Another plus is how the author has a way of creating moments that tears your heart out; I consider that an excellent storytelling trait. Regardless of how 'meh' I felt about the overall story at times, Ms Dalton had me glued to the pages and actively trying to hold myself together at others. Murgatroyd hacks at Mina's hair in front of the class as punishment. I was as horrified and humiliated as Mina, and man, after I recovered from my heartbreak, I was wishing I could jump into the book and strangle the Murder-Troll right then.

As someone who's witnessed a family member suffering from dementia, the scenes really hit home and made my heart ache for her kids. And honestly, without these tear-my-heart-out moments, I'd probably rate this book a star lower, because these were rare moments in the storyline I actually felt something.

I also like how the characters aren't all one dimensional. That makes for a believable cast of characters. Mina's relationship with her father. I'm a daddy's girl, so 'nuff said. I usually don't have a 'meh' category, but some of the things I have to harp on aren't necessarily bad. Yes, there's a love triangle. Good chemistry really is a hard thing to create, and when an author successfully does so it makes the book that much better. I give Ms Dalton points for trying, but this is one of the main reasons the book only gets two-and-a-half stars - it simply didn't deliver in that department.

Not for me, anyway. I get that the book isn't necessarily billed as a romance, but when budding romances are a pretty good chunk of the book, as the reader, we expect it to deliver. And honestly, it's hard to articulate why it didn't do much for me. There WAS a small amount with Daniel because he also has a gift and they spend a good amount of time together, BUT a lot of their time was glossed over renovating the basement together so we never really got a sense of how close their bond had become.

We were only told that it had. Showing can make all the difference. If I were the author, I'd go back through and add some more one-on-one scenes during that timeframe. As a side note, I will say I liked that Daniel was protective of Mina, and when she was wronged, he couldn't rest until it was made right. Next, dare I say it Believe me, I hate to talk about another author's writing.

And please know, I'm not out to bash, because we all have room for improvement, but Ms. Dalton could benefit from going back through and tightening up her prose. There were a few places I felt like her writing got a bit lazy, and as both a reader and writer, it dampens my motivation to keep reading. For instance, my example above about glossing over key relationship-building opportunities; telling and not showing; a few too many typos for my liking; using some of the same descriptions over and over.

I want to add, though, that there were times her talent shined through. Everything else I could cope with: But to stand and serve them the food I had prepared always seemed the lowest of the low. I thought about the way Dad cooks for me and the intimate feeling you get from sharing food. It should be personal, and with love. Some of the seemingly contrived situations Right before that, her uncle Matthew says they need to pack up and head out of town since it's a possibility they could come after Mina and Daniel for the vandalism, but then he suggests everyone needs to hang out a bit and take a nap to get some rest.

If there's a possibility you'll be captured and killed, why the hell wouldn't you go ahead and leave? It came across to me that the author needed something to kill time to give the enforcers time to figure out who was responsible for said crime and get to Mina's house. I couldn't help but laugh. Like when she's trying to help another classmate escape.

And yet, she never seems to worry much about her little telekinesis outbursts after having moved to Area 14 because of them in the first place because it needs to stay "secret. Elena, the GEM bully turned friend. Not that I have a problem with who saved her, I have a problem with the way it was done - in a surprise attack of Murder-Troll from behind, knocking her out. Then it was, "oh, it's Elena! And you're in high heels? How did you get here? Go haphazardly seek out a source of violence and mayem in the dark. But because this story has such an interesting concept with decent world and character building, it has loads of potential with the right editor and a good amount of re-writing.

Until then, I can only say it fell nothing short of blah for me, borderlining on "I can never get my time back. Het verhaal leest vanaf het eerste begin vlot en het tempo blijft hoog gedurende het hele verhaal. Mina is een nieuwe leerling op de Judasschool. Genetisch gemanipuleerde mensen en kinderen zi Het verhaal leest vanaf het eerste begin vlot en het tempo blijft hoog gedurende het hele verhaal.

Genetisch gemanipuleerde mensen en kinderen zijn verheven boven de rest. Onzuiveren hebben genen die volgens de regels waardeloos zijn en dus onbruikbaar. Onzuiveren hebben zelfs een eigen uniform om hen te onderscheiden van de rest: Het gedrag van G. Onzuiveren is regelrecht onbeschoft. Onzuiveren worden beschouwd als minderwaardig. Onzuiveren die zich niet aan de regels houden, krijgen te maken met zeer zware straffen. Sommigen zelfs met de dood tot gevolg.

Zelfs het onderwijs dat Onzuiveren volgen is compleet anders dan het onderwijs aan G. Zo krijgen de G. De lessen voor de Onzuiveren bestaan echter uit praktische lessen, zodat de Onzuiveren later in dienst te kunnen zijn van de elite, als bijvoorbeeld dienstmeisje of kok. Het is een intrigerende gedachte, een kind op maat gemaakt.

Persoonlijk moet ik er niet aan denken dat ik mijn eigen zoon had kunnen laten "ontwerpen" en genetisch perfect had kunnen laten maken voor de op dat moment geldende schoonheidsidealen. De wetenschap is helaas al ver op het gebied van genetische manipulatie, op dit moment om ziektes te kunnen bestrijden, maar ooit zullen wetenschappers te maken krijgen met de vraag waar de grens ligt wat ethisch en moreel nog verantwoord is. Het boek bevat een beschrijving die mooi weergeeft hoe de kinderen die genetisch gemanipuleerd zijn er uitzien in de ogen van de Onzuiveren: Ze waren allemaal zo perfect dat hun gezichten samensmolten tot een geheel.

Dit is het begin van een aantal gebeurtenissen die Mina doen beseffen dat zij, net als G. Haar houding zorgt ervoor dat ze in de problemen komt en al gauw heeft Mina geen andere keus dan te vluchten samen met haar vrienden. Deze vlucht is razend spannend beschreven en ik merkte dat ik regelmatig door de spanning mijn adem inhield bij het lezen ervan. Ik heb genoten van dit originele verhaal en geef het graag 4 sterren.

Feb 08, Richelle rated it it was amazing. I have really enjoyed this book! So much so that I have needed to purchase the rest of the series. It was plot that enticed me. The concept of Blemished and Gems became a reality as I thought of the possibilities of science today.

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The blemished are the normal every day person, un-tampered with by science. The Blemished are trained to serve the Gems. The blemished girls are given an operation at sixteen to stop any possibility of preg I have really enjoyed this book! The blemished girls are given an operation at sixteen to stop any possibility of pregnancy. The Gems on the other hand are the opposite. Beauty, mansions and the Blemished. Are you getting the picture? Mina is a Blemished. She also has powers that make her special.

This twists the whole story at every angle. Add to all this the rebellion; a teacher that will drive you crazy; friendships and a love triangle or square as Mina puts it , and you have one fantastic plot. Hence the reason I now own the rest of the series. For all who enjoyed the Divergent series, I think you will enjoy this too. Now that does not make me an expert in the comparison of young adult reads.

For me, I think the two series have their place together on my book shelf. Jan 28, Melissa rated it really liked it Shelves: Dalton, for providing me a copy in exchange for a review. I look for two things when it comes to a book I truly enjoy. Awesome characters Did The Blemished meet these expectations and surpass them? The Blemished appeared in my recommendations and the cover definitely intrigued me. The summary of the book is really something. A futuristic world filled with genetically-altered people and their not-so-perfect counterparts.

Even though, it does see Thanks you, Ms. Even though, it does seem familiar, I believe Ms. Dalton was able to take this vague idea and make it her own. I love the world Ms. Dalton has created, these "perfect" people are called GEMs while the not perfect people are called the Blemished Blems. GEMs are people too, but they're also clones. Wealthy families can choose from a storage of genes and essentially create the perfect son or daughter.

There are genes from celebrities and other "perfect" people. But, and here's the big twist, people can only have GEM children if they're genes are disease free. If there's a history of medical or mental problems in your genes, then you are instantly declared part of the Blemished. And that is where The Blemished passed the first test. I love how there are GEMs and Blems, that's pretty creative and that counts as the originality in the plot.

From there, the typical rebellion starts and I understand why it needed to happen. Being dicated by the Ministry pseudo-government is not easy, and being told whether or not you can have children is almost heart-breaking.


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There are a lot of characters in here, but the ones who stood out are the four main characters: Mina, Daniel, Sebastian, and Angela. Mina is a headstrong character and because of this she is often bullied. Mina is a character anyone can relate too, she's gone through much humiliation that seems oddly real that the world here is almost the same as the world now. She fights for what she wants and doesn't let anyone push her down, but she knows when to stand down. Daniel has seen too much of the world and maybe this causes him to be wary and guarded at times.

He's lost both of his parents and has to deal with the place he has in this society. Daniel also wants to fight the Ministry, but some of his motive is due to Mina. Of course, there has to be a love triangle, right? Sebastian is our odd character. He's a GEM while the others are Blems. He shouldn't be trusted because he is seen as a snob to the Blems. But Sebastian is different and I'm not sure if he acts that way because no one can say no to him. He's a tough character to figure out and his motives aren't clear. Sebastian doesn't follow the rules and hangs out with Mina even though she could get into trouble.

Does he know about the consequences and not care because he wants to get to know her?

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Or does he not care because no one will harm him? Sebastian has no idea about the real world and that's why I feel the most sorry about him. Angela seems to represent the good and hope in this world. She's always looking for the best possibilities even though happiness seems futile. She knows her place in society, but it doesn't stop her from trying to make the most out of it.

However, her character does irritate me and personally I don't like her. It seems that The Blemished has met my requirements. But the reason I did not give it a 5-star review was the pacing and descriptions. The pacing was a bit slow for me and it made the book feel much longer than it really is. I don't know why, but somehow I feel like the contents of the book is much longer than a one month time period. And this problem coincides with my next issue: I understand that descriptions are necessary to give readers some background information, but I felt that they were too long.

I expected a bit more action too, but maybe the first book needs to establish a foundation first. But due to the lengthy descriptions that book felt much slower than it actually is. The pacing and descriptions might be an ideal mix for you, but I tend to gravitate more to fast-paced books. It's very hard for me to enjoy slow books-I don't love contemporary-but maybe the next book will lift my spirits. Dalton, you have something fabulous going on here ; Sep 04, Satarupa rated it it was amazing Shelves: I got this book from the author, free of cost, in exchange of an honest review from my side.

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Well, where to start from? Okay, lets start with the outline of the story. So as we know from the blurb that in this futuristic story Britain is basically divided into two groups of people, as in sort of caste system where on one side we have the perfe I got this book from the author, free of cost, in exchange of an honest review from my side.

So as we know from the blurb that in this futuristic story Britain is basically divided into two groups of people, as in sort of caste system where on one side we have the perfect and appraised 'GEMS' who are basically genetically engineered people having perfection in respect of all fields and on the other hand we have the naturally born 'BLEMISHED' who are mistreated, oppressed and are made to work for the 'GEMS'. In this scenario we get introduced to the protagonist of this story, a fifteen year old girl Mina, who is one of the Blemished but what I loved about her was the confidence, attitude and the fact that sometimes she is a little messed up and the other doesn't make her all perfect and grown-up which would have spoiled the read.

The characterization is remarkable and I really liked the writing style of the author which grabbed my attention from the very first and established a strong bonding between the characters and the plot unlike some of the other dystopian books where the characters fail to fit in the plot. I'm not a great fan of dystopian novels but the author really stunned me with this epic story, I just loved it and would vote it as the second best dystopian read after Veronica Roth's Divergent trilogy.

If you loved that series then you would definitely love this one. The uniqueness came in when I got the taste of fantasy mixed with dystopian and it really did spice up the story. The romantic essence is present in this book and the author crafted well the love triangle without making it a chick flick. All in all a great read which is full of good quality suspense, romance, emotional turmoil and over all a superb heroine who narrates the story.

Would like to recommend it to all dystopian fans and if you aren't one then I would definitely recommend it as a must read because it has the potential of changing your taste and viewpoint about dystopian novels. Dec 04, Never Never Land rated it really liked it Shelves: I received this book from the author, free of cost, in exchange of an honest review and I just have to take the time to thank Sarah for this book!

This dystopian novel had me on the edge of my seat the entire time.


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The beginning of the book Mina is young and inexperienced and like all teenagers she struggles to find her path in life. The GEMs are the next generation of humans, clones that are custom made to perfection. Their first train robbery was in California, resulting in the trial of the century for that state, followed by a jailbreak aided by a prominent politician. Back in Oklahoma and Indian Territories they robbed more trains, gaining notoriety and support from the common people of the area.

In they tried to rob two banks at once in their home town of Coffeyville, but the citizens took up arms against them in a gunfight that left eight people dead. Read more Read less. Add both to Cart Add both to List. One of these items ships sooner than the other.

Buy the selected items together This item: Ships from and sold by Amazon. The Notorious Reno Gang: Customers who viewed this item also viewed. Page 1 of 1 Start over Page 1 of 1. The Last Ride of the Dalton Gang. Here's how restrictions apply. Independently published April 3, Language: Start reading The Dalton Boys: Don't have a Kindle? Try the Kindle edition and experience these great reading features: Share your thoughts with other customers.

Write a customer review. Showing of 6 reviews. Top Reviews Most recent Top Reviews. There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later. Kindle Edition Verified Purchase. When I saw that a book about the Daltons had been written, I thought Tilghman might have been a part in this story.

I was wrong, but I am very happy that I read this book. It is well written and amazingly well researched. I even put aside Christopher Moore's most recent book to finish The Dalton Boys - not something I would have normally done. I think the thing that impressed me the most was how the author added notes at the end of each chapter telling how he had put the story together.

I wish all authors of books of this nature would do that. I recommend this book to anyone who has any interest in the fading years of the "wild west. Allin captured the lead up to the famous attempted twin bank robbery in Coffeyville, Kansas by the Dalton brothers and gang by doing a fine job of historical research. Although this is a novel he captured the Oklahoma dialect so well and detailed the lay of the Oklahoma landscape. As an Oklahoma Historian I believe that is the best book I have read on the subject and highly recommend it to anyone interested in the old West.

Very much worth a read for those so inclined.