Eye of the Beholder

With shades of Scott Westerfeld's Uglies and Ally Condie's Matched, this cinematic dystopian novel-the first in the thrilling Eye of the Beholder series-is set in a near future society in which "right" and "wrong" are manifested by beauty and ugliness. In Grace Luther's world, morality is physically enforced. Those who are "good" are blessed with beauty, while those who are not suffer horrifying consequences-disfigurement or even death. The daughter of a cleric, Grace has always had faith in the higher power that governs her world. But when she stumbles onto information that leaves her questioning whether there are more complicated-and dangerous-forces manipulating the people around her, she finds herself at the center of an epic battle, where good and evil are not easily distinguished. Despite all her efforts to live a normal teenage life, Grace is faced with a series of decisions that will risk the lives of everyone she loves-and, ultimately, her own. With each page in this electrifying debut novel, Sarah Tarkoff masterfully plunges us into a nightmarish vision of the future. Full of high drama and pulsating tension, Sinless explores the essential questions teenagers wrestle with every day-What is beauty? What is faith? Do we take our surroundings at face value and accept all that we have been taught, or do we question the mores of the society into which we are born?-and places them in the context of a dark, dystopian world where appearances are most definitely deceiving.

In a near future society in which morality is manifested through beauty and ugliness, a young woman will imperil her future and her world to expose the global shadow network that uses its power to play God and control humanity. A decade ago, Grace Luther's life was changed by the Revelations: the moment when Great Spirit "saved" humanity and transformed the world into a place where pious behavior is rewarded with beauty, and wrongdoing results in ugliness and even death. Now, at eighteen, Grace knows that everything she believed about the Revelations is a lie-a myth constructed by the government of the Prophets to force its citizens into model behavior . . . and one that led to her mother's death. She is determined to expose the deception and bring down the Prophets, even if it means aligning herself with the resistance, a group she doesn't entirely trust. After insinuating herself into Prophet Joshua's inner circle, the double agent gets ever closer to fulfilling her mission to destroy his mind-influencing nanotechnology. But a shocking discovery has her questioning her path, and sends her hunting for answers about her past. Grace isn't alone on this odyssey. Zack, the secretive government agent who is sometimes an enemy and sometimes a friend has been shadowing her every move. Is he protecting her-or hunting her? And Jude, her first love, has returned from hiding to aid her-a task complicated by their history. In a dangerous world filled with lies and betrayals, Grace can't trust anyone. And the choices she makes will either save her friends, the resistance, and the hope of attaining free will-or secure the Prophets' power and ultimate control.

A brave young woman risks everything to expose a conspiracy controlling her world in this heart-pounding finale to the Eye of the Beholder series, a thrilling sag set in a near-future dystopian society. Grace Luther grew up believing in the Revelations: the moment when Great Spirit "saved" humanity and transformed the world into a place where pious behavior is rewarded with beauty, and wrongdoing results in ugliness and even death. But at eighteen she learned the truth: the Revelations were a lie meant to manipulate and suppress her society. Joining the resistance, Grace heroically struck a major blow against the government of the prophets. Now many in the rebellion believe that "Prophet Grace," is the champion who will lead them to final victory. Grace isn't so sure. The battle has cost too many lives-including those closest to her. Devastated by all she has seen and endured, she fears she cannot command anyone-much less an entire movement. As the government's reign of terror intensifies, rebel after rebel is targeted and killed. Yet there is one last hope. With the future at stake, Grace must overcome her fears to expose and destroy the government's false prophets forever. Though she has many doubts, there's one thing she's certain of: she will lead the rebellion to victory . . . or die trying.