Title: Emotionless
Author: Camila Fernandez Gomez
Publisher: AuthorHouseUK
ISBN: 9781524662745
Pages: 398
Genre: Fiction
Reviewed by: Liz Konkel

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The Government doesn’t allow emotions which makes life complicated for Aliana. She feels things she shouldn’t, emotions she works to keep at bay so she can have some semblance of control. She relies on her closest friend to help keep her secret from being revealed. Everything she wants is just within her grasp, but everything shatters when she discovers her sister has left. She doesn’t know what to do without her sister and will stop at nothing to get her back, even if it means crossing the bridge, facing the rebels, and throwing away any chance at a life within the Government. The truth of the rebels is a shocking reality she’s not ready for, but she refuses to give up or give in.

Camila Fernandez Gomez sets up a gritty world divided between the Government and the Rebels in her book titled Emotionless. The Government is considered to be a perfect place but to achieve this perfection all emotions are taken away which should be the solution to end all bad things. Gomez quickly shows this to be false as without emotions, the society isn’t perfect and lacking emotions has its own consequences. Varying perspectives explore the different outlooks of these warring societies. The Government places itself as the utopia best suited for the world, but to the eyes of the rebel characters it’s the root of evil. To those in the Government the rebels are monsters which are explored through the eyes of Aliana. Her perspective is often contrasted to her sister’s view that sees the rebels as a way to freedom. Aliana is treated with hatred, humiliated, and beaten with a crowd cheering so all she can see are monsters and the dangers of having emotions, but these views are challenged by the strong friendships she makes.

Gomez uses the Government and the rebels as a way to present Aliana with two sides of emotions which factor into her own struggles to control her anger and to feel love. Gomez plays this off Aliana’s sister’s longing for a freedom to have emotions and to explore what she feels. Various perspectives of a delightful assortment of characters give different opinions on emotions and life. Several characters have a struggle they have to overcome which provides plenty of drama. As the protagonist, Aliana faces more difficult struggles including addiction, anger issues, and a divide in loyalty which is challenged by the good she sees in a few rebels. Secrets are a spark that ignite years’ worth of family issues which results in a long overdue showdown between the two sisters. Their family issues are underneath several of their behaviors and what causes conflict between them. These secrets have controlled Aliana with hatred and fear and what sends Sam’s happy new life into a tailspin, which put the sisters in the shoes of the other as Sam is ruled by her anger and Aliana struggles to fit in with the rebels.
Her friendship with Roc helps her navigate her emotions, which is how she grounds herself in the Government, but what she finds with her new friends is more prominent because they’re the ones who truly see her. The world is gritty and dangerous but has gentle warmth underneath with plenty of heartfelt and humorous moments to balance out the harsher moments. Gomez packs on the drama and action, not shying away from violence while also never forgetting heart.

Emotionless is a phenomenal read, pulling you in and doesn’t let go with twists that slowly unfold by pulling secrets from the past and discovering shocks in the present to change everything about the way Aliana sees the world.