A Review of: Blank 12

Thank you to the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Due to be published February 2026, this is a Sci-Fi dystopian fiction, perfect to release fresh into a new year!

When I first opened Blank 12, I expected a familiar dystopian setup: post-war America, experimental science gone wrong, and the inevitable military fallout, but Nelson surprised me with the heart at its centre. Beneath the politics and action is a story about fear, identity, and the price of survival.

The book begins in the aftermath of the Third World War, when a vengeful U.S. president launches a reckless ‘super soldier’ experiment. The result is ‘Blank 12’, a virus that grants unstable powers before consuming its hosts. Decades later, the survivors live in the fortified ‘United Glass Cities’, where anyone infected is executed or exiled. Into this world steps Devon Roberts, a boy infected at nine but determined to hide it. Eight years later, he’s forced to join the very military that hunts people like him.

What follows is part military thriller, part emotional coming-of-age story. Devon’s internal conflict, between loyalty to his family, love for his girlfriend Riesha, and terror of exposure, which drives the novel. His relationship with his squadmates provides moments of humour and humanity, and the tension between friendship and survival gives the story genuine weight.

Nelson’s world-building is clear and cinematic. The Glass Cities feel lived-in: markets buzz with makeshift life, soldiers bark orders, and small details like ‘scrap pots’, or flickering lights build texture without endless exposition. The prose is straightforward, occasionally repetitive, but always readable. You can sense this is an author with a strong imaginative vision and the discipline to see it through.

That said, Blank 12 doesn’t entirely escape the hallmarks of its genre. The structure and pacing will feel familiar to readers of The Hunger Games or Divergent. The dialogue occasionally carries more exposition than it should, and some emotional beats could be sharpened with tighter editing. The editing in this ARC is good overall, but there are minor grammatical slips and abrupt transitions that suggest a final proofread will smooth things out.

Where the novel shines is in its emotional accessibility. Younger readers, particularly teens exploring ideas of control, fear, and belonging, will find a lot to relate to in Devon’s struggle to conceal who he is in a world that fears difference. The pacing is brisk, the action sequences clear, and the moral choices satisfyingly grey. For that audience, it’s an easy 4★ read: vivid, engaging, and heartfelt. This equates to 8★ on my review website.

For adult readers who’ve travelled these dystopian roads before, the plot will feel more predictable. It’s enjoyable, but not genre-shattering : giving it a fair 3★ rating. Still, Nelson shows real promise; her instinct for character emotion suggests she could develop into a powerful storyteller with a distinctive voice as her craft matures.

Overall, Blank 12 is an entertaining, fast-moving dystopian adventure that balances energy with empathy. It offers enough originality to stand out for younger readers, and enough heart to keep adults turning the pages. A strong debut that feels halfway between The Maze Runner and Legend, with a touch of warmth and conscience that’s very much its own.

Recommendation

This dystopian novel is a fast-paced and enjoyable read. It took me around a couple of evenings to get through (with the usual interruptions of real life), and I found the world-building easy to follow and vivid. Nelson’s writing style is straightforward but engaging, and she has a good instinct for tension that keeps you turning the pages even when you think you know what’s coming next.

The story follows Devon, a young man hiding a dangerous secret in a future where people infected with a government-created virus are executed or cast out. I really liked the emotional thread running through his relationship with Riesha; it gave the book warmth and balance against the darker, military backdrop. There’s a good mix of action and heart, and the pacing never drags.

If you enjoy dystopian stories with clear character motivation, high stakes, and a touch of romance, then you’ll enjoy Blank 12. The ARC could use a final proofread in places, but nothing that spoils the experience overall.

Blank 12 Summary

Theme: Dystopian Sci-Fi. Thought-provoking and accessible, Blank 12 is a dystopian story about courage, secrecy, and the cost of survival.

Description: I would give a Goodreads rating of 4 stars for YA readers, 3 stars for adults, and a confident recommendation for anyone who enjoys moral tension and fast-paced storytelling. Pacing is matching YA more than for adults, so I would expect to see it in the YA section in a bookshop.

Narration: The story is written in the third-person past tense, focused almost entirely on Devon. We experience the world through his eyes, journeying through his fear of exposure to the virus, his family life, his training, and his quiet relationship with Riesha. It doesn’t switch viewpoints often (at least not in the early and middle chapters), which helps the story feel grounded and consistent. So, you’re in Devon’s head emotionally, but outside him grammatically: a cinematic, camera-like approach.

The Author

Aleeza Nelson is a teenage poet and author whose love for writing began at the age of fourteen. She would spend afternoons propped up on her bed, notebook and pen in hand, crafting poems and stories about anything and everything that came to her.

Aleeza Nelson’s poems delve into the themes of love, family, childhood, and life’s everyday mundane, bringing each idea to life through the feelings her words evoke. In addition to poetry, she also enjoys writing action and romance novels with speculative fiction elements, and now Sci-Fi. As a teen author, Aleeza Nelson seeks to inspire other youth to find their creative touch and bring their ideas to life.

A note…

To younger readers: remember, your voice matters too. If you’ve got a story waiting inside you, start writing it now, because Aleeza proves you don’t have to wait to be older to become an author.