Thank you so much to the publisher, the author, and netgalley for sending me an e-ARC to read. I gave this book four stars.

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

While the premise sounded like something I'd enjoy, I couldn't get along with the writing of this one and unfortunately had to dnf. It's a shame as the neuro-diverse rep seemed great. Perhaps it would appeal better to younger audiences who can identify with the main characters.

The UK has been taken over by a megalomaniacal man who has imprisoned or killed every resident through the usage of specially trained clone soldiers. The Underdogs are the sole resistance, but their numbers have rapidly dwindled during the 11-month occupation.

If anyone has a hope of surviving New London’s horrific conditions, they’ll need the help of a small group of people who are used to being overlooked and mistreated by society. So, why do the Underdogs care about everyone else? Because their unique differences give them a strong sense of right and wrong.

As a person on the spectrum, I was very excited to read Underdogs. The concept of society’s cast-offs becoming humanity’s sole would-be saviors is appealing, even though little would likely change if everyone else could be liberated. But it’s not about being thanked or recognized as viable members of society. It’s about doing what’s right, despite the astronomical odds.

Unfortunately, the author uses this mindset to create a story that requires way too big of a suspension of disbelief. Yes, being on the spectrum or having any form of neurodivergence does come with unique ways of looking at things that could certainly help the characters stay alive a bit longer than most. It was also nice to see stereotypes broken down by the characters being able to work past their challenges for the greater good. But there’s just no way that such a small group of people - mostly teens - could hope to beat a never-ending quantity of clones trained with one primary mission: to kill them.

If you can put the unrealistic nature of the plot out of your mind, you will be rewarded by an exciting action-adventure that provides just enough quiet moments to help explain how each Underdog’s neurodiversity affects their life.

Worth a read, especially if you’re on the spectrum, but don’t expect the odds to be anywhere near as difficult for the Underdogs as they would be in real life.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a copy. This review contains my honest, unbiased opinion.

Written by Chris Bonnello, Underdogs follows The Underdogs, a group that started out as 30 folk fighting to take back England from the Clones, and is now down to 12. A routine mission to get supplies turned into a rescue convoy after finding a girl who promptly killed the assassin after her.
One of the unique this about this novel is the fact that a good chunk of the soldiers are considered "special needs" or on the spectrum. And how they are portrayed is really important and a good step forward. The fact that they deal with things that people who aren't involved in that don't realize is a big plus for this novel. The approach. The writing style. The characters.
The post-take over style of this novel was also really refreshing in this over saturated market and how they took a different approach by making it, in some ways, far more simple.
I think the weak point in this is the non-soldier characters. The older characters. The come off as very flat, which is something that can be seen from a younger perspective, but is annoying in a character.4.
Overall, it was a really enjoyable book.

A fast-paced action-packed read with some very real characters.
Though we’re never told exactly how this scenario came into play, we’ve got a world where one person has used clones to take over the country. However, there’s a small group who have not fallen...a group of teenagers from a special needs school. Though they’ve spent their lives being made to feel they’re not normal, in this scenario their ability to think outside the normal parameters is what’s helped them survive.
The writer’s knowledge of his subject means the characters are presented sympathetically, and the story is paced in such a way as to keep things moving.
Some questions are answered, but it’s nicely set-up for the second in the series to show more of what’s planned.
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity read this prior to publication.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley.
The plotline of this book is fantastic. The characters absolutely make this book though.. and you wont' regret reading this!

Meet the Underdogs, the ragtag team of neurodiverse kids who represents the last hope to save Britain from the claws of tyranny. The author crafts an interesting and compelling action story, with a simple yet effective plot, but the characters are the ones to shine: their difficulties are never glossed over, but they contribute to their strength, and the author manages to depict life while being neurodivergent accurately and positively.

For a moment I doubted my own decision to request this book. 'Am I really going to read an action-based young adult again?' I wondered. Yes, I did request this book, and I was going to read it. I am glad I did. Because of it, I got to know those great young people. Those people who have insight in who they are and what keeps them going - and what stops them sometimes. Those wonderful, unique people. The action scenes and plotline were interesting, the characters are what made this book great.

DNF. Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. I was very curious about this book since I am a retired teacher of special education students. This was an interesting storyline but the author did not explain the situation early enough to reduce the confusion about who the the bad guys were, the rest of the planet, and how the good guy students could actually make a difference. I will not force myself to continue with a book that is not making sense.

The Quick Cut: A group of neurodiverse kids and teens find themselves heroes when they are the rebels fighting an army of clones.

A Real Review:
Thank you to Unbound for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Being neurodiverse can make you feel a bit like a reject sometimes. You function differently than most and even though you want to fit in, you just can't seem to find your place. In this British based novel, a group of neurodiverse kids find their unique abilities a positive force helping them save their society.

Dr. McCormick is one of the few older adults who managed to survive the Take over Day in Britain and has been in charge of the neurodiverse heroes know as the Underdogs ever since. At a once thriving number of thirty, these kids use their diverse abilities to work together as one and fight against the clone army that has taken over their country to hold their society hostage. Can they win the war to return everyone's lives to normal?

As much as I appreciate the concept for this book, it seems like the author bit off more than he could chew. On the upside, the characters are dynamic, well written, and interesting. On the downside, so much of the focus is on the characters that the plot is left weak, which leaves it with holes, questions, and in the end a far too familiar sounding tale.

In addition, it probably would have been best to stick with 1 or 2 conditions to display in this book instead of the multidude that were highlighted. More time would've been spent understanding what it's like to be in the mind of the characters grappling with these mindsets instead of the rapid flashes we got.

With a stereotypical story that fails to differentiate itself, this book tries to do too much at 1 time.

My rating: 2 out of 5

My favorite thing about this book was the characters and the way the author made everyone's experience so much different from the others. Every character was so rich, interesting and well developed that I would love to know each and every one of them.
When it came to the plot, I didn't find it the most original ever, with very obvious plot holes and plenty of things that simply didn't make any sense or weren't believable but I haven't read many books that were able to make use of tension as a plot device and knows how to play with our feelings as this one did.
Every chapter was an opportunity to make the reader understand how it felt to navigate their world, how a little sentence could be a landmine, how aware they are of their "otherness" and how much effort can be put into something that for most is done without even thinking.
The most important thing in this book for me was not what it is but what represents: strong, smart, sarcastic people that are able to have friendships and enemies, are able of good and bad just like any neurotypical. This book teaches us that our diagnosis is not who we are.
Thank you to NetGalley and Unbound Digital for this ARC.