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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
Originally self-published as The Museum of Second Chances before being re-released by Del Rey, A.E. Warren’s debut novel Subject Twenty One – book one in the Tomorrow’s Ancestors series – is a post-apocalyptic tale of repopulation, genetic engineering and tightly controlled societal structures. Elise is a Sapien, one of the lowest class of humans, condemned to forever be paying reparations for the actions of previous generations in devastating the Earth. Keen to escape a life of tedium, she takes a job at the Museum of Evolution as the companion to Twenty One (otherwise known as Kit), one of a handful of Neanderthals returned from extinction through the marvels of genetic engineering. With her own secrets to keep, Elise has to be careful how she goes, however the more she gets to know Kit, the more she learns about the real history of her world and her place within it.
Both the setting and the story itself are cleverly established and consistently entertaining, brought to life by some excellent characters – not just Elise and Kit, but also her family and some of her fellow Museum workers, including a range of Medius with very different attitudes. There’s a really interesting dynamic established between the Sapiens and Medius, which means it’s a bit of a shame that the Potiors don’t get anything like as much development, and Fintorian – the head of the Museum – comes across as a touch one dimensional. Hopefully there will be more about the Potiors in the next book. With much of the first half taken up establishing the core ideas and characters, the second half sometimes feels a little rushed, but by the time the climactic finale comes around it all comes together nicely, leaving plenty of questions about this world for future books to answer, but providing a satisfying conclusion to this particular story. Pacy, characterful and imaginative, it’s a book that should have good crossover appeal between YA and adult readers, and the start of a series with a lot of promise.
Read the full review at https://www.trackofwords.com/2021/06/28/subject-twenty-one-a-e-warren/
Both the setting and the story itself are cleverly established and consistently entertaining, brought to life by some excellent characters – not just Elise and Kit, but also her family and some of her fellow Museum workers, including a range of Medius with very different attitudes. There’s a really interesting dynamic established between the Sapiens and Medius, which means it’s a bit of a shame that the Potiors don’t get anything like as much development, and Fintorian – the head of the Museum – comes across as a touch one dimensional. Hopefully there will be more about the Potiors in the next book. With much of the first half taken up establishing the core ideas and characters, the second half sometimes feels a little rushed, but by the time the climactic finale comes around it all comes together nicely, leaving plenty of questions about this world for future books to answer, but providing a satisfying conclusion to this particular story. Pacy, characterful and imaginative, it’s a book that should have good crossover appeal between YA and adult readers, and the start of a series with a lot of promise.
Read the full review at https://www.trackofwords.com/2021/06/28/subject-twenty-one-a-e-warren/
pretty good, i lost interest towards the end with the escape plans and so much left unanswered, no doubt paving a way for a next book, I hate that. I had this as an audiobook and it was well read until the last few chapters when her voice got way too melodamatic for me and sounded silly. Still, this book was better than most
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Easy to read and seemingly fantastical on the surface but is a reflection of the flaws of our society.
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Comparisons to other dystopian novels would not do 'Subject Twenty One' justice. Warren has filled a wonderful niche within the science-fiction genre, which is ever relatable with the current state of the world. There is a command of the plot which is unpredictable, the writing is perfectly descriptive and the characters are fully-formed humans. You are seamlessly immersed into the world that Warren creates and can understand the predicament of the characters with ease, something that many writers struggle to achieve. 'Subject Twenty One' is a brilliant debut and leaves you eager to explore the rest of the series.