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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
4.5 The fastest paced book I think I’ve ever read.
This one just kept getting better as I got further in. The mix of science fiction and blending in with psychological manipulation, it really took a look at who we are fundamentally as humans, and how having a dark side is what makes us such, and choosing to suppress and control it.
“There’s no such thing as right anymore - that ended when the plague hit. Sometimes we need to do awful things to stop worse things from happening. You’re still thinking in terms of right and wrong, but this is war, and the rules have changed.”
I don’t think I’ve ever had such mixed feelings about a book in my entire life. On one hand, I LOVED so much of it - the world building, the high stakes, the grey morality, the desperate tone - all things I really enjoyed. However, one twist left me feeling pretty weird, and created this uncomfortable feeling that lasted the rest of the book. Regardless, This Mortal Coil was an experience that I will not soon forget.
We follow gene-hacking genius, Catarina Agatta, as she searched for the key to rebuild a vaccine to the deadly Hydra virus and stay out of the clutches of Cartaxus - the shadow organization that captured her father two years ago. With the help of a childhood friend and a few reluctant partners in the form of Cartaxus soldiers, Cat discovers shocking secrets about her past and the world she thought she knew.
Things I Liked
I really love all the sciencey and genetics aspects in the story. Color me shocked because science really isn’t my thing, but it was all so interesting and believable. I really liked learning all about DNA and genetics. I thought the gene-hacking things was really cool, and I liked that each child who was a part of the Zarathurstra Initiative (Cole, Leoben, Jun Bei, Anna, and Ziana) has some special capability related to their DNA. It was all very compelling and kept me engaged.
There was this creepy and anxious overall tone that created tension and uneasiness throughout the whole story, and made it a perfect book to read during this time of the year. There are also SO MANY unexpected revelations. The threats and dangers all seem very real making a high stakes environment that makes you want to keep reading.
This world is so morally grey, and I was so here for it. In this world, survival is paramount and most people are willing to do anything to ensure they survive. There are lies and schemes and underhandedness that all blur the lines between right and wrong. I loved seeing Cat confronting this reality that she wanted to ignore.
With such high stakes and fast action plot, I was worried the characters would fall to the wayside. But I really became invested in the characters. My heart kept going out to characters and they drew emotion from me.
Things I Didn’t Like
The book did feel a little too long. I don’t necessarily feel like anything was filler-y, but some parts did drag a bit.
The romance started to feel a little forced the more we got into the story. I felt like there were some plot choices made, just to directly influence the romances, and is started to get a little heavy handed.
Now for the big twist that made for feel kinda weird. Massive spoilers behind the cut.
Spoiler
At around the 90% mark we learn that Cat is actually Jun Bei. Jun Bei’s ability is to be able to mimic and change her DNA, and Dr. Lachlan Agatta made her into Cat, erasing all memories of her early life. This reveal made me feel pretty uncomfortable - it felt like we got rid of an Asian American character in Jun Bei, and turned her into a white character, Catarina. I know Lachlan talked about how the knockout kids that were part of the Zarathursa program were born from plague DNA, and we never really get to actually see Jun Bei, but it still made me feel weird. I understand the Cat is fundamentally, and genetically, a different person from Jun Bei. They have different DNA and a different mind, but Cat could hear Jun Bei’s voice in her head, she started to remember her life as Jun Bei, interacting with the other kids from the program.I still have kinda mixed feeling about this, and I don’t know if I’m overthinking things or what. I really loved so many aspects of the story, and it was an addicting read that kept the pages turning. Unfortunately, the ending was a let down for me and sort of clouded my overall view of the book. Overall, my thoughts are a mess and I don’t really know what I’m feeling.
Trigger Warning for gore and graphic medical procedures
I received a copy of the book from Simon Pulse via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Apokalypse und Dystopie in einem, eine perfekte Mischung. Mich faszinieren Endzeit Szenarien in Romanen genauso, wie technische Zukunft. Die Autorin hat hier bei beidem eine großartige und spannende Idee gehabt. Aber nicht nur diese beiden Themen werden angesprochen, sondern auch Genforschung. In "Cat & Cole" bedroht eine Seuche das Überleben der Menschen. Menschen, die Panels in ihren Armen tragen, durch die sie Veränderungen an sich vornehmen können, Fähigkeiten verstärken und Heilungen beschleunigen. Alles durch Apps, Codes und Programmierungen. Cat & Cole sind die Einzigen, die ein Heilmittel für diese Seuche finden können.
Die Umsetzung der Idee finde ich teilweise richtig gut. Die Autorin hat sich sowohl was die Seuche angeht als auch die Veränderungen der Menschen etwas Neues einfallen lassen, was mir so noch nicht begegnet ist. Allerdings, und das ist auch der einzige Kritikpunkt an dem ganzen Buch. Sind mir die technischen Elemente manchmal nicht genau genug erklärt wurden. Ich kann mir vorstellen, dass Menschen die sich nicht so mit Technik auskennen ein paar Verständnisprobleme haben werden.
Cat ist die weibliche Protagonistin, die der Schlüssel für das Heilmittel ist. Sie ist unheimlich klug, einfühlsam und hat einen sturen Schädel, den sie immer wieder versucht durchzusetzen. Eine großartige Kombination, die sie mir schnell sympathisch gemacht hat. Cole ist eine Waffe, die Cat auf ihrem Weg beschützen soll. Er hat sehr pragmatische und soldatenhafte Züge an sich aber auch eine Weichheit, die immer wieder durchblitzt. Auch bei ihm ist eine charakterlich sehr gute Mischung, die uns Cole näher bringt. Im Verlauf der Geschichte arbeiten die beiden immer enger zusammen und dadurch baut sich die Beziehung nach und nach auf.
Die Handlung ist durchweg spannend. Nachdem man auf den ersten Seiten die Grundkenntnisse über die Welt, die Emily Suvada entworfen hat verinnerlicht, befinden wir uns auch gleich bei der Haupthandlung ohne zu langen Vorlauf. Ab da möchte man einfach wissen, was den beiden auf dem Weg geschieht, den so einfach wie es anfangs klingt, wird es nicht. Außerdem gibt es Intrigen und Wendungen, die mich wirklich überrascht haben und noch mal einen WOW-Effekt hervorrufen.
Fazit
Liebenswerte Charaktere, spannende Handlung und ein Weltenentwurf, der sich sehen lassen kann. Seuchen, Technik und das Überleben. Wenn das nicht interessant klingt.
Die Umsetzung der Idee finde ich teilweise richtig gut. Die Autorin hat sich sowohl was die Seuche angeht als auch die Veränderungen der Menschen etwas Neues einfallen lassen, was mir so noch nicht begegnet ist. Allerdings, und das ist auch der einzige Kritikpunkt an dem ganzen Buch. Sind mir die technischen Elemente manchmal nicht genau genug erklärt wurden. Ich kann mir vorstellen, dass Menschen die sich nicht so mit Technik auskennen ein paar Verständnisprobleme haben werden.
Cat ist die weibliche Protagonistin, die der Schlüssel für das Heilmittel ist. Sie ist unheimlich klug, einfühlsam und hat einen sturen Schädel, den sie immer wieder versucht durchzusetzen. Eine großartige Kombination, die sie mir schnell sympathisch gemacht hat. Cole ist eine Waffe, die Cat auf ihrem Weg beschützen soll. Er hat sehr pragmatische und soldatenhafte Züge an sich aber auch eine Weichheit, die immer wieder durchblitzt. Auch bei ihm ist eine charakterlich sehr gute Mischung, die uns Cole näher bringt. Im Verlauf der Geschichte arbeiten die beiden immer enger zusammen und dadurch baut sich die Beziehung nach und nach auf.
Die Handlung ist durchweg spannend. Nachdem man auf den ersten Seiten die Grundkenntnisse über die Welt, die Emily Suvada entworfen hat verinnerlicht, befinden wir uns auch gleich bei der Haupthandlung ohne zu langen Vorlauf. Ab da möchte man einfach wissen, was den beiden auf dem Weg geschieht, den so einfach wie es anfangs klingt, wird es nicht. Außerdem gibt es Intrigen und Wendungen, die mich wirklich überrascht haben und noch mal einen WOW-Effekt hervorrufen.
Fazit
Liebenswerte Charaktere, spannende Handlung und ein Weltenentwurf, der sich sehen lassen kann. Seuchen, Technik und das Überleben. Wenn das nicht interessant klingt.
Superb. Isn’t it great when a book lives up to all your expectations? This was an action-packed, thrill-a-minute dystopian sci-fi that raced along at a killer pace. Very unputdownable, intricately plotted and if it wasn’t for work and sleep I’d have read it in one sitting. Fortunately, I bought the trilogy...
Pretty good sci-fi but too reminiscent of other books. Additionally while the read was good I don't feel the overwhelming urge to get the rest of the series.
I loved this book! I picked it up on a whim at the library, though I didn’t have super high hopes for it, since it looked and sounded extremely similar to other YA books that have come out recently. I was very pleasantly surprised by it though and I’m glad I read it! It definitely follows many of the tropes of the genre, but it’s well crafted and the main characters are worth rooting for. Fast paced, fun, full of twists - I’ll definitely be reading the second one when it comes out! Pick this one up if you love apocalyptic YA!!
Though it took a while to get into this I ended up really enjoying it! The idea of genehackers and technology developing so that we could manipulate our cells is incredibly interesting. I didn't love the main character (nor her love interest) but even though this would usually put me off the book more it wasn't an issue here. The world was just so interesting and the plot of this story kept me hooked that it didn't matter that I wasn't connecting with the characters.
This would have been a 3 except for the crazy twist with about 1/4 left. Most of the book was kind of slow, then things definitely picked up. Very sci-fi with some elements that made me a bit squeamish. Finished the book looking forward to the #2.
⚠️CONTENT WARNING: This book does contain cannibalism and mild gore.
It's been 2 weeks since I read this story and I still can't get it out of my brain. I am SHOOK. Everything I see brings me back to this story and to these amazing characters. I read this novel as a buddy read with Soph @ Bookwyrming Thoughts and I devoured it in one sitting. I honestly could not get enough of it.
Set in a post apocalyptic world where technology has become one with the human body, This Mortal Coil is a dynamic and inventive story that follows Catarina Agatta, the daughter of the world-renowned genetic coder, Lachlan Agatta. After her Father's capture by the GenTech corporation, Cartaxus, Cat has spent the last three years evading the same fate as her Father and avoiding Hydra, a rapidly mutating virus that when infected can cause those to explode in what are known as "Hydra Plumes". Nothing stays the same however, when a message from her Father reveals that she is the key to creating the vaccine. Sent on a mission to recreate the vaccine, Cat goes on a journey of learning that in a game of cat and mouse, nothing is what is seems.
Right from the first page I was sucked in. This is a fast-paced read that kept me enraptured through every page-- each chapter moved the story along in such away that time flew effortlessly both in the story and in real life. Suvada's writing is as vibrant as it is gruesome as we get to experience this adventure with Catarina and the cast. The way Suvada strings together words and sentences left me emotionally compromised with every plot twist and revelation.
The world building alone is a force to be reckoned with. Interweaving futuristic biotechnology with a post-apocalyptic dystopia, Suvada creates a world that is new and fresh within the Young Adult Science Fiction genre. Though her world building shows the amount of research and time she put into this novel, it never feels overwhelming--each dose of science and information is given at the exact right moment and explained so beautifully that it never leaves the reader confused or overwhelmed.
The characters are A1 Steak sauce folks. From the leads to the supporting cast, each and every character was thoroughly fleshed out and so multi dimensional that it made everything that much more realistic feeling. Suvada built the characters in such a way that the plot and the cast are one force--with each passing page another memory or dimension is built. By the end of the novel, I not only was able to empathize with the protagonists, but also with the antagonists. I understood their motives, I could see why they were doing what they were trying to do. I felt the emotions they did with every action, with every justification, and with every revelation. Because of these beautifully created characters, I was left stunned at every single climax and plot twist; my heart broke more times than I like to recall by the hands of these individuals--especially Cat and Cole.
I AM TRASH FOR CATARINA AGATTA. My soul jumped and leaped for her as she went through every obstacle that this world brought to her. The story is told in her narrative, and her heart for humanity is what won me over for her. She is headstrong, fierce, and one of the most brilliant minds I have gotten the chance to waddle into in a while.
This book takes a focus and hones in on the philosophical question of what exactly is morality? And how choices and views of what good and evil is are various from person to person. Who deems something wrong? And is it still wrong if it is for the benefit of the masses? We see our main characters, Cat and Cole, struggle with these ideologies throughout, navigating through them and figuring out for themselves what they believe to be is true. By the end of the book you are left wondering these same question about our own world--who decides what is right and wrong, and why do we believe them to be true?
Absolutely ducking nothing.
This Mortal Coil shattered my heart and blew me away in the best ways possible. I literally could go on and on about this novel and never get tired of it. I honestly recommend this story to anyone who love science fiction or to anyone who is in the mood for a gripping, heart-racing story. You will not be disappointed.
It's been 2 weeks since I read this story and I still can't get it out of my brain. I am SHOOK. Everything I see brings me back to this story and to these amazing characters. I read this novel as a buddy read with Soph @ Bookwyrming Thoughts and I devoured it in one sitting. I honestly could not get enough of it.
"The word was here before I was born, and it will be keep spinning after I am dead. The universe is continuous; I am the anomaly. I am the thread that begins and ends, the flame that sputters out. A chance collection of proteins and molecules that perpetuates itself, bound by the electric fire of my mind."
Set in a post apocalyptic world where technology has become one with the human body, This Mortal Coil is a dynamic and inventive story that follows Catarina Agatta, the daughter of the world-renowned genetic coder, Lachlan Agatta. After her Father's capture by the GenTech corporation, Cartaxus, Cat has spent the last three years evading the same fate as her Father and avoiding Hydra, a rapidly mutating virus that when infected can cause those to explode in what are known as "Hydra Plumes". Nothing stays the same however, when a message from her Father reveals that she is the key to creating the vaccine. Sent on a mission to recreate the vaccine, Cat goes on a journey of learning that in a game of cat and mouse, nothing is what is seems.
Right from the first page I was sucked in. This is a fast-paced read that kept me enraptured through every page-- each chapter moved the story along in such away that time flew effortlessly both in the story and in real life. Suvada's writing is as vibrant as it is gruesome as we get to experience this adventure with Catarina and the cast. The way Suvada strings together words and sentences left me emotionally compromised with every plot twist and revelation.
The world building alone is a force to be reckoned with. Interweaving futuristic biotechnology with a post-apocalyptic dystopia, Suvada creates a world that is new and fresh within the Young Adult Science Fiction genre. Though her world building shows the amount of research and time she put into this novel, it never feels overwhelming--each dose of science and information is given at the exact right moment and explained so beautifully that it never leaves the reader confused or overwhelmed.
“There’s no such thing quite as dangerous as an Agatta’s best intentions.”
The characters are A1 Steak sauce folks. From the leads to the supporting cast, each and every character was thoroughly fleshed out and so multi dimensional that it made everything that much more realistic feeling. Suvada built the characters in such a way that the plot and the cast are one force--with each passing page another memory or dimension is built. By the end of the novel, I not only was able to empathize with the protagonists, but also with the antagonists. I understood their motives, I could see why they were doing what they were trying to do. I felt the emotions they did with every action, with every justification, and with every revelation. Because of these beautifully created characters, I was left stunned at every single climax and plot twist; my heart broke more times than I like to recall by the hands of these individuals--especially Cat and Cole.
I AM TRASH FOR CATARINA AGATTA. My soul jumped and leaped for her as she went through every obstacle that this world brought to her. The story is told in her narrative, and her heart for humanity is what won me over for her. She is headstrong, fierce, and one of the most brilliant minds I have gotten the chance to waddle into in a while.
“There’s no such thing as right anymore - that ended when the plaque hit. Sometimes we need to do awful things to stop worse things from happening... this is war, and the rules have changes”
This book takes a focus and hones in on the philosophical question of what exactly is morality? And how choices and views of what good and evil is are various from person to person. Who deems something wrong? And is it still wrong if it is for the benefit of the masses? We see our main characters, Cat and Cole, struggle with these ideologies throughout, navigating through them and figuring out for themselves what they believe to be is true. By the end of the book you are left wondering these same question about our own world--who decides what is right and wrong, and why do we believe them to be true?
Absolutely ducking nothing.
This Mortal Coil shattered my heart and blew me away in the best ways possible. I literally could go on and on about this novel and never get tired of it. I honestly recommend this story to anyone who love science fiction or to anyone who is in the mood for a gripping, heart-racing story. You will not be disappointed.