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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
⚠️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.
This book had such an interesting and captivating plot, it's unique and one of the best sci-fi books I've read hands down. It's very fast paced, never boring and the originality was really refreshing!
Cat and Cole / This Mortal Coil
Zuallererst muss ich sagen, dass das Buch sehr viel komplexer und überraschender war, als ich es zu Beginn erwartet hätte.
Die Geschichte, die sich um Catarina und ihren Vater dreht, die verzweifelt versuchen einen Impfstoff gegen das Hydra Virus zu finden, dass ich auf der ganzen Welt verbreitet hat, und dabei immer wieder auseinandergerissen werden, hat für mich einige Überraschungen und „Oh mein Gott“- Momente bereit gehalten.
Zu Beginn hatte ich echte Probleme mich in die Geschichte einzufinden. Der Anfang des Buches war etwas seltsam und man wusste nicht Recht, was einen erwartet. Zudem war mir erst nicht klar, dass dies die Übersetzung des englischen Bestsellers „This Mortal Coil“ ist.
Nach einem zweiten Versuch habe ich das Buch jedoch verschlungen. Wenn man einmal in die Geschichte hineingesogen wurde, kommt man so schnell nicht mehr heraus. Ich kam bei all den fantastisch beschriebenen und versteckten Überraschung und Wendungen kaum noch aus dem Staunen raus und konnte es nicht abwarten endlich zu wissen, wie die Geschichte für Cat und Cole ausgeht.
Lasst euch gewarnt sein, nichts wird so sein wie ihr es erwartet habt und auch die Charaktere werden euch so einige Mal überraschen und sprachlos zurück lassen.
Kommen wir zuerst einmal zu Cat. Es war unglaublich aufregend über diese mutige und selbstständige Hackern zu lesen. Das ist etwas, was in Büchern immer mehr im Kommen ist, jedoch nie langweilig wird: eine absolut starke und unabhängige Protagonistin, die die Welt retten will. Vielleicht weil wir alle träumen so wie sie zu sein? Der Charakter war so komplex geschrieben und allein. Die Realität, dass man bei einem Ich-erzähle nie weiß, was nun wahr ist und was nicht, hat das Buch besonders spannend gemacht.
Und dann wäre da noch Cyborg - Cole , die „Waffe“. Gott war ich verliebt in diesen starken, auf ihren Schutz programmierten Typen! Alles in allem war Leoben vermutlich mein Lieblingscharakter, aber davon solltet ihr euch selbst überzeugen. Niemand kann behaupten, dass die Charaktere in diesem Buch nicht absolut authentisch und einzigartig sind!
Ebenso wie die Geschichte an sich. Gespickt mit so vielen zusätzlichen Informationen und Erklärungen zu der fortschrittlichen Technologie, ist dieses Buch ein echtes Meisterwerk. Jeder Eingriff und jede verwendete Technik wird bis aufs kleinste erklärt und lässt keine Verständnis-Wünsche offen. Emily Suvada hat eine Welt geschaffen vor der man sich nur fürchten kann, die jedoch in der heutigen Zeit kaum noch reine Fiction sondern eher eine dystopische Zukunft sein könnte.
Meiner Meinung nach ist dies ein absolutes Science Fiction Schmuckstück und ich kann es kaum abwarten den zweite Teil in meine Finger zu bekommen! (Allerdings fand ich das englische Coverdesign ehrlich gesagt etwas cooler, weil es gefährlicher und weniger nach Jugendbuch aussah ;) )
Zuallererst muss ich sagen, dass das Buch sehr viel komplexer und überraschender war, als ich es zu Beginn erwartet hätte.
Die Geschichte, die sich um Catarina und ihren Vater dreht, die verzweifelt versuchen einen Impfstoff gegen das Hydra Virus zu finden, dass ich auf der ganzen Welt verbreitet hat, und dabei immer wieder auseinandergerissen werden, hat für mich einige Überraschungen und „Oh mein Gott“- Momente bereit gehalten.
Zu Beginn hatte ich echte Probleme mich in die Geschichte einzufinden. Der Anfang des Buches war etwas seltsam und man wusste nicht Recht, was einen erwartet. Zudem war mir erst nicht klar, dass dies die Übersetzung des englischen Bestsellers „This Mortal Coil“ ist.
Nach einem zweiten Versuch habe ich das Buch jedoch verschlungen. Wenn man einmal in die Geschichte hineingesogen wurde, kommt man so schnell nicht mehr heraus. Ich kam bei all den fantastisch beschriebenen und versteckten Überraschung und Wendungen kaum noch aus dem Staunen raus und konnte es nicht abwarten endlich zu wissen, wie die Geschichte für Cat und Cole ausgeht.
Lasst euch gewarnt sein, nichts wird so sein wie ihr es erwartet habt und auch die Charaktere werden euch so einige Mal überraschen und sprachlos zurück lassen.
Kommen wir zuerst einmal zu Cat. Es war unglaublich aufregend über diese mutige und selbstständige Hackern zu lesen. Das ist etwas, was in Büchern immer mehr im Kommen ist, jedoch nie langweilig wird: eine absolut starke und unabhängige Protagonistin, die die Welt retten will. Vielleicht weil wir alle träumen so wie sie zu sein? Der Charakter war so komplex geschrieben und allein. Die Realität, dass man bei einem Ich-erzähle nie weiß, was nun wahr ist und was nicht, hat das Buch besonders spannend gemacht.
Und dann wäre da noch Cyborg - Cole , die „Waffe“. Gott war ich verliebt in diesen starken, auf ihren Schutz programmierten Typen! Alles in allem war Leoben vermutlich mein Lieblingscharakter, aber davon solltet ihr euch selbst überzeugen. Niemand kann behaupten, dass die Charaktere in diesem Buch nicht absolut authentisch und einzigartig sind!
Ebenso wie die Geschichte an sich. Gespickt mit so vielen zusätzlichen Informationen und Erklärungen zu der fortschrittlichen Technologie, ist dieses Buch ein echtes Meisterwerk. Jeder Eingriff und jede verwendete Technik wird bis aufs kleinste erklärt und lässt keine Verständnis-Wünsche offen. Emily Suvada hat eine Welt geschaffen vor der man sich nur fürchten kann, die jedoch in der heutigen Zeit kaum noch reine Fiction sondern eher eine dystopische Zukunft sein könnte.
Meiner Meinung nach ist dies ein absolutes Science Fiction Schmuckstück und ich kann es kaum abwarten den zweite Teil in meine Finger zu bekommen! (Allerdings fand ich das englische Coverdesign ehrlich gesagt etwas cooler, weil es gefährlicher und weniger nach Jugendbuch aussah ;) )
I had a lot of issues with this book but managed to finish it and enjoy parts of it along the way. Interesting concept but didn’t feel fleshed out enough, and the writing was very clunky. Waaaaay too many info dumps!
I enjoyed the story line until the end. A sort of zombie apocalypse type of story. There was a bit of skipping paragraphs. Don’t know if it was my mindset or the writing.
Really enjoyed the writing style. The plot was adrenaline filled and I struggled to put it down.
The main character, Catarina, was well developed and had a powerful perspective - which became particuarly evident with the incredible plot twist and following realisations. Other characters were developed through their interactions with her which lead to some restrictions but it was worth it to achieve the necessary perspective. Usually I struggle to accept instant relationships but I felt that the author had created a great platform to further develop over the series. Plus it fitted with the rapid pace of the plot.
The world building was thorough, and the extra coding link at the back of the book took it to the next level.
The main character, Catarina, was well developed and had a powerful perspective - which became particuarly evident with the incredible plot twist and following realisations. Other characters were developed through their interactions with her which lead to some restrictions but it was worth it to achieve the necessary perspective. Usually I struggle to accept instant relationships but I felt that the author had created a great platform to further develop over the series. Plus it fitted with the rapid pace of the plot.
The world building was thorough, and the extra coding link at the back of the book took it to the next level.
4.5/5
I am not a huge fan of sci-fi; the technical side of that genre has never intrigued me to date. HOWEVER. THIS book had everything that I love about books that explore imaginatively what the world could be like different from ours. Everything from the plot (!!!!), action scenes, romance, and character development had me hooked. I could not put this book down! Suvada's twists and turns within this book are only a fraction of what makes this novel a masterpiece. The tech within this book is cool and easy enough for a non-scientific person like me to follow. The arc of the story is unlike any other story that I have read--I loved that about this book.
Also, Suvada left many aspects of this world unexplored. I am SO excited to pick up the next one, where she will build on what has already been established.
I am not a huge fan of sci-fi; the technical side of that genre has never intrigued me to date. HOWEVER. THIS book had everything that I love about books that explore imaginatively what the world could be like different from ours. Everything from the plot (!!!!), action scenes, romance, and character development had me hooked. I could not put this book down! Suvada's twists and turns within this book are only a fraction of what makes this novel a masterpiece. The tech within this book is cool and easy enough for a non-scientific person like me to follow. The arc of the story is unlike any other story that I have read--I loved that about this book.
Also, Suvada left many aspects of this world unexplored. I am SO excited to pick up the next one, where she will build on what has already been established.
2-2.5ish. I have some issues with this as a book, especially in terms of plot and character development. But I have a lot of questions about the biological aspects in this book. it doesn't feel well explained to me at all. it feels like the authornhad heard of these concepts and decided to throw them into a book without fully researching them, because she was coming at DNA from a comp sci perspective. There are so many things in this book that don't make sense to me in terms of the biology or how they could be biologically possible. I get it's a work of fiction, but these questions are bugging me so much as a bio major.
OH.MY.GOD.
The amount of visceral reactions I had while reading this book were off the charts, and I mean that as a five star stellar compliment. I love books that make me cringe, that make my stomach churn, that make the conflict happening on the page feel so real that I feel my pulse quickening because I feel like I've been pulled into the story and the chaos is happening all around me.
What I loved the most about This Mortal Coil is that it's a post-apocalyptic virus type story, AND THEN SOME. We're really dealing with the aftermath of infection here, the humanity of survivors or lack of humanity in some of them, the lengths and sacrifices the characters are willing to make to do what they think will solve things. Caterina is SUCH a solid main character, human and flawed, with standout qualities that make her fun to follow while keeping away from making her too perfect. The setup of a society that has literally blended technology into their dna and very physical being was both terrifying and fascinating to imagine and the depth Suvada brings to the world is that perfect balance of "enough info to make things feel real, but not so much you feel lost".
And holy mother of god the PLOT, you guys. There's a lot of reference in the book to how viruses tend to mutate and adapt and that is exactly how the plot felt. Every time I thought we'd gone as far as we could go another layer of the story would unfold, the arc would take a twist. There's action, there's gore galore, there's romance, there's mystery, there's really cool sci-fi aspects, but underneath it all there's a really solid and consistent exploration of the human condition that I absolutely fell in love with.
The amount of visceral reactions I had while reading this book were off the charts, and I mean that as a five star stellar compliment. I love books that make me cringe, that make my stomach churn, that make the conflict happening on the page feel so real that I feel my pulse quickening because I feel like I've been pulled into the story and the chaos is happening all around me.
What I loved the most about This Mortal Coil is that it's a post-apocalyptic virus type story, AND THEN SOME. We're really dealing with the aftermath of infection here, the humanity of survivors or lack of humanity in some of them, the lengths and sacrifices the characters are willing to make to do what they think will solve things. Caterina is SUCH a solid main character, human and flawed, with standout qualities that make her fun to follow while keeping away from making her too perfect. The setup of a society that has literally blended technology into their dna and very physical being was both terrifying and fascinating to imagine and the depth Suvada brings to the world is that perfect balance of "enough info to make things feel real, but not so much you feel lost".
And holy mother of god the PLOT, you guys. There's a lot of reference in the book to how viruses tend to mutate and adapt and that is exactly how the plot felt. Every time I thought we'd gone as far as we could go another layer of the story would unfold, the arc would take a twist. There's action, there's gore galore, there's romance, there's mystery, there's really cool sci-fi aspects, but underneath it all there's a really solid and consistent exploration of the human condition that I absolutely fell in love with.