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A review by picklefall1
Entheóphage by Drema Deòraich
4.0
Excellent Blend of Microbiology and Ecology
There is so much to love about this book! Let's start with the science. Not at all bolted on as an afterthought, it is integrated seamlessly throughout the story. If you're a science geek like me, you'll revel in the talk of bacteriophages, the effect of pH of water on chemical testing, insulae, spindle neurons, intermedin, peptides, and epigenetic modifications. If you're unfamiliar with all these terms, no worries. You won't get lost. They're all understood well enough in context. And the author doesn't just sling technical jargon around for appearances, either. The scientists in the story show real understanding of the microbiology concepts and apply them to solve problems and drive the plot forward. I especially enjoyed how the scientists thought through problems. A lot of research went into this book, and it paid off. Here are some quotes to show what I mean:
-"Maybe it’s attaching to their hormones," Lara said. "Wouldn’t that allow it to pass the barrier?" Cagney straightened in his seat. "Or maybe it’s producing a toxin that mimics a hormone. That would do it."
-"This one got a shot of combined estradiol, estriol, and testosterone in a 40/40/20 mix."
-"The phage has integrated its genetic material into the normal flora of the patients’ bodies in what is called a lysogenic cycle. Instead of being immediately copied and expressed, which would kill the host bacteria, NJace DNA recombines with the bacterial chromosome. It becomes part of the chromosome as a prophage."
And there's wonderful prose beyond the scientific details. Here are some of my favorites:
-"There are so many things to check, I'm swinging a wedge in a sand trap the size of the Sahara while blindfolded."
-"For a second, the whole English language fled Nadine’s tongue."
As far as story goes, the conflict never lets up. Especially the sort where the characters you root for end up getting treated unjustly and where their best efforts are punished in sad and surprising ways. There's no shortage of people making interesting decisions in this book.
I also love that a major character is a video game developer!
My favorite character is Nadine, and I always looked forward to her myriad food references:
-"She cursed under her breath. For the love of deep-dish pizza."
-"I love you more than chocolate."
-"What fresh-baked weirdness is that?"
Prepare yourself for excellent writing and storytelling. You're in good hands here. I swear it on Nadine's Alton Brown recipes.
(I received a free ARC in exchange for an honest review)
There is so much to love about this book! Let's start with the science. Not at all bolted on as an afterthought, it is integrated seamlessly throughout the story. If you're a science geek like me, you'll revel in the talk of bacteriophages, the effect of pH of water on chemical testing, insulae, spindle neurons, intermedin, peptides, and epigenetic modifications. If you're unfamiliar with all these terms, no worries. You won't get lost. They're all understood well enough in context. And the author doesn't just sling technical jargon around for appearances, either. The scientists in the story show real understanding of the microbiology concepts and apply them to solve problems and drive the plot forward. I especially enjoyed how the scientists thought through problems. A lot of research went into this book, and it paid off. Here are some quotes to show what I mean:
-"Maybe it’s attaching to their hormones," Lara said. "Wouldn’t that allow it to pass the barrier?" Cagney straightened in his seat. "Or maybe it’s producing a toxin that mimics a hormone. That would do it."
-"This one got a shot of combined estradiol, estriol, and testosterone in a 40/40/20 mix."
-"The phage has integrated its genetic material into the normal flora of the patients’ bodies in what is called a lysogenic cycle. Instead of being immediately copied and expressed, which would kill the host bacteria, NJace DNA recombines with the bacterial chromosome. It becomes part of the chromosome as a prophage."
And there's wonderful prose beyond the scientific details. Here are some of my favorites:
-"There are so many things to check, I'm swinging a wedge in a sand trap the size of the Sahara while blindfolded."
-"For a second, the whole English language fled Nadine’s tongue."
As far as story goes, the conflict never lets up. Especially the sort where the characters you root for end up getting treated unjustly and where their best efforts are punished in sad and surprising ways. There's no shortage of people making interesting decisions in this book.
I also love that a major character is a video game developer!
My favorite character is Nadine, and I always looked forward to her myriad food references:
-"She cursed under her breath. For the love of deep-dish pizza."
-"I love you more than chocolate."
-"What fresh-baked weirdness is that?"
Prepare yourself for excellent writing and storytelling. You're in good hands here. I swear it on Nadine's Alton Brown recipes.
(I received a free ARC in exchange for an honest review)