This Mortal Coil by Emily Suvada #BookReview #postapocalyptic #scifi

On By Teri PolenIn Book Reviews

Catarina Agatta is a hacker. She can cripple mainframes and crash through firewalls, but that’s not what makes her special. In Cat’s world, people are implanted with technology to recode their DNA, allowing them to change their bodies in any way they want. And Cat happens to be a gene-hacking genius.

That’s no surprise, since Cat’s father is Dr. Lachlan Agatta, a legendary geneticist who may be the last hope for defeating a plague that has brought humanity to the brink of extinction. But during the outbreak, Lachlan was kidnapped by a shadowy organization called Cartaxus, leaving Cat to survive the last two years on her own.

When a Cartaxus soldier, Cole, arrives with news that her father has been killed, Cat’s instincts tell her it’s just another Cartaxus lie. But Cole also brings a message: before Lachlan died, he managed to create a vaccine, and Cole needs Cat’s help to release it and save the human race.

Now Cat must decide who she can trust: The soldier with secrets of his own? The father who made her promise to hide from Cartaxus at all costs? In a world where nature itself can be rewritten, how much can she even trust herself? – Goodreads.com

A post-apocalyptic genetic engineering thriller?  I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this book, and it far exceeded my expectations.

I’m a little bit of a science geek, so all the talk of DNA sequencing, gene mutation, and computer coding had me doing a happy dance.  Given, none of this is possible in the present, (to my knowledge), but it sure makes for a riveting story, and is explained in understandable terms.  I’ve read quite a few post-apocalyptic novels, and several times while reading this book was on the verge of disappointment, certain I knew the often traveled path this plot was taking.  I was overjoyed when it veered off into new directions, cheering with the numerous twists and surprises.

Early on, I caught a whiff of the dreaded YA love triangle, but trust me when I say that’s not what develops.  Yes, there’s romance, but it’s far from the primary focus.

This Mortal Coil is a complex, intelligent, intricately-plotted novel combining post-apocalyptic, thriller, and science genres, and is at the top of my favorite YA reads this year.  I’ll definitely continue with this series.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC.

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31 thoughts on “This Mortal Coil by Emily Suvada #BookReview #postapocalyptic #scifi”

  7. The dreaded YA love triangle! Run for your lives. I’m so glad that didn’t happen, Teri. The book sounds great and Cat and Cole interesting characters. I like all the pseudo-science too, and who knows what we’ll see in our lifetimes. Thanks for the recommendation.

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