Praise from L Wade Powers
author of The Home
"Heather Ransom has created a compelling story about the difficulties of maturing in a future world in which one of the major choices facing a privileged adolescent is whether to undergo genetic modification and become a member of an elitist community. It's a novel form of racism and social division, and Ransom plunges her heroine into the difficulty of discovering that she has grown up in a protected cocoon of nativity and lies. Throw in some teenage romance, a number of interesting characters, and a setting that could become all too real, and you have a first rate science fiction novel for young adults.
The surprising bit, however, was how much I enjoyed the tale. Suspend a bit of skepticism about how chloroplasts can provide humans with nutrition, and the other technical attributes become very realistic: the controversy over GMOs and how they might affect human evolution, the ability of viruses to mutate suddenly with deadly results, and the age-old issues of loyalty, group identity, and family obligation. I especially approve of the way the author deals with the controversies and the advocates for each side. Apart from a few extremists on each side, most of the characters are treated as real humans, caught in the middle and wanting to live normal, productive lives. She also provides some hard lessons about sacrifice and the negative aspects of accepting responsibility under duress. I can't wait to see what happens in the second and third installments of the trilogy. Thank you, Heather, for a very enjoyable read." |