Origin by Jessica Khoury (review by Anya W. '20)

Origin by Jessica Khoury
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Pia is perfect. The result of five generations of careful breeding and genetic manipulation she is a girl with unbreakable skin, destined to be untouched by the hands of time. For now, however, she’s just a teenager, studying and working towards her lifelong dream of being part of the team of scientists and creating more immortals… starting with her very own Mr. Perfect. For now. However Pia is a teenager. And teenagers rebel. It is what they do. A few catalysts, a fated meeting in the woods, a visit or two from certain invested parties—and she is set on a whole new path, one that will expose the what is hidden in the light.

Origin by Jessica Khoury is a well written YA novel that pulls you into the story until the very end, even if most plot points can be predicted light-years away by an experienced reader. The romance is sweet, the protagonists’ motivations more complex than is typically found in YA novels, and everything wraps up in a finale as bittersweet as nestle chips. It is a good way to spend a lazy summer morning, especially for YA fans sick of love triangles and unintelligent, flighty female protagonists motivated only by the whims of whatever set of sensations and emotions they ascribe to love. Pia’s actions are driven by logic, reasoning that could realistically come from her life experiences, plain old curiosity and teenaged rebellion. For that, I truly wish I had the ability to give a 3.5 star review. However, once you put the book down or have to slog through a particularly wearisome passage, the spell is broken, and while the book is good, it is missing a little something.
- Anya W. '20

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Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes (review by Andrew R. '17)

Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In Daniel Keyes’ beloved short story "Flowers for Algernon,” a mentally retarded adult named Charlie Gordon undergoes a miraculous surgery that nearly triples his IQ, plunging him headfirst into a world of intellectuals even as he comes to terms with his life before the operation. Here, in Keyes’ later novelization of the same narrative, Charlie’s IQ still rockets up at a dangerous pace—but instead of having to accept his shameful past as an adult with the mind of a child, the newly-created genius must also navigate a crushing tide of memories and feelings that his old brain could never have handled. Watching Charlie stumble through his new life, even more confused and emotionally shredded than he had been with his old IQ of 70, is just as tragic as a novel as in the short story format. My only issue is that it was much more difficult to suspend my disbelief about the miraculous surgery and its effects for three hundred pages than it was for thirty. Those who have never read either “Flowers for Algernon” should pick one and get started immediately, but I’m not sure it’s worthwhile to read both variations on the same theme. - Andrew R. '17

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Altered by Jennifer Rush (review by Sophia S. '15)

Altered by Jennifer Rush
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

The plot of a romance between genetically enhanced, mentally and physically, super-human boy and a girl whose memories have been altered without her knowledge vs. the secret organization that experiments medically on human subjects has so much potential, but this book simply does not measure up. I understand what the author is trying to accomplish in the scenes where characters discover hidden truths about their lives, truths that impact their views of their place in the world, but as a reader, I am unaffected. This book also is unsuccessful in the romance department. The subtleties between the protagonists are so understated and nuanced as to be negligible. The style is similar yet inferior to Lauren Kate's writing. All in all, not recommend except for fans devoted to supernatural romance. – Sophia S. ‘15

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