Title and Author: The Mortal Coil by Emily Suvada

Plot Overview: Seventeen-year-old Catarina Agatta lives in a pandemic, apocalyptic world where the Hydra virus runs rampant and causes bodies to “detonate” -- literally blowing up to one’s death because of the way it takes over cells. She is the daughter of famed geneticist Lachlan Agatta, who she knows to have been kidnapped by a sketchy organization called Cartaxus. Despite this catastrophic disease, her society is quite advanced -- everyone has special ports inside their bodies which allow them to “hack” their DNA and use various apps to reprogram it for almost desired purpose. One day, a soldier from Cartaxus finds her and informs her that her father is dead but he has left her a series of clues to unlock a genetically unlock a vaccine for the deadly Hydra virus. She embarks of a harrowing journey full of incredible revelations about herself and others to save the human race when the power to “rewrite” DNA may be both the biggest gift and curse.

Critique: I liked how “realistic” the scientific elements were and how dynamic character relationships and plot details were. The description in the novel was also great. Everything was really well-thought out and complex but easy enough to understand. There were probably a few too many plot twists (some of which were very easy to see coming), but other than that there wasn’t much to dislike.

Cover Critique: The cover was great. The explosion of red represents what happens when a person fully succumbs to the Hydra virus and is not as gory as you’d think it would be after reading the description. The font is also pretty cool but could contrast a little more with the background. The cover definitely pops well.

Star Rating: I rate this book a 4.5/5 (which is probably one of the highest ratings I’ve ever given a book). Overall, it was a fantastic science fiction novel with well-balanced and developed elements and made for an entertaining read. It was a little intense but that probably is what made it great. It would be a good read for ages 13 and up.

From Ms. Yang: Awesome! Sounds like something you can really immerse yourself in. I feel like you might also be interested in Illuminae by Aime Kaufman and Jay Kristoff - futuristic, out of control virus, zombie elements and fantastic AI. Plus, the typography is really creative and different. Also, Futuristic Violence and Fancy Suits by Jason Wong (a pseudonym), which is technically adult, not YA -- futuristic, obviously, kind of Blade Runner-ish as it's set in Las Vegas. A young woman who's estranged, mysterious father dies and she has to unravel a top secret technology that threatens the world. Quite funny if you like bizarre, quirky humor.