Book selection and form due 3/6
Human Bioethical Issue Identification and Description due 3/18
Book finished by 3/31
*** Also one default option for groups who do not return signed forms:
Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
Genetic modification
Wake STEM Copies Available
Genre: Dystopian.
Setting: This book takes place in a futuristic society in which each person is engineered at birth to fit into a specific societal role. Conformity is the norm as everybody largely just goes along with society, not just because they have to, but because they have been conditioned to want to. Another setting is the Savage Reservations, an area where the "civilization" of this new state of society has not spread and where people are still relatively free.
Characters: There are several important characters who all represent people with different relations to this new society. Lenina Crowne is largely fine with the current state of society, even if she has some aberrancies from the point of view of others. Bernard Marx is slightly more unsatisfied, but hesitant to actually act on this. Helmholtz Watson is one of Marx's few friends and desires something more than the society offers, particularly in terms of art. Finally, John the Savage, who grew up in the Savage Reservations and thus does not encounter this "Brave New World" until later.
Storyline: This story explores the changing views of the many characters concerning their society and the conflicts that result, especially after Bernard and Lenina visit the Savage Reservations, meeting John and encountering an alternative view of the world.
Book Layout: This book is largely layed out in a conventional format, each chapter describing events from a third-person perspective in a relatively chronological manner, though focusing on multiple characters throughout.
What I liked: Overall, I thought that this book was fantastic. The writing was very engaging. The plot is interesting and you want to know what'll happen. Comparing it to 1984, which we have all read, I thought that this book was much better. This book has a level of nuance and complexity which isn't present in most dystopias. Huxley offers no easy answers, but only many difficult questions. None of the characters are exactly heroes, or even particularly likeable; it presents a very harsh vision of what freedom looks like whilst still critiquing the sort of control that has been built, despite the latter resulting in a near-utopian society that pretty much completely lacks want or pain.
Potential Improvements: It could have been a little bit less on the nose at certain points.
What I didn't like: Like I mentioned, the characters aren't necessarily likeable and certain plot points seem somewhat unsatisfying, but I think that this was intentional and contributed to the point Huxley was making. So, on the whole, I didn't really dislike much about it.
Would I read another book by this author?: I think that it would be interesting to read another book by Aldous Huxley. From what I understand he didn't write much like Brave New World, in terms of more conventional fiction, but his non-fiction works seem somewhat interesting, if only to see a very unique perspective on life.
Star Rating: 5/5
Oryx and Crake, - Margaret Atwood
Genetic engineering gone wrong
Genetic experimentation on humans
Eugenics breeding programs
Unintended effects of scientific research
Genre: I'd say it's a mix of thriller, and science fiction(cause of their powers or abilities)
Book Setting – time and place: The main story takes place in the early 1980s, accross various places across the United States. Since they're often on the run; think quiet towns, and open countryside.
Main characters:
Charlie McGee: She's a young girl, like around eight or ten old, she can create fire with her mind and has been on the run with her dad her whole life.
Andy McGee: He's Charlie's dad, and he can kind of push his thoughts into other people's minds and make them do what he wants(but it's still kinda wavy like it's complicated).
The Shop: This isn't a person, but it's like the bad guys in the story. It's basically a secret government organization that wants to control Charlie and her powers. There are different people who work for The Shop, and some of them are really scary(there some intense momments, depending how you see it)
Overall Storyline(no spoilers):
Basically, Charlie and her dad are on the run because of Charlie's powers. They're trying to live a normal life, but The Shop is always after them so they can use her power for their own purposes. Overall it's a story about a father trying to protect his daughter from a powerful and scary organization that wants to exploit his dauther.
Book set up:
So the story bassically follows Charlie and Andy as things are happening. We see things from their perspective, and once in a while get a glimpses into what The Shop is doing or thinking.
What did you like about the book?
It was an overall interesting story, about a father who is trying to keep his dauther safe from a powerful secret organization.
What would have made it better?
They didn't really talk much about the Shop, it felt a kinda distant which I guess adds to the shadowy secretive feel of it but I feel it would have been interesting to learn a little more about some of the individual people working for them and why they were doing what they were doing, like just get more insigth into the organnization.
What didn’t you enjoy in the book?
Nothing really, at some points it did get kinda stale but it was overall not bad and could be read.
Would you read another book by this author?
The book wasn't bad don't take me wrong but it's just not me to read books, so i'll have to sadly say no, but would probably recommend if you like science fiction and mix thrillers.
Star rating:
I'd probably say about a 4 out of 5 stars. Like I said it was good but at some points I feel it got kinda boring for me at least.
Project Cain - Geoffrey Girard
Human Cloning
Rating: 1/5 Stars
Project Cain by Geoffrey Girard
Genre: A Young Adult Science Fiction
Book Setting: The book takes place in multiple states as the main character (Jeff) was on the run. The book also takes place in 2013 when the book was published.
Main Characters:
Jeff: The main character who was one of many clones created using the DNA of Jefferey Dahmer. His father worked for a government funded science organization and raised him as a normal kid before randomly telling him he was Jefferey Dahmer's clone.
Castillo: A DSTI (science organization) agent who later tries to track down all the clones. He was formerly in the military and takes Jeff in as they try to find out were the clones will strike next.
Storyline: Jeff finds out he is a clone of Jefferey Dahmer after his father reveals he is a secret clone. He finds out his age and every detail of his life was crafted as a lie and that his father is actually a mad man who believes he is also a serial killer. Castillo takes in Jeff when they start to track down the other clones.
Book Set-Up: The book was set chronologically telling only from the accounts of Jeff however there is a second book which follows the same story but from Castillo's perspective.
What did you like about the book?: Absolutely nothing! The book doesn't truly follow a plot and later you realize "Oh everything in the past 20 CHAPTERs" adding NOTHING to the actual ending because they find the clones through an entirely different method than the computer process they had been using the ENTIRE TIME. Then JEff just randomly is like "Oh yeah I have seen this highly unknown Naive symbol from my dads book maybe the only living people from it in Indiana can helps us save the day" which came out of NOWHERE (I genuinely can't connect this to ANY part of the plot. ALSO they find a clone who is like a mix of different serial killers which seems important and they just NEVER talk about him again. The entire book reads like it was written by a kid and that makes sense considering when reading I found it was for ages 12-17 but leans more to middle schoolers I guess.
What would have made the book better?: HAVING A PLOT! The entire story could have been told in a few pages and so NOTHING made sense. It seemed like the author was just trying to make his book longer but it took away from what could have been a really interesting story. Also the book tries to get all deep about government experiments by basically having a PSA write in the middle of it talking about MK-Ultra and Fluoride Experiments when really I feel like the books plot should be able to carry the message without a conversation between characters almost directly explaining "hey this is unethical" cause it makes it harder to look at rhetoric when the author kind of just relies on this one conversation that Jeff had with a stranger (who also did not add to the plot) 20 CHAPTERS AGO!
What didn't you enjoy about this book?: Based upon my previous responses I sure you can tell but ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! I feel like I need to reteach myself how to read after I read this. The book also had weird (and highly inaccurate) information about experiments and gene editing. PLEASE DO NOT READ THIS BOOK AND JUST READ SOMETHING LIKE BRAVE NEW WORLD OR SOMETHING.
Would You read another book by this author?: NO! For the sake of my sanity and inner peace I will NEVER read anything by Geoffrey Girard EVER AGAIN. I am going to go try to forget that second book exist and just sit down and read an actually book like The Iliad or something.
A Crack in Creation-Jennifer Doudna and Samuel Sternberg
CRISPR, Gene editing, and the ethical implications from the scientists who created it.
Wake STEM Copies Available
House of the Scorpion - Nancy Farmer
Human Cloning
The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer
Genre
Science Fiction, Dystopian
Book Setting – A future dystopian country called Opium,a fictional land located between the United States and Mexico.
Introduce the main characters
Matteo “Matt” Alacrán – A young boy who learns he is a clone of a powerful drug lord.
El Patrón – The aging ruler of Opium and the original version of Matt.
Tam Lin – Matt’s bodyguard, who becomes a mentor and protector.
María Mendoza – A girl who is kind to Matt and becomes an important part of his journey.
Celia – The woman who raises Matt with love and care.
Describe the storyline in general terms The story follows Matt as he grows up and uncovers the truth about his identity and the dark secrets behind the powerful society he lives in. He must navigate the prejudice, power struggles, and moral questions while figuring out who he wants to be.
How was the book set out?
The book is divided into sections that show different stages of Matt’s life, following a mostly linear timeline from childhood to teenage years. It’s all told from Matt’s point of view.
What did you like about the book?
The world-building was really interesting, especially the idea of a country run by a drug lord. Matt’s growth as a character was also powerful, and the story raises deep questions about identity, morality, and free will.
What would have made it better?
Some of the side characters could have been explored more deeply, and the pacing in the middle part of the book slowed down a bit.
What didn’t you enjoy in the book?
A few parts felt repetitive, and at times the treatment of clones was so harsh it was hard to read (though that was kind of the point).
Would you read another book by this author?
Yes, she has a sequel to the Novel we read, and it will be fun to see where the story of Matt continues and how he will rise to be lord of the opium.
4.5/5 Stars
Never Let Me Go-Kazuo Ishiguro
GMOs
Book Title and Author Name
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
Genre
Sci-fi
Book Setting – time and place
The book takes place in England during the late 1990s. It is a fictional book set in an alternate version of England.
Introduce the main characters
Kathy H: This book is centered around a unique boarding school which Kathy is a student at. It follows her journey and her life at and whatever comes after the school. Kathy is a very responsible character that is curious about the world around her.
Ruth: Ruth is one of Kathy's best friends and she is also a student at the school. She strives to fit in with the other kids and is willing to hurt others to get what she wants.
Tommy: He is a student at the school who is described as being hot headed. He gets frustrated very easily and is often made fun of it for it.
Madame: Very mysterious character that the students glorify. Not much is known about her at the start of the book.
Miss Emily: She is a guardian at the school that looks over the kids. She is known for being kind and giving. Her role later in the book makes it all very interesting. ;)
Miss Lucy: She is also a guardian at the school, but she has a very different personality. She is very blunt with the kids.
Describe the storyline in general terms The students at the school have been taught that their life is to first enjoy their time at the boarding school, care for others that donate organs, and finally donate their own. The kids are fairly happy in their situation, but the book covers the secrets behind the system.
How was the book set out?
The book opens in the future, past the timeline of the rest of the book. Following this introduction the author than jumps back to the authors memories and each chapter skips some years in between until they reach the point in the introduction. After that point they go further into the future.
What did you like about the book?
This books hook was horrible. I really had to hang in there with it. The last ten pages of this book were AMAZING! They tie everything together so well, and I had grown to become emotionally attached to some of the characters. I even almost shed tears when one of the characters passed.
What would have made it better?
This book pretends to give you all the information of what is going on which makes you want to stop reading. It's incredibly confusing and they leaving too many mysteries at the beginning of the book which become ANNOYING to keep track of.
What didn’t you enjoy in the book?
The focus on sex in this book was really annoying. At some point in the book that's all the characters could focus on which got old quick... Also another thing WHY IS EVERYONE OKAY BEING AN ORGAN DONOR? I am genuinely so confused why everyone were happy to do it. They would dream of being actors, cashiers and they were told no you can't do that you have another person and everyone just accepts it?
Would you read another book by this author?
No, I don't really like how the author writes and frankly it's incredibly boring.
Your star rating.
I could definitely see someone else enjoying this book it's just not for me so a 3/5
The Umbrella Conspiracy - S.D. Perry
genetic research and engineering gone wrong
Genre
Science Fiction
Book Setting
In a fictional setting, Spencer Mansion, near Raccoon City
Main Characters
Chris: A former Air Force pilot, suspicious of authority. He's driven by a sense of justice. He's stubborn and brave, suspicious of authority.
Jill: A lockpicker and explosives expert since she's from a military background. She is able to work well under pressure (little spoiler) and is very resourceful in the mission.
Albert: The cold leader of the S.T.A.R.S. Alpha, incredibly strategic, and keeps a distance from his team.
Barry: A veteran who's a veteran's specialist, a loyal and protective man. Has a lot of knowledge of firearms and is very hesitant when it's tense.
Rebecca: Young medic, has a lot of medical knowledge and courage even though she has limited experience. Smart and determined to prove herself.
Storyline
This story follows the S.T.A.R.S. Alpha Team (connected to the Resident Evil lore) as they are investigating murders in the Arklay Mountains, leading the team to take place in Spencer Mansion. The team explores dark corridors and uncover passages in the mansion.
Layout
The book is layed out in a linear order. There are no jumps between time periods. The chapters shift perspectives between each of the characters and focuses on the experience in multiple directions, bringing suspension to the book.
Like
I loved how the author escalated the story in the book and created constant tension throughout the setting of the mansion. I also liked how engaging it was for a book about genetic engineering and research, I wouldn't expect something like this to hook the reader in.
Grow
The story and depiction of the issue could've been a bit better if the characters were more developed in the beginning. But, that might be due to my lack of knowledge of Resident Evil prior to reading this book.
Dislike
Some of the dialogue felt off and unnecessary, it at times made the scenes a lot less suspenseful. The pacing also felt a bit slow, in my opinion.
Author Review
I would read another book by the author, S.D. Perry, I was engulfed in the story of the Umbrella Conspiracy, and they adapted the Resident Evil storyline well with this book. She kept me engaged throughout the stor,y and the writing got me interested in this genre too, since before I wasn't particularly interested in it.
Rating
4/5
Gender/sex, inheritance, and society
Genre
Science Fiction
Book Setting – time and place
Takes place
The story takes place in today's world, in different countries including the United States, Europe, Moldova, Saudi Arabia, and Nigeria. The book is written as if someone from the far future is looking back at our time when a big change happened.
Introduce the main characters:
Allie: A young woman who runs away from an abusive home and becomes a religious leader after getting her power.
Roxy: The daughter of a London crime boss who has very strong powers.
Margot: An American politician who rises to power as women become stronger.
Tunde: A Nigerian journalist who reports on the worldwide changes as one of the few main male characters.
Describe the storyline in general terms:
"The Power" is about what happens when girls and women around the world suddenly develop the ability to make electricity with their bodies through a new organ that grows near their collarbones. This change flips society as women become physically stronger than men for the first time in history.
The book shows how this power changes different cultures, politics, religion, and relationships as the balance of power between men and women shifts over the storyline. The story looks at how power can corrupt anyone who has it, and asks if the world would be different if women were in charge.
How was the book set out?
Chapters alternated between different main characters points of view. The book works as a countdown to a global cataclysm that is implied is done with the use of nuclear weapons.
What did you like about the book?
I really like the premise of the book. The cool idea that shows what would happen if women had power over men, the honest look at how power can make anyone bad, the worldwide view showing how the change hits different cultures, and the good characters who change as they get used to the new world all drew me into this book in the beginning.
What would have made it better?
The book would have been much better with stronger writing. The writing style jumped around too much, sometimes flowing well and other times changing suddenly. This made the story hard to follow at important moments. When the author switched to different language styles, especially during key scenes with the women's powers, it pulled me out of the story instead of drawing me in deeper. A more consistent writing approach would have made this good story idea even more powerful.
What didn’t you enjoy in the book?
I didn't like how the words changed to old-english when women used their powers. This made reading hard to follow and broke up the story's flow. The sudden word changes felt out of place and took me out of the story just when big things were happening. I also didn't enjoy some scenes in the book as they were explicit and didn't add anything to the storyline.
Would you read another book by this author?
Probably not. Even though the premise of the book was pretty interesting, the writing itself sort of fell short. I found it extremely hard to get into the book and would probably not enjoy other novels from this author due to her writing style.
Your star rating.
1.5/5
Wealth inequality, Genetic modification in humans
The Extraordinaries by T.J Klune
Genre
Sci-Fi / Young Adult
Book Setting
The book takes place in a fictional place called Supernova city (similar to New York City) in the 2020s.
Main Characters
Nick Bell - Nick is the main character of the book and is a teenage fanfic writer. His father is a police officer in the city, and his mother died when Nick was younger. Nick has ADHD and takes medicine everyday so he can focus, although he often gets in trouble in school still. Nicks best friend since a young age is Seth Gray, who he met on the playground in elementary school.
Seth Gray - Seth is Nicks childhood best friend and lives with his Aunt and Uncle. He randomly disappears at certain times, leaving Nick confused on where he went.
Owen Burke - Owen is another friend of Nicks and a former love interest. Owens father is a multi-billionaire and ceo of a pharmaceutical company. Owen and Seth are enemies and are clearly not fond of each other.
Storyline
In The Extraordinaries, the story is centered around teenager Nick Bell who is a superfan of superheroes called Extraordinaries. Nick spends his free time writing fanfictions about his favorite extraordinary, shadowstar, and his arch-nemesis, pyrostorm. Nicks fascination with there heroes leads him on a quest to try and gain superpowers of his own through various means. These attempts fail time after time and are often whimsical ideas. It is unknown how extraordinaries received their powers.
Setup
This book was told traditionally through a first person perspective that moved chronologically.
What did I like
I actually did think this book was interesting and had an easy to follow plot. Certain scenes were written very poorly which sometimes made it funny to follow along with. Hints and plot twists throughout the book made it hard to stop reading, as bad as some of the writing was.
What would have made it better
I think if this were written as an adult book opposed to young adult it would've been much better. A lot of the scenes just felt very poorly written and cringey to read.
What didn't you enjoy
I didn't enjoy the writing in this book. It felt very kid-like and it often distracted me from the actual premise of the book. Additionally, some of the scenes felt unnecessary and just written to try and get a reaction out of the reader.
Would you read another book by this author
I actually have read two other books by this author that I truly did enjoy. I thought going into this book it would be similar to those books, but it truly wasn't. This book was definitely an aberration from the authors normal writing which often convey important messages about death and isolation.
Final Rating: 3/5
*** Also one default option for groups who do not return signed forms:
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - Rebecca Skloot
Medical consent and ownership of DNA
Wake STEM Copies Available
Gender/sex, reproduction, and society
She Has Her Mother's Laugh-Carl Zimmer
History of genetics, CRISPR, and modern eugenics
Her Hidden Genius - Marie Benedict
Women’s overlooked contributions to science
The Social Life of DNA - Alondra Nelson
Race, reparations, and genealogy
Inside the Cell: The Dark Side of Forensic DNA - Erin E Murphy
DNA forensics and criminal injustices
Wake STEM Copies Available
Eugenics
The Ones We Choose - Julie Clark
Fertility/IVF
The Goodness Gene - Sonia Levitin
Human behavior
A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived - Adam Rutherford
Claims, counter claims, and myths about the human genome
Wake STEM Copies Available
My sister's keeper by Jodi Picoult
Domestic Fiction
Book Setting – Upper Darby, Rhode Island (2004)
Introduce the main characters
Anna Fitzgerald: Savior Sibling suing her parents.
Kate Fitzgerald: Anna's sister who has AML
Sara Fitzgerald: Anna and Kate's Mother
Julia: Anna's appointed guardian Ad Litem
Campbell Alexander: Anna's lawyer
Describe the storyline in general terms my sister's keeper is a gripping novel about the ethics of savior siblings on a personal level as you get up close and personal with the Fitzgerald family. The novel explores family dynamics, bioethics of medical donations and transplants, consent of a minor, and other moral implications.
How was the book set out?
The book alternates between different characters in the book. (7 characters)
What did you like about the book?
The switching of the characters kept you on your toes and helped reveal information from a different perspective or even new information.
What would have made it better?
The ending.
What didn’t you enjoy in the book?
Sometimes because the characters switched so much, it was hard to progress in the book.
Would you read another book by this author?
She seems to exhibit a complex and multi-perspective view of some controversial topics. But I would have to find out about the ending in a way that wouldn't spoil and would tell me if it was worth reading or not.
Your star rating.
3/5
Bioengineered viruses
Wake STEM Copies Available
Genre:
Sci-Fi
Book Setting:
Near future of the US
Introduce the main characters:
Logan: Logan is the main character and he works for the Gene Protection Agency where they hunt down for people who have been infected by a virus that alters their gene composition and "upgrades" them as super humans. Logan then catches the virus while on a mission and over the course of the book his body and mind start to change in powerful and negative ways.
Kara: Kara is Logan's sister who was also infected with the virus later in the book. Her and Logan's relationship start to fall apart because of the different beliefs that they start to have and over time become enemies.
Miriam: Miriam is Logan and Kara's mother and is the one who started the whole virus. She is a famous genetic scientists who released the virus into the world in order to try to better humanity and try to solve worldly problems and world wars and poverty.
Describe the storyline in general terms:
The story is based around Logan Ramsey who hunts people who have been genetically modified or people who are trying to genetically modify others and as he goes on more missions he becomes infected himself and over the course of the book he starts to have mental and physical changes that alter his relationships with those he once thought had his back.
How was the book set out? :
The book was in the first person point of view of Logan Ramsey and pretty scientific at times.
What did you like about the book?:
I liked the fact that it was in the near future and the plot twists that it had where the Kara and Logan ended up becoming enemies in the end and the different points of views of the ethical debate whether if gene editing was the way or not.
What would have made it better?:
The book would have been better if there was not so much filler because that is what made me bored of the book more and more over time.
What didn’t you enjoy in the book?:
I started to slowly get bored of the book because I started to realize how many like unnecessary parts there were in the book.
Would you read another book by this author?
I would depending on the topic because I don't think this topic was specifically interesting to me
Your star rating.: 3/5
The Windup Girl - Paolo Bacigalupi
Bioterrorism and genetic engineering
4/5 Stars
Title & Author: The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi
Genre: Sci-Fi / Dystopian
Book Setting: In Bangkok, Thailand.
Main Characters:
Anderson: An American who works for a calorie company and is located in Malay, managing a local branch of a manufacturing factory.
Emiko: A windup (a genetically engineered human, who has the need to obey ingrained in their DNA. They also have telltale stutter movements of their body that give them away) who eventually encounters Anderson and seeks freedom.
Hock-Seng: An immigrant from Malay (Malaysia) who works under Anderson at his factory. He's lost everything and now is poor refugee, he wants to rebuild his life- he is a clever man.
Jaidee: Jaidee is a "white shirt" or someone who works for the Environment Ministry, the opposing power to the Trade Ministry. He's in charge of limiting the calorie company monopoly. He's famous for his work for the people, and he is known as the Tiger of Bangkok.
Kanya: Right hand woman of Jaidee.
Story line: Anderson runs a factory that produces energy with springs. He, along with some other calorie company executives, are stationed in Bangkok. They exploit the workers in their companies. Emiko works in the red light district against her will because those are the kind of jobs she was made for, literally. She fears for her life because windups are not allowed in Thailand, and she was smuggled in by her previous owner and then abandoned. Eventually, there will be strong political moves made by the ministries in Thailand and the foreign calorie companies that have exclusive power of gene editing technology, and the people of Thailand will be caught in the crossfire.
Set Up: There are alternating chapters from each of the main characters as they experience the storyline and add their perspectives.
What did you like about the book?
I really liked the politics and how certain decisions were made by the characters. I liked seeing how corruption worked with the various things each politician wanted and how they came together and destroyed the city as collateral.
What would have made it better?
If certain things... (I can't specify b/c of spoilers) were more impactful, it would have made for a more impressive message.
What didn't you enjoy about the book?
There were some scenes, especially with Emiko, that felt unnecessary to go into detail with. They might have been essential to proving a point, but they could have been implied, I feel.
Would you read another book by this author?
Yes, his writing style was engaging and he developed the world very well. It was a good book.
The Gene: An Intimate History - Siddhartha Mukherjee
A historical account of humans deciphering and manipulating the genetic code
Ethical, legal, and social implications of advances in genomic science, including privacy and the potential for genetic discrimination
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