I really enjoyed the book, although once I saw some of the plot twists coming, I had a hard time staying focused on the story. I found fascinating the topic of genetics and coding which was my favourite part. The novel was quite fast paces and there was always something going on and I really liked the short chapters, made me want to read on.

The characters were well fleshed out and entertaining, although at times I found Cat slightly annoying for wanting to assume a role and be ready to face the consequences, but did not look as to why and what would that mean in a political context. Cole on the other hand, he needed a bit more fleshing out, did not feel that I knew him a hell of a lot, but I did like their interaction and romance, which actually was made believable a lot more once you reach the end, so kudos for that!

I would've given it more than 3.5 stars, but I felt like something was missing and sometimes would compare it in my mind with other YA plots and subplots that I would not be as immersed as I was at the beginning. However, I overall really enjoyed it, the writing was good and the sci-fi/dystopian elements were satisfying, and I am really looking forward to book 2.

This story had it all, science fiction, dystopia, non stop action, tension and the human element. A fabulous story that gripped me from beginning to end. I look forward to a possible sequel.

An intensely imaginative, unique and unpredictable sci-fi adventure

Catarina Agatta is an expert hacker and, in a world where people use technology to code their genes and re-write their DNA, hacking is an invaluable skill to have. For the last two years, Cat has been surviving on her own in a post-apocalyptic nightmare where a highly-infective plague has wiped out the majority of the world’s population. Her father, the renowned geneticist Dr Lachlan Agatta, was kidnapped at the start of the outbreak by a sinister organisation called Cartaxus to work for them on a cure for the deadly virus. His last words to his daughter were that she should stay away from the people who took him, and so, when a Cartaxus soldier named Cole shows up at Cat’s house telling her that her father is dead, Cat refuses to trust him. However, Cole tells her that before he died, Lachlan had discovered a vaccine and that Cat is the key to unlocking its code and releasing it to save the human race. Unsure of who she can trust or what to believe, Cat must decide what path to take, and with the fate of the world resting on her shoulders, she will learn that it might, in fact, be more than DNA that makes someone who they are.

This was a well-written and engaging adventure novel with one of the most unique and imaginative premises that I have ever encountered. The idea of technology being used to re-write human DNA is something that, whilst still fantasy currently, is becoming closer and closer to reality with each scientific advancement, and the dangers and pitfalls of such a possibility made for some really thought-provoking reading. It is certainly imaginable that, if it did become possible to alter our DNA to make us stronger, more attractive or healthier, then many people would jump at the idea despite the sinister idea of messing with our own genetic make-up. The author has clearly done plenty of research into DNA and genetics – many of her concepts are well thought out and she manages to explain the science and technology side of her story in a way that is understandable for non-scientifically minded readers but also (at least to my knowledge) not entirely unrealistic or inaccurate. She avoids the pitfall of relying on her reader’s lack of knowledge to get away with spouting pseudo-science nonsense and instead, actually makes an effort to fit her new ideas and abstract concepts into our existing knowledge of the mechanism of DNA and coding. There were a few instances were Cat ‘explains’ some technological concept to the reader (the novel is written in the first person) which at times did distract from the action, but they helped build up an understanding of the world that the story was set in and even occasionally set-up for a future twist or reveal.

As well as its inventive concept, This Mortal Coil also had a fast-paced plot with plenty of surprises and twists that I didn’t see coming. I did have a few issues with some aspects of this book – for example, the romance subplot felt a little forced and unnecessary and some of the characters came across as a little two dimensional. I also did find that a few of the scientific aspects of the story were a little faulty (for example, Cat supposedly has hypergenesis – an allergy to all gene-altering technology – and I didn’t understand why, as we currently understand the nature of the allergic immune response, a technology could not have been invented in this futuristic world that inhibited or overcame this). However, this is not an issue I imagine the majority of readers would be bothered by and the author certainly made up for a few wobbles with a well-researched and well-explained scientific backbone to support what was an excellent and fast-paced plot.

In conclusion, I really enjoyed reading This Mortal Coil and would definitely be keen to read the next instalment. I think it is excellent that more young adult novels with strong and intelligent female characters (particularly with scientific backgrounds) are being released and hope to read more books like this one in the future

Daenerys

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review

Wow, I honestly can't remember the last time a book kept me awake until the early hours, in a desperate attempt to devour the whole thing, twice! This is a YA science-fi/dystopian/zombie book in a very non-traditional sense. The main character is a teenage girl named Catarina, and at first everything seems a little cliche. Typical young girl must save the world kind of vibes, but this book is so much more than that.

Catarina lives in a world where people have a panel in their arm, which you can load apps on to use for everything from communication, to extra senses and can even be used for healing the body, along with many other uses. Pretty much everyone has a panel, and if they don't they can grow a new one. These are placed into everyone from birth, and so they don't even really know what it's like to live without this in their lives. Beyond this though, the world is also being plagued by a terrible virus, this is where you get the zombie vibes. Catarina's father is abducted by a company very early on in the novel, as it is believed he and his assistant are able to create a cure for this virus. We follow Catarina as her whole world tumbles upside down, she has to learn to survive alone, and make new alliances to survive. We also learn more about how to keep the virus at bay, which is quite a gruesome option. Alternatively, others live in bunkers and are kept safe with air vents, though Catarina is unable to go to one of them as her father told her to stay away to keep safe. Things really start picking up in the plot, when two years later a guy named Cole, who works for the company, seeks her out.

I was a little wary of this book going in, just because I can be very picky with my science-fi books, though I was very excited about the overall plot idea. I needn't have worried though, because this book exceeded my expectations in so many ways. First of all, I'd like to point out that the science behind everything is very well explained, and yet also totally believable. It isn't hard to follow, and yet feels like it could be plausible for this to all exist and work the way it does.

I also loved the characters, and how the lines of good and evil often get blurred. Both Catarina and the reader go on a journey of discovery over what it means for someone to be good or bad, and the decisions that someone can make, can shape who they really are. The ongoing feeling of nature verses nurture, and DNA being what makes you who you really are, could make for a really long discussion point alone. I loved Catarina, she was strong and inspiring, yet also showed the reader her weaker side of self doubt, which is something we all feel at one time or another. Again, her and indeed all the other characters felt so real to me, I felt like I was reading about a real person and something that was genuinely happening. The author has an incredible talent for crafting real people within the characters, in a world that felt equally possible.

There is a love interest or two thrown into this, and at first I was worried it was going down a love triangle route, though I needn't have worried at all, as this turned out not to be the case. The romance isn't overbearing, and doesn't detract from the action and plot of the book, and instead just throws another realistic aspect in, because it feels a believable situation and something that would naturally happen in that environment.

Perhaps my favourite part of this book overall though, was the twists and turns it took. It's like the author gives you clues throughout, things that should make you spot things as they happen, but of course they don't. The ending especially, gave me one of those moments. Both Catarina and the reader is given all the clues and education needed to spot things before they happen, yet we both walk into traps and only realise after, just how obvious these traps were.

This has become one of my favourite books of all time. It is so fast paced and cost me a lot of sleep, because I just could not put this down. If you start reading this at a sensible time, which is what I recommend, you will find yourself reading it in one sitting for sure. I can't wait to read the sequel!

I don’t normally enjoy sci-fi, but this inventive dystopian thriller has me hooked, with twists and turns aplenty and a cast of likeable and hateable characters - except much of the time we don’t know which we should love and which we should hate. And even by the end of the book it’s still not clear who is on the side of the angels. Can’t wait to read the sequel!

3.5 stars

The world is in turmoil - the Hydra virus is wiping out humans and Catarina Agatta's father, a brilliant geneticist, is the only person that can stop it.
When a soldier named Cole appears with news of her father's death, Catarina also discovers that he made a vaccine against Hydra. But before the vaccine can be released, Catarina must decode it. Catarina's mission leads her close to Cartaxus, an organisation her father warned her to stay away from. Along the way, Catarina unearths secrets that will change everything.
Can Catarina decrypt the vaccine before it's too late?
Can she trust Cole?

This Mortal Coil was an interesting, unique YA dystopian novel.
Catarina was a likeable, relatable protagonist. I liked most of the characters, but Agnes, Cole, and Leoben were my favourites apart from Catarina.
The plot was intriguing and held my attention. The science was interesting and I could definitely see something similar happening in the future (panels in people's arms and apps that give them different abilities/change them). I found it a little scary how much technology people had incorporated into their bodies, such as ocular vision and healing tech.
There were several plot twists that I didn't see coming.
The writing style was good and held my attention, but I wasn't gripped.
I am interested in reading the sequel and seeing where the story goes.

Overall this was an enjoyable, interesting read that I would recommend.

This Mortal Coil is a one-sitting book. I picked it up and couldn’t put it down until I finished. There are so many twists that just when you think it’s safe to stop reading, something happens to make you carry on. And it is absolutely worth the scratchy-eyed exhaustion the following day.
I found it a little overly descriptive at the very start, but soon got over that. Emily’s writing is exquisite. Her descriptions of places, people and events really drive home the horror of the situation that Catarina Agatta is in. The Hydra virus is hideous and the way to stay immune to is even more so. This is a dark and brutal dystopia with disturbing concepts and images throughout. Sometimes they even shook my dark and twisty core.
The technology in Catarina’s world allows people to add technology to their systems to enhance their lives. This technology is advanced, but it cannot stop people from dying. Catarina suffers from hypergenesis which means she cannot take on the tech others have and survive, so she has learned to hack her genes.
Catarina is a hacker, daughter of the famous Dr. Lachlan Agatta. He may be humanity’s last hope of defeating the Hydra virus. When he dies and leaves a secret coded message for his daughter, this responsibility passes to Catarina. Can she solve the puzzle and handle that responsibility? Can she learn to trust Cole, the Cartaxus agent sent by her father? She learns that no one around her is who she thought she was.
This Mortal Coil explores some serious issues: the advancement of technology, the evolution of super-viruses, what a person will do to stay alive, and what happens when we interfere with genes and try to perfect the human body. It is a dark and brutal dystopia.
This book is ideal for fans of dystopia and fast-paced adventures.

This was an interesting take on the whole concept of zombies and eating people. I loved the idea of gene hacking and the way that Suvada developed the idea of smart phones and apps to include things that actually change the way people look. The way that medicines had transformed and the problems that Cat faced because of her illness were so realistic and interesting.

There were also so many twists and turns that this book took. Just when you thought you knew where things were going it zoomed off in another direction with a shocking turn of events. This is definitely a book where you can't trust anyone and even they can't trust themselves. There's so many secrets and lies that are hidden away.

I can't wait for the next book to see what Suvada decides to do next.

This book was a quick read for me, because once you start reading, you don't want to put the book down. My partner has also read the book and he finished reading it in one day, it took me about 2 days because of work!

You meet Catarina, the main character of this book as she is hunting pigeons to look into their DNA as we learn about the coding and changing of DNA to change the appearances and characteristics of things in the world set in this book. Cat is with her father and Dax living in a bunker in the woods until the men in her life are taken from her by Cartaxus, the leading company in genetic tech. Cat is hidden away from the company and her father warns her to never be caught by Cartaxus, so she hides out there surviving while a virus is spreading in the world causing death to many.

Catarina, joins a rival organisation called the skies who regularly hack Cartaxus to release code to cure health conditions for free to people still living in the surface and not in the Cartaxus bunkers. She has a friend Agnes, who she is on her way to meet when she is warned about an unknown vechicle outside her place. Racing to get away from a Cartaxus agent, who her father warned her before he was taken himself, she is injured and then we learn that not is all as it seems.

This agent will becoming integral to the story and there are many twists you may not see coming as we learn more about this virus that is taking over people and the rival organisations.

I really enjoyed this book and read most of it in one sitting, I certainly did not see some of the twists coming. You can put some of the things together with the bits and pieces dropped throughout the book but I was kept guessing which kept me wanting to read on and now I can't wait for the next book in the series.

Cat lives in a dystopian world, ravaged by a virus called Hydra. It's pretty gruesome in that it eventually kills the sufferer by detonating into a cloud that carries the virus. At the beginning of the story the only way to remain immune is by eating the flesh of the infected whilst they are at a specific stage of the infection. So sort of a reverse zombie situation. In this world you have few choices. You can live underground, safely but under the overly controlling thumb of a shady government/corporation. Or you can be part of a rag tag resistance, hacking the aforementioned shady types to survive ( more of that later ). Or you can opt to be a Lurker, a violent rage filled cannibal. So obviously Cat is part of the second group. She lives alone after her father and boyfriend are taken by Cartaxus (the shady ones) for their genetist and coding skills. Humans here have panels built in, these are used for healing, communication and VR amongst other things. Codes and programmes can be sent directly to a person, and it's one of these that lies at the centre of this story. Cole, a lone soldier arrives to tell Cat her father has been killed and that before his death he created a vaccine the details of which are hidden in Coles genehacked body. Its a race against time for Cat to unravel the code before the virus mutates again....

So if you're expecting a genre defining novel please take the exit to the right. If you're looking for a YA thriller with lots of twists and turns and a few well thought out surprise this is the book you've been looking for. If this was a recipe I think it would be called deconstructed dystopia. It has all the usual ingredients (Virus - check. Shady corporation- check. Love triangle - check etc . ) but turns them on their head just enough to make this a good story to read but not a revolutionary one. The writing is promising but not quite spot on yet. The love triangle is unnecessary. It does need one of the romances (and if you read it you'll know what I mean)but it only needed one. Really by adding the love triangle it just added pages and it could have done with losing a few. Its just a bit too long, less would have definitely been more. So a good story which sets up for what might be a great series. Time will tell.

This book was intelligently written, flawlessly researched and was one of those books that wormed its way into my thoughts between reading sessions. If you've got a geeky side and like an impulsive and conflicted female protagonist you should definitely add it to your reading pile. 

First of all, Cat, our heroine (and daughter of a tech genius), and I share a name - usually I would expect this connection to put me off (characters with names of people I know do it too, clearly I am not imaginative enough some days) - thankfully I didn't find this with Suvada's novel and I really felt she was well explored as a character. She was complex, driven, flawed and fiercely intelligent. The only part of her arc that bugged me was when her intelligence and knowledge was 'justified' by a plot detail that insinuated it was not her own making. I'll hold back, maybe it'll be remedied in the sequel.

Additional characters were stoic and unpredictable .I'm pleased to say that the plot surprised me, I don't know if I was just missing all the hints and missed the queue but there was a plot twist (more than one actually) and I will admit I did not see it coming. There were elements of what was revealed that I suspected but I missed a huge reveal - it was genius too. Perspective plays a huge role in the story's unravelling and the authors manipulation of the world through Cat's eyes was spectacularly played off. She was able to reflect on herself too, at one point, in an unbiased way and looking back at it, it's wonderfully done. I don't want to give away too much but if you read it I think you'll get what I mean. There were no unexplained plot faults (that I could see) and Cat's decisions were always suited to her character and her character's experience.  

The factual scientific content of this book has been heralded as accurate and well balanced with the sci-fi elements. Whilst I am not knowledgeable enough to comment on the former I have to say the blend of science and fiction was tempered so well, it was informative without being overwhelming and wasn't so complex as to distract or limit understanding; Suvada clearly knows her stuff. As someone with little to no knowledge of the subject matter I found it addictive and pleasing to read. I've not read a YA book with this quality of scientific narrative without what I call 'skip-able' passages. I devoured every word; it was well explained, accessible and didn't seem to 'jargon-y' to me. Exploding zombies and DNA altering implants: What a way to inspire science in Young adults.

And the added reader involvement with the pigeon code? LOVE IT. It makes me want to learn coding and explore learning options I might never have considered - I have to applaud Suvada for that, if she can inspire learning in me I'm sure I can't be the only one. She deftly combined a great story with scientific fact and feasible fiction. It was nerdy, badass, a teeny bit romantic and threaded with twist and turns to keep you truly in the dark. I'd definitely recommend it. 

[OH! and being able to tweak your own metabolism and eye colour?! Let's charge forward into the future friends because I want emerald eyes and Christmas food ALL year round!]

This was a roller coaster read. It is a dystopian world set in the future and includes an extensive discussion of the rights and wrongs of genetic engineering in the human race. I think the science is probably accurate but I do not have any science knowledge to judge this. The book is long and in places complex. The characters are personable and the landscape very realistic. In contrast to so many books for the YA audience the violence and the sex are negligible. The violence is not gratuitous and this should be applauded. The end does set the reader up for a second book.

Review live date: 24th December 2017


Catarina Agatta is an all round gene-hacking genius. Her father Dr. Lachlan Agatta, a legendary geneticist, was kidnapped by a shadowy organization called Cartaxus, leaving Cat to survive the last two years on her own. Cartaxus soldier, Cole, arrives with news that her father has died and also brings a message: before he died, he managed to create a vaccine, and Cole needs Cat’s help to release it and save the human race.



The world building and explanations about the virus and apocalyptic events were really unique to this story. I felt that the people with the virus detonating to spread it was something I'd never read about before. Also, there's a backwards cannibalistic element for people to become immune to the zombie like virus. This was really out of nowhere, and I was excited to keep reading the book because of it.

Unfortunately, my excitement was marred by too much focus on romance and use of tropes. There were tropes upon cliches upon tropes throughout the book. There's the male soldier and female rebel romance. There's an unnecessary love triangle which was highly predictable. The 'good guys' end up seeming not as good as we first thought. Even the lead up to the romance seemed to recycle old cliches from other YA books.

Luckily, after all the tropes and romance there is a good plot line and some really interesting twists. Some of them I saw coming, some of them I did not. I was really excited at these times and was fully absorbed into reading. I thin Suvada has done really well at mapping out the story and what the main plot points are. I just think she's tried to fill too much of the middle with romance elements which don't lend to the plot. The relationship between characters could have stayed platonic and it would have had the same end goal.

None of the characters really stood out to me. I think this is because the main characters all seem to be from Cat's perspective and she herself isn't sure on the people she's around. With both Dax and Cole she seems to switch between argumentative and friendly very quickly between chapters.

This will be part of a trilogy, which does make me slightly interested. I would like to know how Suvada would actually extend this over two books, but I don't think I could carry on reading about the romance.

Positives:

+ Creative and unique apocalypse story - the Wrath and the way the virus spreads in particular.

+ Interesting and I didn't see it coming plot twist.

+ Good world building.

Negatives:

- Predictable love triangle.

- Male soldier and rebel girl romance cliche

- Felt like it borrowed heavily from other books at times.



I received This Mortal Coil* by Emily Suvada from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an unbiased and honest review.

This mortal coil by Emily Suvada.
I did enjoy this book although parts I didn't understand.
Catarina Agatha is a hacker. But she is no ordinary hacker. She is a gene-hacking genius. Her father is a legendary geneticists. But he has been kidnapped. Is there anyone she can trust? If not herself? I did like catarina. And I liked the ending too. 4*.

This book has held me hostage for 24hrs. That is how long it took me to read it, I could not put it down.
The story telling is on point, it is descriptive and flows really well. You are there with them, you're emotionally invested in these characters and I love the futuristic technology advanced aspect to this book.
Ironically I had just finished Dan Browns origin novel before starting the mortal coil (I don't want to give any spoilers but if anyone has read it you'll know why I mentioned it) but I was already in this mindset of what happens in the future? what will mankind invent next? Will technology become one with humans so we end up not being quite so human due to technology and this was a really awesome place to fast forward to from that thinking I had before I started reading this novel.
I don't want to give any spoilers about this book but it is full of drama, heartache, loneliness, love, acceptance and so much more. It's full of technology that I have absolutely no clue about and wouldn't know where to start but it doesn't alienate the readers who cannot code or have an understanding about coding or dna it is explained well and I just really loved reading this and cannot wait for the next book!!

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House UK Children's for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. And thanks to Sarah for buying me this once it was released!

This Mortal Coil is set in a dystopian America with a deadly virus, Hydra, plaguing the world. Catarina's father was kidnapped by Cartaxus, a shadowy organisation with a stranglehold on the world's genetic tech, two years ago. Since then Cat has been trying to survive. Then a Cartaxus soldier arrives at her door with the news that her father is dead. He was killed before he could release the vaccine he made for Hydra. Cat is the only person who can find and decrypt the vaccine and release it to the world. But only if she can unravel all the clues Lachlan left for her.

This book was so good. The writing style made it a nice easy read although it's 450+ pages. I've read other reviews where people have obviously read far too many books (lucky) and therefore could guess all the twists and turns before they happened. Luckily I never guessed the twists. I spent most of my time wondering where Agnes had gone to not see the twists coming. I would definitely recommend this book and I can't believe it hasn't been promoted a bit more than it has been. I can't wait for the next one!

I absolutely loved this book I couldn’t put it down, it is easily the best YA dystopian novel I have read in a long time.

I stopped reading YA dystopian novels as I felt they were all becoming very similar and there wasn’t any new storylines. This mortal coil however feels like a breath of fresh air to this genre, the storyline is fast, unpredictable and has a brilliant twist that I had no idea was coming.

5 stars, great read!

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I've heard a lot of hype about This Mortal Coil on book blogging sites, and I knew it would appear in quite a few subscription boxes, so I was quite keen to check out what all of the fuss was about. Essentially, it is about a hacker who discovers that her father, a genius taken hostage by a government company called Cartaxus, has died in a mysterious lab explosion just after discovering the cure for a plague which rolls in like a mist and destroys the people it touches, turning them into raging monsters.

I liked the idea that the main character, Catarina, has a very quick and intelligent mind, but she also has a disease which prevents her from being able to use a panel [the gene-altering machinery inside each person] to do anything but the most simplistic tasks. Considering how many 'chosen one' books exist out there, this was quite refreshing, and it definitely was a limiting factor throughout the book, becoming a serious obstacle on several occasions. Cararina was a very interesting character, funny and with a voice that I found both easy to read and amusing. She also had many important traits needed for a hero, but she did also have a humane touch, which I really liked.

The other characters though, hmmm. I didn't dislike them, but I didn't like them much either. I cared about Cole a little, but only because he was there so often. He didn't seem all that different from a hundred other YA males I've encountered in books, and the whole I've-been-programmed-to-protect-you thing got old reeeaaally fast. Even though there were some interesting moments where this turned into a double-edged sword, I'm totally over the over-protective male trope.

The other thing I found a bit off-putting were the twists towards the end. I'm not giving anything away, since I'm trying to be spoiler free, but I felt almost as though it were a novel of two halves. I liked the first, but the second seemed determined to throw as many plot twists at me as physically possible without really taking too much time to explain them. One, one I could deal with. Maybe two. Definitely, by the time we hit number three, I'm ready for a breather. Also, they don't make a whole lot of sense? They seem to be there for the sake of tension and impact, and I just couldn't get away with it. It was a shame, because the first half of the book was so good, and I did enjoy this, but I just felt a bit underwhelmed at the end. I'd give it three stars, and I'm glad I got a chance to read it, but I probably won't be buying the sequel when it's released.

I really wanted to like this book. I really did. It seemed to have the makings of a good novel - an amazing cover and an amazing blurb. I will certainly be getting a physical paperback copy just because it is a pretty book, and it will look good on my shelf.

But as it is, I just found it just about landed on the slightly-more-exciting side of mediocre. All in all, it is a 3.5 stars read for me, but not any higher. Sure, the synopsis promised greatness . . . but I felt the book failed to deliver, and that's why it has taken me so long to finish this book and write this review, considering I started This Mortal Coil ages ago. It currently has a 4.38 rating on Goodreads and I'm wondering if I missed something. I'm wondering if I need to reread it, because it didn't stick with me the way it's seemed to stick with others.

Cat, as a main character, was perfectly alright - I just didn't feel she brought anything new to the YA scene that hadn't been brought by prior heroines in this respective genre. Her love interests were little ridiculous (instalove + multiple beautiful love interests? Nope, bye). The plot was predictable; sci-fi is ridiculously popular nowadays and as such there are tropes that you've probably seen five times before used in every new novel. And because you've seen them before, you know exactly how it's going to turn out.

However, I did not entirely dislike this novel. I loved the way genetics are used, and although the concept of DNA manipulation freaks me out a little bit, it was fun. The worldbuilding was pretty good, and I am significantly invested enough to pick up the sequel!

You know when someone has lots of cool ideas of future tech and projections about what life could be like in the future, so they think they'll write book about it? I have loads of those ideas but I also know my limitations and couldn't come up with a plot to hold that all together. That is exactly how I felt about This Mortal Coil.

Bear with me, this will take a while to lay out. In the future, a terrible virus has spread across the world. The victims explode, the resulting clouds of red mist carrying the pathogen. However, you can temporarily vaccinate yourself by eating some flesh of the infected. I'm always all over a book about super viruses, so I was expecting to like this a lot more on that basis...

Humans have come to rely on technology for everything, implanted with gentech, seemingly a mix of nanobots and something with DNA that's not really changing it but "wrapping it" and this keeps them healthy. Their panel can also be used to change their appearance, provide VR services and make tasteless food taste good. People can run apps in their own bodies. Traditional medicine has now been forgotten about, of course. I can get down with gene therapy but the explanations of what the gentech was doing was a bit contradictory.

Enter special snowflake Catarina Agatta. She is somehow allergic to gentech, but she can have some basic stuff. With all the technology they have, they can't cure an allergy? Hrm, well you'll find out more on that later (did someone say Everything, Everything?). Her father is a genius scientist who is taken away by Cartaxus to work on a vaccine for the Hydra virus.

Cartaxus is essentially a huge pharmaceutical company, just relying on code rather than drugs which does raise questions around the ethics of patenting medicines and also propriety software. During a year of living by herself, Catarina joins a group of rebel hackers and passes her days nibbling on infected human flesh. Turns out she's a skilled coder and has been helping to deliver medical hacks to those left behind by evil big pharma. Then one day a mysterious soldier turns up with a message from her father.

There is just so much going on, it felt like there was a plot twist every few chapters, and there's far too many explanations of tech, with some repetition, just to drive the point home. There is no leaving things for the reader to work out for themselves. I had thought it was a standalone, but it's not. There was enough material to spread over a few books in this one, so I'm not sure where it will go and I don't think I'll be finding out.

It was quite light on the romance, although there's still some weird love stuff going on (I can't tell you why it's weird without spoilers). It appears to be a bit of a Marmite book looking at Goodreads, so if you don't mind super twisty stories with a lot of information on the tech, then it might still be for you.