Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me a free eARC of this book to read in exchange for my review!

4.5 stars
This is one of the best sci-fi/dystopian books I've read in a long time. Can't wait to read the sequel.

This was an amazing read! I don't want to reveal the plot but would say just this - if you love sci-fi, read it! Waiting for more by A. E. Price.

If you love Divergent, the Hunger Games, or Gattaca, this book is for you. I takes us to a futuristic society where either you are a Gem (genetically modified before birth to have "better" characteristics), or a Nomod, where your genes haven't been altered. Although this is what we would call "human" now, Nomods are treated like they are not people at all and are essentially servants to the Gems.
Genepool follows the journeys of three characters - Anya, Reyen and Leyna. Anya is a brilliant but fiery Gem who is framed for murder and has to flee her home and family. Leyna is a compassionate Nomod who is on a journey to rescue her brother who has been kidnapped by the Gems. Reyen is a completely ruthless Gem who is undertaking his trials - series of brutal challenges which will determine his place in society.
The book is fast paced from the beginning, takes some unexpected turns and comes to a thrilling end.
Genepool is fast paced and immersive from the beginning. The characters - although totally different from each other - are all really likeable and in particular I really enjoyed Anya's character progression and the way that the Nomod Ben influences this. I really struggled to put the book down and would thoroughly recommend it.

I just could not get involved with this book. I gave up on it early. The writing was juvenile and scattered. I can stick with a well written book, but this wasn't one of them.

This book was good right from the start! What a concept! To be able to engineer your children in the hopes of elevating your status in life. You follow the main character, Anya, and her quest to discover the truth as to why her mentor is killed. So many secrets, so many plot twists and a great ending. Love that the author gave us a variety of characters to love and hate.


“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.” Thank you NetGalley and A. E. Price

Genepool was an excellent read, easily 5 stars! To begin with, I really enjoyed the world that A.E. Price creates. I particularly like the aspect of the Trials. I thought that it was interesting hearing about the Trials from Anya, who had already taken them, and then following Reyen's experiences as he currently takes them. In regard to the characters, they were all well-developed. I enjoyed that while each POV character (Anya, Reyen, and Leyna) has their own story, they all come together in the end. Each character's past impacts the decisions that they make throughout the novel. While not a POV character, Ben is one of my favorites! Overall, without giving any spoilers, it was an exciting read and I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a gripping sci-fi read. I cannot wait for the sequel!

This dystopian novel features a stratified society shaped by eugenics, slavery, and the death penalty. Throughout there’s an odd blend of science and swords. The style is juvenile, simplistic, repetitive, but it will definitely find an audience, as many reviewers favorably compare this with Divergent.

This is my unbiased opinion in return for a review copy from NetGalley.

Genepool is a dystopian story, set approximately 250 years into the future. Despite the age of the three protagonists -- end of their teen years or early in their twenties -- the story is not written to be a young adult tale. It's perfectly suitable for young adults and mature readers. No hard sci-fi here, no space ships, (almost) no military stuff, but a story involving genes and genetic manipulation and a society that is built on that. The biology behind this might rapidly become overly complex, but the author managed to make it as simple as possible, keeping most of the terminology out of the book, hence making the book suitable for a wide audience. Except for the first few chapters, when Anya, Leyna and Reyen are introduced, this story is fast and action driven. Nevertheless, the author added some basic character development as well (of which I hope to see more in the next books). The book is not groundbreaking or innovative (although I haven't encountered many books yet in which society is based on your genetic enhancement level), but it's fun to read, fascinating and compelling, both relaxing and exciting at the same time. The book could serve as a standalone novel because it has a clear ending, despite it being #1 of a trilogy. This means you can easily pick up the book to see if this is something for you, without having to be afraid you end up with an unfinished story if Genepool isn't quite your thing. It ends with some loose ends and unanswered questions, which I assume get addressed in the sequels, but they don't get in the way of a satisfying ending. This debut novel deserves a 4.5 star rating.
(Thanks to NetGalley and the author for making an ADC of the book available.)

A heavy sci-fi novel? Not on your life! Genepool is an exciting, fast moving new book that takes the reader on a mesmerising rollercoaster of a journey into a monstrous new genetically modified society. If follows the destinies of three young people whose lives are inextricably linked, to be revealed in the nerve wracking climax.

Essentially a sci-fi thriller, this novel’s underlying seriousness is mitigated by a keen sense of humour. Characters and relationships are beautifully developed and the style is highly readable.

A compelling read to be unequivocally recommended.
5*

I really enjoyed this story. While heavily reminiscent of Divergent, I was still intrigued by the description of a society that focuses on using genetics and training to perfect 7 different qualities.

This is a society that is heavily and formally stratified. 7 tiers of "gems", each richer and more powerful than the last, who live within the City, and Nomods, who can't afford and are refused the opportunity for genetic modifications. Nomods are used as slaves and live in slums, outside of the City's prosperity.

While our society might not formalise these tiers, sometimes it is pretty obvious they are still there.

"How was any of it fair? The Gems sat smug and safe behind their high walls, gorging themselves on food and wine while she fought for scraps. It was wrong. The Gems had everything they needed; food, clothes, warmth, medicine."

We follow three different storylines.

Anya is a tier 2 gem and geneticist who is trying to unravel a mystery left behind by her mentor. Reyen is a gem undergoing the Trials and Leyna is a Nomod trying to rescue her older brother from the City. It wasn't until a chapter over half way through the book that I realised these events weren't all happening at the same time! I'm not sure if this was deliberate

Like many a dystopian novel, Genepool examines what it is to be human. The Gems strive to reach perfection, and years of genetic modifications have left them physically superior to the Nomods. They view them as actually subhuman, incapable of complex thought, despite evidence to the contrary. It is an attitude that is abhorrent and unthinkable, and yet at the same time all too familiar in our history.

"Strength. Courage. Resilience. Beauty. Ambition. Ingenuity. Knowledge," Soloman recited. "But they left out the damned humanity."

One major flaw was that, in setting up this stratified world, the author made it impossible for a person to believably cross unnoticed from one part to the other. The physical differences, the clothing, the diamond gem in Nomod foreheads, all mean that an outsider would be spotted immediately. So when this occurs in the story, it is difficult to believe. How the Nomods all get their gems implanted is also never discussed (and why diamond? It seems way too valuable)..

I really liked the way that the author deliberately hid the identity of the participants of some conversations. This meant you couldn't be 100% certain who was behind various plots, although the main culprit was ultimately predictable.

Overall this was an excellent first entry into a series that I will be very keen to continue with.

*4.5 stars*

Genepool is like Divergent meets Brave New World meets Gattaca. This sci-fi “thriller” shows a society based on seven Tiers representing the seven character traits that represent the perfect Gem, or genetically modified human: beauty, strength, ingenuity, ambition, courage, knowledge, and resilience. Each of these is also represented by an element e.g. wood, air, water, etc. as well as a corresponding color. (Cue the dystopian vibes!)

However, not everyone lives in The City - there are un-augmented humans called Nomods that are thought of as “not even human” because they are not created with biotechnology. They are forced to be slaves to The City and its inhabitants.

We are mainly following three perspectives:
- Anya is a Tier 2 geneticist whose mentor is murdered, and she embarks on a journey to find out why.
-Leyna is a Nomod who is trying to find her brother who was taken in a City shuttle.
-Reyen is a Tier 6 Gem who is going through his Trials, which will determine what Tier he will end up in. (When a gem is eighteen, they have to go through The Trials to determine their status - they can end up moving up in Tiers, or failing their Trial and lowering themselves as well as their entire family down into a lower Tier. Obviously, Tier 1 is the best, and Tier 7 is the worst)

For a debut novel, I am in shock at this incredibly well-plotted and clever novel that used sci-fi dystopian tropes and created a world I love to read about and would love to see adapted to the silver screen! This is a refreshing take on the genre and I am highly anticipating the sequel!!!

TW: Human Experimentation, Slavery, Violence

** Thanks to Netgalley and A.E.Price for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!**

I really enjoyed this book with a capital E.

I am a strong believer that no matter who you are we all have flaws. In this book this idea is out dated.
This isn't a heavy going scf-fi novel. But it is fast paced. In fact it would best be described as a rollercoaster ride. It's different and the characters are very well developed.

But can we really control evolution?
Well this book has so many twists, turns,ups and downs that grabs your interest literally from the first sentence.

Grab this quick. It seriously is an awesome read. One that I couldn't put down. I even missed a doctor's appointment because I lost track of time. Shhh don't tell her.

Enjoy!

I'm so glad I downloaded this ARC. I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH. I finished it a few days ago and had to take some time to write this review because otherwise it would be pure screaming.

tw: slavery, violence, human experiments

Okey, so, first... I chose this one because the premise sounded really interesting. Science fiction, dystopia, genetics, that's my jam. Plus, the cover looked cool. It exceed my expectations. At first glance, it sounds similar to Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, but with great characters and a cool plot, a mystery. But I think is so much more than a simple dystopia with genetics taken to the extreme.

Most of the characters are lovely and really cool to follow. The exception is Reyen, he's insufferable but it's intended that way and it's really well constructed. Ben, Anya and Airen are all very great and had very cool characters arc. The morality switch of Anya and Airen is well done and Ben is just cute and cool. Leyna is also great, you feel for her in every page and want her to be safe and [spoiers] her negative arc is sooo cool!

- The worldbuilding: I love dystopias and science fiction and this had it all. The City with it's tiers and the strans is very well constructed. The Slumbs, even thought we don't see much of them, are also well constructed and the hard life there it's very well displayed. The hints of history are interesting and made me want to know more about it.

- The technology: sometimes in science fiction the "science" part is left aside a bit, technology takes a secondary place or serves only as a context. In Genepool it doesn't happen. Technology and science take a central place, especially since Anya is a scientist, it's part of the plot and also of the mystery; it has an active role, it's not left in the background. And that was one of the things I liked the most about the book. It finds the ideal balance between technology, science, a good plot and great characters. And the best part is that you never lose sight of any of these aspects. In addition, everything is very well explained and you understand perfectly what they're talking about when they talk about genetic stuff. In that sense, I think that having a character from the Slumbs who isn't very into genetic issues accompanying a scientist was a very good decision.

- The characters: I think I screamed enough about them already but I loved the characters! Ben is my favorite without a doubt. Anya and Airen are in second place together. I liked Bonnie too, she was cute.

- The mystery: I was hooked since the beginning. I liked how the three POV seemed disconnected at first but then you start to realize that all are connected by the same thing: the main mystery about the deaths and kidnappings.

So, basically, I could keep talking about this book for days. I loved it. I want more of the characters and the world... I want book 2!

This book caught my eye as a science student. Usually, we're pretty underrepresented in stories since people write what they know (and boy most authors do not know science). Genepool depicts a (relatively possible though dystopian) future where your existence as a person is judged on seven traits. Beauty, strength, ingenuity, ambition, courage, knowledge, and resilience. When I first read this my reaction was "big DnD vibes".

So if your parents have some money, they can pay for your genetic makeup to be edited to improve one or more of these seven traits. Until you're 18, you train for a test which will evaluate all of these traits and put you in the corresponding "Tier" which is a social class. But not everyone lives inside The City, where you can work hard to reach a better class. Many people live outside The City where evolution runs its' good ol' course.

Genepool tells the story of a broken system, in the way that I know it. The way of gene editing, biotechnology, and huge scientific risks with no ethical standpoint. It's the first of the series but so far the MC has major aroace vibes (which I love) and the amount of twists in this story had me on the edge of my seat. Sure, there are still some spelling mistakes in this book but they can always be edited out and I've never felt so seen. (Finally I know how theatre kids feel when they read any YA book).

I loved this book and here are a few quotes to convince you to read it.
-"Strength. Courage. Resilience. Beauty. Ambition. Ingenuity. Knowledge. But they forgot the damn humanity."
-"Did you really think you could outsmart evolution?"

This book was such a refreshing read, perfect for fans of divergent and other sci-fi dystopian books. For a debut novel it is extremely detailed and an interesting read. I found it hard to put this one down as the characters and the world were so beautifully formed. Main characters Anya, Reyen and Leyna all have contrasting personalities and have major depth which makes the storyline all the more enjoyable. The plot is very clever but not overly complicated making it perfect for most readers. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good thrilling Sci-Fi YA book.

Thank you, NetGalley and A. E. Price, for the ADC of the book!