Rune Michaels

The unnamed narrator takes care of his mother, he watches her moods, counts her pills, and enjoys when she seems stable and they do things together. He knows that his mom got pregnant from a sperm donor who was a Nobel prize winner. His mother expects him to be gifted at something like science and he’s not; like her, he’s good at art. This contributes to the difficulties in his life because he feels like he is disappointing her and she always seems so sad. His mother’s second suicide attempt sends her to the hospital and the friends who had been helping him cover for his mom’s mental illness know they can’t help any longer. A social worker finds the grandparents he never knew and he learns the truth about his father. I'm not sure what teens this would appeal to besides those who like problem novels. Positive reviews in Booklist, School Library Journal, and Publisher’s Weekly.… (más)

Max and his older brother share a connection that few people could ever understand. When his brother was a child, he was sick with cancer and nothing was working to cure him. After running out of options, Max was conceived. Not literally, he was created, a test-tube baby, "designed" and hand-picked to match his brother on a genetic level, so that he can be a cure for his brother's cancer.

Now Max is a teenager, and his older brother has been arrested and accused of a horrific crime. Through this tragic and trying time Max is forced to consider the meaning of right and wrong and explore the lines between biology and philosophy, while facing the darker shades of humanity in the process.

I really like Alpha Genesis. I didn't know what to expect when I went into it, but I was pleasantly surprised by the serious tones throughout the story. Rune Michaels explores a lot of social and ethical issues in book, and she does a fantastic job weaving it into an interesting story. I only wish it was a little bit longer, but as usual it's not always such a bad thing when an author leaves you wishing for more. Either way, it's a nice, quick, and insightful read that I'm glad to have discovered.… (más)