Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #474754 in Books
• Published on: 2005-05-10
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: .69" h x 4.95" w x 7.04" l, .40 pounds
• Binding: Paperback
• 256 pages

From School Library Journal
Grade 9 Up–Eli Samuels' mother is dying of Huntington's Disease and he is aware that it might be in his own future. Yet his father seems certain Eli does not have the fateful genetic marker and maintains a secretive silence. An excellent science student, Eli is hired to work at the famed Dr. Quincy Wyatt's lab, foregoing college and defying his father. In some way, Wyatt is tied to Eli's parents and to their genetic mystery. Thus Nancy Werlin has set the stage for a suspenseful thriller whose seamless boundary between science and fiction keeps listeners totally involved (Dial, 2004). Read by Scott Shina, this audio version is engaging and exciting. His narration easily distinguishes all the characters, and he gives Eli a strong voice in keeping with his intelligence and determination. Teens interested in science will be caught up in the intrigue as Eli pieces together clues and redefines himself and his relationships with both his father and girlfriend. His sexual relationship with Viv is apparent although not a major part of the story. The themes of genetic engineering and bioethics will interest teens and appeal to the same audience as Ann Halam's Dr. Franklin's Island (Random, 2002) although Werlin's plot is much more believable.–Jane P. Fenn, Corning-Painted Post West High School, NY
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From AudioFile
Eli Samuels struggles with the knowledge that he has a 50/50 chance of getting Huntington's disease as he has watched his mother disintegrate as a result of having the wrong gene. When Eli takes a job at Wyatt Transgenics, he makes a startling discovery that connects his family to the genetic engineering experiments of famous geneticist Quincy Wyatt. Scott Shina moves this thriller along with a thoughtful voice well matched to its troubled 18-year-old protagonist. He also makes solid vocal distinctions for other key characters, male and female alike, playing his voice to the building of suspense. J.M.S. © AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

From Booklist
*Starred Review* Gr. 9-12. With Killer's Cousin (1998), Black Mirror (2001), and now this exciting book to her credit, Werlin has proved herself to be one of the best youth thriller writers working today. Her plotting here is a little creaky, as it has been in past books, but she is a master at building suspense and creating the sort of clever manipulations that keep readers eagerly turning the pages. This time, Werlin delivers more than just a solid thriller-cum-growing-up story. She offers a thoughtful consideration of genetic engineering and takes a stand, but not at the expense of an intriguing mystery. Eli Samuels, 18, can't get close--not to his caring but preoccupied dad; not to his smart, generous girlfriend, Viv; and certainly not to his mother, who has been institutionalized for years with a devastating midlife degenerative disease, the gene for which Eli may carry. Confused, heartsick, unable to get the answers he seeks from Dad, and needing time to think about his life, Eli decides to forgo college and, despite his father's unexpectedly vehement disapproval, takes a job at Wyatt Transgenetics, where he receives a surprisingly warm welcome from world-renowned geneticist Dr. Quincy Wyatt. What's all that about? Readers will be as intrigued as Eli, who discovers more than he ever bargained for. A solidly crafted, thoughtful novel featuring a clever, obsessed kid who finds truths, small and large, about life, family, and, of course, himself. Stephanie Zvirin
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