Genesis Girl

May 15, 2016
Vestal Blanca is a beautiful, 18-year-old orphan who has been raised and educated digitally pure at the Tabula Rasa School, which was founded after the great Brain Cancer Epidemic, caused by cellphones, wreaked havoc on the tech-addicted populace.Upon graduating, Vestals are "harvested"--purchased via auction--by corporations to be shills, or they enter into contracts with private individuals as Geishas. The white teen is purchased by Calum McNeal, a private individual who has selfish motives for wanting her--just not the ones everyone imagines. Cal and his son soon realize just how deeply Vestal training is embedded in Blanca and how harmful it is. As Blanca tries to prove that she is an exemplary Vestal, her life starts to unravel in a way that shows her that maybe thinking for herself is the only true solution. The story struggles to fulfill its high-concept premise. Character motivations often feel arbitrary, morphing to suit the plot. In particular, justifications for Blanca's actions or inaction in some scenes contradict the mantras and life philosophies that she claims to live by and that drive her actions in others. Vestals lack agency and autonomy, and the sexual undercurrent suggested in the Geisha route that Blanca is forced to take is both creepy and insufficiently interrogated, at least in this series introduction. The romance elements fall short with an insta-love that is simply not believable.Inadequate worldbuilding and uneven characterization make for a read that's as blank as its protagonist. (Dystopian romance. 14-18)

COPYRIGHT(2016) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

June 1, 2016

Gr 8 Up-As a student vestal at Tabula Rasa, 18-year-old Blanca does not have a digital fingerprint. Protected and sheltered from all Internet and social media, the vestals lack a digital presence, which sets them apart and makes them valuable to corporations interested in fresh-faced advertising. At her postgraduation auction, Blanca is sold for $35 million to Cal, a wealthy businessman who wants Blanca to help bring his son Seth, an Internet addict, back into his life. The idea of Internet addicts and cell phone-induced brain cancer makes this title stand out among today's saturated YA dystopia market. Readers who don't question the premise too closely will be treated to an action-packed plot full of futuristic digital technology, sleek motorcycles, and high-speed chases. Though the romance takes off a bit quickly, a friendship develops as Seth and Blanca learn more about each other. Early on, the protagonist is truly a "blank slate," waiting for orders from her purchaser and falling back on what she learned at Tabula Rasa. She does not know how to make her own decisions. But as she discovers more about the institution and its founder, Blanca finally begins to question her school, her teachers, and even the other vestals. VERDICT The premise is far-fetched, but the plot is fun and full of action. A popular choice among teens who love dystopian fiction.-Leigh Collazo, Dulwich College, Suzhou, China

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.