Genesis Alpha

July 1, 2007
Gr 7-10-Two brothers have a special relationship. Max was dying of cancer when Josh was born and it was the infant's stem cells that saved his life. It was no coincidence that Josh's cells were a perfect match since he was a "designer baby," conceived specifically to cure Max. Now, even with Max away at college, they remain close, sharing nightly adventures in an online role-playing game. Josh's world is rocked to its core when Max is arrested for the vicious murder of a local girl, and some people question whether Josh bears some responsibility for the crime since Max would have died without him. The media storm intensifies when Rachel, the dead girl's sister, disappears. In a credulity-straining twist, Josh discovers her hiding in their garden shed but doesn't tell anyone. Though the story is often exciting, it is also unbelievable in several places. How could Joshand his two PhD-holding parentshave missed any indication of Max's evil side? Both boys were tested repeatedly over the years and yet there was never any indication of a psychological problem. The police confiscate all of the family's computers but their forensic specialists can't find the evidence that Josh locates in five minutes on a borrowed laptop. Readers looking for a novel about a sibling's criminality would be better served by Patricia McCormick's "My Brother's Keeper" (Hyperion, 2005), and those looking for stories about tissue donation and sibling illness could try Jody Picoult's "My Sister's Keeper" (Atria, 2004)."Anthony C. Doyle, Livingston High School Library, CA"

Copyright 2007 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.