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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Mind-blowing!, 10 Jun 2009
I will never understand how an author can have such an amazing imagination and ideas. Bernard Beckett has both, and Genesis has succeeded in completely blowing my mind.
It's a book you need to read to fully understand, as I don't think any review can explain what awaits you on the pages. It covers every aspect of humanity, in particular war, power, and evolution, and raises so many questions that I think a second read is in order.
If you've ever wondered how one event can change history, or how the world would be if artificial intelligence was created, then this is the book for you. It's dystopia at its most terrifying, and will leave you thinking about it for hours after putting it down. The final few pages are so surprising, and the actions so unimaginable, that it took me a few minutes to get my head around them. It's a book that requires more concentration than usual, and is one that will spark many discussions at adult and teen book clubs alike.
Prior to reading this book, evolution and humanity were never things I'd given much thought to. I'm now sat here wondering what the world will be like in 2077, and just hoping it will be nothing like what Adam Forde experiences within the walls of the Republic. Genesis defines the words thought-provoking, and is a book I will definitely be reading again. I loved it!
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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Courtesy of Teens Read Too, 12 Aug 2009
Anax wants to become a member of The Academy. In order to be admitted, she must endure a four-hour interview in front of a three member panel. Anax has been working with a tutor in order to prepare herself.
It is through this interview that the reader learns the history of the world after a devastating plague killed most of the people on the planet. Safe behind the Great Sea Fence, her people keep their island safe by shooting any plane or boat that comes within sight.
The society is based on rigid rules: men and women living separately, parentage being kept from children, and at one year of age children are tested to determine what class they will be placed in based on their genomic reading (Laborers, Soldiers, Technicians, or Philosophers).
History is not what it seems.
Anax learns more about her world during the interview than she did during all her days of preparation. She realizes The Academy isn't what it appears to be, but is it too late to change her current path?
GENESIS is a fast-paced story. It is interesting to read about the post-apocalyptic world Anax lives in. Bernard Beckett does a great job of building the story without revealing too much too soon. The ending will leave you stunned.
Reviewed by: Karin Librarian
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4.0 out of 5 stars
Don't look at the end first!, 17 Jan 2010
In a future world, Anax's country is threatened by Plague from outside and a rigid, isolated society has evolved where everyone belongs to one of four classes and no-one has any contact with their parents. The intellectually gifted young girl, Anax, is being interviewed for a place in the Academy where the elite Philosophers are due to quiz her for four hours to decide whether she can take her place alongside them. As she displays her knowledge to the panel, you gradually learn more and more about the history of the Republic and the events that led to the death of their folk hero, Adam Forde.
Some of the philosophical arguments she puts forward are a little prolonged and intricate but, as the narrative progresses, the true facts begin to unfold and the Academy takes on a new and sinister aspect. It is not until the last few pages that the truth of Anax's situation becomes shockingly clear, which is why on no account must you take a peek at the end beforehand.
As a school librarian I will recommend this book to my keen readers - it is good to have such a well-written piece of speculative fiction instead of the girly chick-lit and dreary historical stuff!
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