*Book source ~ Many thanks to the author for providing a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Olivya Wright-Ono can see auras which isn't a good thing when your home is a hospice for the dying. When she meets Mikah in the virtual school she finally has something to look forward to each day. But the pandemic is spreading and things are getting worse. When she finally meets Mikah in the real world she discovers he’s not like other humans. But what does that mean and how is it connected to what’s happening in the world? They’re about to find out.

Ok, this book was massively confusing. First, I had to slog through slang-filled conversations that got even worse when Ayvilo shows up then I have to try and understand what is happening and why it’s happening, not to mention the solution needed is beyond my comprehension. The writing is ok, but the characters aren’t fully fleshed out. And I already mentioned the plot was too confusing and while I know this is sci-fi, much of it was too way out there. Others may find this a great story, but what it gave me was confusion, frustration and disappointment. And a headache. ( )

Suki Michelle and Carlyle Clark have created a thrilling post-apocalyptic world. From the first chapter, I was immediately fascinated with Olivya’s world and was drawn into this dystopian adventure. This is literally an edge-of-your-seat kind of read with more and more of the inner workings of this society revealed through each action packed chapter. From the mysterious and compelling Kindred to the strange Doom-criers, there are so many unique characters each with their own stories, legends, and mythologies. With so many things going on- one might think that it would be overwhelming, but The Apocalypse Gene was so cleverly written that I never felt lost or like there was a sudden info-dump. I am truly impressed and surprised by how much I liked this.

In The Apocalypse Gene, the world has been stricken by an uncontrollable cancer. Olivya’s mother is forced to turn her home into a hospice in order to survive. Olivya goes to a virtual school and her only contact with kids her own age is in a virtual community known as Cy-Chi where everyone’s avatar is supposedly as close to how they really appear as possible. This is where Olivya first meets Mikah. Both of them risk much to meet each other face to face in the very real, very dangerous Chicago streets. Each of them discover that the other is “gifted” Olivya with the sight with which she can see auras and Mikah with telempathy with which he can read and alter the emotions of others. The initial attraction that brought them together quickly grows to something much deeper and stronger and this helps to sustain them as they face some crazy challenges.

The Apocalypse Gene is unlike any other dystopian I have read. The writing is superb, there’s enough action to make your head spin, and all of it flows together so perfectly that even with all of the unexpected twists and turns, there was never a point where I felt lost or confused. Turning that last page was like coming up for air. Suki Michelle and Carlyle Clark have certainly put together an unforgettable post-apocalyptic adventure. I can’t wait to read more from these two amazing writers. ( )

15 year old Olivya lives in a world out of control. Everyone is dying from mutated cancer. Her mother is trying to keep them healthy and fed by turning their house into a hospice which Olivya hates. Forced to go to school via internet she meets her soul mate, 17 year old Mikah. After flirting back and forth the teens decide to sneak out and meet for the first time and that is when the adventure begins. Excellently written and hard to put down, this young adule adventure is well worth a look and hope that they have follow up novels. Lots of action and well written fight sequences. An EXCELLENT way to spend an afternoon in the sun. ( )

This is one of the classic cases of "don't judge a book by its cover". Honestly, if I saw this cover on a shelf, I would most likely pass over it without a second thought. That is a shame, because I really did enjoy the story. I hate to comment on covers when authors usually have nothing to do with them, but I feel it must be said.

I'm not going to try to summarize the plot, because it was kind of confusing. There were a lot of twists, different myths and religions mixed into one. Basically, the apocalypse seems to have started on Earth, and two kids, Mikah and Olivya are discovering that they are connected to the cause and possibly the solution.

The plot kept me interested throughout. My problem with the novel can be condensed to two main points. Firstly, the names! Geeze, they were throwing me off. What is wrong with "Olivia"? Names like "Lylobriel" and "Changari" just really were not making it easy for me to keep track of who was who and what was going on. I understand the need for unique names for the nature of the characters, but I like to be able to pronounce them... Also, the language was inconsistent. Some phrases were new (as in popular in the future), which made sense, but then cliche phrases and words that don't sound right even now were thrown in. It just didn't blend. Sometimes the characters would seem to be in the future, other times they would seem to be in the present.

Other than those two things, I enjoyed seeing where the story was going to go. I was, overall, pleasantly surprised. ( )

Read from February 05 to 12, 2012

This book seems to marry dystopian future Chicago, science fiction, mythology, and a healthy dose of Matrix.

Overview
Olivya is an African-American teenage living in a future cancer-plagued Chicago. As the global pandemic rages, Olivya and her mother make ends meet by offering hospice care for what she calls GAD's (Good-As-Dead's.) The streets of Chicago are nearly deserted; gangs and death running rampant. People rely on the internet for all forms of social interaction, including school for Olivya. Among the virtual halls of her school is nearly the only place she can escape her gift, and sometimes curse, Olivya can see auras. Her vision allows her to see emotions, intentions, and the taint of plague. After rebelling against her mother's decision to start offering essentially medically induced suicides, she sneaks out for a first real-life meeting with her "hot" friend, Mikah, that she met at holo school. Little does she know of just how different, and similar Mikah turns out to be. Can her gift, and Mikah's origins combine to not only learn the truth of the plague but also be the key to stopping it?

What I Thought

This is quite a unique tale, weaving several different genres into a new, fresh story, filled with amusing youthful slang worthy of The Matrix. There are even mythological elements tying legends of yesterday with the battles of today. There is a wide cast of characters that seem to turn all preconceived ideas on their head. Just when you think you know who the bad guys and good guys are, *wham* something comes along and transforms antagonists into protagonists... It includes auras and psychic vampires, virtual adventures through the internet, and epic science fiction tales including an almost Dr. Who-like whale of a spaceship. It includes vivid descriptions that mirror a statement on how the real world seems to be flushing itself down the toilet.

There was almost TOO much... too many characters, too much information, at times even too much slang. It reaches a point where it feels like the story is trying to burrow itself and download into my head- but it just can't all fit in there that fast. The overload of information formed a barrier for me; I found myself shying away from reading because I would have to struggle with portions of the book. Struggling to understand, struggling to finish.

The ending, without giving anything away, is quite satisfying in that there are no huge cliff hangers, no wondering what became of everyone. It stills leaves much open for a continuation, although everything will be an almost fresh start, a reboot, of the world if you will.

In all honesty, this is not my usual choice of genre. My problems with this story may stem more from it just being outside my comfort zone. It is a fresh, dystopian tale that I could see really appealing to a younger audience. If you are a fan of science fiction, anime, and The Matrix, I would highly recommend taking this tale for a whirl and see what you think for yourself.

Some of My Favorite Quotes

"Oh that voice so sweet. Rich like the taste of vanilla ice cream, vowels like flute music, warm carmel consonants. She could float in that voice forever and not miss a thing."

"A single beautiful word bobbed through the sea of pain like a scrap of wood from a shipwreck. He clung to it to keep from drowning. Olivya."

"Her colors reminded Olivya of the eager, waxy scent of a new box of crayons." ( )