This isn’t his best, but it is an interesting premise. It’s an interesting book in the sense that it combines elements of anthropology, family, saga, human development, human species, and a general character arc, which in playing out, can only be regarded as being monumentally, tragic. as always with him, there are links to psychiatry and delusional behaviour as well as psychosis. The last part of the book in particular, led to some considerable sense of distaste on my part. I do feel that he lost his trail a bit in this part of the story. ( )

Sebastian Faulks is a brilliant writer. His First World War novel Birdsong might even be a masterpiece. But his most recent book is, sadly, a dud. It’s a near-future science fiction story full of cliches (imagine a future world that uses high-speed ‘loops’ rather than air travel, or cars that — brace yourself — drive themselves, or even a world where hardly anyone eats meat). Enough of these are planted throughout the book to remind you that it’s set in the future.

The core story is about a couple going through IVF treatment at the hands of a secretive tech billionaire genius who decides to swap the father’s sperm sample for the DNA of a Neanderthal. The resulting child grows up to be an American president … no, that’s not in this story but it would have made a more interesting one. I read until the end hoping for some kind of surprise or twist or what used to be called “plot” and couldn’t find anything. Not recommended. ( )