Double Helix by Nancy Werlin

Eli Samuels, high school senior, soon to be high school graduate, is looking for a job. On a drunken impulse, he writes an embarrassing email to Dr. Quincy Wyatt, the most famous geneticist in the world, asking for a job at Wyatt Transgenics, Dr. Wyatt’s company. Eli regrets the email as soon as he sends it. He does not expect that he will actually get the job- after all, he hasn’t even graduated yet, and he’s planning to take a year off before going to college.

Incredibly, Dr. Wyatt gives Eli the job. For a while, it seems too good to be true. Though it’s only an entry-level, lab-assistant job, the work is exciting and the pay is fantastic. Best of all, Eli begins to get to know Dr. Wyatt, a genius scientist, and learns about Dr. Wyatt’s current and future projects. He divides his time between his job, his girlfriend, and spending time with Dr. Wyatt.

But Eli’s dad urges Eli to quit the job, and he won’t say why. He is simply adamant that Eli should not be working for Wyatt Transgenics. Eli knows that his parents used to know Dr. Wyatt, and he suspects that his father’s opposition to his new job has something to do with his mother’s Huntington’s disease, which has left her a ghost of her former self, living in a nursing home. But why exactly, he doesn’t know. And Eli has some secrets of his own- he’s never told anyone, not even his longtime girlfriend, about his mother’s condition, or that he has a fifty-fifty chance of developing the disease himself.

The longer Eli works at Wyatt Transgenics, the more certain he becomes that something is wrong, and the less certain he becomes of everything else.

This book was a fun, quick read. The premise was original and highly intriguing, and there were sufficient unexpected plot twists to keep me interested. Since I am a huge science geek, I was very interested in the work on genetics being done at Wyatt Transgenics, and the idea that someday, direct and deliberate genetic manipulation might be possible. This book made me think about the ethical ramifications of such manipulations, and of the study of genetics in general.

Initially, I was a bit confused about whether this book was a sci-fi or a mystery, but the mystery aspect soon asserted itself. The mystery was okay. It was an extremely interesting concept, and all the essential elements were there, but I was annoyed by the fact that it seemed to progress in two stages. First there was very limited information, and the mystery was more of a hanging uncertainty than an actual mystery. Then suddenly, there was a sharply defined question with lots of evidence, and the outcome was disappointingly predictable. I felt that some of the plot elements could have been spaced out better throughout the book. Also, at times I wanted to scream at the main character for being an idiot and/or a total jerk.

Overall, I give this book three and a half daggers, for thought-provoking elements, an interesting plot, and science.

Genetically yours,
Tay

Turnabout By Margaret Peterson Haddix

From Margaret Peterson Haddix comes another strange but intriguing sci-fi mystery, TURNABOUT. Melly and Anny-Beth were two centenarians near death when they were asked to participate in ‘Turnabout,’ a complex scientific experiment designed to reverse the aging process. Eighty-something years later, Melly and Anny-Beth are teenagers again, and they continue to get younger and younger each day. They know almost nothing about the mysterious Turnabout project, what is happening to them, or what will happen when their age hits zero. But they realize they will soon be too young to care for themselves, so they need some answers—fast. Fearful of the many doctors who are trying to study or “cure” them, and with no one to truly trust with their secret, Melly and Anny-Beth embark on a quest to finally get some answers. But at the same time, they find themselves on the run from a mysterious someone who is trying to find out more than Melly and Anny-Beth want to tell.

Turnabout is one of those truly suspenseful books that you just can’t put down. Not only is it a first-rate mystery and a futuristic sci-fi tale; it also raises some deep ethical questions about the scientific/medical world. Melly and Anny-Beth are likable, well-developed characters, and the story is told in an engaging style that makes you just want to keep reading! I was left with some questions at the end, and a feeling that the ending wasn’t fully finished (I won’t go into detail as to avoid spoilers!) But overall, Turnabout is entertaining, suspenseful, mysterious, and thought provoking--all the ingredients of a good mystery.

I award this book 4.5 out of 5 daggers.

Mysteriously Yours,

Misty

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson

17 year old Jenna Fox wakes up after an accident she can't recall. She doesn’t remember her favorite color or middle name. But, she can remember History lessons clearly, which she finds odd, especially since her parents tell her that History was never her strongest subject. Shortly, she begins to notices she never gets any ‘Get Well’ cards or any friends visiting her. She also wonders why her grandmother acts as if she hates her. As a few memories start to flash back, the feeling that something is really off gets much stronger (oh dear).

Some of the things Jenna remembers can't possibly be remembered by an average person. She remembers her baptism and the sound of her mother’s heartbeat when she was in her womb. She asks questions about her accident, but her parents avoid answering them. Desperate, she starts an investigation of her own to uncover the unexpected truth.

While I was reading this book, I tried to piece together her puzzle before she did. My predictions were nowhere near close. I loved not knowing, this book had me guessing all the way to the end. The mystery of her identity and the use of forbidden science was exhilarating to read about. If I were in her position, I'd have gone completely bonkers with paranoia.

The Adoration of Jenna Fox earned the full five daggers.

Gladly yours,

Twyla Lee

Gilda Joyce: The Ghost Sonata by Jennifer Allison

I've been a fan of author Jennifer Allison and the hilarious Gilda Joyce since the first book. Gilda Joyce is a fourteen-year-old "Psychic Investigator" and avid writer. She lives by the knowledge in her copy of the Master Psychic's Handbook. Every time she senses something is paranormal, she gets a tingle in her ear.

The Ghost Sonata is the third book in this wonderful series. In it, Gilda accompanies her friend Wendy and the other Young International Virtuosos Piano Competition contestants to England. The mystery starts at the airport. While waiting for the plane, Gilda pulls out her tarot cards and gives Wendy a reading. Though Gilda tries valiantly to put a cheerful spin on possible meanings as Wendy pulls the first two cards, she secretly has to admit this is one of the worst readings she has ever seen. And then the third card Wendy pulls is the Death Card. The group arrives safely in England, but in the middle of the night, Wendy hears an unfamiliar and haunting melody. It keeps playing over and over in her mind, interrupting her thoughts. Then more dark tarot cards from a mysterious deck appear and finally -- the ghostly figure of a boy.

Though the story was captivating, what I love most is the character of Gilda Joyce. Jennifer Allison made her so witty and a phenomenal improviser. When Gilda's brother Stephen tells her to not take things so seriously, I couldn't stop laughing for about five minutes. Gilda is unpredictable and her antics keep me guessing.

Psychic Investigator and The Ladies of the Lake are the first two books. They can be read in any order, all are marvelous, and I highly recommend them.

Five daggers out of five. Surprising, I know.





- Twyla Lee