When a lone soldier, Cole, arrives with news of Lachlan Agatta's death, all hope seems lost for Catarina. Her father was the world's leading geneticist, and humanity's best hope of beating a devastating virus. Then, hidden beneath Cole's genehacked enhancements she finds a message of hope: Lachlan created a vaccine.

Only she can find and decrypt it, if she can unravel the clues he left for her. The closer she gets, the more she finds herself at risk from Cartaxus, a shadowy organization with a stranglehold on the world's genetic tech. But it's too late to turn back.

There are three billion lives at stake, two people who can save them, and one final secret that Cat must unlock. A secret that will change everything.- Goodreads

This is one of my favorite reads. If a book can make me look at science in a different way then it gets major points. Cole was my favorite character not because of her skills but because she had the mouth to back it. She wasn't naive and allowed things to happen. She made things happen as best as she could and she stayed true to what she wanted to do which was to find her father.

The novel had a good pace and details that didn't feel as if it was dragging. Now let's talk about the science. It was easy to understand while still retaining its complexity and not feeling as if it is being dumbed down. It was well written.

I loved the character development in this story.

Overall, 5 Pickles

The cover is GORGEOUS and the premise sounded cool, but ultimately, I couldn't get into the story.
This is, of course, entirely my opinion and if it sounds like something you might like, you should give it a read anyways, It wasn't bad, just not my thing.

DNF at 25%. I just couldn't get into it and it felt like every other dystopian out there. I could already see where things were going with the (possible) love interest and I just couldn't get past some of the stuff that was going on. Just not for me.

I absolutely loved this book. I'm not a science geek by any means, but I found this science-heavy book so accessible and enjoyable. I'd love to see it turned into a movie some day. I can't wait to see what this author has in store next!

This book is one of my favorite reads of 2017! I even did a video review (my first ever) of it on my channel. I was really weary going into this book because I was worried my knowledge of genetics would interfere with my enjoyment of this book. I'm so relieved to say that was not the case! I loved this book not only for the good science, but also because it's a creative and wild ride. The virus that has taken over the world in this book is the most creative virus I've ever seen or read! It kind of turns the zombie trope on its head. In addition to that, its fast paced and full of plot twists. This book was such a page turner! If you like fast paced dystopian stories you really have to check this one out.

This Mortal Coil was one of my most anticipated reads for fall. I was first taken in with the awesome looking cover (and later when I realized what the cover symbolized, I thought it was a pretty interesting touch, if not just a tad bit creepy!), and the story that sounded original, fun, and the kind of in depth plot that really captured my attention and made me want to read the book.

When I started reading the book, I was seriously drawn in by the first page, and I found myself essentially glued to the book until the very end. Unfortunately I had to put it down a few times because hey, real life calls, but if I were able to read uninterrupted for a whole day, let’s just say that I wouldn’t have put this one down even once. I may have even cooked dinner while reading, it was that good.

I loved the characters in this book, especially Catarina. I felt like she was just so relatable. She was kind of awkward but at the same time, she was damn good at what she did and she was the kind of character who had a strong survival instinct and did what she had to do, no matter what that meant. It’s nice to have that in a main character, instead of one who stopped every five minutes to figure out if what they were doing was the right thing.

This was such a fast paced book – there is so much going on at every turn and not once was I upset by slow or uneven pacing. I thought the author did a great job by keeping this book flowing at such a great pace. It allowed for plenty of action and suspense, which really makes a book in this kind of genre a good one.

The plot unfolds in such a way that really keeps it interesting, and there a few twists that really work with the plot and make the book even more exciting. I love how the author keeps you wondering what is going to happen next while you’re reading, instead of having everything unveiled to you in the synopsis so you can pretty much see what’s coming. I’ve seen that happen with a lot of books lately and I can’t understand why. I like to be surprised.

If you’re on the fence about reading this one, or if you like science fiction with a dystopian twist, this is such a fantastic read to pick up. I can’t recommend it enough.

The only complaint I have? Having to wait for the next book!

Unable to finish. Didn't connect with the book. Will try again later.

****Huge thank you to Simon Pulse for approving me for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!****

3.5 Stars!

Trigger Warning: Mild Gore & Graphic Description of Medical Procedures

This was a pretty good book, definitely creative and fast paced! It held my attention and made me curious about the sequel, but overall it wasn’t anything that blew me completely away.

Plot

“This Mortal Coil” started out pretty strong with action right off the bat, we are also provided with a good amount of backstory/world building as well but it never felt like info-dumping which was great. It’s also very much a survival story as mentioned in the synopsis humanity has been brought to its knees due to the deadly plague that has spread across the Earth, and the main character Catarina does anything she can to survive on the surface and is also recruited to help find a cure. I liked the details on the virus that were provided I thought it was a pretty unique plague too, if it wasn’t too weird to think a plague was cool I would think this one was cool. I don’t won’t to spoil anything though!

I really enjoyed all of the science and genetics aspects that were included as well, and it was all very believable there wasn’t anything I felt that was too over the top or unrealistic. Normally things such as DNA and the gene-hacking that people did would fly over my head or be boring but it was actually pretty interesting! I also loved that certain aspects of the story felt very “X-Men” and “Resident Evil”, which of course are two franchises I adore so there’s that but I won’t spoil anything by going into too much detail!

The pacing was pretty fast throughout the entire book and things were in a constant state of tension for the most part, it really kept me on the edge of my seat! There were also more than a few completely mind blowing twists, I almost couldn’t keep up! However, there was one twist that kind of confused me and seemed a little….far fetched but it took me by surprise nonetheless. Also even though I thought the pacing was fast it still felt like the book was too long and it felt like it was taking me forever to finish. I think if the book could have been maybe between 50-100 pages shorter it would have been better.

Another thing that I liked was that the world and characters were morally grey, everyone does what they have to do in order to survive. It made things very exciting because you never knew what to expect!

characters

The characters were alright, I didn’t feel overly invested in any of them though. They weren’t overly complex or developed but they were interesting enough to keep me reading.

I felt that Catarina was a bit of a Special Snowflake at times because she was this “brilliant prodigy” and was the “only one who can figure out a cure” so that got kind of old but in general she was an alright protagonist.

As for the other side characters I enjoyed them but as I said I just wasn’t overly attached. Don’t get me wrong, I had moments where I was concerned about their well being but overall “meh”.

romance

The romance got a little too intricate for me since Cat is in love with Dax and Cole is in love with Jun Bei and they’re all sort of in relationships but there wasn’t ever any affirmation, if that makes sense. Then Cat and Cole start to develop feelings for each other but then still have feelings for their other significant others/crushes. What? Why? Sorry, but I would have preferred if you’d ended the other crushes and then initiated the Cat/Cole romance because that just feels like emotional cheating?

Yeah, I was over the love square and got pretty tired of keeping track of everything. I also don’t like when plots start to focus heavily on the romances either, which it felt like it did the more the story proceeded.

in conclusion

Overall I did enjoy this book, did it blow me away though? Not really. I find myself pretty in the middle as far as the rating and feelings go.

What I Loved:

Interesting World Building (No info-dumping)
Fast pacing, lots of action
Science!
Morally grey ambiguous characters
Plenty of plot twists

What I Didn’t Love:

Felt too long, could have been shorter
Dragged on in spots
Characters were kind of “meh”
Romance was overly complicated and also “meh”

Recommend

I definitely recommend checking this one out if you enjoy books with a little more science in them and also just plague/dystopian type novels in general.

First off, before I jump into my review, I just want to say that I'm glad that I went into this story only having read a very brief, vague summary of it. It made everything more surprising and exciting and suspenseful. I only read the official book synopsis after having finished it and I realized some of the revelations I'd found to be shocking and unexpected had actually been mentioned in the summary. BAH! How dare they.

That's the reason I didn't include the Goodreads Synopsis beforehand like I usually do when it comes to reviews. Maybe for some books I prefer to have a little more insight before diving in but in this case I'm glad I went in partially blind. I had NO idea what was coming and that made my reading experience a thousand times more splendid.

I started This Mortal Coil basically only knowing that it was a dystopian sci-fi based off DNA sequencing, featuring a boy and girl working together to save humanity. That's about it. I didn't know any of the key points of the plot that are given away in the synopsis and I'm so glad I didn't. Everything was a surprise that way and I had no idea which characters I was meant to trust or grow attached to which made it all the more exciting. But maybe that's just me! Just in case though, I try to be as vague as possible in my reviews as well.

This Mortal Coil is by far the most captivating and mind-blowingly complex book I've read so far this year. The story's setting is unlike anything I've seen in YA, one in which people can implant technology into their bodies that allows them to re-write their DNA and alter their appearances and bodies.

Catarina Agatta is an expert gene hacker who's spent the last 2 years trying to survive on her own in a world torn apart by a deadly plague; a plague that causes people to explode within weeks of contracting the virus, infecting anyone within a couple mile radius. But Cat's father has created a vaccine and provides Cat with instructions on how to retrieve and release it. So it looks it's up now up to Cat to obtain it and release it into the world. So she sets out to save humanity alongside a boy named Cole, a soldier working for Cartaxus, the very organization that kidnapped her father and his apprentice/Cat's close friend Dax two years prior and forced the pair to work for them.

With a background in astrophysics and genetic engineering, Author Emily Suvada has significant expertise in the field that helps make the scientific aspects and the speculative take on DNA sequencing feel all the more authentic. The elaborate descriptions, mature and intelligent writing, and the complexity of the plot and world in which the book takes place will capture you and pull you in until, before you know it, you're so invested in Cat and her companions story that it's all you can think about.

Catarina is a whip-smart heroine who's equal parts compassionate, courageous, apprehensive and ruthless. She's determined to rid the world of the virus that has drove humanity to near-extinction, but she has no idea who she can trust in a world where even DNA can lie. She has a lot to learn about the outside world she's been hidden from for so long, and about the father she thought she knew so well, and about her own identity as well.

There was a certain character who I didn't expect to have such an important role in the story, but I'm glad he did. He went from someone I didn't fully trust, understand or even like to someone I rooted for and swooned over and couldn't get enough of...much like Catarina's feelings towards him. Their relationship developed from that of two people who'd been thrown together against their will and had no choice but to work together, to one based on mutual honesty, respect and admiration.

There were characters I assumed would have larger parts than they did, and those who I thought were trustworthy but turned out not to be. There were plot twists and betrayals and non-stop action and it was a roller-coaster of emotions from beginning to shocking end. It's a science fiction that actually focuses a great amount of plot on the science aspects. It's a slow-burn romance between two unexpected characters. It's an action-packed dystopian adventure chock full of horror and suspense, with complicated yet lovable characters.

And guess what? It's gonna have a sequel! Which I did not realize until I finished reading the last page and immediately rushed to twitter to ask the author if there would be a follow up...to which she replied that yes, there will be, and she's working on it right now! We have to wait a whole year unfortunately, but it'll without a doubt be worth it!

I almost want to pick up the book again and re-read it immediately, despite having just finished it earlier this month. I almost NEVER feel this way. Emily Suvada is truly a magician and she has me under her spell. I am in awe of her and her story-telling. And I promise you will be too. So what are you waiting for? Go pick up a copy from your local library or bookstore or buy it on your kindle right this very second! Or put it on your Christmas list! No time to waste! The extensive use of exclamation marks should show you just how hyped I am about this book!

This Mortal Coil was on my radar for quite some time before I requested it from Netgalley. I kept flip-flopping if I should request it or not. Would I connect with the characters? Am I just saying I'm interested and I'm not? Would I even understand anything about this book? Well let's just say that the answers were yes, you are, and yes. I'm so happy that I finally requested and downloaded This Mortal Coil. The book is inventive, thrilling, haunting.

This Mortal Coil follows Cat, a 17 (18?) year old teenager living during the apocalypse. Three years ago, a huge plague decimated the human population, and only the human population. Cat was left stranded at her father's house as her father, Lachlan, and his assistant, Dax, were taken by Cartaxus. Cartaxus is a corporation Lachlan told Cat over and over again not to trust. So when Cole, a Cartaxus soldier, comes knocking at her door telling her he needs her help to unlock a vaccine, she doesn't know who to trust. The story takes off from there, the book really picks up.

The exposition of This Mortal Coil wasn't long and boring; while there is some info-dumping in the first part of the novel, a lot is revealed throughout as well. There is a lot of information slowly revealed as the novel progresses. I loved this about the book; not only was I reading a post-apocalyptic action novel, I was also reading the start of it all. By having these plot twists and reveals throughout the novel, I was always kept at the edge of my seat and fully immersed in the story.

One of the more daunting aspects of This Mortal Coil was it's plot. Like I said, I was worried that I wouldn't completely understand what was happening. However, this is not the case. I easily followed the plot while reading. Even though I have no understanding of coding and little to no knowledge about genetics, I was able to comprehend all the science and math talk. I might not be able to code, but I was able to understand what was happening. This Mortal Coil is basically a constant action novel, and the plot is delivered at such. There's never a semblance of peace, and as a reader, I thought it was thrilling. I loved reading a book that didn't let me relax and instead always kept me on my toes, anticipating and trying to guess what would happen next.

As I've mentioned, there are reveals and plot twists throughout this whole book. If you are a reader who tries to figure out the mystery behind everything, you will have a ton of fun with this book. I always try and guess the huge plot twists, so This Mortal Coil was perfect for me!

This Mortal Coil also breathes originality. While we do have your standard perfect snowflake trope, as well as some others, the world is executed so brilliantly that I paid no mind. I wasn't thinking "Oh my god, yet another protagonist who doesn't think she's pretty enough". Instead, I found myself sympathizing with Cat instead, and wondering about the damages of having so much technology could have on a person if they couldn't use it (there are apps in this world that can change appearance and many other things, but Cat can't use any of it due to a rare genetic disease. And no, this is not a spoiler, it's mentioned very early on in the book). If you look for tropes in this novel, you will find them. However, the world-building and character development was so strong that I didn't mind that the book fell into some of the YA conventions.

I also loved the characters in this novel! We once again see some tropes: special snowflake protagonist, mysterious bad boy, reserved/crazy scientists, etc. So if you look, you will find them . But the characters were written with such depth, that I didn't mind. Suvada adopts these tropes, and then spins them on their heads. The writing of these characters is so smart. Suvada knew her characters looked conventional at first, and then as the reader learns more about them and the world, we see there is much more to these characters than their titles, and they got these titles through original experiences. The interpersonal relationships are so well done and so complex. While the plot is thrilling, if you are a reader that reads for the characters, you will also enjoy this novel.

So as you can tell, I loved this movie. The tropes are always spun on their heads, and it was so refreshing. The writing is so smart, and so compelling. The plot is thrilling, the characters are developed, and the plot twists left me fully immersed in the story. While the beginning did info-dump a little bit, most of the world-building and throughout the novel. I did also guess the huge plot twist (do NOT look at my goodreads updates if you don't want to be spoiled!), but I was so shocked I was right. This Mortal Coil is one of my favorite novels I've read this year. Go read it!

With that, I give this book
4.5 out of 5 Stars!

Okay, so I could not possibly love this book more than I already and I've barely just started.
The author is a fricken genius. So much went into the building of the story. The characters are amazing, the struggle is real.
I am seriously hoping there will be some more books waiting in line after this one.
Once I am done reading, I will come back and update my review to the fullest.

Wow, I'm surprised by how much I delved into this thing. The writing was nice, the pace was good. I especially loved the idea that programs were a part of people now, that if you got sick or 'a virus', you just had to get rid of it via nanites and so forth. Just really cool thinking, you know? Cat was interesting. A lot of the characters had their own thing going on and it was great being able to stop and pick up without feeling like I lost touch with one of the characters Cat interacted with. Because it felt like a fast read (I mean really, they basically drive around this cool world discovering things about themselves along the way) I did feel like the romance was slightly rushed but only because it wasn't the main thing in the beginning. I personally didn't feel it but at the same time I'm a sucker for romance, so it wasn't hard getting into afterward.

HOLY SMOKES. This story freaking blew me away. Prepare yourself for one heck of a gushing and gloating review because I loved everything about this story.

Suvada did not waste time easing me into the story because the action started within the first chapter. Cat lives in a time when the infected people basically become zombies and can explode. That’s right – explode. POOF. This new post-apocalyptic world is not for the faint of heart nor for the weak stomach. In order for Cat to remain immune to this plague… well, she has to do things that even made my stomach turn but I would have done it if it meant surviving. It is also a time of corruption by corporations, there is no law but that of the strongest corporation, and the strongest stall survive.

The thing that stood out the most to me was the science woven in this story – marvelous. Suvada made me want to learn about gene hacking. Nobody has ever made me want to learn about science or gene hacking. Well done, Suvada. The way it was all explained in this story was so clever. When something was introduced, it was then explained so I would know what was going on. I never felt like I was talked down to or as if I was simple minded. It was clear and logically talked about. Plus, it was just brilliant. Everything came across in a very clear and simple way. By doing that, Suvada made this story more believable. She made me truly believe this type of future would be possible. Not that I would want it to be (unless I could be Cat…) but it felt very, very believable. It also made me very curious about how I would possibly change myself, if given the opportunity. So many possibilities! With that said, know that there are some seriously disturbing parts to this story. While I would say you need a strong stomach to read, you don’t. Go into it knowing not everything is sunshine and rainbows. Suvada does a damn fine job of telling it like it is. A post-apocalyptic world would be nothing but dog-eat-dog and a place where only the clever & strong survive.

Not only is the plot compelling, but the characters are so complex. They felt so real, as if I could be friends with them in real life (again, if this society were real and I was a cyborg-badass). Cat was such a well developed character that she constantly kept me guessing as to what her next move would be. I found myself quickly trying to solve the problems like Cat, or think about the science behind what was happen and try to guess what Cat would do. Now let’s talk about Cole… purrrrr. I know he’s the guy sent to protect Cole but he, too, was so well rounded and intricate that I wanted to know more about him. He was slow to reveal the skeletons in his closet but once they started to come out, I just wanted more. He was a fantastic character. And then put Cat and Cole together and sparks fly. WHOOOOO BABY. give me a moment to fan myself. I know some people didn’t like the romance in the story but it was such a small part of the story that I believe it added, not took away from.

Overall, I loved this book. Loved. Loved. Loved. I want more from Suvada, especially book two of this series! I am proclaiming myself a forever fan of Emily Suvada. No matter what she writes, I will read. Make sure you grab yourself a copy of this one because it is a story that you will never forget

First off, I read a TON of YA Sci-Fi Post-Apocalyptic books. And this is one of the reasons I didn’t like this one: is that it read like a mish mash of all these other plot lines from other novels. Secondly, a lot of the book happened in a convenient way for me. There were actions that kind of just happened to the main character, leaving her in a bind, which conveniently got worse or better.

Both of these being said, the ending part of the book redeemed a lot of its flaws for me. Something I love reading about in books is that moment when we have to realize our parents are humans, fallible, and have made, sometimes, awful mistakes. How do we reconcile our versions of them with the truth? At the same time, it was very much like - this plot is clearly winding down, so what is going to go colossally wrong so that we will have a sequel?

The synopsis of This Mortal Coil was intriguing! I don't normally read a lot of science fiction but I'm glad that I took a chance reading This Mortal Coil! I really loved the author's writing style. Her writing kept me wanting to find out what was going to happen next. There is so much action and twists and turns that kept me wanting to read more! I thought the characters were well written and the story building was great!

I deeply apologize, I didn’t download this before it archived because I was having problems with my Bluefire Reaser app which is what I use for books like this. Look forward to picking up this book out in the wild, but again thanks so much for the great opportunity!

This Mortal Coil is strikingly genius! It is full of high adrenaline twists, exciting science fiction kicks, and rousing character hits! If you are looking for a fast paced, action packed Sci-fi, look no further!

This Mortal Coil was OUTSTANDING! I could not put it down! I knew I would love it after reading the synopsis, but WOW, am I impressed! The writing was impeccable. For as long as the book was, I never felt like it dragged anywhere or felt like anything was out of place, or needed to be shorter.

The world building and plot development were incredible. Suvada must have done immense research before writing this book, because the bits about the virus, the DNA coding, and the technology felt so real and possible. I felt like this was the type of story that fit perfectly with zombie video games and movies. I also felt like it reminded me a bit of Terminator, which I LOVED! The story flowed so smoothly, and kept on the edge of my seat! I loved the characters and their development as well.

Catarina was such an interesting character to read! She was strong, brave, and determined, but also vulnerable and emotional, and confused. She didn’t feel like the typical YA character, she felt real, and relate-able. Her back story was so well written, and her character, and personality transformation, was really unique and intriguing!

Cole reminded me a little of Kyle Reese from Terminator (I guess that you means you have to watch it if you haven’t yet ;-P). He was brave, protective, and alluring. He held dangerous secrets, and also had a deep, intriguing past, and a unique reason for his actions, and his protectiveness. He almost fit that trope of the “over-protective YA male,” but didn’t because of his unique situation.

Dax and Leoben were both enjoyable, supporting characters. They were each unique in their own way, had interesting back stories, and add depth to the book. Dax added nostalgia and a little conflict, while Leoben added humor and intrigue.

There was not one piece of this story that I did not enjoy. It had a great pace, fantastic plot twists, well developed characters, and awesome bits of Science Fiction, Horror, and Suspense! I could see everything so clearly while I was reading and felt my heart pounding the entire time! I will definitely read more from this author in the future!

Thank you to The Flying Fantastic Book Club and Simon & Schuster/ Simon Pulse for sending me this free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review, and as part of the blog tour.

I participated in the Fantastic Flying Book Club's blog tour for this book and it's fantastic! Check out my review with 5 reasons why you should read this book. This is a genuine YA scifi with detailed science/coding/genetics for any science fan and a great fast paced story!

Urgh. I must have been going through too much last month because I even disliked this one. I read the description and it sounded a bit like X-Men so I thought I’d like it but alas, no. I did like the originality in this and what the “fix” and resolution was but everything else fell flat for me. Including Cat and Cole’s romance that involves a little bit of emotional manipulation and also the foreshadowing for what was going on was a little too obvious. I didn’t mind the science references but I just didn’t enjoy this one like I thought I would.

Oh. Em. Gee.

This, right here, is my favorite sci-fi/dystopian in AGES. From the very first page, I was enthralled. And I was worried that the scientific aspects would be tough to follow. But, Suvada did a fantastic job of making something so complex, SIMPLE. Understandable.

I loved the apocalyptic story. This was a whole different take on "illnesses." It felt a little like a zombie book, but also mixed with some aspects of The 5th Wave. But please if you aren't a fan, ignore that and just give this a chance. It's so unique in so many ways.

Also, the romance. I definitely wanted something to happen between two of the characters. And maybe those aren't the two everyone else shipped, but there's something to be said for chemistry and time spent together. One guy really won me over right away. The other, I didn't trust whatsoever.

Catarina was a great character. Not arrogant. Just someone trying to survive. Do her best until her father (hopefully) came home. She was able to take care of herself. I found her to be smart and a little bit of a bad ass, if I'm honest.

This story is really engrossing. I didn't think there was ever a dull moment. I didn't ever want to stop reading. And I'm not kidding when I say that several scenes had my heart racing with anticipation and worry. Lots of twists and mystery to keep the reader guessing. What version of things Catarina has been told is true? Is her father the man she thought him to be?

This Mortal Coil is now possibly my top read of the year. It's easily going to remain in my top 5 for 2017. With its smart heroine, intricate plot, and bits of romance, this story has it all and is something readers of ALL genres shouldn't miss!