I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This novel is compelling. It challenges genetic engineering concepts and really makes one think about the consequences of altering our bodies for reasons of vanity.

Stronger, Faster, and More Beautiful (Hardcover)
by Arwen Elys Dayton
This is a compilation of stories in the book, loosely tied to each other because of the idea and premise that human adaptation will change the world as we understand.
Part One
Matched Pair
A set of semi-identical twins are dying. They are losing a battle against their own bodies, but its opposing parts that are failing. So the doctors propose a solution, combine them to save one. But which would you save, which is more viable. The real question is how does a young child comprehend that his sibling needs to die so he could live. This is a great theoretical proportionate to the idea of medical intervention and our responsibility to life.

Part Two
St. Ludmilla
The idea that we can repair ourselves, change our appearance to the point of an entirely different race of man would come out of it. How much of this is humanity? how much are we creations of our own making? This shows how survival is not always the easiest part of living after a tragedy, its coming to grips with what you have faced and how you have faced it.

Part Three
The Reverend Mr. Tad and Tadd's love story
The corruption of belief, the rejection of new ideals makes some pretty heavy and enterprising installments of social changes. Reverend Tad has jumped on the bandwagon that those who have chosen to go beyond their normal life span, or genetic preponderance are evil. He has made a fortune spouting his soapbox beliefs. The problem is, he is a fraud. This story is a great look at human acceptance, and the ability of the public to accept and adapt to social changes caused by technology and advancement.

Part Four
Eight Waded
The idiomatic adaptation of the mind is brought to question. How do you accept physiological and psychological change in a drastic nature? How do you survive when life had brought to question all that matters?

Part Five
California
Power corrupts absolute power corrupts absolutely. The idea that humanity is lost because of political affiliation, or the psychological change of humanity. Russia has returned, it uses the technology at their disposal to change humanity. They take those deemed unfit for Russian society, those out side the law, or from another jurisdiction and transform them into the partial robotic slaves. Using them to forced labor, and subjection of social ridicule. The idea is what is humanity, and what is political power.

Part Six
Curiosities
There is a division in society, those they deem human and those that don't. Never allowing the inhuman to touch the human, caging them behind force fields, and social walls. Yet when crisis comes they are left with needing the help of those they deem unworthy. Showing the meaning of humanity and having compassion for others.

Stronger, Faster, and More Beautiful is a cautionary tale about genetic modification told chronologically through the eyes of six different people whose lives are all affected by the scientific advancement of this process over time and the implications it has on society and humanity. The common thread in all of the stories is a religious zealot turned politician named Tad Tadd whose views on the subject of mods transition throughout the years as do the views of his followers.

The eerie realism of this book is frightening and disturbing. This author does an amazing job of world building. There are scenes where you can visualize and smell what the characters are experiencing. There is one part of the book where the storyline dragged a bit and became tedious but the rest of it is a riveting, page-turner that I could not put down. This book should definitely spark some lively conversations on gene editing and modification.

Writing a pithy summary of this book feels impossible as it is actually a set of short stories with one connecting factor that adds interest to the stories but isn't required for most of them to be complete. This sci fi book has six stories, the first of which begins somewhat in the future and then each subsequent story takes place a little further along than that. Each story shows the progression of genetic manipulation as humans change themselves more and more, eventually ending up with things such as wings, large heads and skin in an array of colors by the last story. As you might imagine, this is not a book celebrating all those advances...


If you had asked me when I was about 50% through the book I would've said that I wasn't sure if I liked it or not but by the end of it all I really loved it in its entirety. Although I love sci fi in theory, it is sometimes hard for me to get going on a story because there is the new world which I have to figure out and wrap my head around. Since there are six stories, I had to figure out six different worlds as the Earth had changed considerably between each new story. Once I got the rules for each story figured out, I could relax and enjoy what was happening and each one was a great example of the best of sci fi - setting up a future that tells a good tale while still leaving lots of room for your own speculation. By the time I was into the sixth story and figured out where the entire arc of the book was going, my last wall of skepticism melted and my mind was happily playing back what had gotten us to this point while appreciating how extremely clever Dayton was to make it seem like I was reading six different stories as she was actually leading me along one path the entire time! I was already content with my book-reading experience but then I read the author's note with the pictorial representation of her inspiration and that was the cherry on top.

Although I basically dismissed the one obvious connecting factor in the stories - the Reverend Tad Tadd - I do love the additional story of his growth from a personal minister to a religion in and of himself. Other than the one story in which he is a major character, he is thrown in as a mere mention in most of the others. And yet Dayton has crafted the mentions so well that I can see his fanaticism and that of his followers along with the corruption of his message as it fits his own desires and those of so much of the rest of America. (Or is that my own bias coming to bear?)

I didn't realize that this was an anthology until I started reading it.
This was an amazing book for fans of Black Mirror (especially the first short story). "Stronger, Faster, and More Beautiful" was a chilling portrayal of a futuristic world where modern technology greatly affected people's lives. It brings up some questions (often ethical) like whether the advancement of technology was a good thing.

I was mind-blown about the ideas in this book so I would definitely recommend this one.



This short review will be posted between November 26 to 30.

This book makes you think as it deals with the issues of how our world "might" could be if DNA tinkering continues. It shows the differing sides and battles that occur as well as pros and cons of each side. Some of it made me think hard and some of it made me appalled but it pulled me into the plot because of it.

Stronger, Fast, and More Beautiful is an intriguing read. It will leave you wondering how far we can and will take genetic engineering/human modification. Just because we can, does it mean we should?

The book consists of six parts containing different stories that are related to the main idea (genetic engineering/modification). The beginning started a little slow for my taste but as the stories continued, I found I could not put the book down. Each story was unique. If you enjoy Sci-Fi stories that are focused on genetics or thought-provoking books, you will enjoy this one.

You will find yourself asking questions throughout the book such as: Do our genetic defects makes us who we are? Without modern medicine, how many of us would be here? Should we be prolonging life? Modification/genetic engineering is already happening, but at what point will it stop? Who says what is ethical in medicine and where the line is drawn? How will humans ruin this?

I hope there is a follow up book. This would make a wonderful TV mini-series/movie (if done right- meaning The Wachowski’s)

Trigger warnings/parental advisory: swearing, some sexual situations (making out, touching, pairing up to mate), religion (a reverend is tied in with the stories), death, some violent situations (accidents, slaves, killing).

Overall, I give the book 4 ½ stars and recommend it.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Stronger, Faster, and More Beautiful was a unique and unnerving collection of stories all about the advancement of mankind through gene manipulation and how overtime us humans would have a way of ruining everything. Sometimes we never know where to draw the line about how far is too far.. and with crazy technological and scientific advancements would we fare any better?
The tales in this book were a little far fetched but that's what I found myself really enjoying the most. The author seems to have an overactive imagination but he uses it to his advantage and and brings a chilling possible reality to life.
I kept imagining the world we live in now and how genetic manipulation and intense technological advancement might change our world and i agree with the author..we would find a way to fuck everything up. At first it would be wonderful and we could do a lot of good by editing out diseases and conditions in children but of course we would take it too far. There would be radical extremists on each side threatening to tear society apart.
I loved that this was a collection of stories told in different perspectives at different points of a timeline. We get an early advancement stage, middle and then ultra high tech- years into the future.
I would recommend this book to anyone who loves to read Sci-Fi novels. Its listed as YA but it didn't really feel like a YA novel to me so if you aren't into the YA genre, you still have a shot at loving this book.

Excerpt of Review: "...Stronger, Faster and More Beautiful is a tremendously entertaining read that requires the reader to do some thinking. Medical technology has advanced incredibly, but what about ethical advancement? How far is too far? Where should the line be drawn? That’s the question asked of the reader. A book with stories that are well-written and contains a theme that is captivating and thought-provoking – what more can an avid reader ask for! Stronger, Faster and More Beautiful should definitely be on everyone’s must read list!"

I received an ARC copy from netgalley for my honest review,  so thank you netgalley and publishers for offering me this book! ♡
The cover and title is what originally drew me to this book. It was NOT at all like I expected it to be lol but it was interesting.
This was my first book by this author.. It was slow paced but it was alltogether an easy read. ♡ I give this book a
3 star rating!

The description says "for fans of Black Mirror". This is pretty accurate. The first stories drew me in and the last two were a little off the beaten path and I wish there was a little more continuity as far as the story lines go. Overall a good and disturbing and thought-provoking read.

Talk about a gripping novel. Sitting one afternoon as I found myself unable to put the novel down.
What makes us human? How does genetic tampering make us better or less human? Where do we draw the line in bettering our species?

Although this novel is made up of smaller stories, they merge beautifully throughout the timeline. When push comes to shove, would we make adjust!ments to our faulty genes? Cure cancer? Eradicate diseases? Of course! Would some of us want the ability to fly or swim in the ocean talking to dolphins? Sure. At what point does this make us not human? How does this tinkering affect our future generations? How will different groups of society react to these advancements?

These are just some of the issues brought up that will leave you devouring this novel.

I really wanted to love this book. I love anthologies and I love sci-fi books and books that showcase a dystopian world. So what went wrong? – Half of the stories lacked elements that kept me engrossed - they lacked character, suspense and the thrilling, enticing and intriguing nature of sci-fi. I stuck it out with this book and told myself that I’d finish it, even though it took me a week to get through it. Each story was unique from the other but had a connecting thread. The first story in the book was intriguing enough and I really enjoyed the second one as well. The third and fourth stories, about the reverend’s daughter and dolphin boy, I could have done without, honestly. The fifth story with the Russian slaves was a step up from the previous two, but still, I just didn’t care for it. And the last one, in my opinion, was the best one due to the buildup of this world I’ve been learning about for 5 chapters/stories and characters that were actually relatable in a sense. Overall, it was a good read but I just wish there was more.

This is a series of stories all with a commonality of a controversial Reverend either in or mentioned in each story. The book spans several generations, dealing with cyborg technology and the dark side of morality. It kinda reminded me of the movie A.I. but this deals with multiple characters instead of just one.
I have to admit I wasn’t sure I’d finish the book because I disliked the first few stories that much (I didn’t connect with the characters as much and the cussing—too much for my taste), but my favorite ones were at the end. I almost wished it had been written in reverse.
All in all the author has talent and imagination. Thank you netgalley and Random House Children’s Delacorte Press for provided an arch for a fair/honest review.

Stronger, Faster, and More Beautiful by Arwen Elys Dayton
Publication date December 4, 2018
Read courtesy of NetGalley.com

FAN-TAS-TIC!!!!

There was a tadd* of a thread throughout this book of consecutive stories. Amazingly well done and thoroughly enjoyable. I will definitely be getting this for my library!

Each story could be a stand alone, but they are also smoothly interwoven... and thought provoking. The first vaccine, first heart transplant, and first clone (remember Dolly the Sheep?) perpetuated the human ability to dream of a stronger, faster and more beautiful human. Dayton has helped us imagine some of the future possibilities, and some we'd like, while others we'd find quite disturbing. And that's the point.... to consider what our tinkering could mean to our future. Butterfly effect, ripple effect, call it what you want, but Dayton masterfully creates realistic what-ifs (realistic what-ifs: is that an oxymoron?)

I enjoyed every story in here. None of it felt redundant, repetitive, or reused. The uniqueness of each possible inevitably (another oxymoron) kept me turning those pages. Bravo, Ms. Dayton. I accept the challenge to work through these oxymorons in the hopes that it keeps humans from simply becoming morons.



*intentional spelling 👍👌

The description of this book as a novel for fans of Black Mirror and Westworld had me hooked from the start, but unfortunately, the novel lacks the suspense, the drama, and the overall intrigue of those wonderfully, morally-grey shows. Although the novel had trouble keeping me from growing too bored, the story offered me six different stories, and while some stories were less intriguing or sensical than the others, there were a couple of them that really had me rooting for the characters. This being said, the novel tries to show a progression of technology in our world, and how our world handles it, but I'm not sure all the stories told were the best choices, or at least, those stories needed a little more to them. A big problem for me was that this advancing scientific world felt empty; the readers were only given hints here and there about the world around the characters and never much description to really see what these characters were living in. The couple of stories that I did love within this novel are definitely good enough reasons to give this novel a glance, along with the novel's concept, because while the story would have been stronger with more, the concept is still kind of wickedly genius.

This book was absolutely amazing. Spanning over hundred of years it shows the evolution of humanity with the advances in science that have been made. This book was brilliant and thought provoking as well as terrifying and undeniably real. This book is something that can’t be missed in 2018/2019.

I didn't realize this was an anthology when I had requested it, so I was a little skeptical since I am not the biggest fan of anthologies but Ohmygod. The stories interconnect with a Reverend and his daughter over hundred of years worth of time. Stronger, Faster and More Beautiful was captivating, I couldn't read it fast enough and I was sad when I finished because I really wanted more.

If you think about it, a lot of the things that Dayton talks about in this book are already happening or on their way of happening so her ideas aren't far fetched in the least. My favorite story in this anthology had to have been the last one. It's set far into the future where there is a huge divide between genetically modified humans and "protos" humans that have never been altered. It brings up the question of what species is more superior and if genetically altered people are a whole new species with in themselves.

Stronger, Faster and More Beautiful brings up an array of questions as you read. It makes you think about the future and how things can go horribly wrong. It brings up with question of whether or not any of these things ethical and where the cut off is for ethical and unethical modifications. This book will be one to stand out in my mind for a long time to come and it will with out a doubt stay in everyone else's mind as well.

With advancing science able to extend and improve the lives of humans through artificial means, the distinction of what is "natural" arises within Arwen Elys Dayton's Stronger, Faster, and More Beautiful. 

Starting more in a contemporary setting with innovative methods of saving a boy's life by using his dying sister's organs to a more far-reaching future where people are separated by type to preserve a purity of genetic material for those who wish to continually modify themselves, this collection of six stories demonstrates the changes people are willing to make and accept to their bodies. Exploring what constitutes being human, this anthology of loosely related tales offers a glimpse into what could be while cautioning against abusing the possibilities presented by developing technologies. 

Provoking deeper thought about what should be done instead of simply what could be done, this collection of stories offers a haunting caution for how humanity is both recognizable and could become horribly unrecognizable as technology advances. With a brief look into each of the six epochs presented, the seemingly exponential progression of technology and the ability to incorporate it into the human body consumes a larger portion of the narrative, relegating the human aspects to the sideline as more of an afterthought, which demonstrates the priorities of those within the stories. While a general sense of setting is established across the six tales that are connected by the presence of a single character threaded, majorly or minorly, throughout the narratives, the latter stories in the anthology are weaker in establishing details of the setting, background for terminology, and rules governing the world, adding an element of disjointedness to the collective. 

Overall, I'd give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars.

A sci fi anthology where each subsequent story carries us further in time offering a ‘Black Mirror’ style warning about the abuse of scientific advancement as society strives forward in the quest to achieve perfection.

“Stronger, Faster and More Beautiful” begins simply enough with a new treatment used to heal a dying boy and from there we move forward and watch how this new science goes from being a helping hand to cosmetic madness as the years pass with all the stories connected through a single, controversial Reverend who even gets his own feature story.

The format of this story is interesting because even though we are given snapshots of the world it is enough to track the progression of the science side as well as society’s attitude towards it all giving us everything from fear to uncontrollable vanity and the consequences of such desires. There’s also a bit of real world connection to it in terms of the governments attempts to control its citizens bodies but I’m not sure if that was intentional or just something you can pick up given the recent and increasing fight for personal autonomy.

I did however feel like there needed to be a bit more exposition in the later sections when things were less grounded in reality as the modifications of what it means to be human took over completely because there are a few slang terms and other governmental type organizations thrown in there that I think we’re just supposed to know but it got a little muddled making those some of my least favorite stories.

This is an interesting read for anyone who is a fan of the sci genre who wants to see something that takes science and lets it loose until it catches up with the world as it collapses into madness.

**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review!**

I tried to rad this book before it came out but got about halfway through and was honestly very bored. This book was just not for me.