Catherine Devore Johnson’s The Panacea Project is a thought-provoking and emotionally charged novel that delves into themes of bodily autonomy, social justice, and the search for personal empowerment amidst high-stakes medical intrigue. This dark and tense thriller offers a compelling exploration of its themes, though it has its strengths and weaknesses.

The story follows Calla Hammond, a woman who has always felt like an outsider due to her skin condition and a history shaped by the foster system. When it’s discovered that her unique immune system holds the key to curing cancer, Calla is thrust into the spotlight and becomes a pawn in a dangerous game of high-stakes capitalism. The narrative’s exploration of her struggle to control her own body and her fight against exploitation adds a powerful emotional layer to the thriller elements.

Johnson’s portrayal of Calla is both poignant and intense. The character's journey from isolation to finding a chosen family is both moving and empowering. The emotional weight of Calla’s story is well-handled, and her development throughout the novel is compelling. However, while Calla's personal struggles are vividly depicted, some secondary characters lack depth and can come across as more one-dimensional, which sometimes detracts from the story's overall impact.

The novel’s pacing is medium, allowing for a thorough exploration of its themes and characters, but it can occasionally feel slow, particularly during scenes that delve into the intricacies of the medical and ethical issues at play. The blend of mystery and thriller elements keeps the plot engaging, though some twists may feel predictable to seasoned readers of the genre.

The Panacea Project stands out for its diverse cast and its bold examination of complex issues such as implicit bias and the ethics of medical research. The diverse representation adds richness to the story, though the focus on character flaws and the challenges they face can sometimes overshadow the narrative's momentum.

Overall, The Panacea Project is a layered and thought-provoking read that tackles important issues with a blend of emotional depth and suspense. While it excels in its thematic exploration and features a strong central character, it may not fully satisfy those looking for a faster-paced thriller or more nuanced secondary characters. It is recommended for readers interested in character-driven stories that offer a deep dive into societal and personal struggles.

I really liked the premise on this one. What if someone had the ability to heal to the point of curing their own cancer? But I struggled with the execution.

I both designed and ran clinical trials for years and this book made it seem like maybe Johnson didn't because there were so many things that I don't think the Institutional Review Board (ethics/patient safety/regulatory board essentially) would have approved. The science also felt very forced like maybe Johnson did a lot of googling of the things she wanted to present. I would have liked to see Henrietta Lacks mentioned given the storyline following closely with some of what happened to her legacy.

That being said, the book overall was ok. It wasn't terrible but it also didn't really stand out. It wasn't really thrilling though, so I'm not sure how to categorize this one honestly. Speculative fiction, maybe.

A huge thank you to the author and the publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

As a bioethics nerd, I was very intrigued by this book and excited to read a medical thriller--a genre I don't often see. Overall, the premise of the book was quite good but I didn't love the execution. Things were always a bit too exaggerated and over the top. The characters most fell flat for me and I wasn't impressed with the quality of the writing. It also did not sit well with me that a white woman wrote a story about a Black woman with vitiligo, which does not feel appropriate at all. I think there are other health conditions that could've served the same purpose.

Wow If you didn’t guess already but I loved this book! Like honestly I’m in such awe of these characters, the plot and meanings portrayed. It’s exceptional. I will very likely be placing an order for the physical copy when it becomes available and in the meantime hope to read some more of this authors work!

Thanks so much to Netgalley and Victory Editing for the ARC of this title. This story about one young woman's journey after discovering that her blood contains the cure for cancer. I ranked this title a 4/5 overall even though the story is a tad predictable due to the emotions that Catherine Devore Johnson was able to relay into her story. I wish that humanity would not act in such a manner when the actual cure for cancer is discovered, but I fear it would transpire pretty much exactly how things did in this book.

But this was a well written story overall that I really did enjoy reading!

This novel is less medical thriller, more medical mystery. I struggled with the characters and the writing and failed to finish.

Interesting book-not really a mystery or thriller-but not sure really where it fits..

The plot has been summarized so I won’t go into detail, other than a quick read-interesting premise-falls apart at the execution. Had higher hopes, as I feel like medical thrillers are a dying genre.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars. God that ending was heart wrenching. Would I have preferred a more upbeat, positive ending? Absolutely. But I understand why it ended the way it did. The whole book was very action packed, it seemed like too much at times. It was still a very enjoyable read, though I don’t think I would reread just because I prefer happier endings.

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

A fascinating, quick read, The Panacea Project was unputdownable! Calla was beautifully written and the plot was easy to follow, if a bit far-fetched. I would recommend this as a quick medical thriller!

This had a lot of interesting thoughts and How cancer can be very challenging in this country. CAL LA prostitute S had some kind of cancer but it was embarrassing americally not there when the doctors Operate On her. This was like a love story who done it it has a lot of different elements and it was really interesting how this author put it all together. Her life was endangered because of this doctor who wanted to Profit from The cancer And how if it just seemed to dissolve in this woman Body. She had a lot of threats on her. Her Her Foster mother Is her only friend because her family was all dead. She seemed to Pride at this point and she was really happy with her life. This cancer thing turned her Life upside down. The newspapers everybody was at. She had to have secured it at all times. Then she got kidnapped. And this was really a way because Man wanted to save his son. And he kept taking blood from her and this doctor was on the tank because he was fired from the hospital. Her security person really loved her but he didn't want to get too close to her because his daughter had cancer. The man who kidnapped her his son really was really upset with him so he planned escape to get her help. I think this is a really good book to read how people are desperate for anything to cure cancer. There is new trials out now but they're very expensive These trials are over. Traditional cancer treatments do not work. It's becoming a reality in this country you have to have money to get these treatments. In this book CAL LA S Oh was caught up in this whole crazy thing. She fell in love with her security guard. This is why it's a love story and a mystery all rolled into one

Medical thriller this is not. I applaud the author for the plot idea but it's poorly executed. If you come from any kind of medical background this will make you roll your eyes. The dialogue was canned, sometimes felt forced and the characters were all one-dimensional. It was a struggle to finish

Wow!! The Panacea Project is a great first book by Catherine Devore Johnson. Calla Hammond is a 23 year old college dropout who had gone through the foster care system after the death of her mother. She suffers from vitiligo, an autoimmune disease, that affects the pigment of her skin. When she has a seizure at her library job, she is taken to the hospital and told she has a brain tumor. Thus begins a bizarre series of events in her life.

When Calla's brain is opened up in surgery the doctor discovers that the tumor is gone and later determined that her immune system had destroyed it. Her blood can cure cancer! Calla agrees to be part of a study and her blood is drawn regularly and used on mice, every time their cancer goes away. Soon it's not just blood being drawn but multiple biopsies.

When word is leaked about the results of the study, her life is no longer her own. Unscrupulous people kidnap her, others just want her to touch their cancer-stricken loved ones. Calla had gotten compensation for her help and has to continue to fight for what should be hers. Along the way she finds a family of sorts with the people around her. She also finds love, but that is one part of the book that seemed like an afterthought and not really needed. The most important part of the book is Calla's dedication to helping others with cancer and possibly even before cancer with a vaccine.

This was a fascinating topic for a cook, a little reminiscent of real life Henrietta Lacks. Some of the dialog was simplistic but I didn't care because I was enthralled with Calla and her life.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Rated 3.5, rounded up

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts are my own opinion.

**Spoilers ahead**

Calla Hammond is a medical marvel – her body can cure cancer. This book explores the ethics in a medical sense, and a personal sense. As someone who can cure cancer, what is Calla's duty to society? What duty does society have to Calla? And Dr. Kraft and his team... woof, what duty do they have to science AND Calla?

I am no medical expert, but I don't think this book was heavily researched; it reads as an episode of House and/or Grey's Anatomy. However, it wouldn't be very entertaining to me if it did read as someone who has done their medical research. While this was shelved as a medical thriller, I would consider it more medical drama than thriller. I think the only "thrilling" part of this book where I was left wondering if something bad would happen was in the timespan when Luca escaped the cabin to go get help and Calla being rescued.

In my opinion, the love story in this book was an afterthought. It wasn't woven into the book in aa compelling way, and it was very rushed. I think this book would've been just fine without that love story. The friendships Calla made throughout the book was more than enough to make me cry when she decided to be put in to a coma. Yes, I cried. And that is what I consider a good book.

While this book felt a little amateur in the writing, the concept was entertaining. Not everyone can be *insert your favorite author here* right off the bat, but I can guess that Catherine will grow to be that favorite author with more books under her belt. With this concept, I'm excited to see what else she comes up with in the future.


**Catherine, I will post this review to my Instagram on your pub date :) @booksandpantone

This unlikely tale tells the story of a girl with the same auto immune disease that Michael Jackson had (vitiligo), so with white patches all over her skin, falling madly in love with her drop dead gorgeous security detail. She needs the security detail because there's something in her blood that may hold the cure for cancer! The story progresses in a silly fashion, as she manages to get kidnapped twice in her quest to donate her body to science.
Medical thriller, it ain't. Wholly ludicrous love story with a cancer backdrop, more like.

The writing lacked literary finesse in that everything that was written came across as flat. Calla, the main character is often huffy like a teenager and the dialogue operated solely to shunt the action along. But many of the other characters were too. They all had the same voice except the bad guys cursed a lot.

See this scene between two of her many kidnappers:
"What are you doing" Greg demanded as he met up with them, gun drawn.
"Put that away," Jean-Paul remonstrated. "Look at her, she's not going anywhere."
"At least make her walk."

Ugh, none of them could utter sentences with more than 3 words. None of them had any kind of personality. The bad guys were gruff, the women were kindly, yet fiercely independent. It was just terrible chick lit. And I'm sorry but the fact that the security guy had to be drop dead gorgeous really bothered me. Why does he have to fall in love with her, with her messed up skin and low self esteem, why can he look beyond the surface and she can't? Why couldn't he be middling good looking but with a great sense of humour like normal guys?
This story didn't need a nonsensical love interest. That she found a little community through her ordeal should have been enough.

That said, I did kind of enjoy reading about all the cancer jargon. I used to work in cancer research and I missed all those words we used to throw around. It's just not the same in cloud computing.

Calla Hammond is a young woman who has vitiligo, an autoimmune disease she has had her entire life. Raised in the foster care system, the only person who cares for her is Rae Wiley, her former social worker. When she has a seizure at work, the emergency visit to the hospital uncovers a brain tumor. However, when surgery is performed, there is no evidence of a brain tumor.
Calla is approached by Dr. Kraft who leads a team researching harnessing the power of the immune system to fight cancer. He is convinced that Calla's immune system was able to rid itself of the brain tumor and heal itself with no medical intervention. Calla agrees to participate in Dr. Kraft's research, and while the other team members treat her well, Dr. Kraft sees her a a tool, not a person. When details of Dr. Kraft's research are revealed along with Calla's identity, safety becomes an issue as people are eager to use Calla's blood to cure loved ones. In the end, Calla regains control, but at a cost.
A thought provoking look into the role of research participants.
#ThePanaceaProject #NetGalley

Although not one of my favorites, an interesting concept billed as a medical thriller. Similar to Henrietta Lacks, Calla finds out she has a substance in her blood that can cure cancer. Once this is discovered, the race is one for her to survive the bidding war for her body and soul. The writing style is very matter of fact, not flowery or engaging, and the character development is minimal. There are some good twists and turns that keep you engaged but those could be beefed up as well. A solid thriller that was a quick read.

Full Review & a themed recipe: https://bakingthroughbookclub.com/2022/12/29/the-cure-for-cancer/

** Thank you to NetGalley and Greenleaf Book Group Press for the chance to review this book **

If your body had the ability to cure cancer, what would be your moral responsibility to society, and what would society’s moral responsibility be to you?

This is the core debate in Catherine Devore Johnson’s debut novel, The Panacea Project. Johnson delves into the world of medical ethics through the eyes of Calla Hammond, a 23-year-old woman who is diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor and spontaneously recovers. Calla has vitiligo, an autoimmune disease that causes her to lose melanin in patches of her skin. People often shun her for her appearance. Furthermore, she is a foster child– her mother died years ago, and she never knew the identity of her father. The only person who shows care and concern for Calla is Rae, the social worker assigned to her case until she aged out of the system. Rae has always felt like Calla is meant to change the world, and boy, was she ever right.

After having a seizure at the library in which she works, Calla is rushed to the hospital. Multiple scans show a large mass growing in her brain. Within a few days, Calla is scheduled for brain surgery to remove the tumor. When her surgeon opens her up, however, the tumor is gone. Calla awakens from her anesthesia to find the OR in turmoil. Her surgeon, Dr. Cho, assumes that this is a wrong-patient scenario, and he apologetically tries to explain how all of the brain scans from another patient might have ended up coded as Calla’s. Another doctor, however, catches wind of the situation and has an entirely different theory. Dr. Kraft is a cancer researcher who believes that Calla spontaneously recovered from her cancer. He believes that there might be a single cure for all cancers, and he thinks Calla might be the breakthrough he is looking for. By the end of the day, he gets Calla to agree to participate in a cancer research study.

Calla soon finds out that participating in the study is more than she bargained for. The constant blood draws and biopsies leave her feeling used and drained, even though she is getting compensated well for her participation. Dr. Kraft’s inhospitable nature does not help the situation. However, his team becomes a second family to Calla. Dr. Juhi Pemmaraju acts as Dr. Kraft’s assistant and is as warm and caring as she is brilliant. Reuben, the nurse practitioner, always brings a smile to Calla’s face. He becomes the friend that Calla has always struggled to find. Then there’s Ralph, the lab tech. Ralph makes Calla uncomfortable from the start, but Calla tolerates his presence if it means that the team might find the cure for cancer.

The team enjoys total anonymity at first. Dr. Kraft quickly finds that Calla’s blood can send lab animals with cancer into remission. Right before Dr. Kraft and Dr. Pemmaraju publish a study with their findings, the information is leaked to the media. Calla is suddenly thrust into worldwide stardom as people claw to get a glimpse of the woman who can cure cancer. Almost as quickly, Calla’s life is endangered. People want her to lay her hands on them, try to get snippets of her hair, and even try to kidnap her in order to save their loved ones. They accuse her of withholding her gift from the world, claiming they would give everything they could to save sick patients. Dr. Kraft reminds her that she does not have enough blood to give transfusions to all of the cancer patients in the world, and Calla is better off waiting for the team to find a treatment or develop a vaccine. Furthermore, granting transfusions to just one person would open up ethical discussions about who can receive them and why the hospital denies them to some, but not others. Calla eventually needs private 24-hour security. However, Calla’s safety eventually collides with the value of her blood, and the world will never be the same.

The Panacea Project is a debut novel, and the writing sometimes reflects the inexperience of the author. However, this is definitely a book that I will be mulling over for a long time. I wrestled with a lot of topics that I hadn’t considered before: What would happen if one person’s blood contained the cure for cancer? How long would it take for powerful individuals to step into the situation? Would the individual ever feel safe? How would their life change? And, as I stated earlier, what moral responsibility would the person have to society, and what responsibility would society have to her? Medical ethics is a fascinating field, and I don’t know how society would react to a situation like Calla’s. I think Johnson’s reenactment is totally plausible, though. One area in which I cannot comment, however, is how researched the novel is. I do not have a medical degree, so I cannot judge whether the actions of Dr. Kraft’s team are realistic or not. As a former public relations specialist, I can say that Valerie’s actions seemed spot-on.

Even though the writing is a bit inexperienced, the concepts behind The Panacea Project are intriguing and left me craving more. I was so caught up in the book that I struggled to put it down even though I was on vacation. It’s a good debut novel from Catherine Devore Johnson, and I look forward to reading her future works.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I'm always hesitant of 'Read Now' books on NetGalley, but the concept behind this one felt strong enough and unique enough to give it a go. I'm so glad I did. If you are familiar with Henrietta Lacks, you'll find a connection in this read. Our main character, Calla, has something within her that makes her immune system battle cancer in a way never seen before. Luckily, unlike Henrietta, she is given more autonomy (at least right away). This was a solid read that will keep me thinking for quite some time (especially that ending - ouchies my heart!)

I was immediately interested in the Panacea Project after learning it was categorized as a medical thriller — I’m fascinated by medicine and love a good, twisty book. The plot is one I hadn’t seen before: a girl whose blood can cure cancer. The story itself was fun and the book was a quick and easy read, however the writing—especially the dialogue—seemed elementary at times. While it wasn’t topping my personal chart of best books, I enjoyed it and was surprised by the ending.

The Panacea project is tagged as a medical thriller centred around Calla. While in her early 20s, Calla discovers the cure for cancer may be found in her blood. What follows are a lot of changes to her personal life, while at the same time dealing with the high stakes that come with being the most sought-after commodity on earth.

I haven't read any medical thrillers in a while, so this was an excellent way to get back into the genre. The first half of this book delivers pretty well on the thrills but after that it sort of plateaus into what is meant to be some character development ( I think) which I didn't quite enjoy.. After that, the rest of the novel is pretty much predictable, except for a minor unexpected twist but a satisfactory end. In summary, it is an easy read, well-paced and for the most part, a good plot.
The novel has an interesting theme that would be useful for bookclub discussions. What do you owe the world?