The beginning of this novel was a lot stronger than the later parts of it. I was really invested in Sarah's research, but as the story went on, it became more of a thriller and less of a science fiction novel. Overall, it was a good story and not something I've read before, but the writing in the second half could use some editing. 3/5

Grad student Sara Morin makes an astounding discovery in the course of her research which could change the scope of genetics and evolution entirely. When she publishes her findings it sets off a backlash of murders, coverups and an assassin trying to kill Sara. She is given a set of gene codes to solve and if she can't come up with the answers more people will die including her. In a desperate chase across continents, Sara and newspaper reporter, Marcus Byron seek answers and to avoid the deadly people that are after them. The book is a thrilling chase. IT is an enjoyable read for those who love edge of your seat thrillers.

Very interesting story about research involving dna and creatures that revitalize and hunt. Reminds me of adventures like Dan Brown books where everyone is always on the run. Lots of action.

One of the things about Science Fiction as a genre is that it always seems to be portrayed as prescient (or as attempting to be prescient) in envisioning a future beset by problems that do not face us when we read it. I don't think this is quite true. I think when it's done well it's less a window to the future, and more a mirror that reflects the present. In GENERATION SHIP, Michael Mammay polishes a mirror and calls it a window. He shows us a generation ship built to colonize a planet orbiting a distant star (hardly a 2023 type of challenge), but despite appearing at first blush to be a window, it's a mirror, and we're looking at ourselves the entire time.

GENERATION SHIP gives us what's on the label. It's a novel about the people aboard a generation ship on the verge of arriving at its extrasolar destination. The fabric of the society that has bound this community together over the 200ish years in transit is fraying because... well... how *couldn't* it? Several generations had lived and died all working toward the goal of colonizing a planet, and now this particular generation gets the chance to do so? What if you were the last person too old to see what you had come so far to see? What if you were the person in charge of keeping a delicate peace aboard a ship that absolutely requires it? What if you were an ambitious genius stuck, by virtue of the rules and regulations governing the ship, in a role that you know squanders your potential? What if you were in charge, and everyone's lives hang on your decisions?

These concerns are relatable, but where the window silvers over and is fully replaced by the mirror is in the, honestly, infuriatingly believable petty bullshit. I found myself wanting to reach through the pages and grab characters by the throat and scream "do you not see how your narrow concerns should be subordinate to the greater project?" How do all of these people prioritize their narrow political nonsense over the landing of a lifeboat of humanity on a habitable planet? Do they not see how there are thousands and thousands of lives at stake? It's almost unbelievable, when faced with a goal so lofty that people would be so petty, so political, and so callous to their fellow humans.

Surely if we were faced with a challenge with so dire of stakes, and asked to sacrifice so very little to advance the survival of thousands and thousands of people we share a society with, we would. Wouldn't we?

Oh.

Nevermind.

Like I said, science fiction, when done well, is a mirror. And sometimes what we find in the mirror isn't the most flattering.

At the end of the day, GENERATION SHIP is one of those reads that is punchy, it pulls you forward, it has satisfying characters arcs and the players grow and struggle and achieve and fail. It isn't a ra-ra cheer a tidy conclusion type of book, because ultimately it's telling the story of how messy human nature is, and how our dedication to societal ends is vulnerable to individual priorities. And doing that well doesn't exactly lend itself to a Hollywood ending. The journey, however, is fantastic, as at the end of the day it was one of my favorite reads in recent memory.

This was a really fun, exciting ride of a page-turner with interesting scientific detail to keep you grounded even with the plot's twists and turns! I'm looking forward to reading more by this author.