This wasn't my favorite book, even if I did read it fairly quickly. It got caught up in genres, where it wanted to be a mystery but also very sci-fi at the same time. I think its a good example of sometimes a book can't have it all.

Kira Peikoff deftly uses her own knowledge as a bioethicist to draw attention to a recent (2022-23) achievement in genetic research in this medical thriller that explores the implications of 'precision reproduction' for our future. In post-WW III 2050, people no longer have to go “jumping into bed and having sex to get pregnant”. They can choose when to get pregnant - well into their 60s if they wish - and avoid medical complications, hereditary conditions and undesirable behavioural traits (in their offspring),

In Baby X we navigate Quinn's latest surrogacy relationship with her mysterious and domineering client, Richard, Meanwhile, Ember lands her biggest client yet, all she needs to do is make sure he doesn't find out about her past, Lily is grappling with her parents surprise decision to have a child as she is leaving home, in addition to dealing with the stress of making a good impression in her new workplace. The plot development is superbly executed and the tension eases/builds nicely as expected of the thriller genre . Tackling the ethical challenges of AI on so many fronts (privacy, trust, reproductive rights,, etc) without getting bogged down was made possible with the hand-over of perspectives.

Watch out for some classic passage introducing the protagonists and scene setting, some a little whimsical: "The smog on this April morning coated the valley in an amber layer, like one of those nostalgic social media filters she grew up with" others cutting observations: ""Although she often spoke of Jesus as her savior, Quinn had to wonder how much of it was for show, a carefully curated altar built in service to her one true God: the approval of others."

I put Baby X on my TBR list in January and was trying to get a copy through my local library. I was absolutely thrilled to have the opportunity to finally read and review an e-copy from NetGalley (thanks to all!). Absolutely worth the wait - an easy 4 stars! The cover design is fantastic - (not so) subtle use of the chromosome. Love the colours.

An amazing book! I went into it thinking it would be good but it was so much better! I was hooked from start to finish and highly recommend!

The concept of this book was super interesting (and lowkey horrifying)... imagine a world where you have to decide the traits of your child and you hvae to then live with the consequences if that comes with severe mental or physical illnesses. I was really intrigued with the overall plot, but as someone who is choosing to never had kids, I felt super disconnected from the whole thing. I really liked the more thrilling bits but once the mystery was solved the book kept going and it lost me. I did enjoy the writing and it's pretty much what kept me going through the low parts of the story.

Book 70 of 2024: Baby X by Kira Peikoff

Rating: ⭐️⭐️/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

In the near-future United States, where advanced technology can create egg or sperm from any person’s cells, celebrities face the alarming potential of meeting biological children they never conceived. Famous singer Trace Thorne is tired of being targeted by the Vault, a black market site devoted to stealing DNA. Sick of paying ransom money for his own cell matter, he hires bio-security guard Ember Ryan to ensure his biological safety. Working for Thorne, her focus becomes split when she begins to fall for him, but she knows she hasn’t let anything slip–love or not, his DNA is safe. But then she and Thorne are confronted by a pregnant woman, Quinn, who claims that Thorne is the father of her baby, and all bets are off.

Thank you @netgalley for this ARC! This book had an interesting premise but I found the execution to be a hot mess. I really wanted to like it but the writing. Was. SO. Bad. The syntax was all over the place, making everything seem incredibly choppy. The characters also came across as quite flat and I couldn’t bring myself to care for or be invested in any of their stories. Their motivations are very murky for the majority of the book. There was kind of a twist at the end but it wasn’t enough to make up for the chaotic plot structure. I wouldn’t classify this as a thriller as there was really no suspense. The sci-fi elements were also kind of strange and rooted more in fantasy than science. The book also had an opportunity to delve into deeper themes of medical ethics and surrogacy, but those were more surface level plot elements and I was disappointed by that. Overall this had some potential but the execution made this a miss for me.

Text I sent to my book-ish friend immediately after finishing the last page:
"I gasped three times and let out a 'WHAT' at one point. Five stars. Full recommendation."

I am sorry for the inconvenience but I don’t have the time to read this anymore and have lost interest in the concept. I believe that it would benefit your book more if I did not skim your book and write a rushed review. Again, I am sorry for the inconvenience.

I'm not a huge sci-fi reader, but this book was fantastic! I loved the multiple perspectives, and how all the narratives intertwined. I thought the characters were good, and really found the premise of the book incredibly suspenseful. I cannot imagine living in a world where someone can take any of your DNA and have a baby, nor could I have predicted the twist in this book! I would highly recommend this book for a unique thriller.

Baby X is an interesting science fiction piece from author Kira Peikoff. This is set in the near future, and considering the exponential ‘improvements’ in scientific advancement, some of the technology described in this sci-fi thriller aren’t so far-fetched. Such as devices in our eyes that can operate like our current mobile phones – where we are, in constant communication, always on-line, totally locatable etc.

However, this is about futuristic technology that can turn any cell from a human body into an ovarian egg, or a spermatozoon. Think about the possibilities here.

There is a nefarious group called "The Vault" who steal and develop such cells from famous/talented people to sell on the black market.

Imagine someone stealing a drinking straw from Professor Brian Cox to obtain cells to create a spermatozoon to engage with the cells obtained from a dining fork from Beyonce and create an embryo that can incubate in a surrogate – and produce a kid that will eventually be able to sing and dance like a superstar, look amazing, perfect hair all while solving some of the world’s most interesting problems regarding dark matter, or quantum mechanics (at the same time)?

This story involves a famous singer called Trace Thorne whose DNA is stolen and he’s subject to ransom demands for his own stolen DNA. He employs a DNA security expert (Ember) to tidy up after him, to make sure his DNA isn’t stolen. That is, she cleans up after him ALL THE TIME - (sounds good right?)

Well, it all turns out to go a bit pear-shaped when a pregnant woman called Quinn turns up who claims Thorne is the father of her baby, and a thriller ensues. There’s a number of characters who come and go, and some baddies we think are goodies and vice-versa. The usual trick.
This was an entertaining enough read and some of the science stuff was believable in a sci-fi type of way, and there are many twists and turns involved that arise – making this one an entertaining enough for followers of this genre. I’d imagine.

I enjoyed this enough and I would highly recommend this one to fans of this genre.

This sci fi thriller is set in our world, but a few decades from now, in a time where it’s very easy to make embryos and select the best one to implant after extensive genetic screening, and basically everyone who can does it that way with having natural “unforeseen” children looked down on. The book is told from three perspectives - Ember, who has a new company dedicated to protecting a client from having unscrupulous people steal their genetic material; Quinn, a gestational surrogate; and Lily, a young journalist who is one of the unforeseen but tries to hide that from people.

An interesting premise and a sort of Blake Crouch-lite type vibe. The writing is not exactly literary but the book really moves along at a nice clip and kept me reading. I will say I guessed the twist quite early, which while satisfying in one way also made the ultimate reveal feel a little drawn out and less mind-blowing. Still, an entertaining read and one which should be fun to discuss with my book club.

3.5 stars

This was a unique premise and an extremely enjoyable, fast paced read! I couldn't put this book down! Kira did a great in creating a story line redemption and hope and the idea that paving your own future is key to one's identity. I loved that the ending took me completely by surprise and I was completely shocked by the ending!

This was great! I really enjoyed this sci-fi thriller and I was hooked almost right away. This definitely felt like a Black Mirror episode and it was very gripping. I was in for the ride, the drama, and the intrigue, and it delivered. The journey to the end was better than the ending itself, but I'm not complaining. Everything felt so plausible about the science and it was also very easy to understand, which I appreciate.

If you're not a sci-fi person, I think this book is a good entry point because the blend of sci-fi and thriller makes it easy to get into. Overall, it was a solid read, I liked it a whole lot and I ate it up.

Great futuristic read with just enough truth and intrigue around make you wonder how close we are to this type of science. Written from multiple character perspectives. A bit of a surprise when you learn exactly how all of the characters connect.

2.5 ⭐️
What a disappointment. Not really a thriller nor a true drama. Just a lot of predictable plot that leads to a couple underwhelming twists. Wish I had that time back.

Not anywhere near as good as Mother Knows Best. Interesting but a lot of slow, dragging points. I didn't like one of the POVs, took awhile to get into, to find out why it was relevant.

Really Interesting dystopian book about the future of technology and (in)humanity of it. I enjoyed the 3 stories and how they intertwined, especially the twist towards the end! I definitely didn’t see that coming :) I liked the references to our current world and parallels in some parts, as well as ethical questions brought up. This book would make a good book club discussion!

Talk about a scary look at the future when any biological matter can be turned into a sperm or egg for reproduction. This starts with a celebrity's stolen DNA being held for ransom or used to create biological children never intended. But from there we're faced with genetic engineering, "selecting" which embryos become children based on health and personality traits and that's where the technology had me cringing. The three point of views are each interesting and ultimately intersect.

I really enjoyed Baby X. I loved the uniqueness aspect of this book. So many things are rewritten these days, so it was nice to have read a book that I can honestly say I haven’t read the concept before.

We have 3 different point of views throughout this book. I liked how the author told multiple sides of this story and how Baby X affected different families. I kept wondering throughout the book how these 3 different narrators fit together, but it was a surprisingly well put -up together ending. And ultimately I really enjoyed this futuristic concept of how radication of sickness might be played out.

Overall I would recommend Baby X. It has a futuristic/sc-fi/thrillerish theme. 4 stars for me!

***Thank you Netgalley and The Quick Brown Fox & Co for an ARC copy in return for an honest review***

This was a fun and unique read! I really enjoyed the speculative fiction aspects and appreciated that it didn’t feel over the top- but like something that could actually happen someday. It made me think about what I would do in their circumstances- what it would be like to choose your children based on their DNA. It was easy to read, had a few good twists and I love how all of the multiple points of view came together. Overall I really liked it and still think about it often!

Wow! I loved this! 4.5 stars.

“In the near-future United States, where advanced technology can create egg or sperm from any person’s cells, celebrities face the alarming potential of meeting biological children they never conceived.” —book blurb

This scifi thriller alternates between 3 POVs and there are so many cool technology aspects throughout ! I absolutely loved how everything came together at the end!

I highly recommend this one and would compare it to a Blake Crouch thriller! I definitely want to check out more by this author now!

A big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC!