Baby X tells the story of a future world where everything is wonderful and perfect...or is it?

This book was fine. I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it. The shifting POVs was kind of confusing, though. I actually had to make a little cheat sheet of all the characters so I could keep track of them. The plot was different, but kind of clumsy and rushed. The twist at the end did surprise me, though...so points for that.

I was given this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Quick Brown Fox & Co. for the eARC.

The premise of the book was so very enticing that I had to request it - and was thrilled to receive an eARC. Futuristic books are newish to me, but Kira Peikoff's Baby X was just stellar. I have raved about it to so many.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for a free copy of this book. Now, let's review!

I am a huge fan of Orphan Black. Thus, anything that resembles a story about cloning or DNA manipulation, I have to get my hands on. This book had a very interesting take on how the future will look like, if gene manipulation and stealing DNA to create humans is possible. Sometimes I found myself thinking "This is a creepy notion...but what if it'll become reality in, say, 50 years?". TBH this is why I requested this book: I wanted a futuristic take on how humans may deal with their own biology in some time to come. Kira Peikoff has a very fluent writing style, which makes it easy to get into the book and follow the different story lines. Her characters are well-crafted and interesting, and their different perspectives come together nicely to create a holistic view. If you like reading futuristic stories, I can definitely recommend this book.

My Rating: 5 Stars! Baby X, let me tell you, WOW! I didn't know this book would take hold of me and pull me in the way it did, yet I am so glad it did. Initially, I did not realize the connection between the three women, but it gradually became evident. As someone who can often predict the endings of stories, I thoroughly enjoyed being constantly surprised by this one. I appreciate being pleasantly surprised, and this book was no exception. I won't give away any spoilers, but it's an excellent read that keeps you guessing and pondering what's inside the characters' minds. My favorite character is probably Quinn or Lily because they are strong women who are unsure of themselves yet find they are indeed strong.

The core scientific concept gave me pause, but overall this is a thrilling, compelling read! There are enough red herrings for me to feel like I'm reading something surprising and innovative, and the twist ties everything together nicely without making it feel too neat.

I generally like dystopian books, and thrillers, and the combination of the two sounded like a win for me. In the end I was quite neutral about the book -- I didn't love it like I thought I would, but it also wasn't a bad read. A few things that didn't work for me: I didn't love Lily's storyline for most of the book -- wondered why it was even relevant. I found myself less interested in those parts so that sort of slowed down the book for me. I also fully understand that this was set in the future, but it was as though TOO much was different. Sure, have the genetic technology and focus the plot around that, but then we have robot dogs, self-driving cars, micro-drone surveillance, etc. It all felt too futuristic to me, when I think it would have been more powerful if it felt more like the reality we know today just with advanced biological technology. All in all an interesting concept, and in the end all story lines did weave together -- it just took a long time.

3.5 stars

Baby X by Kira Peikoff is a fascinating, fictionalized story about the future and the technology that may actually exist in 20 or so years. Food replicators. Self-driving cars. And most important to this story, selecting an offspring’s DNA.

The book is told from three POVs . . .

Quinn: A surrogate who carries a parent’s selected embryo until birth.

Ember: A scientist who ensures that her client’s DNA doesn’t fall into the wrong hands

Lily: A journalist trying to make it in the world as a traditionally conceived baby.

The story did drag at times but I did enjoy the sci-fi elements and the twist at the end of the story was satisfying.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book. My thoughts are entirely of my own.

Struggled my way through this one. It took me almost 2 weeks to finish this book, and that’s definitely unlike me. I could never just get sucked into the book, though i was really intrigued by the premise. It definitely gave me a black mirror episode vibes. The characters fell a little flat to me and i kept forgetting who was who. Also; this copy through NetGalley, the font was so small and hard to read which was discouraging. I’m not taking that into consideration to my rating of the book, as that’s unfair to the author.

FUN! I read this in one day! Perfect for fans of fast paced books and slightly dystopian worlds (set in the future and like looks similar, and different at the same time). We follow several timelines, from young Lily trying to make a name as a reporter and grappling with her unhappiness at the secretes she believes her parents are keeping from her, to Quinn, a surrogate mother who believes the man who hired her is after a famous singer and had her implanted with the singer's baby, to Ember, who is dating said singer and trying to keep him "safe" as the world has changed into a place where people use each others DNA for all sorts of things, including making children. If you like John Marrs books, you will love this one!

Unfortunately this was a DNF for me at 32%. I'm not a sci-fi fan, but I'm a huge thriller fan, and strangely since sci-fi is not a genre that I enjoy in either films or books, Gattaca is one of my favorite films and I've always been very interested in genetics, eugenics, etc, so I thought for sure that I'd love this: so I took a chance.

The concept is great and Kira Peikoff is a talented writer, but some of the jargon and concepts kind of took me outside of the story and I just couldn't get into it even though I tried to read it for two weeks. With the right reader, not me apparently, this would be a really good book. I'm going to rate the book according to what I did read and not my dislike of sci-fi as that has no bearing on the actual writing, etc.

Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

I had heard great things about Baby X but I wasn't even close to being prepared for the twisty fun of the story. I couldn't put this book down and read almost all of it in one sitting. I thought I had the secrets all figured out, but I so did not! I could have never even come close to predicting the final secret. This was easily 5 stars and is definitely on my list for favorite books of the year!

I’m not a sci fi reader by any means but this sci fi based thriller seemed like a way to ease in. I really thought the premise was unique and interesting. The future world this is set in is very thought provoking and not at all heavy on science knowledge. Unfortunately, the story’s execution left some holes for me. I felt like this was a little simply written. There are three story lines that obviously intersect and I figured out the intersection by about half way. I wouldn’t say this book is boring, but without the futuristic setting, it’s a pretty simple thriller without much depth.

Phenomenal. I read a lot of books with twists and unexpected turns. This took me by surprise multiple times. The character development and plot pace were absolutely beautiful. I loved this from start to finish - so happy to have another author on my must read list.

I honestly did not care for this book even though I was really intrigued by its premise. I know I am in the minority here but it just didn’t draw me in. I felt myself bored while reading it despite the mystery twists and turns. This one might just be me and not the book

"Baby X" is a thrilling blend of romance, sci-fi, and social commentary that kept me completely absorbed. Peikoff skillfully crafts a story that challenges the ethics of genetic engineering and the future of human reproduction, weaving together the perspectives of three compelling characters: Ember, Quinn, and Lily. Set in the 2050s, the novel explores a futuristic world where advanced technology allows for the creation of babies from any biological material, leading to a dangerous black market trade in celebrity DNA.

While it took me a few chapters to fully immerse myself in the futuristic setting and understand the characters, the pace quickly picked up, leaving me eagerly turning pages until the shocking finale. The original premise and unexpected twists made "Baby X" a standout read, earning it a spot among my favorite books of the month. I highly recommend this gripping thriller to fellow fans of the genre.

I loved it. Part romance, part thriller, part sci-fi, part social commentary, completely everything.
I loved the characters and the story I was totally absorbed. It was so original and creative. So happy I heard about this book and got to read it.

Wow!! I am so glad I chose this for my Aardvark book club pick for March.

I love when books paint an eerie, yet realistic picture of the future. And Baby X more than delivers! This was an incredible speculative thriller. Peikoff brilliantly weaves together three distinct perspectives to tell a captivating story that calls into question the ethics of genetic engineering, privacy rights, and the future of human reproduction. This was a tense page-turner that I devoured!! It’s definitely one of my favorite reads this month.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩:
🧬 Gattaca meets Black Mirror
🧬 sci-fi thriller
🧬 three POVs
🧬 suspense and twists
🧬 fast-paced and addictive
🧬 short chapters

I highly recommend this for readers looking for a futuristic speculative thriller. I’ll be thinking about this for a while!
𝘔𝘺 𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨: 5⭐️

A fairly interesting concept for a speculative fiction book - that babies can be conceived just by using cheek swabs - and the consequences of this discovery. These consequences include celebrities’ DNA being stolen after shows or everyday run-ins and sold on the black market to have celebrity babies, being able to Select between embryos for desirable athletic, health, or intelligence traits, and age no longer being a factor in parenthood. Like many speculative fiction works in this vein, I liked the concept much more than the execution. I didn't love the characters and wasn't particularly gripped by any of their storylines. I sadly found myself losing interest in the plot about halfway through, although I did enjoy thinking about the ethical and practical questions that this alternate world raises.

Baby X is well written speculative fiction that feels like a glimpse into the future of our celebrity obsessed world. Told in three different points of view that may or may not be related, the author pulls off a unique story that balances medical tech with romance and humanity. Baby X is unlike anything I’ve read lately and perfect for readers who want something unique.

“When any biological matter can be used to create life, stolen celebrity DNA sells to the highest bidder–or the craziest stalker–in this propulsive thriller”

The premise was great, and since I love science thrillers, I was intrigued. Unfortunately, I recognized the lack of proper execution early on, and it was a painful slog through poor dialog, wooden characters, and a confusing timeline. Add in a stupid twist sprung on the reader with no foreshadowing, and you have a book that just makes me angry. There is so much wasted potential and so much wasted time.

The blurb promised an “unpredictable and relentless speculative thriller perfect for fans of Blake Crouch.” Do yourself a favor and skip this to read Crouch.