This book will bring you to the future, to 2027, where genes can be edited to improve human performance.
Emily & Dougal have difficulty to have a baby so they go to Well-Born clinic for an IVF which also offer additional service of modifying genes to build a perfect baby, especially one that strong, disease resistant and some amazing attributes like eidetic memory.

Thirty years later, those GM (genes modified) human are gathered to fight for their rights to be the same as normal human with no more segregation, no limitation in health care, not being a second class citizen. In this timeline, we have Adelaide who works as political staff and trying to make a difference about those GM. And, with the possibility of virus outbreak, Adelaide's plan of Cyprus Project with her husband might be derailed.

This is a brilliant story, and if only I read this book over the weekend, I'll be able to finish it faster as it's such a page turner from the first chapter. It's dystopian with a splash of science fiction taste.

4.5 stars
I really enjoyed this story, set in dual timeframes in the near future of 2027, and then another 30 years in the future. We follow Emily in 2027, when gene editing is new and Emily is thinking about having the procedure to ensure the health of her baby, then Adelaide in the future where those who are genetically modified are living as second class citizens and Adelaide is doing all she can to try and help these people.

The story was futeristic with science advancements, but also real enough that it felt realstic. I enjoyed both timelines equally and was interested to find out if/how they were connected. Some parts of the last quarter did seem a little unrealistic, but still a very enjoyable read.

Thank you to Pantera Press and NetGalley for the eARC of this book. Highly recommend.

Absolutely brilliant - a real page turner! Two women! Two eras, one desire - to be mothers. In a post pandemic world Emily wants the best for her child, and if that means preventing that baby from suffering in the future, and you have the means to make that happen, why wouldn’t you. Adelaide is desperate to have a baby but has suffered many losses and can’t go through that again- she will risk everything to become a mother.

I’ve read all of Gens books and they are all brilliant. I highly recommend you pick up this one, I couldn’t put it down!

Big thanks to Pantera Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review - I am very grateful.

This is a dual timeline book, with one storyline tracing Emily's journey to becoming a mother, and another tracing Adelaide's 30 years later. I loved the first three quarters of this book. It focussed on the ethics and reasons for fiddling with the human genome, and on the question of what is a human, and who should have rights. It showed complicated and real feeling mother daughter relationships and the challenges we can face. I loved the fact is was set in Melbourne, my city, a city that felt very real - even 40 years from our future. I wasn't expecting a pandemic book, but it was well done. Until

SPOILERS BELOW






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it turns into a weird thriller, with people running around Eastern Europe during a lockdown. It felt fake and silly and forced, and unnecessary given the weighty emotional content of the novel.

Inheritance by Genevieve Gannon is about two woman decades apart struggling with fertility, family issues and controversial new technology.

First we meet Emily, who is struggling to conceive in the near future of 2027 in a world still trying to recover from a pandemic, and considers the help of the newest baby tech, gene editing, which promises a stronger, smarter, more elite and advantageous child. Then we meet Adelaide, who 30 years later, is determined to make a positive change in her role as a political worker. She is also struggling to conceive after several miscarriages and has a secret goal with her husband called The Cyprus Project that is risky and threatens to fall apart.

I loved this - the world creation, the unique, fresh premise, and the way Gannon brought in enough from the real world for this story to be extremely believable. She really captured that feeling of uncertainty and dread that reminded me of the virus outbreaks and lockdowns Australia experienced during covid times. This was well researched, well written and executed beautifully. Deals with complex issues, emotions, and the potential consequences of playing with nature.

It reminded me very much of The Handmaids Tale, and I chucked to myself when it was even mentioned in the book.

Thank you Pantera Press and NetGalley for my ARC. Inheritance is due out 03/09/24.