The Museum of Second Chances

Finally, a book from an unknown author and an unknown publisher that’s actually good. I knew there had to be one somewhere. Granted it had me at Neanderthals, a subject that has always had an enormous appeal for me. But the thing with Neanderthal stories is that traditionally they are set either in present time (discovery has been made) or the past (and that’s how they lived) and this book takes it to the future. Already hugely auspicious. AE Warren creates a dystopian world where mankind (is that politically incorrect now? should it be (wo)mankind or something?) has finally done the civilization in through aggression and starvation and from those ashes new genetically advanced species have emerged, so now there are tiers to the society…Sapiens at the bottom (what remains of the original population), Medius appropriately in the middle with some genetic improvements and Proptiors at the top of the ladder, exceptionally advanced beings. The latter on a sort of quest to repay for the mistakes of their genetically average ancestors have decided to bring back to life all the bygone species, hence the eponymous Museum of Second Chances. The Neanderthals however tend to get lonely, depressed and suicidal, they require companions and into such a job our protagonist a Sapien girl is hired. And no this isn’t some sort of inane Girl meets Neanderthal romance and no this isn’t YA, despite the young ages of the characters, both them and the narrative is too mature for that. This is actually quite a fascinating story about a divided society and the real meaning of progress and biological/genetic advancements. It’s a well written book with terrific descriptions and engaging characters, I was completely engaged throughout, the author has smartly chosen to not get tangled up in tangentials (there isn’t a prerequisite love story here for one thing), in favor of spending more time presenting her fascinating artificially natural or naturally artificial world. In fact the only detractor here was the seemingly abrupt ending…was it meant to be sequel ready? The story does have a resolution, but it seems, I don’t know, sudden. Then again it’s a fictional universe well worth revisiting if the author choses to go in that direction. And for a standalone it’s a very good read, thought provoking and entertaining at the same time. Second book I’ve read recently that played like a movie in my brain, which I enjoy tremendously. Not sure how to classify it as a genre, but it’s somewhere along science fiction, dystopian lines that give the story the contours within which the sociological ramifications of genetic manipulations play out. Not sure of that sounds exciting enough to do the book justice, so instead…it’s pretty awesome. Thanks Netgalley.

In THE MUSEUM OF SECOND CHANCES by AE Warren, Elise, a Sapien, has just been hiring to work at the museum as a companion to a Neanderthal in hopes that one day, with the right care and consideration, the Neanderthal can be a prized exhibit at the museum. In this dystopian future, civilization imploded on itself and from those remains came Sapiens (the remaining humans who are now reduced to menial work and are considered a lesser species), Medius (the middle class, having some genetic engineering, they hold jobs like police, scientist, administrative support, etc), and Potior (the ruling class, very few in the world, genetic engineered to the max, they make and implement all of the laws on the world). So to study where we all came from, the Potiors have opened museums and have created extinct species, including Neanderthals, in a lab and giant habitats for all of those creations to live. Elise is anxious about her new job and it turns out to be so much more than she thought and she discovers more secrets and lies than she ever imagined. And Elise has some secrets as well.
With such a class system created from societal destruction, THE MUSEUM OF SECOND CHANCES reminds the reader of the class systems in HUNGER GAMES and RED RISING series. By seeing how this world is set up and then plays out in the book, Warren presents challenging ideas and opinions that can mirror what goes on with our own governments. Warren creates a vast museum with seemingly endless boundaries and countless passages, secret areas, and viewing areas. I think Warren could have had an entire Appendix that maps out the entire museum that many of the readers would have enjoyed. As the story progresses, Warren does a good job of parceling out the secret history and intimate desires of the main characters. The reader quickly develops a deep sympathy for the Neanderthal, since while many people at the museum feel captive to their duties, the Neanderthal's entire life has been decided for him. Warren carries the book to a rewarding end with a hope that societal change is coming.
At its core, THE MUSEUM OF SEOCND CHANCES is the search to find out who one really is, not what society has told them to be.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2343917705 - A very enjoyable first novel by A E Warren, let down by an abrupt and unsatisfying ending. Could do with running an extra few thousand pages.

I received an ARC of this from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book so much so that I devoured it within 24 hours. Granted, it's not incredibly long, but still. In fact, I wish it was longer because I really want to know what happens to those characters next. This book would make a fantastic series (hint hint).

The premise is that humanity has undergone some kind of apocalypse and 200 or so years later, humans are living in 4 colonies (that we know of) and each colony has it's own museum. Now this isn't your typical museum. No, it's a museum of extinct species that have all been resurrected and are living in their own pods. This includes Neanderthals who live in isolation from one another though they are allowed to have a companion that spends time with them on a daily basis. Did I also mention that humanity is now divided into 3 different castes/categories/etc for lack of a better word. We have Sapiens, the bottom of the barrel regular humans, Medius, the middle with some gene enhancements, and finally the Potior, the creme de la creme and these guys rule society.

Our heroine is of course a Sapien, however she has a few special traits which she has to keep hidden. She becomes the companion to a Neanderthal and starts to shake things up in different ways. There's a great cast of endearing characters as they challenge the barriers of their society. It's a totally refreshing take on a post apocalyptic world.

I really enjoyed it and I would recommend to others. I also really wish there was another book in the works but I'll take what I can get.

Reminded me of a Hunger Games esque novel. I can imagine it be translated to a film production and I am already awaiting the sequel/follow up. Good storyline, kept my interest, liked the characters. I would recommend.

This was a fast read, but enjoyable. AE Warren has a deft hand at description - I could see the buildings, the Museum, the displays, so vividly. I greatly appreciated a female protag who wasn't all about hooking up or getting a boyfriend; it was a very welcome change.

Elise and Kit and Luca and the others were interesting and distinct. The events that led to this 'separation' of species is lightly sketched, and I personally would like a closer look at those cataclysmic happenings. A sequel is not hinted at, but would not be a bad thing, as the story is gripping.