Genesis Alpha Book Review

Guess what genre this is, I dare you

Genesis Alpha is not the kind of book that I would normally read.  The only reason that I stumbled upon was because I was bored and while browsing a Top 20 Reads list I found both the title and a short synopsis about computer games and genetic alerations.  Those two things and the cool name were what sold me, and five minutes later I had checked it out at our school's media center.  Why is it not something that I would normally read?  It's a thriller, and a pretty gritty one at that.  There's a lot of existential stuff and ethical questions about stuff like genetics and murder.  Yeah, this book is built around murder, and while it leads to some pretty shocking revelations I was surprised to find that I enjoyed the ride.
     Josh is an average kid who has an awesome older brother named Max who plays a computer game called Genesis Alpha with him all the time.  Then one day Max is charged with the murder of a teenage girl, a mystery around which the novel revolves.  At first Josh is adamant that his brother is falsely accused, but eventually evidence begins to crop up that challenges his views of both his brother and himself.
     As a thriller, this book is laden with "gotcha!" moments, most of which-heck, practically all of them-are strategically placed at the end of a chapter, forcing you to start a new one in a hungry race to see what happens next.  I literally couldn't put the book down, I was reading in between classes, on the bus ride home, and then for like four hours just lying down on my bed, reading page after page until I reached the end.  If that ain't the sign of a good story, I'm not sure what is.  There are a few artificial cliffhangers though.  I remember at the end of one chapter something unbelievably shocking happening and then I turn the page and the author's like "nope, just kidding!"  Geeze, my nerves were already up tight, no need to break them in two for no reason whatsoever other than to keep me reading to the next chapter, which, by the why, I was already more than willing to do in the first place.
     Yes, the adrenaline rush is great, but fortunately Genesis Alpha provides more than momentary thrills.  Like I said before, there's some pretty heavy material addressed here, from the moral dilemma of cloning to the questioning of our ability to make choices, and I liked how the book manages to deal with these subjects while still leaving the answers fairly ambiguous.  They also aren't just there just to be there, they are interwoven with the story pretty well, and even connect to each other sometimes.
     As you have probably guessed by now, characterization is pretty important to me.  Great characters are what make a story, and fortunately Genesis Alpha has some, with a few hiccups here and there.  Josh is a solid protagonist; even though he's mostly a force to be acted upon rather than act, he's still interesting to watch at the emotional level.  He has to struggle with a lot and it shows.  Is his brother really guilty, and if he is does that make Josh capable of the same evil since he is Max's brother and therefore has the same genes as him?  As interesting as Josh is, there is one character whom I find completely ridiculous.  A thirteen-year old paparazzi?  I think not.
Conclusion:  Genesis Alpha is not for the faint of heart.  It's got some pretty intense stuff, both emotional and physical.  If murder and moral dilemmas are too much for you, you better sit this one out.  If that sounds like the makings of great literature, dig right in.
Rating:  8/10 "Great"
Favorite Moment:  That would have to be the part when the family is sitting down watching the news, and the attorney points his finger at the t.v. camera, exclaiming "Josh is a -----!"

Side Note:  What's up with all of these positive reviews?  Am I simply a fountain of praise spewing out onto everything I read/play/watch?  Never fear, pessimists, your day is coming....tomorrow....