Brad About Books: Vitro by Jessica Khoury

Read on November 30, 2013

VITRO
Expected Publication Date: January 14, 2014
Publisher: Razorbill (Penguin)
Format: ARC
Page Count: 384 pages
Source: Publisher in exchange for an honest review

A death-defying tropical adventure delivers a frightening message about dabbling with creation from the talented author of Origin.

On a remote island in the Pacific, Corpus scientists have taken test tube embryos and given them life. These beings—the Vitros—have knowledge and abilities most humans can only dream of. But they also have one enormous flaw.

Sophie Crue is determined to get to Skin Island and find her mother, a scientist who left Sophie behind years ago. She enlists hunky charter pilot Jim Julien to take her there. But once on the island, Sophie and Jim encounter more than they bargained for, including a charming, brilliant Vitro named Nicholas and an innocent, newly awoken one named Lux.

In a race for their lives, Sophie and Jim are about to discover what happens when science stretches too far beyond its reach.

Vitro is an action-packed, epic sophomore novel from Jessica Khoury that bended my mind and had me completely enthralled with Sophie and Jim's story. Hands-down one of the best sci-fi novels I've ever read!

I absolutely adored Khoury's Origin, so I was very eager to dive into her latest novel, and I have to say that I wasn't disappointed! Most sci-fi/paranormal novels play on the subject of trying to push the boundaries, but what I loved most about Vitro was that it talked about the aftermath of what happens after the boundaries are exceeded. It's a fresh, unique spin on the sci-fi genre; Jessica Khoury nailed it with Vitro! Electric and stunning, Vitro is a must-read for fans of The Madman's Daughter and For Darkness Shows the Stars. Truly one of a kind!

Sophie and Jim are such awesome protagonists. Sophie is a determined, fierce leader who isn't afraid to fight for what she believes in, and I really appreciated that about her character. She's headstrong (sometimes against her own better judgement), but I can't deny that she is an epic main character. And Jim supported her and balanced her out so well! He wasn't the kind of guy who would abandon or turn a blind eye when Sophie needed help; needless to say, both of these characters were fantastic. Jessica Khoury has easily became one of my favorite authors!

Needing something fast-paced that will have you turning pages late into the night? Vitro is a fantastic choice. Each scene brings something to offer, and they all tie together as one big arc of an epic story that is unputdownable. I never wanted to set Vitro down for a minute - it consumed my entire mind. Vitro didn't disappoint, and it has quickly become one of my favorite books. 

Overall, Vitro is a fast-paced, pulse-pounding read that will have you on the edge of your seat until the very end. Brave, bold, and original, Vitro is a gem that shouldn't be missed!

M Y     R A T I N G

Brad About Books: Origin by Jessica Khoury

Read from October 20 to 21, 2013

ORIGIN
Published: September 4, 2012
Publisher: Razorbill (Penguin)
Format: Hardcover
Page Count: 394 pages
Source: Purchased

The jungle hides a girl who cannot die.

Pia has grown up in a secret laboratory hidden deep in the Amazon rain forest. She was raised by a team of scientists who have created her to be the start of a new immortal race. But on the night of her seventeenth birthday, Pia discovers a hole in the electric fence that surrounds her sterile home―and sneaks outside the compound for the first time in her life.

Free in the jungle, Pia meets Eio, a boy from a nearby village. Together, they embark on a race against time to discover the truth about Pia's origin―a truth with deadly consequences that will change their lives forever.

Origin is a beautifully told, shocking new way to look at an age-old desire: to live forever, no matter the cost.

Woah! Origin is a fast-paced, gripping read that had me turning pages as fast as I could. Jessica Khoury is an outstanding voice in the sci-fi genre; this book was awesome!

I've never read a story about creating an immortal army - especially hiding an immortal girl - and Khoury did an exceptional job with handling this story. I was always intrigued by the scientists and how they created Pia - I couldn't get this book off my mind. And I just loved that it was set in the jungle! Again, I don't think I've ever read a book set in the jungle directly before, and Origin definitely spun a unique, thrilling tale unlike any other. I was turning pages as fast I could, totally caught up in all of the epic-ness that Origin provides so well. If you're needing a read that will hook you in right from the beginning, Origin does just the trick.

Pia was such a great protagonist. We get to see her struggle through adapting to the world and settling with becoming immortal, but she's also a rebellious teenager when she joins forces with Eio. Getting to see both sides of their vastly different worlds - Pia's being a laboratory with scientific things at every corner, and Eio's being a village in the dangerous jungle - was a treat, and I loved the entire world-building of both places. Jessica Khoury did a phenomenal job with balancing Eio and Pia's character development and their majorly different worlds. I fell so hard for this book - fast-paced, climatic, and fantastically incredible, Origin shouldn't be missed.

I loved how Khoury created her own version of immortality, instead of following the tropes and norm of what we, as a whole, consider legends of immortality. Pia is unlike any heroine you've ever read about, and you won't be able to shake this book loose long after you've turned the final page. With Origin, each word is smart and clever, and all of the characters are stunning and unique. In fact, this entire book is stunning and unique. Origin was marvelous in every way possible; definitely a new favorite book of mine.

Overall, Origin is a true gem. Powerful and outstanding, Origin is an incredible take on the truth about "forever" and the effects of it - one of a kind.

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