Gem X
Grade 7 Up—In the fine tradition of dystopian novels like Huxley'sBrave New Worldand Westerfeld'sUglies(S & S, 2005), Singer has created a world in which society is not divided along racial or economic lines, but rather according to genetic status—those who have been genetically engineered and those who have not. Sixteen-year-old Maxo is the product of the GemX prototype, the ultimate in genetic enhancement. Physically perfect in every way, he seems to live a charmed life until something goes terribly wrong. A crack appears on his face. His frantic search for a cure is complicated when he falls in love with a Natural girl, a "Dreggie," who lives in a project outside of the Polis. While many of the loose ends are more or less tied up, there are strong hints of a possible sequel that appear, rather disconcertingly, in the last few pages. This intelligent, fast-paced novel will appeal to those teens who disdain warrior kitties and telepathic dragons and want speculative fiction with bite and satire.—Jane Henriksen Baird, Anchorage Public Library, AKCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.