Origin Review

Title: Origin
Author: Jessica Khoury
Publisher: Razorbill
Release Date: September 4th 2012
Source: ARC for Review
Rating: 4.5


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.

Review:

 

The major aspect of Origin that stood out for me was the uniquness of the jungle setting. I loved the descriptoion that Jessica Khoury put into it, creating a lush and colourful visual. The concept of immortality is a very redundant theme, but the use of the immortality in Origin is a more scientifc take that makes it unique and brings the concept back to life.

 

Eio is an unusual male lead/ love interest I think in YA novels. He's not the super hot, dark and mysterious guys that is used in the majority of books, he's more "real". Nontheless I well in love with is lovable and caring personality, and if I were in Pia's position I would totally go for him as well.

 

I found the plot to be very unpredicatable, which is rare since I usual am able to guess the outcome. And I found myself very eager to see what the deal was behind Pia's immortality and the risks the scientists faced when creating her.

 

The writing was fluent, descriptive, and came across as well intelligent on the scientific aspects of the book, it was well researched.

 

I didn't really enjoy how at the beginning of the book Pia thought that she was "perfect" and all the scientists considered her to be as well. But as she started to break away from the only home she has ever known and the only people she has ever met, I enjoyed her personality more and the new person she was becoming. I found it annoying how she called the scientists "aunt" and "uncle"...

 

I'm not sure if there will be a sequel or if this is just a stand a lone, but I really want one. Overall a very great debut novel.