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The Apocalypse Gene

by Suki Michelle (Goodreads Author), Carlyle Clark (Goodreads Author)

3.6 of 5 stars 3.60 · rating details · 110 ratings · 80 reviews

Global pandemic is raging.

Olivya Wright-Ono's once loving home has been converted to a hospice for the dying. Her ability to see auras forces her to witness, with agonizing detail, the vibrant colors of life consumed by malignancy.

The beautiful and troubled Mikah is an elite Empath in the ancient Kindred clan, led by the brooding, ever-morphing, monster named Prime. Mikah...more

Paperback, 1st Edition, 251 pages

Published July 30th 2011 by Parker Publishing

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Jan 12, 2012 Heidi rated it 3 of 5 stars

Three and a half stars: A book that is a blend of dystopian, science fiction and mythology all in one!

Olivya wakes to another day of stink and death in her own home. Outside a global pandemic is raging. Healthy people are succumbing to all forms of cancer and dying within weeks. All existing cures and medicines are ineffective against the deadly disease. No one can explain why cancer is ravaging through the population. Olivya's mother to make ends meet, converted their home into a hospice care...more

3 likes · like · see review

Dec 18, 2011 Experiment BL626 rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, paranormal, dystopian-apocalyptic, reviewed

CAUTION: Long Review

The Apocalypse Gene (TAG) is a work of speculative fiction. It's dystopian because the neighborhoods are community hospices where law-abiding citizens are either government-paid health caretakers or terminally ill patients. It's apocalyptic because there is an incurable plague and a looming future for the extinction of the human race. It's young adult because the main characters are teenagers. It's cyberpunk because the internet is a virtual reality world of its own. It's urb...more

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Dec 07, 2011 Karin Gastreich rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

Olivya, a young African-American woman in a near-future Chicago, lives in a world devastated by a plague of cancer. Her mother runs a hospice, where Olivya is forced to witness the slow consumption of patients by this terrible malignancy. Olivya’s ability to see auras once painted the world in vibrant colors of light, but now only drags her into the heart of death and despair. Looking for an escape, she agrees to meet Mikah, her virtual friend and the object of an intense attraction, in person f...more Olivya, a young African-American woman in a near-future Chicago, lives in a world devastated by a plague of cancer. Her mother runs a hospice, where Olivya is forced to witness the slow consumption of patients by this terrible malignancy. Olivya’s ability to see auras once painted the world in vibrant colors of light, but now only drags her into the heart of death and despair. Looking for an escape, she agrees to meet Mikah, her virtual friend and the object of an intense attraction, in person for the first time. But Mikah is bound to a world of malevolent supernatural beings, and the promise of his love brings with it an unnamable threat, not only to Olivya, but to the world she loves and desires to save.

So begins this action-packed sci fi and fantasy adventure. Michelle and Clark weave an engaging page-turner that integrates the best of both genres and leaves the reader thirsty for more. Richly imagined and beautifully delivered, this is a novel that would grace any bookshelf, and that deserves the highest recommendation.

If I must find something to complain about (and in the spirit of an honest review, I fear I must), it would be with respect to some chapters in the middle of the novel where an otherwise breathtaking pace slows substantially. In particular, Olivya’s encounter with the character Lylobriel never quite escapes the feel of data-download; as if Clark and Michelle were a little too anxious to fill the reader in on the all the details of their complex mythology, at the cost of simply telling a good story.

On a philosophical note – neither as criticism or complement, simply an observation on my part – the central argument of the novel left me a little sad. I found myself wishing that the solution to the cancer epidemic were this simple: a straightforward matter of cosmic conflict between beings beyond our understanding, as opposed to what it truly is, a reflection of the hazards of our modern lifestyle, a consequence of the slow self-poisoning of our planet that we are so reluctant to recognize.

Bravo, Michelle and Clark. I am very much looking forward to the sequel.
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Nov 23, 2011 Rain Misoa rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Dystopian Fans, Sci-Fi Fans, and people who just love epic adventures!

Recommended to Rain by: The author! Suki Michelle

Oh wow! That ending! Can you believe it!? It was like, "Bam!" Then it was like, "Bang!" And then it was like, "BOOM!" Phew! That was a lot of action! But let me calm down now and actually give you a proper review. This book is an action-packed, edge-of-your-seat kind of read. The story was very unique and invigorating! Most of the characters are very relatable and fun to learn more about. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed the lore of this novel. There were things in here that you feel you've l...more Oh wow! That ending! Can you believe it!? It was like, "Bam!" Then it was like, "Bang!" And then it was like, "BOOM!" Phew! That was a lot of action! But let me calm down now and actually give you a proper review. This book is an action-packed, edge-of-your-seat kind of read. The story was very unique and invigorating! Most of the characters are very relatable and fun to learn more about. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed the lore of this novel. There were things in here that you feel you've learned about but then the authors throw in some twists and turns of their own that leave you speechless! This was indeed a very fun, energetic read! Before I read this book, I was in a reading slump. In fact, I haven't read a book in about two months because I just wasn't in the mood to. Most books that are being written today are just not entertaining to me. It's the same story re-hashed over and over again so I just didn't feel the need to read anything. That was before the brilliant Suki Michelle contacted me and asked me if I was interested in reading her and Carlyle Clark's book, The Apocalypse Gene. When she was so kind to offer, I jumped at the chance to. I was completely sold when she said that Carlyle loves anime (and it shows! Read the book so you can see what I mean!). My goodness. I am truly grateful to them both for helping me get over my reading dilemma and for introducing me to a wonderful book!

Suki Michelle and Carlyle Clark did an amazing job at writing this book. Their writing style is top-notch! I love how they were able to work their styles together and make it balance into a nicely written novel. The style is not overly complex that you feel you need to take a breather after every sentence because it makes absolutely no sense to you... yet it's structured in a way that makes you think about what's going on in the story and what the characters should do in order to resolve the issues. I think what I enjoyed most about this novel is the story itself. It's quite different. It takes place in this sort of post-apocalyptic world where a terrible disease has spread throughout the entire world. But it doesn't end there! There's so much more to it that I can't say anything else otherwise it will spoil the whole book! Seriously, this is one of those books that I have to be very careful not to say too much or... well, you'll know what's going to happen and I don't want to ruin it for you guys~ <3 The world, the lingo, the gadgets, everything! All of it was so fascinating to me! I wish we had the technology of going to V-School and having a Holo-Sim! Those things sound awesome! (Don't know what I'm talking about? Read the book!) This dystopian book was wonderfully planned out and I am so happy I read it since dystopians are one of my favorite genres. ^_^

And now, as with all my other reviews, I shall talk about characters! We shall start with the two main heroes. The first one: Olivya. I have to be completely honest with you guys... I wasn't a fan. I felt that her character was absolutely shallow. Selfish in every way possible. I didn't like how at first, she only liked Mikah, the male protagonist, for his looks. I believe there is so much more to a person than their physical appearances and, throughout most of the book, that's the only thing she cares about. In fact, even by the end of the book, there's still some of that left. I thought that once the story progressed a bit further, she was going to go through a HUGE character development, and in some ways, she did. There was this scene where she watched over her mother and I thought, "Wow... you are actually showing responsibility and not trying to put the blame on everyone else." I felt that she finally matured. Then Mikah came back into the picture... and she commented on his appearance again. Really, Olivya? You're going to backtrack like that? *Sighs* I just was not taken in to her character. By the end of the book, I didn't find her as annoying but I still feel she needs to go through some major development before I am able to say I enjoy her. Still, she was an amazing fighter and there were times that I liked her spunk. She could be a very great character... if only she stopped being shallow. On to Mikah! I. Love. Mikah. I thought he was a great male lead! He showed actual interest in Olivya and not because she was beautiful or anything! No. It was because he liked HER. Her personality. Her fire. Her everything. Now he's someone I can enjoy! Plus, he was very intelligent, honorable, caring, sweet, fun, you name it! I love how he wanted to do whatever he could to save Olivya and the world he lived in. I really enjoyed him as a character. Olivya could learn a thing or two from him.

Side characters! I can't say too much of them because it'll ruin a lot of plot-points from the book so I will briefly touch upon a few of them. There's Mrs. Wright-Ono, Olivya's mother, and she was pretty cool. She's this no-nonsense type of mother but she could also be quite fun. I liked her a lot. Changarai, Mikah's "father" of sorts, is very loving and wise. Without him or Mikah, a lot of things about the book would make no sense to the reader! I'm grateful for them both! The Neo-Twins, Kaiman and Ash, were simply badass. Ash doesn't say much but he can knock your butt into oblivion! Kaiman... I have a crush on him. He has this... flamboyant air about him, which made me smile, but he also has this tough attitude about him. He can be quite sarcastic, too. And devious! God, I love him! XD There's Ayvilo who kinda annoyed me but I can't say why. Once you read the book, I'm sure you'll get it. I did like how she was able to wield her Nagamaki sword! That was epic! (God, I love the Japanese influence this book has!) Hakim is another character I adored! He has this elegance about him. Such a smooth, gentle, wise talker. I love him! There's Prime... and I can't say anything about him. Just know that he's cool. Then there's my favorite character: Lylobriel. Oh God! I cannot tell you how much I love him! His gentleness, his awesomeness, his... everything! I love him so much. Plus, he truly is a beautiful character. Very intelligent and wonderful and... *Swoons* ...I love him. I wish I could say more! But I can't! I will say this: Lylobriel and Morfexio are the perfect example of what friends should be like. Their relationship was the best one out of the entire book, in my opinion. (Plus, I'm a full-time yaoi fangirl so my brain totally ships them. That's right. I said it. AND I'M NOT ASHAMED OF IT!!!)

This book was a trip! The ups and downs, the craziness of what's happening in the world, the technology going out of whack, the characters losing their minds. It's all a bunch of good, entertaining fun waiting to happen. Like I said, this book is amazing. Besides that one drawback I mentioned previously, this book was such an amazing experience. Would I read it again? Of course! It was amazing and I will always want to re-visit this world that Suki Michelle and Carlyle Clark created for us. I am looking forward to the next in the series so much! After that ending and what's coming their way, how could I NOT want to read it!? I will definitely be picking up the next book whenever it is released! I want to thank the authors, once again, for giving me the opportunity to read their book. It was amazing and I truly enjoyed myself. Thank you so very much! As to all who are reading this review right now, GO GET THIS BOOK! I promise you, you will not be disappointed! You will enjoy this book a whole lot! So what are you waiting for!? GET TO READING!(less)

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Nov 26, 2011 Ritesh rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adults, urban-fantasy, dystopia, reviewed

Posted here: http://riteshkala.wordpress.com/

When I picked up this book after looking at the description, I thought that it would be a run-of-the-mill dystopian novel. Boy was I wrong!

There were parts of the book which had me going, “What? That did not just happen! This is impossible.” There are some hard-to-believe segments in the book if you are expecting a normal story grounded in reality. But once you accept the fact that this is mainly a science fiction / fantasy novel, things start to get...more Posted here: http://riteshkala.wordpress.com/

When I picked up this book after looking at the description, I thought that it would be a run-of-the-mill dystopian novel. Boy was I wrong!

There were parts of the book which had me going, “What? That did not just happen! This is impossible.” There are some hard-to-believe segments in the book if you are expecting a normal story grounded in reality. But once you accept the fact that this is mainly a science fiction / fantasy novel, things start to get very interesting.

This novel is set in a dystopian world where a pandemic is raging. All over the world, cancer has gripped people and is progressing at an alarmingly fast rate with no traditional treatments working against it. In this situation, a new business which helps suffering people die in peace has sprung up. The protagonist, Olivya's home has been converted into a hospice, catering to such patients.

Olivya is portrayed as a teenage girl who wants to maintain a semblance of normalcy in this messed-up world. She is quite stubborn and independent, does not listen to anyone most of the times, and is hugely confident in herself and her abilities. Her ‘colourful’ language had me laughing at times. Her deceased Japanese father had trained her in martial arts, and she does have skills with a nagamaki. But above all, her defining characteristic is that she can see other people’s auras, which enables her to see how a person is feeling, what emotions are welling up inside of him.
Her love interest is Mikah, a kindred. Kindred are supposed to be descendants of a demon, and tend to not mingle with regular humans. They each have certain abilities which no normal human would have. Mikah’s ability is that he is a powerful telempath who can alter a person’s emotions. His love for Olivya comes out on many occasions as he disregards his elders to meet her, and attempts to protect her on numerous occasions as they both face immense danger throughout the book.
The book is littered with mythical creatures, all of which have been beautifully woven into the story. The authors come up with a unique explanation for their existence in our world, making them extremely real and weaving them into the history of the planet rather than the stories in which they have, till now belonged.
There are a lot of other strong characters in the book, whose allegiance is always under doubt. There is no way of knowing who the bad guy really is, until the very last page of the book. Let’s start with the Neo-Twins, Kaiman and Ash, who are ‘bad guys’ personified, mocking Mikah and pushing him to make mistakes. It is quite easy to hate them. Then there is Mrs Wright-Ono, Olivya's mother, who is extremely strict, but her love comes through in all the rules and boundaries she sets. She does try to raise Olivya well, but keeps running headlong into walls of resistance from her. Chanagrai, Mikah’s father figure is extremely wise because of the millennia of experience he has (that’s right, millennia!). Prime is the leader of the kindred and we do not know much about him for large parts of the book, other than that he is a ‘monster’ and is feared by Mikah. And last, the largest character of the book, Lylobriel. He is the ‘alien’ in the book, but is extremely humane. Lylobriel and Morfexio (the other alien) are the perfect example of what friends should be like. Of course, any more description would be considered a spoiler.

I will not be going into any description of the story, as it would give away too much of the fun in the book. So, NO SPOILERS. I’ll just let you know that this story is spread over millennia of the earth’s history. Be ready to be introduced with mythical creatures, aliens, mystics and all the other wonderful science fiction characters. Even with this parade of characters, none of them will feel out of place, or unnecessarily included.
Well, we’re coming to the end of my review and you still don’t know what the story is about? That means I have achieved my aim! But know this, the story is about how all the characters join together to defeat the pandemic and return earth to normalcy.

The twists and turns in this book really made my head spin, and story kept moving into unthinkable directions. These unexpected changes kept me hooked and there is not a single part, where I could say that I had anticipated the authors’ moves beforehand. This according to me is a huge compliment and testament to the authors’ wild and uninhibited imaginations, as most stories tend to run along fairly regular lines and end up in ways that everyone expects. As the story progressed, I kept increasing the number of stars I would give it, and the mega-finale finally pushed this book into five-star category.(less)

6 likes · like · see review

Nov 29, 2011 Sheena at Hot Eats and Cool Reads rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: i-own, nook, fiction, scifi-dystopia-etc, young-adult, paranormal-horror-thriller, aa-and-urban

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

2 likes · like · see review

Oct 20, 2011 L.E.Olteano rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: blog-review, arc, reviewed, received-for-review

Action-packed and dynamic, this novel is a total rush, with a rich world and a plenitude of spectacular ancient and yet fresh beings, filled with tension but also humor and a whole lotta funny (to me) slang! I very much so enjoyed the diversity of the environment the authors have built, and the element of originality that clearly permeates Suki Michelle and Carlyle Clark’s writing.

The first pages set a rather gloomy and deeply touching mood, I was totally taken with Olivya and the situation of...more Action-packed and dynamic, this novel is a total rush, with a rich world and a plenitude of spectacular ancient and yet fresh beings, filled with tension but also humor and a whole lotta funny (to me) slang! I very much so enjoyed the diversity of the environment the authors have built, and the element of originality that clearly permeates Suki Michelle and Carlyle Clark’s writing.

The first pages set a rather gloomy and deeply touching mood, I was totally taken with Olivya and the situation of her family, of her world. Gifted in more ways then one, she’s a very brave girl, facing danger and fear with a lot of courage and determination. Mikah is also interesting, and the whole Kindred bunch is sort of spectacular. In fact, all the beings involved are spectacular! (With totally awesome names, too )
The alert rhythm of action takes you on a journey through different worlds in a tale of struggle for survival.

The rapid succession of active scenes and the constant stream of new information make this into a highly interesting read; each page immediately translates into a movie inside your mind, and the ease with which the authors bind storytelling and alert action with humor and imaginative twists and turns will have you spinning. In fact, at times I found it was a bit too alert, too tense, too on edge, my heart was constantly racing.

The writing style is very fresh, very young, and very entertaining. It flows with ease, carrying you into a very imaginative but also troubling world. The plot itself feels a bit confusing at times, because the scenes so rapidly succeed one another. The characters are quite special, ranging from ancient beings to sims turned into familiars, cute, feisty little sims that you will surely find irresistible. I know I found Ayvilo irresistible
There’s a bit of a love story, but it doesn’t go into soul-wrenching detail; neither do the violent scenes, in my opinion, making this a rather safe and creative urban YA fantasy.

However, there was something that didn’t click all the way for me. Despite the fact I like crazy-fast action in animes, I find myself wishing for something a bit slower in novels; not snail-speed slower, but slightly more tranquil. This, of course, is a matter of purely personal taste. The haste, and in places frenzy, of the action gave me a strange sensation of detachment from the characters; I found myself wanting to go slower for a bit, to connect or reconnect with who the characters really were.

All in all, I would enthusiastically recommend this to action-lovers and YA urban fantasy fans, it’s a fast paced refreshing read.(less)

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Feb 01, 2012 Melissa E rated it 2 of 5 stars

I always feel bad giving a book a low rating because I don't want to discourage others from reading it. Just because I didn't enjoy it doesn't mean someone else won't. With that said...I found it very hard to get through this book. I think mainly because I was expecting more of a dystopian type book and instead found myself in a Science Fiction world. I was confused by all the lingo and the various unique names. Since each chapter rotated between the two main character's perspective, I found it...more

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Feb 21, 2012 Jill rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: r2r

This was a wonderfully original story. It blends myth and religion into a tale of an alien invasion set on destroying not only the world but the galaxy. It is extremely well written since I could take the hokey idea of "combat feathers" yet suspend my disbelief because the story meshed so well together.

Even though this was intended to be a YA book, it reads well enough for adult readers. The authors were trying for some teen sounding speech and angst which wasn't their finest hour, but it did fi...more This was a wonderfully original story. It blends myth and religion into a tale of an alien invasion set on destroying not only the world but the galaxy. It is extremely well written since I could take the hokey idea of "combat feathers" yet suspend my disbelief because the story meshed so well together.

Even though this was intended to be a YA book, it reads well enough for adult readers. The authors were trying for some teen sounding speech and angst which wasn't their finest hour, but it did fit the characters so it wasn't completely awkward. Once they just let the narrative flow it was quite well done and the characters came alive.

I really did love the idea that cancer could be an alien invasion. That was a brilliant plot point. Explaining the mythology of the world was also brilliant; however, some possible minor plot holes did distract me. First, what made the Neo-Twins so evil? They never really end up doing anything. The authors lead us to think they do, but they don't. I know they are there to create menace, and they succeed as we feel Micah's wariness about them, but they don't end up being anything. This may be something for a sequel, and if that's so then no big deal. The next thing that was more a distraction then a real issue were the holo-sims. Of course, everyone wants a little mini- really alive replica of themselves, or just a real living doll, I know I thought that would be cool when I was a kid, but I could never really recognize a purpose for them in the story. Sure they had some action scenes and rescued both Olivya and Micah, but they weren't necessary to the plot. Anyway, those were my two big issues with the story. There were some minor things like how quickly Olivya's mom goes from controlling to accepting of everything, but it wasn't that much of a stretch considering the circumstances.

Overall, this is a brilliant new story by two very talented authors. I appreciated the chance to read and review it. I gave it 5 stars for the interesting and original story, the tight writing, and the overall readability that it had. I really couldn't put it down after I got into it.

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Mar 13, 2012 Heather (Raevynemyst) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: didn-t-like, demons, dystopian, science-fiction, aliens

Thank you for the chance to review the book. It has some very interesting twists to it. I have to be honest and say it wasn't my favorite, although that is because it was outside of my normal comfort zone. The two main characters had lots of potential but I just think that the actual story between them got lost within all of the explanations of history that the author had to go into to explain the background of the twists in which the plot was developing into. I think it just had too many elemen...more

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May 09, 2012 Baisakhi rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy-books

I feel bad giving a low rating to a book, but, in this case, though I liked the concept, The Apocalypse Gene by Suki Michelle failed to hold my attention.

From the start, the book invited me in with its vast array of potential. The possibilities of this story were indeed great. And just the first chapter showed just how good the author’s imagination can be.

Set in an apocalyptic future, the author captures the gritty scenes beautifully. The hard choices one has to make, the life and the hardships...more

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Dec 10, 2011 Kat rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: apocalypse, ya, fantasy, illinois, updated

Full review on my blog: http://theaussiezombie.blogspot.com/

Fantasy is not a genre I read a lot. Why? Because I like the basis of reality (yeah yeah, I know I read Zombie books but they are possible, honest!) and sometimes find it hard to wrap my head around the whole deal. However, although The Apocalypse Gene is a fantasy novel, I didn’t find it difficult to be drawn into, and believe in the world created.

The characters are three-dimensional and real, and by the end of the book I had the feeli...more

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Aug 11, 2012 Bob Simpson rated it 4 of 5 stars

A romp through Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood with angels, demons, gods, goddesses, cool monsters and a foul-mouthed computer avatar. Plus a side trip through the universe? What's not to like?

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Jan 13, 2012 Rachel Cotterill rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: indie-and-small-press, read-in-2012, sci-fi, fantasy

This is a fun, action-packed YA novel that takes a dystopian future and gives it a fantasy twist. The characters are sharp and funny, and the plot races along at an incredible pace from an intriguing beginning to a satisfying end. (Plus, there's definitely scope for a sequel.) I was given a review copy through WLC.

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Nov 21, 2011 Lee Ann rated it 3 of 5 stars

Very interesting book....and very different. I am not a techno geek so the whole lingo thing did not resonate with me, nor did the slang talk, but that said, the story and characters DID! Where I thought it was a bio-medical thriller in the beginning with characters who possessed special powers, it turned into something much more with and interesting "ancient aliens" type of twist. The story really takes flight in the second half...I can't wait to see what the sequel will hold with the awakening...more

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Mar 05, 2012 Hylary Locsin rated it 1 of 5 stars

Originally posted on my blog: http://libraryladyhylary.blogspot.com ! Check it out for more reviews!

In the not-too-distant future, the world is in the grips of a deadly cancer pandemic that has left society in shambles. What were once residential streets have now become row upon row of hospices set up to care for the sick and dying. Olivya and her mother run their own hospice, trying to make ends meet after Olivya’s father’s death years earlier. Olivya has struggled since she was a little girl t...more Originally posted on my blog: http://libraryladyhylary.blogspot.com ! Check it out for more reviews!

In the not-too-distant future, the world is in the grips of a deadly cancer pandemic that has left society in shambles. What were once residential streets have now become row upon row of hospices set up to care for the sick and dying. Olivya and her mother run their own hospice, trying to make ends meet after Olivya’s father’s death years earlier. Olivya has struggled since she was a little girl to cope with a strange gift, the ability to see people’s auras. This power is difficult in a world filled with the sick and impoverished, and Olivya tries to keep her Sight suppressed so she can focus on caring for her patients. Everything changes when Olivya meets Mikah. The pair became acquainted in Cyber School where digital projections of themselves go to interact and learn. Olivya and Mikah formed a strong friendship, and, curious to meet one another in the flesh, decide to rendezvous at a nearby abandoned zoo. Neither of them expect the chain of events their meeting sets off, however, as the two learn the truth about the pandemic and their roles in attempting to prevent the impending apocalypse.

A collaboration between real-life couple Suki Michelle and Carlyle Clark, The Apocalypse Gene contains some interesting concepts but ultimately becomes far too muddled and confusing to be enjoyable. Taken out of the context of the novel, several of the plot ideas have potential. The pandemic that is more than just a disease, the Kindred and their mythical back-story, the ability to see auras, all intriguing concepts that could have been expanded on their own to make a successful story. All these ideas and more, however, are essentially crammed into this 230 page novel, and the result is a story so far-fetched it’s borderline ridiculous. Unfortunately, not much more can be said than that. Although it received some positive critical reviews, The Apocalypse Gene would be difficult to recommend to any young adult reader, especially when so many other excellent books are available.

I feel like I need to apologize in advance, but, simply put, this was one of the strangest books I’ve ever read. I just did not get it. I tried really hard as I was reading it to get it, but I never did. There were just too many ideas that the authors tried to stuff into this one story. I also never got the slang the characters used, and was especially confused by the little cyber beings that stepped out of the computers. I don’t think that if I tried to explain the entire plot of this novel to someone that I could do it, even though I read it from start to finish. I’m sorry, but this novel just did not resonate with me in any way whatsoever. (less)

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Mar 05, 2012 Becket Morgan rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: e-book, own, ya-fiction

While the novel does have an apocalyptic tone, as the title suggests, Clark and Michelle weave a thread of hope and positivity throughout Apocalypse Gene, elevating it to ultimately optimistic novel. Both protagonists are likeable characters with plenty of flaws the reader can appreciate and connect to. They are all the more engaging as they do everything in their power to make things right with their world.

Some of the slang language was a little difficult to follow, particuarly with Ayvilo, but...more

1 like · like · see review

Feb 24, 2012 SephiriaL rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: dystopian, ya

The Apocalypse Gene Review

Score: 3.5 Stars

The Plot: The story is a unique blend of dystopia and science-fiction. The world is an interesting take on what could be post-apocalypse, or in this case, post-pandemic. The extensive use of the Internet and cyber-realities seemed very plausible. I also really enjoyed the totally unique take on angels and the whole mythos behind the kindred was very interesting. (view spoiler)...more

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Jan 26, 2012 Candace (Lovey Dovey Books) rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: couldn-t-finish

The description of The Apocalypse Gene made me want to read it immediately. Sometimes it’s better not to go on just that. I had a hard time adjusting to the world that Olivya lived in and couldn’t finish reading the book.

People were sickly and dying and apparently the world was not the same as it was before. I got the vibe that there was more unemployment and homelessness because of the technology that didn’t need actual people working, but I don’t see how after a global pandemic there’s such w...more

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Jan 23, 2012 Summer Lane rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Apocalypse Gene. It has infected the world - killed off most of its population through a killing gene known as cancer. As the citizenry of post-apocolyptic Chicago struggles to survive, Olivya is living with her mother in a house-turned-hospice ward. Surrounded by death on all sides, Olivya also has the Sight - she can see peoples' auras, a psychic ability that she believes is unique to her. Until she meets Mikah. And everything changes. The dystopian thriller takes a dark turn as the world...more

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Jan 19, 2012 DelSheree rated it 4 of 5 stars

Some people love the paranormal powers of psychics and auras. Others are devoted science fiction fans. Still other readers fall to the lure of fantasy, angels, demons, and gods. And who doesn’t like a good action adventure? The Apocalypse Gene is a book that takes elements of paranormal, sci-fi, fantasy, and action adventure and weaves them into a tale that readers of all these individual genres can enjoy.

Olivya sees auras, something she has always tried to control and keep from interfering in h...more Some people love the paranormal powers of psychics and auras. Others are devoted science fiction fans. Still other readers fall to the lure of fantasy, angels, demons, and gods. And who doesn’t like a good action adventure? The Apocalypse Gene is a book that takes elements of paranormal, sci-fi, fantasy, and action adventure and weaves them into a tale that readers of all these individual genres can enjoy.

Olivya sees auras, something she has always tried to control and keep from interfering in her day to day life, which happens to consist of caring for the dying souls spending their final days in her family’s hospice. Who would want to see the vibrant colors of death and diseases? Olivya’s abilities lend a very vivid and artistic element to the story. I enjoyed the descriptions of emotions through color, the bright yellows for lighter emotions and dark variants of reds and greens for those that were more sinister. Seeing the world through Olivya’s eyes was a new and interesting experience.

Mikah is a mystery to Olivya in so many ways, but the reader quickly learns that there is a reason for his secretive nature. Bringing a mythical slant to the book is Mikah’s demigod heritage and not-quite-human abilities. His story also connects the death Olivya is surrounded by every day with worlds beyond imagination and monsters of alien background. The combination of these two characters twists classically separate genres into one story very well. The sci-fi was balanced well by the more mythical side of angels and demigods. Even the futuristic society were all “normal” life is carried out in an online reality contrasted very nicely with the everyday malignancy of cancer run amok.

One of the most interesting aspects of the book was the incorporation of the familiar with the unfamiliar. Many of us have heard of auras, but have you ever thought of using psychic power to do battle? And who doesn’t have an avatar of some kind in today’s world, but have you ever considered what you would say to a miniature version of yourself suddenly come alive? The Apocalypse Gene never felt too out of the realm of reality, even with Adversarii and Xeraf-Yim, because there was plenty about this society you could relate to still.

Overall, this was an entertaining book that had interesting characters and a well thought out plot. I never knew what was coming next, but I looked forward to finding out. The endings of books are a big deal maker or deal breaker for me. If the ending is awful despite the rest of the book being good, it’s most likely I won’t read anything else by the author because I hate putting in a lot of time with a book only to be disappointed. The Apocalypse Gene definitely came through on the ending. I felt like all my questions were answered, it was exciting, I was kept guessing right up to the end, and it was nice and dramatic. You won’t be disappointed at the end.

One thing I didn’t particularly connect with in the book was the heavy used of slang and hyphenated future names for things. I found these very distracting while reading and felt like it took away from the writing. Similarly, the Ayvilo character was my least favorite in the book. Her constant sarcasm and generally bratty attitude and constant slang usage did not help me connect with her. I found her to be obnoxious rather than funny, and a distraction at times. My only other complaint was that while the romance between Olivya and Mikah was sweet, it wasn’t as compelling for me as it could have been. It seemed to be based too much on looks for Olivya’s part. If the “outsider” connection between them had been used as a stronger pull for them to be together I think it would have struck me more profoundly.

As a whole, the book was a very interesting read. I loved the separate genres combined in such a fun, yet dark, way. The creativity of the story was very compelling and the artistic and vivid descriptions pulled me in time and again while reading. The Apocalypse Gene was an entertaining read that will make you laugh and threaten to make you cry when you’re convinced nothing is going to work out. And the end will pull all the myth, science, and emotion together beautifully.(less)

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Jan 16, 2012 Sheila rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: cultural, current_issues, paranormal, relationships, romance, scifi-fantasy, suspense, young-adult

Authors Suki Michelle and Carlyle Clark create a fascinating near-future world in their dystopian young-adult novel, The Apocalypse Gene. Technologically believable and mythologically fascinating, the story blends well-drawn science fiction, myth, folklore and romance, peopling a futuristic Chicago plus it’s cyber-image with intriguing characters, human and otherwise. Livvie, whose mother has converted their home into a hospice for the dying, struggles to balance school and lessons with knowledg...more

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Mar 29, 2012 Britta rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is one of the classic cases of "don't judge a book by its cover". Honestly, if I saw this cover on a shelf, I would most likely pass over it without a second thought. That is a shame, because I really did enjoy the story. I hate to comment on covers when authors usually have nothing to do with them, but I feel it must be said.

I'm not going to try to summarize the plot, because it was kind of confusing. There were a lot of twists, different myths and religions mixed into one. Basically, the...more

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Jan 20, 2012 Trace rated it 3 of 5 stars

Young Adult Romance, dyastopian novel, fantasy? The Apocalypse Gene contains elements of all three plus more. But fantasy definitely wins out- big time. Suki Michele and Carlyle Clark are very talented when it comes to writing and coming up with fantastical ideas, but I couldn't help be feel let down in the end. Maybe the fantasy genre is just not my cup of tea. I longed for the story to concentrate on the hospice and the plague and apocalyptic Chicago society. But all of this seemed more of an

...more

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Mar 01, 2012 J.C. Andrijeski rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Apocalypse Gene is centered around a futuristic Earth where most people seem to be dying from a really aggressive form of cancer, and quasi-fantastical beings are trying to help them against the alien force that is causing the cancer before it can spread to the rest of the universe. There is a mixture of science fiction and old world fantasy along with a pretty-near-to-our world setting, only one where attending school occurs online, and most (regular) people don't seem to leave their homes...more The Apocalypse Gene is centered around a futuristic Earth where most people seem to be dying from a really aggressive form of cancer, and quasi-fantastical beings are trying to help them against the alien force that is causing the cancer before it can spread to the rest of the universe. There is a mixture of science fiction and old world fantasy along with a pretty-near-to-our world setting, only one where attending school occurs online, and most (regular) people don't seem to leave their homes much due to the numbers of sick.

The main character, Olivya, is the teenaged daughter of a hospice owner and caretaker, and also has a mystical type power herself, in that she can see and read auras. The male hero, Micah, is one of the mystical beings whose job it is to protect the world...it also means he lives apart from most humans. Olivya and he only meet initially via the virtual high school they both attend, where they develop a friendship.

There is a ton more about this world...the world building gets super involved, moreso as the book progresses, but to say much more than that would introduce too many spoilers, I think.

I had really mixed feelings about this book. I liked it a lot, thus the 4 stars, and through most of it, found it really engaging. But it was also one of those books I found frustrating, because it was so close to being something truly classic and compelling. The main character has a lot of personality, and unlike others on here, I found her language and dialogue a lot of fun, especially for her age group. In terms of things I didn't like so much, there was almost too much complicated world-building at times, it really made it hard to know which pieces of information were important, since i had to struggle just to keep track of all of the information being doled out. At times, although certainly not in all of it, I found the lead female character to be in that odd category of "spunky but passive" role, and I didn't like that. I felt like she and Micah should have been more directly involved in solving the problems at the end, instead of playing predefined roles. I also couldn't really get a sense of her and Micah's attraction other than "he's really, really hot." He waxed poetic about her soul, and their chemistry was pretty good, but I guess I would have needed more scenes with them together to really feel that.

I really liked the characters though, overall...I just wanted them to stretch their wings a little, I guess, not be led around by mystical beings who had all the answers. Same with the world-building. I found the plot and the world super fascinating at times, and some of the ideas really creative, as well as being borderline archetypal with some of the old alchemy terms and the ideas of involution and exvolution, the gods, etc...but I almost think the authors tried to tackle too much. There was so much world building that nothing really went very deep. It seemed like every chapter someone was explaining something new about the world to the two main characters in great detail, and after awhile I just sort of skimmed over a lot because I got a little lost as to which themes or ideas were significant.

I also wasn't clear who the bad guys were at times...some of this was deliberate misdirection I found out later on in the book, but some of it just felt a bit muddy.

Overall, I came away from this a little confused. I did really like it, thus the four stars (I actually would have rated it more a 3.5 but rounded it up in favor of the authors), but I was disappointed because the setting and the characters had so much potential and I didn't feel they *quite* delivered. I would definitely check out more books from these authors, as there is a lot of promise in this book and the writing itself was fabulous, really high-quality...and they had a ton of original and highly creative ideas. I would actually like to see them simplify and go deeper on some of this stuff...and a bit deeper on the characters, too.

In this case, I totally think this might be a taste thing though. I would definitely recommend this book to others who are into YA / SF, as I think it's a very interesting and entertaining read.(less)

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Dec 28, 2011 CanaryK rated it 2 of 5 stars

Eeeeeehhhh. I don't know, maybe I'm too old to read this book? I probably would've liked it better in elementary school/early middle school.

This book seemed like it would be interesting, started off sort of interesting (I did like the idea of a pandemic that doesn't involve a contagious disease), but really degraded as I was reading it. The further I got, the less I wanted to read -- by the end, finishing the book felt more like an obligation than anything. All of the "secrets" I was looking fo...more

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Oct 07, 2011 Linda Ulleseit rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: blog-tour, ya-paranormal

A real page-turning urban YA fantasy novel with some teen angst and teen romance thrown in. Of course, there's the whole world-is-going-to-end issue, too. Read my full review October 7, on the novel's blog tour, at http://mrsulleseit.wordpress.com (Note: some spoilers in the review)

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Jan 25, 2012 Rhia Thamas rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012

In The Apocalypse Gene nothing is what it seems. And I mean it. The cancer it's not actually a disease, it's a mythical alien body, Mikah's parents are not dead, he is Prime's son, the Neo-Twins are in fact good guys that want to save the world, and I could go on with the list... Anyway, I’ve had my ups and downs with this book.

I loved the descriptions of the world. Beautifully done. Also, I liked the suggestive titles for each chapter, even though there were times when I thought they didn't fit...more

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Jan 26, 2012 Betsy Huber rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-owns, ebook

It took me 9 days to complete this book. It is highly unusual of me to read a book that has short pages in 9 days. That does not matter now, what matters is my review of this book. What did I think of this book? It ultimately is a very good book. I actually enjoyed reading it.

At first when I started reading, I was a little bit confused and noticed a lot of misspelling but I thought it may be appropriate to come up with a unique term to explain what it supposed to mean. It has many details that d...more It took me 9 days to complete this book. It is highly unusual of me to read a book that has short pages in 9 days. That does not matter now, what matters is my review of this book. What did I think of this book? It ultimately is a very good book. I actually enjoyed reading it.

At first when I started reading, I was a little bit confused and noticed a lot of misspelling but I thought it may be appropriate to come up with a unique term to explain what it supposed to mean. It has many details that described the occurrence in the story. A lot had happened in the last two or three days since Olivyia met Mikah. I must give the credit to an author for making it around 250 pages instead of going on and on to about 700 pages. I would probably lose my interest if it were that long. I almost lost my interest at the beginning of the book but I kept going to finish it. After Olivyia and Mikah met, this is the most exciting part to read all the way until the end.

It would be better if the beginning were a little bit exciting because there will be other reader unlike me that could not reach the part where Olivyia and Mikah meet and give up on the book as it is boring. At least, warn the reader that it will get exciting once Olivyia and Mikah meets. The beginning is very good, boring, but critical in understanding the purpose of the story. I would recommend this book to a reader who strongly interested in mythological fiction. I don’t think this book is for everyone to read because their taste in this book may be different.

At the end of the book, Kaiman mentioned something about having a strong Aether force that awaken legendary others such as Grendel that held a grudge against the Kindred. I was hoping that there would be a second or more books where Mikah will be a little bit older and faced a horde of other enemies. I just felt that there are many unfinished businesses in this story that it has to be continued on to the next book with a different plot. If the author ever decided to write a series of this story, I’d be looking forward to the second one.
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Jul 15, 2012 Cassandra rated it 3 of 5 stars

The Apocalypse Gene was a mix of sci fi and dystopian. There was something familiar to the story that I can’t quite put my finger on, the best I have come up with was the CSI:NY episode where they had to create an avatar to go into this online game to find a killer. I had a hard time getting through The Apocalypse Gene there was so much detail on the characters and mythology that once I thought I finally figured out what mythology was used it would switch to a completely different one. I found t...more

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About Suki Michelle

Suki is a lifelong Chicagoan who lives with her co-writer/paramour, Carlyle Clark. Together they wrote The Apocalypse Gene, a YA urban fantasy recently chosen as Critics' Pick at Kirkus. They're hard at work on the sequel, which should be out by summer 2012.

Suki owns a medical transcription company and is the proud mommy of one human girl, a dog and two cats. She had a horse for many years named M...more

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“Oh that voice, so sweet. Rich, like the taste of vanilla ice cream, vowels like flute music, warm caramel consonants. She could float in that voice forever and not miss a thing.” — 2 people liked it

“The zoo grounds reeked of desolation, but the silence had an undercurrent, a silvery vibe, like the hush of a concert hall just before the first note.” — 1 person liked it

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