Deadly Design

by Debra Dockter

Though technically twins, Kyle and Connor McAdams couldn't be more different. Connor's the star of the track team, the valedictorian, a demigod living among the students at Rose Hill High School. But Kyle is more of a loner who's most comfortable playing video games in the basement. Also, these twins were born two years apart.

Conceived in vitro at the Genesis Innovations Laboratory after their parents struggled to have children, the boys were carried separately; they thought it'd be safer that way. And it was, until Connor suddenly dies of a heart attack on his eighteenth birthday. Soon Kyle learns of other kids conceived in the Genesis lab who've died the exact same way. It turns out the doctor their parents enlisted to help them may not have been everything he seemed. He gave them perfect children, but with one fatal flaw.

Just as he's falling in love, Kyle's caught in a race against time to unlock the secrets hidden in his DNA. A thrilling adventure that will keep readers guessing at every turn, Deadly Design is packed with adrenaline and heart.

Genres: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Romance, Thriller, Dystopia, Fiction, Contemporary

359 pages, Hardcover

First published November 27, 2013

Reviews

[Wendy Darling · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF around 100 pages. Such an interesting concept, but man, is the main character a whiner. I get it, he's supposed to have this crushing guilt and regret after too-perfect-to-be-real Connor dies and presumably he grows up at some point. But he reacts so negatively in rejecting so many things (trivial and major), and he makes so many assumptions (in what people are thinking about him, their motivations, their plans, etc), that he just wasn't a character I cared about or was interested in sticking around for. Do or think ONE thing that is surprising or fascinating or endearing or doesn't make me sigh with impatience, please.

I skimmed the last couple of chapters, and....meh.

I also didn't love the writing style. The way information was relayed was occasionally confusing, and I guess I can take glistening tears if I must, but I would never think to look at a Post-It note and call it "crisp." A couple of times I was also startled by exclamation points within the narration--it's sort of a jarring thing within a teenage boy's headspace, and the situations didn't really seem to merit them. It felt juvenile and excitable.

But if language doesn't bother you and if you read mostly for plot, maybe you'll like this better than I did. I'm just disappointed this wasn't the great YA science fiction book I was looking for. It's been awhile, so I hope we get one soon.

An advance copy was provided by the publisher.

P.S. The reference to IF I STAY in the blurb really pisses me off, though. Come on, now.

[Ari · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love races against the clock. I like the suspense they bring into the story, how they can transform the characters, making them change their priorities and the way they see the world.

I like stories about genetics, stories based on reality that step on the fine edge between science and science-fiction, that seem to bring nightmares to life. I like the plausibility that threatens to break our hearts only by thinking about just how close we (already) are to those terrible things.

And I like flawed characters, the ones that are perfectly imperfect, the ones that struggle with their inner fights and get to be better, but not without making plenty of mistakes, along with amendments.

And you see… Kyle was not the most likeable character in the beginning. He was frustrated and jealous of his genetically twin brother, Connor. He had a lot of potential, with his superior genes, but he wasted most of that material on playing video games, being the opposite of Connor, all while envying him for his success. But all these things are good things, because I love to see a bit of growth when it comes to the main characters, and (as I said) I like to read about flawed characters, they seem more real to me.

The problem I had with Kyle was that at times he didn’t really sound like a guy, or at least not at that age.

On the other side, I liked the writing style and the concept.
I liked how everything played out, I loved walking on the very thin line between trust and mistrust, between the right choices and the bad ones. I was under the impression that DEADLY DESIGN was supposed to be some sort of dystopia, but it actually feels a lot more like contemporary, after all some of things that happen in this story are probably already possible in real life.

And I enjoyed finding clues and putting them together, trying to unveil the reasons for the ‘expiration dates’ of these kids, I kept holding my breath on their attempts to save themselves, I kept putting my trust on the wrong people, all while not trusting the ones that I should have. It’s a fun and crazy story because not everything is as predictable as one could think.

And even though most of the book has a slow pacing, the ending is insane. There is a lot happening at that point and I loved that about DEADLY DESIGN. Of course, I can’t tell you anything about it, but I did enjoy putting all pieces together (along with Kyle) and trying to figure out a solution for the craziness in his life.

Hopefully you will enjoy this story just as much!

Happy midnight reading!



Find the full review and more at ReadingAfterMidnight.
____________________________________________

Blog (EN) | Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr | Bloglovin' | Blog (RO)
____________________________________________

PRE-READING THOUGHTS:
Sounds great and looks amazing. I'm keeping an eye on it.

[nick (the infinite limits of love) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm fascinated by books that deal with genetic engineering. It's one sci-fi theme that I can read over and over again because it's a realistic concept. I was excited to read Deadly Design for that reason. This ended up being quite the enjoyable read and I loved the ideas that the author brought about in the book.

I initially had a hard time connecting with the main character, Kyle in Deadly Design. He was jealous of his more perfect older twin brother and constantly battled with feelings of envy because he just wasn't as smart or athletic as him. While he did grow a spine throughout the novel, fighting to find a way to stop himself from falling dead on his 18th birthday, I don't think I ever completely bonded with him, mostly because Kyle just doesn't seem like a person I would want to personally know. I did think Debra Dockter did a fantastic job at capturing his voice and all his emotions. The secondary characters were more interesting to me, especially the villainous doctors who played God. Deadly Design tackles the idea of designer babies. You may have heard of this in the news, but it will become possible in the future to create babies designed exactly according to how you want them. Want your baby to be a blue-eyed, smart, athletic and good looking individual? That will become reality in the future. The author explores the ethics of such manipulations in the book and I liked that the science itself was very sound. Perhaps what could have made Deadly Design a stronger novel would have to be a faster pace. Now, this is obviously personal taste, but I like sci fi books to be more action-packed than Deadly Design was. I did, however, think that Debra Dockter's writing was very readable. I had a hard time putting the book down even though it was more slow paced than I'm normally used to. Plus, I liked that there were some twists and turns that I didn't see coming my way.

Overall, Deadly Design was an entertaining novel that I believe a lot of YA scifi fans will devour. Kyle might not be the best character at first, but stick with him and watch him grow and go on this journey to find a cure to his situation. I'm looking forward to the author's future books.

[Angela Blount · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally reviewed for YA Books Central: http://www.yabookscentral.com/yaficti...

This abuse-of-science tale is told entirely through the eyes of 16-year-old Kyle McAdams. Kyle lives perpetually in the shadow of his identical (but 2-years older thanks to IVF) twin, Connor. Until one day Connor stops living, and Kyle discovers he’s among a group of teens who’ve been engineered with a biological kill-switch.

While the cover gives this book a stark dystopian or sci-fi feel, it may help readers to approach it as a contemporary YA with light speculative-fiction elements. With its abundance of pop culture references and vague genetic and medical allusions, there’s little to no world-building to worry about. The prose is straight-forward and unobtrusive in pacing. And the premise itself is certainly relevant to the current atmosphere of scientific advancement, bringing up a range of complex ethical questions for readers to chew on. Though the more villainous element felt one-dimensional, several side characters proved interesting--between the other modified “superior” youths, the sassy and non-coddling Cami, and the endearingly PTSD-addled Uncle Jimmy.

The most positive aspect of this book, in this reviewer’s opinion, is the underlying message of not taking life for granted. It also does the more subtle service of outlining sociopathic behavioral patterns, along with implying how much potential damage such narcissistic individuals can wield when given power over life itself.

On the downside…

Kyle is unfortunately lacking in likeability.
Okay, that’s putting it mildly. Kyle starts out as the kind of guy you would want to see air-dropped into the middle of a 3rd world country and left there until he’s had a sufficient attitude adjustment… or contracts malaria. Whichever comes first.

Surpassing relatable teenage angst, Kyle is miserably self-pitying, judgmental, and cynical beyond reason—frequently demonstrating traits many readers may find difficult to sympathize with. It would be one thing if his brother, Connor, were a jerk to him or in any way undeserving of the attention and recognition that Kyle so resents. But Conner is, it seems, dreadfully perfect in both performance and character. After Connor’s death Kyle shows some degree of growth, however stunted by his fixation with assuming everyone wishes it were him that died instead of his brother. Thankfully he does move on from insufferable to tolerable, but the transition took significantly longer than I would have preferred.

There were also times when suspension of disbelief was difficult. Kyle is also supposed to be a genius, but doesn’t come across as particularly clever. In the midst of dealing with intellectually arrogant mad scientists, he doesn’t think to record their conversations—nor does he consider making contingency plans in the event things go sideways. (One could understand why he might hesitate to go to the police if said scientists may have powerful people in their pockets, but why not have something in place that would bring the media into the mix to expose the blatant human rights issues?)

Content Note: For the parents or teens to whom it may concern, this book does contain a fair bit of cursing—which felt partially like an effort to make Kyle emit a more consistently masculine impression. It also depicts parent-facilitated underage drinking, and teen sex (although closed-door, treated with some degree of value, and involving parent-facilitated contraception.)

[Faith Snyder · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW. JUST WOW. I received this book through the Goodreads giveaway ARC, and I have to admit (and I know it's horrible) but I'm a little bit of literature snob... I had this book laying around for a while waiting to read it because I felt like it just wasn't going to be that good (I'm so sorry Debra Docker, I don't mean anything by it, I do it to all books that I get lol) and then I finally picked it up and I have to admit... I'm pretty sure the book slapped me in the face for being such a fool.

THIS BOOK WAS SO GOOD. I DEVOURED IT. I was so thrilled the entire time I walked around the house with my nose in it trying to feed myself without looking away from it's pages. I sat and finished it in one day.

I've never been a huge science fiction fan but the science fiction world is slowly taking over young adult literature. I've been really interested in the non-dystopian fiction that's been turned out and I have to admit I'll be shocked if this book does not do well. It was a book that kept you on the edge of your seat wondering how the hell Kyle was going to get out of this horrifyingly dangerous and unfair situation his life had suddenly turned to, and make it in time to not only save his life, but make sure his family survived it as well.

What was really creepy about this whole book in a very Margaret Atwood effect is this whole plot is completely possible through the growth of technology we have even today. Test-tube babies, perfect genetically altered children with chosen eye colors and sex. This is a possibility that we might one day have to face as humans as playing god. It was as if I was reading this book that could actually happen in my lifetime but even happen today and it was just so mind blowing to me.

I loved the characters in this book, Kyle was a whiner as some people have mentioned in reviews but I can't imagine how I would react if I had to live this life. I would be whining more than Kyle ever did, and I feel like he kind of had a right to be whining considering the terrifying circumstances lol. I was just astounded of the amount of character development and plot twists were in this book. I literally gasped at the ending it was just... perfect. I can't even explain how much I recommend this book.

For more book reviews like this one, book photography, and much much more follow me on tumblr at: inthebooknook

[Spencer · Rating 4 out of 5]

2024

2019
3.75 stars

Honestly, it's a pretty good sci-fi book that doesn't focus so much on the sci-fi that you lose a part of the story. However, there are a few bits that I struggle through. Primarily, the whole evil doctor just for the sake of being an evil doctor thing.

For one, we have Dr. Mueller who puts DNA into little babies that makes them superhuman (basically. They become ultra smart, super athletics, charming, sophisticated little teenagers). However, he alters their DNA so that they will all die before their 18th birthday. Which, is just twisted. I mean, what doctor/scientist decides that little babies need to die before they are even adults. Plus, that kind of puts a kink into his plan because it alerts a few of these superhuman teenagers that something sinister is going on. In fact, if he was as ultra smart as he claimed, then he would have given them all different expiration dates (like one would die at 18, another at 25, whatever) because then it would have been much harder for someone to track.

For another, we have another doctor (I will avoid telling you who it is to trying an avoid spoilers) that says that the only way to save Kyle is to have him cyrongenically frozen while he is still alive but doesn't actually know if there would be any way to save him. Also, this doctor has a team of other doctor henchmen who threaten Kyle's life when Kyle figures out their sinister plot.

So, we have not just one, but two evil doctors who are evil basically just for the sake of being evil. Of course, Dr. Mueller claims it was all for the sake of learning. And the other doctor was completely fascinated by the immortality gene. But, for f*cks sake! They are doctors! > Doctors who have taken the Hippocratic oath as a promise to do no harm and stuff!

Otherwise, the pacing of the plot is very good. It's easy to fall into a story, wishing the best for the characters, when they are racing against the clock (poor Kyle and his expiration date). Plus, Kyle's growth as a character is great to watch. He goes from this kind of loner, playing video games in his parents basement, to an active, involved guy. Gets himself a cute little girlfriend. Makes friends with a couple of different people. Reaches out to teens like himself, desperately trying to save them as well.

2017

[Deb Kontowicz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love reading fiction that allows for social/ethical discussion or gives the characters or readers a life lesson. This book delivers on both! The story kept me engaged throughout all the surprising twists and turns. In the end, it left me with not only a fascination for the possibilities involved with DNA testing but also the measure of real love.

[J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy crap that was so good!

[Dark Faerie Tales · Rating 2 out of 5]

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: A SciFi mystery that disproves that there is something perfect about altered genetic engineering.

Opening Sentence: I was five years old when I found out that my older brother wasn’t just my brother.

The Review:

Deadly Design by Debra Dockter is about Kyle and Connor, genetically engineered twins. But everything begins at the Genesis Innovations Laboratory, where the twins, along with others, were conceived. There are differences, and similarities of course, but along with that, there are inconsistencies. After an event that catapults the dynamic of this utopia, questions reveal themselves without any answers in sight.

Kyle isn’t someone that I connected to. He was a bit too immature for my tastes. He constantly complained and felt things inadequate. His inner monologue wasn’t something that I could relate to. I couldn’t connect with the idea that he complained about a perfect brother when he himself was also manufactured.

While I didn’t have an ecstatic cosmic pull towards Deadly Design, I also didn’t dislike it. For me, it was just another story. There were too many things going on, with more events than details, and things that didn’t exactly seem plausible, even for science fiction.

The premise was promising, but the delivery wasn’t there. Deadly Design didn’t have much of a world-building element, but more of a dialogue-driven momentum. There were a few highs and lows with the pacing, but overall Deadly Design wasn’t for me.

I was definitely grabbed by the byline that Deadly Design is an “If I Stay meets Maze Runner” story. That seems to be a lot of hype, but I was willing to give it a try. About halfway through, I didn’t feel the same emotions that I felt with If I Stay, nor did I feel the rush as Maze Runner. But it really is unfair to attempt to compare those stories with this one.

Notable Scene:

“One fucking shot,” Connor says. “You missed one fucking shot. And everything changed. But who gives a shit about one shot? I just wish… I wish you’d taken another one. I bet you’d have made it.”

Maybe I would have. But it’s too late now.

Connor gestures toward the screen. “Doesn’t this shit give you nightmares?”

I look at the brown and gray images of bony zombies frozen in grotesque positions, and I have to smile because I’m really fond of them, of killing them, anyway.

“I suppose we could play for a while and see if it gives you nightmares.”

“Really?” Connor grins and jumps on the bed as I plug in the controller. “I’ve never played, so…”

I roll my eyes like teaching him is going to be a royal pain. And I hope it will be. I hope he’s not a natural at aiming guns and placing bombs and building barriers. I hope he sucks. I hope he dies a hundred times, and I hope he loves, because we’re too old to build towers and knock them down.

FTC Advisory: Penguin provided me with a copy of Deadly Design. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.

[daylan(its ya boy dayz in the hood)]

it was good also

[Jesten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thought provoking and suspenseful. I really loved this book.

[Karen Hatch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great YA sci-fi book with a little romance mixed in.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The cover of this book made me pick it up in the library and I’m glad I did.
This was a book that I wasn’t really expecting to be a suspense. A race against the clock. Trusting the wrong people. Being betrayed. I kept wanting to read to see what happens next.
Yea Kyle, the main character starts out as whiny, but it’s pretty relatable. Tell me you haven’t had someone of whom you’re jealous of? Questioning yourself on what the point of even trying is? So please don’t let the beginning make you put this down. It gets so much better.
Also, Call Of Duty! First book I’ve read with a kid into video games like Kyle was, and yep, I’m a Call Of Duty nerd.
When it came time for Kyle to be frozen, there was at least 100 more pages to be read. I was wondering if it was going to jump to the future of him waking up, or someone else was going to be taking over the story. I DID NOT see him being betrayed by Dr. Bartholomew and not frozen, but kept in a coma for 2 months while she harvest parts of his organs..?? This poor kid. And kudos for that older nurse who sprung him from there.
I’m glad the younger doctor was actually willing and able to help him. Replacing his heart with someone else’s, who would’ve thought it would’ve been that simple. So I was expecting him to just drop dead at the end but he didn’t. Yay! I actually kind of wish there was a book 2. Since Kyle now may live a couple of hundred years since that crazy doctor put a immortality gene in him so to speak. And the younger doctor is planning on using the crazy Doctors research for god knows what.

[Rebekah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our choices are powerful and, though not the main theme of this book, one of the things I really enjoyed was the display of just how much power our choices have. Just how much of a difference it makes to overall life trajectory. Kyle's life could have looked totally different. (Connor's could have too, but we don't have such clear examples of the pivotal choices he made that lead him to where he was like we do for Kyle.)

I got frustrated with Kyle for his stubborn victimhood but also understood where it came from and was also rooting for him break free; he's written with enough nuance to avoid the pitfalls at the far ends of the character spectrum. (One end being characters who can do no wrong because they are Good™, the other end being characters who have no reason to be horrible and unlikable, they just are because they are Bad™.)

This book kept good pace, and touched on a lot of the themes I enjoy: twins, genetic manipulation, the balance of the pursuit of knowledge with ethics, human nature under pressure, human choices under pressure, the meaning of life, character growth, and 'assemble the team'.
So I'll give it a pass for it treating kidneys as simpler organs than livers and hearts, even though that really stretched my suspension of disbelief.

As I neared the ending, I wondered how it might finish and imagined two separate scenarios.
It was neither of those.

I'm trying to read all the unread books I've accumulated, and decide whether or not it earns a place on my shelves (as I currently have too many books to fit on all my shelves) and this one had earned the right to stay.

[JennRenee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very anticipated read for me this year. I was drawn to this book from the moment I spotted it. I love sci fi thrillers. I love thrillers and this book was good. Real Good. I was hooked from the very first page. The entire plot was intriguing and exciting. I enjoyed the characters, the good and the bad. It was easy to connect early on. The story had a little romance, which is good for me. It was a wild ride and it was through provoking. Just all good stuff.




Kyle is a twin but his twin is two years old than him. For a long time now Kyle has been resentful of Connor. He was born first, he is better, smarter, has the girl that Kyle dreams about. His life seems simple and Kyle's does not. After one good night with his Kyle, Connor dies in the night. heart attack. eighteen years old, Bad health was a no but it happened. Not only did it happen to Connor but it happened to 2two others that were created in the same lab as Kyle and Conner. Kyle now has a mission to figure out why these kids are dying and how to stop it from continuing,... because in two years, Kyle will be eighteen. Oh and through all the adventure, thrills, and mystery, there is a girl. So romance buds. Can't have a story without that.



Great read. Loved it all. It was a pager turner from the beginning and I enjoyed from cover to cover. It felt very much like an original read to me and I was pulled in easily. Not only was it an easy read it but it had characters that amazing and I connected to them easily. The book was easy but it was thrilling and a bit of nail biting was happening a couple time throughout the book. One of those reads that you tell yourself it has to be okay, it will end well... but there are those books that don't. So which am I reading. So a bit of a nail biter. I didn't mind. I love those reads.

So the plot was just amazing. It actually had a ton of depth to it. It really made me think about things I have kind of thought about before but not on the level this book brought. Science is amazing and every year we can do so much more in the amazing dept but sometimes it's too much and it's easy to get carried away. This book explores that pretty darn well. The idea of genetic modification is scary. I am not sure how far we are from this. I am no scientist, in fact my worst subject in school, but this book made it seem pretty real. So it made me think just bit,. not too much because its fiction but the thoughts did come.

Not only was the book a thought provoking read but it was exciting too. It felt much like a race from beginning to end. Kyle had little time to figure things out and I really liked Kyle so I was rooting for him. The book went from "oh this is neat " to "evil people are just evil " quickly and it was it was a great exploration of science and humanity along the way. (they're not all evil don't worry)

Like I said, I liked Kyle. He started off a bit of a butt. He had a real chip on his shoulder and it was created from his own imaginings. Connor was a great brother, his parents were great, Kyle just had an inferiority complex. I guess that happens in twins and probably more so when they are two years apart. But... he grows. I love a book where there is growth. This one had lots of it. He turns out to be a pretty stand up guy. Caring and loyal, Smart and brave. Yup I liked him.

There is also Cami. Let me explain Cami.. She was the best friend of Emma who was Connor's girlfriend which was truly the girl Kyle wanted. Or so he thought. Cami was an awesome character. Probably one of my favorite girls in many recent reads. She had her stuff together and she pretty much put Kyle in his place then fell in love with him. Always stood by him, never backed down, never left his side. Cared deeply acted responsibly., yea she rocked.

The book was full of amazing secondary characters. The parents were good. Involved and loving. Cami's family was great too. Good family values in this book. Lots of crazy characters. Each stood on their own but worked well to other to make a whole.

The pacing was phenomenal which is what I look for in thrillers No slow parts at all. As mentioned earlier a page turner from beginning to end. Well thought out and well played.

Only small minor issue. The ending seemed to be a bit too crazy. I think it could have ended or was ending three different times and it kept going. The ending... when it came, was good. It was satisfying and it made me feel good about my adventure.. but it was a bit long winded. Not too badly and it still didn't drag. It happened quickly so really no major complaint. Just thought Would mention it. It reminded me of a horror movie when you think the bad guy is dead but he keeps coming back. It didn't take away from any good of the story, kind of comical really.



So read the book. Its good. If you like through provoking, good character development, original stories, and sci fi thrillers. Its the book for you.

[Tiffany Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was a really good book. loved the characters. Made me feel like this is really what they do in real life for people. Through out the whole book made me feel really sad but the end is real happy.

[Maria Banning · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and the twists and turns it takes right until the very end. The medical science behind it is intriguing and scary all at the same time. It was a great fast paced read.

[Anushka Agarwal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is soo good! Like the plot, the characters, everything is perfect. I would recommend this book to like everybody.

[Sophie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A perfectly imperfect book about perfectly imperfect people. Definitely worth the read if you can get your hands on it. The author is incredibly talented and I can’t wait to see what she does next.

❤️

[~Tina~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Wow, this turned out to be quite the fascinating read!
Kyle and Connor McAdams are twins, but not in the traditional way. See, they were genetically designed in a medical laboratory. Connor was born first and Kyle two years later. Connor has always been the perfect brother, student and athlete while Kyle is more into the gaming world and while he's proud of his brother accomplishments he's tired of being compared to his 'twin'. But everything changes when Connor dies of a heart attack on the night before his 18th birthday and what's even stranger is that it seems to be happening to others who are dying the exact same way. It's a race against time and Kyle has to find out just what's happening and how to stop it before he suffers the same fate.

I have to give props to Debra Dockter here, this was some pretty solid entertainment. I really enjoyed the concept of genetically engineered, manipulating genes and mutations. Sure, it's a little far fetched and not everything done was exactly believable. But I guess that's the beauty with science fiction stories. It's not always suppose to be possible, it's suppose to be plausible and I think Dockter nailed it. I also really liked the twist and turns and that ending was crazy gripping and fast paced and truthfully it seemed like everything was happening at once, but I enjoyed that last push of suspense and excitement so much I read this in one sitting. I actually ended up really liking Kyle even though he doesn't always have the greatest attitude. But he has a great voice and I liked his humor. It may feel like he doesn't really care about anything besides his games but the reader knows differently. He loved his brother, proud of him, but jealous and tired of living in his shadow but mostly I think he just wished that they could have been born together and wonders what it would have been like.
Even though Connor dies early on into the story, I still feel like I connected with him enough to know he was a good guy who understood his brother better then he thought and it was enough to charge this touching and thought provoking storyline.

I really liked Cami as well, she the perfect kind of girl to give Kyle the encouragement and support he needed to get through all of these deaths and the craziness of his life. She's playful, spunky and I liked her determination. The romance and moments we got were sweet but it did get a little intense at times, but given the...impending situation I can understand why. I didn't care for Kyle's momentary lapse, but it was easy to overlook given the history.

All in all, I had a lot of fun with Deadly Design. The writing is strong, the concept was intriguing and these characters will pull you along right till it's riveting conclusion. A Fun and entertaining escape!

[Miranda Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

5 stars for the first half of the book, 3 stars for the second half.

Man, this was such a disappointment. I was SO into this book for the entire first 50% of it. It was unique, interesting, and I could not put it down. But then it took a few wild turns that were very awkwardly written into the story, and all of a sudden, it completely lost its magic.

I really liked the concept behind this book, because something similar to this plot happening in real life is not that hard to imagine. Science has become so advanced lately...where does the line get drawn between helping create a baby for a couple that medically cannot have children, and genetically designing a specific child that has certain attractive attributes that parents might pay big money for. Will parents one day be granted the right to decide if they have a girl or boy child? Their eye color? Hair color? Affinity for extracurriculars?

It's easy to see how something that started off so innocently could one day get completely out of control...and in Deadly Design, things most certainly get "out of control."

I liked almost everything about this book except for the part when everybody tries to find out who the "bad guy" is. It quickly turns into this unrealistic wild goose chase that takes a unique sci-fi plot and turns it into nothing but a cheap action movie. All of a sudden, the character development and "easy to imagine" narrative comes to a halt in favor of ridiculous stunts and unbelievable twists.

If Dockter had stuck with the writing style from the first half of the book, I definitely would've ended up rating this 5 stars. The narration of the main character is absolutely phenomenal. Multiple times, I had to check the front cover of the book just to assure myself that this was written by a woman! Kyle's character is written so realistically... I was very impressed at how well the author was able to portray the inside of a teenage boy's mind.

Personally, while I really liked how this book didn't have too much science fiction elements in it for me, as I tend to shy away from books that delve deeply into that genre, and it had a lot of good parts that I very much enjoyed reading, I think that Deadly Design could've been a little better and also is probably better suited for an audience in the 15-year-old range. I think that younger readers would really like the fast-paced action sections of the book, while I was left wanting more internal dialogue and focus on scientific morality.

[Cassie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just won an ARC of this book from the Reading After Midnight blog! I can't wait to get it!

---------

I think my expectations for this book were too high. I was incredibly excited after reading the blurb. And really, it was an interesting and original plot.

There were two major annoyances I couldn't get past, though. First, what is wrong with the main character? He keeps whining about how perfect his older brother is when (duh!) he's just as perfect! He has the same perfect design from the same mad scientist doctor and it takes him too long to realize it because he's a lazy whiner that just doesn't try. Second, it's a very dialogue-driven book and the dialogue was many times clunky and unnatural.

I still think this book could be a hit for some readers, it just wasn't for me. Thanks again to the Reading After Midnight blog for the ARC!

[Hilary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved reading this book! I read the last half of the book in one sitting because I had to know how it ended! Kyle and his twin brother, Connor were conceived in a laboratory. After suffering the loss of their first child their parents enlisted the help of a doctor who ensured that their future children would be healthy. The doctor removed the specific gene that created a deadly birth defect but, unknowingly to the parents, added other abilities and traits to the children, including an expiration date. Fear of loosing another child made the parents decide to only carry one child at a time. So even though Kyle and Connor are identical twins they were born two years apart. The day after Connor's 18th birthday he died in his sleep of an apparent heart attack. Now Kyle must find a way to save himself and others before they suffer the same fate.

[| AgainstTheUniverse | · Rating 3 out of 5]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I was really intrigued by this book when I first read the synopsis. People who are genetically modified to be the perfect human but later find out that they have an expiry date? I was jumping with excitement when I first picked it up and couldn't wait to start reading it.

I was quite disappointed to realise that the book was not as I thought it would be. The storyline was interesting therefore I had expected some heart thumping sequence that would spur some kind of adrenaline in me. But the writing was borderline, I felt. In my opinion, what I read was just a timeline of what was happening.

[Trisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

"I don't think it is the number of years a person lives that matters, but the number of moments they experience and how those moments come together to form who you are, or were, and what your life meant."

An interesting story about a boy with a deadline looming and what he does with the time he has. It's a bit of an adventure, as you race the clock and try to understand why all this happened. The story was fascinating and the characters were easy to like. I also appreciate that this one didn't get into God and creation or other issues but stuck completely in the science realm.

Fun, easy read.

[Jordan Holt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not the most complex of writing styles but the story is incredibly entertaining and me, being a major science nerd fell in love with the genetics/stem cell and cardiology side of the story. I will say that there was a little disconnect for me when Kyle was so willing to share his situation with complete strangers but otherwise I felt the plot developed nicely with few other hiccups. The description of the characters was really well done which may have had some impact on the "basic-ness" of the writing. Overall Deadly Design was an entertaining and easy read.

[Robyn Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kyle McAdams is your typical sixteen-year old.

Except that he isn't.

When his brother Connor dies mysteriously, Kyle is going to find out just how atypical he really is -- and that his own life has an expiration date, encoded in his DNA by the geneticist who created him. Can he find a way to save himself, or will he soon be joining Connor?

Penguin calls this "a cross between If I Stay and The Maze Runner," and it's true. Just wait until June . . . and you'll see for yourself!

[Musicman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just loved this book, it keep me guessing throughout and the added romance in the book was compelling to the story line. I really hope there is going to be a sequel to it because I found myself not wanting it to end.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Couldn't stand the main character for the first half of the book (shut up, already dude, and quite your whining) but the concept is interesting, and I always prefer sci fi that comes with a medical edge, so...readable (& thankfully, little Kyle got a little more likeable in time).

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story is about a number of births that were genetically engineered with what was deemed to be the best qualities. As the children age a major problem emerges. There is a race to find a solution. A captivating thriller to the end.