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Project Renovatio
Levin Davis has it made. At 20, he’s a college graduate with a dream job, a beautiful girlfriend, and a life that can only get better - until he receives a mysterious letter suggesting his long-dead father is alive and hiding an extraordinary secret.
Distraught, Levin meets the letter’s author, who could pass for his twin. The stranger claims to be part of a genetically engineered race designed to survive global catastrophes and rebuild society, and he insists Levin and his sisters are as well.
Despite his disbelief, Levin uncovers not only the bizarre truth of his existence but also Project Renovatio’s ominous purpose – to secure genetic superiority, the new race must live according to harsh demands or risk severe penalties inflicted on their loved ones. If Levin hopes to protect his family and live a free life, he must escape Project Renovatio – or rise above himself to fight them.
“What if scientists take genetic engineering to the next level and start altering the human race? Allison Maruska writes a thrilling YA novel that will grab the attention of her readers and hold it until the end.“ – Lisa Tortorello, author of My Hero, My Ding
Distraught, Levin meets the letter’s author, who could pass for his twin. The stranger claims to be part of a genetically engineered race designed to survive global catastrophes and rebuild society, and he insists Levin and his sisters are as well.
Despite his disbelief, Levin uncovers not only the bizarre truth of his existence but also Project Renovatio’s ominous purpose – to secure genetic superiority, the new race must live according to harsh demands or risk severe penalties inflicted on their loved ones. If Levin hopes to protect his family and live a free life, he must escape Project Renovatio – or rise above himself to fight them.
“What if scientists take genetic engineering to the next level and start altering the human race? Allison Maruska writes a thrilling YA novel that will grab the attention of her readers and hold it until the end.“ – Lisa Tortorello, author of My Hero, My Ding
182 pages, Paperback
Published April 12, 2016
About the author
Allison Maruska
21 books126 followersAllison is a YA and mystery/suspense author, blogger, teacher, mom, wife, coffee and wine consumer, and owl enthusiast. Her blog includes humor posts, short stories, and posts on writing strategy, parenting, and teaching.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
May 3, 2016
Allison Maruska proves you can craft a story with a complete arc, beginning, middle, and end, along with some sweet twists and turns and not need 500 pages of prose and a whole weekend of reading to do it. Project Revovatio does just that. This little novella packs a big punch and is perfect for the electronic publishing market. Just the same, I have to have a hardcopy of this and look forward to the next installment. Yippie, a part 2, a least.
PR is one of the those subtle sci-fi stories that leaves you thinking, this could really be happening ... right now. Maruska is amazing in that she does so much with such an economy of words. The imagery combined with the showing over telling gives PR a cinematic flair and the character development has a way of bringing your empathetic side along for the ride.
Perfectly smart, uniquely engrossing, and thoroughly entertaining, Maruska's Project Renovatio trespasses on common ground to stand on its own as a literary portal to a place that feels unexpectedly a lot like home. High recommended.
PR is one of the those subtle sci-fi stories that leaves you thinking, this could really be happening ... right now. Maruska is amazing in that she does so much with such an economy of words. The imagery combined with the showing over telling gives PR a cinematic flair and the character development has a way of bringing your empathetic side along for the ride.
Perfectly smart, uniquely engrossing, and thoroughly entertaining, Maruska's Project Renovatio trespasses on common ground to stand on its own as a literary portal to a place that feels unexpectedly a lot like home. High recommended.
January 6, 2021
Project Renovatio by Allison Maruska is a suspenseful and thrilling ride that takes you through the well known and yet secretive science of cloning.
Levin Davis has a full and successful life. Unexpectedly one day he receives a message claiming he and his sisters Rana and Dayla are not who they think they are. When he goes to meet the person who sent the message he finds himself sitting opposite of his twin.
Levin is a great character whose depth comes in layers as the story moves forward. Well written, the story starts off slowly making sure we understand who the characters are and what motivates them. Once the mystery begins to reveal itself the story picks up pace and before you realize it you are on a fast paced journey that will hold you till the last page.
Project Renovatio is told from two points of view Levin and Rana. While Rana's roll is not as dramatic as Levin's I thoroughly enjoyed her character. Ms Maruska's work with the character development was excellent and is what in my opinion propels the story forward.
Another wonderfully done part of the book is the excellent work done on the cover. The colorless black and white background, overlay-ed by a strand of DNA with deep red and streaks of yellow running over it does much not only to the aesthetics of the book, but at a glace tells us what to expect from the story.
The writing is clear, easy to follow making the noticing of clues and information an integral part of creating an experience the reader will enjoy being a part of.
It's been a long time since I have read and really enjoyed the DNA plot. Allison's take on the topic of DNA is new and very refreshing. Much like when I read Ira Levin's "The Boys From Brazil" I was captivated by the possible realities inherent in the story line. Those possibilities kept me turning the pages and eager to see where it would go next.
One final point I would like to make, I understand completely that any product has to have a target audience and so Project Renovatio has a YA tag on it, but in all honesty this is a story suited to any age interested in a good story line that crosses several genres.
Levin Davis has a full and successful life. Unexpectedly one day he receives a message claiming he and his sisters Rana and Dayla are not who they think they are. When he goes to meet the person who sent the message he finds himself sitting opposite of his twin.
Levin is a great character whose depth comes in layers as the story moves forward. Well written, the story starts off slowly making sure we understand who the characters are and what motivates them. Once the mystery begins to reveal itself the story picks up pace and before you realize it you are on a fast paced journey that will hold you till the last page.
Project Renovatio is told from two points of view Levin and Rana. While Rana's roll is not as dramatic as Levin's I thoroughly enjoyed her character. Ms Maruska's work with the character development was excellent and is what in my opinion propels the story forward.
Another wonderfully done part of the book is the excellent work done on the cover. The colorless black and white background, overlay-ed by a strand of DNA with deep red and streaks of yellow running over it does much not only to the aesthetics of the book, but at a glace tells us what to expect from the story.
The writing is clear, easy to follow making the noticing of clues and information an integral part of creating an experience the reader will enjoy being a part of.
It's been a long time since I have read and really enjoyed the DNA plot. Allison's take on the topic of DNA is new and very refreshing. Much like when I read Ira Levin's "The Boys From Brazil" I was captivated by the possible realities inherent in the story line. Those possibilities kept me turning the pages and eager to see where it would go next.
One final point I would like to make, I understand completely that any product has to have a target audience and so Project Renovatio has a YA tag on it, but in all honesty this is a story suited to any age interested in a good story line that crosses several genres.
January 20, 2018
I listened to the audio book of Project Renovatio. I initially found the reader’s accent slightly off putting but I soon got used to it and she did do a good job of reading this story.
Project Renovatio is a science fiction fantasy book about a genetic engineering project undertaken by the US government in an attempt to develop a race of superior humans who are better equipped to survive an apocalypse than the average man on the street. There method is to seek out men and women who exhibit an unusually high intelligence, strong immune system and better sporting abilities than average and enter them into a human breeding programme to ensure off-spring which present enhanced abilities due to their genetic advantages.
Levin Davis and his two sisters have happy lives. They are certainly brighter than average and are strong and athletic, but they have never considered themselves to be significantly different to their peer group. When Levin receives a mysterious letter, whose author claims to be his half-brother and telling him that his father, who he believed to be long dead, is still alive, Levin is completely taken by surprise. He agrees to take his two sisters with him to meet up with his half-brother and learn more about his father and why his mother has always told her children that he is dead. This meeting in not straight forward and the half-brother leads Levin and his sisters on a bit of a wild goose chase before they find out anything useful.
This story moved at a swift pace and was exciting. Although I was able to clearly see what Levin couldn’t in the story, the way this was revealed, and the context of the revelation, was unexpected to me so it certainly didn’t detract from the story. I enjoyed this book and look forward to listening to the next book in the series.
Project Renovatio is a science fiction fantasy book about a genetic engineering project undertaken by the US government in an attempt to develop a race of superior humans who are better equipped to survive an apocalypse than the average man on the street. There method is to seek out men and women who exhibit an unusually high intelligence, strong immune system and better sporting abilities than average and enter them into a human breeding programme to ensure off-spring which present enhanced abilities due to their genetic advantages.
Levin Davis and his two sisters have happy lives. They are certainly brighter than average and are strong and athletic, but they have never considered themselves to be significantly different to their peer group. When Levin receives a mysterious letter, whose author claims to be his half-brother and telling him that his father, who he believed to be long dead, is still alive, Levin is completely taken by surprise. He agrees to take his two sisters with him to meet up with his half-brother and learn more about his father and why his mother has always told her children that he is dead. This meeting in not straight forward and the half-brother leads Levin and his sisters on a bit of a wild goose chase before they find out anything useful.
This story moved at a swift pace and was exciting. Although I was able to clearly see what Levin couldn’t in the story, the way this was revealed, and the context of the revelation, was unexpected to me so it certainly didn’t detract from the story. I enjoyed this book and look forward to listening to the next book in the series.
April 17, 2016
First of all, can I just say how much I love this cover? It's stunning and fits the story perfectly.
Project Renovatio is a thrilling story full of mystery and suspense that will keep you guessing right until the end. I loved trying to piece together all the clues and information along the way. The writing is clear and concise so it's a good, easy read. I personally thought that the pacing was a little off--too rushed, I think. The characters were a little flat for me and I had a difficult time connecting with them at first, but the plot is strong enough to keep the story intriguing and make me want to keep reading.
Project Renovatio is a thrilling story full of mystery and suspense that will keep you guessing right until the end. I loved trying to piece together all the clues and information along the way. The writing is clear and concise so it's a good, easy read. I personally thought that the pacing was a little off--too rushed, I think. The characters were a little flat for me and I had a difficult time connecting with them at first, but the plot is strong enough to keep the story intriguing and make me want to keep reading.
April 1, 2016
Project Renovatio pulls you in and hooks right from the start. Like Maruska's other books, Project Renovatio has tons of twists and turns! It's one of those books that keeps you up into the wee hours because you can't possibly wait to find out what happens next! Can't wait to read more from this author as well as this story line!
April 7, 2016
Project Renovatio is a gem of a story. Aside from some pacing and a slow start, Maruska weaves a tale of a project hell-bent on world domination through genetically altered children. The espionage and twists are not predicatable and that's a good thing. For anyone looking for a fun YA read, this is a good story. Well done.
February 19, 2019
The premise had merit.
Not sure how this novel ended up on my Kindle. It reads like a novel I would have read in middle school. Very middle grade feel, not young adult. The writing was so basic. Definitely not deep POV. Too much he did this, he did that. I was pulled into the story at first, not realizing how basic it was. And by the time I realized it wasn’t that great, I was about one third of the way through, so I kept reading because it was short and I wanted to know where this story was going. But I got sick of the notes and clues left behind. And the ending was silly and rushed.
I don’t really recommend this novel, not even for middle grade. No depth.
Reader Rated for ages 12+ for mild violence. There’s one scene where a teenager stuck his hand up a girl’s shirt, which felt so out of place and too mature for how basic the story was written.
Not sure how this novel ended up on my Kindle. It reads like a novel I would have read in middle school. Very middle grade feel, not young adult. The writing was so basic. Definitely not deep POV. Too much he did this, he did that. I was pulled into the story at first, not realizing how basic it was. And by the time I realized it wasn’t that great, I was about one third of the way through, so I kept reading because it was short and I wanted to know where this story was going. But I got sick of the notes and clues left behind. And the ending was silly and rushed.
I don’t really recommend this novel, not even for middle grade. No depth.
Reader Rated for ages 12+ for mild violence. There’s one scene where a teenager stuck his hand up a girl’s shirt, which felt so out of place and too mature for how basic the story was written.
November 24, 2017
YA Science fiction
With the chance to follow the characters along an unplanned path. I get the gist & I've followed a couple of others down that wormhole & not doing it again! See Cosega Shift and its sequels & Breakthrough for another 3 book series! Best to read William R Forstchen' 3 books that posit the very real & possible effects of an EMP which in a blink of an eye an take us back to the dark ages! First book: one second after! You won't put or down!
With the chance to follow the characters along an unplanned path. I get the gist & I've followed a couple of others down that wormhole & not doing it again! See Cosega Shift and its sequels & Breakthrough for another 3 book series! Best to read William R Forstchen' 3 books that posit the very real & possible effects of an EMP which in a blink of an eye an take us back to the dark ages! First book: one second after! You won't put or down!
July 4, 2016
This is a story that starts off slow, but finishes with a bang.
The book moves rather slowly for the first few chapters, briefly setting up the mystery to be told over the course of the novel. And although you may consider stopping because of this, I encourage you to continue to reading should you decide to give this book a chance. I admittedly didn't particularly care about the characters or their actions early on, but that changed once the conspiracy began to be revealed. There are a lot of layers to this story, and you have to allow them to be peeled back slowly in order for the impact of the ending to really serve its purpose.
Allowing the story to be told through two characters was a plus, as well. It allowed us to not only see what Levin was dealing with at the revelation of Project Renovatio, but also Rana. I don't believe the emotional toll of the story would have held as much weight if the story were told through just Levin's point of view.
I quite enjoyed this story and have already gone on to pick up the second book.
The book moves rather slowly for the first few chapters, briefly setting up the mystery to be told over the course of the novel. And although you may consider stopping because of this, I encourage you to continue to reading should you decide to give this book a chance. I admittedly didn't particularly care about the characters or their actions early on, but that changed once the conspiracy began to be revealed. There are a lot of layers to this story, and you have to allow them to be peeled back slowly in order for the impact of the ending to really serve its purpose.
Allowing the story to be told through two characters was a plus, as well. It allowed us to not only see what Levin was dealing with at the revelation of Project Renovatio, but also Rana. I don't believe the emotional toll of the story would have held as much weight if the story were told through just Levin's point of view.
I quite enjoyed this story and have already gone on to pick up the second book.
June 30, 2016
Project Renovatio kept my interest from cover to cover. I didn't want to put it down! Allison Maruska has weaved together some great characters in this series.
Levin has to look out for his two younger sisters, Rana and Dayla, all while trying to figure out where their mother was taken and why he was genetically engineered along with his siblings for Project Renovatio. Throughout the book, they will discover more than they bargained for, and loyalties will be tested, as truths are brought to the surface.
I highly recommend this book to any and all who enjoy a quick read, one that always has you guessing, and never lets you figure things out until they are laid out before you. I can't wait to read Project Liberatio so I can find out what happens to these captivating characters!
Levin has to look out for his two younger sisters, Rana and Dayla, all while trying to figure out where their mother was taken and why he was genetically engineered along with his siblings for Project Renovatio. Throughout the book, they will discover more than they bargained for, and loyalties will be tested, as truths are brought to the surface.
I highly recommend this book to any and all who enjoy a quick read, one that always has you guessing, and never lets you figure things out until they are laid out before you. I can't wait to read Project Liberatio so I can find out what happens to these captivating characters!
July 1, 2016
Great. Imaginative. Compelling. Will continue this series.
November 18, 2016
La verdad me gustó mucho la historia, pero mi hicieron falta más descripciones y emociones un poquito más reales a lo que sucedía. Sentí que fue un libro express.
March 30, 2017
A good story with an interesting premise.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews