Spiked

Spliced #3

by Jon McGoran

A plan for peace turns into a fight for survival in the third book of the acclaimed sci-fi thriller series.

Committed to both peace and human rights for chimeras--people who alter themselves with animal DNA--seventeen-year-old Jimi Corcoran is torn when she's invited to a gathering of moderate pro- and anti-chimera rights activists seeking to find common ground. But when a militant chimera rights group prevents her from attending--and saves her from being killed by the bomb they've planted--Jimi herself falls under suspicion for the blast.

Seeking to clear her name, Jimi and her chimera boyfriend, Rex, investigate the mysterious group ... only to discover that her involvement is no accident. As they dig deeper, they're drawn into a whirlwind of secret identities, shocking experiments, and an apocalyptic plot that threatens the future of humanity.

In this thrilling conclusion to Jon McGoran's timely and heavy-hitting Spliced series, extremists on both sides square off in an escalating battle between competing visions of the future of humanity, and of the Earth. Set in a near-future society where science is both celebrated and vilified, the Spliced series tackles weighty questions about genetic manipulation, artificial intelligence, population control--and when, if ever, revolution is worth a life.

Genres: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Dystopia, High School

352 pages, Hardcover

Published May 5, 2020

About the author

Jon McGoran is the author of ten novels, including Spliced, Splintered and Spiked, a trilogy of near-future YA science fiction thrillers from Holiday House Books.Spliced was named to the ALA’s Library Information Technology Association (LITA) inaugural 2018 LITA Excellence in Children’s and Young Adult Science Fiction Notable Lists and was also named one of the American Bookseller’s Association’s 2017 ABC Best Books for Young Readers. The sequel, Splintered, comes out May 2019. His other books include the acclaimed ecological thrillers Drift, Deadout, and Dust Up, from Tor/Forge Books, and The Dead Ring, based on the hit TV show, The Blacklist. Writing as D. H. Dublin, he is the author of the forensic thrillers Body Trace, Blood Poison and Freezer Burn, from Penguin Books. His short fiction includes stories in the recent anthologies Hardboiled Horror and Joe Ledger: Unstoppable, as well as the novella “After Effects,” from Amazon StoryFront; Bad Debt, which received an honorable mention in Best American Mystery Stories 2014; and stories in a variety of other anthologies. He is a founding member of the Philadelphia Liars Club, a group of published authors dedicated to writers helping writers. When not writing novels and short fiction, McGoran works as a freelance writer and developmental editor and co-host of the writing podcast The Liars Club Oddcast. Find him on Twitter at @JonMcGoran, facebook.com/jonmcgoran/ or at www.jonmcgoran.com. Or visit www.spliced.world and splice yourself!

Reviews

[Paige · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher! Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Spiked

Author: Jon McGoran

Book Series: Spliced Book 3

Rating: 5/5

Publication Date: May 5, 2020

Genre: YA Sci-Fi

Recommended Age: 16+ (violence, science, romance, dystopian vibes)

Publisher: Holiday House

Pages: 352

Amazon Link

Synopsis: Committed to both peace and human rights for chimeras--people who alter themselves with animal DNA--seventeen-year-old Jimi Corcoran is torn when she's invited to a gathering of moderate pro- and anti-chimera rights activists seeking to find common ground. But when a militant chimera rights group prevents her from attending--and saves her from being killed by the bomb they've planted--Jimi herself falls under suspicion for the blast.

Seeking to clear her name, Jimi and her chimera boyfriend, Rex, investigate the mysterious group. . . . only to discover that her involvement is no accident. As they dig deeper, they're drawn into a whirlwind of secret identities, shocking experiments, and an apocalyptic plot that threatens the future of humanity.

In this thrilling conclusion to Jon McGoran's timely and heavy-hitting Spliced series, extremists on both sides square off in an escalating battle between competing visions of the future of humanity, and of the Earth. Set in a near-future society where science is both celebrated and vilified, the Spliced series tackles weighty questions about genetic manipulation, artificial intelligence, population control--and when, if ever, revolution is worth a life.

Review: I really loved the finale of this book! The science behind this whole series has completely blown me away and I really loved the writing. The book had great characters with excellent character development that continued to this book. The pacing was well done as well and the world building just continued to be magnificent! Definitely recommend this to anyone who loves sci-fi!

My only issue is that, again, it takes a bit to get into. It’s sometimes hard to understand the science as well, but hang in there!

Verdict: Recommend this series!

[Denise Weintraut · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This was a terrific sequel and finale to the #Spliced series! The characters were compelling and the issues raised in the plot really got me thinking about how we approach genetics, technology, and global warming. Jimi, the protagonist, had an authentic, realistic voice that wasn't overly whiny or angsty, an issue with many YA novels. I loved that she maintained positivity in the face of overwhelming odds and that she genuinely connected with and cared for her family and friends. Day-to-day issues with global warming were made real with the extensive references to "future" Philadelphia settings.

Unlike many sequels, this novel had just the right amount of background reveals and finished in a cohesive and satisfying manner without being too explicitly "wrapped up." This book could even stand alone if you didn't want to read the beginning books in the series although I highly recommend them, too! There is so much to discuss with this book that it easily lends itself to a book club or literature circle. Note to teachers: while there is mention of having had intimate relations, there are no explicit sex scenes.

Overall, this novel had the right balance of suspense, intrigue, and personal connections. It has it all!
Enjoy this one, my friends!

Thanks to Holiday House Books for an Advanced Reader Copy of this novel!

[books are love · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an awesome ending to this series. I do hope though we may get a book later on letting us know how Jimi and her boyfriend and friends are doing after all that went down.

In this one the tide is turned on Jimi because she is now looked at as a suspect and she is trying to figure out what is really happening. And those implants and affects OMG. Creepy. This was like a really awesome twilight zone movie. We have the implants and its impacts which is creepy. It is like the people begin to become cyborgs. Jimi trying to find the truth and expose it with her boyfriend and friends helping. Her mom worrying and the battle to keep humanity from becoming creepy strange creatures. We meet her aunt and find out the truth behind the splicing and research and what is going on now. We see how Jimi is stuck in the middle because she wants to do what is right but also help her aunt because that is the right thing as well. We have the relationship of Rex and Jimi grow and so do her friendships.

Rex is great in this book. He is a protector, supporter and friend. He is smart and knows how to keep Jimi from doing something she will regret but also keeps an open mind and supports her when he knows there isn’t anything else he can do. As the truth is revealed, you can feel the danger build up and feel the dilemma Jimi and her friends are in. They are in a rock and hard place and it only gets more complicated as things are revealed.

The story is action packed, filled with history that helps with the mystery and buildup, reveals and danger. A story that is about family, friendship, trust and love. about right and wrong and finding the truth and helping others. such a great great ending and I didn’t want to say goodbye.

[mowgliwithabook · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨Relevant,Riveting,Real✨
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‘Whaaat?!’ was my reaction through this whole book. An imminent super flu threatening humankind, global climate change problems & large scale discrimination among the masses. Ring a bell? That is our world today! How did the Author know this? This futuristic sci-fi thriller is more like an account of current events!
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Welcome to a world where humans can choose to be spiked or spliced. Spiked with an AI chip makes humans smarter & they do not get along with the spliced people who have injected animal DNA into themselves. A Sinister series of events are set of following a bomb blast & it is up to Jimi, who finds her self in the middle of the chaos, to find a way to stop an impending pandemic .
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REVIEW->
I started with this book 3 of a trilogy and I was a little lost initially since I lacked history. But the plot is so engrossing, I took the extra effort to connect the dots & it was so worth it. This book had me hooked! The story pans out slowly, revealing one plot twist at a time. There are several elements to this book –AI, gene mutation, population control - and yet the Author has kept the science simple enough. You don’t have to be a techie to get it.
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Jimmy & her friends Rex, Sly & others were the perfect cast for teenagers dealing with personal dilemmas while trying to save the world. The Author impressively laces this trailer with emotional bits too!
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A book that I do recommend, but not as a standalone. You are better off reading the trilogy from book 1.

[Marsha Hubbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Spiked" is the final book in Jon McGoran's futuristic trilogy. An action-packed, thought-provoking ride "where science is both celebrated and vilified."

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gripping and satisfying conclusion to the series.

[Questionssz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t even know where to start, this series is just so good! There are so many parallels between the Spliced universe and our world today that really resonate with me. I feel like we all can relate to the themes of these books, and I definitely think more people should read them!

[Colleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrifying. Nope. Cybermen. Not a good choice for a pandemic. Authors are scary. Humans and animals. These are my thoughts for this book.

I will discuss terrifying and nope in the same paragraph. Technology can be a good thing, but in the wrong hands it can lead to terrifying results. That is why some of the technology in this novel made me think "nope." While I am not a much a science fiction reader, I have read enough to know that things can happen with tech. That is why if there our world progresses to get the technology in this book. There is no way I am going to have that done to me. NO. WAY. This leads me to my next thought.

Cybermen. This basically explains a good portion of this novel. Specifically, the episode Rise of the Cybermen and the one that came after it. That should tell you what you need to know without me really saying anything. I think it reminds me of another thing, but I cannot place it.

Just like How We Became Wicked this is not good read with pandemic as a backdrop. I do not remember them talking about a flu in Spliced. Yet, this was talking about the flu more prevalently.

I have always thought authors are scary individuals, because they contemplate possibilities that most people may not imagine. By thinking about these possibilities, I feel like they up the percentage/the probability of that piece event occurring. Yes, the conditions have to be met for their plot points to become reality, but there are very few possibilities where the likelihood is 0%. We make think that 0.00000000000002% is 0, but it is not. Just a very small number that could hit even though it is unlikely. For example, Margaret Peterson Haddix's The Strangers technology is a possibility in our world. In Gemini Man, the other Will Smith was more than likely made through CGI probably based on footage of a young Will Smith and it looked quite realistic. While I am not sure of the process, I believe the realism was possible due to the amount of footage on young Will Smith. That is probably why a young Phil Coulson played by Clark Gregg looked a bit odd in Captain Marvel. Our technology is not yet good enough to make a realistic images with not a lot of data. If it gets good enough then the possibility of The Strangers visual/audio technology just became that more possible.

The splices are interesting and I wish they more into it. I get the sense that the splices are like the genetic equivalent of a tattoo or body piercing. It seems like the changes are superficial. It does not seem fully seem like a person who gets spliced has all the physical characteristics of their animal splice. Yet, there is a character in here, where that is not exactly true, but that could have been for storytelling. Personally, I think animal splices should not be a thing, because this can lead into complicated legal problems, especially when you start to argue what is a human as we saw. At the same time, I felt like splices were the equivalent of DNA tattoo, especially when Doc had his discovery in book two. I am disappointed that this was not revisited in this book. I felt like that part was left hanging.

Speaking of Splintered, I felt like it did not serve a big part in the whole scheme of the trilogy. I mean it was quite exciting, but terms of overall plot I felt like it did not serve much purpose on driving the storyline. It felt like it was more used as quick evidence points in this book then building off of what happen previously.

Verdict: This was overall a pretty good conclusion to the story. Not everything was wrapped in a pretty bow, but I think it made sense for this book.

[Judah Kosterman · Rating 4 out of 5]

The sprawling conclusion to this trilogy is a two-movie finale.

In movie one, our folk heroine teen protagonist, Jimi, is headed to a meeting between moderates of the chimeras (animal-spliced humans) and the organized anti-chimeras (H4H, or Humans for Humanity). She’s waylaid by a fringe group of chimeras intent on blowing up the negotiations. The fringe group knows a lot about how the Dear Leader of H4H influences his followers (using the implantable PDAs he developed, nicknamed “spikes”), and about Dear Leader’s plan to save the Earth from human overpopulation.

But there’s the awkward fact that Dear Leader dated Jimi’s eco-warrior aunt (think Glinda) back in grad school, when Dear Leader and “Glinda” were both working on uses for a new virus – “Glinda” to splice willing humans with animal DNA, Dear Leader researching a super flu, and both researching immunization (but with very different ideas about who should survive a pandemic).

Jimi and her friends are evidence-gathering pawns of both “Glinda” and the fringe group, right up until “Glinda” tells Jimi she’s had the power to fix things all along – right before dying in a hail of bullets. End movie one.

Movie two is much more typical YA, with our group of human and chimera teens (the tech whizzes, the muscle, and the wild card that is Jimi) trying to crash the spiked network, take down Dear Leader, and spread the word on “the power to fix things” that is among us, all while sweetly chaste romance progresses and the connection between Jimi and the fringe group is revealed.

There are flaws. Given the emotional intelligence of the female leads, Jimi and Claudia, it’s disappointing how flat and static the male characters are. This is especially true for Jimi’s dog-spliced boyfriend, Rex – still just an affectionate security blanket able to give Jimi a ride or a place to crash. Aunt “Glinda” is a mythical figure and at times an info-dump – the reader doesn’t make an emotional connection to her, so her death is no great loss. And the fringe group – while tying in characters from books one and two – strains credulity.

But give props where props are due. The author did his research on everything from tech trends to disease spread to rising sea levels to make this near-future ring gruesomely true. Readers who know Philly and the surrounding land areas can play along, running the streets and noting the landmarks and navigating the flooded shore and river towns with Jimi. And this is a full-blown thriller, with lots of characters who just happen to be teenagers.

By all means read this to complete the author’s vision for these characters.

[Meredith Hill · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was good. Don’t get me wrong, but I still had a couple of problems with it and with the series as a whole.

For one, I thought there was too much going on in this book. Wayyyy too much. And it was all crammed together in 350 pages.

The only way he managed this was though magical character revelations (random bouts of epiphanies and creative thinking where people looked at a tree or a fire hydrant and managed to somehow come up with all the bad guys master plans).

It didn’t make for a bad read. Just a rushed one that left me a bit disappointed.

As for the series, I understand how the first two helped to paint the picture of the oppression Chimera’s faced, but to me they seemed more like mini stories in the Spliced universe. Not quite doing enough to lead up to the big reveal but nearly managing to stand alone entirely.

I will say though, that I did rather enjoy Dymphna’s history with Wells and how their two similar projects diverged so greatly. (His whole Thanos moment came a bit out of left field, but the technology part was interesting.)

Thanks for the creative new world!

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reviewed for Booklist

[PottWab Regional Library]

SM

[Deirdre Lohrmann]

finally got my copy ion from the library to read!!

[Eunice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall pretty enjoyable. Way too many ex machinas. Chronos ending didn't make sense. I enjoyed the book, but I'll be the first to admit that it's not super good.

[erika · Rating 3 out of 5]

funny funny i didn't know i read the 3rd book instead of the 1st.
no wonder i was so confused