Nobel Genes

by Rune Michaels

It's tough to measure up to your parents' expectations. Imagine how much harder it would be if your mother told you that your biological father—whom you'd never met—was a Nobel prize-winning genius? What if, after years of testing and tutoring, you never showed that particular spark of brilliance? What if you found out that you'd been living a lie, and that the truth was darker than you could have imagined?

Does it matter who you come from? Or are we all just made from dust?

In Rune Michaels's most powerful novel yet, she examines the fragile emotions surrounding finding out who we are and what we’re made of.

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Teen, Mental Illness, Mystery, Realistic Fiction, Family

181 pages, Hardcover

First published July 21, 2010

About the author

Rune lives in Reykjavík with her husband, their daughter and their two cats, trying hard not to live a life out of one of her books.

Reviews

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A library patron complained to staff that this book contains adult content inappropriate for minors (despite it being classified as YA literature). Naturally, it made me all excited to read it.

It's pretty dull at first, then gets super depressing. The kid in this book is really sensitive, has no friends, and has to take care of a mom who's crazy/suicidal. Probably some kids out there can relate to it. It is decently written and believable - at first.

But then, the story has this twist at the end that is disturbing in a VC Andrews way, but not as campy. The way the ending is revealed is questionable, but it can be argued the narrator is unreliable/crazy at this point. Who knows. It kind of messed up a fairly decent story otherwise.

Not the best or most intriguing book ever, but it's irritating that adults are trying to police what teens (who are not their own children) read.

[Kalee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have so much to say about this book I don’t even know where to begin. So I read this book because I’m trying to get back into reading and it was small and seemed like an easy read. I was thinking “Oh it’ll be a cute little book about a kid finding his dad” no. That’s not it at all. I have mixed feelings about it.
On the one hand it’s kind of boring, not a lot of plot or action or anything, the thing that kept me going was my hope it would pick up and he’d meet his dad. When I realized that wouldn’t happen, I was almost finished with it anyways because it’s a pretty easy read (i read the whole thing in one sitting). On the other hand this was one of the few times where I’ve read a book and actually been completely shocked at the truth and who he is. Also, the themes and messages in this book and what the author does is great. The way the boy is struggling with his identity and the most important thing about him has always been his Nobel genes (an idea his mom passed down) is shown clearly in that we don’t really know much about him other than that. We don’t even know his name or his age. He has no identity. It’s heartbreaking. This is one of those books that while it wasn’t the most interesting it’s still something I would want to discuss in depth with someone because I feel like there’s a lot to unpack.

[Ashley · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was suuuuuper boring. I wanted to feel something for a boy stuck in such an impossible situation, but I just didn't. I was determined to finish it, hoping that something horrific would happen in order to liven it up a bit, when it really really did. I applaud it for going to really dark places, and a lot of the dream scenes were very vivid. I also thought the twist at the end was nicely ambiguous, in that "information" comes to the boy in a dream. I wasn't sure if it was supposed to be read as truth or as a sign that the boy is becoming undone mentally. If it hadn't been for this, I would have given the book one star. I think Rune Michaels has a lot of skill, and I'd read another book of hers even though this one was mostly dull. I kind of wish this book had started where it ended.

Read my full review at http://respectablecollection.wordpress.com/2012/02/22/nobel-genes/.

[Sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This seemed like it would be a relatively simple read with interesting themes, but it surprised me. I dog eared several pages because of the way the author so vividly and accurately describes anxiety, how it feels physically, and how an anxious stream of conscious might go. I recommend it on that account as well as the plot if you find mystery and writing style to be intriguing. Thanks go to this author for sharing the story.

[august geras · Rating 4 out of 5]

it felt a little strong in the beginning with dropping all of that info on me instead of showing it to me so essentially a bit too much exposition and i would have loved to see more of his earlier life as a child with his mom and how that was but the ending was very satisfying and beautiful and it felt cathartic as someone with a dead mother . overall would recommend !

[Chan Lok Yiu Chloe · Rating 5 out of 5]

我讀的這本書是中文版的，我覺得這本書裡的內容非常真實，感染力很大。書裡的小孩是他擁有精神病媽媽以為她兒子是擁有諾貝爾基因，一直覺得她兒子是神童，對他有很大期望。我非常同情那位小孩，他住在一個有很大期望的環境裡，還要照顧一個擁有精神病的媽媽真的使人同情

[Zoë Danielle]

Nobel Genes by Rune Michaels is the story of a young boy whose mother has always told him he was conceived using sperm from a bank of Nobel Prize Winners. He doesn't know who his father is, but he has always felt the immense pressure to live up to him. When he learns this is a lie, he faces even bigger questions about who he is, and whether that lie was meant to cover up an extremely dark truth.

I was initially interested in this book because of the word "genes" in the title- genetics is my field of study and I am always excited when I see it incorporated into a book. In reality, Nobel Genes has very little to do with genetics from a scientific perspective and is more about what our identity really is, and how is that defined. Not knowing who he really is from a genetics perspective, the narrator instead asks:

"Does it matter who my dad is?
Mom has taught me genes are important. Half of what I am came from my dad. But he came from his parents, and they came from their parents, and so on back through the ages, all the back to the primordial soup I read about in the cosmology book.
That’s how I must think of it. I came from a puddle of mud back at the beginning of time. everybody did."

Although the main character is nameless and ageless, he appears to be quite young from the narration voice. In fact, the way he speaks, as well as the serious themes- mental illness, alcoholism, suicide- the novel address often reminded me of Room by Emma Donoghue. Like Room, the narrator in Nobel Genes has a child-like confusion over what is going on. Near the beginning of the book he says:

"Mom can’t understand why, why my Nobel genes aren’t showing themselves. She says she can’t understand why my phenotype doesn’t correspond better with my genotype. That sounds really weird, but it means she can’t understand why I’m not what I’m supposed to be."

Clearly this is a huge expectation for the boy to live up to, and it's no wonder he struggles under the pressure especially considering that his mom is quite ill. I did find this aspect of the book interesting, however it should be noted Nobel Genes was written with a young adult audience in mind while Room was technically written for adults, so the writing is even simpler and at times seemed to verge a little on silly. That said, I was finding Nobel Genes quite interesting until it turned out the major revelation of the book comes through a dream, whose validity the narrator doesn't even bother to question and it seems as if the reader is not supposed to either. It did make sense, but having the boy learn it through some kind of shared dream seemed both lazy and at odds with the realistic fiction in the rest of the novel.

Overall, Nobel Genes was not what I expected, but that wasn't my major problem with it. Nobel Genes is an interesting young adult book that deals with very serious issues, but by having key plot points revealed through a dream without any real evidence it ended in a way that gave up believability for an easy way out that did the rest of the novel a disservice.

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nobel Genes is a story about who we are and where we come from. It is a contemporary story set in America and it raises questions about the ethics of genetics and the origin of our identity.


When I finished reading this book, I knew that I had enjoyed it but I couldn’t for the life of me remember the main character’s name. So I searched through the book and realised that he never actually tells us his name which is very much in tune with the story. It is a first person narrative told by a boy. I don’t think he reveals his age either but I imagined him to be around eleven. The boy is referred to by others in terms of labels. He is “the kid”, “Nobel son”, and “paperboy”. So Nobel Genes is partly a story about identity. The boy is obsessed with finding his father who gave him these genes. His father is a mystery. The donor bank cannot reveal who his Nobel father is and so the boy has many fantasies about the great achievements of his father.


In a way this story is not so much about the Nobel father as it is about the boy’s mother. She is suffering with mental health issues and cannot leave the house. The boy takes on the role of his mum’s carer – even buying her cigarettes, monitoring her behaviour. He is very aware that if social services find out he is taking care of his mum, he will be taken from her. It is a sad and moving story and it was nice to see young adult fiction exploring the role of a young carer.


The way the story is told is rather unusual. There is very little dialogue. The boy’s narrative is almost stream of consciousness as he reveals his life to the reader. It feels as if he is speaking directly to you and thus it is easily accessible. And yet, it is also edge of your seat reading because you cannot help but feel for this boy who is burdened by responsibility.


I loved the science references in this novel. This morning when I woke up there was one phrase that was imprinted on my thoughts and it was: primordial soup. The ending is suitably ambiguous and though it may not leave you feeling wholly satisfied, it did fit with the story. There was a beautiful symmetry to it. Read Nobel Genes if you’re looking for something different and moving.

[Tatiana Jenkins · Rating 1 out of 5]

I like the idea of this story. A boy is struggling to find out who he is , deal with a tumultuous home life and stand by his mothers side . I just think the story was written in a lazy manner.
Girl gets pregnant by her dad, runs away , tries to raise baby on her own , slowly goes crazy over time . Baby grows into young man who discovers this truth through a dream. Mother cannot confirm this because she is in a come , grandma can't because she didnt know, and the said father is in a vegetative state and ant confirm this either . There isn't a character in the book that can cement this notion, so the poor nameless main character and the poor reader who has also joined this journey are left in the dark to hope the notion is true .
I'm not buying it .
Yes she could have been molested or raped , but there just isn't enough info to support the claim . The grandmother says nothing to indicate it , there are no other people who were close to the mom during that time to confirm it . No long lost best friends, family members , anything ? A young girl runs off and its not a big deal . I like the concept of the story but it could and should have been given to the author who had the decency to flesh out a full picture . This story seems as incomplete as the walls the mother was painting ....

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

Narrated by a boy who is struggling with his identity this book has a lot going on and would foster some interesting discussion in the right setting.
Told every day that he is his young mom's Nobel Boy the narrator knows he can Never live up to his mother's hopes. He knows beyond a doubt that he is and Average Boy. As the years pass he realizes that his mother is sinking ever deeper into a pool of madness. He is constantly vigilant of her moods, drinking and prescription dalliances; he knows she could die if the balance tips.
Mixed into this is his quest to find out his own identity. Told that his father is a donor to a Nobel Sperm bank he scours photos of Prize Winners to find his dad- when he finds that the sperm bank is an urban legend he realizes that the house of cards his mother has erected could tumble.
Themes of identity, trust, family and betrayal play out. As another has mentioned a devastating vision that our young narrator has rings true but needs a more stable base to be fully believed. The fact that the narrator is unnamed is an interesting device for the themes and surprised me that it was a bit unsettling, I did not know how important being able to name a character would be to me.

[Julia · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was an odd mix of 90 percent realistic fiction with a weird dream communication fantasy element at the end of the book. In general I liked this because it was a frank look at how a child living alone with a parent who has an addiction & mental illness. It wasn't overly frightening or graphic, but it did show the anxiety of the situation well.

However the shared dreams element that comes in at the end is disturbing on multiple levels. The boy who is the main character believes they are really true (which is unconfirmable given the plot at this point). The story seems to imply they are true, but no real evidence is provided. The story ends at a point where we as readers either have to believe the shared dreams were real & the information gleaned from them are true or we must believe that the boy is creating a (very uncomforting) delusion for himself. I think the book would have been served to spell out which truth it wanted to communicate & also have backed it up with evidence.

[Jesse · Rating 3 out of 5]

An unnamed middle school-aged boy is constantly trying to live up to the Nobel genes he supposedly received from his donor father. It becomes apparent that his young mother has suicidal tendencies and he is left to care for both of them. The fifth time she is taken away on a stretcher life changes for him. His mother’s parents (thought dead by him) take him in. The story takes a fantastical turn and he is able to learn of the horrible events that led to his creation and his mother’s flight from her father. Ultimately he decides that he is in control of his own destiny, regardless of his genetic makeup. Through dreams, this book offers the satisfaction of the good triumphing and the evil suffering that would not be possible in a more true-to-life telling of the story. Warning: Contains rape by a family member, though it is implied rather than described. Therefore, this book is recommended for readers age 12 and up.

[Barbara · Rating 2 out of 5]

The unnamed narrator takes care of his mother, he watches her moods, counts her pills, and enjoys when she seems stable and they do things together. He knows that his mom got pregnant from a sperm donor who was a Nobel prize winner. His mother expects him to be gifted at something like science and he’s not; like her, he’s good at art. This contributes to the difficulties in his life because he feels like he is disappointing her and she always seems so sad. His mother’s second suicide attempt sends her to the hospital and the friends who had been helping him cover for his mom’s mental illness know they can’t help any longer. A social worker finds the grandparents he never knew and he learns the truth about his father. I'm not sure what teens this would appeal to besides those who like problem novels. Positive reviews in Booklist, School Library Journal, and Publisher’s Weekly.

[Bryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book wasn't that great, like outstanding but it wasn't that bad either. I think the age group is younger, so that was why. However, it had to do with genes and DNA which is what we were learning in Bio so i thought it would be interesting to read a book that includes DNA and genes. This book was about a kid who has a mother who wanted a talented baby so she spent money to buy sperm of a nobel award winner, hoping that the smart genes would be in the kid. This leads to the kid wanting to find out who the father is, but it was hard when you had a messed up mother, which the kid had. I would recommend this book to audiences from 11-13 because it seemed like it was a younger book. However, it had strong themes and had to do with genetics, so they might not get it. I would recommend this book to whoever is looking for a interesting book to read.

[Librariann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ages 11+ (for spoiler alert! - incest and suicide attempts)

Nameless, ageless boy struggles with his alcoholic, agoraphobic, depressed mother. She always told him that he was the result of a sperm donation from a Nobel Prize winner. Near the end of the book, he learns the hard truth (via a dream message from his comatose mother) - her father, his grandfather, is also his father. It was a fast read, and engaging, but will be a hard sell, unless perhaps as bibliotherapy.

[Pam]

Nobel Genes is a story about who we are and where we come from. It is a contemporary story set in America and it raises questions about the ethics of genetics and the origin of our identity.

first person narrative

needs to be read... reveiws where ok.. but students liked genesis alpha and asked for more by this author

[Kathy Wawer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book examines the role of genes in our lives and how our knowledge of our own genes can determine how we think about ourselves. It also examines the dynamic between a boy and his mentally ill mother. He will go to any lengths to keep them together even though he is the acting head of household.

[Stacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The cover & back copy make this sound like a dystopian YA novel, but it's actually realistic fiction about a young boy coping with his mother's mental illness. Borders on the after-school special, especially towards the end, but overall well-done.

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review from library copy

This had the twist I thought Pearl by Jo Knowles was going to have. Interesting to see a parent's mental illness through the eyes of a son. We never know how old he is. We never know where he is. I don't think we even learn his name.

[Bridget · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is blah.

[Sharon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kind of like reading a news account of a sad circumstance. Too much distance between reader and character.

[Jennifer (Teen Librarian) Beiermann · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fast read. Like someone else said, it has elements of realistic fiction but then their is a fantasy part toward the end.

[GGG]

from list of ReachOut Reads YA books on mental health issues: on bipolar disorder

[Gerri · Rating 5 out of 5]

* This haunting story kept me reading all night, until I got to the end. I enjoyed Rune's writing that successfully conveyed a Nobel son's ongoing struggles in order to please his mom.

[Debbie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Struggling with identity and self-discovery, one particular re-action by the main character remains difficult to justify ethically.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Scary. Surrealistic and tragic. I didn't cry but I felt so melancholy afterwards. A great book to discuss bioethics with.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

It reminded me of Goodnight Mr Tom - the way in which he saw things. It was good, just I feel like something is missing.

[Hyrax · Rating 3 out of 5]

Captivating, but incredibly underdeveloped and rushed at the end. That said, the stark nature of the text may be inherent to the story and to its subject matter.