Wednesday 22 January 2014

Eve and Adam by Michael Grant and Katherine Applegate

Sixteen-year-old Evening Spiker lives an affluent life in San Francisco with her mother, Terra, a successful geneticist and owner of Spiker Biotech. Sure, Evening misses her father who died mysteriously, but she’s never really questioned it. Much like how she’s never stopped to think how off it is that she’s never been sick. That is, until she’s struck by a car and is exposed to extensive injuries. Injuries that seem to be healing faster than physically possible.

While recuperating in Spiker Biotech’s lush facilities, she meets Solo Plissken, a very attractive, if off-putting boy her age who spent his life at Spiker Biotech. Like Evening, he’s never questioned anything... until now. Solo drops hints to Evening that something isn’t right, and Terra may be behind it. Evening puts this out of her mind and begins her summer internship project: To simulate the creation of the perfect boy. With the help of Solo, Evening uncovers secrets so big they could change the world completely.


Evening was hit by a car, distracted by an apple. The ironic imagery was not lost on me! Her mother, head of a pharmaceutical company, whisks her away to her private ward in Spiker Biotech where she can heal in peace. Yet it seems as though just after two days her leg, which was crushed under a car and mangled beyond belief, is now perfect without a scratch! More than just her magical healing abilities is going on at Spiker Biotech and Solo is determined to find out what and put a stop to it. It is just a pity that Evening is now in the middle of it. 

The story was not quite what I thought it would be; not so much about creating Adam and their relationship, as it was about the company and Evening's mother being a heartless bitch that possibly broke laws. Also a lot of science talk that reflects the implications of playing God. It was all very well balanced, with normal teenage drama of stupid boyfriends and crushes, to running away from corrupt scientists and bending the rules on playing with genetics.

Although it wasn't what I expected, I still flew through the book. It was split with dual narrative with Evening and Solo: both very interesting characters. Evening was pretty spoilt but working on her attitude, while Solo was cool and determined to avenge his parents, but getting quickly distracted by Evening. Then it gets complicated as even more secrets pour out about the biotech company that neither of them want to hear. It was all very cloak-and-dagger with corrupt employees, blackmail and even murder. Then Adam comes to life and he is eerily perfect but god, he was boring! If nothing else, then this books teaches that perfect is boring. And also non-existent, as Evening forgot to give him bravery which means he cowers in a corner when his so-called soulmate is being shot at. 

Although there were several issues I had with this, I did enjoy it. I didn't believe the insta-love between Evening and Solo, no matter how much I liked Solo (for no apparent reason, by the way, I just did); Terra Spiker as evil incarnate was just too easy; and Evening just plain annoyed me. So it could have been a lot better, but it was still pretty dramatic and just complicated enough to keep me interested. 

Published 1st October 2012 by Egmont Books.

2 comments:

  1. Hmmm I have a copy of this but Adam and Evening sound awful. At least it kept you interested, could have been a lot worse. Then again it could have been better haha!
    Brill review :)

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  2. Evening sounds like a terrible name! How confusing. Ive had this on my want-to-read list for ages, but something is just stopping me buying it :/

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