REVIEW: Spliced, by Jon McGoran

Spliced by Jon McGoran
Published by Holiday House on September 29th 2017
Pages: 400
Amazon||The Book Depository
Goodreads

In this gripping sci-fi thriller, genetically altered teens fight for survival in a near-future society that is redefining what it means to be human.Sixteen-year-old Jimi knows people change, but nothing could prepare her for what’s about to happen to her best friend, Del. Del is obsessed with becoming a chimera (ki-mir-a): a person who pays back-alley geneticists, known as ""genies,"" to illegally splice animal genes into their own. The resulting physical changes have scared lawmakers into drafting legislation declaring chimeras officially nonpersons—so when Del goes missing, Jimi is desperate to find him before he alters himself forever.As she tries to save him, Jimi must face down unscrupulous people and risk her own life—all while knowing that if getting spliced is the choice Del has made, it means he’s leaving her behind forever.

okay, i have to be honest. before receiving this book, i’d never heard of it, the author, or the publishing company. but i read the synopsis, and it sounded interesting enough, so i said to myself, sure! why not give it a try?

i started reading the book, and i was immediately drawn in. spliced is set in a future version of america—not sure exactly what year, but it was super interesting seeing all this differences between the america i live in and the america the characters live in. the political issues in the book are definitely thought-provoking, and it’s crazy to think that everything that happens in the book could actually become possible one day, and that these issues could become issues we have to deal with. i do wish there was a little more world-building, though. it’s clear that their america is much more technologically advanced, but i want to know how things changed so drastically, because it doesn’t seem like a super distant time period. the environment and society seems so different, and i just think it would be cool to have a little more backstory.

so, the characters. honestly, i LOVED jimi! i thought her character felt super realistic, and she’s definitely very complex. the character development throughout the book is also really interesting, and i loved following jimi as she faced all these different obstacles. del’s character was also interesting, but i thought he was going to be more of a main character than he actually was. although the story and conflict revolve around him, he doesn’t actually show up much. but honestly, i didn’t miss out too much, because all the side characters are just so awesome. can i just say how much i LOVED rex?? i also liked ruth and a few of the other chimeras, and i’m hoping to see more of all of them in the next books (at least i think/hope there will be more books in this series??).

besides the characters, i also really loved the plot. as some of you might know, i’m a senior in high school, and this is basically one of the busiest times ever. but i still couldn’t put down spliced, and the more i read, the more i fell in love. the plot is so complex, and i didn’t think it was super predictable. the pacing is pretty much perfect, including how the relationships develop between all the characters. the only thing i didn’t LOVE about the plot was the plot twist at the end—honestly, i didn’t see it coming at all. i felt like it was almost a little bit forced, and i didn’t think it was necessary. but i still thought it was interesting!

tbh, this book made me feel so many different emotions: anger at their messed up families/parents,stress because i had no idea what was happening to del, excitement at certain fluffy/romantic parts, worry when things seemed okay but there was still a quarter of the book left (my worst nightmare as a reader), shock when the plot twist was revealed, and sadness at the end.

overall, there are some minor issues with the book, but i loved it. it was just so unexpectedly interesting and unique, and i can’t wait for more. if you’re into dystopia, i definitely recommend spliced! you’re in for a crazy ride with a cast of amazing characters, and you won’t regret it.

[rating-report]