Scan barcode
A review by wxrldwalker
The Sentient by Nadia Afifi
3.0
So, are you looking for a book with cults, cloning and complex ideas? Do you want to read about a woman who escapes a cult in the 2200's to become a mind reader on a cloning project? Have you ever wanted to read about a mystery that is dripping with technological terms?
Then this is the book for you!
The Sentient by Nadia Afifi follows Amira Valdez, a neuroscientist who escapes a cult at a young age. She dreams of going into space and working there, but her plan is derailed when she is assigned on the Pandora project- that is aiming to create the first human clone through pregnancy. But of course, some people in the world aren't happy about this (the cults duh) and aim to stop these efforts...no matter what...
The writing was great! It was descriptive and engaging, keeping me hooked on the action. And yes, there was quite a lot of action going down in this book! My favourite aspect of this story was the world-building. It was done so fantastically, from the cults in their secluded areas, to elevators that shipped cargo to space, and even the great Academy, where Amira graduated from. Amira as a character is very strong. She is morally grey, but overall she's just trying to do what's best for everyone. Her development with Rozene (the woman who is due to give birth to her clone, and also escaped from a cult), was very well-written. They related to each other in their experiences, and as their relationship becomes a great friendship, it really helps the story become something more.
In terms of pacing, I think this story could've been slightly better. Halfway through we have some information dumps that made me put this book down. But overall, it is a veery entertaining read! There are a lot of complex ideas explored, such as the impact of cloning on the male-female dynamics, how cloning is like playing at being creator, the impact of the 'perfect child' on a family, and transferring memory from the primary subject to a clone.
Overall, I think speculative fiction is not my thing, but I’m glad I read this. The sci-fi elements really appealed to me. I'm curious to see what the author does next! This comes out September 8th!
Thank you to Netgalley and Flame Tree Press for an ARC to review. I am so grateful!
Then this is the book for you!
The Sentient by Nadia Afifi follows Amira Valdez, a neuroscientist who escapes a cult at a young age. She dreams of going into space and working there, but her plan is derailed when she is assigned on the Pandora project- that is aiming to create the first human clone through pregnancy. But of course, some people in the world aren't happy about this (the cults duh) and aim to stop these efforts...no matter what...
The writing was great! It was descriptive and engaging, keeping me hooked on the action. And yes, there was quite a lot of action going down in this book! My favourite aspect of this story was the world-building. It was done so fantastically, from the cults in their secluded areas, to elevators that shipped cargo to space, and even the great Academy, where Amira graduated from. Amira as a character is very strong. She is morally grey, but overall she's just trying to do what's best for everyone. Her development with Rozene (the woman who is due to give birth to her clone, and also escaped from a cult), was very well-written. They related to each other in their experiences, and as their relationship becomes a great friendship, it really helps the story become something more.
In terms of pacing, I think this story could've been slightly better. Halfway through we have some information dumps that made me put this book down. But overall, it is a veery entertaining read! There are a lot of complex ideas explored, such as the impact of cloning on the male-female dynamics, how cloning is like playing at being creator, the impact of the 'perfect child' on a family, and transferring memory from the primary subject to a clone.
Overall, I think speculative fiction is not my thing, but I’m glad I read this. The sci-fi elements really appealed to me. I'm curious to see what the author does next! This comes out September 8th!
Thank you to Netgalley and Flame Tree Press for an ARC to review. I am so grateful!