Official Review: The Cure by Tania Hagan

[ALynnPowers]

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Cure" by Tania Hagan.]

---

4 out of 4 stars

---

Share This Review

---

Set more than 100 years in the future, Tania Hagan's debut novel, The Cure, explores the moral and ethical issues of cloning and genetic manipulation. It's a young adult novel with a dystopian-like setting that tackles serious topics while also presenting such topics in a manner that is appropriate for its target audience without sounding at all preachy or condescending.

Genny is the clone of a once-famous, silent film star, but unlike her peers, she doesn't strive to live her life following in the footsteps of the woman whose DNA she shares. Then Genny meets Nat, who also feels the same way about living his own life in his own terms, rather than doing what is expected of him based on his cloned genetics. The two of them begin to question this system of controlled families, run by the Genetics Operating Division (also known as GOD). The system was created as a cure to cancer, but Genny and Nat discover that there are much more sinister things going on behind the scenes. Their plot to disrupt GOD's plans could also have disastrous consequences, not only for them and their families and friends, but also to the human race in general. But if they sit back and do nothing, a lot of innocent lives will be in danger of GOD'S power. The choice is not too difficult for them, so they set out to fight GOD in the only way they know possible.

It might sound like a book filled with very heavy topics, and for the most part, it is. However, what I loved most about The Cure was the subtle ways in which humor was incorporated into the text, especially in the beginning of the book. This humor definitely sets a nice, light mood to the story before the book gradually becomes more serious and gets to the heavy, ethical issues. All of the characters introduced at the beginning of the book are clones of people from the past; with a plot set in the future, the past is sometimes today's present. Genny's dad, for example, is a clone of the historical actor with an amazing voice, Morrison Freedman. And her little brother is a clone of a man known for his musical talents and original dance moves, Elson Priestley. As a native of Memphis, I highly appreciated the Elvis references, and I could not stop laughing as I pictured an eight-year-old with great hair calling all the ladies "mama" and referring to Nat as Genny's "burnin' hunka-love." I can't even write this sentence right now without laughing out loud.

As far as any negatives go, I have to stretch to find any. A few times in the story, I felt like Genny and Nat were rushing into things without carefully planning or fully thinking about the consequences of their actions. Additionally, they fell in love way too fast for my personal tastes. However, in the end, their irrational behavior is what I think made the story feel even more authentic. They are young (seventeen and eighteen-years-old) and think they have the whole world figured out already. They're optimistic that they can change the world, even though they have no clue what they are doing. I was exactly the same way when I was that age, so this characterization makes the story even more believable, despite the fact that this is a completely fictional story.

In the end, my negative points were not so negative after all. Due to the great story-line, excellent characterization, thought-provoking topics, and just all-around fun-to-read book, I give The Cure a rating of 4 out of 4 stars. If we're lucky, there might just be a sequel, as the ending was open enough that there could certainly be more to come. I would recommend this book to those who enjoy YA romance or dystopian stories.

******
The Cure
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

Like ALynnPowers's review? Post a comment saying so!

[Annelore Trujillo]

Great review! I tend to not like when the characters rush into love either, but I think you're probably right about it adding to the authenticity since they are so young.

[ALynnPowers]

Glad to see someone who agrees with me about the love thing. Thanks for the comment.

[Courteney Chew]

I definitely agree about the Elvis reference!

[erica_bvs]

Your review was terrific! Keep up the good work!

[e-tasana-williams]

Great review, this sounds like an interesting book. I agree, it can mess up the credibility of the story when characters rush into romantic relationships too quickly. I find myself thinking, "Oh, come on, you hardly know each other", and other similar thoughts. I do like YA novels and dystopian stories, though, so I am adding this one to my Want to Read shelf.

[ALynnPowers]

I recently came across a short story by Tania Hagan in a short story collection. Lurking in the Shadows. Was pretty awesome as well!!