26 August 2014

Review: Integrate by Adele Jones

Fast-paced YA Suspense with a GMO twist


Blaine Colton isn’t the average seventeen-year-old boy. He spent the first fourteen years of his life in a wheelchair until Professor Ramer’s experimental gene therapy turned him into a normal Australian teen. But now he’s back at the Advance Research Institute, under the care of Dr Melissa Hartfield, and something’s not quite right …

Blaine isn’t sure what’s happening, but he knows he needs to escape the Institute, and keep out of the clutches of Dr Hartfield and her cronies. And he needs to get more pills, so he seeks help from his former next-door neighbour, Sophie Faraday. But Dr Hartfield has already contacted Sophie, who now doesn’t know who’s telling the truth: Blaine, or the doctor?

Integrate is a fast-paced psychological thriller set in Brisbane, Australia. The plot is excellent, with enough science to keep it interesting, but not so much that it dissolves into technobabble. I liked the way all the little bits tied up at the end, yet still leaves room for a sequel (I’d like to see more of Blaine, Sophie and Jett).

Blaine is mature for his age, having come through the disabilities he faced in childhood with a strong sense of self, and no desire to return to the person he used to be. He’s fighting for his life in a different way, and has to persuade Sophie and others that he’s not violent or deranged—a difficult task when he’s only partway through his cure and his physical health is failing.

The other characters are good as well. They all feel like real people, with a mixture of good and bad points. They make mistakes, judge things incorrectly, and get frustrating. Annoying, but just like real people in real life. All in all, Integrate is a good read. Recommended.

Thanks to Rhiza Press for providing a free ebook for review. You can find out more about Adele Jones at her website, or by reading our interview.

5 comments:

  1. Great review Iola. I really liked the premise of the story. I hadn't heard of that particular disease before and hadn't read much on gene therapy, so I found the plot to be really fresh. And you're right - the characters were believable with the human mix of good and not so good qualities. The Blaine-Sophie story was really sweet too (aww). Yes, definitely want to see more of them in the sequel :)

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    1. Thanks, Nola. It really is a fascinatingly complex disease and worth discovering more about how to raise awareness and support research into mitochondria related disorders. I'm pleased the story and characters captured the imagination. More to come in the sequel. :)

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    2. It has to be difficult to come up with a unique spin for a plot, but this one certainly passes the test!

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  2. Thank you, Iola - and I'm so going to casually weave 'technobabble' into a conversation somewhere. Great word! :) Yes, definitely more of Blaine, Sophie and Jett to come, though it could be wise to tuck some tissues away for that one. (But that's all I'm saying for now ...)

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    1. Thanks, Adele. Technobabble is a word I first used to describe the technical dialogue in Star Trek: The Next Generation. It stuck with me, because it's such a good word.

      Looking forward to the sequel to Integrate!

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