Review: This Mortal Coil by Emily Suvada

This Mortal Coil

Author: Emily Suvada

Series: - 

Release date: 7^th November 2017

Publisher / Source: Simon Pulse

Pages: 432

Young Adult Fiction / Science Fiction

Synopsis (Goodreads)

In this gripping debut novel, gene-hacking genius Cat is the only one who can decode her late father’s message concealing a vaccine to a horrifying plague.

Catarina Agatta is a hacker. She can cripple mainframes and crash though firewalls, but that’s not what makes her special. In Cat’s world, people are implanted with technology to recode their DNA, allowing them to change their bodies in any way they want. And Cat happens to be a gene-hacking genius.

That’s no surprise, since Cat’s father is Dr. Lachlan Agatta, a legendary geneticist who may be the last hope for defeating a plague that has brought humanity to the brink of extinction. But during the outbreak, Lachlan was kidnapped by a shadowy organization called Cartaxus, leaving Cat to survive the last two years on her own.

When a Cartaxus soldier, Cole, arrives with news that her father has been killed, Cat’s instincts tell her it’s just another Cartaxus lie. But Cole also brings a message: before Lachlan died, he managed to create a vaccine, and Cole needs Cat’s help to release it and save the human race.

Now Cat must decide who she can trust: The soldier with secrets of his own? The father who made her promise to hide from Cartaxus at all costs? In a world where nature itself can be rewritten, how much can she even trust herself? 

Review: 5 out of 5 stars

I don’t know where to start with this review! I haven’t read a book that has had me completely engrossed and wanting more in such a long time. Despite the complex world-building and intricate plot I couldn’t put this book down.

Catarina Agatta is the daughter of a legendary geneticist, she is also a professional hacker who can destroy a mainframe and complex firewalls, something that she also learnt from her brilliant father. When Cat’s dad, Lachlan Agatta is kidnapped by a shady organisation known as Cartaxus, she is left to fend and protect herself from the deadly plague outbreak which turns regular humans in to zombie like creatures that explode and further spread the disease.

When a Cartaxus soldier appears with news of Catarina’s father’s death, her world is turned upside down and she learns that everything that she once knew has been a complete lie and there was more to her father’s work than she originally thought and she may be the last hope in eradicating the deadly plague with a vaccine that was created before her dads death.

Catarina was a wonderful character, she really shone with her strength, determination and her lack of fear; her life hasn’t appeared to be easy with her often describing her father as absent so she was independent and more than capable to look after herself. Cole is a specialised soldier with implants to protect Catarina and I absolutely adored him! He was a mystery and one that I enjoyed getting to know. We have a small amount of romance but it was definitely in the background. The side characters weren’t as developed but each played an important role in the storyline.

The world-building was extremely technical, creative and complex and I admit I did find myself confused at times, In Catarina’s world people are implanted with technology to recode their DNA, allowing them to change their bodies in any way they like. I couldn’t picture the implanted technology and how it all worked, it all seemed very robotic and was a little too much for me. The plot was intricate and was filled with many twists and turns that I didn’t expect, it all came together very well.

Overall, This Mortal Coil is a very well-crafted story with complex characterisation and some shocking happenings. Suvada’s writing is extremely readable and smooth; I enjoyed every moment of it and I look forward to reading more books by this author. A fabulous debut!

About the author:

Emily Suvada was born and raised in Australia, where she went on to study mathematics and astrophysics. She previously worked as a data scientist, and still spends hours writing algorithms to perform tasks which would only take minutes to complete on her own. When not writing, she can be found hiking, cycling, and conducting chemistry experiments in her kitchen. She currently lives in Portland, OR, with her husband.