Early Reviewers

Sixteen-year-old Avall Tinning lives in a near-future world where genetic engineering, or “splicing,” is used to treat everything from acne to cancer—assuming you can afford it. And assuming you support it, which Avall’s mom definitely does not.

That means when Avall’s best friend Lyra can’t afford treatment for a life-threatening disease, Avall takes matters into her own hands. She finds Dr. Cutler, a geneticist who runs a summer camp where underprivileged teens can “earn” treatment by participating in research. He agrees to splice Lyra, but only if Avall serves as a stand-in for her friend at his camp. Avall decides it’s a small price to pay for Lyra’s life.

Until the camp—and Dr. Cutler—turn out to be shady as hell. There’s an Infirmary where Dr. Cutler conducts questionable genetic experiments on the campers. And risky challenges designed to pit campers against each other. Also, the doctor has a shadowy past involving over-splicing, illegal human cloning—and Avall’s mother. The stakes become even higher when Lyra is hospitalized with pneumonia.

Ultimately, Avall must decide if her friend’s life is more important than the other campers—including her summer-camp crush, Dr. Cutler’s son.