The Rundown
In Vitro Lottery is an interesting and thought provoking book set in a disturbing dystopian future, where the population compete in a ‘lottery’ in order to ‘win’ the chance to have children. The world is still recovering from the Norwegian Death, a disease that swiftly wiped out most of the population. The survivors of the death have been left with the legacy of infertility, unable to carry their own children due to a genetic mutation. Set in England, the plot revolves around the In Vitro Lottery, and its founder, scientist Victor Pearson. The population are able to win expensive IVF treatment by taking part in the lottery. The wealthy, are of course, able to afford their own treatment. The main character is Kate Adams, a rather cold and detached woman who wins the lottery, and is supposed to be thrilled, but is in fact disappointed, as she does not want children. She arranges to pass the win to her sister Emily, who then mysteriously dies during her treatment at Pearson’s clinic. Kate sets out to discover what happened to Emily and is soon drawn into the murky world of IVFree, a terrorist organisation who believe the fertility treatment should be free, and the next generation a right, not a privilege. Kate’s small and tidy life is then turned upside down as she fights for the truth and makes an astonishing discovery in her pursuit for answers. A genuine page turner, with well rounded characters. I liked the fact that Kate was not two dimensional or predictable as a character. She was not immediately likeable, and I think this made her believable. I felt like I was on a journey with her, as her world view was turned on its head. Well written and moving at a good pace, it was obvious that the author has done his research. The scientific information on gene therapy and complex fertility treatment was brilliantly handled, never swamping the reader with too much information at once, but rather explaining techniques as it was needed. I think my only criticism would be at times, particularly at the start of the book, there was a bit too much telling rather than showing with regards to what happened before the plague. However, this did not drag the book down and seemed to iron itself out as things progressed. As the story moved on, there were plenty of action and thrills, and I think this book holds it own with some of the more well known dystopian novels out there. I enjoyed every chapter.
The Recommendation
This book will appeal to anyone who enjoys a dystopian style adventure. It has plenty of action, thrills and plot twists to keep a fan of most genres on their toes. The characters are interesting and believable, and the story is well written and paced. Towards the end, the action intensifies, with several disturbing plot twists meaning I was very reluctant to put the book down.
The Rating
4 Stars (out of 5): Recommended. For the right audience, this book is a great read. It can hold its own against any traditionally published novel in its genre.
The Pros & Cons
Pros: Believable, Characterization, Page Turner, Plot, Strong World-BuildingCons: Slow in Places
