Review of DEADLY DESIGN by Debra Dockter

This post is a review on the Deadly Design by Debra Dockter.

Deadly Design
by Debra Dockter

Genre: YA Sci-Fi
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons
Publication Date: June 2 2015

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Source
Pinoy Book Tours

The emotional power of If I Stay meets the survival story of Maze Runner

Genetically engineered identical twins Kyle and Connor McAdams were born two years apart. Their parents figured it was safer that way, to increase their odds of survival. Connor was born first, paving an impossibly perfect path for Kyle to follow. He was the best at everything—valedictorian, star quarterback etc. Kyle never thought he’d be able to live up, so he didn’t even try.

But when Connor, 18, suddenly drops dead of a heart attack, and Kyle learns of other genetically modified kids who’ve also died on their eighteenth birthdays, he’s suddenly motivated—to save his own life. Like Connor and all the rest, Kyle was conceived at the Genesis Innovations Laboratory, where the mysterious Dr. Mueller conducted experiments on them. The clock’s ticking as Kyle searches for answers: who was Dr. Mueller really, and what did he do to cause their hearts to stop at eighteen? He must unravel the clues quickly, before, he too, becomes another perfect, blue-eyed corpse.

I received an arc print copy of this book from Pinoy Book Tours for a blog tour in exchange for my honest and unbiased review. Thanks for lending me a copy! All are my own opinion and is not compensated by any individual, organization, or company. I am quoting based on uncorrected proofs; changes might be found on the finished copy. This might contain minor spoilers.

“Emma jumps out of the car, runs across the lawn, and throws herself into his arms. Connor spins her around, and she’s flying with her arms tight around his neck and his arms tight around his waist…They stand there in the driveway staring at each other…” –MEH. Too romantic on abnormal level. I consider it as the cheesiest but the most disturbing part of the book. To be honest, I do not fancy that part. Anyway, that was not my main letdown but I’m about to tell.

This book claims: The emotional power of If I Stay meets the survival story of Maze Runner. I totally disagree. This is in no way at their level. It doesn’t make you cry nor make you anticipate every single moment of the book. A disappointment. It broke my expectations.

The book wasn’t really that bad. It’s decent and with pretty good idea for a plot. It has a very nice going. It is just that it lacks a lot of things. Needs a lot of furnishing. Needs a lot of good parts where someone could actually say, ‘Holy cow, that’s awesome’. Those words never came out of my mouth nor did it cross my mind.

It got a pretty cover, one that will really draw readers in. It has a very good blurb, plot, settings and all. It just doesn’t have the ‘wow’ factor. It’s plain. Ordinary. Average.

The main character is not one to look up to, also. He made me roll my eyes so many times. He sounds so talkative, too girly or maybe too immature. Maybe if the character is a less immature or maybe if the author put more thought about things—more depth, I would like it better. I won’t feel disappointed. I won’t feel that this book has so much potential that it got lost without giving proper trial.

This just didn’t meet my expectations. It doesn’t mean it’s awful. But I also must say it’s not that awesome.

Someone might like it better than I do. I recommend it to sci-fi readers who are not really much critical.

This tour is organized by Pinoy Book Tours.