Genome

Genome (The Extinction Files #2)
By: A.G. Riddle

If the word ‘quantum’ excites you, you’ll probably enjoy this book. I really did like the first book, but my fears were realized in the sequel. It should not take you 1000 pages to answer the question of ‘What is the Looking Glass?’ which is what the entire series hinges on. But I kid you not, you will not get a straight answer until 400 pages into book two which is just ridiculous. That is no longer suspense. It’s stupid and makes me feel like the author didn’t really want to tell us because he knew what a letdown it would be.

I don’t know why but I just couldn’t get engaged with this book. Scratch that. I do know why. What didn’t bother me in book one was annoying here. Way too much extra information, most of which didn’t make sense because it’s fantastical science or just boring. Lack of plot movement. Lack of character development (with the exception of Desmond because we finally get to peer into his memories and unravel how we got to where we started). A lot of plot holes- for example- Elliot from the CDC in book one is completely irrelevant to book two which makes his whole part in book one seem rather pointless. Oh and a WHOLE lot of evolutionary speculation that seems like he is trying real hard not to believe in God. I mean, I’ve heard a lot of theories, and I understand sci-fi creativity for the sake of a story, but this was just comically overblown.

Also, and I don’t even care if this is a spoiler, because honestly, if you’re going to read this book, you’ll thank me for letting you know right now- how are there still people who think killing their physical bodies and transferring their brains to a virtual reality environment forever and ever is appealing? And if they somehow find it appealing, how do they not have the foresight to realize all the implications of it and the fact that it has to be run and maintained by someone, usually an evil, power-hungry villain. And how does this fix the problem of human extinction? We’re going to stop human extinction by killing all the humans and moving their consciousnesses to a computer before the world has another Big Bang of energy and starts the cycle over again. How is that not still extinction? And it’s super not a satisfying answer to all the first book’s build up of how The Looking Glass is going to protect us from everything and change the way we view our DNA, etc.

So Lin and Yuri are the only people who know what’s going on. But they will never tell you. There’s never time or you just have to trust them. I’m pretty sure when millions of people are dying and I’m standing in front of someone who knows exactly what is happening and also she’s my mom, I’m going to freaking get an answer before I get shot at or kidnapped one more time. Sometimes there IS enough time for a brief synopsis.

Here are the things we are told early on:

“The answer is written in our genes, a code that will unlock the mysteries of our existence.”

“The universe has a purpose. We have a role to play. It’s not magic, or religious mysticism. It’s a scientific process that has been going on since our universe was born- a process that will result in its end.”

Having finished the series here is how those things unraveled:

First, I have no idea how our genome and DNA play into any part of this story whatsoever. That could be where the whole quantum thing came in, in which case, I will never get an answer because quantum stuff is the voodoo magic of science.

Second, I have no idea what the purpose of the universe is or the purpose of humanity is. There is no hope or goal or perceived utopia. It’s literally just a virtual reality world. Unless Lin actually wants to find out what the “Invisible Sun” is (yes, that’s its name) who helped tailor the earth to be the scientifically perfect habitat for humans to survive on and somehow orchestrated the continuance of this ‘new world cycle’ going on. Do you see the irony here?

So why would I still recommend this to you if I haven’t said anything positive yet? Well, I genuinely liked the first book and this one had a few science-y things I found interesting, but mostly it’s because I just read over 1000 pages and I don’t want to admit that I just wasted a chunk of my life on anti-climactic nonsense.

Cheers.