Today we have something a little new and exciting! Lenore of Presenting Lenore, Sharon of Sharon Loves Books and Cats, and I will be discussing Genesis by Bernard Beckett today spread across all three of our blogs. Please stop over to their blogs to check out the rest of the discussion!For those not familiar with Genesis here's the information off the back of the ARC:
It's the year 2075. A remote island Republic has emerged from an apocalyptic, plague- ridden past. Its citizens are safe but not free. They live in complete isolation from the outside world. Approaching planes are gunned down, refugees shot on sight. Until one man rescues a girl from the sea...
Outstanding and original, Bernard Beckett's dramatic narratives comes to a stunning close that will leave you reeling. This perfect combination of thrilling page-turner and provocative novel of ideas demands to be read again and again.
Onto the discussion:
Alea: When Lenore first featured this book on her blog, she shared with us several versions of the cover. What do you make of the U.S. edition? Does it fit the story in your mind? Did what you see on the cover change after reading it?
Sharon: When I first saw the U.S cover of Genesis I really wanted to know what the book was about. After reading the summary I thought that it fit the book really well. The strip of hair that appears on the cover didn’t make much sense to me until the end of Genesis. The ending totally changed my perception of the cover. I really thought that the U.S. cover was a perfect fit because the ending of Genesis also changed my perception of the book. So the cover and the book were just perfect for each other.
Alea: Being much more familiar with this genre were you surprised with how the events unfolded in Genesis? Did the ending take you by surprise? Would you consider Genesis to fit in easily with other dystopias or is it in a class of it's own?
Lenore: I was shocked by the ending. It’s not that is totally original – I’ve read several stories that are surprising in a similar way – but I really didn’t see it coming until it was there. And then in that moment, you think back on all you’ve read up to that point and realize, just like Anax does, that it couldn’t really end any other way. After reading, I’m actually a bit surprised that Genesis is being marketed as YA since, as a dystopia, it more resembles adult titles of the genre. Teen titles tend to have a lot more action and have a more active protagonist – but Anax doesn’t do anything in the novel besides study and take her exam.
Sharon: With barely any description to go by how did you picture the character of Anaximander? Did you find she had a relatable personality?
Alea: I pictured Anaximander as a quiet, bookish girl that doesn't call attention to herself, always with her nose in a book or maybe looking off into space thinking about the past or the future. Physically I decided that she had long brown hair that maybe hid her face a bit. I found her personality very relatable! If we lived at the same time we definitely would have been friends or study buddies! We're both serious about our studies and are big rule followers!
And let's end with a giveaway for an ARC of Genesis! To enter:
Leave a comment sharing one of your favorite dystopia novels and why you like it. If you have never read one what interests you about this genre?
For 1 additional entry post/blog about this giveaway and leave a separate comment telling me you have done so.
This giveaway is open to addresses within the U.S. and Canada.
Please leave a way for me to contact you if you are the winner!
The giveaway will end Thursday May 7th at 11:59pm Central Time.
