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Blurb

Earth will be fine, but humanity is on track for annihilation!

The one person who can stop it has no idea there's a problem.

Lily Grainger, a brilliant young geneticist, has struggled from youth with three questions: “Why was I born?” “Why am I here? What am I supposed to do?” In short, “Who is Lily Grainger?” From her earliest memories, Lily has had glimpses of things far beyond her understanding. Something is there, something big, but there are no answers.

Some who know the answers want her dead. Unknown to Lily, her Guardians have protected her since birth but a recent event has exposed her to the Organization, a ruthless group ruled by an unspeakable evil, dedicated to killing her before she learns the secret of who she is and what she must do.

As attempts on her life mount, Lily embarks on a journey across space and time to save humanity from an unimaginable fate.

What Our Readers Think

The Wishing Shelf Book Awards
16th May 2024
TITLE: The Book
AUTHOR: G. Ron Prida

Star Rating: 4

'An exciting, suspense-filled, sci-fi adventure story for young adults.. Highly recommended!' The Wishing Shelf

REVIEW
Why was I born?” Lily Grainger asked herself for what seemed to her to be the millionth time. “Why am I here? What am I supposed to do?” In many ways, this short passage sums up the novel perfectly, Written for the (older) teenager market, this cleverly craft, twist-filled novel is the story of Lily, a young geneticist who, for a lot of the story, is rather confused. Thankfully, the author understands 'suspense' and how to turn a mystery (or, in this case, a secret) into a gripping sci-fi thriller.
There were a number of elements to this story I particularly enjoyed. Firstly, I loved the depth of the central characters, particularly of Lily. She is a confused lady; not surprising considering everybody seems to be trying to kill her! I loved that she's slightly 'broken' in many ways (lost her parents in a car crash, brought up by her non-biological aunt) and I liked how, when she was 7 years old, Lily would sit in front of the TV, watching Star Trek and trying to help Kirk and Mr. Spock. I did exactly the same thing! Secondly, there's a HUGE mystery which is very well-plotted and is gently drip feed to the reader – why is the Organization after her? By the way, the Organization is sort of like SMERSH (on a sugar rush) who like to control pretty much everything. They are, to put it mildly, ruthless or, as the author puts it - subjects “accidentally” died, likely of fright, while being “interviewed”. Thirdly, the author works confidently with speech, using it to not only develop the complex plot, but also his host of characters.
So, what needs work? To be honest, not a lot. There is rather a lot of telling in the first third of the book which, I felt, could be better incorporated into the story. I also felt a few of the secondary characters were rather cardboard-like and not at all fleshed out. But, overall, it's a gripping, fast-paced read I suspect most older YAs will enjoy. I see this is the first book in a set, so, if you fancy getting into a new sci-fi saga, I'd recommend checking out The Book. There's hardly a dull moment in it and I think, like me, you'll be rooting for Lily to not only save the day but to find the answers she's looking for.

'Wishing Shelf' Book Review
www.thewsa.co.uk