Book Review: And Again

Title: And Again

Author: Jessica Chiarella

Page Count: 320

Where I received: From the Library

Actual Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

This was a book I was hesitant to pick up when I saw it at the library. Mainly I was worried about the content. As someone who has dealt with lots of health problems in my family and self, I was nervous about reading a book surrounding this content.  This debut novel was surprisingly enjoyable. 

This book follows the life of four chronically ill patients. Two have terminal cancer, one has AIDs, and the other is paralyzed and one communicates through blinking. These four are given a chance at a new life when they have transferred their brain cells to bodies that a perfect and with out flaw. These bodies are the result of cloning which I found to be an interesting premise. 

Unfortunately, when I was reading I found myself being less and less sympathetic for the characters. I couldn't connect with the characters who were pretty awful and at times quite ungrateful. They spent so much time rehashing the past, complaining about what happened, and really not living in the future. Now I don't know what this situation would be like, obviously but it made for some unenjoyable reading. 

One of the things I enjoyed about the book was the writing style. The flow was quite smooth. The book isn't slow paced, or boring at any point. The characters while having quite a lot of flaws are well developed. I did find that the multiple points of view, was well executed. Although I have a hard time believing this was actually science fiction. 

I'll be interested to see what Chiarella publishes in the future. I feel that she has room for improvement but has great natural skill. 

Links to purchase: Amazon // Barnes & Noble 

Goodreads Description: 

In the spirit of Station Eleven and The Age of Miracles, this exciting literary debut novel imagines the consequences when four ordinary individuals are granted a chance to continue their lives in genetically perfect versions of their former bodies.

Would you live your life differently if you were given a second chance? Hannah, David, Connie, and Linda—four terminally ill patients—have been selected for the SUBlife pilot program, which will grant them brand-new, genetically perfect bodies that are exact copies of their former selves—without a single imperfection. Blemishes, scars, freckles, and wrinkles have all disappeared, their fingerprints are different, their vision is impeccable, and most importantly, their illnesses have been cured.

But the fresh start they’ve been given is anything but perfect. Without their old bodies, their new physical identities have been lost. Hannah, an artistic prodigy, has to relearn how to hold a brush; David, a Congressman, grapples with his old habits; Connie, an actress whose stunning looks are restored after a protracted illness, tries to navigate an industry obsessed with physical beauty; and Linda, who spent eight years paralyzed after a car accident, now struggles to reconnect with a family that seems to have built a new life without her. As each tries to re-enter their previous lives and relationships they are faced with the question: how much of your identity rests not just in your mind, but in your heart, your body?