Unnatural Selection (Gene Pool #1) - R.A Finlayson

Description
The first book in a four-part, science fiction series that explores a world where biological engineering becomes the master science influencing every aspect of society. A mystery and romance at its core, ambition, power, wealth and love drive the fast-paced story that revolves around a fascinating cast of characters.

For thousands of years human beings have dreamed of immortality, of reversing the aging process, of enhancing beauty and retaining the vigor and vitality of youth – forever. In the year 2059 this dream is at last within our grasp. But as biologic engineers finally achieve total control over the fundamental mechanics of life and the ability to change the course of human evolution, will this awesome power alter the meaning of love, the nature of relationships and society, and even the very definition of what it means to be human?

Such concerns are most decidedly not on the mind of Amadé Bertrand, a young, investigative journalist with the New York Times. Amadé is worried that her career is stalling out after a meteoric – and some would say undeserved – rise to the top of her profession. As Amadé ponders her next career move, an anonymous and cryptic tip lands in her inbox about GeneTech, the largest and most powerful of the new generation of bioengineering companies.

Amadé’s quest to uncover the meaning of this mysterious message leads her to Whitfield Gray, a senior GeneTech executive with a dark secret that if exposed could destroy the company and threaten the biotech revolution. Drawn to the powerful and mysterious Whitfield, Amadé must decide between a burgeoning love for the brash, young executive and her career ambition as she uncovers a web of intrigue that leads from the GeneTech board room to the White House and beyond.

My Opinion
There were three main, intertwined narratives in this novel and each left me with a different opinion so overall my views on this book are very mixed.

The first story followed Amede and Roland who are journalists investigating the company GeneTech. These two were easy to follow and I found it interesting to read about them when they appeared in the story. I liked the investigative journalism aspect and also enjoyed the love interest at the start. 

The next narrative, which in my opinion was the best part of this book was Ryan and the XenoMat (345) nicknamed Greenie. I was able to engage and connect with these characters more as the writing here went into more detail about looks, surroundings and emotions which other parts of the book didn't really contain. Also, I liked the fact that Ryan was a young boy as it gave a sense of innocence to the book and because of this it meant that there was less scientific jargon which was a welcome relief.

This brings me onto the final narrative this book follows and my biggest problem with the novel. The parts of the book that followed GeneTech and the scientists were definitely hardest to read. These section were full of complex, scientific language that had me questioning what the author was talking about at times as no explanations were given to define the terms. At times these sections read more like a medical journal rather than a fictional novel and I must admit that it made the book exceptionally hard to read as I was having to constantly define or google terms which detracted from the book. As well as this the constant use of abbreviations also left me confused, especially when related to scientific aspects. 

I know this book is science-fiction but for me there were excessive amounts of terminology which honestly made it a struggle to finish as it couldn't sustain my interest as the story line was broken up too much.

Overall I liked the relationship between Ryan and Greenie. However the rest of the book was a struggle to read and I considered giving up more than once as there were just pages and pages of scientific analysis that didn't move the story along so failed to capture my interest. I think the general story line of this book has prospect if toned down on the scientific language and if you are into hardcore sci-fi or science this book may be for you. I would not recommend it to anyone with limited knowledge in biology though.