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alexandrabrianne's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
lenaoknihach's review against another edition
5.0
Moc hezká a originální kniha z prostředí džungle. Bylo to velmi lehké a oddechové čtení. :)
maddie_orart's review
5.0
Review also posted on Of Reading and Random Things
“Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re going to get,” so says Forrest Gump’s mother. It’s true, isn’t it? Sometimes you get chocolates with fruits, nuts, coconuts, and sometimes you get chocolates with no fillings. Just chocolate. I’m not saying just chocolate is bad, I love chocolate. But sometimes, you get a piece of chocolate with something surprising inside, and it’s so delicious you wish you could have more. Origin is that chocolate for me. It’s not just about the story itself, but it’s how Origin made me think about the issues raised throughout the story.
Pia is perfect. She is beautiful, smart, athletic, and she is immortal. Secluded in Little Cam, the research facility where she was created, Pia has never seen the outside world and she has never met anyone her age. All she’s ever wanted is to create more people like her, people who understand what it means to be perfect and what it feels like to know that they will never die. But Pia is curious about the outside world; she wants to know what lies beyond the electric fences of Little Cam. When an opportunity presents itself, Pia takes the chance to explore the mysteries hidden in the jungle. Friendships are formed, secrets are uncovered and Pia discovers that Little Cam may be more than what she thinks it is.
First of all, I love the story. It’s highly imaginative, engaging and different from the books I’ve read before. I love how immortality is explained with science rather than the usual supernatural/magical elements and the plot kept me turning the pages. Of course, the story is not perfect. What story is? So I’m going to explain what I didn’t like first, just to get it out of the way. Insta-love. I actually didn’t notice that it is insta-love until Pia mentioned something along the lines of “I’ve only known him for a week” (note: this is not the actual line from the book, I paraphrased). I think that the characters would be better as friends, at least until they’ve known each other longer, but it didn’t bother me very much and I still enjoyed the story. This book also contains some scenes involving animal abuse, so if you’re sensitive about that issue, I don’t recommend reading Origin. Some of these scenes were disturbing and a little difficult to read, but it didn’t make me stop reading and it is related to the next thing I’m going to talk about.
Like I said before, Origin explores some difficult issues (at least for me) and Khoury highlights the opposite sides of those issues to very opposite ends of the spectrum. The theme ‘Good vs. Evil’ is very prominent in this story, and is conveyed through morality vs. science. Save for a few characters, the good guys are very good while the bad guys are very evil. I find that the lack of a gray zone works for this story because it allowed me, as the reader, to be the gray zone. Told in a first-person narrative, the reader can see both sides of the story through Pia, and along with her, think about what is right and what is wrong. While I know that real scientists don’t act like the scientists in Origin, Little Cam scientists show that they are willing to do whatever it takes to advance their research. On the other hand, the native Ai’oans are good, peaceful and they understand that there must always be balance in the world (and now the Avatar: The Last Airbender theme song is stuck in my head).
Jessica Khoury tells the story of Pia in a captivating way with her beautiful writing. Some scenes are done so well that I got very emotional while reading and I love when a book can do that. The vivid descriptions of the Amazon rainforest as well as Little Cam made the reading experience very enjoyable for me. I have never read a book where the characters lived in the jungle before. Well, I watched Tarzan (LOVE that movie), but I’ve never read the book
“Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re going to get,” so says Forrest Gump’s mother. It’s true, isn’t it? Sometimes you get chocolates with fruits, nuts, coconuts, and sometimes you get chocolates with no fillings. Just chocolate. I’m not saying just chocolate is bad, I love chocolate. But sometimes, you get a piece of chocolate with something surprising inside, and it’s so delicious you wish you could have more. Origin is that chocolate for me. It’s not just about the story itself, but it’s how Origin made me think about the issues raised throughout the story.
Pia is perfect. She is beautiful, smart, athletic, and she is immortal. Secluded in Little Cam, the research facility where she was created, Pia has never seen the outside world and she has never met anyone her age. All she’s ever wanted is to create more people like her, people who understand what it means to be perfect and what it feels like to know that they will never die. But Pia is curious about the outside world; she wants to know what lies beyond the electric fences of Little Cam. When an opportunity presents itself, Pia takes the chance to explore the mysteries hidden in the jungle. Friendships are formed, secrets are uncovered and Pia discovers that Little Cam may be more than what she thinks it is.
First of all, I love the story. It’s highly imaginative, engaging and different from the books I’ve read before. I love how immortality is explained with science rather than the usual supernatural/magical elements and the plot kept me turning the pages. Of course, the story is not perfect. What story is? So I’m going to explain what I didn’t like first, just to get it out of the way. Insta-love. I actually didn’t notice that it is insta-love until Pia mentioned something along the lines of “I’ve only known him for a week” (note: this is not the actual line from the book, I paraphrased). I think that the characters would be better as friends, at least until they’ve known each other longer, but it didn’t bother me very much and I still enjoyed the story. This book also contains some scenes involving animal abuse, so if you’re sensitive about that issue, I don’t recommend reading Origin. Some of these scenes were disturbing and a little difficult to read, but it didn’t make me stop reading and it is related to the next thing I’m going to talk about.
Like I said before, Origin explores some difficult issues (at least for me) and Khoury highlights the opposite sides of those issues to very opposite ends of the spectrum. The theme ‘Good vs. Evil’ is very prominent in this story, and is conveyed through morality vs. science. Save for a few characters, the good guys are very good while the bad guys are very evil. I find that the lack of a gray zone works for this story because it allowed me, as the reader, to be the gray zone. Told in a first-person narrative, the reader can see both sides of the story through Pia, and along with her, think about what is right and what is wrong. While I know that real scientists don’t act like the scientists in Origin, Little Cam scientists show that they are willing to do whatever it takes to advance their research. On the other hand, the native Ai’oans are good, peaceful and they understand that there must always be balance in the world (and now the Avatar: The Last Airbender theme song is stuck in my head).
Jessica Khoury tells the story of Pia in a captivating way with her beautiful writing. Some scenes are done so well that I got very emotional while reading and I love when a book can do that. The vivid descriptions of the Amazon rainforest as well as Little Cam made the reading experience very enjoyable for me. I have never read a book where the characters lived in the jungle before. Well, I watched Tarzan (LOVE that movie), but I’ve never read the book
nutsacktragedy's review
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.75
I find the characters boring, except Harriet. The plot is nothing special, either. It's perfect if you want a light read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death and Animal cruelty
izzys_internet_bookshelf's review
3.0
Found this book while trying to find more books about superhero’s because who doesn’t love a good superhero read? I thought the book was ok, nothing special about it in the end. I wish i would have enjoyed it more. The ending was definitely shocking to me for some reason.
emasvingerova's review
4.0
Byla to rozhodně trochu jiná knížka než jaké normálně čtu, a docela se mi líbila. Každopádně na těch 5 hvězdiček to nemá, trochu mě to nudilo i mátlo..
Ale příběh je to dobrý :)
Ale příběh je to dobrý :)
mmotleyu's review
4.0
This is a book that was added to our freshmen cohort curriculum this year. I thought this was more of a dystopian book, but I would now put it in the Adventure section of my genrefied fiction section. I liked getting to know Pia, the main character who is a "perfect" genetically-altered immortal teen. The moral dilemmas in this book and the jungle setting and the mystery elements all blended together to make a fast, exciting and thoughtful read.
shirleymak's review
4.0
This book wasn't like JAW DROPPING AWESOME, but I think it was still pretty good. It was definitely cool to see how Pia lived as an immortal and such. Some things were so predictable, like the fact that Uncle Antonio was such a good guy though =(. AND PIA'S DAD. omg I love him he's such a good person T_T Her mom is such a jealous person. sigh.
Spoiler
Uncle Antonio was Papi.halcyone's review
3.0
This review was originally posted at The Cozy Armchair.
More accurately: 3.5 stars.
Like it says on the tin, Origin tells the story of this immortal girl, Pia, who has never known anything outside of Little Cam, the research compound she was created in. She's told by everyone (except her mother) that she is "perfect" and that her destiny is to one day lead the scientific team in creating other immortals. But of course, this wouldn’t be a very interesting story if there wasn’t a big, dark secret in Little Cam, and if Pia didn’t have her beliefs shaken up.
At its core, Origin is a story that pits SCIENCE versus EVERYTHING GOOD IN THE WORLD like proper morals, feelings, fiction books, music, etc. See also: science versus morality. This isn’t the first book to tackle this philosophical issue, and it doesn’t do so in a particularly original way. Most of the scientists are presented as self-absorbed, unfeeling robots who live by the code “the ends justify the means.”
Not only that, there’s also some eyerolling use of S C I E N C E in the book, such as the tests Pia had to undertake to prove herself and the explanation behind how Pia’s immortality was achieved. That was when the book went from slight suspension of disbelief to absolute WTF-ery. (Was I the only one that was reminded of Fullmetal Alchemist by that explanation?)
Character motivations are also suspect. I mean, why create a new race of immortals to replace the human race? Especially since it’s so difficult to create one immortal. It would have made more sense to use Pia for further research to enhance a human’s life. Also, how would this lead any corporation to profit? Basically, a healthy dose of suspension of disbelief is required to get through Origin, which is why I enjoyed it as much as I did. It’s only in retrospect that certain aspects stand out.
Also, because I would have liked to be warned, I’ll be warning you: there is animal testing (and animal death) in this book. It isn’t gratuitous, but it could be disturbing.
I read Origin in the midst of all my schoolwork and I never found the pace to drag. Despite specific annoyances, I kept flipping the pages and found myself eager to know more about Pia’s immortality, how her relationship with Eio would develop, and so on. Pia herself was a very interesting character. Being so sheltered, she was obviously used to being the center of attention. She comes off as bratty and selfish at first (especially with the way she treats Harriet, the new scientist), and so very focused on her destiny (as determined by “Uncle” Paolo, the head scientist). I liked that she had her weaknesses despite being immortal, and it was great to see her grow into her own person throughout the novel.
Her relationship with Eio suffers from some serious insta-love and is purely based on how beautiful she is (as is he). Their feelings for each other grow from sweet to “I CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT YOU” within days, but surprisingly I wasn’t as annoyed by this as I usually would have been. I was okay with them and how their burgeoning feelings provide the catalyst for Pia questioning all she knows.
But, hearing Pia called “perfect” and beautiful got a bit old - fast. I get that she’s the product of careful genetic selection over five generations, so that’s why she is called “perfect” by just about everyone - and this seems to focus on her physical aspects mostly beyond her immortality - but why did she have to be white specifically? Especially when the story is set in a location where predominantly non-white people live (Amazon rainforest region) and the scientists themselves have non-white names (Paolo, Sylvia, Antonio, etc.). This didn't bother me while I was reading, but it sure is something to discuss post-reading.
I was uncomfortable with the portrayal of the Ai’oans as well but I’m not sure how to articulate the reasons. Possibly because Pia, despite being a white foreigner, is welcome with open arms, even when the villagers have the knowledge of the dark things done to make her immortal? And she is just allowed to join their culture, no questions asked, and even given a position of relative authority (the immortal come to save them)? I don’t know, it really made me think of the noble savage(s) and white savior tropes. Even our male lead, Eio, is half-white which, while it has its own explanation in the narrative, further annoyed me because he could have been a non-white villager and still been the hero to Pia's heroine. (WE COULD HAVE HAD IT ALLLLLL)
On the plus side, Pia has a jaguar, which is pretty cool.
At the end of the day, I still enjoyed myself while reading Origin and it was only when I sat down to write this review that I began to really break down my opinion of it. It was well-written and well-plotted despite the issues I had with it. With its quintessential insta-love and superficial explorations of morality and, let's not forget, dubious morals and mysteries to be solved, it’s pretty much guaranteed to be a popular read.
More accurately: 3.5 stars.
Like it says on the tin, Origin tells the story of this immortal girl, Pia, who has never known anything outside of Little Cam, the research compound she was created in. She's told by everyone (except her mother) that she is "perfect" and that her destiny is to one day lead the scientific team in creating other immortals. But of course, this wouldn’t be a very interesting story if there wasn’t a big, dark secret in Little Cam, and if Pia didn’t have her beliefs shaken up.
At its core, Origin is a story that pits SCIENCE versus EVERYTHING GOOD IN THE WORLD like proper morals, feelings, fiction books, music, etc. See also: science versus morality. This isn’t the first book to tackle this philosophical issue, and it doesn’t do so in a particularly original way. Most of the scientists are presented as self-absorbed, unfeeling robots who live by the code “the ends justify the means.”
Not only that, there’s also some eyerolling use of S C I E N C E in the book, such as the tests Pia had to undertake to prove herself and the explanation behind how Pia’s immortality was achieved. That was when the book went from slight suspension of disbelief to absolute WTF-ery. (Was I the only one that was reminded of Fullmetal Alchemist by that explanation?)
Character motivations are also suspect. I mean, why create a new race of immortals to replace the human race? Especially since it’s so difficult to create one immortal. It would have made more sense to use Pia for further research to enhance a human’s life. Also, how would this lead any corporation to profit? Basically, a healthy dose of suspension of disbelief is required to get through Origin, which is why I enjoyed it as much as I did. It’s only in retrospect that certain aspects stand out.
Also, because I would have liked to be warned, I’ll be warning you: there is animal testing (and animal death) in this book. It isn’t gratuitous, but it could be disturbing.
I read Origin in the midst of all my schoolwork and I never found the pace to drag. Despite specific annoyances, I kept flipping the pages and found myself eager to know more about Pia’s immortality, how her relationship with Eio would develop, and so on. Pia herself was a very interesting character. Being so sheltered, she was obviously used to being the center of attention. She comes off as bratty and selfish at first (especially with the way she treats Harriet, the new scientist), and so very focused on her destiny (as determined by “Uncle” Paolo, the head scientist). I liked that she had her weaknesses despite being immortal, and it was great to see her grow into her own person throughout the novel.
Her relationship with Eio suffers from some serious insta-love and is purely based on how beautiful she is (as is he). Their feelings for each other grow from sweet to “I CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT YOU” within days, but surprisingly I wasn’t as annoyed by this as I usually would have been. I was okay with them and how their burgeoning feelings provide the catalyst for Pia questioning all she knows.
But, hearing Pia called “perfect” and beautiful got a bit old - fast. I get that she’s the product of careful genetic selection over five generations, so that’s why she is called “perfect” by just about everyone - and this seems to focus on her physical aspects mostly beyond her immortality - but why did she have to be white specifically? Especially when the story is set in a location where predominantly non-white people live (Amazon rainforest region) and the scientists themselves have non-white names (Paolo, Sylvia, Antonio, etc.). This didn't bother me while I was reading, but it sure is something to discuss post-reading.
I was uncomfortable with the portrayal of the Ai’oans as well but I’m not sure how to articulate the reasons. Possibly because Pia, despite being a white foreigner, is welcome with open arms, even when the villagers have the knowledge of the dark things done to make her immortal? And she is just allowed to join their culture, no questions asked, and even given a position of relative authority (the immortal come to save them)? I don’t know, it really made me think of the noble savage(s) and white savior tropes. Even our male lead, Eio, is half-white which, while it has its own explanation in the narrative, further annoyed me because he could have been a non-white villager and still been the hero to Pia's heroine. (WE COULD HAVE HAD IT ALLLLLL)
On the plus side, Pia has a jaguar, which is pretty cool.
At the end of the day, I still enjoyed myself while reading Origin and it was only when I sat down to write this review that I began to really break down my opinion of it. It was well-written and well-plotted despite the issues I had with it. With its quintessential insta-love and superficial explorations of morality and, let's not forget, dubious morals and mysteries to be solved, it’s pretty much guaranteed to be a popular read.