Origin by Jessica Khoury

Origin, by Jessica Khoury.  Penguin, 2012, 393 pages.

Reading Level: Young Adult, ages 12-15

Recommended for: ages 16-up (please note: the recommended age is not the same as the reading level)

Bottom Line: Origin sets out intriguing ethical questions in this story of genetic engineering, but it doesn’t quite carry through.

Pia, born and raised in a glassed-in, controlled environment in the heart of the Amazon jungle, has been told all her life that she is perfect.  In her case, it’s not just fond flattery: she has been carefully . . . well, “bred” is the best word, from selected subjects, for five generations.  Her immediate ancestors were all injected with a compound derived from an extremely rare flower, leading in time to the altered DNA of a daughter who can’t bleed or die.  As soon as the program can create a male version of her, the future of an immortal race is assured.  Says the project director, her “Uncle” Paolo:

“There is no greater hope than you, Pia.  You are the end to all debates of religion and morality.  There is no right and wrong.  There is only reason and chaos.  Life and death.  We created you for reason, Pia, and for progress, and for life.  It is the most precious thing of all . . .”

No pressure, though.  The inmates of her little asylum are all either long-term contributors to the project or scientists with specific qualifications, allowed into the compound on their promise of strict secrecy.  Dr. Harriet Fields is one of the latter, and her arrival sparks a revolution.  She secretly provides Pia with a map (Miss Perfect’s education is long on science and art but skimpy on history and geography) and looks the other way when Pia sneaks out of the compound to discover a whole new world on the other side—most notably, a beautiful boy her own age who lives in a nearby native village.  She also learns the truth about the project, which shocks the socks off her and forces a difficult decision.

What kind of soul would a genetically-engineered immortal possess?  Pia displays a mixture of petulance, stubbornness and self-confidence, just what we might expect in someone raised as she was.  Yet she retains enough compassion and humanity for us to sympathize with her—no easy task for the author.  We can see the delicate forces tugging her away from the raging scientism of her indoctrination and feel the agony of rejecting everything she’s ever known.  Except for Dr. Fields, the other characters are not so memorable; Eio, the boy, has no flaws.  He’s the real Mr. Perfect.  Some parents, and maybe even some readers, won’t be overly comfortable with the way this jungle dream date is described: His wet shorts hung a bit lower on his hips than they usually do, tempting my imagination.  I’ll bet they do!  Teen readers, of course, are not unaware of sexual attraction but their imaginations probably don’t need tempting.

The story takes place in the present rather than some vague dystopian future, which makes the issues seem more relevant as we wonder what secret experiments might actually be lurking out there in uncharted territory.  There’s plenty of drama at the climax of Origin—maybe too much.  There’s also more mild profanity than there needs to be, and in one tense scene Pia uses the word “screw” a lot.  Since we know what word the milder term is meant to stand for, the effect is slightly comical.  The story also glorifies the indigenous culture, making the natives the repository of wisdom for that part of the world.  It makes sense in the storyline, but I’d like to see a Christian writer (Khoury is a homeschooled Georgia native who professes Christ) squeeze in just a little more Christian metaphor.

Cautions: Language (mild profanity and vulgarity), Sensuality

Overall Rating: 3.5 (out of 5)

• Worldview/moral value: 4
• Literary value: 3.5

Categories: Young Adult, Science Fiction