The Unhappening of Genesis Lee

Gr 8 Up—Genesis Lee is one of the Mementi, a group of genetically enhanced humans with the ability to preserve every single one of their memories. Humans without this ability belong to the Populace. The Populace resent the Mementi's privilege, while the Mementi fiercely guard their memories, stored in valuable Link bracelets. When Gena's best friend Cora becomes the latest victim of a Link thief, a Populace boy named Kalan steps in to help. Meanwhile, two corporations are competing to create the first memory backup, a powerful technology that could both save memories and, dangerously, completely erase them. This dystopia, in which technology has a potentially degrading effect on the human mind, recalls the future M.T. Anderson created in Feed (Candlewick, 2002), but with less heart and humor. The prose is simple and and the story is fast paced, making this accessible to many readers, but the writing only exists to propel the rather convoluted plot. The dialogue contains more exposition than illuminations about the characters, who never really come to life. It's refreshing to find a main protagonist of Chinese descent, but Gena is more of a stock action hero than a compelling, nuanced being. This novel does raise some provocative questions. How much of our lives and personalities consist of our memories? Are genetic enhancements ethical? Overall, an effort that doesn't stand out from the current crowd of dystopian young adult fiction.—Lisa Goldstein, Brooklyn Public Library