The Gardener by S.A. Bodeen
- YA, sci-fi, thriller -
reviewed by Tara SG
received for review from Around the World Tours
Links
Amazon : hardcover / paperback / eBook
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This book in 6 words:
engrossing thriller mixed with scientific ethics
Why did I read this? And am I glad I did?
I honestly don’t remember signing up for this tour. It wasn’t in my handy ARC spreadsheet. It just showed up in the mail. I must have requested it and forgotten. That really doesn’t matter. What matters is how much I liked this book. I’m a little unsure how to review it because I think so much of why I loved it is due to my love of science and how well it blended with my own personal ethical beliefs. This book had fantastic (and real) science references and it made me think. I couldn’t sleep that night because I kept going over “what if this was real?”. This isn’t to say it didn’t have faults, but I’ll be looking for more by this author.
PS. The Runaway Bunny now creeps me out.
Brief Summary
Mason has never known his father, but longs to. All he has of him is a DVD of a man whose face is never seen, reading a children’s book. One day, on a whim, he plays the DVD for a group of comatose teens at the nursing home where his mother works. One of them, a beautiful girl, responds. Mason learns she is part of a horrible experiment intended to render teenagers into autotrophs—genetically engineered, self-sustaining life-forms who don’t need food or water to survive. And before he knows it, Mason is on the run with the girl, and wanted, dead or alive, by the mysterious mastermind of this gruesome plan, who is simply called the Gardener.
Will Mason be forced to destroy the thing he’s longed for most?
- via GoodReads.com
Plot/Pacing/Writing Style
I found the plot to be unique and relevant. Mason had to deal with so many things that at first it seems like too much, but I felt like it all worked together quite well. I would say that the main social issue in the book deals with starvation and the idea of a future involving the extinction of the human race due to lack of nutrients. I didn’t think that it was heavy handed, but it was obvious how the author feels about this important social issue.
The science was very well researched and I very much liked the references. I found myself looking up a few of them to learn more about after finishing the book! I love to argue ethics, specially scientific ethics. This book raises the question of what is worth sacrificing for the future of our race.
I didn’t like the epilogue. It seemed to be too nicely wrapped up and quite frankly didn’t make sense. I felt like the story would have been better without it.
Characters
For such a short read, I was impressed with Mason’s character. We got to know a lot of how he thinks due to his past, his relationship with his mother, and how he treats those around him. He is smart and very caring. I really felt sorry for the things he’s had to overcome both as a child and a teenager taking care of his mom. I understood his instant need to protect the girl. The supporting characters are also well-developed. I even felt like The Gardener was presented in a way where we could understand his reasoning (whether you agree or not with his ideas).
Recommendations
If you like YA mystery/thrillers with a sci-fi feel then I suggest you give this a try. It was a short, quick read that will make you think.
Going Deeper
Does NOT contain spoilers!
I waste a lot of food. In fact, every Tuesday my husband and I go through the fridge and throw out all the food we didn’t eat that week. I don’t think about starvation. I don’t worry about my children or my children’s children not having enough to eat. However, I probably should. This scares me:
(as of 9:30pm CT 08.22.10 – source)
There are also around 2.5 times more people born each day than those who die. I’m not a big recycling/global warming/save the planet kind of person, but I do worry about running out of natural resources. I think we’re convinced that our technology will save us. This will definitely be on my mind the next time I shop for food.
In the book, The Gardener is experimenting on children in order to produce autotrophic humans (able to live without food and water). There are humans that have claimed to have achieved this, Giri Bala is one of them. She claimed to have not eaten or drank for 56 years. She was born in 1868 and there are rumors that she is still alive. Crazy? Yes. But I’m getting off track… Contains SPOILERS! The Gardener believes that it is acceptable and necessary to experiment on children for the our future. The children were all volunteered by their parents. They aren’t hurt, but they definitely do not have a normal upbringing. It’s a very utilitarian idea. The sacrifice of a few for the greater good. I tend to agree with this way of thinking. I really could go on and on… so if anyone wants to discuss this further, shoot me an email (contact@taraSG.com)!
wow! those figures are interesting. This book sounds interesting too. I might have to get a copy of this one when it’s released. Great review.
Great review! This book sounds fascinating, but a little disturbing. I actually own a copy so I think I need to bump it up on the priority list.
This sounds like a really interesting read, although I often feel the same about perfectly wrapped up epilogues.
Unbelievable. There is no way that Giri Bala really lived that long without food or water. Right?
Volunteered by their parents! WTF?
This would certainly be interesting to discuss, once I read the book! LOL. I will put this one up on the top of my long wish list! Thanks for the review. Good job including those stats. Very eye opening.
@ Rachel : Thanks!
I know. They’re really scary. I’m not 100% sure how accurate that site is, but I couldn’t believe how many people die every day from starvation. I feel terrible cleaning out my fridge now
@ Christie : It’s definitely a little disturbing! It’s a quick read so I able to read most of it on my long lunch break
@ Missie : I know!! I don’t know if I believe that about Biri Bala either, but there are a lot of people that believe it.
I think this would make a great book club book. I’d love to see what other people think of the ethics. We’ll have to talk after you read it
I’m glad you liked the stats! I was a little afraid that it would make the post too long, but they felt relevant and important.
This isn’t one I was planning on reading at all. In fact, I’d never really heard of it before…just a quick mention here and there over the course of a few months. But a 4 rating? That’s pretty high for you. (Not that I can point any fingers)
I think I’ll add it to my TBR. Thanks for the review!
Great Review and I loved the going deeper section. It sounds like it was a unique book and a quick read! I am glad that you enjoyed it.
@ Natalie : I really liked it, but again I think it was because I’m a science nerd who loves to discuss scientific ethics. I think this would be a good one to get from the library if you don’t read sci-fi very often.
@ Felicia : Thanks!
[...] The Gardener – S.A. Bodeen * * * * [...]
This book looks fantastic. I do the food fridge dump thing once a week as well (Sunday). It makes me sick and sad every time I do it. I’ve gotten better though.
@ Christina : I really enjoyed it!
Urgh I have to do the food dump tomorrow and I am NOT looking forward to it :/