I have been hearing good things about this book. Finally, I was able to get a copy courtesy of Month9Books. I signed up for the blog tour of Damaged Goods, the second book of the Blank Slate series and they generously threw in Genesis Girl. Thank you again, Month9Books, for the review copy.
Genesis Girl is a science fiction story. It is about the dependency of the human race on the internet. Does too much use of the internet corrupt a person? Is the internet useful or would it lead to man's own destruction and downfall?
This is the story of an eighteen-year-old, internet virgin, Blanca. Yes, she grew up without having any taint of the virtual world. She has never gone online nor any traces of her online. People like her are very rare and very valuable. Upon graduation, they are sold to the highest bidder. Most of the time, they become models for soap and other products. In rare cases, they are bought by private individuals --like a geisha.
This was a very riveting story. The start alone already made my heart flutter. In some way, I already knew that the opening incident will play a pivotal role in the whole story. And it did, which lead to a more interesting twist. I think this turn of events made the story. Add more the fact that the other participants in this story, like Cal McNeal, Seth, Miss Lydia, and the famous Barbelo Nemo, appeared to be ambiguous characters. You can't be sure if they are showing their true skin or they are hiding behind a facade. All in all, the story will hold you tight in its clutches and won't let you go unless you get to the end.
I think, if you try to put the context of this story in the real world, in a way this may make sense. I believe too much of a thing is never good. But I also think that the story also represented some aspects that were exaggerated and been blown out of proportions. By nature, the internet is a helpful tool that had connected the whole world. It had made some of the far-flung places reachable. I also agree that there is no substitute for face-to-face interaction. Like everything else, it is how the internet is used that would matter. If it's used to destroy and bully people, then it has lost its purpose why it was created in the first place.
I give the book 5/5 mobile phones. This was a really worthwhile read. I can't help but wonder if some rich lunatic will finally loose a screw and think like Barbelo Nemo and organize a group of people who are not going to be touched by the internet. I think it is a crazy venture but who knows, nothing is so outrageous in this modern world of ours.
Vestal! A blank slate. An internet virgin.
- Jennifer Bardsley, Genesis Girl -
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