Hmmm I’m not sure where to even start with this review. While I was totally sucked in and entertained, I was never quite sure what I was reading. It was definitely interesting and help my attention but I’m not sure it was something I would recommend or bring up to someone else. Thank you to Netgalley for my free review copy.

An interesting take on science gone too far that mixes in religious elements. I loved it when I read it but ultimately decided not to include it in the curriculum for fear of parental pushback.

We did not work out, this book and I.

A huge part of me badly wanted to love this book. The substance of the story, on it's own, is beautiful, poignant, and eye-opening. Each story are more than just stories, they are a lesson waiting to be learned.

The writing style throughout the book felt disconnected. I don't think there is a coherence with the flow of the story and it began as something that is extremely confusing and ended being nothing more than that.

I'm sure many will find the appreciation for this novel, but it just wasn't for me.

Listened to the finished audio copy
My Rating: 3.5 stars

Stronger, Faster, and More Beautiful
Is told through six short stories all told from different people's perspective as we see the world progress and change as people are becoming more modified and specific to be 'perfect' genetically. The progression of the story from people being reluctant to do it to, then being all for it and the part that religion played in it was really interesting. You know just how we see genetics, and ethics all playing into that it does get you thinking and seeing why some were more reluctant to have it happened. You also get to see people coming to terms with it and encouraging it, but by the end, you start to see some fallout from it. This book does come full circle to a certain extent and I think if you want one that is a little different from your typical dystopian book this would be.

Overall I did enjoy listening to this book, listening to the audiobook version of it really helped me stay invested in it. Each part is read by a different voice which helped me be able to tell the difference between them as well as seeing the story progress as we saw it through a different person's eyes each time. It was extremely well-written and I enjoyed listening to this book every time and getting to see how things were progressing as the world was changing and people were 'evolving' with these new genetic modifications.

I'm interested in reading more by this author in the future.

I unfortunately was not able to read and review this book before my digital ecopy expired. The synopsis sounds great though and the cover is beautiful, so I will be buying a copy of my own to read soon!

I was really looking forward to Stronger, Faster, and More Beautiful, and I think the execution of everything really threw me off. This book honestly was too focused on technology and advancements instead of what was happening. I'm honestly disappointed for the lack of follow through.

I tried reading this book but sadly I didn't make it very far while reading this book. I think that the different point of views made it a bit difficult to understand . I usually love this author's books and I hoped that this one would work out for me.

Ugh. I was really looking forward to Stronger, Faster, and More Beautiful, and I think the execution of everything really threw me off. I was expecting to follow the same character through the entire novel, so when the stories kept jumping farther and farther into the technological advances but not following the same characters, it was so jarring for me.

NetGalley

It will shock you, move you and make you think. This book is broken into six parts and each part tells a different story involving the idea of genetic change, replication, modification, body part cloning, etc. The role of relationships and human perception toward those who are modified was quite eye opening and thought provoking as it explored why some were okay and embraced the changes while others (including entire nations) were opposed.

Each story is beautifully written and captured my attention. All six stories can stand on its own, but they also tie together through a few characters and the whole idea of gene mutation. I did not read this book straight through, but rather a part at a time with days in between. After finishing the book and thinking back, each story is solid on its own with vivid characters and events, but there were two stories that I keep thinking about more than the rest. I found this to be quite an interesting way to use short stories to delve into different aspects of science, social/political and civil issues and the family or friendship dynamic.

Thank you for the chance to read this book and share my opinions!

Ooh, how I wanted to love this book. Working with high schoolers as a school librarian, I was sure that this would be a hit. After trying to get into it, though, I struggled. I imagined a dystopian gem, but found the writing to be subpar and the plot to be predictable. I apologize for not being able to give this a glowing review. Thank you for allowing me to review this book.

Not a fan. Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me.

This book was advertised for fans of “Black Mirror” and “Westworld” and I should have stopped there. Both of those shows I didn’t finish because I simply could not vibe with the futuristic atmosphere. (Sigh, I know!) For some reason, those types of plots just don’t capture my attention as much as a gritty police procedural does. This isn’t to say that I didn’t think the authors writing style was superb. I think Arwen Elys Dayton wrote very convincingly. This simply wasn’t my book of tea! (See what I did there?)

this was definitely reminiscent of Black Mirror. The writing was exceptional and the plot was so well thought out. the characters were fantastical in the best kind of ways and even though it was sci-fi it pulled you in enough that you could feel as if it could happen in the future

What if we could modify our bodies to eradicate all diseases, enhance our intelligence and strength, be able to fly or breathe underwater, and do so much more than what we’re currently capable of? If mankind was given the power to redefine what it means to be human, what would we do?

Sounds amazing, right? But as the author put it, “We will definitely find some way of messing this up in spectacular fashion.” Because that’s what humans are good at — destroying anything.

This book is a collection of six interconnected stories occurring in different timelines. I loved the way the progress of genetic engineering was presented in each one. Every story is like a puzzle piece that presents a different point of view but completes the whole picture. It is connected enough that although each chapter has different characters, it still feels like one big story.

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I have to admit that not every story is interesting. I tried to read this book several times but I never went past the first chapter. I almost gave up on it. However, it turns out that each chapter gets better. The sixth story is probably my favorite.

Some stories will leave you indifferent but others will leave you hanging and curious. Although I liked it, I don’t think this book is for everyone. If you’re curious about what could possibly happen in the future of genetic engineering, this book is for you. But if you’re looking for something that will blow your mind, maybe you should read something else.

It's not a terribly 'deep' look at gene modification and human error, but it's a rather nice YA type collection that is quick to read and generally enjoyable.

This had a really interesting premise. It was a collection of stories that strung along a large timeline, showing the future of humans as we become more and more advanced with biological modifications.

I really enjoyed the aspect of these stories having a common thread of Tadd and his daughter.

At times, I had hoped that there would be a bit more explanation for things, since some of these aspects aren't common. i.e. not explaining what Protos were, and how they differed from humans, until quite far along in the last story.

This could be a cautionary tale for the future, to warn us to not fly too close to the sun when it comes to body modifications.

The author was able to quickly pull me in to each story, and had me spellbound from start to finish. Not what I was expecting, but exactly what I wanted!

This is such an interesting set of stories. As a former science teacher I would love to discuss the science and ethical topics addressed in this book.
I really enjoyed how all of the stories connected in some way and how each showed the progression of the technology and the moral issues that can arise from this type of technology.
I would recommend this to anyone who loves a debate or science fiction.

Unfortunately, I was unable to get into this title. It just wasn't a good fit for me. Thanks so much for the opportunity to read this title. I will not be posting a review online, in order not to skew the ratings.

3.5 This book was great speculative science fiction and definitely had me thinking the whole time I was reading it so kudos to Dayton for the visceral experience. I’m just not sure the format was for me. I’m a very character-based reader who loves to get lost in the author’s world. This book’s loosely threaded six short stories read more like a docu-drama. I felt like an observer just a bit outside the action. I connected with the science and doom of humanity but not with the story; much like how I would feel watching a documentary. There were quick snippets into someone’s intimate life and then I would be thrust into someone else’s experience. All-in-all a powerful read and one I would highly recommend for someone expecting a roller coaster docu-drama rather than an immersive experience.

I really thought I was gonna love this one, it seemed to have all the aspects that would be for me. “Compelling and mind-bending” and a pretty good description of this one, considering most of the time I had no idea what was going on. I pretty much just pushed through it because I had a review copy. Needless to say this one just wasn’t for me.

I can absolutely see how others would enjoy it. The book was really well written and the whole genetic and physical modification vs. morals dilemma was pretty interesting, to say the least. The fact that all of these stories intertwined was a great concept.

Overall, this one just wasn’t for me, but I can see why other’s would love it. It’s one that I see people either loving or hating, so if you have any interest I would absolutely nudge you to pick it up. Personally I haven’t watched all of Black Mirror, but enjoyed what I did watch and was kind of like what the heck the whole time then too.