Unfortunately, I could not bring myself to finish this book, despite enjoying the first one. It felt like all of the things I loved about the original were different, and I was disappointed by the directions the characters took. I definitely think other people might like it, but it wasn't for me.

Oh, man, this book was so fantastic to read! I did take a few times to really get into it, it is a fairly hefty book, but just like This Mortal Coil, once I was into it, yeah, the pages just flew right on by! I just loved reading it!

After the big reveal in the first book about Cat and Jun Bei, I just wanted to know more about how that was going to affect Cat in this book. And yeah, it's not easy, and it turns out there's more then what we know. So much happened there!

We also go to explore more of this world, and we met Anna, who is Cole's biological sister, so she was pretty interesting to met! We also went to Entropia, which was pretty interesting, and the idea of redefining what being human means, yeah, that's pretty interesting!

And that ending, oh! So much was going on, so many reveals, from her parentage, to the whole two personalities in one brain. And what the lines of code were for. Which just makes me so eager for the final book in the series!

This book was fantastic, and I can't wait for This Vicious Cure!

I loved this book as much as the first.

There were still lots of surprises throughout the book, though not as much as the first book. There were a couple of things about the origins of certain characters which I guessed correctly. I gasped at the end of so many chapters. It was so good!

I don’t know a lot about science or coding, so I think some of those parts of the story went over my head. I found the technology fascinating, even though I didn’t understand all of it. I think the panels are a real possibility in our future.

I loved this book. The ending was so good! I can’t wait for the next one!

I thought Cat was an engaging main character. The way she feared her own mind added some great tension. The differences between the two parts of herself was amazingly written. The things we find out about her past humanized that part of herself in a very compelling way. I wasnt the biggest fan of the romance. The love interest just rubbed me the wrong way. All the side characters have their own flaws which made the group dynamics interesting. Lachlan was still a great antagonist. There was just so many layers to him and his motivations made sense even if they were wrong. I could write a whole essay on why rage or wrath is important.

We also get to meet some new intriguing characters. Anna, another of the Cartaxus children, shows up and I pretty much disliked her right away, but I think that was kind of the point. I still would have rather her and Cat get along. It would have been nice to see a strong female friendship. I got invested in this new character Matos relationship with Cat almost right away. I just felt like there was more going on there and I couldnt wait to find out what. The leader of the genehackers Regina different views was a great addition to the story. However Leoben is still my favorite side character. I got attached to him right from the first book and this sequel just solidified that.

I found the technology in this world fascinating and I liked how it was written in an approachable way. I loved the idea of panels that can mask your genes and all the things you can do with a device like that. The humans with animal features were totally captivating. As for the virus itself, the way it worked and evolved was incredible. We also get to visit the mesmerizing city of Entropia, where genehackers have made their home hidden deep in the desert. The things Cat learned while there had my head spinning. I really enjoyed all the lies and betrayals. Not knowing who to trust made Cat journey super suspenseful.

The whole concept for this trilogy is unique and completely gripping. It renewed my faith in dystopia as a genre. Its hard to compare the sequel to the first book since I listened to This Mortal Coil on audiobook, but I feel like I enjoyed This Cruel Design a tiny bit more. It had immersive writing and some riveting action. The author definitely kicked it up a notch with all the twists and turns. Many of the plot twists took me by surprise. I also loved the added LGBT+ elements and the discussions on people using the technology available to change their gender. After the way things ended I cant freaking wait for the next book.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This was a really good read. Fantastic sequel to This Mortal Coil. Great story, good characters. Overall very enjoyable read.

This is the second book I had a wish granted for that I didn't realize was the second in a series. And boy was I glad. I ripped through the first and then flew through this one. A great sci-fi novel with an awesome premise. Can't wait to read more.

In a future where everyone has technology embedded in them, a virus had wiped out much of the population. A vaccine had been discovered to stop it but now the virus has mutated. Eighteen-year old Catarina (Cat), a brilliant coder, and her friends are in a race to find a permanent solution to the virus before a powerful organization enacts its own solution.

This Cruel Design by Emily Suvada is one unputdownable YA scifi read. It’s a well-written well-plotted tale with a breakneck pace that rarely slows to give the reader breathing space and it kept me glued to the page from start to finish. Every time I thought I should put it down to do something else like, oh, get some sleep, it was just one more sentence, one more page, one more chapter. I didn’t realize when I started that this was the second book in a series but it didn’t affect my enjoyment. And now the first, This Mortal Coil, has already been added to my TBR list and I will be waiting impatiently for future book(s) by this author.. I would recommend it highly to anyone who enjoys a well-written series with an intriguing premise, fascinating technology, interesting characters, and a compelling story. Loved it!

4.5

<i>Thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review</i>

I firstly want to applaud the author's work on the science in the book. The best science fiction happens when the science fiction could potentially be the technology of tomorrow. A lot of the concepts related to genes in the book are based on areas of active research in the science community So I'm definitely impressed by the author's development of science concepts in the book.

The writing was pretty solid, the only issue I really had with the book is the fact that the first 20 or so pages completely invalidates all of the work of the first book. There were also a few decisions that the author made in terms of characters and development that just didn't quite resonate with me.

Overall though, it was a fun follow up to a strong scifi. It does suffer a bit from second book syndrome, but I have hopes for the third.