Genetics at Heart is a story about family history and how our DNA holds more information than we realize. There is a basic story of a woman who took a DNA test to learn about her family, without realizing the repercussions. Her father, a geneticist, explains why commercial tests are unreliable, and unregulated, so we don't know what companies will use our personal information for. Then most of the book explains DNA, how DNA tests work, and possible ways it can be used.

Genetics at Heart is a nonfiction graphic novel by Philippe Amouyel and Héloise Chochois. Unbeknownst to her geneticist father, a young woman gets commercial genetic testing done and discovers a family secret.

The art felt so appropriate for the subject matter. It was beautiful in a tidy sort of way. I really liked how the speech bubbles were almost stacked vertically but connected to the speaker by a thin channel.

I immediately related this to my own various experiences with genetic testing, for medical reasons and for family "fun" exploring where in Europe we come from. Perhaps because of this experience and my background in science, the lengthy explanations of genetics felt more cumbersome than helpful. I wished for more about the single family's story and was drawn away from it by every scientific sidebar, even though there was a clear attempt to contextualize those lectures.

Unfortunately for me, the book didn't hit in the way I think it could if the science and the personal story were more balanced.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

I won't lie, the plot blurb had me thinking the story of this would be way different from what it actually turned out to be. For the most part, this graphic novel is an educational story that explains almost everything related to DNA and genetics, both scientific and social. It explains both the pros and cons of having your genetic testing done. It goes into explaining how DNA testing home kits work, how your genetic ethnicity is interpreted, as well how those companies can abuse your genetic information. It makes sure to hammer home some of the dangers of having your DNA tested on your own, and how it could possibly negatively affect you in the future. It also shows how DNA testing people within the family can reveal long-buried secrets that might be better off not being known. But the novel also explains the good parts of DNA testing. Genetic testing can help cancer patients have custom medical plans to help them have a high chance of beating their cancer. It can also people see what deadly diseases they are at risk of developing, and they can try and prevent them. This novel also really tries to hammer home that DNA tests should be handled by professionals and medical professionals. This graphic novel sort of has an over-all story, but for the most part, it is educational. The ending is very sweet though. The only downside is that it sometimes falls into the "wall of text" info-dumping, but they're explaining DNA and genetics. It's a bit hard to not have a wall of text. The art style is very cute, and I did enjoy looking at it.

Thanks to NetGallery and the publisher for the early copy of this book.

I expected a different kind of story but overall it was a cute story. I loved the art and the graphic.

This wasn't so much a story but a deep dive in to DNA testing and genetics. I found it a little dark to be honest and it almost felt like it was a political warning about DNA testing. It made me feel a little uneasy at parts and I was given lots of scientific information.
I thoughts the illustrations were lovely and terrifying all at the same time.
Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy.

An interesting graphic novel exploring genetic testing, its benefits and its dangers.

At points, this read more like a non fiction graphic novel, there were sections of info-dumping scientific information.

However, it was still an overall interesting read.

This graphic novel is a lot more informative than I expected. More informative and less "fluffy" graphic novels don't do well at my library. It is great for the reader who wants to learn as they read.

This book is incredibly informative and the illustrations are helpful for grasping the concepts. Much like a lot of other readers, I was expecting more of a story aspect to the book, so the info dumps felt like a lot at time. The book is pretty fast paced and I often struggled to follow the line of information. The book is told more through genetic, situational serials to help show the pros and cons of genetic testing and results.

I think if you know going in that this is more informational and to take it slower than other graphic novels, it would be helpful for processing the ideas. However, I think the book does an excellent job of giving an overview about genetics, genetic testing, and how all of this impacts our understanding of ourselves and humanity.

Thank you to NetGalley for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for the review copy!

This book took me by surprise! I did not expect the science aspect but actually really liked it. Highly recommend to anyone who wants a good story and learn more about DNA and Genetics.

I think for some people, this would be a great read. Unfortunately, I’m not very scientifically minded and I found myself tempted to skim over the multiple pages of complex explanations. However, I do have a friend I think would really enjoy this. This was 100% personal rather than a reflection of the book, but I couldn’t give it a higher rating purely based on it as a reading experience for me.

Genetics at heart is a pretty intriguing and perhaps educational graphic novel kind of in a sense of how it was delivered. Particularly with the DNA subject and how it was very informative— pretty info dump - than I'd prefer that it turns quite confusing at times.

This also touches on the importance of ethics in the field of medicine, research, etc, that is very important and is needed to follow— which kind of didn't happen here.

Overall, I think this is a miss for me. I honestly expected a different kind of storytelling.


~Thank you, Netgalley, and Europe comics for the e-arc.~

This review was made possible via an ARC through NetGalley.

DNA testing is something that is only getting more and more traction and I think graphic novels like this, that explain what DNA is as well as the potential drawbacks and positive outcomes are, are important. The blurb for the graphic novel seemed a lot more to me like this would be a family drama and we'd get some deep introspection and that's not what this is. It's really about informed consent before agreeing to give your DNA to someone to study.

I really appreciated how cancer and the BRCA gene were explained as well as genetic mutations and the potential risks when there aren't laws to protect you. Genetics at Heart is a lot more political and science-oriented than character or plot-driven, but it adds a very human element with it's examples.

I'd recommend this to mature teens and up and anyone curious about genetic testing, whether it be for health or other personal reasons.

Genetics at Heart by Philippe Amouyel is a graphic novel that helps to explain DNA. The illustrations were engaging and I enjoyed this book.

This book covers a lot. The overarching story is about a daughter who has just got a DNA test sharing those results with her father. As they talk through the process we touch on the father's career as a geneticist and his reservations about at home/online DNA testing, the basic of what DNA is, its role in solving crime, the psychological impacts of our greater access to DNA testing and the information that it makes available, its role in diagnosing and treating illnesses (including hereditary illness), and finally its role in developing vaccines (with the inevitable reference to COVID-19).

It's information-dense but still accessible, and I found it pretty even-handed in terms of talking about not just the scientific but also the social and psychological benefits and downsides to genetic testing. Interesting enough to be read on its own merits, but would also make a good and accessible educational resource.

This was an engaging and fun way to learn about genetics, like how DNA is passed from parents to their children, how DNA testing by for-profit companies works, and how genetics can be used for good or bad. However, the plot of the book focused on the daughter's family and relationship with her father and sibling felt superficial to me and not particularly well-developed.

This is an extremely heartfelt novel about family and love, the human experience, being told through the science of DNA technology and the controversial use of casual DNA testing.

I found this graphic novel to be extremely informative when explaining the science and biology behind DNA. So many topics were covered within the field in a way that is easy for the average person to understand.

This graphic novel masterfully mixes emotional storytelling with medical and scientific information. Two of my favorite things, as a fiction and non-fiction lover. This was a 5 star read for me, and I will be buying a physical copy.

I enjoyed the story. The science woven through was interesting but too much for me. It wasn't something I needed. But I understand and appreciate why it's there.

I received an advanced digital copy from Europe Comics/DARGAUD and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

When I started reading, I thought the story featuring the daughter and her father would be very central. In reality, they tie the book together, but the real focus is on learning about genetics and what we do with genetic information (potential and actual). Once I realized that, I was 100% on board to be educated about genetics. I was curious about the daughter and her father and I was curious especially about Martin Dumont. I was a little disappointed that they were vehicles rather than the more crucial pieces of the book that I thought they would be.

This is a very clear and visual way to learn about how genetics work and I found myself being more drawn in by this book that I ever have been to an actual biology class.

I do wish that it had been clearer and even sited sources about the dangers of genetic testing. Some parts seemed to be based more on fear than actual practice, but that was very muddled in this story.

I loved this book because of the simple and profound way of explaining genetics. For me, it was a review of everything I had studied about genetics at university, and this made me excited to recommend it to everyone interested in this science.
The book begins with a question about the identity of the heroine as a result of her genetic analysis, and the writer completes his presentation of the origins of genetics from the beginning through wonderful drawings, moving on to the importance of genetics in treating diseases and finding solutions to the diversity of organisms and stopping the spread of viruses and other things in a dramatic narrative framework, all the way to the end that made me emotional with the drawing in the last pages that illustrated the relationship of the girl with her father and the link between the past and the present.
Good job I look forward to more from the author.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I chose to read this book because I needed something light (I usually go for a graphic novel when I don't feel like I can focus on a novel) and because the cover was just so gorgeous. Even after reading the book description, I was intrigued. Thus began my journey into this book.

Mesmerized by the first few pages of this book and its artwork, I kept reading on. I loved the way the speech bubbles were positioned, and the way the artwork showed the fatigue in the dad and the annoyance in the daughter. You can probably imagine my surprise when I realized this book was... not what I was expecting it to me, which was a heartfelt story about a dad and his daughter's genealogy.

Here's the most important thing you need to take away from my review: If you are someone who loves learning/reading about genes and how DNA works, or you're curious about the specific ins and outs of genealogy, pick this book up. If you're here for a cute and heartfelt story about family and you're not ready to read textbook-level science-y stuff, choose something else.

I am NOT a science girly. I failed Chemistry not once, but twice, in high school, and my teacher had to take time off his own summer break to help me pass. I don't mind learning about DNA, but this graphic novel was just... an info dump of everything DNA-related. Maybe it's because I came in looking for a cute story, or maybe my brain is just not enhanced enough to understand this science lingo, but I understood pretty much nothing of this book.

But again, that is just me! I am sure there are thousands of people out there that will benefit from and adore this book, not just for its artwork but for its information, too. The reason I'm giving this GN a 3 star rating is because, despite not understanding a thing, I seriously adored the art style and the storytelling.

Disclaimer: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.