Baby X by Kira Peikoff was a really interesting and unique story.
I thought the writing was truly fascinating and very well done.

Thank You NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

From start to finish this book is sleep deprivation inducing spectacular. A total must read.
5 stars!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC

In the near future, people eat synthetic food and travel in autonomous vehicles. The common hairstyle for older women is ringlets. People try to steal celebrities’ DNA in order to make babies….. “like getting away with murder, except getting away with births.” This is a wonderful book that reminds me of novels by John Marrs and Blake Crouch.

At the 70% mark, I said to myself, “Oh, OH, this happened……..”. I love it when I figure things out.

Highly recommended. I plan to look for other books by Peikoff. Thanks to Netgalley.

This futuristic thriller takes you on a wild ride where stolen celebrity DNA becomes the hot commodity for those craving the perfect genes. The narrative unfolds through three unique perspectives, shedding light on the dark side of a seemingly utopian reproductive solution.

Quinn, a career surrogate, Lily, an accidentally conceived child, and Ember, a bio-security guard, give you such diverse angles on the ethical dilemmas this world presents. The author brilliantly explores the consequences of a society obsessed with creating genetically superior offspring, and let me tell you, it's not all sunshine and rainbows.

What hit me hard was the realistic portrayal of parents choosing embryos based on specific talents, sacrificing their children's well-being for societal expectations. The author weaves these complex issues seamlessly into a plot filled with unexpected twists and turns.

As someone not big on sci-fi, I was hooked from the get-go. And that ending?! Totally blindsided me!

This book challenges you to ponder the ethical implications of advanced reproductive technology while serving up a gripping and thought-provoking storyline.

Honestly, I can't recommend BABY X enough! Can't wait to dive into more of Peikoff's work!

Kira Peikoff created a unique near future where any part of your DNA can be used to
create designer babies or exact revenge and expose your every secret. A thoughtful look at our own near future. Thought provoking.

I've not read anything in recent history as interesting as this one.

While I wasn't crazy about the writing, the story kept me turning the pages.

Recommended with an attached caveat emptor.



Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for the DRC

A book I didn't know I needed to read! This was captivating from the start. I always enjoy reading a book with various characters and their respective storyline (especially when they start to overlap and connect seamlessly). I thought it was very neat all the futuristic things mentioned in this book such as "selection" of your own child, DNA theft, and more. In our current time it wasn't too far fetch of an idea of how things could be by the year of 2050. Not sure what was more thrilling, the scientific advancements or the actual thriller of the book itself.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

“Your genes, your bloodline, it’s all pretty much irrelevant, unless you
inherit a serious illness. But aside from that, it’s not the big stuff. It doesn’t control what you do or think or care about, or how you treat others, or how fully you love. All that’s up to you.”

What would seem to be a utopian future solution to reproductive rights issues is pretty dark. When everyone is at the top of their game in the new society, who could possibly be advanced anymore? And,

The story centers around three points of view: Quinn, a career surrogate; Lily, a child who had been conceived accidentally instead of being “selected,” as most are now; and Ember, the fiancée of a famous musician whose DNA might have been sold to conceive a child.

The narrations show such different sides of the issue and the struggles everyone faces with a system that is meant to erase those difficulties.

The part that struck me as the most unfortunately plausible outcome of this technology is parents picking the embryos with insane aptitude in certain areas (athletic ability, scientific knowledge, musical aptitude) while having genes that would indicate serious mental health conditions or disease instead of picking the embryos that would be more average in most areas but otherwise healthy. To sacrifice their child’s long term well being for them to be “the best” at something is something that is already and has been prevalent.

The small touches of the setting were really fun to read too: smartphones are outdated and now only used by “old” people, all autonomous vehicles, 3D printed food replacing microwaveable dinners, novel treatments for previously untreatable conditions, etc.

This was a great read and I was pleasantly surprised as someone who doesn’t normally read sci-fi. Also that ending?! I absolutely did not see it coming. 4 awesome stars!

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

I think this was truly my favorite read of 2023!!!! The world Kira Peikoff created was addicting and captivating. I always thought a jaw-dropping twist was just an expression but my jaw literally dropped at the twist. I absolutely loved this book and can't wait to read more by the author!

What an interesting read! Taking place in the future when any biologcial dna can be used to create life, celebrities are targeted by a company called The Vault who will pretty much stop at nothing to obtain what their clients are willing to pay large amounts for.

4.5 stars.
When I read the description of this book, I was incredibly intrigued by the concept - and this continued as I read the book. The idea of 'designer babies' does not seem too far fetched into todays age, which I think added to the almost creepiness of this book. I really enjoyed the different perspectives throughout the story and felt like we got to know each character really well. The twists and turns were unexpected and kept me hooked throughout. The only reason I didn't give it a full 5 was I felt like it was a little rushed towards the end, but I still enjoyed it thoroughly. If you like mystery/sci-fi books, this will definitely be for you.
Thank you NetGalley and The Quick Brown Fox & Co for the ARC.

Let me start by saying that sci-fi is not my typical genre, but wowza this one blew me away. I thought the futuristic aspects were so interesting and thought provoking. I think about how far we’ve already come with the use of DNA, that you do wonder where can we go next. I honestly can’t imagine being able to choose all of the characteristics of my future child down to the mannerisms and professions they may have. We are introduced to the Vault. Yes, it is as scandalous as it sounds. The Vault is a place where famous people’s DNA is stolen to be used to make eggs and sperm and is sold at a very high price for those who would like to choose where their child(ren) come from. Did someone say Brad Pitt? There are a few storylines to follow that keep you enthralled and invested in this novel. If you want a book that makes you think to yourself “Could this really happen?” Or “Would I do this if I had the chance?” This is the book for you. My mind is clearly changed on my view of sci-fi thanks to this book. I want to thank Netgalley, the Publisher, and Kira Peikoff for approving me for this book and changing my entire thought process around what books to read.

I was really blown away by this futuristic speculative fiction novel! Yes, fans of John Marrs will absolutely love this! Add this to your TBR list, you will NOT be disappointed.

This is set some time in the future, 2040 something I believe. Imagine where you can choose the characteristics that you want your child to have. Down to personality traits, dispositions, even to the professions they might choose. You can even be informed what diseases they might have. DNA is the way of the future. Wow!

The Vault is known for stealing famous people’s DNA to be turned into eggs and sperm. Then having children with whomever they want. INSANE RIGHT!!! Total chaos! For a very special high price, anything can be done.

That is all I’m going to say about this as I want you to go in with only this much information. You are in for quite a wild ride. So much medical information is given so pay close attention!

I’d like to thank Crooked Lane, NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read this special book. All opinions are my own.

5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

interesting futuristic novel follows three women, two of the storylines are interconnected, a surrogate, a guardian against stolen cells to create children, the third storyline, seemed separate, in a way that didn't seem really necessary except to raise some issues about discrimination against the unselected and those who get approved for the selection process. Overall a good interesting read, both as a mystery and an ethical tale 4.5

I found this to be an intriguing premise executed with a bit of clunkiness. ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

3.5 stars rounded down.

I *absolutely* think this book is going to do well in the thriller genre. I’d especially recommend it for those into speculative/sci fi thrillers in the vein of John Marrs.

The concept was interesting and the book is well written. There are some major twists and a fair amount of action. The book is paced well.

It fell a bit flat for me with some of the plausibility points and felt a bit corny at times. I don’t need my thrillers to be perfectly realistic and it wasn’t the sci fi aspect but more so, I struggled with some of the dialogue, convenient situations and the characters actions at times.

I definitely will recommend this book to those looking for sci fi thrillers as I realize many will love this book.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.

In the near-future United States, where advanced technology can create egg or sperm from any person’s cells, celebrities face the alarming potential of meeting biological children they never conceived. Famous singer Trace Thorne is tired of being targeted by the Vault, a black market site devoted to stealing DNA. Sick of paying ransom money for his own cell matter, he hires bio-security guard Ember Ryan to ensure his biological safety.

Ember will do anything she can to protect her clients. She knows all the Vault’s tricks–discarded tissues, used straws, lipstick tubes–and has prevented countless DNA thefts. Working for Thorne, her focus becomes split when she begins to fall for him, but she knows she hasn’t let anything slip–love or not, his DNA is safe. But then she and Thorne are confronted by a pregnant woman, Quinn, who claims that Thorne is the father of her baby, and all bets are off.

I LOVE reading sci fi that makes me think. This was fascinating, wonderful, and utterly terrifying at the same time. Wow. Very original idea, beautifully written, horrifying to contemplate that this could be our future. One of the best reads of the season!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced digital reader's copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of "Baby X" by Kira Peikoff. I was drawn to the premise of this book, which follows individuals in the future (no spoilers) as they go through the "selection" process to remove genetic defects from potential embryos for implantation. This is the "norm" in society in the future and allows certain diseases and inherited traits to be removed from the equation. I know this type of science is coming, but the way the author laid it out was very sobering for what it means in the future. I loved all the references to the "olden days" (i.e. now, 2020, COVID) and the minor technology we currently possess compared to what is possible in the future. I don't know the author's background but she was very knowledgeable about the science and biology behind genetics and the advancements that are possible. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more by this author!

This near-future thriller is fascinating with well drawn characters and plot intricacies galore. I really enjoyed this one. Highly recommended.

I read this book in one swallow. Even though I saw many of the twists coming, I really loved reading this futuristic story that gave "Gattaca" vibes. I loved the world building, I loved the story and I loved how it all came together. This book has all of what you might want from 5 different novels: scientific concepts in a near futuristic world, romance, thriller with an evil psychopath, mystery of identity and several major concepts like politics, information rights, identity, family, genetics and more. I really enjoyed the time I spent with it.

with gratitude to netgalley and The Quick Brown Fox & CO, for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review