Wow! This was the best thriller I’ve read in a long time! Set a few decades in the future, Baby X takes place in the United States where technology has changed much of daily life, including how babies are made. Science has discovered how parents can choose embryos based on desired traits for their kids, and this method of reproduction has become the norm. More notably, technology has been developed to create sperm or eggs with anyone’s DNA (from hair, saliva, etc.) putting people — especially celebrities — at risk of having their DNA stolen to parent children they never knew about.

Told from alternating perspectives of three women, this story is propulsive, twisty, and truly kept me guessing as the three women’s stories intersected in surprising ways. The book was filled with action and intrigue that kept me turning pages, and the setup kept me thinking about the ethical questions and implications of this futuristic world.

Sci-fi doesn’t always intrigue me but I couldn’t put this book down. If you’re a fan of John Marrs, definitely pick this one up! I absolutely loved it!

This is the story of what could easily happen in the near future - and it is both cautionary tale and sweet homage to family. I wasn't sure at the start of this, but the more the stories interconnected the more I enjoyed it! I did not guess the ending (though really should have) and this is a perfect fit if you like reading sci-fi or mysteries, as it has a solid bit of both. The mechanics of the story, essentially that in this 2050ish world we can pick and choose which embryos to implant to ensure healthy (or superlative?) children, are not as far-fetched as we might like to believe. The ramifications of this are spun out well, and get increasingly more human as the book progresses. Four stars, and I would read more by this author!

This book started out great. I liked the concept and it felt like it could happen. However, as the story progressed it just felt less and less likely. There were just too many things that I found unbelievable and too contrived.

Thank you Net Galley and Crooked Lane Books for the Kindle Edition of this book in exchange for my honest review. I wasn't sure about this book as I though it was a sci-fi dystopian type fiction book but this is more speculative fiction with a unique thriller aspect and it got me hooked. It is set way in the 2050's and the author, Kira Peikoff does a remarkable job explaining the advancement that had occurred to set the scenes but it did take me quite some time to read. Inititally, I could only do a chapter or two at a time trying to digest it and understand what was going on- it was just the right amount of science to follow along. There are three different point of views, Ember, Lily, and Quinn- which help tell the story and midway through the book, I couldn't put it down. As the story unfolded, it just sucked you in wanting more. This is such well written, crazy idea story that it was mind blowing enjoyable! It came out last month, March 6 and I highly recommend!

For fans of futuristic takes on science and technology such as Blake Crouch, multiple POVs, and stories of overcoming obstacles.

In some of these instances let's hope they remain a work of fiction and do not come to fruition.

Told in 3 women's POV's. Lily, an up and coming writer trying to find the headliner that will set her career in motion. Ember, the successful business woman dating a super star. Quinn, the surrogate that is going through life on her own.

A lot of futuristic ideas in the first half that made it a slow read. I would read a bit and put it down for a while. So many ideas to take in at once. The characters seemed cold to me but when their stories began to cross over I became more engaged. Although I guessed the tie in at the end, I really enjoyed it and the connecting of stories.

Yooooo a new favorite thriller! Will for sure be recommending this one to friends. I did not guess even ONE of the plot twists. So unique!

My thanks to QBF, Kira Pelkoff and Netgalley.
I didn't get to far into this book at all. Personally, I don't believe it's awful, it just felt very youthful to me. Not my groove at all.
I'm just rating this as average.

This is a scarily feasible futuristic novel where DNA advancements have created a world where sperm and egg could be created from any human cells and genome selection means diseases and personal traits can be "selected" and natural conception is almost unheard of. Because of advancements, an online marketplace selling DNA samples of high-profile individuals illegally threatens celebrities with having their DNA sequenced and turned into sperm or eggs being sold to the highest bidder. Trace Thorne, a famous singer, who has had his DNA stolen and sold in the marketplace, hires Ember, a biosecurity guard, for protection. They are confronted by a pregnant woman, Quinn, claiming that Trace is the father of the baby and they discover that nothing is as it seems.

In other thread, Lily is a journalist undertaking a post-grad fellowship and is researching an article exposing the power reproduction clinics have while uncovering the truth behind her mother's jail time. She is an Unforeseen, a natural conception, and is grappling with the fact that her parents, now in their 60s, want to have another child.

The book is told from the points of view of the three female protagonists - Quinn, Ember and Lily. Their stories are compelling and the storylines come together in the end really well, if not a bit quickly.

My only criticism is that it's set in the near-future and some of the advances seem unlikely considering the timeframes. I would have preferred if no dates and years were included because I found that knowing when these events were supposed to be happening pullled me out of the story a bit.

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for sharing a digital copy of this book with me in exchange for an honest review.

I was SO happy when this book showed up as a “Read Now” on NetGalley! Thank you, Crooked Lane Books and Quick Brown Fox & Co!! Here’s my review.
As someone who enjoys science fiction, this futuristic thriller has you captivated and invested from start to end! Normally with three points of view, there is usually a point of view that I dread reading when it comes up, but this was not the case. I loved each and every point of view and loved this take on a thriller set in the 2100s.
Tbh, I really want some of those smart lenses!!

Interesting concept, a cover I love, but a few silly parts in the story made this one hard for me to enjoy.

I love this idea - I can see parents fine-tuning the selection and choosing embryos based on medical traits that would keep them healthy. I also liked the different POV we have - Quinn, a surrogate; Ember, a DNA protection specialist, and Lily, a fresh college graduate working an internship. These three perspectives really fleshed out the story and the current time. These three woman also gave us different perspectives on the new technology to hand select children and surrogacy.

But where the story really missed the mark, for me, was some of the parts that around technology. For all the advances the story reported they had, characters tried to get on planes eve though they were being tracked, used drone taxis when they knew they were being tracked, and didn't even look up names or search out their mysteries on the internet. It was such a odd move and really took me out of the story and made me question a lot of things. And the ending felt more like a movie ending than the true movement of events.

So, while it was an interesting story, it maybe just wasn't for me. If you like sci-fi and like to explore what might be with surrogacy and next steps in choosing baby traits, then you might give this one a try!

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

This book was an interesting exploration of genetics, ethics, and the human experience. As an Aardvark Book Club pick for March 2024 and an eARC from Net Galley, courtesy of Crooked Lane Books, this one immediately caught my attention with its subject. Being immersed in the world of genetics professionally, I approached it with both excitement and apprehension, fearing an unrealistic portrayal of genetic concepts I so often see in media. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the science in the book holds up well, grounded in current knowledge and concepts, although I’m sure in 25 years we’ll laugh at how little we knew. The narrative unfolds in a setting that feels sufficiently current and modern, offering a speculative yet relatable glimpse into the future. It is delivered through the perspectives of three female protagonists, seeing their journeys of self-discovery and growth, leaving me wondering how they would intersect. This story explores the themes of belonging, identity, and the ever-relevant topic of bioethics. The pacing is engaging, shifting between characters and plotlines, leading to a satisfying conclusion – I do love a good epilogue. This was a gripping read that I think will resonate with both scientists and everyone else. It effortlessly blends heartfelt moments with thrilling suspense.

Thank you NetGalley and the Quick Brown Fox and Co. for the ARC of Baby X by Kira Peikoff. I love stories that give different character point of views and then bring them all together in the end. This book has a little bit of everything, romance, science fiction and thriller! A new way to use biological material to conceive babies, have those who can afford it, wanting to steal celebrity’s DNA. Celebrity Trace Thorne hires Ember Ryan to make sure no one can steal his DNA. She is well versed in the tactics used to steal someone’s DNA and is committed to her new endeavor. The Vault, a company known to help steal DNA is always on the look out to do just that. Then one day, Quinn walks right up to Trace and says, I believe you are the father of my baby, Trace and Ember are thrown into the chase of finding out how someone got his DNA. This story was very interesting to me because it brings about the idea of gene selection, without worry of health issues, mental or physical, or even the ability to have a child at all. Fast paced and easy to read, you wont be able to put this book down!

This speculative book looks at the near future and the advances in science that allow for people to never look their age, live into their 100s, and choose their children (while they are still embryos) based on whatever they want: beauty, intelligence, physical characteristics.

The problem for me is the premise of the book: people will steal genetic material, use it to create an embryo, and then have a famous person's baby without their consent. Celebrities will do whatever they can to avoid leaving genetic material behind. If genetic material is stolen, it can be ransomed to the owner so they don't have a biological child they don't know about.

There is the story of Lily who was conceived the old-fashioned way and now her parents are choosing an embryo to be her sibling. If Lily thought she was less-than before, she's pretty much feeling it now.

Quinn is a surrogate who recently had a baby for a family, and decides now she wants to be a surrogate for a complete stranger and live in his house and what?

Ember is a bio-security specialist who is hired by a famous singer who has been targeted by blackmailers with his DNA in the past. Her job is to remove any biological material when the show is over - from the mic, the water bottle, the floor - so it won't get into the hands of the wrong people.

Some ick in here about people with disabilities who are so unhappy that their parents chose their embryo even though they knew there was a good chance of being deaf or living with depression. Not cool.

The book touches on too many issues to deal with any very well and the ending is so-so. It was a fast read, but not the book for me.

My thanks to NetGalley and The Quick Brown Fox & Co. for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sci-fi is a hit or miss genre for me and this was definitely a HIT. The premise of the plot was unique and unlike anything I can remember reading before.

Set in the future where advanced technologies allow for sperm or egg to be created from human cells, an online marketplace selling DNA samples of high-profile individuals illegally, threatens. Trace, a famous singer, who has had his DNA stolen and sold in the marketplace, hires Ember, a biosecurity guard, for protection. When they are confronted by a pregnant woman, Quinn, claiming that Trace is the father of the baby, they are dumbfounded.

Meanwhile, Lily, a journalist undertaking a post-grad fellowship, wants to expose the power reproduction clinics have while uncovering the truth behind her mother's jail time.

The book is told from the points of view of the three female protagonists - Quinn, Ember and Lily. Their stories are compelling, each fighting their own hidden battle, and struggling to find answers. I really enjoyed how the storylines came together at the end.

I really enjoyed this book. It reminded me a little of the movie Gattaca. I enjoyed the storyline and I didn’t see the end coming. I couldn’t put it down and it wasn’t like anything else I’ve read

Thank you, NetGalley!

This book was nothing like I thought it would be in a bad way. I did not like the duel POVs. The world-building of this book was weird and hard to follow.

I could not put this book down!! Quick chapters and a twist that shocked me.

Fast forward to the future, any biological matter can now be used to create life. Politicians, athletes, musicians, anyone in the public eye is now at risk. A stranger can now have a baby of their own with a celebrity all thanks to the Vault; an anonymously run company that finds ways to obtain DNA through objects, such as a used tissue or water bottle, to sell it on their website to the highest bidder.

The story follows four POVs. Thorne, a famous singer who is scared of his DNA being sold on the Vault. Ember, the owner of a company that helps protect celebrities from getting their DNA stolen. Quinn, a surrogate. Lily, a girl conceived “the old fashioned way” trying to navigate life among her peers who were created by science to be optimal humans. The story comes together perfectly in the end with a twist you won’t see coming! I also loved reading about all the scientific advancements Peikoff dreamed up throughout the book. It really makes you wonder about our future. Highly recommend!!

5 stars! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARCg in exchange for an honest review.

The year is 2052 and the world has changed significantly. Technology has advanced beyond our imagination and Baby X is a story that fans of speculative thrillers will adore.

Imagine a world where your DNA can be used to create either an egg or sperm, where you can conceive your idols child without ever meeting them. All you need to do is buy their stolen DNA from a black market site.

Imagine a world where you can select your child’s personality, gender, strengths, academic success, happiness, creativity, empathy, patience, you can eliminate genetic illness and negative traits.

Imagine a world where anyone can have a baby, there’s no age limit and human’s are now living longer due to being “selected” healthier and without avoidable inherited diseases.

Baby X is that world and the story is narrated by 3 women.

Quinn is a surrogate. She carries “selected” babies for people who can’t have their own for a fee.

Ember is a DNA security guard. She works for celebrities to ensure their DNA is not stolen and used on the black market.

Lily is a journalist, currently working at Vanguard as a post-graduate fellowship, desperate to prove herself and land herself her dream job.

Each women narrates her story with alternating chapters and the reader follows their lives trying to connect the dots to see how these women are linked.

I absolutely ADORED this book. The style of writing, the fast paced chapters, the voices of the 3 women, the storyline, the tension, the twists all kept me glued to the pages.

I have no hesitation in recommending this book to any fans of the thriller genres. Even if you’ve never read “speculative fiction” before, I think this book is definitely worth reading as it’s thought-provoking and twisted, clever and well plotted.

What an interesting concept! This book follows three women as they navigate the not so far off world of “designer babies” and DNA selection. Can you imagine trying to chose between mental predispositions like bipolar, depression, and anxiety or the physical dispositions like cancer? What if we had to live in a world with a DNA protectors because people stole DNA and sold it on the dark web? I loved moral questions this book brought up.

This is a very good story, a bit of science fiction and a bit of mystery/thriller make for a quick paced plot. Set in the near future, Ember is a sort of security guard (I say sort of because what she guards is bio material) for rock superstar Trace Thorne who has been targeted by a group called the Vault that take anything that he has touched to make material used to create an embryo. He has already put out millions to the Vault to recover material they had obtained. He hired Ember to ensure it doesn't happen again, and things are going good, so good that the two of them fall in love. Not long after this, a woman, Quinn, approaches Ember to tell her that she's pregnant with a baby she believes is from Trace. Quinn had met a guy at a concert and they sort of hit it off, he's quite wealthy, and talks her into getting pregnant (artificial insemination) and he will pay for her accommodation and any expenses. She agrees and is quickly pregnant, getting inseminated in this time period means selecting your own embryo, whether you want a boy or girl and what type of personality. Lily is another young woman who's parents have decided that they are going to have a baby, her mom is 63, but doesn't look a day over 40 with the help of solutions to keep wrinkles at bay. There had been an incident in her mom's past that when the clinic found out about it, refused to do the procedure. This is a very fast pace novel and all of the timelines come together at the end, there was one twist that I did not see near the end, overall a very good book and I would recommend. Thanks to #Netgalley and #Crookedlanebooks for the ARC.