Pages: 405
Published: 15th July 2016
Genre: Dystopian Thriller
Content warnings: Violence/injury detail, strong sexual references, misogyny, cancer subplot
A simple DNA test is all it takes. Just a quick mouth swab and soon you’ll be matched with your perfect partner the one you are genetically made for.
That’s the promise made by Match Your DNA. A decade ago, the company announced that they had found the gene that pairs each of us with our soul mate. Since then, millions of people around the world have been matched. But the discovery has its downsides: test results have led to the breakup of countless relationships and upended the traditional ideas of dating, romance and love.
Now five very different people have received the notification that they’ve been “Matched.” They’re each about to meet their one true love. But “happily ever after” isn’t guaranteed for everyone. Because even soul mates have secrets. And some are more shocking than others…
Try to imagine a world where there is only one person that you are genetically programmed to fall wholly in love with, rendering all other seemingly impregnable romantic relationships less than perfect. The technology is beyond dispute, meaning that it is no Eleanor and Chidi style deception but the real thing, all accessed via a mobile phone app and subject to a small charge. For a moment it sounds like the most wonderful thing that could possibly exist, but when you actually stop and think, it is a rather ghastly proposition.
It is also an excellent idea for a speculative thriller, and this book is suitably exciting and fast-paced, making it a tense and fairly pulsating ride from start to finish. The concept has the potential to be taken in a number of different directions, and the author fully capitalises on this with no fewer than five different perspectives, all offering an alternative take on what scenarios the Match Your DNA app could present if unleashed upon the real world.
What keeps the plot so fresh and addictive is the short chapters and how the circumstances of each main character differ very sharply from each other. It is a page turner, and the intrigue about where each storyline is headed next keeps you firmly in your seat – and sometimes on the edge of it. Along with some unexpected twists, there are some unsettling moments along the way too, but you cannot deny that it is effective in grabbing every ounce of your attention.
It does not take long for all of the perspectives to get their first revelation, and a couple of these are bombshells that really set the rest of the story in motion, creating a tantalising dilemma for each character. Sadistic serial killer Christopher is handed a unique challenge; Nick is forced to re-evaluate everything he knows about himself; Mandy has to confront a heartbreaking truth, and Jade finds that her match is not what it seems. The only one that is in any way predictable is Ellie – it is obvious who she is from quite early on.
As the reader you naturally find yourself imagining what it would be like in their shoes. Of course, Christopher is such an evil psychopath that he is not relatable in the slightest, but it is still hard to resist wondering how he will hide his crimes from Amy, his match. As for Mandy you truly feel her desperation to be a mother, while Nick’s situation makes you wonder how you would react if your world turned upside down. However, Jade was the one I connected with the most. She is fiery, but just that little bit of a misfit who also cares about doing the right thing.
It is interesting to see the change in these characters as their storylines progress. Nick was difficult to like for the most part, but he gets big respect for the choice he makes at the end. There is maybe an inevitability about Christopher’s eventual fate and Mandy finally gains a bit of independence, yet the main drama takes place in Ellie’s office at the Match Your DNA headquarters in the Shard.
To begin with, Ellie is the kind of character you really want to like. She is a woman of status who has also courted controversy and earned many enemies, hence her use of bodyguards. Then again, it seems that there might be a truly good person in there despite her inhibitions, and we see that come to the fore when she meets her match Tim – a relatively unremarkable, self-deprecating man who takes nothing in life too seriously.
The contrast between the pair is engaging to read, as well as amusing in a way. Ellie and Tim share very little in common but they strike up a bond, and he has a heart-warming effect on her simply through being himself. But all of that results in Ellie letting her guard down far too much, and the events that follow pave the way for a dramatic final showdown where her instinctive self-preservation overtakes everything else.
During these final scenes you really are holding your breath. Ellie does not cope well with losing control and everything comes crashing down. Another thing that the ending does is call into question the validity of the other characters’ matches; certainly you wonder if Mandy or possibly even Nick are the victim of someone’s game. If nothing else, it clearly muddies the waters.
From a technical point of view, what the writing does best is amplify the effect that the Match Your DNA app has on the characters’ lives. Were such a phenomenon to exist, then the way that the likes of Mandy, Jade, and Nick react to it feels genuinely believable as the world depicted in the book is not at all dissimilar to the one we actually live in. The author uses the influence of the app to offer an unsubtle yet irresistible social commentary.
Overall, it is a memorable story for a variety of reasons. The premise is unique, but the distinctive array of characters and their respective scenarios also set it apart. It very much lives up to the label of a thriller with a fast pace that never loses its momentum, and despite the tinge of dystopia it is grounded in reality. If you want high concept books that provide an adrenaline rush, then John Marrs is your guy.
A very difficult book to put down. The concept is great, and the various perspectives keep things ticking along so well, and there are some genuine thrills.
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Stephen Reads Books 