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Corpus #2
Vitro by Jessica Khoury
On Skin Island, even the laws of creation can be broken.On a remote island in the Pacific, Corpus scientists have taken test tube embryos and given them life. These beings—the Vitros—have knowledge and abilities most humans can only dream of. But they also have one enormous flaw.Sophie Crue is determined to get to Skin Island and find her mother, a scientist who left Sophie behind years ago. With the help of Jim Julien, a young charter pilot, she arrives--and discovers a terrifying secret she never she has a Vitro twin, Lux, who is the culmination of Corpus's dangerous research.Now Sophie is torn between reuniting with the mother who betrayed her and protecting the genetically enhanced twin she never knew existed. But untangling the twisted strands of these relationships will have to wait, for Sophie and Jim are about to find out what happens when science stretches too far beyond its reach.
Hardcover
First published January 14, 2015
135 people are currently reading
8717 people want to read
About the author
Jessica Khoury
25 books2,703 followersJessica Khoury wrote her first book at age 4, a fan fic sequel to Syd Hoff's Danny and the Dinosaur, which she scribbled on notebook paper, stapled together, and placed on the bookshelf of her preschool classroom. Since that day, she's dreamed of being an author.
When not writing, Jess enjoys spending time with family, playing video games, and oil and watercolor painting. She is also a professional mapmaker, and spends far too much time scribbling tiny trees and mountains for fictional worlds.
Jess currently lives in Greenville, South Carolina. She is the author of the Corpus trilogy, The Forbidden Wish, Last of Her Name, and The Mystwick School of Musicraft.
When not writing, Jess enjoys spending time with family, playing video games, and oil and watercolor painting. She is also a professional mapmaker, and spends far too much time scribbling tiny trees and mountains for fictional worlds.
Jess currently lives in Greenville, South Carolina. She is the author of the Corpus trilogy, The Forbidden Wish, Last of Her Name, and The Mystwick School of Musicraft.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 541 reviews
December 12, 2013
Closer to a 3.5 star.
While I didn't like this one quite as much as Origin, it was still an exciting read set on an isolated island full of secret experiments and shady operations. Even if you haven't read Origin, this is not actually a sequel; both are independent of each other. You could even say Vitro is more or less a refitted version of Origin. They both have a similar setting and mirroring scientific conspiracies. And Sophie, after a distressing email from her mother, gets trapped into its web of genetic alterations and unethical experiments.
What I found to be the best part of this novel is the vividly detailed setting. You get fully transported to this island that quickly becomes the heart of the story, and the claustrophobia of being stuck on this tiny piece of sinister land holds your attention throughout. The atmosphere gets increasingly darker as the plot races on, twisting itself into a freaky, spine-chilling story. I did suspect most of the twists this book had up its sleeve, but I was still disturbed by the confirmations, and because it's told through several point-of-views, we're given a complete view of the happenings on this island which makes it all the more fun to read.
The writing is one that has such an easy flow to it you suddenly realize you flew through the whole thing. The characters is where I wish more time would have been dedicated. I found they were just shells of the type of cast wanted for this book. You have the childhood friend, the girl with abandonment issues, the psychopath who seems to be behind it all, but nothing that really solidifies them. It's possible the third person narration is to blame, but I never could get a true grasp on the characters. I also found some of it had to be taken with a grain of salt - similarly to action-oriented films. For instance, it only takes a couple of obscure sentences via email for Sophie, a teenager, to fly to an island that seems to not even exist. Plus, a blind mouse could see this was a setup!
All in all, with a rich setting and a twisted, action oriented plot, Vitro is a fast read that can fill up a few hours with entertainment.
--
An advance copy was provided by the publisher for review.
For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads
While I didn't like this one quite as much as Origin, it was still an exciting read set on an isolated island full of secret experiments and shady operations. Even if you haven't read Origin, this is not actually a sequel; both are independent of each other. You could even say Vitro is more or less a refitted version of Origin. They both have a similar setting and mirroring scientific conspiracies. And Sophie, after a distressing email from her mother, gets trapped into its web of genetic alterations and unethical experiments.
What I found to be the best part of this novel is the vividly detailed setting. You get fully transported to this island that quickly becomes the heart of the story, and the claustrophobia of being stuck on this tiny piece of sinister land holds your attention throughout. The atmosphere gets increasingly darker as the plot races on, twisting itself into a freaky, spine-chilling story. I did suspect most of the twists this book had up its sleeve, but I was still disturbed by the confirmations, and because it's told through several point-of-views, we're given a complete view of the happenings on this island which makes it all the more fun to read.
The writing is one that has such an easy flow to it you suddenly realize you flew through the whole thing. The characters is where I wish more time would have been dedicated. I found they were just shells of the type of cast wanted for this book. You have the childhood friend, the girl with abandonment issues, the psychopath who seems to be behind it all, but nothing that really solidifies them. It's possible the third person narration is to blame, but I never could get a true grasp on the characters. I also found some of it had to be taken with a grain of salt - similarly to action-oriented films. For instance, it only takes a couple of obscure sentences via email for Sophie, a teenager, to fly to an island that seems to not even exist. Plus, a blind mouse could see this was a setup!
All in all, with a rich setting and a twisted, action oriented plot, Vitro is a fast read that can fill up a few hours with entertainment.
--
An advance copy was provided by the publisher for review.
For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads
February 22, 2018
This book was nothing like what I expected. I think it deserves a 3.5/5. I was expecting it to be more like Origin. I expected great characters, heart-stopping suspense, and heart-melting romance. And although the story was still great and there was a lot of action.
Sophie and Jim are cool, but I did not love them like I did Pia and Eio. And I will not even categorize this as a romance. There are signs that Sophie and Jim like each other and we can assume something came of it in the future. Most of the time Jim was actually with Lux, and I would have preferred if a romance had been started between them instead. I know that Lux imprinted on Jim and it would be difficult to have a relationship under those circumstances, but that is exactly why I would have loved to see it. I don't like straightforward romances. It could work with an ambitious author. Maybe it is just the imprint talking, but I feel like Jim and Lux had a much stronger connection than Jim and Sophie.
While Origin had a distinctly dystopian feel, and even some fantasy with the magical flower that makes people immortal, Vitro was more of a techno-thriller. Michael Crichton for teens. It even had his favourite tropical setting. Very Jurassic Park, minus the dinosaurs. So if you like techno-thrillers, or preferred the science aspect of Origin over the romance, then I recommend this book. It was interesting and fast paced. And if you have read this book or are interested in it, I highly recommend reading Origin as well!
Sophie and Jim are cool, but I did not love them like I did Pia and Eio. And I will not even categorize this as a romance. There are signs that Sophie and Jim like each other and we can assume something came of it in the future. Most of the time Jim was actually with Lux, and I would have preferred if a romance had been started between them instead. I know that Lux imprinted on Jim and it would be difficult to have a relationship under those circumstances, but that is exactly why I would have loved to see it. I don't like straightforward romances. It could work with an ambitious author. Maybe it is just the imprint talking, but I feel like Jim and Lux had a much stronger connection than Jim and Sophie.
While Origin had a distinctly dystopian feel, and even some fantasy with the magical flower that makes people immortal, Vitro was more of a techno-thriller. Michael Crichton for teens. It even had his favourite tropical setting. Very Jurassic Park, minus the dinosaurs. So if you like techno-thrillers, or preferred the science aspect of Origin over the romance, then I recommend this book. It was interesting and fast paced. And if you have read this book or are interested in it, I highly recommend reading Origin as well!
July 7, 2014
"It seemed an eternity later, though in fact it was just a minute, that he opened his eyes and turned his head to look at Sophie. Her eyes were open, and she was staring directly back at him."
And not in a good way. Jessica Khoury has previously stunned me with her debut novel, Origin. It was moving, it was everything I was looking for in an unique dystopia-science fiction romance book. But in her second book that somewhat relates to Origin's events, I was very disappointed.
Sophie is living an ordinary life in her home in Boston. She lives with her upsetting father and her stepmother and their children. When Sophie gets a letter from her mother, her biological mother that is studying in an island that is unknown to the world, she is quickly on her way to Skin Island. With the help of Jim, her childhood handsome friend, she arrives in Skin Island, with a crash. She finds out that a dark secret lies in the land of the island: scientists have been creating beings that are perfect except one flaw. Sophie quickly finds out that she has a Vitro twin: Lux. So basically, all it takes is one choice to change everything for Sophie. Her whole life is before her hands.
Yeah... At least that was what the book was supposed to be.
This book started off great. From the start, I could tell that it was going to be great. I was anticipating for a moving, beautiful plot with awesome kick-ass characters. At least, that's what I got for the first 75 pages. After that, everything went downhill. The plot became predictable and boring, too many characters were added and I got confused, and I was just plain bored. I didn't see any great importance in the book at all and the basic main idea was: for Sophie to decide what she wants. Yayy. Oh, and a dreamy (not really) romance with Jim.
The characters were okay, although there were too many. But I really hated Sophie. She was all whiny and so selfish the whole time. She thought that she was having trouble all the time when other people were and their situations were far worse than hers. She was just one of those characters that doesn't understand anything in life. Ugh.
But I loved Jim and Lux. They were too good for Sophie and WERE AWESOME and total kick-asses. Mmm... I smell the taste of revenge. Sophie used them too much so now it's their time to use her. Gosh, I'm so evil.
The romance in this book was just something added. It was very ew-ish and not needed. I feel like Jessica Khoury just added it for some more action which couldn't be completed in that aspect. There doesn't have to be romance in every YA book! :(
Overall, this book really could've been great. It had the absolute potential. The idea was good, but it just didn't make that impact that I wish it did. The romance sucked, the plot sucked from the middle to end, and the protagonist was very disappointing. The things that I was looking forward for the most were the worst.
And not in a good way. Jessica Khoury has previously stunned me with her debut novel, Origin. It was moving, it was everything I was looking for in an unique dystopia-science fiction romance book. But in her second book that somewhat relates to Origin's events, I was very disappointed.
Sophie is living an ordinary life in her home in Boston. She lives with her upsetting father and her stepmother and their children. When Sophie gets a letter from her mother, her biological mother that is studying in an island that is unknown to the world, she is quickly on her way to Skin Island. With the help of Jim, her childhood handsome friend, she arrives in Skin Island, with a crash. She finds out that a dark secret lies in the land of the island: scientists have been creating beings that are perfect except one flaw. Sophie quickly finds out that she has a Vitro twin: Lux. So basically, all it takes is one choice to change everything for Sophie. Her whole life is before her hands.
Yeah... At least that was what the book was supposed to be.
This book started off great. From the start, I could tell that it was going to be great. I was anticipating for a moving, beautiful plot with awesome kick-ass characters. At least, that's what I got for the first 75 pages. After that, everything went downhill. The plot became predictable and boring, too many characters were added and I got confused, and I was just plain bored. I didn't see any great importance in the book at all and the basic main idea was: for Sophie to decide what she wants. Yayy. Oh, and a dreamy (not really) romance with Jim.
The characters were okay, although there were too many. But I really hated Sophie. She was all whiny and so selfish the whole time. She thought that she was having trouble all the time when other people were and their situations were far worse than hers. She was just one of those characters that doesn't understand anything in life. Ugh.
But I loved Jim and Lux. They were too good for Sophie and WERE AWESOME and total kick-asses. Mmm... I smell the taste of revenge. Sophie used them too much so now it's their time to use her. Gosh, I'm so evil.
The romance in this book was just something added. It was very ew-ish and not needed. I feel like Jessica Khoury just added it for some more action which couldn't be completed in that aspect. There doesn't have to be romance in every YA book! :(
Overall, this book really could've been great. It had the absolute potential. The idea was good, but it just didn't make that impact that I wish it did. The romance sucked, the plot sucked from the middle to end, and the protagonist was very disappointing. The things that I was looking forward for the most were the worst.
March 23, 2019
Ortalama,akıcı...hafif ,tahmin edilebilr...
December 4, 2013
The author of Origin, Jessica Khoury, takes readers to a new locale and a new scientific experiment with her newest novel, Vitro.
Sophie Crue has spent most of her life living with her father in the United States, seeing her mother only a handful of times and only during exotic vacations, but before her parents divorced, they lived on a remote island in the Pacific. Her mother remained on the island after Sophie and her father set off for the States, staying behind to devote her life to making huge, life changing scientific breakthroughs.... or so Sophie always believed.
After receiving a cryptic message from her mother, Sophie returns to the island and teams up with her childhood friend Jim, the only pilot on the island who will brave flying her to the sinister Skin Island where her mother works. Sophie doesn't believe in the mysterious fear and whispered stories that keep the islanders from venturing too near Skin Island, but she soon finds out that there's more truth that dark experiments are being performed on the island and that her mother may be at the center of everything.
Tackling big issues, like nature versus nurture, the myriad of questions associated with creation and science, and the bond between parent and child, Vitro is sure to garner praise from readers looking for depth packaged within a fast-paced story and an exotic locale.
Sophie Crue has spent most of her life living with her father in the United States, seeing her mother only a handful of times and only during exotic vacations, but before her parents divorced, they lived on a remote island in the Pacific. Her mother remained on the island after Sophie and her father set off for the States, staying behind to devote her life to making huge, life changing scientific breakthroughs.... or so Sophie always believed.
After receiving a cryptic message from her mother, Sophie returns to the island and teams up with her childhood friend Jim, the only pilot on the island who will brave flying her to the sinister Skin Island where her mother works. Sophie doesn't believe in the mysterious fear and whispered stories that keep the islanders from venturing too near Skin Island, but she soon finds out that there's more truth that dark experiments are being performed on the island and that her mother may be at the center of everything.
Tackling big issues, like nature versus nurture, the myriad of questions associated with creation and science, and the bond between parent and child, Vitro is sure to garner praise from readers looking for depth packaged within a fast-paced story and an exotic locale.
March 10, 2014
Check out this review and others over at The Social Potato!
2.5, really.
This is one of those books that I picked up as a spur of the moment kind of thing. I saw the spine, recognized the novel from one of my Goodreads searches and bought myself a copy. I guess I could say that it was well worth it, although I would better recommend you borrow this at the library rather than buy it if you're interested, since it wasn't an amazing read.
The first thing that made me want to read it was the gorgeous cover. (I even mentioned it in a discussion post here.) I wanted to know the connection between the test tube and the island. It's definitely intriguing, no? As was the synopsis of the novel.
The story stars of immediately at a fast pace. Unlike some other authors, Jessica Khoury doesn't spend time beating around the bush with boring scenes of the heroine's ordinary life, she instantly gives us the problem the heroine needs to solve. I mean it--the story begins with Sophie, our heroine, trying to find a plane to take her to the infamous--dangerous, they say--Skin Island. And no one wants to take her, until her childhood friend Jim Julien gives her a hand. And a series of new events take place.
Sophie was an okay heroine. There were times when I wanted to give her a pat on the shoulder for her determination, but sometimes I wanted to smash a test tube to her skull. It's clear that all she wants to do is to save her mother, but then she does such irrational things that make her come off as stupid. I mean, she wants to leave the island without telling her father. If you're desperate to do something, you need help, not secrecy.
Jim Julien was also just okay. To be honest, none of the characters gave me any feels--neither did the "romance." (I honestly didn't feel that there was a romance aspect in the novel.) Everything was just so blandly written for me, in terms of characters and relationships. None of them piqued my interest to anything more than, "Huh, interesting."
Moving on to the plot--I enjoyed learning about the secrets of Skin Island as well as navigating around it. Descriptions were done well, things were planned out and laid straight for us readers. Things were mostly explained well enough. I liked the antagonist (from the island), as well, but there was something off about him (aside from, well--you'll know when you read it).
Again, the pacing was fast. There was a decent amount of action, suspense and a bit of drama thrown here and there. I didn't have problems keeping up, and the simple writing made it easier to go with the flow of the story.
All in all, it was an okay read. If you're into science fiction and action, this'll probably be a good fit for you. I might recommend it to fans of Taken by Erin Bowman, only if you're okay with the lack of romance ('cause Taken had a looooot of romance).
2.5, really.
This is one of those books that I picked up as a spur of the moment kind of thing. I saw the spine, recognized the novel from one of my Goodreads searches and bought myself a copy. I guess I could say that it was well worth it, although I would better recommend you borrow this at the library rather than buy it if you're interested, since it wasn't an amazing read.
The first thing that made me want to read it was the gorgeous cover. (I even mentioned it in a discussion post here.) I wanted to know the connection between the test tube and the island. It's definitely intriguing, no? As was the synopsis of the novel.
The story stars of immediately at a fast pace. Unlike some other authors, Jessica Khoury doesn't spend time beating around the bush with boring scenes of the heroine's ordinary life, she instantly gives us the problem the heroine needs to solve. I mean it--the story begins with Sophie, our heroine, trying to find a plane to take her to the infamous--dangerous, they say--Skin Island. And no one wants to take her, until her childhood friend Jim Julien gives her a hand. And a series of new events take place.
Sophie was an okay heroine. There were times when I wanted to give her a pat on the shoulder for her determination, but sometimes I wanted to smash a test tube to her skull. It's clear that all she wants to do is to save her mother, but then she does such irrational things that make her come off as stupid. I mean, she wants to leave the island without telling her father. If you're desperate to do something, you need help, not secrecy.
Jim Julien was also just okay. To be honest, none of the characters gave me any feels--neither did the "romance." (I honestly didn't feel that there was a romance aspect in the novel.) Everything was just so blandly written for me, in terms of characters and relationships. None of them piqued my interest to anything more than, "Huh, interesting."
Moving on to the plot--I enjoyed learning about the secrets of Skin Island as well as navigating around it. Descriptions were done well, things were planned out and laid straight for us readers. Things were mostly explained well enough. I liked the antagonist (from the island), as well, but there was something off about him (aside from, well--you'll know when you read it).
Again, the pacing was fast. There was a decent amount of action, suspense and a bit of drama thrown here and there. I didn't have problems keeping up, and the simple writing made it easier to go with the flow of the story.
All in all, it was an okay read. If you're into science fiction and action, this'll probably be a good fit for you. I might recommend it to fans of Taken by Erin Bowman, only if you're okay with the lack of romance ('cause Taken had a looooot of romance).
October 12, 2014
I wish I enjoyed this more, but Vitro seemed kind of average for what it was. The heroine and her love interest, Jim were kind of bland and one dimensional and I didn't really feel anything for the characters at all.
Skin Island had some pretty interesting secrets but my problem was that I never felt any excitement while reading it. It was executed in a really bland and boring manner. The only interesting part about it when the novel really picked up was when we met the Vitros, especially Nicholas who is a psychopath. But after a while, even he was one dimensional with a textbook personality.
I'm glad there wasn't a big focus on the romance between Jim and Sophie who are childhood best friends. There were alternating point of views with Jim, Sophie and one of the vitros Lux, which was interesting.
I can't quite put my finger on it, but Vitro failed to excite me with bland characters and an uninteresting plot all the way through. I love YA sci-fi when it is done well, but I just felt there was not enough depth of emotion in this one for us to really connect to its characters.
Check out Happy Indulgence for more reviews!
Skin Island had some pretty interesting secrets but my problem was that I never felt any excitement while reading it. It was executed in a really bland and boring manner. The only interesting part about it when the novel really picked up was when we met the Vitros, especially Nicholas who is a psychopath. But after a while, even he was one dimensional with a textbook personality.
I'm glad there wasn't a big focus on the romance between Jim and Sophie who are childhood best friends. There were alternating point of views with Jim, Sophie and one of the vitros Lux, which was interesting.
I can't quite put my finger on it, but Vitro failed to excite me with bland characters and an uninteresting plot all the way through. I love YA sci-fi when it is done well, but I just felt there was not enough depth of emotion in this one for us to really connect to its characters.
Check out Happy Indulgence for more reviews!
Want to read
April 22, 2013YAY!! Can't wait to read this follow-up to ORIGIN! I enjoyed that book so much (more than I thought I would, in fact) and really look forward to this one!
February 3, 2014
Check out Scott Reads It for more reviews!
Jessica Khoury is easily one of the best sci-fi writers for young adults and Vitro is a testament to her extraordinary writing abilities. I was extremely impressed with Khoury's debut, Origin, but nothing could have prepared me for Vitro. I definitely believe that Vitro is a stronger book than Origin and it does an excellent job of raising ethical questions about scientific discovery.
When Sophie Crue receives a letter from her mother telling her to come to Skin Island. Sophie enlists the help of her childhood friend, Jim to take her to Skin Island and little do they know, that they are endangering her lives. On the island, scientists have created humans in test-tubes called Vitros, these Vitros were created for lives of servitude.
I love reading about Sophie Crue because she's a pretty average girl who just wants to capture the attention of her estranged mother. Sophie is extremely brave and selfless to the point where she kept putting others like Lux and Jim before herself. I was impressed by Sophie's resourcefulness and ability to adapt to even the most horrific of situations.
Sophie and Jim have known each other since they were little kids and I was a huge fan of their relationship. Even though, Sophie and Jim did their best to conceal their feelings from each other at times, I couldn't help but root for them to fall for each other. I really enjoyed banter that made up their conversations and I think that Sophie and Jim are one of my favorite YA couples.
I love when science fiction novels are plausible and these novels are always extremely frightening to read. The thought that scientists could be creating humans in test tubes was a shocking revelation. Khoury takes very complex science and makes it extremely appealing and easy to comprehend even for readers with minimal scientific knowledge. Vitro raises so many thought-provoking questions like: When does science go too far? What makes us human? Should people try to tamper with the laws of creation? Khoury never gives the readers a clear-cut answer, but she gives readers much to think about.
Jessica Khoury is an incredible storyteller. Few authors possess the ability to create such vivid, life-like environments and settings like Jessica Khoury does. Readers will feel like they have been transported to Skin Island while reading Vitro because of Khoury's wonderful prose. I felt the intense sense of danger that lingered throughout Skin Island, as well as the raw beauty of the island.
Vitro is an extremely-fast paced novel and entertaining novel that sets a new standard for sci-fi novels. Jessica Khoury is quickly becoming the Queen Of YA Sci-Fi, at-least in my eyes and I truly hope that there is another Origin novel set to be published. Though Jim, Sophie, and Lux's story is over, I would love to read another book set in this world!
Jessica Khoury is easily one of the best sci-fi writers for young adults and Vitro is a testament to her extraordinary writing abilities. I was extremely impressed with Khoury's debut, Origin, but nothing could have prepared me for Vitro. I definitely believe that Vitro is a stronger book than Origin and it does an excellent job of raising ethical questions about scientific discovery.
When Sophie Crue receives a letter from her mother telling her to come to Skin Island. Sophie enlists the help of her childhood friend, Jim to take her to Skin Island and little do they know, that they are endangering her lives. On the island, scientists have created humans in test-tubes called Vitros, these Vitros were created for lives of servitude.
I love reading about Sophie Crue because she's a pretty average girl who just wants to capture the attention of her estranged mother. Sophie is extremely brave and selfless to the point where she kept putting others like Lux and Jim before herself. I was impressed by Sophie's resourcefulness and ability to adapt to even the most horrific of situations.
Sophie and Jim have known each other since they were little kids and I was a huge fan of their relationship. Even though, Sophie and Jim did their best to conceal their feelings from each other at times, I couldn't help but root for them to fall for each other. I really enjoyed banter that made up their conversations and I think that Sophie and Jim are one of my favorite YA couples.
I love when science fiction novels are plausible and these novels are always extremely frightening to read. The thought that scientists could be creating humans in test tubes was a shocking revelation. Khoury takes very complex science and makes it extremely appealing and easy to comprehend even for readers with minimal scientific knowledge. Vitro raises so many thought-provoking questions like: When does science go too far? What makes us human? Should people try to tamper with the laws of creation? Khoury never gives the readers a clear-cut answer, but she gives readers much to think about.
Jessica Khoury is an incredible storyteller. Few authors possess the ability to create such vivid, life-like environments and settings like Jessica Khoury does. Readers will feel like they have been transported to Skin Island while reading Vitro because of Khoury's wonderful prose. I felt the intense sense of danger that lingered throughout Skin Island, as well as the raw beauty of the island.
Vitro is an extremely-fast paced novel and entertaining novel that sets a new standard for sci-fi novels. Jessica Khoury is quickly becoming the Queen Of YA Sci-Fi, at-least in my eyes and I truly hope that there is another Origin novel set to be published. Though Jim, Sophie, and Lux's story is over, I would love to read another book set in this world!
February 8, 2017
Wow, this book is just wow!!
The plot, the characters and the twists-
All of it!!!
This story follows Sophie Crue, Jim Julian and Lux Crue as they discover all the mysteries of Skin Island and themselves.
Sophie grew up with her parents for most of her life until her Mum moved to Skin Island to work 10 years prior to the story. She receives an e-mail from her Mother, saying it's an emergency and she has to get to Skin Island immediately. With the help of her old friend, Jim Julian, the two go on an adventure they never sought.
My favourite character was Lux because it was actually very cute about how she followed every command Jim said (I won't tell why though).
My only dislike about this book is the ending though, it seemed undeveloped and it was also so tragic. It put me to tears. Dramatic sniffle
The plot, the characters and the twists-
All of it!!!
This story follows Sophie Crue, Jim Julian and Lux Crue as they discover all the mysteries of Skin Island and themselves.
Sophie grew up with her parents for most of her life until her Mum moved to Skin Island to work 10 years prior to the story. She receives an e-mail from her Mother, saying it's an emergency and she has to get to Skin Island immediately. With the help of her old friend, Jim Julian, the two go on an adventure they never sought.
My favourite character was Lux because it was actually very cute about how she followed every command Jim said (I won't tell why though).
My only dislike about this book is the ending though, it seemed undeveloped and it was also so tragic. It put me to tears. Dramatic sniffle
September 28, 2016
3.5/5 Stars
So while I loved the first book, Origin, I didn't love this. Though I did still enjoy in it's own way!
So this leads on from the first book, although it could also be read as a standalone if the reader wanted.
This story was good, I enjoyed it, however I didn't get the feels that I did with the first, perhaps it didn't help that this time the story was told from multiple POV's and third person rather than first, therefore not connecting the full relationship between reader and character? Possibly? I don't know.
The plot I found pretty predictable, although this didn't make it any less enjoyable. The setting was believable enough. Overall I liked the characters, they didn't go into huge depth with them but we got enough to connect to them with some degree.
I was sad about what happened to Lux though :(
I look forward to seeing what the final book has in store!
So while I loved the first book, Origin, I didn't love this. Though I did still enjoy in it's own way!
So this leads on from the first book, although it could also be read as a standalone if the reader wanted.
This story was good, I enjoyed it, however I didn't get the feels that I did with the first, perhaps it didn't help that this time the story was told from multiple POV's and third person rather than first, therefore not connecting the full relationship between reader and character? Possibly? I don't know.
The plot I found pretty predictable, although this didn't make it any less enjoyable. The setting was believable enough. Overall I liked the characters, they didn't go into huge depth with them but we got enough to connect to them with some degree.
I was sad about what happened to Lux though :(
I look forward to seeing what the final book has in store!
February 9, 2014
2.5-3.0/5.0
First of all: the cover is amazing and what had me drawn first to this book. The premise did sound interesting too.
Unfortunately the book couldn't live up with my expections. The story couldn't really grab me from the first chapters and continues throughout the whole book.
I felt no connection with the characters: some of their actions felt illogical to me. The protagonist stayed shallow over the whole book. I didn't see any progress in their actions and feelings.
The story was really simple, though the idea is interesting and thrilling, even though it's not a whole new idea. For me the story had a serious lack in depth.
Additionally the story had no surprising twists or a breathtaking clmax.
This turned out to be a very very average book for me :(
First of all: the cover is amazing and what had me drawn first to this book. The premise did sound interesting too.
Unfortunately the book couldn't live up with my expections. The story couldn't really grab me from the first chapters and continues throughout the whole book.
I felt no connection with the characters: some of their actions felt illogical to me. The protagonist stayed shallow over the whole book. I didn't see any progress in their actions and feelings.
The story was really simple, though the idea is interesting and thrilling, even though it's not a whole new idea. For me the story had a serious lack in depth.
Additionally the story had no surprising twists or a breathtaking clmax.
This turned out to be a very very average book for me :(
June 9, 2016
How far would you go to save someone you barely know?
After a disarming email from her absentee mom, Sophie flies off to Skin island (a.k.a the island of no return) with an old pal named Jim. Together, their morals will be put to the test as they discover the atrocities that occur on the island. When everyone isn't who they claim to be, who can you trust?
This book had me feeling like I was watching A-Ha's Take on me video on a loop: boy saves girl, bad guys try to stop them, boy saves girl, and so forth. The island background and risks of getting caught were on point. But the author seemed to be having problems pushing the story forward -- something I didn't see in the first installment of the series Origins.
All in all, not for me.
After a disarming email from her absentee mom, Sophie flies off to Skin island (a.k.a the island of no return) with an old pal named Jim. Together, their morals will be put to the test as they discover the atrocities that occur on the island. When everyone isn't who they claim to be, who can you trust?
This book had me feeling like I was watching A-Ha's Take on me video on a loop: boy saves girl, bad guys try to stop them, boy saves girl, and so forth. The island background and risks of getting caught were on point. But the author seemed to be having problems pushing the story forward -- something I didn't see in the first installment of the series Origins.
All in all, not for me.
August 17, 2015
And to think I almost DNFd this. Review to come.
September 15, 2015
Need to be reviewed.
June 19, 2025
3.5 stars rounded up just because I had so much fun reading this! Very action-packed and easy to read with Orphan Black vibes.
February 26, 2014
To see the post in all its formatted glory, go to http://reviewsfromabookworm.blogspot....
Title: Vitro
Author: Jessica Khoury
Publisher: Razorbill
Buy This Book: Book Depository
On Skin Island, even the laws of creation can be broken.
On a remote island in the Pacific, Corpus scientists have taken test tube embryos and given them life. These beings—the Vitros—have knowledge and abilities most humans can only dream of. But they also have one enormous flaw.
Sophie Crue is determined to get to Skin Island and find her mother, a scientist who left Sophie behind years ago. With the help of Jim Julien, a young charter pilot, she arrives--and discovers a terrifying secret she never imagined: she has a Vitro twin, Lux, who is the culmination of Corpus's dangerous research.
Now Sophie is torn between reuniting with the mother who betrayed her and protecting the genetically enhanced twin she never knew existed. But untangling the twisted strands of these relationships will have to wait, for Sophie and Jim are about to find out what happens when science stretches too far beyond its reach.(Goodreads summary)
As most of you probably know, it can be really hard to write a negative review for a book, especially when you got that book for free. But, you are receiving and reading them with the idea that you will give an honest and unbiased review, which is exactly what I am going to do. I was really looking forward to Vitro, I put in a request for this on Edelweiss and was basically begging to read it because it looked so good. But for me it fell short in every way possible and left me utterly disappointed in it. I have to use gifs to try and emote just how much anger and frustration this book made me feel.
My main issue lies with our lead character Sophie Crue, who receives this email from her mother:
'Sophie,
I need you. Please come at once. I'll look for you on Friday. Do not reply to this e-mail.
Emergency. - Mom'
And following this email she runs away from her father and jumps on a plane to go to Skin Island where her mother works. What the actual f@!*? Seriously? How can I like this girl when she is quite clearly an absolute idiot. She talks about how her mother won't ever let her go to the island, not even to visit and yet she suddenly thinks her mum has changed her mind. What emergency requires a mother to ask her teenage daughter to jump on a plane and jet off to Guam? If she was really having a life or death emergency I am pretty sure there would be more important and helpful people to call. And SKIN ISLAND? How does she not expect an island with such a creepy name to hold some sinister secret? See, she's an idiot and I instantly hated her for her stupidity. Why does Sophie not question any of this and just run off blindly to go be with mummy? How can I not hate this girl?
Then she gets to Guam and needs to find a pilot who will take her to creepy Skin Island. But, shock horror, no one is willing to take her because Skin Island is suuuuuper scaaaweeee! But, have no fear because Jim Julien, childhood friend turned hot pilot is willing to take her there because, although he hasn't seen her since she was seven, they have this deep connection and will blatantly end up together. And that's when me and my gag reflex started to get to know each other better.
And then to make matters worse, Sophie is met on one of the smaller islands by a guy called Nicholas. Just some random dude who says he will take her to her mother. But literally won't tell her anything, just drops hints about what really goes on over at Skin Island. He's sending out all kinds of signs that say "I am bats!#* crazy, don't trust me" and Sophie is all like 'Okay strange, creepy guy that I don't know and my mum has never mentioned, I shall follow you blindly and trust you completely... because that's just the kind of idiot I am.'
It was all downhill from there because I didn't like any of the characters and if you don't care about them than you certainly don't care what happens to them. I was forcing myself to keep reading because I didn't want to give up and DNF yet another book. I know I should have saved my time but how can I really judge a book if I don't make it to the end? Well, I would have judged it anyway but this way I feel less guilty about it. I gave it all of my time and it basically gave me nothing in return, other than a headache.
I felt a major disconnect from the whole story. It felt unnecessarily long and I found myself nodding off as I was reading it. With a name like Skin Island you know instantly that it's not going to be everything it seems. I wasn't drawn in by this, it didn't excite me and I didn't like any of the characters. The most entertaining were the evil characters because they felt like Hitler-type caricatures (with gas chambers and everything) and it would have been comical if it didn't feel so insulting.
After finishing this book I instantly deleted it from my Kindle and felt all the better for it.
2/5 Stars
I feel this book might entertain younger readers because they might question Sophie's choices as little as she does, but I doubt it. I find it hard to write my review without major spoilers to rant about so I will stop before I give too much away. This was a hideous reading experience for me and I can't recommend it. On the plus side it does get fast-paced at the end and there are plot twists and revelations. I'm sure if the first chapter hadn't put me off straight away I might have even enjoyed the end a little... maybe, probably not.
Title: VitroAuthor: Jessica Khoury
Publisher: Razorbill
Buy This Book: Book Depository
On Skin Island, even the laws of creation can be broken.
On a remote island in the Pacific, Corpus scientists have taken test tube embryos and given them life. These beings—the Vitros—have knowledge and abilities most humans can only dream of. But they also have one enormous flaw.
Sophie Crue is determined to get to Skin Island and find her mother, a scientist who left Sophie behind years ago. With the help of Jim Julien, a young charter pilot, she arrives--and discovers a terrifying secret she never imagined: she has a Vitro twin, Lux, who is the culmination of Corpus's dangerous research.
Now Sophie is torn between reuniting with the mother who betrayed her and protecting the genetically enhanced twin she never knew existed. But untangling the twisted strands of these relationships will have to wait, for Sophie and Jim are about to find out what happens when science stretches too far beyond its reach.(Goodreads summary)
As most of you probably know, it can be really hard to write a negative review for a book, especially when you got that book for free. But, you are receiving and reading them with the idea that you will give an honest and unbiased review, which is exactly what I am going to do. I was really looking forward to Vitro, I put in a request for this on Edelweiss and was basically begging to read it because it looked so good. But for me it fell short in every way possible and left me utterly disappointed in it. I have to use gifs to try and emote just how much anger and frustration this book made me feel.
My main issue lies with our lead character Sophie Crue, who receives this email from her mother:
'Sophie,
I need you. Please come at once. I'll look for you on Friday. Do not reply to this e-mail.
Emergency. - Mom'
And following this email she runs away from her father and jumps on a plane to go to Skin Island where her mother works. What the actual f@!*? Seriously? How can I like this girl when she is quite clearly an absolute idiot. She talks about how her mother won't ever let her go to the island, not even to visit and yet she suddenly thinks her mum has changed her mind. What emergency requires a mother to ask her teenage daughter to jump on a plane and jet off to Guam? If she was really having a life or death emergency I am pretty sure there would be more important and helpful people to call. And SKIN ISLAND? How does she not expect an island with such a creepy name to hold some sinister secret? See, she's an idiot and I instantly hated her for her stupidity. Why does Sophie not question any of this and just run off blindly to go be with mummy? How can I not hate this girl?
Then she gets to Guam and needs to find a pilot who will take her to creepy Skin Island. But, shock horror, no one is willing to take her because Skin Island is suuuuuper scaaaweeee! But, have no fear because Jim Julien, childhood friend turned hot pilot is willing to take her there because, although he hasn't seen her since she was seven, they have this deep connection and will blatantly end up together. And that's when me and my gag reflex started to get to know each other better.
And then to make matters worse, Sophie is met on one of the smaller islands by a guy called Nicholas. Just some random dude who says he will take her to her mother. But literally won't tell her anything, just drops hints about what really goes on over at Skin Island. He's sending out all kinds of signs that say "I am bats!#* crazy, don't trust me" and Sophie is all like 'Okay strange, creepy guy that I don't know and my mum has never mentioned, I shall follow you blindly and trust you completely... because that's just the kind of idiot I am.'
It was all downhill from there because I didn't like any of the characters and if you don't care about them than you certainly don't care what happens to them. I was forcing myself to keep reading because I didn't want to give up and DNF yet another book. I know I should have saved my time but how can I really judge a book if I don't make it to the end? Well, I would have judged it anyway but this way I feel less guilty about it. I gave it all of my time and it basically gave me nothing in return, other than a headache.
I felt a major disconnect from the whole story. It felt unnecessarily long and I found myself nodding off as I was reading it. With a name like Skin Island you know instantly that it's not going to be everything it seems. I wasn't drawn in by this, it didn't excite me and I didn't like any of the characters. The most entertaining were the evil characters because they felt like Hitler-type caricatures (with gas chambers and everything) and it would have been comical if it didn't feel so insulting.
After finishing this book I instantly deleted it from my Kindle and felt all the better for it.
2/5 Stars
I feel this book might entertain younger readers because they might question Sophie's choices as little as she does, but I doubt it. I find it hard to write my review without major spoilers to rant about so I will stop before I give too much away. This was a hideous reading experience for me and I can't recommend it. On the plus side it does get fast-paced at the end and there are plot twists and revelations. I'm sure if the first chapter hadn't put me off straight away I might have even enjoyed the end a little... maybe, probably not.
March 1, 2018
Bu kitabı sanırsam Adana fuarında Pegasus'ta çalışan arkadaşın harika muhteşem tarzı ısrarları üzerine almıştım. Hayal kırıklığına uğradım. Yani kitap o kadar kötü değildi ama beklenti yükseltilince maalesef biraz mutsuzluk doğuyor. Vitro fikri, kitaptaki bilimkurgu ve hikaye örgüsü çok iyiydi. Ama Jessica'cığm sana bir şey diyeyim, ciddi anlamda duyguları anlatmak ve yansıtmakla ilgili sorunun var. Yahu kitap beni içine alamadı. Başladığım için okudum. Ah böyle güzel bir kurgu, bu anlatımla heba edilmemeliydi.
Bilimkurgu sevenler belki hala sevebilir kitabı. Ben eh diyorum. Sevgiler.
Bilimkurgu sevenler belki hala sevebilir kitabı. Ben eh diyorum. Sevgiler.
October 18, 2014
Spoiler Free Review
4.5/5, rounded up because Jim's sass
Holy sweet mother of...
What just happened.
Did that just...
What. The. Hell.
*takes like five minutes to get herself under control*
That ending, man....
Alright. Ellie, get yourself together. Onto discussing this book.
It has taken me quite a while to pick this book up. Like, I started it back in May. Which is four months ago. BUT I HAVE A REASON!
Jessica Khoury's other book, Origin , was so amazing. Like, I can't even. I was affraid that this book was going to let me down in some way.
And it did, but not for the reasons that you think!
In Origin, the science and all that was part of the story from the beginning. The science was part of Pia, Pia WAS the science. In this story, Sophie has no clue what is going on. Though the reader knows what Corpus is capable of. The amazing surprise you felt in Origin isn't there anymore. But man, this book was amazing anyway.
The characters. Jim Julien, man. I fell in love within the first chapter. Like, I legit fell in love. And Sophie is kickass and awesome and I really like her so yes. Slightly sad that her past wasn't too worked out, but still really liked her.
Then we got a sort of love triangle thing. Which was soon added to by another love triangle. Is it a love pyramid then? Or... A love square? I am not sure.
Jim, Sophie and Nicholas & Jim, Sophie and Lux. The last one was a tad bit... Complicated, to say the least.
The science and Corpus and all that was so strong in this book, man. I felt like it went even further than in Origin, but I did feel like some things were a bit surreal sometimes. All of them were created ... years ago, from what I can gather. But how did the scientists find out something was wrong and changed it, when it all was roughly created around the same time? And since they never were aware... I was a tad bit confused by that. But that may also be because I read this late at night and early in the morning. Probably xD
The Russian guy. I think he is Russian maffia. He is f*cking awesome.
'Nuff said.
Unfortunately, this book wasn't as gripping as I had hoped it would be. It basically was a lot of running around and a lot of "OMFG WE HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE! OOOH we got out of here! OH F*CK WE GOT CAPTURED" ya know. Though it was interesting how the groups of escaping people changed every time. From Jim and Lux to Jim to Jim, Sophie and Lux to Jim and Sophie to Sophie and Nicholas... Yes. Just yes.
All the twists were fudging genius and actually made me gasp. I saw nothing coming and the suspense and the notknowing is the power of this book.
I clearly see Jessica Khoury improving her skills and I just love how her abilities to write romance and all just keep getting better and better.
Man, am I stoked for the next book, Kalahari
4.5/5, rounded up because Jim's sass
Holy sweet mother of...
What just happened.
Did that just...
What. The. Hell.
*takes like five minutes to get herself under control*
That ending, man....
Alright. Ellie, get yourself together. Onto discussing this book.
It has taken me quite a while to pick this book up. Like, I started it back in May. Which is four months ago. BUT I HAVE A REASON!
Jessica Khoury's other book, Origin , was so amazing. Like, I can't even. I was affraid that this book was going to let me down in some way.
And it did, but not for the reasons that you think!
In Origin, the science and all that was part of the story from the beginning. The science was part of Pia, Pia WAS the science. In this story, Sophie has no clue what is going on. Though the reader knows what Corpus is capable of. The amazing surprise you felt in Origin isn't there anymore. But man, this book was amazing anyway.
The characters. Jim Julien, man. I fell in love within the first chapter. Like, I legit fell in love. And Sophie is kickass and awesome and I really like her so yes. Slightly sad that her past wasn't too worked out, but still really liked her.
Then we got a sort of love triangle thing. Which was soon added to by another love triangle. Is it a love pyramid then? Or... A love square? I am not sure.
Jim, Sophie and Nicholas & Jim, Sophie and Lux. The last one was a tad bit... Complicated, to say the least.
The science and Corpus and all that was so strong in this book, man. I felt like it went even further than in Origin, but I did feel like some things were a bit surreal sometimes. All of them were created ... years ago, from what I can gather. But how did the scientists find out something was wrong and changed it, when it all was roughly created around the same time? And since they never were aware... I was a tad bit confused by that. But that may also be because I read this late at night and early in the morning. Probably xD
The Russian guy. I think he is Russian maffia. He is f*cking awesome.
'Nuff said.
Unfortunately, this book wasn't as gripping as I had hoped it would be. It basically was a lot of running around and a lot of "OMFG WE HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE! OOOH we got out of here! OH F*CK WE GOT CAPTURED" ya know. Though it was interesting how the groups of escaping people changed every time. From Jim and Lux to Jim to Jim, Sophie and Lux to Jim and Sophie to Sophie and Nicholas... Yes. Just yes.
All the twists were fudging genius and actually made me gasp. I saw nothing coming and the suspense and the notknowing is the power of this book.
I clearly see Jessica Khoury improving her skills and I just love how her abilities to write romance and all just keep getting better and better.
Man, am I stoked for the next book, Kalahari
December 29, 2022
This book was bot as good as the first one.
December 13, 2014
Full review:
Vitro is one of those books where I end up sitting on my review for months on end, largely because I'm of two minds about the book. On the one hand, Jessica Khoury's writing, plotting and world-building are absolutely superb in her sophomore novel.
Khoury introduces us to Sophie, a girl on a mission. After receiving an alarming message from her scientist mother, Sophie is now on her way to her mother's work base of Skin Island to try and figure out what's going on. However, once she arrives, Sophie quickly learns that there are hidden dangers around every corner, and Corpus scientists may have given life to elements that cannot be contained.
Like Origin, Khoury builds a world that immediately draws the reader in from page one. Sophie's desperate attempts to reunite with her absent mother will immediately make readers empathize with her, especially as she goes to extraordinary lengths to reach Skin Island.
Once there, Khoury expertly weaves cliffhangers, insurmountable dangers and horrifying discovers that will not only keep readers riveted, but horrified as Sophie discovers the lengths that Corpus scientists have succumbed to, in order to create cutting-edge science. I was fairly riveted from beginning to end, and couldn't stop reading.
However, Khoury's writing is entertaining, there are two issues with Vitro that more or less contributed to my decision to sit on my review. Like Origin, Khoury seems to present an anti-science bias throughout Vitro. There's always an underlying emphasis on the idea that it's science, rather than the individual scientist which allows antagonists to indulge in their worst instincts and create some of the dangerous experiments on the island. As someone with a strong appreciation for science, this didn't sit particularly well with me.
Second, similar to Origin, there is also insta-love in Vitro. Without giving spoilers away, characters seem to fall in the love at the drop of a hat. While it's plausible given the situation, it doesn't necessarily make for interesting characters. I spent a lot of time thinking, "Well. They're probably not going to stay together," while reading.
But even with these two issues, it's hard to deny that Vitro remains a highly enjoyable book. Khoury has a gift for spinning yarns that pull readers in, and completely immerse them in a world full of danger, intrigue and discoveries at every turn.
***
Final verdict:
Though some readers may find issue with Khoury's tendency toward insta-love and her stance on the dangers of science, Vitro is still a highly enjoyable book. The writing, plotting and world-building make for an action-packed tale that will enthrall readers from beginning to end.
I recommend this book for fans of Minders, Mila 2.0, Elusion and The Well's End.
Vitro is one of those books where I end up sitting on my review for months on end, largely because I'm of two minds about the book. On the one hand, Jessica Khoury's writing, plotting and world-building are absolutely superb in her sophomore novel.
Khoury introduces us to Sophie, a girl on a mission. After receiving an alarming message from her scientist mother, Sophie is now on her way to her mother's work base of Skin Island to try and figure out what's going on. However, once she arrives, Sophie quickly learns that there are hidden dangers around every corner, and Corpus scientists may have given life to elements that cannot be contained.
Like Origin, Khoury builds a world that immediately draws the reader in from page one. Sophie's desperate attempts to reunite with her absent mother will immediately make readers empathize with her, especially as she goes to extraordinary lengths to reach Skin Island.
Once there, Khoury expertly weaves cliffhangers, insurmountable dangers and horrifying discovers that will not only keep readers riveted, but horrified as Sophie discovers the lengths that Corpus scientists have succumbed to, in order to create cutting-edge science. I was fairly riveted from beginning to end, and couldn't stop reading.
However, Khoury's writing is entertaining, there are two issues with Vitro that more or less contributed to my decision to sit on my review. Like Origin, Khoury seems to present an anti-science bias throughout Vitro. There's always an underlying emphasis on the idea that it's science, rather than the individual scientist which allows antagonists to indulge in their worst instincts and create some of the dangerous experiments on the island. As someone with a strong appreciation for science, this didn't sit particularly well with me.
Second, similar to Origin, there is also insta-love in Vitro. Without giving spoilers away, characters seem to fall in the love at the drop of a hat. While it's plausible given the situation, it doesn't necessarily make for interesting characters. I spent a lot of time thinking, "Well. They're probably not going to stay together," while reading.
But even with these two issues, it's hard to deny that Vitro remains a highly enjoyable book. Khoury has a gift for spinning yarns that pull readers in, and completely immerse them in a world full of danger, intrigue and discoveries at every turn.
***
Final verdict:
Though some readers may find issue with Khoury's tendency toward insta-love and her stance on the dangers of science, Vitro is still a highly enjoyable book. The writing, plotting and world-building make for an action-packed tale that will enthrall readers from beginning to end.
I recommend this book for fans of Minders, Mila 2.0, Elusion and The Well's End.
May 23, 2022
I enjoyed this book. It's a surprise for me because I am picky with books. It's about a girl named Sophie Crue. Her family used to work for Corpus on a remote island. But her dad and mom split up and she lives with her dad. She got an urgent message from her mom to come down and help her. So, she has been trying her best to make it to Corpus. She is almost there, but she needs a pilot. No one wants to go there because of all the strange things that come from there. She was able to land a pilot but he is not responsible if she is injured or killed. So they go to Corpus and their plane crashes. He stays at his aircraft and tries to fix it and Sophie goes and tries to find her mom. Another boy accompanies her and he leads her to her mom. Her mom didn't email her. And she sees a girl on a hospital bed that looks exactly like her. She has to leave the scene though because guards are after her. The pilot went to look for her and see the clone of her on the bed, thinking it was Sophie. He goes and rescues her. Turns out, that Sophie's mom is creating mindless people who are servants to their masters. The girl that the pilot saved was Sophie's twin. She was able to save her brain and she doesn't have to serve anyone anymore. On the other hand, the other boy that tried to help Sophie emailed her instead of her mom. And he wanted her to be with him. But, he was a psychopath who wanted to create destruction and tried to kill all the clones of people. Sadly, he went missing and was never found. So, I honestly think that it was a good book to read. I really like the author Jessica Khoury, she is really good at creating an interesting story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 4, 2022
Alright, Sophie cure our main receives this email from her divorced scientist mom from a place called SKIN Island which she has never been to. The email says hey emergency please come. Sophie ends up being it and goes to the airport asking for a ticket to skin island but they tell her that it does not exist so she boards a flight back to her home island which is near skin island. She goes into a bar full of poker-playing pilots she asks if one of them could take her there. They all say no and advise her to ask Jim. She recalls the name Jim and remembered sit was her childhood best friend. when they fly there they meet a 7ry old Nickolas he has a secret. when they get there Sophie has to hide because she is getting the creep then she sees a woman who looks like her then bang her is knocked out. When she wakes up she sees herself in a lab with her long-lost mother. They think she is the twin. Turns out her mom lied to her she is researching frozen embryos, not Alzheimer's. Late on Jim managed to pull out his place to sea ad then goes back and does not see Sophie he then goes to the facility thinks Sophie was drugged then takes the twin Sophie out thinking he did the right thing. He then finds some people who chase him he manages to escape but he's gonna go through more like poisoning explosions and more running.
Honestly, this was not the best book Jim was one sided Lux was boring and added nothing the only story we get is of Sophie and her mother.
Honestly, this was not the best book Jim was one sided Lux was boring and added nothing the only story we get is of Sophie and her mother.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 25, 2016
I'm absolutely in LOVE with this book! I knew from the beginning Jim and Sophie were going to get together but I fell for him too so it's perfectly fine. Ugh where to begin? So many things kept me hooked! When Nicholas was introduced I knew he shouldn't have been trusted it was just to unsettling that he was at the air strip instead of Moira, Sophie's mother. When Jim picked up Lux and proceed to carry her back to his plane and she woke up and imprinted on him instead of Andreyev. Learning what Vitros are and what they're being used for. So many things about this book made it such a great read. There were parts where I felt like I was actually on Skin Island with Jim, Sophie, Lux, and the Corpus employees. This book was wonderful!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 18, 2013
I loved this book so much! I read "Vitro" right after reading "Origin" and I had some high expectations. Jessica Khoury though knows how to write a book. I still love "Origin" more but this book captivated me from the very beginning and I couldn't wait to see how the story ended for Sophie and Jim. There are some twists and turns, just like in "Origin". Some things happened that I was not expecting at all, which was a nice surprise. All in all a great novel. Make sure and add Khoury to your TBR and must buy list, her novels are worth it. Now I just have to wait for her next novel to read her next amazing story!
Read
June 26, 2015I'm still wigged out about the whole idea but Vitro is wonderful! I love Jim. The name invokes old school James T. Kirk and I pictured his cheeky smile almost the whole time. The characters were so believable and they all invoked such emotion. Can easily picture this as a movie.
January 26, 2016
DNF
I really liked Origin by Jessica Khoury, but I just lost interest in this book. I felt like it ran out of steam, people were just chasing each other around an island - and I really disliked the chapters from Lux's point of view. This one just wasn't for me.
I really liked Origin by Jessica Khoury, but I just lost interest in this book. I felt like it ran out of steam, people were just chasing each other around an island - and I really disliked the chapters from Lux's point of view. This one just wasn't for me.
Want to read
July 29, 2013I already have more review copies than I can handle at the moment, so I'm going to restrain myself from requesting this on Edelweiss.
March 22, 2014
This is a companion novel to Origin, which I liked better. I have so many issues with this book, I don't even know where to begin. Next!
Read
February 27, 2020Sophie never grew up with her ¨mom¨ she never really knew her until she got an email from her saying that she needed Sophie´s help. Sophie met up with an old friend who was a pilot (Jim) and who would take her to her mother or Skin Island. When Jim and Sophie crash on the island and they are greeted by Nicholas who is a Vitro or an experiment gone wrong. He says he was sent by Sophie's mother to go and get her but she realizes real fast that he was not sent. Jim stayed back to try and fix their plane so that they would be able to leave, Sophie said that after she found her mother she would come back. Well she never did. So Jim went looking for her. He found a girl who looked exactly identical to Sophie but she was in a hospital gown and had tubes hooked up to her. Jim thought it was Sophie so he took her and headed toward the plane. But he soon realized it was not Sophie, it was a replica of her or her twin. And when the girl woke up she had an imprint on Jim and everything he tells her to do she does. Meanwhile Sophie finds her mother but has to act like a Vitro inorder for the doctors to not realize that she's human. When Sophie's mother realizes it's her daughter she sneaks her around the facility so that Sophie doesn't get killed by Strauss (The head scientist).The work that her mom is doing is supposed to be kept a secret. Her mom is working to create people or kids. She would take one embryo from twins and grow them up at Skin island, then implant a chip and put them up for adoption to be then sent to live a normal life, when they turned 17. That was her mother´s original intention but then she started creating ones that would imprint on someone and become their slave and of everything they say to do . That's what happened to Lux, (Sophie's twin, or the one Jim thought was Sophie). Sophie is caught and so is Jim and Strauss threatens to kill them… On the other hand Nicolas ( A Vitro that went wrong) is running around trying to ruin every experiment, or Vitro. Since her mother is working on making the Vitros have an imprint on whoever the Vitro sees first, Nicolas goes and activates the Vitros and they get an imprint on him and he tells them to go jump off the island. And so that's exactly what they do. Moira ( Sophie's mother) finds this out and tries to put it to an end. But then Strauss takes matters into her own hands and puts Jim, Lux (Sophie's twin sister) and all of the Vitros into a gas chamber and tries to kill them all. Sophie, Moira, and other scientists find this out and get them all out. Lux breaks her connection to Jim and at the end of the book Sophie leaves the island to get back to Corpus ( the headquarters of Strauss) before Strauss can, and tells them a twisted story and shut down the whole experiment. She leaves with Jim, and some other scientists. Sophie received an email from Moria; that Lux is helping Moira create new things and Corpus didn't shut down the experiment. In conclusion I really liked this book. The POV´s changed and it made for the book to be more interesting because it didnt just focus on what Sophie was doing or what Jim was feeling or what Lux was thinking. It was varied. I really enjoyed this book. And would recommend it to anyone.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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