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Conjoined
"By all rights, they should not have been alive . . ."
Hidden in a remote, Mediterranean hillside villa, brother and sister, joined by a circumstance and mysterious origin beyond their knowing, must emerge into a world of malice, violence, and deadly passions to protect the ones they love. In a race to save the one man who holds the key to their future, they strive to harness the phenomenal gifts both possess; they who were shunned, thought to be less-than, useless, now at the forefront in the fight for their lives and the future of mankind.
Hidden in a remote, Mediterranean hillside villa, brother and sister, joined by a circumstance and mysterious origin beyond their knowing, must emerge into a world of malice, violence, and deadly passions to protect the ones they love. In a race to save the one man who holds the key to their future, they strive to harness the phenomenal gifts both possess; they who were shunned, thought to be less-than, useless, now at the forefront in the fight for their lives and the future of mankind.
403 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 5, 2012
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7 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 13, 2012
Conjoined is an incredible, addictive read that a reader will find compelled to pick up again and again until that have gotten through the entire adventure.
Plot:
Scholastica and Benedict are twin brother and sister in the care of their adoptive father, a monk, who is also a doctor. However, Scholastica and Benedict are unique. They are conjoined at the base of their spines, back-to-back. They discover, over time, that their physical situation is not the only thing that is unique about them. Soon they are thrown into a battle of science and of politics, fueled by corruption, money and power. Is it possible that at the end of the journey, a treatment to separate them, rendering them normal and independent could be waiting for them?
Review:
I said it once and I will say it again, this book is amazing. Part action and part science fiction, the story grabs your attention from the first chapter and leaves you wanting even more at the end of the epilogue, while touching on some important moral issues along the way.
The characters are all well-developed and are introduced in a perfect fashion. You become emotionally attached to almost every character, be it loving them, hating them, or pitying them.
There are no long periods of exposition but, enough to help the reader to understand the forces at work and the technology at play. There is action in almost every chapter and the story moves very quickly, but not so quickly as to feel rushed. Every step of the journey is well thought out and precisely timed to carry the reader closer and closer to their eventual goals.
There is suspense, action, betrayal and yes, even some hints of romance. There is no foul language that I noticed, and the violence, while there is plenty of it, is not gory or over-blown.
The story brings up some very big scientific moral issues and also brings up the idea of the kind of power that may be lurking behind some of the technologies being developed today. It brings the reader to really think about where the boundaries should be. When does one stop being a scientist and start playing God? What happens when people with unlimited power and resources are then corrupted to their very core? What happens if nobody cares or steps up to stop those individuals? All of these questions and more are presented to readers in this book.
The other truly refreshing thing about this book is that it is written by an author who remains true to his Catholic faith. While the book isn't bashing anyone over the head with Catholic belief, the moral teachings of the Church do come to light in the book and in a very powerful way. Michael Sortino makes it clear in his style of writing and even in a powerful plot twist at the end, that life is probably the most important thing worth fighting for.
I would recommend this book to a young adult or older audience. Some of the concepts involved would be too difficult for anyone outside of a teenage level of education to understand. The violence in the book would probably not be appropriate to younger children as well.
This book got a 5 from me. It was well-written, gripping and just an all-around great read. I found no flaws in it and look forward with great anxiety to see with Michael has up his sleeve for his next novel.
Plot:
Scholastica and Benedict are twin brother and sister in the care of their adoptive father, a monk, who is also a doctor. However, Scholastica and Benedict are unique. They are conjoined at the base of their spines, back-to-back. They discover, over time, that their physical situation is not the only thing that is unique about them. Soon they are thrown into a battle of science and of politics, fueled by corruption, money and power. Is it possible that at the end of the journey, a treatment to separate them, rendering them normal and independent could be waiting for them?
Review:
I said it once and I will say it again, this book is amazing. Part action and part science fiction, the story grabs your attention from the first chapter and leaves you wanting even more at the end of the epilogue, while touching on some important moral issues along the way.
The characters are all well-developed and are introduced in a perfect fashion. You become emotionally attached to almost every character, be it loving them, hating them, or pitying them.
There are no long periods of exposition but, enough to help the reader to understand the forces at work and the technology at play. There is action in almost every chapter and the story moves very quickly, but not so quickly as to feel rushed. Every step of the journey is well thought out and precisely timed to carry the reader closer and closer to their eventual goals.
There is suspense, action, betrayal and yes, even some hints of romance. There is no foul language that I noticed, and the violence, while there is plenty of it, is not gory or over-blown.
The story brings up some very big scientific moral issues and also brings up the idea of the kind of power that may be lurking behind some of the technologies being developed today. It brings the reader to really think about where the boundaries should be. When does one stop being a scientist and start playing God? What happens when people with unlimited power and resources are then corrupted to their very core? What happens if nobody cares or steps up to stop those individuals? All of these questions and more are presented to readers in this book.
The other truly refreshing thing about this book is that it is written by an author who remains true to his Catholic faith. While the book isn't bashing anyone over the head with Catholic belief, the moral teachings of the Church do come to light in the book and in a very powerful way. Michael Sortino makes it clear in his style of writing and even in a powerful plot twist at the end, that life is probably the most important thing worth fighting for.
I would recommend this book to a young adult or older audience. Some of the concepts involved would be too difficult for anyone outside of a teenage level of education to understand. The violence in the book would probably not be appropriate to younger children as well.
This book got a 5 from me. It was well-written, gripping and just an all-around great read. I found no flaws in it and look forward with great anxiety to see with Michael has up his sleeve for his next novel.
March 23, 2012
I really wanted to like this book, but it just dragged on too long. The only thing that kept me reading it was my curiosity about whether or not the twins would be separated.
September 7, 2012
Really enjoyed reading. Very hard to put down. It's a thriller, mystery and spiritual themed
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews