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Project Cain #2
Cain's Blood
Ted Bundy. The Son of Sam. The Boston Strangler. Albert Fish. Henry Lee Lucas.
The DNA of the world’s most notorious serial killers has been cloned by the U.S. Department of Defense to develop a new breed of bioweapon. Now in Phase Three, the program includes dozens of young men who have no clue as to their evil heritage. Playing a twisted game of nature vs. nurture, scientists raise some of the clones with loving families and others in abusive circumstances. But everything changes when the most dangerous boys are set free by their creator. A man with demons of his own, former black ops soldier Shawn Castillo is hot on their trail. But Castillo didn’t count on the quiet young man he finds hiding in an abandoned house—a boy who has just learned he is the clone of Jeffrey Dahmer. As Jeffrey and Castillo race across the country on the trail of the rampaging teens, Castillo must protect the boy who is the embodiment of his biggest fears—and who may also be his last hope. Melding all-too-plausible science and ripped from- the-headlines horror, Cain’s Blood is a stunning debut about the potential for good and evil in us all.
The DNA of the world’s most notorious serial killers has been cloned by the U.S. Department of Defense to develop a new breed of bioweapon. Now in Phase Three, the program includes dozens of young men who have no clue as to their evil heritage. Playing a twisted game of nature vs. nurture, scientists raise some of the clones with loving families and others in abusive circumstances. But everything changes when the most dangerous boys are set free by their creator. A man with demons of his own, former black ops soldier Shawn Castillo is hot on their trail. But Castillo didn’t count on the quiet young man he finds hiding in an abandoned house—a boy who has just learned he is the clone of Jeffrey Dahmer. As Jeffrey and Castillo race across the country on the trail of the rampaging teens, Castillo must protect the boy who is the embodiment of his biggest fears—and who may also be his last hope. Melding all-too-plausible science and ripped from- the-headlines horror, Cain’s Blood is a stunning debut about the potential for good and evil in us all.
324 pages, Hardcover
First published September 3, 2013
35 people are currently reading
1912 people want to read
About the author
Geoffrey Girard
24 books184 followersGeoffrey Girard writes thrillers, historicals, and dark speculative fiction. Simon and Schuster published two Girard novels simultaneously in 2013: CAIN'S BLOOD, a techno thriller, and PROJECT CAIN, a companion novel for teen/YA readers which was nominated for a Bram Stoker award for "Superior Achievement in a Young Adult Novel."
Girard's short fiction has appeared in several best-selling anthologies and magazines, including Writers of the Future (a 2003 winner), Prime Codex, Aoife's Kiss, The Willows, Murky Depths, Apex Horror & Science Fiction Digest, and the Stoker-nominated Dark Faith anthology.
Born in Germany and shaped in New Jersey, Geoffrey currently lives in Ohio and is the English Department Chair at a private boys' high school. He has a BA in English literature from Washington College and an MA in creative writing from Miami University.
Girard's short fiction has appeared in several best-selling anthologies and magazines, including Writers of the Future (a 2003 winner), Prime Codex, Aoife's Kiss, The Willows, Murky Depths, Apex Horror & Science Fiction Digest, and the Stoker-nominated Dark Faith anthology.
Born in Germany and shaped in New Jersey, Geoffrey currently lives in Ohio and is the English Department Chair at a private boys' high school. He has a BA in English literature from Washington College and an MA in creative writing from Miami University.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 170 reviews
January 8, 2021
I knew going in to the novel that I wasn't going to love it as I don't normally like to read about serial killers . But it was an okay read anywho, somewhat engaging and entertaining. But a bit to extreme for me.
March 30, 2022
AMAZING!! This companion to the young adult book The Blood of Cain will set you on edge. A more detailed description of the young adult series, filled with the views of the different people involved, it will give you chills. If you want a horror, suspenseful book filled with conspiracies of the government, this is your book. I devoured it. Please read this if you liked his other book. A good way to get you hooked.
February 14, 2016
Dieses Buch war sowas von unglaublich gut!! Absolut Leseempfehlung. Die Thematik ist einfach so komplex und so absurd, die Spannung hält von Beginn an bis zum Schluss. Man fühlt einfach so mit. Ich hatte so oft Gänsehaut und mir ist es kalt den Rücken runter gelaufen weil das was passiert ist einfach nur unvorstellbar war. Und dann das Ende bzw das letzte 1/4 da haut er nochmal richtig rein. Einfach ein tolles Buch!!
November 26, 2013
Cain's Blood, the twisted new novel by Geoffrey Girard, is the literary equivalent of an Eli Roth torture-porn bloodbath.
Shawn Castillo, an ex-Special Forces Captain turned mercenary, is investigating a horrific mass-murder at a secret laboratory/ private school.
The victims were sodomized, raped and gutted - apparently by students of the school. The offices and classrooms are awash in blood as Castillo is briefed on his mission.
He's been hired to track down dozens of boys who are clones of history's most heinous serial killers. Geneticists at this facility have replicated Jeffrey Dahmer, Albert Fish, Ted Bundy and John Wayne Gacy, among others.
Apparently, the US Government wanted to develop new weapons using these boys. Castillo, battling PTSD after Afghanistan, is horrified but takes the mission.
Girard has crafted a masterpiece of violence, intrigue and moral ambiguity packaged in a staccato prose style. Readers even learn about the history of genetics, discovered by the Augustinian friar Gregor Mendel in the 1800s.
Castillo is also teamed up with a young man named Jeff, a Jeffrey Dahmer clone, who may have clues to the other killers.
Their partnership is the strongest key to the plot. Without young Jeff, Castillo has no reason to care about anything.
Of course the violence is graphic.
But the book is bloody good.
Shawn Castillo, an ex-Special Forces Captain turned mercenary, is investigating a horrific mass-murder at a secret laboratory/ private school.
The victims were sodomized, raped and gutted - apparently by students of the school. The offices and classrooms are awash in blood as Castillo is briefed on his mission.
He's been hired to track down dozens of boys who are clones of history's most heinous serial killers. Geneticists at this facility have replicated Jeffrey Dahmer, Albert Fish, Ted Bundy and John Wayne Gacy, among others.
Apparently, the US Government wanted to develop new weapons using these boys. Castillo, battling PTSD after Afghanistan, is horrified but takes the mission.
Girard has crafted a masterpiece of violence, intrigue and moral ambiguity packaged in a staccato prose style. Readers even learn about the history of genetics, discovered by the Augustinian friar Gregor Mendel in the 1800s.
Castillo is also teamed up with a young man named Jeff, a Jeffrey Dahmer clone, who may have clues to the other killers.
Their partnership is the strongest key to the plot. Without young Jeff, Castillo has no reason to care about anything.
Of course the violence is graphic.
But the book is bloody good.
August 25, 2013
I'm giving this one a 5/5 rating. While not a perfect book, it is one of the most engaging reads of the year and contains some nice moral ambiguities and a realistic, flawed protagonist.
MINOR SPOILERS
Castillo is an ex-Special Ops member who spent time in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Iran. He's seen and done some bad shit. Even though he's still struggling with serious PTSD, he is tasked by his ex-commander to help track down a group of vicious escaped serial killer clones and their spiritual leader, the geneticist Dr. Jacobson. Along the way, Castillo picks up a nice kid named Jeffrey Jacobson (son of the renegade geneticist). Jeff is a clone, and Castillo is torn by what Jeffrey could be and what he appears to be.
I expected the book to devolve into a preachy gore-fest, but the author balances issues of pre-destination, genetics, fatherhood, domestic abuse, clandestine government, and more with a deft hand.
If there is a weakness with Cain's Blood, is that the scope of the book is a bit broad. All the characters that are introduce play important roles in the plot, but their stories can be a bit threadbare. Perhaps Girard was restricted to 320 pages this being his first major novel (Girard is well-known in genre small press circles), but Cain's Blood would have benefited from being 400 pages, giving the author and the characters room to breath.
If you like your military thrillers to be intelligent and at times, touching, then Cain's Blood will be a nice addition to your bookshelf.
MINOR SPOILERS
Castillo is an ex-Special Ops member who spent time in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Iran. He's seen and done some bad shit. Even though he's still struggling with serious PTSD, he is tasked by his ex-commander to help track down a group of vicious escaped serial killer clones and their spiritual leader, the geneticist Dr. Jacobson. Along the way, Castillo picks up a nice kid named Jeffrey Jacobson (son of the renegade geneticist). Jeff is a clone, and Castillo is torn by what Jeffrey could be and what he appears to be.
I expected the book to devolve into a preachy gore-fest, but the author balances issues of pre-destination, genetics, fatherhood, domestic abuse, clandestine government, and more with a deft hand.
If there is a weakness with Cain's Blood, is that the scope of the book is a bit broad. All the characters that are introduce play important roles in the plot, but their stories can be a bit threadbare. Perhaps Girard was restricted to 320 pages this being his first major novel (Girard is well-known in genre small press circles), but Cain's Blood would have benefited from being 400 pages, giving the author and the characters room to breath.
If you like your military thrillers to be intelligent and at times, touching, then Cain's Blood will be a nice addition to your bookshelf.
January 3, 2014
Holy cow is this book intense or what?! It had been a while since a book got me scared the way Cain's Blood did. Needless to say I loved it! It's a mix between Michael Crichton and John Ajvide Lindqvist. In Cain's Blood, a bunch of scientists working for government development and research come across a way of cloning the worst serial killers the world has seen. Now, several of them have been successfully cloned; like Jeffrey Dahmer, Ted Bundy, Albert Fish and David Berkowitz among others. When things get out of hand and the lead scientist goes bonkers and releases the worst of the batch, Shawn Castillo -ex Special Ops- is called in to clean up the mess. Teamed up with one of Jeffrey Dahmer's clones, Castillo goes out in the most gruesome man hunt ever. In a race to catch and stop these sick, demented clones, Jeff and Castillo find themselves in serious danger and fearing for their own lives. This is a hell of a read: dark, gory, scary and frighteningly real. It kept me up more than one night.
May 20, 2013
Finally read the full version of this book in its KILLER flip-ARC format. As a companion novel to PROJECT CAIN it sets the stage in a traditional thriller format that is both fast-paced and really, really (really) dark. Probably the best summary of the book was already shared by someone well-versed with thrillers:
“I'm betting the name Michael Crichton will come up quite a bit as people talk about Geoffrey Girard's deeply-twisted debut, CAIN'S BLOOD. And with good reason: Girard appears to have some of Crichton's DNA in his system--along with the always-advantageous ‘Thomas Harris mutation’ thrown in for good measure. Girard knows how to tell a story; he knows how to bring in the necessary science; and he knows how to spill some blood. It all adds up to an awful lot of (very dark) fun for the reader.”
— Scott Smith, author of THE RUINS
Couldn't have said it better. This one is dark, though, and definitely not for young readers: be warned.
“I'm betting the name Michael Crichton will come up quite a bit as people talk about Geoffrey Girard's deeply-twisted debut, CAIN'S BLOOD. And with good reason: Girard appears to have some of Crichton's DNA in his system--along with the always-advantageous ‘Thomas Harris mutation’ thrown in for good measure. Girard knows how to tell a story; he knows how to bring in the necessary science; and he knows how to spill some blood. It all adds up to an awful lot of (very dark) fun for the reader.”
— Scott Smith, author of THE RUINS
Couldn't have said it better. This one is dark, though, and definitely not for young readers: be warned.
September 11, 2021
This book is disturbing, disgusting, horrifying, and unbelievable. I really liked it but it’s definitely not for everyone. Trigger warnings for torture, rape, physical abuse, sexual abuse, and animal cruelty. If you have read Wrath James White or Poppy Z Brite then you can read this one. Proceed with caution
September 20, 2013
I was so ready to hate this book. As I've said before, it has one of the stupidest premises ever. The Department of Defense creates clones of infamous serial killers. Because that is a fool proof plan that won't backfire in any way. Ok, sure, they try to justify it by saying things about all the cures for brain diseases that they got from from kids with crazy brain chemistry. I dunno, it never really feels like a viable reason? Like it's an excuse to hold the book together. Really, there are a lot of things that seem off to me, like they haven't been fully thought out, but are necessary for the plot.
Here's a few:
The clones are grown in a lab, in artificial wombs. Some of them have had their aging accelerated. Ok, so I'll buy human cloning, but from what I can tell this book is set in the present or near future. One of those huge advances in bio-technology is reasonable enough that I can suspend my disbelief. I just couldn't overlook all of this, plus the clones slowly coming down with horrible cancers that the biologists can suppress. It's just to much on top of the crazy premise.
The lead doctor who sets the clones free on their killing spree believes he's the descendant of Jack the Ripper. He's had dreams of the Mary Kelly murder scene his whole life, and he digs up the body of Francis Tumblety, one of the Ripper suspects, to confirm their relation. So, yeah. This happens to some of the clones too, they see ghosts of their original's victims. Nope, sorry. Cloning, ancestry does not work that way. Also, at one point one of the clones remarks that the Jack the Ripper case is pretty much closed, that the Ripper was definitely Walter Sickert. He's got to be getting this from Patricia Cornwell's book, Jack the Ripper: Case Closed. I'm fairly sure that no reputable Ripperologist takes this book seriously, but that's another story. The author's point is that nurture is more important than nature, and the geneticist is making a choice to be a crazy serial killer. Sigh. Why he even has such a confusing, poorly thought out sub-plot to make this point is beyond me.
The super composite serial killers and the serial killer neurotoxin. WHY? It's too much. And part of it never goes anywhere. Don't have plot threads that go nowhere! Oh, also at one point the protagonist gets stabbed and actually thinks he has only hours left to live, and then... nothing. He gets no medical care that we see or are told about and then survives exposure to the serial killer nerve toxin without killing anyone or getting killed by apparently quoting the Odyssey to himself. Yeah, sure, whatever.
Despite all these gripes, and there are many, I did not hate Cain's Blood. It is genuinely creepy in parts, and makes an honest effort to grapple with questions of good and evil, where evil comes from, the problems of asking soldiers to be killers then come home and be normal, and the government's history of human experimentation. I just would really have loved for those questions to be addressed in a smarter book. Read this if you really love stories about serial killers, gruesome horror, multiple points of view, and don't mind implausible science and weak-sauce endings. Better luck next time, Mr. Girard.
Here's a few:
The clones are grown in a lab, in artificial wombs. Some of them have had their aging accelerated. Ok, so I'll buy human cloning, but from what I can tell this book is set in the present or near future. One of those huge advances in bio-technology is reasonable enough that I can suspend my disbelief. I just couldn't overlook all of this, plus the clones slowly coming down with horrible cancers that the biologists can suppress. It's just to much on top of the crazy premise.
The lead doctor who sets the clones free on their killing spree believes he's the descendant of Jack the Ripper. He's had dreams of the Mary Kelly murder scene his whole life, and he digs up the body of Francis Tumblety, one of the Ripper suspects, to confirm their relation. So, yeah. This happens to some of the clones too, they see ghosts of their original's victims. Nope, sorry. Cloning, ancestry does not work that way. Also, at one point one of the clones remarks that the Jack the Ripper case is pretty much closed, that the Ripper was definitely Walter Sickert. He's got to be getting this from Patricia Cornwell's book, Jack the Ripper: Case Closed. I'm fairly sure that no reputable Ripperologist takes this book seriously, but that's another story. The author's point is that nurture is more important than nature, and the geneticist is making a choice to be a crazy serial killer. Sigh. Why he even has such a confusing, poorly thought out sub-plot to make this point is beyond me.
The super composite serial killers and the serial killer neurotoxin. WHY? It's too much. And part of it never goes anywhere. Don't have plot threads that go nowhere! Oh, also at one point the protagonist gets stabbed and actually thinks he has only hours left to live, and then... nothing. He gets no medical care that we see or are told about and then survives exposure to the serial killer nerve toxin without killing anyone or getting killed by apparently quoting the Odyssey to himself. Yeah, sure, whatever.
Despite all these gripes, and there are many, I did not hate Cain's Blood. It is genuinely creepy in parts, and makes an honest effort to grapple with questions of good and evil, where evil comes from, the problems of asking soldiers to be killers then come home and be normal, and the government's history of human experimentation. I just would really have loved for those questions to be addressed in a smarter book. Read this if you really love stories about serial killers, gruesome horror, multiple points of view, and don't mind implausible science and weak-sauce endings. Better luck next time, Mr. Girard.
April 26, 2020
Okay, I LOVED this book. Wow! It was SO good. But I wouldn’t recommend it to everyone because of how explicit it was in some parts (see below under “content warning”).
How is this author not more popular? I found this gem in a local indie book store and added it to my list. I’m so glad I did! I felt like his writing was very similar to Blake Crouch- which I’m a huge fan of. This gave me Wayward Pine/Dark Matter vibes for sure and those are definitely some of my favorite books. I love love loved how creepy this book was! Quite possibly the most creepy I’ve ever read. This author nailed each and every serial killer personality! Even Jack the Ripper. All in all I loved it, all the creepiness, though this type of story will not be for everyone. So definitely read my last paragraph below before picking this one up.
Content warning: bad language, disturbing/twisted scenes, gore and death. I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone under 18. To an extent this content is pretty much in every serial killer book anyways- so if you love serial killer books then READ THIS. Basically go into this story with the expectation of being disturbed. Serial killers books/movies are always going into the psychological/disturbing part of their minds, so that’s why a lot of that is in this book. It’s not for the light hearted. If you want a fluffy story then skip this one.
How is this author not more popular? I found this gem in a local indie book store and added it to my list. I’m so glad I did! I felt like his writing was very similar to Blake Crouch- which I’m a huge fan of. This gave me Wayward Pine/Dark Matter vibes for sure and those are definitely some of my favorite books. I love love loved how creepy this book was! Quite possibly the most creepy I’ve ever read. This author nailed each and every serial killer personality! Even Jack the Ripper. All in all I loved it, all the creepiness, though this type of story will not be for everyone. So definitely read my last paragraph below before picking this one up.
Content warning: bad language, disturbing/twisted scenes, gore and death. I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone under 18. To an extent this content is pretty much in every serial killer book anyways- so if you love serial killer books then READ THIS. Basically go into this story with the expectation of being disturbed. Serial killers books/movies are always going into the psychological/disturbing part of their minds, so that’s why a lot of that is in this book. It’s not for the light hearted. If you want a fluffy story then skip this one.
February 26, 2015
"I'm one of the few people you'll meet who's written more books than they've read." -Garth Marenghi
This quote is almost certainly true of Geoffrey Girard
This quote is almost certainly true of Geoffrey Girard
April 28, 2020
This book was SO GOOD. I love this concept...teenage clones of serial killers? And they escape??! As soon as I read the premise I knew this book was for me. I love books with creep factor, and thrillers, and true crime, and books that make you think, and this book was ALL of that and more.
Probably my favorite concept explored in this book is nature vs. nurture-some of the EXACT same clones are raised in either a loving family environment or a terrible one. Some have childhoods that try to replicate the exact disturbing things that were done to the "original" person, whereas others are adopted out to "normal" families. To see, is killing in the blood, is it in a person no matter what? Or does the environment a person is raised have more to do with it? And I loved how the book never actually gave a clear answer to that question. I personally believe that a multitude of factors contribute to the mental state of a killer and it also depends on the person.
This book is also pretty action packed, following the perspective of Castillo, a soldier hired to track down the escaped clones, as well as the perspective of several clones themselves and other characters within the scientific organization. I loved the characters, totally fell in love with Castillo and even Jeff (the 15 year old version, not the 18 year old version). I loved the storylines, following the killing spree of the escaped clones and Castillo as he tries to track them down and also the glimpses into the lives of those surrounding them. There are also some really fascinating science-y parts that were just enough to keep me interested without being overwhelmingly science-y.
This author is not afraid to go down any path, and as a result this book is pretty gory. There are lots and lots of murders, some of them quite disturbing. There are some REALLY gut-churning moments. So this book will not be for everyone. But I was hooked the entire time reading it and could not look away to see what madness was next. There were things that surprised me and it constantly kept me on my toes. SO creepy, SO interesting, I'll be thinking about this book for a long time.
Probably my favorite concept explored in this book is nature vs. nurture-some of the EXACT same clones are raised in either a loving family environment or a terrible one. Some have childhoods that try to replicate the exact disturbing things that were done to the "original" person, whereas others are adopted out to "normal" families. To see, is killing in the blood, is it in a person no matter what? Or does the environment a person is raised have more to do with it? And I loved how the book never actually gave a clear answer to that question. I personally believe that a multitude of factors contribute to the mental state of a killer and it also depends on the person.
This book is also pretty action packed, following the perspective of Castillo, a soldier hired to track down the escaped clones, as well as the perspective of several clones themselves and other characters within the scientific organization. I loved the characters, totally fell in love with Castillo and even Jeff (the 15 year old version, not the 18 year old version). I loved the storylines, following the killing spree of the escaped clones and Castillo as he tries to track them down and also the glimpses into the lives of those surrounding them. There are also some really fascinating science-y parts that were just enough to keep me interested without being overwhelmingly science-y.
This author is not afraid to go down any path, and as a result this book is pretty gory. There are lots and lots of murders, some of them quite disturbing. There are some REALLY gut-churning moments. So this book will not be for everyone. But I was hooked the entire time reading it and could not look away to see what madness was next. There were things that surprised me and it constantly kept me on my toes. SO creepy, SO interesting, I'll be thinking about this book for a long time.
July 29, 2019
Author Geoffrey Girard paints a very scary world in his latest novel. It seems that the scientists at The Massey Institute somehow thought cloning the world's most notorious serial killers in order to find out what makes them tick would be a good idea. But it didn't stop at just simple cloning. The head of the project, Dr. Jacobson, decided to take it one step further and study the nature versus nurture angle. So he put these clones in various households, ranging from the perfect Cleaver-esque family to hellholes of abuse and molestation. All in the name of science, of course.
You can read Steve's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
You can read Steve's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
March 21, 2022
DNF...
Etwas über die Hälfte gelesen, aber ich will echt nicht mehr.
Die Idee hatte so viel Potenzial, ist aber leider unglaublich schlecht umgesetzt in Sachen Ausarbeitung und Schreibstil.
Kann ich keinem empfehlen.
Etwas über die Hälfte gelesen, aber ich will echt nicht mehr.
Die Idee hatte so viel Potenzial, ist aber leider unglaublich schlecht umgesetzt in Sachen Ausarbeitung und Schreibstil.
Kann ich keinem empfehlen.
October 11, 2022
I received an e-copy of this book from the publishers on Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
When I received this book, I was so anxious to dive right into it. As I read I just became more and more enamored with the story and the overall general story line. I started discussing it with various family members and describing as much as possible without giving away EVERYTHING (we don't take kindly to spoilers in this household), and actually got quite a few people interested. Sadly, I had no way of loaning them my copy since it was an e-copy. Low and behold, I actually found a physical copy of the Cain's Blood/Project Cain ARC in one of my local used bookstores. Now I have a copy to loan out!
This book is a thriller the likes of which you have never imagined. Cloning, after the success over a cloned sheep named Dolly, has become a full-blown obsession for the U.S. government. The government and a biotechnological company called DSTI takes cloning a bit further and starts cloning children out of serial killer DNA in order to isolate the "anger gene" in a macabre experiment of nature vs. nurture. Taking some of the child subjects and placing them into loving homes as well as abusive homes they study the roll of a pre-dispositioned serial killer in their different environments.
The creator of the program is unsatisfied with how the overall project is going decides to free some of his creations on the world. The clones of Albert Fish, Ted Bundy, David Berkowitz, Jeffrey Dahmer, Henry Lee Lucas, and Dennis Rader are allowed to give into their murderous desires and run a muck. In comes the problem solver, black ops soldier, Shawn Castillo. He is set to capture and/or kill the teenagers as soon as humanly possibly. Despite being trained to do as he is told, Castillo buckles under the idea of having to kill teenagers, even if they are criminally insane teenagers.
While on the trail of the escaped subjects he comes across a cowering boy in an abandoned house and finds out he is yet another clone of Jeffrey Dahmer. Having no idea what else to do and hoping Jeffrey may have some insight he wouldn't normally have he takes the boy along on his journey, always weary of the fact that the innocent boy sitting beside him in the car could flip a switch at any moment and become one of the most notorious serial killers of all time.
I have been reading a lot of paranormal books recently and was glad to take a break from all that and get into something a little more realistic. This was a scary read. Not scary like, crazy zombie monsters, but scary in the fact that it is entirely possible for this to truly happen. Genetic testing and experimentation are alive and very much well in the United States. It is not a stretch for the government to use it to understand some of the most fearsome killers of all time. This book was so, so, so good! The adult version Cain's Blood opposed to Project Cain is very graphic and has some material that I would definitely not recommend for a younger audience. For the younger ones, stick to Project Cain.
Cain's Blood is a realistic read that sheds light on the human condition. It explores the ever debatable question of nature vs. nurture and gives it teeth. Why are we the way we are? Is it where we grew up or how we are designed genetically? Is a clone of Jeffrey Dahmer destined to be the nightmare his genetic host was, or is there a chance that good or bad, violent killer or innocent victim, that it all comes down to conscious choice?
Explore Cain's Blood's work of literary horror and thrills, that will have you flinching in shock but begging for more.
August 5, 2016
"Cain's Blood" is a fascinating first novel about genetic manipulation by an intriguing new author, Geoffrey Girard. In the current literary environment of "copy cat" novels, Girard manages to do something truly remarkable by creating an entirely innovative and remarkably creative twist on the old "Boys From Brazil" plot line.
I read this book as a possible nominee for the Bram Stoker awards in the "First Novel" category. Oddly, some of the same elements that make Girard's book highly recommendable as his freshman effort also work strongly against it in terms of reviewing it. The ideas contained in this novel show evident enthusiasm and they fly fast and furiously from the pages. There's a roller coaster effect to reading it; the thing drives you forward and you want very much to know what happens next. This is exactly the kind of first novel that stirs the blood of the reader and makes him or her start searching Amazon in the hope that the author's second book will be out soon.
Just so that I am unequivocally clear: "Cain's Blood" is certainly well worth reading and I expect some amazing things to come from the keyboard of this novice author in the future. There are, however, many glaring flaws in this book that detract from it substantially and that a more experienced novelist might have avoided.
Like most first timers, Girard often gets bogged down in the jargon, whether it be in his use of military terminology or by providing background on genetic science. I found myself skipping over a page or so at a time, simply because, within the first sentence or two, I was bored or alienated by the techno-babble. It's rough to blame the author for this and for some of the other similar lapses in craft as, by rights, an experienced editor should have caught it. Unfortunately, the ultimate responsibility needs to rest with the author himself.
In addition, Girard tries to do far too much with his characters and he simply lacks the skill. There are dozens of them and, with the possible exception of the two leads, they're interchangeable. It is inconceivable, for example, that there is no real character distinction between a teenaged version of the infamous cannibal, Albert Fish, and a teenaged Ted Bundy. Yet, Girard's characters seem all scissored from the same blank sheet of white construction paper--and that's a damned shame. He assigns them surface "traits" without developing any depth and often, as in the case of a young John Wayne Gacy walking around in a clown suit, the result is mildly clever but ultimately ridiculous and unbelievable.
In the end, we never know enough about any of these characters beneath the surface, not even the young "hero" Jeffrey Dahmer clone, to care very much about them. And insofar as the evil scientists and military folk are concerned, they are as indistinguishable from each other as are the individual personalities that comprise the nebulous pack of post-pubescent serial killers.
The ideas of the book, and the innovative plot, are it's most effective elements. But while the plot's uniqueness manages to sustain a certain excitement throughout, the novel never really rises to the level of being thrilling -- and by all rights it should be. The comparison has been made between Girard and Crichton, and it's certainly a valid one. But the success of Crichton's novels was always in the story of the PEOPLE who found themselves caught up beyond their volition in those marvelously Frankenstein-ian scientific plots; it was never about Science Gone Bad in a vacuum.
The above being said, I think there is a helluva lot of potential in Geoffrey Girard and it is perhaps unfair of me to expect him to have the seasoning of more experienced authors. But, again, the concepts this guy has chosen to work with, and the high level of creativity in the story he has chosen to tell, sort of demand an equally adept hand at the craft of authorship, which is lacking.
In short, Geoffrey Girard is one of the most promising new novelists I've read in a long time. Even though he came up a trifle short the first time around, he's certainly well worth reading. There's a ton of potential here and I heartily recommend keeping an eye out to see what Girard has to offer us in the future.
I read this book as a possible nominee for the Bram Stoker awards in the "First Novel" category. Oddly, some of the same elements that make Girard's book highly recommendable as his freshman effort also work strongly against it in terms of reviewing it. The ideas contained in this novel show evident enthusiasm and they fly fast and furiously from the pages. There's a roller coaster effect to reading it; the thing drives you forward and you want very much to know what happens next. This is exactly the kind of first novel that stirs the blood of the reader and makes him or her start searching Amazon in the hope that the author's second book will be out soon.
Just so that I am unequivocally clear: "Cain's Blood" is certainly well worth reading and I expect some amazing things to come from the keyboard of this novice author in the future. There are, however, many glaring flaws in this book that detract from it substantially and that a more experienced novelist might have avoided.
Like most first timers, Girard often gets bogged down in the jargon, whether it be in his use of military terminology or by providing background on genetic science. I found myself skipping over a page or so at a time, simply because, within the first sentence or two, I was bored or alienated by the techno-babble. It's rough to blame the author for this and for some of the other similar lapses in craft as, by rights, an experienced editor should have caught it. Unfortunately, the ultimate responsibility needs to rest with the author himself.
In addition, Girard tries to do far too much with his characters and he simply lacks the skill. There are dozens of them and, with the possible exception of the two leads, they're interchangeable. It is inconceivable, for example, that there is no real character distinction between a teenaged version of the infamous cannibal, Albert Fish, and a teenaged Ted Bundy. Yet, Girard's characters seem all scissored from the same blank sheet of white construction paper--and that's a damned shame. He assigns them surface "traits" without developing any depth and often, as in the case of a young John Wayne Gacy walking around in a clown suit, the result is mildly clever but ultimately ridiculous and unbelievable.
In the end, we never know enough about any of these characters beneath the surface, not even the young "hero" Jeffrey Dahmer clone, to care very much about them. And insofar as the evil scientists and military folk are concerned, they are as indistinguishable from each other as are the individual personalities that comprise the nebulous pack of post-pubescent serial killers.
The ideas of the book, and the innovative plot, are it's most effective elements. But while the plot's uniqueness manages to sustain a certain excitement throughout, the novel never really rises to the level of being thrilling -- and by all rights it should be. The comparison has been made between Girard and Crichton, and it's certainly a valid one. But the success of Crichton's novels was always in the story of the PEOPLE who found themselves caught up beyond their volition in those marvelously Frankenstein-ian scientific plots; it was never about Science Gone Bad in a vacuum.
The above being said, I think there is a helluva lot of potential in Geoffrey Girard and it is perhaps unfair of me to expect him to have the seasoning of more experienced authors. But, again, the concepts this guy has chosen to work with, and the high level of creativity in the story he has chosen to tell, sort of demand an equally adept hand at the craft of authorship, which is lacking.
In short, Geoffrey Girard is one of the most promising new novelists I've read in a long time. Even though he came up a trifle short the first time around, he's certainly well worth reading. There's a ton of potential here and I heartily recommend keeping an eye out to see what Girard has to offer us in the future.
September 24, 2013
I always wonder just how many breakthroughs science has experienced because of military need. Granted, most discoveries are always announced in public channels, but I would wager many of them came as a side-effect or result of military experimentation. Geoffrey Girard’s latest book, CAIN’S BLOOD, roots around in this very idealism. But unfortunately for the general population within the book, the breakthrough results of this military experiment are hazardous to the public’s health.
The concept of cloning is one that many authors and moviemakers have approached, although I daresay very few have come close to creating something like this. Just the thought of trying to harness the essence of what creates a killer makes me shudder. If science can strive for that, there’s no limit to what they might reach for.
CAIN’S BLOOD is an explosive combination of fact and fiction, a dangerous hybrid of science and imagination. The realism is stark and the landscape this book paints is a scary revelation of what might someday be. Girard is a masterful storyteller and his talent shines brightly with this novel.
The book is written well and has a strong voice. The story moves at a very nice pace and is never bogged down with too much exposition or flowery wording. This is particularly nice when reading a thriller, as it obviously lets you immerse yourself in the author’s world. It also allows you to tear through the book at a faster pace and thus reach the resolution faster.
If I were forced to find a flaw with CAIN’S BLOOD, I simply could not do so. It is the very definition of an enjoyable read, and I highly suggest you check it out. I wouldn’t classify it as horror, however there is quite a bit of carnage within, which should be no surprise since it deals with serial killers (or technically their clones). Still, if you can stomach that, give this one a look. It is well worth it.
The concept of cloning is one that many authors and moviemakers have approached, although I daresay very few have come close to creating something like this. Just the thought of trying to harness the essence of what creates a killer makes me shudder. If science can strive for that, there’s no limit to what they might reach for.
CAIN’S BLOOD is an explosive combination of fact and fiction, a dangerous hybrid of science and imagination. The realism is stark and the landscape this book paints is a scary revelation of what might someday be. Girard is a masterful storyteller and his talent shines brightly with this novel.
The book is written well and has a strong voice. The story moves at a very nice pace and is never bogged down with too much exposition or flowery wording. This is particularly nice when reading a thriller, as it obviously lets you immerse yourself in the author’s world. It also allows you to tear through the book at a faster pace and thus reach the resolution faster.
If I were forced to find a flaw with CAIN’S BLOOD, I simply could not do so. It is the very definition of an enjoyable read, and I highly suggest you check it out. I wouldn’t classify it as horror, however there is quite a bit of carnage within, which should be no surprise since it deals with serial killers (or technically their clones). Still, if you can stomach that, give this one a look. It is well worth it.
May 26, 2015
Cain’s Blood is dark, intense, and gory at times – if none of that bothers you, then you’re in for a gripping and riveting read.
When I first read this book description, it completely blew me away – a deeply disturbing, but profound concept, cloning serial killers and using them as weapons. The government also experiments on numerous clones, altering their environments, and the concept of nature vs. nurture figures prominently in this story, along with genetic predisposition.
Castillo is wonderfully complex and flawed as the protagonist and throughout the book, he is torn between his instincts of protecting and helping the teenage Jeffrey, while at the same time fearing him. The dialogue and interactions between the other teenage serial killers is both horrific and compelling and it’s obvious the author did extensive research for this novel. The scientific aspects fascinated me – anything involving genetic engineering grabs me.
Girard has also written a YA companion novel, Project Cain, I’m looking forward to reading. It focuses more on Jeffrey, and I found his character and circumstances to be fascinating and engaging. Cain’s Blood is heavy and gritty, and some readers may need to take a break while reading it, but easily one of the best thrillers I’ve read in quite a while.
When I first read this book description, it completely blew me away – a deeply disturbing, but profound concept, cloning serial killers and using them as weapons. The government also experiments on numerous clones, altering their environments, and the concept of nature vs. nurture figures prominently in this story, along with genetic predisposition.
Castillo is wonderfully complex and flawed as the protagonist and throughout the book, he is torn between his instincts of protecting and helping the teenage Jeffrey, while at the same time fearing him. The dialogue and interactions between the other teenage serial killers is both horrific and compelling and it’s obvious the author did extensive research for this novel. The scientific aspects fascinated me – anything involving genetic engineering grabs me.
Girard has also written a YA companion novel, Project Cain, I’m looking forward to reading. It focuses more on Jeffrey, and I found his character and circumstances to be fascinating and engaging. Cain’s Blood is heavy and gritty, and some readers may need to take a break while reading it, but easily one of the best thrillers I’ve read in quite a while.
September 26, 2013
Girard opens his book telling us about Mendel (the father of genetics), moving on to the more recent science of genetics, study of DNAs and cloning. I would have liked biology better if Girard had been my professor.
Girard makes three chilling statements even before his story begins:
Scientists isolated DNA factors. "Once isolated, analyzed each factor to understand how it really worked. Once understood, explored how to modify."
The scientist who led the team that cloned Dolly the Sheep, said in reference to cloning humans, "It would be naive to think it possible to prevent."
Cloning humans, by the way, is still completely legal in the United States. Everyone just assumes it's not.
What a super background for such a suspenseful novel. Fiction: the U.S. Department of Defense cloned serial killers to develop a new bio-weapon. Yes, fiction ... but it could happen. What if serial killers were cloned in order to study nature vs. nurture? What if some of these teenage clones left the compound on a rampage? A former special ops soldier is asked to track them.
That is what I did when I read Cain's Blood. You will too. To be honest, parts of this book held too much horror and gore for me, even though I enjoy reading novels about serial killers.
Girard makes three chilling statements even before his story begins:
Scientists isolated DNA factors. "Once isolated, analyzed each factor to understand how it really worked. Once understood, explored how to modify."
The scientist who led the team that cloned Dolly the Sheep, said in reference to cloning humans, "It would be naive to think it possible to prevent."
Cloning humans, by the way, is still completely legal in the United States. Everyone just assumes it's not.
What a super background for such a suspenseful novel. Fiction: the U.S. Department of Defense cloned serial killers to develop a new bio-weapon. Yes, fiction ... but it could happen. What if serial killers were cloned in order to study nature vs. nurture? What if some of these teenage clones left the compound on a rampage? A former special ops soldier is asked to track them.
S H U D D E R
That is what I did when I read Cain's Blood. You will too. To be honest, parts of this book held too much horror and gore for me, even though I enjoy reading novels about serial killers.
July 21, 2015
It sounds like a joke; a retired military guy with PTSD and a clone of Jeffrey Dahmer track down a bunch of murdering clones. Somehow, from a ridiculous premise, Cain's Blood turns into an edge-of-your-seat thriller about evil and a debate about nature vs. nurture. A biotech company funded by the US Government has secretly cloned some of the most infamous serial killers in history, Ted Bundy, John Wayne Macy, Dahmer, the Son of Sam... you get the picture. When some of these clones escape, it is up to Shawn Castillo to track and stop them. Following the trail of blood, he discovers that maybe the biggest psychopaths are not necessarily the clones. The non-stop rhythm makes for a quick read, and the characters are very likable (including, incredibly, Jeff, who may or may not become what his original self was). Not that I needed this book to remind me but: clowns are creepy. Enjoyable and fun.
September 15, 2013
Geoffrey is a local author acquaintance of mine, and I bought CAIN'S BLOOD at his launch party, figuring it would be a nice change of pace from the romance and YA titles I usually pick up.
Oh, man. It was certainly that.
While reading, I can't count the number of times I cringed and thought, "Damn, Geoffrey. This is some seriously twisted, sick-ass sh!t," and yet I couldn't stop turning the pages. Not sure what that says about me. Anyway, I cared about the protagonists, Jeff & Castillo, and the story was quickly plotted with just enough mystery to keep me guessing and plenty of action to keep me engaged. The meticulously-detailed torture and killing was a bit much for this romance junkie, but standard fare for any Stephen King fan.
Highly recommend for lovers of horror!
Oh, man. It was certainly that.
While reading, I can't count the number of times I cringed and thought, "Damn, Geoffrey. This is some seriously twisted, sick-ass sh!t," and yet I couldn't stop turning the pages. Not sure what that says about me. Anyway, I cared about the protagonists, Jeff & Castillo, and the story was quickly plotted with just enough mystery to keep me guessing and plenty of action to keep me engaged. The meticulously-detailed torture and killing was a bit much for this romance junkie, but standard fare for any Stephen King fan.
Highly recommend for lovers of horror!
August 12, 2015
Couldn't get past the first chapter's lavish attention to gruesome torture-murder scenes. It didn't help that I apparently mistook this book for the companion YA novel Project Cain. It's been a long time since I noped out of a book so fast. It wasn't the violence, necessarily, it was the author's lovingly detailed descriptions of the dead victims and the crime scenes that made me close the book. I kind of wish I had a physical copy so I could burn the thing. I generally have a high tolerance in thrillers for murder and mayhem, but this went far beyond most thrillers' depictions, recounting the crimes of well known serial killers with a gleeful, reverent tone. Yick.
November 18, 2017
While there are issues with the story (yes, I'm looking at you, ending), it wasn't enough for me to dislike the whole thing. Is there some crazy science stuff going on? Yes, definitely. Is there some crazy government cover up stuff going on? Most certainly. Is it enough to make me quit the book? No, not nearly. I found the general idea interesting enough to be able to just go with the flow and I enjoyed the book.
3.7 out of 5 stars
3.7 out of 5 stars
January 31, 2015
In short, one of the most disturbing & well written books I think I've ever read. Seriously unique plot - a terrifying plot. A little horror, sci-fi, and non-fiction all rolled up into a great story with strong characters.
Not for the faint of heart. I had to put this down multiple times and take a break.
Not for the faint of heart. I had to put this down multiple times and take a break.
November 13, 2014
See my review at School Library Journal Adult Books 4 Teens
http://blogs.slj.com/adult4teen/2014/...
http://blogs.slj.com/adult4teen/2014/...
February 2, 2014
I never read horror books but I did this one - sort of scifi with its genetics context. It was very good. Very transporting.
February 19, 2014
it's rough. be ready for the gritty content, but still a good read. makes you think.
September 16, 2021
Mit großem Interesse verfolge ich Dokumentationen zu den ehemaligen Serienmörder á la Bundy, Gacy oder Ramirez. Umso mehr freute ich mich auf das Buch, in dem es um das Klonen dieser und weiterer Killer ging.
In einem amerikanischen Biontec-Forschungsinstitut werden Klone im Auftrag des Staates herangezogen. Doch 6 dieser Klone schaffen unter mysteriösen Umständen aus dem Institut zu fliehen. Sean Castillo bekommt als gebrochener Mann aus dem Irak den Auftrag, die Klone aufzuspüren und diese den Forschern zu überlassen. Doch auf ihrer Reise hinterlassen die Klone von Ted Bundy, Son of Sam, Albert Fish, Jeffrey Dahmer und Henry Lee Lucas eine Spur aus Angst und Schrecken.
Beim Lesen des erstens Kapitels wusste ich nicht, in welche Richtung dieses Buch gehen würde.
Zu Beginn lernt man Castillo im Gespräch mit einem Forscher kennen, der ihm das Thema ihres Projekts so sanftmütig wie möglich erklärt. Im ersten Moment glaubte ich, mich würden viele wissenschaftliche Fachwörter erwarten. Doch dies traf nicht zu, denn die Forschung steht nicht so im Mittelpunkt wie Castillos Jagd auf die Klone.
Sean Castillo ist in einer Task Force gewesen, in der sie Menschen aufsuchten. Sein Auftrag ist es, die Kids und ihre genetischen Brüder zu finden. Was mit ihnen anschließend geschah, wollte er sich nicht ausmalen und er versuchte gar nicht daran zu denken, denn er wusste, man würde sie eliminieren.
Im Laufe der Geschichte erfährt man, das Castillo aufgrund einer posttraumatischen Belastungsstörung aus dem Irak nach Hause geschickt wurde. Da er nichts zu verlieren hat, ist er für die Forscher der perfekte Jäger.
Castillo wirkte sehr in sich gekehrt und kühl, doch als Leser lernte man ihn von seiner menschlichen Seite kennen. Denn als Soldat wurde er gefühllos getrimmt, doch nach seiner Entlassung war er auf sich gestellt. Sein Handeln war von Anfang an sehr gut durchdacht.
Zu Beginn seiner Suche findet er im Haus eines Genetikers, der anscheinend bei der Flucht beteiligt war, den Klon von Jeffrey Dahmer. Als Castillo spürt, dass ihm nicht die vollkommene Wahrheit gesagt wurde, nimmt er Jeff mit sich, falls die Leute vom Institut und sein Chef ihn übers Ohr hauten. Somit war Jeff sein Triumph im Ärmel, doch im Laufe der Geschichte spürt man, wie sehr er sich vor seinem Begleiter fürchtet.
Der Autor hat sich intensiv mit den Serienmördern und ihren Persönlichkeiten beschäftigt. Diese intensive Arbeit macht sich während des Lesens sehr bemerkbar. Nach all den Dokumentationen und Interviews mit den wahren Serienmördern entsprachen die Sprache und der Charakter der Klone dem Original.
Der Schreibstil war flüssig und spannend gehalten. Man sollte sich bei dem Buch auf viele brutale und ekelerregende Momente gefasst machen, denn es werden Taten von Serienmördern auf die heutige Zeit beschrieben. Ich lernte viele über die Psyche und Typen von Serienmördern.
Die Spannung baute sich von Kapitel immer weiter an. Zwischenzeitlich musste ich das Buch zuklappen, um das gelesene zu verdauen.
Fazit:
Die grandiose Recherche der Serienmörder kombiniert mit einem wissenschaftlichen Thriller ergaben ein Meisterwerk, welches für mich zu einem Jahreshighlight 2021 wurde. Schade, dass ich es nicht schon vorher entdeckt habe.
In einem amerikanischen Biontec-Forschungsinstitut werden Klone im Auftrag des Staates herangezogen. Doch 6 dieser Klone schaffen unter mysteriösen Umständen aus dem Institut zu fliehen. Sean Castillo bekommt als gebrochener Mann aus dem Irak den Auftrag, die Klone aufzuspüren und diese den Forschern zu überlassen. Doch auf ihrer Reise hinterlassen die Klone von Ted Bundy, Son of Sam, Albert Fish, Jeffrey Dahmer und Henry Lee Lucas eine Spur aus Angst und Schrecken.
Beim Lesen des erstens Kapitels wusste ich nicht, in welche Richtung dieses Buch gehen würde.
Zu Beginn lernt man Castillo im Gespräch mit einem Forscher kennen, der ihm das Thema ihres Projekts so sanftmütig wie möglich erklärt. Im ersten Moment glaubte ich, mich würden viele wissenschaftliche Fachwörter erwarten. Doch dies traf nicht zu, denn die Forschung steht nicht so im Mittelpunkt wie Castillos Jagd auf die Klone.
Sean Castillo ist in einer Task Force gewesen, in der sie Menschen aufsuchten. Sein Auftrag ist es, die Kids und ihre genetischen Brüder zu finden. Was mit ihnen anschließend geschah, wollte er sich nicht ausmalen und er versuchte gar nicht daran zu denken, denn er wusste, man würde sie eliminieren.
Im Laufe der Geschichte erfährt man, das Castillo aufgrund einer posttraumatischen Belastungsstörung aus dem Irak nach Hause geschickt wurde. Da er nichts zu verlieren hat, ist er für die Forscher der perfekte Jäger.
Castillo wirkte sehr in sich gekehrt und kühl, doch als Leser lernte man ihn von seiner menschlichen Seite kennen. Denn als Soldat wurde er gefühllos getrimmt, doch nach seiner Entlassung war er auf sich gestellt. Sein Handeln war von Anfang an sehr gut durchdacht.
Zu Beginn seiner Suche findet er im Haus eines Genetikers, der anscheinend bei der Flucht beteiligt war, den Klon von Jeffrey Dahmer. Als Castillo spürt, dass ihm nicht die vollkommene Wahrheit gesagt wurde, nimmt er Jeff mit sich, falls die Leute vom Institut und sein Chef ihn übers Ohr hauten. Somit war Jeff sein Triumph im Ärmel, doch im Laufe der Geschichte spürt man, wie sehr er sich vor seinem Begleiter fürchtet.
Der Autor hat sich intensiv mit den Serienmördern und ihren Persönlichkeiten beschäftigt. Diese intensive Arbeit macht sich während des Lesens sehr bemerkbar. Nach all den Dokumentationen und Interviews mit den wahren Serienmördern entsprachen die Sprache und der Charakter der Klone dem Original.
Der Schreibstil war flüssig und spannend gehalten. Man sollte sich bei dem Buch auf viele brutale und ekelerregende Momente gefasst machen, denn es werden Taten von Serienmördern auf die heutige Zeit beschrieben. Ich lernte viele über die Psyche und Typen von Serienmördern.
Die Spannung baute sich von Kapitel immer weiter an. Zwischenzeitlich musste ich das Buch zuklappen, um das gelesene zu verdauen.
Fazit:
Die grandiose Recherche der Serienmörder kombiniert mit einem wissenschaftlichen Thriller ergaben ein Meisterwerk, welches für mich zu einem Jahreshighlight 2021 wurde. Schade, dass ich es nicht schon vorher entdeckt habe.
December 7, 2013
The overall concept was fascinating for me.
Two books released on the same day: one teen fiction and the other just plain old fiction. Both of them focused on a government conspiracy where a pharmaceutical company (the DSTI) clones prolific serial killers to study the rage gene which they lovingly nicknamed the Cain Gene. Jeff Jacobson (the clone of Jeffrey Dahmer) and Castillo (a PTSD suffering, ex military-man with nothing left to lose) travel around the US trying to track down more of these clones and bring an end to their reign of terror.
Sounds interesting right?
But that’s about where my interest ended.
Cain’s Blood failed to hold my attention.
Where it was a definite improvement from Project Cain, this novel meant for older audiences failed to deliver what it offered. In Project Cain the reader is forced to align themselves with Jeff the apathetic-serial-killer clone who has no interest in what is happening in his own story. Since Jeff isn’t willing to find out what’s happening, guess what? You’ll never know either. Enjoy. In Cain’s Blood you finally get to find out what is happening in the outside world, safely away from the whiny narration of Jeff. Instead the perspective jumps around from that of Castillo, The band of young serial killers and Doctor Jacobson (Jeff’s crazy Jack the Riper obsessed Father).
Both Cain novels feel like one manuscript that has been divided into two. If Girard has sat down with both novels and a pair of scissors he may have been able to take all of the decent bits and jam them into one novel. Perhaps the outcome would have been better.
Cain’s Blood suffers because it lacks an identity. It is trying to be too many things at once. It wants to offer the gory descriptions but it also wants to hide them letting the reader’s imagination paint its own disturbing imagery. It wants to be realistic in how it represents and explores science and the process of scientific discovery but it also wants to drop realism and create blood-sniffing-rage- monsters. Cain’s Blood is a final project which reminds me off some of the essays I wrote when I was in high school, you’re not exactly sure when something has been researched or if the author has taken liberty with the facts and blurred them to fit his own means. Is it referencing real experiments to make you uncomfortable or to try and justify it’s own concept?
Then there is the woman problem. First off the novel offers a “scientific reason” (I’m not exactly sure if this is a real theory or a fiction created for the novel) why women cannot become serial killers:
“And no girls here. Safe to assume males are more prone to violence.”
“Safe?” Erdman’s smile was genuine, a scientist discussing his favourite subject. “Genetically and statistically undeniable. It’s not even close. The chromosomal allele for this mutation travels only on the X gene. Think of this allele as the genetic antidote, a code in the DNA that can ‘fix’ the violent abnormality, however, this particular remedy travels only on the X chromosome. Remember enough high school biology? Females are born from XX chromosomes. So they’ve got a likely chance to have a cure for any aggressive mutation in the womb.”
“And men are XY.”
“Very good, you remember. So men have only a fifty-fifty shot of carrying the natural cure to an overly aggressive XP11 strand. We’re hereditarily predisposed to retaining the affliction.”
“Half the world is hereditarily predisposed to violence?”
“We make up ninety-five percent of the prison system. Ninety-nine percent of rapes. And ninety-nine percent of death row.” The smile turned wry “Guess you can say its in our blood” **
- Cain’s Blood, Geoffrey Girard (Locations 382-89 on Kindle)
In this novel there are only three roles that a woman can fall into: The Victim, The Groupie and The Sexy-Mother. Cain’s Blood offers examples for each. There are countless female victims whom the boys torture/rape and kill. An example being the neighbour of one of the boys: Mrs. Nolan. The Groupie is portrayed by the girl Emily, who hooks up with most of the serial-killer clones, even going as far as offering up her little sister and mother to be more victims. Finally there is the Doctor Kristin as the sexy-mother. The sexy-mother is a trope found in a lot of war/post-war films from around the 1945s. To sum it up briefly: a woman who possesses mothering characteristics to take care of the man and help him deal with his trauma but possess a sexual edge, nothing threatening to their man but enough to keep him interested with promise of more to come. Kristin is this and more to Castillo. She helped him overcome his PTSD and they eventually become lovers. The few women of Cain’s Blood are no more than playthings for their male counterparts.
Overall, Cain’s Blood was better than its teen fiction counterpart, but not by much. Castillo’s voice is much more interesting and actually offers the reader insight in the events of the novel, but eventually gets bogged down in the amazing lack of nothing that happens in this book.
Because just like Project Cain: nothing happens.
The Cain novels take an interesting concept and just violently butcher it. Their structure and overall failings may be more terrifying than the violence they try to offer.
Favourite/Memorable Quotes:
“I understand that now, he wanted to explain the terrible thoughts in his own head. He wanted to prove it was all in his own head. He wanted to prove it was all in his blood, that he didn’t have a choice. So he took the most terrible person ever and raised him like a normal boy to see what would happen. To prove that genes, the blood that nature would win.”
(Best summary of both books, in fact save yourself the time and just read that and not the novels themselves)
“What is broken when one can bring himself to kill another? MALES are responsible for the blood and violence of every culture, every country, every age. And serial murder is the masculine zenith of this same gender-based lust for dominance and execution. it is the asocial equivalent of our philosophy, mathematics, music et al. To wit: There is no female Mozart because there is no female Jack the Ripper“
(Full disclosure on this. When I first read this quote I tried really hard to take it as the deranged ravings of the mind of Dr. Jacobson, but the more I thought about it and the more I read into the representation of women in this novel I started to wonder if this was one of the books overarching theses. So clearly since women can’t be serial killers they cannot be geniuses or produce works of art. RAGE.)
Watch the Review and Spoilers of Project Cain
**At the end of Project Cain, in the Epilogue there is an brief one shot of a young boy who is alluded to becoming a serial killer later in life. The passage mentions that later on that the chemicals in his blood that cause rage were normal levels. This goes against everything that the novel has offered to this point. “He was not adopted. He was not a clone. His blood and thoughts were entirely his own. He was just a normal boy. he was every boy. Any boy (Girard, Locations 4140-45). Sexuality is still implied here. This is still a trait for “every boy” not “everyone”. It’s something to think about.
Two books released on the same day: one teen fiction and the other just plain old fiction. Both of them focused on a government conspiracy where a pharmaceutical company (the DSTI) clones prolific serial killers to study the rage gene which they lovingly nicknamed the Cain Gene. Jeff Jacobson (the clone of Jeffrey Dahmer) and Castillo (a PTSD suffering, ex military-man with nothing left to lose) travel around the US trying to track down more of these clones and bring an end to their reign of terror.
Sounds interesting right?
But that’s about where my interest ended.
Cain’s Blood failed to hold my attention.
Where it was a definite improvement from Project Cain, this novel meant for older audiences failed to deliver what it offered. In Project Cain the reader is forced to align themselves with Jeff the apathetic-serial-killer clone who has no interest in what is happening in his own story. Since Jeff isn’t willing to find out what’s happening, guess what? You’ll never know either. Enjoy. In Cain’s Blood you finally get to find out what is happening in the outside world, safely away from the whiny narration of Jeff. Instead the perspective jumps around from that of Castillo, The band of young serial killers and Doctor Jacobson (Jeff’s crazy Jack the Riper obsessed Father).
Both Cain novels feel like one manuscript that has been divided into two. If Girard has sat down with both novels and a pair of scissors he may have been able to take all of the decent bits and jam them into one novel. Perhaps the outcome would have been better.
Cain’s Blood suffers because it lacks an identity. It is trying to be too many things at once. It wants to offer the gory descriptions but it also wants to hide them letting the reader’s imagination paint its own disturbing imagery. It wants to be realistic in how it represents and explores science and the process of scientific discovery but it also wants to drop realism and create blood-sniffing-rage- monsters. Cain’s Blood is a final project which reminds me off some of the essays I wrote when I was in high school, you’re not exactly sure when something has been researched or if the author has taken liberty with the facts and blurred them to fit his own means. Is it referencing real experiments to make you uncomfortable or to try and justify it’s own concept?
Then there is the woman problem. First off the novel offers a “scientific reason” (I’m not exactly sure if this is a real theory or a fiction created for the novel) why women cannot become serial killers:
“And no girls here. Safe to assume males are more prone to violence.”
“Safe?” Erdman’s smile was genuine, a scientist discussing his favourite subject. “Genetically and statistically undeniable. It’s not even close. The chromosomal allele for this mutation travels only on the X gene. Think of this allele as the genetic antidote, a code in the DNA that can ‘fix’ the violent abnormality, however, this particular remedy travels only on the X chromosome. Remember enough high school biology? Females are born from XX chromosomes. So they’ve got a likely chance to have a cure for any aggressive mutation in the womb.”
“And men are XY.”
“Very good, you remember. So men have only a fifty-fifty shot of carrying the natural cure to an overly aggressive XP11 strand. We’re hereditarily predisposed to retaining the affliction.”
“Half the world is hereditarily predisposed to violence?”
“We make up ninety-five percent of the prison system. Ninety-nine percent of rapes. And ninety-nine percent of death row.” The smile turned wry “Guess you can say its in our blood” **
- Cain’s Blood, Geoffrey Girard (Locations 382-89 on Kindle)
In this novel there are only three roles that a woman can fall into: The Victim, The Groupie and The Sexy-Mother. Cain’s Blood offers examples for each. There are countless female victims whom the boys torture/rape and kill. An example being the neighbour of one of the boys: Mrs. Nolan. The Groupie is portrayed by the girl Emily, who hooks up with most of the serial-killer clones, even going as far as offering up her little sister and mother to be more victims. Finally there is the Doctor Kristin as the sexy-mother. The sexy-mother is a trope found in a lot of war/post-war films from around the 1945s. To sum it up briefly: a woman who possesses mothering characteristics to take care of the man and help him deal with his trauma but possess a sexual edge, nothing threatening to their man but enough to keep him interested with promise of more to come. Kristin is this and more to Castillo. She helped him overcome his PTSD and they eventually become lovers. The few women of Cain’s Blood are no more than playthings for their male counterparts.
Overall, Cain’s Blood was better than its teen fiction counterpart, but not by much. Castillo’s voice is much more interesting and actually offers the reader insight in the events of the novel, but eventually gets bogged down in the amazing lack of nothing that happens in this book.
Because just like Project Cain: nothing happens.
The Cain novels take an interesting concept and just violently butcher it. Their structure and overall failings may be more terrifying than the violence they try to offer.
Favourite/Memorable Quotes:
“I understand that now, he wanted to explain the terrible thoughts in his own head. He wanted to prove it was all in his own head. He wanted to prove it was all in his blood, that he didn’t have a choice. So he took the most terrible person ever and raised him like a normal boy to see what would happen. To prove that genes, the blood that nature would win.”
(Best summary of both books, in fact save yourself the time and just read that and not the novels themselves)
“What is broken when one can bring himself to kill another? MALES are responsible for the blood and violence of every culture, every country, every age. And serial murder is the masculine zenith of this same gender-based lust for dominance and execution. it is the asocial equivalent of our philosophy, mathematics, music et al. To wit: There is no female Mozart because there is no female Jack the Ripper“
(Full disclosure on this. When I first read this quote I tried really hard to take it as the deranged ravings of the mind of Dr. Jacobson, but the more I thought about it and the more I read into the representation of women in this novel I started to wonder if this was one of the books overarching theses. So clearly since women can’t be serial killers they cannot be geniuses or produce works of art. RAGE.)
Watch the Review and Spoilers of Project Cain
**At the end of Project Cain, in the Epilogue there is an brief one shot of a young boy who is alluded to becoming a serial killer later in life. The passage mentions that later on that the chemicals in his blood that cause rage were normal levels. This goes against everything that the novel has offered to this point. “He was not adopted. He was not a clone. His blood and thoughts were entirely his own. He was just a normal boy. he was every boy. Any boy (Girard, Locations 4140-45). Sexuality is still implied here. This is still a trait for “every boy” not “everyone”. It’s something to think about.
May 31, 2019
Though this book doesn't have the best timeline layout (am I the only one who wanted a time stamp? 4:30 EST), it is easy to follow. One of my favorite things about this book is the subtle character development. I loved seeing Jeff slowly stop calling himself a monster and by the end, he came to the realization that he could help others. UGH! So beautiful! The battle of the clones in regard to being "new" or just going along with what the people they were clones did "They named this road after me." I enjoyed Ted saying that they should do their own stuff because they are their own people. It's an interesting conversation to have: just how much does your DNA say about your actions? Your desires? Your personality?
What I didn't like was how Teen-Focused this was. It gave off the "pesky teens. boys will be boys" kind of vibe and I'm not about that life. These kids didn't really have a choice but to go with the other clones... Their families were just assaulted or straight up murdered, what are they supposed to do, stay for breakfast? I think it would have been interesting to see them get their files as they turned 18 - 20. Maybe we could have seen them in different areas in their lives. Ted just in college, Al in the military, maybe Jeff just adopted a baby? To see the reactions of their genes mixing into their reality would have been real dank.
I also would have liked the plot to have been a bit stronger. The idea was great but they never really caught any of the kids. I mean, the closest they got was in the park and Shawn killed him. I would have liked to have seen them actually catch one of the clones, maybe interrogate him? "Where are the others?" "Why are you doing this?" "What do you know about the person you're cloned after? If I told you he was a genius would you claim to be?"
Overall, it's a book that provokes thought and conversation. Is there room for improvement? Yeah, a lot. But I still enjoyed it and I am of the mind that leaving you with thought may have been the idea.
What I didn't like was how Teen-Focused this was. It gave off the "pesky teens. boys will be boys" kind of vibe and I'm not about that life. These kids didn't really have a choice but to go with the other clones... Their families were just assaulted or straight up murdered, what are they supposed to do, stay for breakfast? I think it would have been interesting to see them get their files as they turned 18 - 20. Maybe we could have seen them in different areas in their lives. Ted just in college, Al in the military, maybe Jeff just adopted a baby? To see the reactions of their genes mixing into their reality would have been real dank.
I also would have liked the plot to have been a bit stronger. The idea was great but they never really caught any of the kids. I mean, the closest they got was in the park and Shawn killed him. I would have liked to have seen them actually catch one of the clones, maybe interrogate him? "Where are the others?" "Why are you doing this?" "What do you know about the person you're cloned after? If I told you he was a genius would you claim to be?"
Overall, it's a book that provokes thought and conversation. Is there room for improvement? Yeah, a lot. But I still enjoyed it and I am of the mind that leaving you with thought may have been the idea.
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