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KRISPR
A revolutionary new discovery.
Daunting decisions. Secrets.
Love. Loss. Poetic justice.
Growing up in the mundane Midwest, Aliya McKenna is a misfit. Her towering height is a curse. But her self-worth is renewed when she participates in a modeling competition in NYC. Falling in love with the Big City, she decides to go to college there, where she befriends her lively roommate and falls head over heels in love. Science intrigues her and she ends up studying with an elderly researcher. Many think he's past his prime, but his work is actually at the foundation of a revolutionary new technology that has extraordinary promise for treating human disease. When she attends a lecture by a world renowned scientist, she is captivated by his charm and intelligence. She's elated when he asks her to collaborate, until she learns it means she must move to a remote part of the Northeast, away from the love of her life. It's not long before she realizes that her technology has the potential for abuse—unrestrainable, diabolical abuse. She knows she must prevent it from being used for all the wrong reasons. But at what cost? When people dear to her go missing, she realizes her how powerful her adversaries truly are. They will stop at nothing to get what they want. She and her loved ones are in real danger. They've got to run.
Faced with precarious choices, Aliya's gambles become perilous as she attempts to elude her enemies, eliminate her nemesis, and reunite with her loved ones. This is when we see another side of Aliya. She's not only naturally resourceful, she's downright cunning. And she believes in poetic justice. Still, she's faced with an agonizing decision. Should she destroy her discovery to ensure that it can never get into the wrong hands? It's the right thing to do. But doing what's right isn't always easy, especially when it comes to the ones you love. Witnessing her dad lose himself to Alzheimer's is heartbreaking. If there's a way she can help him, she should take the risk. Although it's never been done before, she's confident she can use her technology to restore some of his memory, giving him back his sense of self.
The trouble is, not all of his memories are pleasant ones.
KRISPR is set against the backdrop of the unintended consequences of one of humanity's greatest innovations, CRISPR- Cas9 gene editing. It is as suspenseful as it is heart-warming and features the coming of age of an intelligent, relatable young woman who out-smarts her opponents, with the added bonus of introducing cutting edge science in an understandable manner. Importantly, it reminds us that just because you can, doesn't mean you should.
Daunting decisions. Secrets.
Love. Loss. Poetic justice.
Growing up in the mundane Midwest, Aliya McKenna is a misfit. Her towering height is a curse. But her self-worth is renewed when she participates in a modeling competition in NYC. Falling in love with the Big City, she decides to go to college there, where she befriends her lively roommate and falls head over heels in love. Science intrigues her and she ends up studying with an elderly researcher. Many think he's past his prime, but his work is actually at the foundation of a revolutionary new technology that has extraordinary promise for treating human disease. When she attends a lecture by a world renowned scientist, she is captivated by his charm and intelligence. She's elated when he asks her to collaborate, until she learns it means she must move to a remote part of the Northeast, away from the love of her life. It's not long before she realizes that her technology has the potential for abuse—unrestrainable, diabolical abuse. She knows she must prevent it from being used for all the wrong reasons. But at what cost? When people dear to her go missing, she realizes her how powerful her adversaries truly are. They will stop at nothing to get what they want. She and her loved ones are in real danger. They've got to run.
Faced with precarious choices, Aliya's gambles become perilous as she attempts to elude her enemies, eliminate her nemesis, and reunite with her loved ones. This is when we see another side of Aliya. She's not only naturally resourceful, she's downright cunning. And she believes in poetic justice. Still, she's faced with an agonizing decision. Should she destroy her discovery to ensure that it can never get into the wrong hands? It's the right thing to do. But doing what's right isn't always easy, especially when it comes to the ones you love. Witnessing her dad lose himself to Alzheimer's is heartbreaking. If there's a way she can help him, she should take the risk. Although it's never been done before, she's confident she can use her technology to restore some of his memory, giving him back his sense of self.
The trouble is, not all of his memories are pleasant ones.
KRISPR is set against the backdrop of the unintended consequences of one of humanity's greatest innovations, CRISPR- Cas9 gene editing. It is as suspenseful as it is heart-warming and features the coming of age of an intelligent, relatable young woman who out-smarts her opponents, with the added bonus of introducing cutting edge science in an understandable manner. Importantly, it reminds us that just because you can, doesn't mean you should.
378 pages, Paperback
Published August 1, 2024
About the author
Jennifer Handler
1 book31 followersJennifer Handler is currently a faculty member in The Department of Biology at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio where she teaches courses in Physiology and Neuroscience.
After earning her BS in Molecular Genetics, Jennifer pursued her graduate training at The Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine and at Case Western Reserve University, where she received her PhD in Genetics.
She completed a post-doctoral fellowship in The Department of Neurosciences at The Cleveland Clinic and was a research associate in The Alzheimer’s Research Laboratory at The CWRU School of Medicine.
Her professional writing includes publications in the Journal of Neuroscience, Genetics, Behavioral and Brain Research, and The Annual Review of Neuroscience. She has published in scientific journals, as well as written a customized text for a course she teaches, but this is her first foray into writing fiction.
Jennifer inherited a passion for reading from her mother, who often had an Agatha Christie detective novel on her nightstand. Living alone in Maine while in graduate school, Jen spent her nights engrossed in any and every thriller she could get her hands on. Currently one of her favorite pastimes is to meet with her neighborhood book club, where she is constantly being introduced to new worlds.
Much of the story of KRISPR is her story. Handler was born and raised in Cleveland but spent time as a young researcher at the prestigious Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, living apart from her new husband. Raising her family in the Midwest, she accompanied her teen-aged daughter to New York City where she participated in an international modeling competition, and later moved her into her dorm at a university in Midtown Manhattan. As a professor, Handler has a real sense of what it’s like to be a college student in the 21st century. She also has the training and expertise to understand and make relatable technologies in genetics and neuroscience. And she has personally experienced the heart-wrenching and devastating effects of Alzheimer’s Disease as she witnessed her dad suffer from it for several years prior to his passing.
Jennifer Handler is the author’s pen name, as her real name isn’t so easy to pronounce and remember:)
After earning her BS in Molecular Genetics, Jennifer pursued her graduate training at The Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine and at Case Western Reserve University, where she received her PhD in Genetics.
She completed a post-doctoral fellowship in The Department of Neurosciences at The Cleveland Clinic and was a research associate in The Alzheimer’s Research Laboratory at The CWRU School of Medicine.
Her professional writing includes publications in the Journal of Neuroscience, Genetics, Behavioral and Brain Research, and The Annual Review of Neuroscience. She has published in scientific journals, as well as written a customized text for a course she teaches, but this is her first foray into writing fiction.
Jennifer inherited a passion for reading from her mother, who often had an Agatha Christie detective novel on her nightstand. Living alone in Maine while in graduate school, Jen spent her nights engrossed in any and every thriller she could get her hands on. Currently one of her favorite pastimes is to meet with her neighborhood book club, where she is constantly being introduced to new worlds.
Much of the story of KRISPR is her story. Handler was born and raised in Cleveland but spent time as a young researcher at the prestigious Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, living apart from her new husband. Raising her family in the Midwest, she accompanied her teen-aged daughter to New York City where she participated in an international modeling competition, and later moved her into her dorm at a university in Midtown Manhattan. As a professor, Handler has a real sense of what it’s like to be a college student in the 21st century. She also has the training and expertise to understand and make relatable technologies in genetics and neuroscience. And she has personally experienced the heart-wrenching and devastating effects of Alzheimer’s Disease as she witnessed her dad suffer from it for several years prior to his passing.
Jennifer Handler is the author’s pen name, as her real name isn’t so easy to pronounce and remember:)
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
May 28, 2026
Jennifer Handler’s KRISPR gives readers a blend of science fiction, medical drama, a touch of romance, and some ethical suspense. It also explores the pros and cons of revolutionary gene-editing technology. As the story picks up, we get to follow Aliya McKenna, the main character, who is a young and ambitious scientist. Her work in genetics and neuroscience puts her close to discovering something that could change humanity forever. She and her mentor, Dr. Charles Gustaffason, are unravelling the potential of a highly precise DNA-targeting system when Aliya’s personal life starts to become increasingly fragile. Her dad, Matthew, is suffering from familial early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. This forces Aliya to face the devastating reality of neurodegeneration. What is just as terrifying is that the disease could pass down to her and her sister one day. In comes Dr. Andrew Lux, who is charismatic and highly influential, offering an opportunity and danger in the name of science and ambition.
The emotional realism that Handler incorporated into the storyline stood out to me. It strengthens the narrative and gives it human qualities outside of science and medicine. Looking at Matthew McKenna’s decline is one example of what I mean by emotional realism. But Handler also does a great job capturing the heartbreak of Alzheimer’s disease. I felt like I was there watching him go from a gifted carpenter to making crude bird feeders at the Senior Club. Something else just as powerful as that moment is the Christmas sequence, where Matthew has a violent reaction, believing that the children on television are in real danger from a lion. It is frightening, tragic, and painfully human. I think many readers will be able to relate as I did, having a parent going through a similar decline. Aliya’s mom, Ellie, has taken on the caregiver role and is portrayed with deep compassion. She’s emotionally adjusting and trying to preserve her husband’s dignity, but this makes her probably the most grounded in the story.
I loved the scientific elements because they were ambitious but approachable. Handler portrayed clear knowledge and significant research in genetics, neuroscience, and molecular biology. It made the entire story and premise even more believable. It demanded my attention to read the discussions involving bacterial immune systems, guide RNA, DNA targeting, and gene editing. Handler made these flow naturally with the other elements that brought the story together. The science doesn’t feel detached from the emotional stakes of the story. Aliya shows that she is desperately wanting to advance the research because it hits so close to home. It represents hope, not just being recognized for a scientific breakthrough. Another thoughtful layer, in my opinion, is the recurring symbolism involving Prometheus and the dangers of such forbidden knowledge. It digs up the ethical questions about scientific progress and the consequences, whether intended or not.
The atmosphere and setting were also areas where Handler excelled. I can imagine New York City and how vibrant and cinematic it feels, particularly at Christmas time. Aliya and Aaron are ice skating beneath the Rockefeller Center lights and wandering through the Manhattan holiday displays. It adds more personal elements to the story, and that’s what makes it unique. Then, when they are in New Orleans, it’s equally as vivid, with the music, food, color, and warmth on their New Year’s trip. The locations feel like way more than decorative backdrops. But the emotional weight is different in Cleveland. It’s the setting for family memories, grief, and the painful realities that come with caregiving. The shift gives the narrative its emotional texture. Handler pulled it off successfully.
Aliya is one of my favorite characters because she is intelligent, inspiring, and has a certain level of vulnerability. She evolves into this confident scientist, and Handler develops her in a thoughtful way, especially when she’s reflecting on her earlier modeling experience in New York. Her identity, confidence, and ambition all shape how she makes decisions. Aaron emerges as more than a supportive fiancé. He has medical aspirations, and he is able to comfort Aliya without overshadowing her. It gives his character maturity and makes him feel authentic. They have a romantic relationship, but it also feels like a deeply rooted friendship. Dr. Andrew Lux is that looming presence, that borders on brilliant but also morally questionable, scientific visionary. However, his charisma and manipulative character bring a lot of tension on board, especially as Aliya is drawn toward his influence despite Dr. Gustaffason’s warnings. If I had one critique, it would be the pacing. It occasionally slowed, mainly during the heavier scientific explanations, and some readers may find the technical dialogue a bit dense. Perhaps a glossary of terms in the end would help those not familiar with genetics or neuroscience. However, this did not take away from the premise.
KRISPR really stands out for the great combination of scientific speculation and personal fears around illness, memory, inheritance, and identity. Underneath the discussions about genome editing or revolutionary technology, readers will find a relatable story about people desperately fighting for their loved ones before time, disease, and human ambition take them. Readers who enjoy this type of speculative fiction will find it heartfelt and ethically complex. Those who are fans of Lisa Genova’s Still Alice or Daniel Keyes’ Flowers for Algernon will be able to connect with the emotional depth, science, and philosophy.
The emotional realism that Handler incorporated into the storyline stood out to me. It strengthens the narrative and gives it human qualities outside of science and medicine. Looking at Matthew McKenna’s decline is one example of what I mean by emotional realism. But Handler also does a great job capturing the heartbreak of Alzheimer’s disease. I felt like I was there watching him go from a gifted carpenter to making crude bird feeders at the Senior Club. Something else just as powerful as that moment is the Christmas sequence, where Matthew has a violent reaction, believing that the children on television are in real danger from a lion. It is frightening, tragic, and painfully human. I think many readers will be able to relate as I did, having a parent going through a similar decline. Aliya’s mom, Ellie, has taken on the caregiver role and is portrayed with deep compassion. She’s emotionally adjusting and trying to preserve her husband’s dignity, but this makes her probably the most grounded in the story.
I loved the scientific elements because they were ambitious but approachable. Handler portrayed clear knowledge and significant research in genetics, neuroscience, and molecular biology. It made the entire story and premise even more believable. It demanded my attention to read the discussions involving bacterial immune systems, guide RNA, DNA targeting, and gene editing. Handler made these flow naturally with the other elements that brought the story together. The science doesn’t feel detached from the emotional stakes of the story. Aliya shows that she is desperately wanting to advance the research because it hits so close to home. It represents hope, not just being recognized for a scientific breakthrough. Another thoughtful layer, in my opinion, is the recurring symbolism involving Prometheus and the dangers of such forbidden knowledge. It digs up the ethical questions about scientific progress and the consequences, whether intended or not.
The atmosphere and setting were also areas where Handler excelled. I can imagine New York City and how vibrant and cinematic it feels, particularly at Christmas time. Aliya and Aaron are ice skating beneath the Rockefeller Center lights and wandering through the Manhattan holiday displays. It adds more personal elements to the story, and that’s what makes it unique. Then, when they are in New Orleans, it’s equally as vivid, with the music, food, color, and warmth on their New Year’s trip. The locations feel like way more than decorative backdrops. But the emotional weight is different in Cleveland. It’s the setting for family memories, grief, and the painful realities that come with caregiving. The shift gives the narrative its emotional texture. Handler pulled it off successfully.
Aliya is one of my favorite characters because she is intelligent, inspiring, and has a certain level of vulnerability. She evolves into this confident scientist, and Handler develops her in a thoughtful way, especially when she’s reflecting on her earlier modeling experience in New York. Her identity, confidence, and ambition all shape how she makes decisions. Aaron emerges as more than a supportive fiancé. He has medical aspirations, and he is able to comfort Aliya without overshadowing her. It gives his character maturity and makes him feel authentic. They have a romantic relationship, but it also feels like a deeply rooted friendship. Dr. Andrew Lux is that looming presence, that borders on brilliant but also morally questionable, scientific visionary. However, his charisma and manipulative character bring a lot of tension on board, especially as Aliya is drawn toward his influence despite Dr. Gustaffason’s warnings. If I had one critique, it would be the pacing. It occasionally slowed, mainly during the heavier scientific explanations, and some readers may find the technical dialogue a bit dense. Perhaps a glossary of terms in the end would help those not familiar with genetics or neuroscience. However, this did not take away from the premise.
KRISPR really stands out for the great combination of scientific speculation and personal fears around illness, memory, inheritance, and identity. Underneath the discussions about genome editing or revolutionary technology, readers will find a relatable story about people desperately fighting for their loved ones before time, disease, and human ambition take them. Readers who enjoy this type of speculative fiction will find it heartfelt and ethically complex. Those who are fans of Lisa Genova’s Still Alice or Daniel Keyes’ Flowers for Algernon will be able to connect with the emotional depth, science, and philosophy.
April 3, 2026
KRISPR begins as the story of Aliya McKenna, a tall, gifted young woman whose life moves from modeling and New York romance into genetics, neuroscience, and the discovery of a powerful gene-editing system, and then broadens into something more combustible: a family’s confrontation with Alzheimer’s, a love story under strain, and an ethical showdown over whether a world-changing scientific tool can remain humane once money, vanity, and power get their hands on it. The novel’s own question is blunt and timely: if we can alter life, what are we entitled to do with that power?
What I liked most is that author Jennifer Handler does not treat science as decorative wallpaper. The book has real curiosity in it. Aliya’s explanations of bacteria, genomes, and the emerging logic of gene editing are unusually earnest for fiction; they're not merely there to make the novel sound clever, but to show how discovery seduces the mind. At the same time, the book is fueled by feeling: Aliya’s devotion to Aaron, her tenderness toward her father, and the ache of watching memory erode in a family member give the story its pulse. I found that blend unexpectedly affecting. When the novel is working best, it carries the warm voltage of a campus love story and the cold gleam of a bioethics nightmare at once.
The prose often prefers abundance. It can be lush, emphatic, and unabashedly melodramatic. I think that excess is part of the book’s peculiar signature. KRISPR isn't shy, not dry, and not interested in cool detachment. It wants beauty, grief, lust, suspense, and moral peril in the same vessel. I respected that ambition. And when the later sections pivot into conspiracy and the misuse of Aliya’s technology, the book gains a harder edge; the ethical dread that hovers near the beginning finally cashes out in plot.
I’d recommend KRISPR to readers of science thrillers, medical dramas, romantic suspense, and bioethics fiction, especially anyone who likes novels where lab work, family loyalty, and moral panic are braided together rather than kept in separate rooms. It will likely appeal most to readers who enjoy storylines about genetics, Alzheimer’s, scientific discovery, and high-stakes ethical conflict, and who do not mind a generous emotional register. In spirit, it feels less like hard-edged Michael Crichton than like a more sentimental, relationship-rich cousin to that tradition, with a little of Jodi Picoult’s issue-driven intensity folded in. This is a heartfelt, high-concept novel that is entertaining and thought-provoking.
What I liked most is that author Jennifer Handler does not treat science as decorative wallpaper. The book has real curiosity in it. Aliya’s explanations of bacteria, genomes, and the emerging logic of gene editing are unusually earnest for fiction; they're not merely there to make the novel sound clever, but to show how discovery seduces the mind. At the same time, the book is fueled by feeling: Aliya’s devotion to Aaron, her tenderness toward her father, and the ache of watching memory erode in a family member give the story its pulse. I found that blend unexpectedly affecting. When the novel is working best, it carries the warm voltage of a campus love story and the cold gleam of a bioethics nightmare at once.
The prose often prefers abundance. It can be lush, emphatic, and unabashedly melodramatic. I think that excess is part of the book’s peculiar signature. KRISPR isn't shy, not dry, and not interested in cool detachment. It wants beauty, grief, lust, suspense, and moral peril in the same vessel. I respected that ambition. And when the later sections pivot into conspiracy and the misuse of Aliya’s technology, the book gains a harder edge; the ethical dread that hovers near the beginning finally cashes out in plot.
I’d recommend KRISPR to readers of science thrillers, medical dramas, romantic suspense, and bioethics fiction, especially anyone who likes novels where lab work, family loyalty, and moral panic are braided together rather than kept in separate rooms. It will likely appeal most to readers who enjoy storylines about genetics, Alzheimer’s, scientific discovery, and high-stakes ethical conflict, and who do not mind a generous emotional register. In spirit, it feels less like hard-edged Michael Crichton than like a more sentimental, relationship-rich cousin to that tradition, with a little of Jodi Picoult’s issue-driven intensity folded in. This is a heartfelt, high-concept novel that is entertaining and thought-provoking.
January 19, 2026
This book surprised me in the best possible way.
KRISPR is more than a science driven thriller. It is a deeply human story about love, identity, ethics, and the impossible weight of choosing between what is right and what feels necessary.
Aliya McKenna is a refreshing and relatable protagonist. Watching her grow from an insecure outsider into a brave and strategic young woman felt real and inspiring. Her journey through ambition, romance, discovery, and danger keeps the pages turning, but it is her emotional depth that truly makes the story unforgettable.
What stood out most was how effortlessly the author makes complex science feel understandable and meaningful. The tension surrounding the power and potential abuse of gene editing is gripping, and the moral dilemma at the heart of the story hits hard. The storyline involving her father adds a heartbreaking layer that makes every decision feel personal and urgent.
This novel balances suspense, romance, and ethical reflection beautifully. It makes you think, feel, and question what you would do if you held the power to change life itself.
Compelling, thoughtful, and emotionally rich, KRISPR is a story that stays with you long after the final page.
Highly recommended.
KRISPR is more than a science driven thriller. It is a deeply human story about love, identity, ethics, and the impossible weight of choosing between what is right and what feels necessary.
Aliya McKenna is a refreshing and relatable protagonist. Watching her grow from an insecure outsider into a brave and strategic young woman felt real and inspiring. Her journey through ambition, romance, discovery, and danger keeps the pages turning, but it is her emotional depth that truly makes the story unforgettable.
What stood out most was how effortlessly the author makes complex science feel understandable and meaningful. The tension surrounding the power and potential abuse of gene editing is gripping, and the moral dilemma at the heart of the story hits hard. The storyline involving her father adds a heartbreaking layer that makes every decision feel personal and urgent.
This novel balances suspense, romance, and ethical reflection beautifully. It makes you think, feel, and question what you would do if you held the power to change life itself.
Compelling, thoughtful, and emotionally rich, KRISPR is a story that stays with you long after the final page.
Highly recommended.
June 9, 2025
I could not put this book down! I do have a background in science and was worried this could feel like a lesson, but instead Handler expertly ties together complex scientific concepts with heartwarming storytelling. The characters are well-developed and the story is vibrant and exciting. Highly recommend.
October 17, 2024
A fun, informative, entertaining read! I learned a lot even though I do not have a scientific background. The various locations throughout the book kept it fast-paced and intriguing.
August 1, 2024
Good easy read even though I know nothing about the scientific genetic world.
For a first time author she did a great job. I would definitely read more of her work.
For a first time author she did a great job. I would definitely read more of her work.
October 14, 2024
Such a fun page turner with writing that really makes you feel you are there with the characters!!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews