Neands

by Dan Salmon

What if evolution got it wrong and the human race was threatened at the very core of its DNA? Charlie (14) is living in a time when a strange virus is affection sections of the Homosapien race. They are becoming more hostile, more aggressive. It seems there is a throwback to the Neand gene that is being transmitted by a virus and altering people’s DNA.

As his parents, schoolmates, friends and authority figures succumb to the virus or disappear, Charlie and his friends undertake a dangerous journey to find some answers.

Genres: Survival

495 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2020

Reviews

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite the other reviews I've just read, I thought this book definitely deserved the 5 stars I've given it. I agree that the binding makes this book hard to read, being tight and the book very heavy. The contents are great. Three teenagers bewildered and extremely frightened by the absolutely catastrophic changes occurring in the world all around them.
This story has everything- excitement, mystery, cruelty, violence, bewilderment, abject terror, betrayal by authority, love, trust, moments of happiness, and at the end hope. Reading this from the point of view of a middle aged female, I found the fact the teens not asking questions, or not the right questions forcefully enough, highly irritating. Despite that it was exciting and I'm sure anyone from young teens up will find this book enlightening and possibly fearful for the future of current life forms on this earth because of global warming and polar ice melt.
Don't be put off, it's a good read and I will be reading the next installment.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read. Found the font type difficult to read, the binding very tight and quite a few typographical errors.

[Link · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly, I did not enjoy this book at all.
The binding, typography and plastic paper used, make it physically difficult to read. Along with the slew of grammar, language and spelling errors, I had to force myself to the end.
The relationship between Pru and Charlie felt pedophilic, where 14 year olds discussed sex, condoms and made moves that were way to mature for their age.
It seems like a novel for younger audiences, yet when topics such as suicide and sexual assault are depicted, I was left confused.
It is also never explicitly stated when the events of the novel are occurring, we learn from context clues that it is set in the future, but by how many years. 2? 200? no clue.
It is a good concept. just poorly executed.

[Penny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such an interesting concept - some humans are changing. Not like puberty, but at a more fundamental level. People are starting to take on a more Neanderthal appearance - with behaviour to match.

There are some who believe that somehow a virus is somehow the reason for the changes. But why? How?

Charlie isn’t changing. His scientist dad has paid the ultimate price for investigating what might be happening - and then his mum goes missing.

When an old friend of his mum’s appears, he is suspicious of her motives but he has few choices so he joins her, her husband and two girls who she has also taken in. Together they have to try and work out what on earth is happening.

This is a great concept, and I enjoyed the read. But it was probably 100 pages too long to appeal to a large audience (certainly in my library) and the editing left a bit to be desired!

[Viki Holmes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow, this was a fascinating concept, and an ok execution. The majority of the human race is reverting to Neanderthal; and this story bases itself around one of my favourite tropes: assimilation/we are everywhere. But the story just wasn't that compelling, and the focus on the YA protagonists just didn't gel for me.

[Rochelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't expecting to enjoy this book but I did and I am looking forward to the second book in the series. It was a bit drawn out at times but the characters were likable and there was a great sense of mystery and suspense throughout the story

I agree with the other reviews that the binding was too tight which made it difficult to read.
CW: violence, sexual assault

[Louise Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It is beautifully written, and the premise is original and clever. The characters are engaging—particularly the young protagonist, and the story rips along at a good pace.
I recommend this book for young teens and up. Looking forward to reading book two in the series.

[Veronica Huntington · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book! Loved the NZ references (although there were surprisingly few). I liked the way the ending was a clear stopping point even though it was obvious that a sequel was coming. Looking forward to further books by this author and will be recommending this book to my teenager.