The Set Up

Medusa Project #1

by Sophie McKenzie

Thirteen years ago, Professor William Fox discovered DR6124 - a gene for psychic abilities. By synthesising it, he managed to implant it in a series of embryos, knowing that the gene would be kick-started at puberty. But Fox was killed by his business partner, Jack Linden, before he saw his experiment come to fruition. Jack has big plans for the kids with the psychic gene - IF he can track them down… though Fox's brother, Fergus, is determined to stop him and keep the kids safe: Nico - telekinetic and cocky with it; Ketty - clairvoyant and terrified she's seen her brother's murder; Dylan - a mind-reader with morals; and Alicia - able to withstand physical pain through the power of her mind. Can Fergus keep them - and his brother's experiment - a secret?

Genres: Young Adult, Mystery, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Fiction, Thriller, Teen

279 pages, Paperback

First published June 9, 2009

About the author

Hey there! Welcome to my Goodreads page where you can keep up with all my stories - both the ones that are already published and the works in progress!!

I write mostly teen thrillers - plus some teen romance, books for younger children and four adult psychological thrillers.

I'm really excited right now because of...

Boy, Missing, my £1 book for World Book Day and Truth or Dare, my new teen thriller. (UK)


For more info on these and my other books, check out my website: www.sophiemckenziebooks.com

Reviews

[Emily May · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was recommended to me by my 14 year old sister, Chelsey, and I found it an easy and relatively enjoyable read. I started and finished it within just a few hours.

The story is good, typical of young-adult science-fiction really. I enjoyed it but it wasn't unlike a million other books in this genre. Though I did expect a younger writing style, I didn't realise just how young an audience this book was aimed at; my typical young adult books tend to be somewhere in the 16-25 year old category and this was very much an under 16's book. So much so that the simplistic writing irritated me at times, the story could have been told better if it didn't endlessly patronise the reader... I mean, just because someone is 12 doesn't mean they're an idiot. In short, you could see every inch of the plot several chapters before it happened.

I have nothing against children's books, but even those should keep you guessing. For me, it was blatantly obvious who the fourth teenager with the Medusa gene was.

So... not bad, would probably have enjoyed it more 5 or 6 years ago.

[Grace (irisroman & evajacks' version) ✧]

DNF @ 13%

Uggghhh, I've DNFed so many books recently and it's really starting to frustrate me!! 😭😭🙈🙈 But y'know that feeling when you just don't have the will to continue reading?? That's me right now.

I'm sorry, but this book just bored me to death. Everything, from the characters to the writing to the story, was just so BLAND and LACKLUSTER. It had no depth and just seemed so superficial. I mean, in the first chapter alone, the main character Nico thought about his DEEP and UNDYING love for his best friend, threw a fit when he saw her with someone else and then made some chairs float around and stuff. And that was supposed to be EXCITING.

🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

I just can't-----

So, The Set-Up had lots of potential to be an interesting and mysterious read, but turned out to be bland, flat and boring. I have no desire to read anything more and am just glad to be stopping it right now.

On a happier note, this is my 100th review on Goodreads!! Yayyy 🥳🥳 That's the only solace I can get right now 😅🤭

[William · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pick this book if you need an easy and fast one. As the boy discovers his powers, it is fairly interesting. However, instead of identifying with him, you will want to shout "Are you stupid?" He makes so many bad decisions.

[15HillG · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked the action in this book because it made me want to read even more and i never wanted to put this book down!

[Isaac Nathaniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book in the series and i will definitely be getting the second one. The story was good, did take a bit to get to the big part but yeah over all a good book. It had a bit of everything ,drama, action, adventure and romance.

[Louis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I originally started reading this book at 3 in the morning when I couldn't sleep (and the other book I was reading was not in my bedroom and I was too lazy to get up), and I must say for a book to keep me awake and preventing me from falling asleep it means something. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and I had a lot of trouble of putting the book down and going back to sleep (which I did at 6 am).
Personally, I found the structure of the book to be very comfortable to read. The short chapters made the book more upbeat which fitted nicely with time progression (and events) in the book. The short but to the point descriptions were also nice (as I dislike description). The description was just enough to get your imagination going but not too much so it was up to you to decide exactly how each scene appeared.
For once I think some characters could've had a bit more development, especially Dylan, whom I found to be a bit too bland (my opinion).
Overall, the book had a very nice balance between action and description and had a very nice pace completely through the story. I would give it a 4.5 if I could simply because of character development, other than that, I would highly recommend the book to anyone who loves a low-key science fiction story.

[Ness · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not terrible, but not amazing - personally, if you're using the "four teenagers find out they have special abilities" setup, you have to bring a little bit more to it. Instead, every second conversation is about a love triangle (by the end, quadrangle) which brings nothing to the story and isn't easy to be invested in.

A few opportunities are misused. It's not much of a reveal who the mysterious fourth psychic is when there's only one character we've met who it could be. So that whole mystery was very underwhelming.

Main character Nico also needs to learn to be a bit smarter - there's two occasions where he's forced to hand over money, but the other person doesn't know how much he has. That he didn't think about only handing over a portion by the second time it happened made me lose interest in him as a main character. Not fast enough, unfortunately.

[Jade Finzi · Rating 2 out of 5]

i found this in a charity shop and had to buy it because it used to be one of my favourite books, which makes sense because when i was that young i didn’t know what good writing looked like. this book was so bad, the author doesn’t know what commas are, i found spelling mistakes, grammatical errors, everything was explained through dialogue and it was so forced and robotic it felt like i was reading a book written by a 6 year old. so bad, literally soooo bad.

[15SolankiK · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is one of those books you don't want to put down. At first I didn't think I would like it but now I want to read the whole series!

[Dylan B · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is one of the few that have actually interested me and one that was easy to read. I have come to realise that sci-fi is my favourite genre as well and the only genre that interests me. I was very surprised that I liked the book when I started reading and whenever I was bored I started reading it again. As soon as I finished the first book I wanted to start the second book straight away which followed on to the other books.

It’s a great series and I like the fact that each book is told within a different perspective because it gives you much more insight into a character. How each character thinks completely defines their personality and after reading the first four books each character becomes transparent. Plot development is done quite well through all aspects unlike characters that are predictable in all ways and it’s never enjoyable to read a book when you know exactly what is going to happen before it happens. The gene itself has been written with negative and positive aspects which gives a better understanding of what it would be like to have that ability yourself. The plot is simple to follow which can be good or bad depending which one you like but the book hasn’t been written with just a simple plot there is also the twists and turns of the book that makes the plot more interesting.

Reading this book has been life-changing for me as I have never read a book like this one before and has given me the urge to read the whole series. I am currently on the verge of finishing book four but the plot unlike some series’ this series doesn’t get worse as you read further instead, it gets better which is clever to get readers to keep reading.

[18nsudei060 · Rating 4 out of 5]

The genre of the book is crime, it’s also series of 6 books-Fourteen years ago a scientist called William Fox gave four babies a gene called the 'Medusa Gene'. When Mr Fox died, all his infomation was lost and no one knew where the babies were. The four kids grew to be teenagers without knowing they had psychic abilities. One boy found out he had this power and thought that this new power would bring him fame, money and power- I would recommend this book for 11+ as there are a few complex words.

[Abi · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a really nice easy read. I liked the fact that it made quite popular themes in fantasy books more original. I'm really excited to read the second one and hopefully the rest if I enjoy it. 100% would recommend.

[17vailes053 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought that the book was very tense and I felt nervous reading the book. My favourite character is Nico because he was so brave and strong.

[DJ josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recommend this book because I like books 📚 that have a flow and have scary 👍

[Genevieve Parer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this with my 12 year old son. He is now hooked on the series. A nice simple intriguing read for tweens!

[Aymen · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of my favorites from my school reading days (and probably one of the very few interesting books that our library had lol)

[Sathyan Shivaram · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though this is a teen fiction, it took me quite sometime to finishing reading this book. I felt this book to be dull and draggy at several points. However, the ending creates an intrigue to see what the future books in this series hold, given that we are now aware of the super powers these kids possess.

[Kim Clough · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had a really good idea for a story line. Ultimately I did enjoy it, however i will not be continuing with the series as i think the writing is aimed at a younger audience.

[Mr Pink Ink · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many thanks to Jonathan Ball Publishers for #Gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Labelled as YA but is more like MG, this Scifi Fantasy hybrid about 4 teenagers (14) who are the result of a secret genetic experiment is adequate - the MC is a dumbass, plain and simple.

As the first book in a series, it does a great job of setting things up; I only hope it gets better as the series continues. Personally, I'm not rushing to pick up the next one.

Get this for your 11 to 16 year old to read.

[Sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book was hilarious! it probably would have been boring with out nico. god he is a BRILLIANT character.

Just like most of Sophie McKenzie's books this one was addicting. read it in about 2 days. its good if you want a short read or want to get out of a reading fad.

so the story is about Nico he is also the main character, and we fallow what happens when he discovers he has the Medusa gene. The Medusa gene is a gene that is implanted in a child before its born, and when it reaches about 13-14 develops a supernatural skill reflecting it's personality. We find out there are 4 children with the gene, people closer to Nico than he thinks. throughout the story Nico is double crossed and lead to believe his skills will give him everything he ever wanted.. but how wrong he is.

Nico is out main character. hes a boy who goes to a boarding school outside London, where is step-Father Fergus Fox is head teacher. Nico is quite cocky and supposedly good looking. he also has quite a humor thought the book, which i really love.

over all this book was really good, better than I Expected and would recommend you read it if you need something short to read. one thing that really annoyed me was the character Ketty. Ketty is Nico's best friend and also the girl he likes. i dont know her characteristics annoyed me, she was always just the hopeless girl that everyone liked. i felt she just didn't do much but moan or complain. thats the main reason i gave this book 4 stars, because of ketty, sorry!

[Courteney Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

So nostalgic! I love reading s book from childhood and still enjoying it! How is this not a to show its action packed with relatable characters! Love this series so much and it's my favourite out of all Sophie McKenzie's books. Can't wait to re read the rest! P.s. Best Xmas present ever Jess

[Lily Coldstream · Rating 2 out of 5]

\\Mild spoilers//
I had high expectations for this book when I first picked it up, the blurb seemed interesting enough. My sister had reccommend it to me before so I gave it go. I was disappointed to find that it was entirely predictable. There was no mystery to who the fourth child with the medusa gene was, it was so obvious that I originally assumed it was a red herring.
I found the characters to be unrealistic at times, the tension between Ed and Nico over Ketty seemed forced. Nico was obsessed with Ketty, every other sentence seemed to be about her and it soon became tedious. However the concept interests me, I am told the series improves and I believe this book would be great for the 10-12 demographic.

[harms · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[15PinderF · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved all of it, i really felt like I was in the story and I couldn't put it down would totally recommend it to anyone who likes the genre.

[16ChambersA · Rating 4 out of 5]

The genre is thriller and is book 1 of a series. I really enjoyed it as it is a similar age range as me and there is always something going on. I really enjoyed it. It was exiting but also had a happening. I would definitely recommend

[Rheanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

First read in about 2010.
Re reading.

[Andrew Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

amazing book.

[R.L. · Rating 3 out of 5]

English review below the Greek one...

Υποτίθεται εφηβικό, αλλά πολύ απλοϊκό, κλισέ και αφελές ακόμα και για εφηβικό, αυτό το βιβλίο μας γνωρίζει με 4 εφήβους οι οποίοι αρχίζουν να ανακαλύπτουν κάποιες ιδιαίτερες δυνάμεις τους, το πως τις απέκτησαν και πως θέλουν κάποιοι να τις εκμεταλλευτούν. Παράλληλα ζουν τα γνωστά δράματα της ηλικίας τους, με τα γκομενικά τους και τις ταραγμένες σχέσεις με τους μεγαλύτερους και με τους συμμαθητές τους.

Προβλέψιμο, με πολλά κενά στην πλοκή και επιφανειακούς χαρακτήρες, νομίζω ότι ακόμα κι αν το διάβαζα στην εφηβεία θα μου φαινόταν πολύ πρόχειρογραμμένο, ωστόσο υποθέτω είναι ΟΚ σαν διάλειμμα ανάμεσα σε πιο σοβαρά αναγνώσματα. Ελαφρύ και ψιλοδιασκεδαστικό βιβλίο...

The Medusa Project: The Set-Up was a cute little story, starring four teenagers who struggle with usual stuff of their age but also with discovering their special psychic abilities, how they got them and how some people want to make use of them. There is some action of course while this story paves the way for sequels to come and it was a pleasant break among more "serious" books.

But I feel that even my teenage self would have found The Medusa Project too simplistic. There is little depth on the characters or the story, actually there are tons of cliche, more or less you can see where everything's going and there are huge plot holes too. I think this is not so much a teens book as an older children's/pre-teens book?
All that said, this is a fine choice when one needs a light, non-demanding read to pass the time.

[OniReadsBooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Set Up is about Nico and three other teenagers, who are developing supernatural powers after being implanted with a gene at birth. I decided to try this novel, because I enjoyed Storm Of Lies.

To be honest, this book was ok, despite being predicable and there being several books with similar plots out there. The writing style isn't the best-but most of the time I could follow along to what was happening (except for three quarters of the way in, the story got a little confusing).

Unfortunately, there were some unacceptable comments-including one saying the girl who likes running will "probably stop running so much" now that she has a boyfriend. Why should girls give up or not spend time on the sports they love doing because they are in a relationship?

Also the same female character was related to being "not cool" because she's athletic and loves running instead of liking fashion, talking about boys and music, wearing makeup or doing her hair. Just because a girl or woman likes doing sports doesn't mean she's less cool than if she likes fashion, makeup or doing her hair.

If you want a quick, thrilling read to pass the time, I recommend this book to you, but don't expect anything original or memorable.

[Tamsin W · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't often give books 2 stars but this was the exception. I picked up this book because of my interest in Greek myths (it being called the Medusa project) and the blurb seemed relatively convincing.
There were a lot of problems I had with this book so I'll name just a few.

1. The plot in general, it was so predictable and you could tell from the beginning who would double cross who or be the 'bad guy.'


2. The idea of how Nico used his superpowers was unrealistic, using your superpowers for love would be the last thing on a teenage boys mind when you could use it for money and many other things.


3. Love triangles. It's such an overused romance tactic and the way it was done in this book didn't leave me rooting for any particular character to get the girl in the end and that brings me to my last point.


4. The characters just weren't likeable, Kelly just embodied the 'I'm not like other girls I do sports' trait and Nico was just genuinely an unlikeable protagonist and throughout the whole book I never found myself shipping him with any character because it just seemed too forced

So overall I would not recommend this book to anyone, please do not waste your time with this and make the same mistake I did with hoping it'll have a good ending. It doesn't.