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Lifespan: A Novel
Young researcher Jamie Pierce accidently makes a startling a connection between proteins in the blood and a person’s longevity. Her work is stolen by a bio-med company, but a key formula is missing. Meanwhile, Declan Flynn is investigating why poor young women are being paid to turn their newborns over to an adoption agency. He finds the bio-med company intends to use the infants to offer wealthy people a way to extend their lives. Jamie is being pressured for the formula. Can Declan find a way to derail the corporate plans, protect Jamie and save the babies?
322 pages, Paperback
First published March 28, 2014
2 people are currently reading
366 people want to read
About the author
T.J. Silverio
3 books5 followersI love stories! Being lost in an adventure with characters I care about is a delightful place to be. So as a writer I want to take readers on just that kind of journey.
There is a element of magic in good writing, where the characters take over the story and lead the writer to places he or she had not planned on going. So the story unfolds both for the writer and the reader.
The creative process is like gathering vapor, bringing into being people and places, playing out situations and circumstances in words across the page. I anxiously look forward to what happens next. Please join me!
There is a element of magic in good writing, where the characters take over the story and lead the writer to places he or she had not planned on going. So the story unfolds both for the writer and the reader.
The creative process is like gathering vapor, bringing into being people and places, playing out situations and circumstances in words across the page. I anxiously look forward to what happens next. Please join me!
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
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July 9, 2014As the author it would be unfair to review my own work, but I am excited by the feedback I have gotten from readers and encourage anyone who likes good sci-fi and books like Michael Crichton used to write to give a try. I hope you enjoy the adventure!
August 18, 2014
Make haste! Those of you who have it on your to read list. It is a real page-turner filled w/medical science, thought provoking genetics, and the ethics therein....should we or should we not continue w/genetic research and the knowledge it brings as well as what to do w/that knowledge. Can we handle it? As rapidly as medical science advances, this "story" will not be fiction. The author has done his research and produced an excellent read which has intrigue, warmth in main characters, fast-paced, great dialogues, good vs evil plot and now ready for his next book. Could this be a series as Jamie goes into her study in bio ethics? Would be wonderful!
November 8, 2014
I received this book through Goodreads as a complimentary copy
The story begins with a young graduate student named Jaime who is toiling away in her windowless lab on her thesis. With the help of her computer wunderkind brother who attends the same school, the information she generates from her regression analysis points to critical life functions and particular DNA proteins, i.e., the lifespan of a person can be predicted by the analysis of their blood. Therein lies the question: Is there a difference between good knowledge and bad knowledge or is it possible that some things are better left undiscovered? The author brings up many salient points for us to consider and I admire him for addressing these issues.
I really enjoyed the premise of the story although I was concerned about getting through some of the biological concepts at the beginning of the book. The science was explained quite thoroughly, but at times felt a bit belabored. The whole math thing about regression analysis and matrices was beyond my comprehension, but didn't hinder the story line.
The villain was perfectly smarmy, although his character could have used some plumping up in terms of what his responsibilities were when he wasn't ranting at his graduate students.
Eric seemed to be the most understanding and laid-back character in the book so I was blindsided when he began waxing philosophical about the ethics and morality of Jaime's research.
Declan was by far my favorite character and I felt his entrance really moved the story along at a better pace. His bare-bones work ethic and tenacity made him really likable and I felt that he was actually the hero in the end.
I hope to read more from this author in the coming years.
The story begins with a young graduate student named Jaime who is toiling away in her windowless lab on her thesis. With the help of her computer wunderkind brother who attends the same school, the information she generates from her regression analysis points to critical life functions and particular DNA proteins, i.e., the lifespan of a person can be predicted by the analysis of their blood. Therein lies the question: Is there a difference between good knowledge and bad knowledge or is it possible that some things are better left undiscovered? The author brings up many salient points for us to consider and I admire him for addressing these issues.
I really enjoyed the premise of the story although I was concerned about getting through some of the biological concepts at the beginning of the book. The science was explained quite thoroughly, but at times felt a bit belabored. The whole math thing about regression analysis and matrices was beyond my comprehension, but didn't hinder the story line.
The villain was perfectly smarmy, although his character could have used some plumping up in terms of what his responsibilities were when he wasn't ranting at his graduate students.
Eric seemed to be the most understanding and laid-back character in the book so I was blindsided when he began waxing philosophical about the ethics and morality of Jaime's research.
Declan was by far my favorite character and I felt his entrance really moved the story along at a better pace. His bare-bones work ethic and tenacity made him really likable and I felt that he was actually the hero in the end.
I hope to read more from this author in the coming years.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 17, 2014
It took me a while to read this book, as the subject matter was not my usual reading material. Which is why I chose this book, to expand my reading repertoire. Since it contains a fair amount of science lingo, I found it hard to get sucked in right away. However the idea behind this book seemed really interesting to me, and as I continued to read I wanted to find out how it would all be resolved in the end. I enjoyed the relationship between Jamie and Eric, and found Declan to be an intelligent character determined to bring justice to the situation. The idea of stem cell research is one that I think is very important, and this book brings into question just how far we should go with it. A thought provoking read!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews