Demain les ombres

by Noëlle Michel

C’est un clan d’humains. Ils chassent et cueillent, ils naissent et meurent, ils habitent des tentes de peau, ils peignent sur la paroi des grottes, ils perpétuent les légendes de leurs déesses et dansent autour du feu les soirs de fête. Leur univers est une forêt nourricière et, hormis les grands froids ou la maladie, ils n’ont à redouter que la Bête, qui rôde aux abords d’infranchissables Confins. Ils ignorent qu’un tout autre monde existe au-delà. Cet autre monde, c’est le nôtre ou presque, situé dans un futur proche. L’espèce Neanderthal a été recréée à partir de bribes d’ADN et réintroduite dans une réserve où elle est observée et étudiée depuis plusieurs générations. Bientôt, des Sapiens vont franchir les Confins…

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy, Science Fiction Fantasy, Adult

320 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 5, 2023

About the author

Née à Dijon, Noëlle Michel vit à Gand, en Belgique. Ingénieure de formation, elle traduit désormais du néerlandais des romans, des essais et des ouvrages pour la jeunesse. Elle a notamment signé la traduction du roman d’Hanna Bervoets Les choses que nous avons vues (Le bruit du monde, 2022). Écrivaine, elle a publié en 2020 son premier roman : Viande (Lilys Editions).

Reviews

[GCR | Book Realm]

I received this book through NetGalley.

The Shadows Tomorrow was such an amazing read. It was fast-paced, immersive, unsettling, and really easy to get into. At least for me, the concept felt fresh, the characters were relatable enough to keep me invested, and the writing was sharp that made me stay locked in the whole time.

What I really loved was the bigger idea underneath it. It’s a story about humans trying to control a civilization they created, and of course that backfires. As it should. That concept worked so well for me, but the book also had enough momentum and character focus that it never felt like it was just relying on the idea.

I would recommend it to readers who like fast-paced speculative fiction with fresh concepts, relatable characters, unsettling atmosphere, and stories about control, creation, and what happens when people think they should be playing god.

[Creed Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I expected really big things from this book, and somehow it was better than I ever could’ve imagined? I mean that was a really good time.

Thanks Simon and Schuster for the ARC!!

[Ten Cats Reading]

RTC

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

When describing the book to a friend we came up with Jurassic Park but with humans. The story takes us to the future with gene coding and development of Neanderthal embryos. The world will see where you fit in as we see Sapiens and Neanderthals alive together.
This is a great book for the sci-fi dystopia lovers. It was a 3 for me since I struggling getting into the beginning of the story. There are multiple POVs so I took time to catch on with the timelines and story.
I did really like the names for the characters, the development, and the thoughts on what Sapien would you be. Unfortunately, I was not a huge fan of the ending nor feeling like other storylines were missed/under developed.

Thank you NetGalley and “Simon & Schuster“ for this Advanced Readers Copy (ARC). All opinions are my own in this review. BOOK is expected to release August, 2026.

[Indi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Une belle expérience.
J'ai trouvé l'idée originale et intéressante et j'ai particulièrement apprécié la plume de l'autrice. J'avais besoin de me concentrer un peu lors de ma lecture mais j'y ai vraiment pris plaisir!
Les différents points de vue et chronologies étaient intéressants, quoique parfois difficiles à suivre pour ma part.
Les thèmes abordés m'ont beaucoup plu. Pour citer ceux que j'ai préférés : l'écologie, notre rapport à la nature et à la technologie, le libre arbitre, la peur de l'autre.
Je regrette toutefois la fin qui m'a paru un peu abrupte alors que le reste du livre prenait son temps.

[Jujube · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Ik las ‘m in het Nederlands, maar die staat nog niet op goodreads)

[Agnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Une histoire captivante, bien écrite. En tant que biologiste (généticienne) de formation, j'étais légèrement sceptique au début: que pourrait donc nous apporter le clonage des Néans, puisque nous en savons si peu sur leur culture? Mais dès que l'objectif du simple divertissement s'est annoncé, je me suis laisser emporter par l'histoire.

Le livre fait réfléchir à notre façon de vivre, aux choix que fait notre société, aux possibilités et opportunités que nous avons - et surtout le choix de les utiliser ou non.

J'aime bien quand un livre m'apporte une nouvelle façon de voir les choses, une autre vision.

[Karen Bullock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely a fascinating read and perfect for readers of evolution, humanity and survival of a species.

Ground breaking storyline, that while a fictional telling, it poses some important questions.
Was the experiment to determine what shifted between the clans of Neanderthals and the species of newly emerging Homo sapiens? Why did one go extinct? And the other is still thriving today?

There’s interest spread throughout the story, more I think in the plot of the story rather than the characters themselves.

Indications of indigenous rituals and names, DNA replication, and the varying branches of the Homo sapiens family tree.

Super impressive speculative/futuristic

Thanks to Simin&Schuster for this inquiry into possibilities!

[Samantha Scherps (Samantha's Boekenhoekje) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wauw, ik ben erg onder de indruk van 'Schaduwen van morgen'! Als eerste gebruikt ze een fenomenale opbouw in haar roman. Aanvankelijk is het verhaal mysterieus, weet je niet wat er aan de hand is, en gooit Noëlle Michel kruimeltjes van informatie in de richting van de lezer. Stukje bij beetje kan je op die manier het verhaal ontrafelen, waar bij ik heel vele aha-momenten beleefde. Aan het einde was het boek ontzettend spannend, ik heb het echt heel snel uitgelezen!

In het boek komen heel wat ethische kwesties aan bod. 'Schaduwen van morgen' zette me erg aan het denken, en ook voor een boekenclub lijkt het me een heel fijn boek. Er is heel veel stof om te bespreken en te overdenken! Dat alles (die geweldige opbouw en inhoudelijk sterke verhaallijn) is dan ook nog eens gebracht in een geweldig mooie taal, wat voor mij echt de kers op de taart is. Ik vond het een prachtig boek en raad het iedereen aan!

[Elle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was incredible and even better than I expected.

I went in braced for something fast and plot-driven, which it is. But it’s so much more literary than I anticipated. At its heart it’s asking what it actually means to be human, and it does that from a perspective that’s poignant and genuinely dark.

It also examines the ethics of watching. Who gets observed, who gets to do the observing, and what that watching truly means.

A note on expectations. This is not a poppy reality-show romp. It is a beautiful, unsettling story that makes you think about your own life and how we define humanity. Fans of Sea of Tranquility will love this.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Diyae Charif Chefchaouni · Rating 5 out of 5]

J’ai mis un peu de temps à rentrer dans l’histoire mais une fois fait, j’ai été captivée jusqu’au bout ! Ce livre fait partie de mes lectures préférées de l’année.

Cette dystopie m’a un peu fait penser à The Maze (un peu) et je me suis dit tout du long « on n’est pas si loin de ce qui pourrait se passer demain »

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

My thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an advance copy of this novel of speculative fiction dealing with the reintroduction of people long though lost to the past, the reality they find themselves in, the show that keeps them funded, and what we get as a people watching others, and always being watched.

I love science fiction and even with the occasional break will love it till I can't read anymore. Certain aspects bother me, people my age dressed as Jedis with light sabers the price of my first car, hooting and hollering at a company who paid politicians to keep the copyright on a mouse. That sounds like a Philip K. Dick novel, which is where many of my favorite stories lie. I don't mind grand adventure, and aliens blowing up stuff, but science fiction is at its best when it looks at the world of now, and postulates, is this right, wrong, indifferent, and how will this affect the future. Science can do wonderful things, but should it. And what does the future hold for these ideas that seem to make so much sense at the time. Add in characters who are human, even if they are categorized differently, real emotions, and social issues, one has a great story, full of ideas, and even more love. The Shadows Tomorrow by Noëlle Michel translated by Frank Wynne is a story set in the future, dealing with peoples from the past, how we observe, how me make drama, the consequences of asking questions, and what actually defines being human.

The book opens in the dark, a man and a woman running through a dark cave. The woman confident and sure, knowing the darkness like she knows the back of her hand. Leaving a hand print on the cave walls, just to show she is here, and not to be forgotten. In the year 2030 Eva is a scientist who is offered a job by a powerful investor. She and her lab partner Noah take it, though Eva is full of doubts, and going through a rough time with the love of her life, the very married Dirk. Eva's work yields results, but not in ways she expects. Blood Moon is the leader of her tribe, a group of Neanderthals, surviving though Blood Moon is mourning the death of her son and love blizzard. The skies are full of birds, birds that seem to be watching them, as well as a creature in the woods, that sometimes takes members of the tribe away. Thirty years after Eva's discovery the show Another Eden is a popular reality broadcast showing Neanderthals going about their life, and the scientists who care for them. In the effort to gain viewership through staged drama, actors are added to the show, sapiens to see what happens. And things start to change.

A book that starts slow, even with the dark chase in the caves, but really finds itself, and makes for a very unputdownable read. The learning curve can be a little steep. There are a lot of characters, a lot of changes in POV, and even time, but the work is worth it for a story that tells so much, asks so much of what he consider human. The chapters are tell us who we are seeing the story through, so that helps, and again it is worth it. Michel is a very accomplished writer, able to make scientific terms, and affairs of the heart make sense, and ring true with lots of emotional depth. The translation loses none of this impact, a book that I won't soon forget.

I enjoyed this book quite a lot. The science, the ideas, the social commentary. However it is the writing, that really impressed me. Lyrically, poetic, technical. Always interesting, and always surprising, even when one thinks the have an idea how things will go. A real winner, and an author I look forward to reading more of.

[Tessa Talks Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

One-word review: Ambitious

Book vibe: Prehistoric survival meets a near-future scientific experiment—with quite a few ethical nightmares tucked inside.

My thoughts:

The Shadows Tomorrow has such an unusual premise. Neanderthals have been recreated from recovered DNA and placed on a nature reserve, where they live without knowing that modern humans are observing them. It’s fascinating. It’s also unsettling, especially once their lives become entertainment for everyone outside the reserve.

The prehistoric sections worked best for me. The forest, the bitter cold, the constant search for food, and the fear surrounding the Bounds all felt vivid and immediate. Those scenes pulled me into the clan’s world in a way the modern portions didn’t always manage. There’s something intensely sad about watching Blood Moon and her people live, love, grieve, and pass down their stories while knowing how little control they actually have over their existence.

This is a very ambitious book, though. It covers a huge stretch of time and follows so many characters that I sometimes struggled to find an emotional foothold. The third-person omniscient narration adds even more distance. The moment I started becoming invested in one person or thread, the story would move elsewhere. Eva, Noah, Jules, Adam, Blood Moon—there’s a lot to hold onto, and I’m not sure everyone received enough development.

I also had trouble with the dialogue. It rarely sounded like something people would naturally say, which repeatedly pulled me out of the story. This may be partly due to translation, but either way, the conversations regularly felt stiff. The pacing had a similar stop-and-start quality. Certain sections moved quickly, while others lingered without giving me the character depth I wanted.

Still, the questions behind the story are hard to shake. If scientists can recreate another type of human, do they have the right to control that population? Is observation still exploitation when the subjects don’t know they’re being watched? And what happens once someone’s life becomes popular entertainment? Honestly, humanity’s ability to turn almost anything into a television series may be the most believable part.

There’s a smart and thought-provoking novel inside The Shadows Tomorrow, but it needed more room—or perhaps a little more focus—to fully bring its many ideas and characters together. Readers already interested in speculative anthropology, Neanderthals, and the ethics of genetic science may connect with it much more strongly. It’s definitely niche, but it offers plenty to think about.

Floral Verdict: 🌿 Fern

The concept is fascinating, and the prehistoric world is wonderfully immersive. Still, the large cast, vast timeline, uneven pacing, and emotional distance make this one better suited to a fairly specific reader.

[Ann Onimaus · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fascinating read that asks readers to consider humanity's increasingly fractured relationship with the natural world. One of the strongest aspects of the book is the contrast between modern humans and the Neands. While humans have become increasingly disconnected from nature, the Neands possess an innate understanding of and connection to their environment, even as they are given fabricated histories and lore to shape their emerging society. The parallels between the two species create thought-provoking questions about what it truly means to be human and what may be lost as civilization continues to distance itself from the natural world.
Because this is speculative science fiction, there are scientific and social concepts that take creative liberties. Readers familiar with anthropology, genetics, or related fields may notice moments that prioritize the story's themes over strict scientific accuracy. However, I felt those liberties served the larger narrative well, reinforcing the ethical questions and philosophical discussions at the heart of the story rather than distracting from them.
The book follows a large ensemble cast across multiple timelines, which can feel overwhelming at first as readers learn each perspective and determine how everyone fits into the larger story. Fortunately, the various storylines gradually converge, rewarding close attention and making the interconnected narrative satisfying once the pieces begin falling into place.
The pacing was somewhat uneven at times, particularly in the beginning. The story takes its time introducing its many characters and establishing the world, and I occasionally found myself trying to understand where each perspective fit within the overarching plot. However, that deliberate pacing also allows for richer character development and creates a stronger sense of place, making the emotional and thematic payoffs more impactful later in the novel.
Overall, The Shadows Tomorrow is a thoughtful work of speculative science fiction that, like many great science fiction stories, uses speculative ideas to challenge readers to think beyond the story. It raises compelling questions about humanity, ethics, environmental stewardship, and our relationships with other living beings. While it requires some patience early on as the narrative and multiple perspectives take shape, it's ultimately a rewarding read that leaves readers reflecting on what it truly means to be human, and perhaps what it means to be other.

[Reneaue · Rating 4 out of 5]

What if humanity could bring Neanderthals back from extinction, not just fossils or fragments of DNA, but as living, thinking beings?

The Shadows of Tomorrow is a speculative novel that leans hard into this question, not to showcase cutting-edge research, but to explore the ethical consequences of creation itself. While current science lacks the full epigenetic and regulatory data needed to truly resurrect Neanderthals (meaning any attempt would be an approximation, not a revival), Michel asks readers to imagine that this hurdle has been crossed, and then forces us to sit with the fallout.

The story is told through multiple points of view across generations, with non-linear timelines that can feel disorienting at first. Once settled, however, the structure becomes a strength, reflecting the layered moral complexity of the story.

One of the central characters is Eva, a biologist with a specialty in paleoanthropology, who is part of the research team tasked to recreate the “Neand” species. As the project progresses, her scientific role becomes deeply personal when she helps raise the children, teaching them invented histories and myths meant to simulate ancestral social structures. The line between researcher and mentor quickly blurs leaving her concerned for how the children are being treated.

Equally compelling is Blood Moon, the leader of a Neand community living in a French reservation called New Eden . Over time, the Neands have developed their own religion, stories, and traditions. They believe they were created by goddesses and placed in a sanctuary for protection—yet that sanctuary is imperfect. A mysterious “Beast” periodically abducts members of the clan, and Blood Moon is still grieving the disappearance of her mate and subsequent loss of their child to illness. Her story is one of leadership shaped by trauma.

Other perspectives, including Azure, a young Neand consumed by anger rather than grief, and Adam, a human actor sent into New Eden as part of a reality TV experiment. Their perspectives, along with those of Noah and Standing Stone, underscore the novel’s sharp critique of exploitation, commodification, and spectacle.

What I appreciated most is how directly this book engages with ethical questions:

If a Corporation creates a sentient species, does it own them?
Who gets to decide their rights?
And what happens when science, corporate greed, and entertainment collide?

That said, readers looking for hard science fiction may find the scientific details light. The novel prioritizes moral and emotional exploration over deep dives into biotechnology. For some readers, that choice may be preferable—but mileage may vary.

Overall, The Shadows of Tomorrow is a thoughtful novel that asks uncomfortable questions and doesn’t offer easy answers. It’s less about how far science can go, and more about whether it should.

Recommended for readers who enjoy ethically driven speculative fiction and character‑centered sci‑fi.

==========================
Thank you to Simon & Schuster, NetGalley, and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Jensen McCorkel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Imagine a film that fuses the isolated paranoia of The Village with the scientific arrogance and escalating survival horror of Jurassic Park except instead of resurrecting dinosaurs, humanity brings back Neanderthals. The result would be haunting, tragic, and psychologically volatile, especially once a reality television element is introduced.

In The Shadows Tomorrow, Michel constructs the story around an unforgettable premise: Neanderthals secretly recreated through biotechnology and placed inside a carefully controlled wilderness reserve, believing they are completely alone in the world. Watching that illusion gradually unravel becomes the emotional core of the novel. The more the modern world intrudes upon their existence, the more disturbing and emotionally charged the story becomes.

The satire is equally effective. At first, the NeanderTales reality-show premise seems absurd, almost laughably over-the-top, but as the story progresses, it becomes disturbingly plausible. The novel demonstrates a keen awareness of modern voyeurism and society’s hunger for spectacle, posing unsettling questions about exploitation, media obsession, and the ease with which suffering can be repackaged as entertainment. Readers looking for meticulously grounded hard science fiction may find the biotech elements difficult to fully accept, as the premise demands a fair amount of suspension of disbelief. Even so, the novel ultimately succeeds because of the power of its central question. What if humanity encountered another human species, would empathy prevail, or would curiosity, profit, and the desire for control take over instead?

That said, the pacing is uneven, especially in the middle, and the constant perspective shifts make it difficult to fully connect with several characters. Some storylines feel underdeveloped, while others seem included mainly to support the themes rather than the emotional narrative.

Overall, I admired The Shadows Tomorrow. It’s ambitious, thoughtful, and packed with great ideas, but it felt like a book reaching for something bigger than it could fully deliver. Still, readers who enjoy speculative fiction built around ethical dilemmas and unsettling concepts will probably find a lot to appreciate here.

[Nicole Winchester · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Shadows Tomorrow gives a heartbreaking, and all too real, near-future scenario--what would humans do if they could recreate Neanderthals? The answer is a mix between the Truman Show and the inhumane "human zoos" that lasted well into the twentieth century. It really gives the reader a lot to ponder on the predictable nature of human behavior, but leaves you with some hope as well. The Institute that made the Neanderthals gets just a tad cartoonish at the end with their evil plans, but it's still a good read.
In a few dozen years, a scientific breakthrough becomes possible--scientists can replicate Neanderthal DNA. Eva is one of the researchers taking care of the babies. The plan is to raise them, then release them into what's basically a guarded nature preserve so they can live as they were meant to--which raises a host of ethical problems in itself. Eva and another researcher, Noah, realize how precious these children are and have a bad feeling that the Institute that made them won't be protecting them as much as exploiting them, and they're right.
It switches back and forth from the near future to the 2100's, where the Neanderthals have been the unknowing stars of a widely loved reality show as they live out their lives in peace, except for The Beast that occasionally kidnaps of a tribe member or two. Adam is a young man with no future who is selected to be introduced into the preserve as a different tribe, to spice up the show. Adam soon falls in love with Blood Moon, a Neanderthal woman who's suffered incalculable loss, and butts heads with Azure, who is slowly letting his anger of the others overwhelm him. Adam and his sister, Victoire, concoct a plan to get them out, which is where the Institute's real plans are revealed.
The plot switches between at least five different characters, maybe more, and switches quite a bit between the near and far future, but it's handled well. The prose feels a little stiff and "purple" sometimes, perhaps because it's a translation, but I never felt like there was slack in the narrative.

[Matt Mansfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paleo Park: Return of the Ancestors

Remember Dolly the English Sheep clone who made headlines in 1996?

A lot of has developed in the world of bioengineering and DNA 30 years since then. And apparently on the verge of an unexpected breakthrough when paleontology and in vitro fertilizations successfully combine with surrogate human mothers to produce prehistoric offspring.

Originally published 2023 in Europe, Noelle Michel’s imaginative science fiction novel, “The Shadows Tomorrow”, scheduled for a 2026 US release, explores the possibilities of recovered Neanderthal DNA being used to create new offsprings with the help of human Sapiens mothers.

The offspring live in a large geographic park area of Europe, the Confines, electronically cordoned off from the outside world but monitored by various disguised mini-drones. In an ironic twist, unbeknown to them, the lives of the “Neands” are main characters in a reality TV show, “Another Eden", broadcast to the rest of the world beyond the Confines.

Periodically, something called the “Beast” by the Neands randomly show up and carries off one of their members, never to be seen again. Kind of like the Minotaur of Greek mythology. So, the question arises: is there more to this production than is being broadcast?

Using a saga format, the story unfolds through different perspectives, both inside and outside the Confines, as well as some timeline shifts, current and forward looking.

The continuity is comfortable to follow and the narratives ultimately dovetail to reveal an interesting and unexpected resolution challenging perspectives about current issues and how they might unfold. Could there be a sequel?

Part Jurassic Park, though during the later Paleolithic Period; part-Survivor reality TV; maybe a little throwback to Mary Shelley’s novel and Nathaniel Hawthorner’s short stories reflecting on the impact of science on human behavior and interaction. And not some ridiculous make up version for a forgotten TV commercial.

Take a trip on the wild side!

[Den · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book takes a very interesting premise and fumbles it.

So based on the summary, neanderthals (henceforth called Neands in the book) have been cloned and are the subject of a reality show in our near future. We are told that the book will delve on the ethical and moral considerations of this whole setup.

The book wants to touch on big ideas like humans using other humans for entertainment, the world here feels so small and we never see the bigger picture. This show has apparently been on air for years. What does the audience think about it? What is the general reception? Are there people protesting this? Is this sanctioned by the government? Are there similar shows in this world? The audience plays a huge role in making this kind of exploitation possible and acceptable, simply by continuing to watch. So why do we never really see them? I thought we would actually touch on what it means for a show to exploit people this badly. Maybe this is just a case of my expectations not matching what the book is. I was kinda expecting a mirror to society, but this book is more sci-fi conspiracy. If that is your thing, then I think you'll enjoy this book.

The premise raises huge questions, but I don't think the story addresses them in a satisfying way.

It's also hard to know the extent of the knowledge the neands have. They use words like "epiphany", "malevolent", "myth", "sprained ankle" and understand words like "vice versa", and yet they do not know that a world exists outside their little enclave.

Lots of the expositioning sounded very clunky to me. I am not sure if it is the translation or the original text. We are told that a character falls in love with another, but we never actually witness it. One minute they're acquaintances and two scenes later they can't live without each other. We are told about the true nature of the institution through a very long voice memo, basically a monologue from one character reciting plot beats. The big reveal is also a one-sided monologue from a single character, which the other character just takes at face value. I wish we actually saw these things happen.

The skeleton of a good book is there though, and I wasn't bored. I just wish there was more there, you know?

[Stacy DeBroff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to advances in DNA research and bringing extinct species to life, a billionaire funds resurrecting Neanderthals to both use them as biological study subjects as well as to turn them into a world-watched reality show entitled Another Eden.

What follows is a deeply disconcerting and chilling story, where after nurturing babies and creating an elaborate mythology to guide their world view, scientists place the growing Neanderthal clan into an expansive mountain wooded sanctuary carefully watched by overhead drones disguised as white birds. The Neanderthals are kept in by an electrical fence barrier.

Fast forward some thirty years, a strong female leader, Blood Moon, leads the clan with the help of a wizened elder who serves as the clan’s sage. Blood Moon has been deeply grieving the loss of her lover as well as the death of the son they had together, in addition to overseeing her two daughters’, from a prior relationship, wellbeing. The clan is wary of a mythological “Beast” that has been spotted and has snatched members of the clan across time.

The show’s director has decided to kick up the action by hiring and training four actors to enter the “preserve” to introduce Homo sapiens to the Neanderthals and hopefully spark romance plots. But things quickly deteriorate as the scientists have given the Neanderthals drugs that creates paranoia and psychosis in some, and as unexpectedly one of the actors and Blood Moon fall deeply in love.

The fast-paced action keeps you totally trying to guess what’s coming next. The callousness of the scientists, the greed of the founders, and the mistreatment of the Neanderthals make you wonder if actually the Homo sapiens race is actually a more barbaric, crueler version of humanity. Plus, in contrast to the Neanderthals living in deep harmony with nature, the Homo sapiens’ world outside proves besot with pollution, devastating human-created climate demise, and unhappy, tech-plugged in humans living mostly in virtual reality.

Thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for an advance reader’s copy.

[alyssa · Rating 3 out of 5]

At its core, The Shadows Tomorrow by Noëlle Michel (translated by Frank Wynne) wrestles with a familiar but unsettling question: just because we can, should we? The book is a speculative thriller that flirts with the boundaries of science, ethics, and identity. In the novel, Neanderthals are created in a lab and then reintroduced into a controlled environment for scientific study and entertainment. Though the premise is intriguing, it ultimately left me feeling a bit distanced from the characters (as others have noted as well). The multiple perspectives, including both the Neanderthal clan’s inner world and the human scientists observing them, kept me engaged, but the constant shifts in narrative felt jarring at times and as soon as I became invested in one story line it felt like it switched. I wish there had been more time and space on each storyline to explore more of each narrative and allow readers to build an emotional connection to the characters. I would have loved to have read more from Noah and "Jules"!!

Despite these pacing issues, Noelle Michel’s writing is undeniably compelling, especially when exploring the ethical implications of creating life for observation and consumption. The tension between the Neanderthals’ primitive existence and some of the scientists + TV producers cold detachment made for some thought-provoking moments. That said, the ending didn’t quite land for me. Though I appreciate the attempt to tie the narrative together in a twist, it felt rushed and there were too many moving parts for my preference. Still, The Shadows Tomorrow is a creative and ambitious exploration of humanity’s darker impulses, and I’d recommend it for readers intrigued by philosophical questions about the future of genetic science and the consequences of playing God.

Thank you to Noëlle Michel, Simon & Schuster, and NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for a free e-ARC.

[Josie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for providing me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

sooo okay, The Shadows Tomorrow takes a hard look at humanity and how we utilize science to a disgusting degree, and not always for the best. in this story, the "great" homo sapiens find a way to bring back neanderthals. they raise them from babies and end up "releasing" them into a designated land, where a tv show called Another Eden eventually starts. it's essentially a more feral version of love island, without all the love drama and a bit more subtle day-to-day experiences as the public follows generations of neanderthals (usually) peacefully living their lives.

first, the premise was suuuuper interesting. we follow multiple timelines, starting out at the beginning of the neanderthal project and ranging to over a hundred years in the future, where they put 'sapien' actors into Another Eden as a method of stirring up the "plot lines" for the viewers. also, the twist at the end? idk why i didn't see that coming, but it was a bit '!!!' inducing once i realized what was actually happening. crazy stuff!!

buuuut... i felt like i was reading a high level version of a story. the writing, while lovely, felt a bit fluffed at times and i found myself skimming some sentences to bypass the same flowery descriptions that resembled the exact paragraph i read before it. this might be due to the fact this is a french to english translation, and i know translations aren't always a perfect 1:1. i also feel like a chunk of plotlines were left behind - i would've loved to know what happened to Standing Stone after he discovered his own truth, what happens with Azure, and do the neands get their deserved ending?? i am left with some wants here :(

either way, this was a different, quick read and while i didn't necessarily eat it up, i thought it was a fun ride. 3.5/5 stars.

[Susan Poer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would say this was a well written, unique story, but a bit hard to get into initially. I was more interested in the science behind this project, rather than the day to day lives of the Neanderthals themselves, the latter which takes up a big section of the beginning.

The author poses a great question, 'What if humanity were forced to confront another version of itselfone we believed had vanished forever?' Would this change our day to day existence or how we anticipate the future?

In the book, Neanderthals have been resurrected through genetic engineering and quietly established within a secluded European nature reserve. Shielded from the outside world, they live according to their own traditions, unaware that they are being observed, studied, and ultimately transformed into the unwilling stars of a global entertainment phenomenon. What begins as a speculative premise soon evolves into a layered thriller examining surveillance, scientific ambition, media exploitation, and the moral cost of treating living beings as experiments.

Michel draws parallels to contemporary debates surrounding gene editing, artificial intelligence, conservation, and reality television without allowing the story to become overly preachy. Instead, the ethical dilemmas arise naturally from the characters' choices, inviting readers to wrestle with uncomfortable questions long after the final page. Especially as they put these folks into a reality show called 'Another Eden'. In order to boost ratings, the producers throw in a human to interact with the Neanderthals to see how that upsets the order, and it certainly does.

However, I felt that the author never addressed the question of 'why'. Why did the scientists feel they needed to clone Neanderthals to study them? What did they hope to gain by doing so? If that were explored in depth, I might have enjoyed the story more.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Shadows Tomorrow was a fascinating read with a premise unlike anything I’ve read before. The story follows Adam, who is content living a comfortable, ordinary life and is initially indifferent to the plight of the Neanderthals. As circumstances draw him deeper into their world and ultimately into their tribe, his transformation is one of the most compelling aspects of the novel. I found myself completely invested in Adam and Blood Moon’s journey and was rooting for them every step of the way.

My biggest challenge with the book was the constant shifting between the past and the present. While I appreciate what the authors were trying to accomplish, I often found myself having to stop and think about which timeline I was in and how the current chapter connected to what I had just read. Just as I became immersed in one storyline, the narrative would jump to another time period, making it difficult to maintain the flow. I also spent much of the book trying to understand how Jules fit into the larger story. His chapters were interesting, but I wasn’t always sure how they connected to Adam and Blood Moon’s storyline until much later.

Despite those moments of confusion, I thoroughly enjoyed the novel. It raises thought-provoking questions about humanity, prejudice, family, and belonging while telling an emotional and imaginative story. Adam’s evolution from an indifferent observer to someone willing to risk everything for the Neanderthals was especially satisfying, and the relationship between him and Blood Moon gave the story a lot of heart. Even though I occasionally found the structure challenging to follow, the characters and emotional depth made this a memorable read that I would happily recommend to anyone who enjoys intelligent speculative fiction.

[Flavie · Rating 5 out of 5]

꧁༒ Demain les ombres - Noëlle Michel ༒꧂

Seriez-vous prêt·es à regarder une télé-réalité avec le concept suivant :
De nos jours, les Néandertaliens ont été recréés génétiquement et vivent reclus dans une région naturelle. Leurs moindres faits et gestes sont observés par le centre qui les a clonés et leur vie est retranscrite à des milliers de téléspectateurs.

C’est ce que cette dystopie explore.

Lorsqu’Eva accepte de cloner de l’ADN de Néandertaliens, elle n’a aucune idée de ce que prépare le Centre. Ces expériences qui visent à comprendre comment vivaient les Néandertaliens, cachent des intentions plus sombres que le public et elle-même ignore. Elle et Noah décident de s’enfuir avec les enfants clonés pour les protéger.
Quelques années plus tard, le clan de Néandertaliens existe bel et bien, le public l’observe et un certain Adam, humain, s’apprête à y faire son entrée en tant qu’acteur. Les choses vont alors prendre une tout autre tournure…

J’ai été totalement happée par ce roman à l’idée originale. Le suspense est efficace et l’alternance de points de vue des différents personnages à des époques différentes créent un puzzle à reconstruire au fil du récit. L’autrice questionne des thématiques de moralité, d’humanité. Le tout dans un décor de montagnes immersif.
Sur 300 pages c’est assez efficace, la fin peut être un peu expéditive. J’aurais voulu en savoir plus sur les actes militants des activistes qui ne cautionnent pas l’enfermement des Néandertaliens.

Au final, c’est un peu comme The Truman Show, mais avec une rencontre entre Néandertaliens et Sapiens.

C’était un coup de coeur !
Flavie

[Janine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Speculative thriller about “resurrected” Neanderthals living in a secluded nature reserve being studied and recorded for live TV.

Another Eden is the name of the TV reality show where scientists and ordinary humans can study Neanderthals. The Neanderthals were “resurrected” by a secret Belgium biotech firm. These “cloned” Neand “hunter-gatherer” are lead by a female alpha, Blood Moon. Activists decry the work saying DNA is being harvested for nefarious purposes. Meanwhile the shows producers decide to boost ratings by adding a human element. Hunky Adam is sent to woo Blood Moon’s daughters but falls for Blood Moon having a seismic impact on the show and humanity.

This was a somewhat strange read. The book moves between points in time and POV, though these were at times confusing. The first half was slow but does pick up later. The idea of cloning Neanderthals was an interesting premise, but I felt the rather sophomoric writing style dumbed the story down. And, the romance between Adam and Blood Moon read like a Grade B romance novel. Sorry I just couldn’t resonate with this book.

I do think there was an interesting moral theme to the novel: what’s the price for the continuation of a species? Technological advances without safeguards are not good for any species. The ability to create a genetically altered human - as Elon Musk has supposedly done with all his boys named X - is morally wrong reprehensible (why is no one concerning it?).

This maybe a book for sci-fi lovers who can appreciate Neanderthals better than I did.

My thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for granting me access to this ARC.

[Tales Untangled · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE SHADOWS TOMORROW is dystopian and strange and thoughtful at the same time—I couldn't stop turning the pages.

Genre: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Dystopian, Adult Fantasy, Speculative Fiction
Language: I think there was one F-bomb
Spice Level: Nothing graphic on the page
Format: Two time periods and places, two types of people: Neanderthals and Homo Sapiens

This book has vibes like The Giver by Lowry, Piranesi by Clarke, and The Truman Show, to me. I haven't read the other books it is compared to, so I don't know if that feels accurate. I was so intrigued though. Okay, at first I was a little confused of when the scientists lived and when the Neanderthals were living, but I caught on quickly. The Neanderthals are in the present time.

The plot is probably one of the least important things in this book. Haha. It's an idea book even though the story itself is intriguing. I think a book club would have fun with this one. It pushes us to confront what it is to be human, how we treat others, social justice, but all of this is done in a non-preachy way. This is just how I like my dystopians, unsettling, thoughtful, and a little bit literary.

This book is well worth reading. It's actually a pretty fast read for the big ideas it contains. I can also seeing college students really liking this one because of the experimental view point.

Happy reading!

My thanks for the ARC goes to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster. All opinions are my own.

[Johnsnowwasright · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the e-ARC.

For such a fantastic premise, this was insanely disappointing. I get what the book was trying to do but unfortunately it failed miserably.

There is not much more that I can say other than......'The Shadows Tomorrow' was really boring. I struggled to get through the last 50% because the prose was so bland and I just didn't care by that point. The authors indulged in way, way too much telling instead of showing. The reader is told about the developing relationship between Blood Moon and Adam instead of there being scenes illustrating it. We are told about the resistance movement and all the ills of the 'Institute' instead of again....this being shown in the narrative through possibly Victoire's POV. And I still don't see the point of Azure's POV chapters other than him being a Neanderthal incel who served no purpose in the end.

I really liked the flashing back and forth between the present day reality show and the creation of the Neanderthals. But again, so much of the creation story was told via summary instead of being organically shown to the reader. I feel that the book could have easily been twice the length if more detail was given to each character and each storyline. If that had been the case, this could have been a really great story about what defines humanity and how technology cuts us off from nature. But sadly....I was just bored.

[Bandit · Rating 4 out of 5]

It stands to mention that I'm very partial to stories about Neanderthals. It's what drew me to this book to begin with. But then, it was also such a good and - crucially - original story.
The first part didn't do much for me, mainly because it read like so much of the ubiquitous "mommy fiction" out there, with the protagonist contemplating having a baby, despite her wildly unstable relationship situation with a married man. In other words, kind of tedious.

But then, as the timeline sped up, and Eva more of less left the picture, it got really good. The author focused on the important things. i.e. Neanderthals. That, and the people who recreated them from DNA traces and the reasons behind the experiment.
There's also a love story underscoring the proceedings, between two very unlikely partners from both sides of the fence.
​
The production jumps rather enthusiastically from POV to POV and timeline to timeline, which can be trying. But overall, the characters are compelling, and the narrative is dynamic, emotionally engaging, and clever.
Plus, it's Belgian, so checkmark for international reading.
In other words, a very good read. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.

This and more at https://advancetheplot.weebly.com/

[Kcaroth1 · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Shadows Tomorrow has some fascinating ideas and ethical quandaries but is let down by the execution. If you could recreate neanderthals with modern gene techniques, how would you present them to the world? With a reality tv show, of course. Then you would have to spice up the tv show by sending in actors to manipulate the previously isolated neands.
There is a lot more going on here than just the reality show. The first generation of neands must be taught to live in the off the grid conditions, myths and storytelling have to be generated, and whether these new beings have any agency has to be determined. It’s really these questions that are the heart of the novel and what kept me going with it.
On the other hand, the writing felt forced in many places (due to translation, perhaps) and I felt at quite a distance from the characters. This was not helped by pacing that was uneven and changing points of view and timelines. The middle third was the strongest; the story was moving at a good pace prior to the events of the end which were a bit off.
With that said, I find myself thinking about the ethical questions after completing the story, so I think it is worth the read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the free eARC.