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Inheritance

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From the author of The Mothers comes a propulsive family drama that explores the possibilities and dangers of designing the perfect child.

In 2027, Emily is deciding whether to take advantage of a new health service that promises a healthier, stronger baby through gene editing. There's plenty in her family tree that she would like to protect her unborn child against.

But not everybody loves the so-called designer baby technology.

Decades later, Adelaide is an ambitious political staffer trying to make a difference. Adelaide and her husband are working towards a goal they've called The Cyprus Project, but their plans risk being derailed when an unexpected threat looms.

Told across two generations, and two continents, Inheritance is about the legacies we leave our children, the bonds between mothers and daughters, and how it's never too late to fix our mistakes.

Kindle Edition

Published September 3, 2024

About the author

Genevieve Gannon

6 books118 followers

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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
Profile Image for Mandy White (mandylovestoread).
2,424 reviews699 followers
September 19, 2024
Wow, this book absolutely took me by surprise. When Pantera Press reached out and asked if I would like a copy to read I thought it sounded good so I said yes. I did. It expect to get so deeply invested in the story. If you are sitting on the fence I say grab it, you will be pleasantly surprised.

A dual timeline story of motherhood. There is Emily in 2027, who is having a baby and is considering the new controversial health service, gene editing. You can change pretty much anything you want to have the perfect baby. Make they stronger, make them have a beautiful singing voice, whatever you want. But it is not a popular choice. People are protesting against these clinics, believing nature should be left alone. Then we have Adelaide in 2057 who is desperate to have a baby. She will do anything, but will she push too far?

This book makes you think about what you might do given this choice. Will this be our future? Would you want to change anything? What this story shows that even a child with edits won’t be perfect. It is emotional and addictive.

Thank you Pantera Press for having me along on this tour and the chance to read this book.
Profile Image for Janine.
665 reviews48 followers
September 1, 2024
Absolutely brilliant - a real page turner! Two women! Two eras, one desire - to be mothers. In a post pandemic world Emily wants the best for her child, and if that means preventing that baby from suffering in the future, and you have the means to make that happen, why wouldn’t you. Adelaide is desperate to have a baby but has suffered many losses and can’t go through that again- she will risk everything to become a mother.

I’ve read all of Gens books and they are all brilliant. I highly recommend you pick up this one, I couldn’t put it down!

Big thanks to Pantera Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review - I am very grateful.
Profile Image for Ayla.
Author 9 books12 followers
July 17, 2024
Inheritance by Genevieve Gannon is about two woman decades apart struggling with fertility, family issues and controversial new technology.

First we meet Emily, who is struggling to conceive in the near future of 2027 in a world still trying to recover from a pandemic, and considers the help of the newest baby tech, gene editing, which promises a stronger, smarter, more elite and advantageous child. Then we meet Adelaide, who 30 years later, is determined to make a positive change in her role as a political worker. She is also struggling to conceive after several miscarriages and has a secret goal with her husband called The Cyprus Project that is risky and threatens to fall apart.

I loved this - the world creation, the unique, fresh premise, and the way Gannon brought in enough from the real world for this story to be extremely believable. She really captured that feeling of uncertainty and dread that reminded me of the virus outbreaks and lockdowns Australia experienced during covid times. This was well researched, well written and executed beautifully. Deals with complex issues, emotions, and the potential consequences of playing with nature.

It reminded me very much of The Handmaids Tale, and I chucked to myself when it was even mentioned in the book.

Thank you Pantera Press and NetGalley for my ARC. Inheritance is due out 03/09/24.
Profile Image for Craig and Phil.
1,780 reviews96 followers
September 11, 2024
Thank you Pantera Press for sending us a copy to read and review.
Genevieve Gannon creates and writes gripping reads.
Stories that are topical, compelling and interesting.
Her latest work is truly another to add to that list.
Inheritance is thought provoking, unique and one that will definitely initiate discussions.
A controversial new technology for planning the creation of the perfect child.
Years in the future, 2027, Emily and her husband Dougal are discussing a baby.
A new clinic is offering gene design for an ideal kid.
But some are not happy with this.
Another thirty years on, Adelaide is working for a change in her job.
With the help from her husband, Ollie, they want to make a difference but something gets in the way.
What to know what happens next, then get a copy and devour…..
A tale that may completely surprise the reader.
There’s many issues, emotions and situations to unfold and the relationship between mother and daughter is explored as well.
It asks the question “would you or wouldn’t you”, leaving you with much to think about.
Add to your reading pile now!
Profile Image for Amanda - Mrs B's Book Reviews.
2,090 reviews312 followers
October 3, 2024
*https://www.instagram.com/mrsb_book_r...

🤱The Mothers put Australian writer Genevieve Gannon in the spotlight and once again she captivates her audience with her latest composition, a dystopian-inspired tale titled Inheritance. A dual timeline narrative that takes the reader to 2027 and 2057, issues of motherhood, family, creation, health, survival and perfection take the floor.

🤱Imagine you could create a child of your own who is almost perfect in every way? This is the scenario put forward in Genevieve Gannon’s new novel. Emily is a woman who wants to start family in the best way possible by utilising a service that allows a child to be created using a gene editing process. It is controversial but this new technology offers so much to families. Years into the future we learn of a project that is under fire from a surprise threat. Inheritance sees the collision of the past and the future with unexpected eventualities, making us all think deeply about our future generations.

🤱Inheritance takes on a pretty bold and topical subject matter. Technology, health, politics, research and fertility all come into play in this morally charged novel from Genevieve Gannon. I do love to sink my teeth into a social dilemma-style novel and this one comes with some side dystopian themes. I appreciated the opportunity to put myself in the characters' shoes and the problems they face in this tale. It was uncomfortable, perplexing, divisive and emotional at times, but definitely challenging. I think Gannon makes a number of good points here around motherhood, personal rights, the place of technology and society. It is almost a tad nightmarish to think that the world presented here in this novel may actually be a real possibility some time soon. Scary indeed!

🤱Take an ethical quandary and add in realistic characters along with emotionally charged writing with a critical lens and you have Inheritance. Inheritance is a recommended read.

🌟🌟🌟🌟4 stars, out now!

Thank you to @panterapress for the review copy.
Profile Image for Sharondblk.
853 reviews13 followers
August 29, 2024
This is a dual timeline book, with one storyline tracing Emily's journey to becoming a mother, and another tracing Adelaide's 30 years later. I loved the first three quarters of this book. It focussed on the ethics and reasons for fiddling with the human genome, and on the question of what is a human, and who should have rights. It showed complicated and real feeling mother daughter relationships and the challenges we can face. I loved the fact is was set in Melbourne, my city, a city that felt very real - even 40 years from our future. I wasn't expecting a pandemic book, but it was well done. Until
That part felt fake and silly and forced, and unnecessary given the weighty emotional content of the novel.
2 reviews
September 14, 2024
I loved reading this book. I really connected to the characters. It was thought provoking and though set in the future, it felt like the things that were happening could really play out. I read this in 3 days as I had to find out what happened.
Profile Image for Rina.
1,240 reviews66 followers
September 22, 2024
4.5 stars.

In 2027, Emily is considering a new health service that promises a healthier, stronger baby through gene editing. But not everybody loves the so-called designer baby technology. Decades later, Adelaide is an ambitious political staffer trying to make a difference, given the consequences of decisions made by the previous generation. Adelaide and her husband are working towards a goal they’ve called The Cyprus Project, but their plans risk being derailed when an unexpected threat looms.

This book tells a near-future, somewhat dystopian story, but it’s not really a sci-fi. There’s a little bit of superhuman ability involved, but it’s not really a fantasy. There’s definitely heightened suspense too, with high-stake action scenes, but it’s not ‘just’ a thriller. Basically, you can’t put this book in one genre box easily, and I absolutely loved it because of that.

At the end of the day, it’s about motherhood - the subject that Genevieve Gannon’s superior writing seems to always go back to. As I was reading, I kept thinking to myself how much I understood the dilemma it portrayed. It was a great tug-o-war between wanting the next generation to survive and excel vs. the fear of the unknowns. With politics and human egos added in, it was the perfect brew that went back to the same divisive reasons that made human beings act nasty towards others.

This was such a powerful story that made me think. I felt the ending a bit rushed, but that was probably because I was fully hooked and I didn’t want it to end. All in all, another great book from Genevieve Gannon. One that is underrated and should be hyped more!

(Thanks to Pantera Press for a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review)

See my bookstagram review.
Profile Image for Marles Henry.
734 reviews37 followers
September 27, 2024
Would you use a health service that promised a healthier, stronger baby through gene editing?
It is 2027, and the choice to use gene editing technology is in the hands of Emily and Dougal. It is also a time when there was a lot of backlash about using this kind of technology any aftermath of the Epsilon virus were still wreaking havoc amongst the community. There's a lot of strength in the arguments for and against using gene editing to create children of the future in these flashbacks to this time period with Emily and it's balanced quite well.
Thirty years later, Adelaide is working with a prominent politician, trying to push forward new ideas and make a difference. Adelaide and her husband have their own secret project after years of trying for a child as part of the Cyprus Project. She is also in the midst of a time where people who had been born through modified gene technology ostracised and treated like the worst of the worst. We learn more about Adelaide who she is and how she came to be and the impacts of this on her life and her body and also her thoughts about the rights of people who had been genetically modified all those years ago.
The research and storyline around ethics and ‘playing god’ with genes was thorough and highlighted the complexities around this, especially thinking about where the work would be in five to thirty years from now. The political struggles that Adelaide was going through in relation to her workplace and her own future were created quite well you know I was surprised that so many of her actions veiled to her government employer. The slogans of “better dead than red” were revived in this era, because of the popularity of red or ginger hair chosen for modified babies were unsettling, and an interesting nod to the past.
2 reviews
September 15, 2024
The book you really hope is made into a Netflix series.
I loved The Inheritance.
It’s told across two generations, in 2027 and 30 years after that, which makes it really pacey and engrossing.
The way different moments are timed throughout the book is clever and takes the reader on several engrossing journeys, I found myself attached to the main characters quickly as a result.
The story has a subtle dystopian vibe, it’s fascinating, and concepts that aren’t real - yet - feel plausible, and leave you wondering what you’d do if faced with the questions and challenges facing the characters.
I loved the ethical questions it raised, the head vs heart dilemmas, the strength of the female leads and reading descriptions of Melbourne 30+ years from now.
Genevieve Gannon writes with brevity that allows the story to pack in so much action, but with attention to detail so vivid that maybe I don’t need a Netflix series, having devoured such a rich and entertaining book that pained the pictures for me.
Profile Image for Brooke.
113 reviews1 follower
September 18, 2024
This book is one that I could not put down. There was plenty of tension, family drama and ethical dilemmas in this immersive dystopian read.

Set across two generations, we follow Emily in 2027 and Adelaide in 2057 in Melbourne. In the background is the constant viral threat, which is never named, but certainly echoes our recent pandemic experiences. Scientists have discovered they can edit an embryo to make babies resistant to the virus, as well as a multitude of other upgrades. The story explores motherhood and what a person would do to have a child. The gene editing is of course very divisive and had me thinking about what I would do if faced with some of these choices and wanting the best for my future child.

Inheritance was so thought provoking with its confronting possibilities for designing the “perfect” child. There were also some really quite terrifying moments of peril and threat which made this book an addictive page turner.

My only criticism was I felt the ending was wrapped up a bit too quickly, but otherwise it was a fabulous read which addressed some very real and concerning issues through a propulsive story and relatable characters.
Profile Image for Bec.
670 reviews12 followers
September 1, 2024
4.5 stars
I really enjoyed this story, set in dual timeframes in the near future of 2027, and then another 30 years in the future. We follow Emily in 2027, when gene editing is new and Emily is thinking about having the procedure to ensure the health of her baby, then Adelaide in the future where those who are genetically modified are living as second class citizens and Adelaide is doing all she can to try and help these people.

The story was futeristic with science advancements, but also real enough that it felt realstic. I enjoyed both timelines equally and was interested to find out if/how they were connected. Some parts of the last quarter did seem a little unrealistic, but still a very enjoyable read.

Thank you to Pantera Press and NetGalley for the eARC of this book. Highly recommend.
Profile Image for Clare Griffin.
Author 8 books17 followers
September 25, 2024
A well written, fascinating read on a subject I feel will be a legitimate question in the not too distant future, as this book suggests. The entire time I was reading it, I was asking myself, what would I do?

Gannon is a brilliant writer and this book will take you on a rollercoaster of emotions and moral questions. Highly recommend.
September 14, 2024
I loved The Mothers by this author, so decided to give her another go. This was a brilliant read! Finished the book over a weekend.
Profile Image for Tracy Hollen.
1,282 reviews6 followers
September 30, 2024
Didn’t enjoy where this went in the final third re: the journey to get the baby, which was unfortunate because I enjoyed the storyline before that.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
280 reviews1 follower
October 1, 2024
Intriguing novel about genetic breeding, surrogacy, technology, pandemic and so much more.
Profile Image for Vivi Widodo.
414 reviews18 followers
September 24, 2024
This book will bring you to the future, to 2027, where genes can be edited to improve human performance.
Emily & Dougal have difficulty to have a baby so they go to Well-Born clinic for an IVF which also offer additional service of modifying genes to build a perfect baby, especially one that strong, disease resistant and some amazing attributes like eidetic memory.

Thirty years later, those GM (genes modified) human are gathered to fight for their rights to be the same as normal human with no more segregation, no limitation in health care, not being a second class citizen. In this timeline, we have Adelaide who works as political staff and trying to make a difference about those GM. And, with the possibility of virus outbreak, Adelaide's plan of Cyprus Project with her husband might be derailed.

This is a brilliant story, and if only I read this book over the weekend, I'll be able to finish it faster as it's such a page turner from the first chapter. It's dystopian with a splash of science fiction taste.
Profile Image for Kirsten.
185 reviews19 followers
October 1, 2024
I really enjoyed Genevieve’s previous novels The Mothers and The Gifted Son and was so excited to get my hands on this one. I wasn’t disappointed it was a riveting and thought-provoking read. I was hooked immediately and it kept up cracking pace the whole way through. I couldn’t put it down.

The story unfolds over a dual timeline and is told from dual point so of view. I enjoyed getting to know both Emily and Adelaide, learning about their world, their situations and their family. Both women were well developed and relatable. I did find myself more immediately drawn to Emily but it wasn’t long before I got invested in Adelaide’s story. They were surrounded by an interesting mix of characters andI particularly enjoyed Emily’s Aunt Tabitha

The dual timeline was perfect for illustrating the impact of modifying genes. In 2027, we’re introduced to a world quite similar to our own, with a virus that’s taken hold and new technology to improve our children and protect it. It’s always a bit scarier when things are close to reality. I liked the way the 2057 storyline showed the consequences of what happens if things aren’t always thought through. It did wrap a little quickly but I enjoyed going along for the ride and the over all message of how far a mother will go for her child. Check this one out if you enjoyed Baby X or The Family Experiment.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews

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