The Ingenious, and the Colour of Life: unlocking their genius, also unlocked the unimaginable... (The Ingenious Trilogy Book 1)

I was wonderfully surprised by the eclectic blend of genres this book has to offer. It is part Young Adult, part historical fiction, part James-bondy, part fantasy, part literary, part family drama and they all work wonderfully well together.The writing is beautiful. It drew me in from the very beginning and I absolutely loved the individual backstory of each main character, particularly Mei Hei who is introduced to readers halfway through the story. Where all the other teenagers in this story are westerners, Mei Hei’s backstory is set in Asia and echoes the sort of backdrop and writing style of a book I absolutely loved named Pachinko by Min Jin Lee.I also found fascinating how the story was partly written from various animals point of view which J Y Sam executed with finesse. The section involving a whale was particularly poignant and lovingly executed. However the main plot wasn’t for me, but I believe the problem lies with me rather than the book – I think I may just be a tad too old to appreciate it!

My first book of 2021 and it did not disappoint!The ingenious and the colour of life is a story about Seven children who have the genius gene. They are exceptionally clever but is this a gift or a curse?Firstly, I can not believe that this story is a debut novel! J.Y Sam writes with such elegance and intelligence. The thought process that went in to this story is incredible!From the very start this book will grab you and you won’t be able to put it down. The amount of twists and turns along the way make it such an exciting read.The characters are a diverse mix of personalities, with different abilities and strengths. Some are so loveable, while others one or two I could not stand!Each ones personality, thoughts and feelings are described so vividly that you can imagine exactly what they are like. (Calista is a favourite of mine).There is always something happening, the book delves into morality and really gets you thinking. Just because something could be done, should it?I can not wait to read the next book.

I was given an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. YA is not my usual genre so I was curious if this debut novel would hold my attention and if I’d feel any form of connection to the characters. The characters are developed beautifully and I found myself really caring about them; I even shed the odd tear or two. The story is solid with plenty of action, twists and turns. The only negative aspect for me was the sometimes excessive detail which did slow the pace of the story. Overall a very enjoyable read and I look forward to reading more from this author.

Overall I enjoyed the book. It is aimed at young adults but it may be a little deep and long for your average young adult. It took a while for me to get into but the characters were well described and so as the book went on the action seemed to get less, but the characters displayed their feelings more. I was a little disappointed with the ending, but then I suppose that's the point of a trilogy.........

What do an unrecognised genius and a homeless boy have in common? Only the mysterious blind man knows. Helped by a blonde socialite with an exceptional natural talent for IT that even she didn’t recognise, the group try to save others from a sinister woman who is, one by one, hunting down an elite group of very special children.This is a book that I think would be best enjoyed by older children and teens. There is one aspect of the storyline I found rather too much of a stretch of the imagination but, letting that go, this was a story with plenty of twists, a variable pace and a plot that made me want to keep turning the pages. The children’s individual backgrounds have been well thought-out and are described in detail, which, although taking the reader on sometimes lengthy trips outside the main storyline, are interesting and very engaging.The ending both rounds off one element of the story and encourages the reader to buy the next in this series.

Seven children born with a genius geneOne professor that connects them allHundreds of forgotten gravesZero explanationA unique group of teenagers. They should have been celebrated worldwide as outstanding products of biotechnology, but instead they are abandoned and anonymous. An ordinary girl next door, a homeless boy rummaging through rubbish, a pampered child of a well-to-do family. They are all but forgotten, until the mysterious disappearance of one of the children brings out of hiding the man who connects them all - Professor Harald Wolff, the geneticist who created them. No longer the distinguished scientist he once was; he is now blind, broken and a recluse.Brought together, the remaining children’s abilities evolve in unexpected ways. Forced to confront an unknown enemy, the full potential of their genius is unlocked. But exceptional as they are, they must learn the dangers of being too clever for their own good, and that they are just one small strand in the complex web of life.No ordinary tale of good vs evil, this story warns of the evil that lurks inside us all, and our struggle to triumph over it with good. And so the ingenious children must combine their unique gifts to combat the evil within resulting in an epic battle of the world’s greatest minds.Described by the author as contemporary fiction that crosses into young adult and science fiction with a touch of natural science this is very different to the books I’d usually reach for. I set out this year to try more genres and I am I glad I did.Years after Project Ingenious came to an end, those involved (the professor and doctor, the babies and their families are living anonymously, all but forgotten until one of the children (the youngest) disappears. This causes Professor Wolff to pull together the remaining six, not only for their safety but so they can band together and combine their unique skills/gifts to combat the evil within.However can Professor Wolff be able to find them all before it’s too late? Before the evil who seems to be after them get to them?This book kept my attention and I was left wanting to know what was going for happen next. I liked not knowing what was coming next. I find it jumped in a couple spots from scene to scene but not enough to mean that you couldn’t understand the story.The author uses chapters to introduce the characters and what their lives are like before things start to change for the teenagers.Throughout the book we see those at the professors safe place become a family unit and bond with each other.The author uses chapter titles which is rare to find these days and this is a touch I am a fan of. There are also quote pages and QR code links to songs that are mentioned which is a lovely touch.Overall I found this to be a good book and I am glad I read it!!I received a free ARC copy of this book. All views are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.