Author(s): June Yu

Children's Reference

Does your future lie in your genes or your choice?

The year is 2062 and it's now the Genome Age, where humans, plants and animals have been genetically modified to create a new world. All genetic advances are tightly controlled by a powerful government department, Genetico.

Enter the brilliant fifteen-year-old Natalia with genetic predispositions for both science and music. Suddenly, her future career and romance are at stake when she discovers her beloved late father is actually a Miscreation (the result of a botched genetic experiment)... and he's not dead. Natalia's cold and manipulative mother has secretly kept him in cryogenic freeze while trying to develop an illegal gene therapy to save him. Now she's asking Natalia to break the law to bring him back.

Meanwhile, a group of rebel Miscreations called the Progeny start pressuring Natalia to steal this gene therapy for their own purposes.

Natalia is torn between participating in an illegal gene procedure, helping the Progeny and bringing back the father she loves. And just what do you do with the Miscreations... when they have powers you don't understand?

Miscreation? is a young adult science fiction novel. It explores a genetically engineered world where technology creates as many problems as it solves and cannot deal with the pain and prejudice in the human heart. For lovers of future worlds and people interested in the relationship between science and people.

What readers are saying about Miscreation?:

"I love a good dystopian novel and I know this is one I would have loved as a teenager." - Jessica

"This novel is just brilliant! My husband is sitting across the room watching me cry like a crazy person." - Heather

"A unique and fascinating idea... A lot of great twists and the ethical dilemmas were particularly interesting. A story that really kept me reading to the end." - Sarah

"Easy to read, great characters. What an amazing world you have created." - Sacha

The author, June Yu, says Miscreation? is one of the few YA science fiction books about genetics that encompasses a fully integrated gene future.

"In Miscreation?, I wanted to create a world where every aspect of life has been genetically engineered. That includes the people who populate it, the food they eat, the clothes they wear, the buildings they live and work in, their modes of transport, the community they develop... and the careers they follow," said June.

"While genetics continues to be a popular subject for both novelists and film makers, many genetics-related books focus on only one aspect of the subject. For example, classics such as Jurassic Park featured the manipulation of prehistoric dinosaur DNA. A book like Brave New World focuses on genetically engineered social classes. The Australian book The Rosie Project has a plot that features the issues around DNA testing to establish paternity."