This young adult fiction book is a novel in verse.
In this story we meet 17 year old Cordelia Koenig. What should have been a relatively easy senior project turns her world upside down as the results from her mail-in GeneQuest reveal her father isn't the man she thought he was. Having to figure out who she is, and who she can trust the telling of this novel in verse is beautifully crafted through text messages, emails, social media entries, and free verse.
The plot of this novel is what made me want to read this story. Growing up I had heard stories about biology teachers no longer allowed to do certain genetics labs because some students were baffled that both of their parents have blue eyes (a recessive trait) but they had brown eyes (a dominant trait). Uh-oh! I don't know if this is really true, but you could imagine how Cordelia feels when she makes her discovery. It completely derails her life and all she can focus on is learning who Jack is and imagining the life she could have had with him in the picture.
The setting also influenced my decision to read this book. My parents lived in Kenai, Alaska for a time and the references to Russian River Falls, the salmon runs, and the last Blockbuster on earth are all very accurate. I felt like I was back in Alaska watching the story unfold right alongside Cordelia. The only thing missing was a The Moose Is Loose bakery apple fritter.
The text messages between Cordelia and "Sana-best friend," emails from english teacher Ms. Nadeer, GeneQuest, and Jack; and collaborative poetry verses done with love interest, Kodiak Jones, allows this story to become a sliding glass door giving readers the chance to step through and experience a complete view of life from Cordelia's perspective. This is also a book that I would recommend to reluctant readers because the novel in verse is very approachable. With very little text on each page it has a quick pace. I was able to read through 387 pages leisurely in two days. While this story didn't leave me changed or emotionally invested it was enjoyable and begs readers to consider what makes you truly you. This story may have a greater impact on those readers who are not yet fully self-aware. I rate this book 4.5 out of a 5 stars rating.
Medema, D. (2020). The truth project. Quill Tree Books.
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