I am so completely and utterly impressed by this book. I actually finished reading it a couple of months ago, but I have not been able to stop thinking about it since. It is legitimately one of the most ambitious, thought-provoking, brave and original novels I have ever read. It is difficult to even accurately categorise Genesis into a particular genre, it spans such a breathtaking range of concepts and ideas; deftly exploring morality, ethics, freedom, truth, society, survival and humanity. It is ultimately a philosophical exploration of what it means to be human contrasted against the opposing force of emerging artificial intelligence. In this story, we are asked the question, what is consciousness? What differentiates humans from machines? What defines humanity? 
 Genesis is an incredibly deceptive read. On the surface it really just seems like a simple young adult novel set in a controlled utopian society governed by an elite academic institution. There are plenty of similar sounding novels out there at the moment. And what's more, the understated cover, the extremely short size (clocking in at only 150 pages) and simple language make it seem like nothing particularly exciting or impressive on the outset. In fact, I only bothered to pick it up because it came with such a strong recommendation from a friend. If not for that, I honestly would not have looked twice at this book, would have written it off as some sort of middle-grade dystopia cross science fiction novel not worthy of my time. 
 However, once you start reading you quickly realise that this is one of the most carefully constructed, layered and complex novels you will ever come across. It is not a book that has much action or movement. In fact, the entire story is set in a testing hall over a 5 hour period as the main character undertakes a gruelling oral examination on the history of her society in order to be admitted to the ruling academy. The majority of the action comes from a retrospective analysis of historical events that comprise the society's origins and questions regarding this histories authenticity. More specifically, we explore the breakdown of our world thanks to war and disease and the lengths a small community go to in order to survive, as well as the gradual rise of artificial intelligence in this new society. While these sections work to provide a sense of intrigue and raise a lot of questions, the story is primarily told as exposition and discussion and contemplation. You would think that this shouldn't work, there wouldn't be enough tension or propulsion to keep you reading. You would think that this strange sort of narrative could not possibly weave a formidable story. You would be incredibly wrong. 
 This is a book about ideas and themes and questions. And WOW, let me tell you, this is where this book shines. The narrative arc of this story is so incredibly strong, unravelling reality from fiction, untangling lies and deceptions and revealing so many massive twists and turns. I literally could not put this book down. I absolutely had to know where the story was going and find out the truth and how every little piece we were being shown was going to fit together. And when all of the strands come together the conclusion is absolutely phenomenal. The implications and impact of this ending are mind-blowing and Beckett executes it masterfully. This book is so very powerful in its ability to create questions and introspection; it almost effortlessly deconstructs what you expect of the world and uses this uncertainty to analyse a range of ideas. The genius of this novel is the fact that every single concept it explores is so heart-breakingly relevant to today's society that I truly wish more people were reading this book. 
 This is the sort of book that wants you to think and feel and explore and question. It wants you to dig deeper than the surface and unravel the truth. It wants you to really think about the concepts that are being presented and the implications of these events, rather than provide answers or black and white objective statements. And for that reason, I absolutely loved it. I'm sure the style will not appeal for some and there will always be people who don't enjoy these sorts of 'thinking' novels, but if you're looking for a dystopia or science-fiction that is a cut above the rest then absolutely give Genesis a go! It is officially one of my favourites!