Genesis, by Bernard Beckett

Synopsis:

Anax is about to face her examination for the Academy, the institution which safeguards her society. The subject is close to her heart: Adam, a man whose struggle transformed the course of her country. But the examination by the panel will reveal new twists to Adam's history. Twists that will undermine Anax's assumptions about her country and who she is. But why is the Academy allowing Anax to open up the enigma at its heart?

My Thoughts:

I read this novel in one go because it gripped me from the very first page and wouldn't let me go until the end.

The text is very sparse and there isn't a single word that doesn't need to be there. Anax is both a sympathetic protagonist and an insightful narrator as she guides the reader through the complex twists and turns of the Academy.

At the heart of this thoughtful, brilliantly written novel is the single question: What does it really mean to be human?

Highly recommended for people who like to have something to think about at the end of a novel.

*****