Rating 2.5/5
Format
Told from 5 perspectives, we follow the lives of 5 couples and how their relationships have been impacted by the ground breaking technology of Match Your DNA. It was very distracting jumping to so many characters with completely different and mostly independent stories, made worse because I was listening on audible. But somehow it worked in the book’s favour as the slower stories were carried by the more exciting ones. I would have preferred if they converged into a cohesive storyline like the series, or to simply have fewer characters.
Pace
Overall the pace felt slow, however, as my interest diminished within a chapter, it would pick up again as the chapters are very short and they finished with a cliffhanger so I was always hooked back in.
Plot
I love how this book is based on today’s modern world with the discovery of Match your DNA, so I can actually imagine and immerse myself in the story. For all the science nerds, note that the explanation behind the it was light to non-existent. The aim was to clearly shock readers with the crazy plots rather than focus on the consequences of the technology, if anything, it was used as a means to progress the story.
For example:
4 out of the 5 stories were boring or average at best as they felt more soapy at times. The only one that consistently kept my interest was Christopher’s story, this could have been a whole book in itself. I was very impressed with the endings and twists. Usually you would know when there is a twist coming but there was a massive one for all the perspectives and I was hit with reveal after reveal.
Characters
There were so many characters and yet I didn’t care about any of them, they were either unlikeable, flat or at best I felt neutral. I was spending more effort trying to remember their names and context rather than empathise with them, even after the twists.
I didn’t like Mandy or Sally as they were both whiny characters. Mandy’s choices were questionable and Sally’s insecurities were frustrating (at first, till I found out more about her, even more unlikeable).
I didn’t mind Ellie and Nick. Ellie was a complex character with a tough facade but showed vulnerable moments. Nick was an all round stand up good guy, devoted to his unmatched partner and tried to keep their relationship.
The only character I looked forward to was Christopher because it’s always interesting to be in a psychopath’s head. However, it was quite dull. His relationship and character development was way too easy and straightforward as he just suddenly developed emotions.
Recommendation
If you’re looking for an easy and mindless read, this is a good candidate. However if you’re looking for something like Black Mirror that focuses more on the technological impacts and feels eerily plausible then definitely give this one a miss.