Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this book. It was very slow paced and a struggle to read. I didn't find the story gripping or exciting.

Imagine a world where baby boys are tested to see if they possess the M gene, which predisposes them to violence. They will face segregation and have to find work in recycling " farms", or, if their parents wish, will be drugged all their lives to stifle any fight.
It doesn't seem to be set in the future but feels like the present day in Jayne Cowie's original novel.
Sisters Antonia and Bea are as different as they could be. Both have sons. One has been tested for the gene, the other hasn't.
I found Bea initially very frustrating and annoying, refusing to have Simon tested. It was like a parallel Covid anti-vaxxer universe. But later in the story she explained that she was afraid that Simon may be tested positive, and even if he was negative, the fact everyone suspected he had the M gene showed she had poor parenting skills. She realises that having feared he was M positive had led him down a road she could have prevented.
I was intrigued by the storyline and read the book in one greedy beach sitting. The twists kept coming and at one point it was challenging to keep track of who knew what. The ending was satisfying as it delivered the justice we wanted for one of the sisters, but at what cost to their relationship?

Rating: 2.3/5

I was very much attracted by the premise of this novel: Scientists have identified the "M gene", the presence of which in the male population has a strong correlation with a man's propensity to develop criminally aggressive behaviour. If identified it is, however, treatable with ongoing medication, which could not only have benefits for the individual concerned, but more importantly, for society as a whole.

The potential for the development of this storyline was immense: The moral dilemma of whether you should take a particular course of action, simply because you can; the debate regarding "nature versus nurture"; societal prejudice; how much control should central government exert over its citizens; vaccination and medical intervention as a whole, to name just some. Unfortunately, the handling of these potentially hard-hitting topics was all quite superficial and, for the most part, this read like a fairly run-of-the-mill domestic drama.

There are plot twists as the narrative progressives, but they are generally telegraphed well in advance. Anyone who regularly reads this type of fiction is unlikely to be caught unawares by any of the developments. That doesn't always necessarily matter. I have read enough books where the skill of the author has still allowed the reader to remain captivated by the storyline and invested in the protagonists, even though it is perfectly clear what is going to transpire later - just like a skilfully executed joke can still be funny, even when you know what the punchline is going to be. Sadly, that isn't how I felt about "I Did It For You". I knew what was going to happen and I just wanted the writer to push things along rather than needlessly drawing out the long-expecting revelation.

I was also disappointed with the characterisation, which lacks depth and is too often stereotypically two-dimensional. For a while I gave the author the benefit of the doubt. I thought that this may have been a deliberate ploy on her part to demonstrate shallow nature of societal prejudice towards certain groups. However, I had to revise this hopeful assessment when it became apparent that all of the characterisation displayed the same shortcomings throughout the piece.

Overall, "I Did It For You" is certainly not a bad piece of fictional drama, but my overriding impression is that it was a disappointing waste of an opportunity to produce something far more impressive and memorable.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.

A novel set in a dystopian world. Scientists have identified an M gene in boys. This gene predisposes them to become violent, especially towards girls and women in later life. There is guarantee that this will happen but all boys have to be tested. The result determines how their lives will pan out. This is a story about choices and a mother's love for their children. How far would they go to protect them and would they test their child?
A thought provoking read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone, Penguin for the advance copy of this book.

Excellent read, great topic and storyline, what a mother would do to protect her child.

Could not put this down, and written in a style that made you want to read more.

Great potential for a sequel I reckon!

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion

Overview:
New testing can now determine whether or not boys carry the ‘M’ gene responsible for violent and bad behaviour. It’s becoming more and more standard for parents to test their newborn sons and to seek treatment for those testing positive. M positive boys are judged for crimes they haven’t even committed and are excluded from good schools and jobs, forced to the outskirts of society. Bea has chosen not to test her son Simon but in doing so he is treated as someone to fear due to his unknown status. Bea’s sister Antonia had her son Jack tested and he was determined M negative, a “good” boy. But does the test really determine who is likely to commit awful and violent crimes and are there any flaws in the system. 18 years later when both their sons are grown, Bea and Antonia are about to find out.

My Review:
I really enjoyed the unique plot behind this story. It’s interesting to read a scenario that has potential to become a reality. I thought the characters developed well throughout the book and the author did a great job of portraying what it would be like to be judged for something totally out of your control. I liked that we got to see two sides of the coin, a family that had been through testing and another that hadn’t and how that shaped their lives.

Wow! What a page turner! Did not see any of the twists coming, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I fancied something a bit different and was drawn by the blurb, and it was even better than anticipated. Excellent writing and loved the take from everyone in the book with their own chapters, it merged well together.
Thank you to the author, publisher and netgalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Scientists have identified the M gene, which is found in violent men, and have found a way to test for it. M- and you get entry into schools, jobs etc. M+ and you are a social outcast, will struggle to get a place in a school, and will end up in work camps. Parents start testing their baby boys at childbirth, in order to give them (hopefully) the best start in life. Or to get them on a long-term treatment programme.

Antonia and Bea are sisters, and both passionate mothers. Antonia had her son tested to make sure he didn’t have the M gene, and he came back M-, so leads a golden life. Bea refused to get her son tested, insisting that he should be able to live the same life as every other boy. This eventually drives a wedge between the sisters and they drift apart. Until one day Bea turns up out of the blue, asking if she and her son Simon can stay. Antonia agrees, reluctantly. She doesn’t think Bea’s son is a good influence on her son Jack. What follows next nobody could have anticipated.

This was a really interesting read. With the amount in the news about violence against women, you start to think, could this be a good idea, to try and weed out the tendencies to violence? Then you see the social divide it causes, the impact it has on entire families and society and the harm it causes and you shudder at the thoughts of something like this being brought into play. The story was a little drawn out in places, and some of the characters seemed very emotionless, particularly the fathers - they were able to cut ties without any issues at times it seemed. But overall a good read, that made you think about the impact that decisions can have on society, and how we can fix problems in a positive manner going forward.

*I received this book from NetGalley for review, but all opinions are my own.

This is an amazing book that will stay with you, full of twists and well adapted through time I enjoyed this stoey

A simple concept excellently executed! Who to trust? An enjoyable, at times tense, and thought-provoking read.

Love this! A crazy dystopian world the author has created here. I could see a lot of twists coming, but it’s so well written I just loved reading them play out

Thank you Cornerstone for the arc.

I absolutely loved this book. I loved the complex family relationships especially the mother and son one that shows how far a mother will go to protect her son hence the title “ I did it for you”

M - this the gene you hope your son has
M+ - this is a gene you do nor want your son to have

One mother who will do anything for her son, even lie and steel

The other fears her son had violence tendencies whereby she take him and run

Family relationships join their lives together
Lies if uncovered can shatter their lives
The twist great.

I will definitely recommend and cant wait to read more.

This book is wasn’t really my thing but it was very well written about the M gene which only boys have and some are tested for this gene but would you have your son tested not sure I would.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC

This is one of the most thought provoking books I have read in a long time..

No spoilers but basically scientists have identified the M gene which is found predominantly in violent men and have a developed a test for the gene. Parents start to get even their new born baby boys tested. Soon, having an M- result is preferred (if not required) for entry into schools, nurseries, jobs etc.

This is a page turner of a book concentrating on 2 sisters who each have a son, Antonia is pro testing (and indeed helps her doctor husband run a very lucrative private clinic offering treatment for M+ boys), and Bea who is much less economically fortunate and who is very much against testing.

Apart from being a good and easily believable story, I found it interesting how your views on the testing change as you go through the book. At first I thought - what a great way to rid the world of the many problems caused by violent men but then I started to wonder and i swithered throughout (still not sure) if the discovery of such a gene would be a good thing.

The men in the book apart from possibly Simon are unlikeable - arrogant, entitled, callous but as the story progresses we see subtler unpleasant traits in the sisters too. It is also interesting that society begins to not just shun the M+ boys but also their parents, especially their mothers but then, of course, it is somehow always a woman's fault when a man goes wrong.

The attempts to "fix" the boys and to separate the unfixables from society and ban them from opportunities has parallels in all sorts of discriminations through history, race, sexual orientation, mental/physical disabilities, women of "low morals" who in the not so distant past were confined in asylums for having babies out of wedlock.

I found the characters to be believable, the dialogue realistic and the family interactions authentic and I really enjoyed it and would recommend it. Thought provoking and interesting but not too heavy..

I felt very slightly disappointed by the ending although I cannot work out why. Too quick? A bit preachy? I don’t know. It doesn’t spoil the reading experience of the book though. This is an engrossing read and it provides a lot of food for thought. I think it could make a good film or TV series.

A cleverly written story. Antonia and Bea. sisters living very different lives. Both women have sons whom they adore. There is a test for boys that discovers whether they have a violence within them, the "M" gene. Antonia's son is negative but Bea never had her sone tested.
Having the "M" gene Means those boys cannot attend certain schools, they go to workfarms. The violence can be unpredicatable.
When Bea turns up at her sisters suddenly asking if her and her son can stay Antonia reluctantly agrees.
What follows is a cleverly written story with lots of twists and turns. It is an addictive read which unnerved me. It is something that could be brought into our futures.
Would highly recommend this.

This is a really interesting storyline. I found it very intriguing and found myself questioning what I would choose to do if in a similar situation. I also questioned my friends and reccomend they read the book.
Great book! 5 stars

First of all I thought is this more of a sci-fi novel but no thank goodness, I am glad I kept reading. It had it all, betrayal, murder and ultimately love but misplaced love there has to be a line between protecting for the good of your child and turning a blind eye, everyone’s life should be valued.

Really enjoyed this book. I got into it quickly and found it difficult to put down. The characters were easy to get to know and it was easy to read. The storyline was interesting and believable. I will definitely be looking up this author now to read her other books. I gave this a 4 out of 5 and would definitely recommend it. Many thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy.

I absolutely loved this book! One of the most original concepts I've read in a long time. Science has discovered a way to test baby boys for violent behaviour in the hope of improving society. But does it? And what does this mean for two families where all is not as it seems! Very well written, a story line that makes you want to know the outcome straightaway! If you're a fan of suspense or psychological books this needs to be on your list! Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for allowing me an ARC.

I enjoyed this book. It is an easy read and well written. It picks up some very modern issues - eg discrimination against a person with a particular genetic attribute, generalising the consequences of that upon their future personality and behaviour, with the consequence that society treats them differently without direct evidence. Nice twists in the plot to keep you guessing about the endgame. Clever.