When Talissa Adams, a 26 year old American postdoctoral research fellow in palaeoanthropology needs to find money to fund her postdoctoral position in a renowned Boston research team, she answers an advertisement by a world famous British genetics research organisation seeking surrogate mothers for a study. The Parn Institute sponsored by wealthy entrepreneur Lukas Parn are recruiting surrogate mothers to take part in a study on children born by IVF. After passing the required health checks and personality tests and meeting the potential parents Alaric and Mary Pedersen, she is chosen to be one of eight surrogate mothers in the study. What she doesn’t know is that one of the sperm samples used will not be from the donor father and will create a baby of a new type of species as part of the study.

After giving birth to boy the parents name Seth, she returns to her career in Boston, eventually meeting Seth in England when he is 12 and then not seeing him again until he has grown up. When news starts to leak about the experiment carried out by the Parn Institute, Talissa is concerned that Seth’s identity as one of the babies in the study must be protected at all costs, in order for him to continue to lead a normal life.

Set in the near future (2030-2056) this provocative novel raises all sorts of ethical and ‘what if’ questions that will have you thinking about it for days afterwards. It’s both a sad and touching story about a loving couple and their much loved son and of an arrogant man prepared to destroy another’s life and happiness for his own distorted aims. It not only raises questions about where the line should be drawn in terms of the ethics of genetic manipulation of our species and extinct species but also what it means to be human and why humans are the only species susceptible to madness and mental health problems. A thoughtful and insightful novel that will raise many thought provoking issues to ponder about long after reading the novel.

This could have been an excellent story, but for me it wasn’t. I expected better of Faulks, but this was ….dull.
Superficial characterisation, a very flat narrative with mundane and irrelevant trivia. And conversations which went on…and on…
The weird interlude where a character imagines a prehistoric sex scene made me cringe.
Another reviewer wrote ‘nothing happened…and it happened very slowly’. Spot on.
I think the pace at least picked up towards the end, but by that point I was skimming very quickly just to get it finished. And the ending was a damp squib.
It’s not my intention to be mean, but there was really nothing I liked about this book at all.

I thought The Seventh Son was a corker of a book. I’ve read other books by the author but stands far and above his other books. The premise seems simple enough, Talissa agrees to be a surrogate for a couple who can’t have children to secure enough money to carry on her own research. What could possibly go wrong? It takes a while for the penny to drop and it’s not until Talissa tests Seth’s DNA out of curiosity that she starts to learn the truth of what happened. I found the truth about Seth fascinating not horrifying as some characters in the novel seem to. I really didn’t understand why people were bothered. The ending is heart-breaking. I loved every word of this book.

This is a very thought provoking novel. Not only does it question what it is to be human it also has you thinking about surrogacy,genetics,ethics and AI all in one book.As its set in the near future it allows the author to give his opinion on Brexit,Politics and levelling up. Some very neat touches. It was a captivating read but I did feel that the characters could have done with more depth I did not feel I really knew any of them in a meaningful way.

"Love passed, lives ended; and if you thought that only what was permanent had value, you were lost."

When American palaeoanthropologist Talissa Adams runs out of money to fund a post-doctoral fellowship, she offers to become a surrogate to a childless couple in England, for a price. It's the year 2030, and the Parn Institute is at the cutting edge of research into IVF. Its billionaire founder is interested in doing something that's never been done before: creating a hybrid human species combining Homo Sapiens and a newly discovered humanoid ancestor related to the Neanderthals.

And so, Talissa unknowingly becomes the vessel of something that will change the way people look at themselves and at humankind. Seth is given to the loving Mary and Alaric, who have no idea they will raise anyone other than a little boy who deserves to be loved and protected.

'The Seventh Son' asks the basic question we have been asking for decades if not centuries: what does it mean to be human? Is it consciousness, something animals don't have? And did our distant ancestors have this? At what point in our evolution did we develop the ability to self-examine and dream about the future?

This literary sci-fi takes a deep dive into an area of much interest right now, with the rise of artificial intelligence and the discovery of ancient animals in melting permafrost. Readers are confronted with a dilemma: is it ethical to resurrect such beings in a world that is hostile to their existence? How far should we go in trying to answer questions about humanity's past and future?

The themes raised in this book are fascinating and one cannot help but empathise with Seth. What brought my rating down on this book was the sex scenes. I'm not sure if the author was trying to make a point about our connection to other species by making them so awfully animalistic (at one point Talissa compares herself to an ape while having sex), but I found it strange and a bit off-putting.

An interesting read that will stay on my mind.

This is a very thought-provoking novel set in the near future and examining many different aspects of human life, societal structure, prejudice and relationships. I found it raised lots of very interesting discussion, although must admit some of it went over my head. I found the rich entrepreneur Musk-like character well drawn out and interesting in what it was saying about the power that the whimsical investment and experimentation of such figures can have. The discussion about what makes us human, diversity and whether we can really ever overcome our desire for homogeny within our societies very intereting. I found the pacing of this novel fluctuated a lot and this affected the way it kept my interest. But an intelligent, thought-provoking read.

A novel set in the near future, a young American post graduate acts as surrogate to a British couple, the trio not knowing they are taking part in a terrifying genetic experiment. Many great elements in the story, a realistic world where autonomous cars are the norm, international travel limited and most people are vegetarian. I liked the characters of Seth and Kavya but the others were bland or cliched. The last couple of chapters were a disappointment, the sexual encounter badly written. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

Set a little into the future (from the year 2030 onwards) this novel explores many themes, such as identity, surrogacy, equality and diversity, media manipulation, and what it means to be human. It begins with the story of a fledgling academic in America who desperately needs funding to continue her work. When she sees an advertisement for surrogates from a research institute in London she is tempted, not knowing how keen they are on making scientific breakthroughs in genetics. The story moves very quickly which, while at the expense of character development, means that a lot of themes and ideas are explored and the novel is a something of a page-turner. I found it a riveting, thought-provoking and very entertaining read.

The Seventh Son opens in the near future – 2030 to be precise – just far enough away to feel familiar but also scarily prescient. Technology has advanced beyond what we have today but not necessarily for the better. Climate change has wrought havoc and forced all sorts of changes to individual lifestyles and freedoms. Power and wealth still remains in the hands of a few.

The Seventh Son explores the various ways in which individuals and society respond to those who are different: acceptance, curiosity, exploitation, intrusion, prejudice, fear but also unconditional love. And it brilliantly evokes what it’s like to be the person who is different from everyone else. It poses the ethical question, just because you are able to do something does that mean you should? And if you do, are you prepared for the consequences? It’s also a book about obsession, isolation and sacrifice… and a love story.

I’m not going to say more for fear of giving too much away, other than I hope Elon Musk never reads this book. The Seventh Son was a ‘wow’ book for me and I finished it with tears running down my cheeks. I thought it was absolutely brilliant.

I struggled with elements of this, not because it was bad but just because it was an uncomfortable read, the topic covered is extremely unsettling. In a different frame of mind I would probably have enjoyed it more.

The Seventh Son is a clever, emotional and wonderful tale that revolves around a young American Talissa Adam, who makes the decision, based on financial need, to be a surrogate mother for a British couple Mary and Alaric. Her altruistic act is life-changing but not in a predictable way. When Seth is born, he is an unusual child and there is a unsettled feeling as the story progresses. Faulks has written an engaging tale around IVF treatment, genetic editing and what it is to be human located between London, New York and the Highlands. Faulks finest yet.

I have previously enjoyed some of Faulks books - so this book intrigued me. I was ready for another Sebastian Faulks epic read!
Unfortunately, this just wasn't it.

The premise was really intriguing, but the execution let it down. I found the pacing to be incredibly slow, it never built, it just trudged along. Plod. Plod. Plod. I also didn't feel anything for the characters either, so I didn't care really what happened to them.
I liked the idea of the book, and the themes it was to explore but I just feel really disappointed by it.
Didn't enjoy this one.

Sebastian Faulks is as astute in his perception of the past as he is writing about an imagined future. This book has a slightly dystopian feel to it set in the not too distant future and at times feel very real. Everything in this book feels very possible with some very clever observations on politics past and present. Although this is very thoughtful and reflective read it is also a very well written and enjoyable book with some great characters that I was sad to say goodbye to.

The Seventh Son by Sebastian Faulks
This novel is set in the not too distant future and raises many challenging issues related to IVF and surrogacy. A young woman agrees to be a surrogate for a couple unable to have a child but during the IVF process the father’s sperm is switched by the Parn Institute for Neanderthal DNA. What will happen when this is blended with Homo Sapiens DNA? This is a terrible experiment at the expense of the couple and the child they think is their biological son.
It raises many issues about culture, morality, mental disorders and what it means to be human. It is a terrifying book in many ways because it all felt so plausible and the terrible way in which the family are duped. It was a desperately sad book but I did feel that the sexual encounter at the end of the novel was unnecessary. My thanks to the author the publishers and to Net Galley for the opportunity to read the book in return for an honest review.

🆕️ Review - September 23 🆕️

The Seventh Son
Sebastian Faulks

‘Letter for you, Talissa,’ said the superintendent, holding out an envelope from his desk in the lobby.

The Seventh Son is set in the near future across 2030 to 2056 and tells the story of American citizen Talissa who has decided to be a surrogate for a British couple in exchange for money to fund her studies. The result is a baby boy, Seth. However, the company who facilitated the surrogacy is unethical and their involvement in the IVF has life chamging results for all involved and no more so than Seth.

The surrogacy premise is interesting in itself and it is a plausible speculative storyline, but in an effort to simplify the science for the layman reader, the writing was sometimes clunky and forced. The main story being focussed on what does it mean to be human and why do human's suffer with their mental health as they do but the threads of this theme just didn't knit together effectively, there was potential for this to be stronger thematically I felt.

To be frank, the manner in which the story ended was uncomfortable and I felt unnecessary to the overall story for these characters.

Unfortunately, overall, this one just didn't land for me as it was intended.

Thanks to Random House UK, Cornerstone for allowing me to see an advance reader copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The Seventh Son is available this week.

3/5 stars

A tale set in the near future about what it means to be human, specifically Homo sapien, with all our flaws, the nature of consciousness and the sense of identity. While there is some necessary exposition to outline the science behind an unethical experiment, evolution and prehistory, this seemed a little clunky - characters explaining things to each other in what seemed to be unnatural conversations got in the way of the story’s flow to some extent. The heart of this thought provoking story though is a rather melancholic but moving look at relationships and how being different makes it so difficult to be accepted and ‘fit in’.

Set in the near future, The Seventh Son examines what would happen if scientists were able to cross Neanderthal genes with a modern day human and create a new species. Seth is born to Alaric and Mary who are so desperate for a child that they enter into a clinical trial run by the Parm institute. Unbeknownst to them Alaric’s sperm is swapped before insertion in to the surrogate, Talissa.
Much of the novel focusses on Talissa, she has an academic career in genetics and soon begins to question what really happened during the trial. When she meets Seth she decides to investigate further setting in motion an horrific series of events.
I really wanted to love this novel and did in part, however it gets bogged down in too much genetic exposition in some chapters and some of the characters were poorly drawn. I did love Talissa and Seth and wish we could have spent more time with them together, the ending of the book felt a bit rushed. It’s a very interesting and thought provoking book, just rather uneven.

he book started so well with such an interesting and yet vaguely topical subject. There was so much potential that unfortunately was not realised. From such a promising start it had a very boring middle which went downhill to a disappointing and pointless end. The characters weren’t interesting or appealing and had no depth. The sex scenes were so excruciatingly badly written and totally pointless.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC

Hmm, 'A spectacular examination of what it is to be human.' It seems that I'm seeing this more and more on blurbs. This is just one of the many claims made for Faulks' latest novel. In it, an American academic, Talissa, is stumped by lack of funding for her post-doc research so she agrees to be a surrogate mother for the embryo of Alaric and Mary. In fact someone has fiddled with the sperm and the resultant offspring is a hybrid of homo sapiens and neanderthal man. Seth is a little odd when growing up. He looks different, has difficulty expressing himself and senses things that others don't. But he gets through somehow and ends up at Cambridge studying engineering. It is only when the misdeeds of the Parn Institute where the sperm swop took place become apparent that his life eventually becomes unbearable.

There is a lot to like in the novel. The depiction of a near future world is interesting. Most people don't eat meat. Cycle lanes have been given over to buses and the roads are filled with bikes while scarcely anyone drives a car. Some of the characterisation is very good. Seth himself is well depicted as is the wonderful Mrs Ghopal who is Talissa's landlady while staying in London. But other characterisations aren't so good. Parn himself is rent a geeky billionaire and Talissa is over dramatic in her response to Seth. The plot seems to be manipulated to make points and so overall it isn't all that satisfying. Dialogue can be clunky at times especially when the science is being explained. But all of this pales compared to the sex scenes especially the one near the end which was just no, don't go there.

Everyone knows how hard it is to get published these days. As I was reading this I couldn't help wondering if this had been presented to a publisher by an unknown writer, would it have been published at all and if it was, would it have had all the grandiose claims made for it. Having said that, I did sort of enjoy it but I certainly didn't find it profoundly moving. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I read an uncorrected proof ARC, thanks to NetGalley and Penguin.
I’ve given this 4 stars because I did really enjoy the story, and the author has raised some important questions around ethics, biohacking and genetics, BUT there are some issues with this book.
Although I really enjoyed Faulks writing, and the story moves on at a decent pace, there is so much information dumping in the form of extremely unlikely conversations between characters - Wood and Parn have a lengthy discussion about genetics (on a very basic level), Parn and Talissa have a lengthy discussion about evolution (on a very basic level), Ramos and Talissa have a lengthy discussion about the causes of mental illnesses such as Schizophrenia and Alzheimers (on a very basic level), and even the trial includes a lengthy information dump. It’s an irritating, ineffective and frankly slightly dull way of conveying background information to the reader. The book also felt slightly rushed, like Faulks has so many ideas and information he wants to get across that some promising themes and strands just seem to get abandoned - the dilapidated French hospital with the mysterious man, Felix, Seth’s (conventional) parents and his relationship with them - it all just tapers out.
Apart from that (and the slightly ‘ick’ turn that one of Seth’s relationships takes towards the end of the book), this is a solid page-turner that makes you think about the ethics of science and genetic modification, right to privacy, and what it is to be ‘human’ as we understand it.