Book Review- Origin

I just finished reading Origin by Jessica Khoury for an Around the World ARC Tour.

From Goodreads:

Pia has grown up in a secret laboratory hidden deep in the Amazon rain forest. She was raised by a team of scientists who have created her to be the start of a new immortal race. But on the night of her seventeenth birthday, Pia discovers a hole in the electric fence that surrounds her sterile home—and sneaks outside the compound for the first time in her life.

Free in the jungle, Pia meets Eio, a boy from a nearby village. Together, they embark on a race against time to discover the truth about Pia’s origin—a truth with deadly consequences that will change their lives forever.

Origin is a beautifully told, shocking new way to look at an age-old desire: to live forever, no matter the cost. This is a supremely compelling debut novel that blends the awakening romance of Matched with the mystery and jungle conspiracy of Lost.

I enjoyed this book.  It was more sci-fi than anything else, which I don't always like, but I did like this one.

I think it was the fact that I liked Pia so much.  She was just a great character.  All her life she grew up hearing how perfect she was yet you could tell that she knew something wasn't quite right.  For being immortal and so perfect, she had a heart that was real and emotions that were real.  I liked Eio too although I feel that their relationship was a little quick. 

The only thing that I didn't like was that the story and reason of how Pia became immortal, and how others tried to become immortal was a little confusing to me.  I got it by the end, but at the time when the story was told, and when she figured it out, I was lost. 

But overall, great novel by a debut author.  I look forward to reading more by Jessica Khoury.

I gave this book a rating of 4/5.

Origin was released today.

This book fulfills items in the following challenges:
2012 Reading Challenge 150+: 65
2012 ARC Reading Challenge: 53
2012 Debut Author Challenge: 17
2012 Young Adult Reading Challenge: 56
2012 Standalone Reading Challenge: 16

*FTC Disclosure: I was given this book for free for an honest review as part of the Around the World Tours.