Blog Tour/Book Review: The Mother Code

THE MOTHER CODE | Carole Stivers
08.25.2020 | Berkley
Rating: 4/5 stars

The year is 2049 and a deadly non-viral agent intended for biowarfare is spreading out of control. Scientists are scrambling to create a solution, but as more and more people become sick it seems a cure is impossible. These scientists begin working on a way to ensure the survival of the human race by putting a plan into place to genetically engineer children inside cocoons of large-scale robots. A future awaits where these children will be incubated, birthed, and raised by machines. These robots are unique in that they contain an intelligence program that renders them to have individual personalities based on the women who have provided their embryos to the future of mankind. This is the Mother Code.

Carole Stivers dives into a eerily possible future with THE MOTHER CODE. This story follows a dystopian future where the human race is facing extinction and the only way to keep hope alive is to rely on machines. I absolutely loved the premise and the execution of this story! 

The book kicks off with the start of the epidemic and weaves in sections from the future. The buildup to the climax of the epidemic coupled with the future passages were a great complement for each other and left me feeling an intense sense of anticipation, which ultimately made me want to read more and more. I felt a need to know what was going to happen and how things progressed to where we were reading about in the future. From there I also wanted to know what would come next for our characters, which is exactly what the reader is given once part two kicks off.

There are so many characters to learn about and bond with throughout THE MOTHER CODE that it can seem a little overwhelming when you’re first starting out. Stivers does a great job of fully forming these characters into unique individuals who truly shine throughout the story. I had some troubles with a few of the character’s decisions, but they were all valid based off of the personalities they had, so I never truly disliked anyone in this book.

If you’re not a typical science fiction reader, I will warn you that the first handful of chapters are going to hit you hard with a lot of jargon you won’t understand right away. Power through! It’s so worth getting over this hump and once you settle into the story those sciencey items will start to make sense. 

THE MOTHER CODE is a great read for fans of science fiction, dystopian reads, or even just those looking to change up what they read!

This book is available to buy from: Amazon | Book Depository

A huge thank you to Berkley for my gifted copy!

Disclosure: What Jess Reads is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This in no way influences my opinion of the above book.