[.ca] Double Helix (ISBN 014240327X)

impressive page turner:
This book, although marketed as "Young Adult," could easily take its place on the shelf alongside mysteries intended for an adult audience. A recent high school grad chooses to postpone college for a year - much to the dismay of his father - and instead takes a job in a lab which deals with cloning and genetics. Like the stereotypical male, the protagonist believes that if he can successfully compartmentalize each aspect of his life, things will be fine. Unfortunately, as his girlfriend uncovers what he has tried to keep secret - his mother's Huntington's disease - and he begins to suspect a past connection with his parents and his boss, that his father refuses to discuss, his life becomes steadily more messy. To compound matters, he begins to suspect that something is not quite kosher at the lab and with his brilliant but quixotic boss. Although the end climax and confrontation seemed tame, the events leading up to it held my interest. The book reminded me of two mysteries by Charles Atkins, in its raising of philosophical/existential/psychological issues, its vividly drawn characters (presented as human not caricatures of scientists), and its easily recognizable Boston setting. Highly recommended.

Werlin at her best!:
This book was amazing! I absolutely loved every part of it. The summary above explains the plot, but the greatness of this novel cannot be put into words. I recommend this book to anyone who has read Nancy Werlin's books before, and anyone who wants a good read. Thumbs up!

Courtesy of Teens Read Too:
After recently reading and reviewing Nancy Werlin's THE RULES OF SURVIVAL, I went in search of some of her other books. I discovered DOUBLE HELIX, and it didn't disappoint me. Eli Samuels, salutatorian of his graduating class, has decided to postpone college for a year. His father is not pleased. But Eli is struggling to decide just exactly where he is headed in life. Complicating matters are his relationship with his girlfriend and his mother's illness, Huntington's disease. Eli and his father have been struggling with Ava's illness for many years, but the end is near. She is confined to a nursing home and not even aware of their visits. Eli's future is uncertain because Huntington's disease is hereditary. His mother may have passed him the gene which carries the disease. A simple blood test holds the answer, but Eli is not ready to know the truth. Dr. Quincy Wyatt, a famous scientific researcher, offers Eli a job at Wyatt Transgenics. It involves caring for research animals and helping in the lab. The more Eli learns about Dr. Wyatt and the work of his company, the more he begins to question what he knows about his own life. Using clever twists and turns, Nancy Werlin has created a real nail-biter that makes this book hard to put down. Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"

An Excellent Book:
The setting is in present time. It is a science fiction book that deals with cloning and DNA manipulation. The suspense keeps the story moving throughout the book. Eli is an 18 year old who doesn't know what he wants to do with his life. By chance a famed scientist Dr. Wyatt took interest in Eli and gave him a good job. A job that his father is abosolutly agianst Eli in taking. What ever the reason Eli's father doesn't want him taking the job, it is to painful for him to speak about. Eli thinks that there is some connection between Dr. Wyatt and his family and wants some answers. This is an excellent book to read and I would suggest everybody who would like a good read to read this book. This would definatly one of the best books I've ever read.