Review of Origin by Jessica Khoury

​ Origin by Jessica Khoury is a young adult book about a secret laboratory deep in the rainforest holding one girl who can never die. Jessica Khoury is 22 years old and this is her first book on the shelves. So far, Origin has been a great success.

Pia, the protagonist, is 17 years old - and she will never die. All she has ever known is Little Cambridge, a laboratory built to develop the Immortis serum deep in the Amazon rainforest. Pia’s skin cannot be broken, she is immune to every disease, and her reflexes are faster than any normal human’s. Her whole life she has been training to become part of the Immortis team to create another immortal human just like herself - her Mr. Perfect - to help start their master race. Her “aunts” and “uncles” in Little Cam teach her all there is to know of biology and chemistry, but she knows nothing of the outside world. Then, one day, Pia discovers the hole. Little Cambridge is guarded by tall electric fences, but one night, Pia see a break. Her curiosity overcomes her fear of breaking the rules, and she explores the jungle world outside Little Cam. Pia then meets Eio, a young handsome boy from a nearby Amazonian tribe. Together, they discover the horrible truths behind Little Cam and its scientists - uncovering Pia’s true origin - and changing her life forever.

In Origin, there is consistent tension among characters because of the fear of the lab being discovered or of ruining the experiment. When Pia escapes, she comes back longing for the forest and afraid of being discovered. Later when she meets Eio, there is conflict of love versus one’s job - commitment versus curiosity. Origin also addresses the negative connotations of power. What will you do with the power to be fearless? The power to live forever? What would you do to reach that goal? Origin gives a new-age twist on the “age old desire to live forever.”

Pia is an angst-filled teenaged girl. Although I found her naivety (hardly her fault) a little annoying, I felt I could connect with that nagging feeling of not quite having enough. Pia knew that the lab was built for her to fit in perfectly, but she cannot help but feel that she might be able to find her place somewhere else. By the end, I found myself begging Pia to make the right choices and rooting for her to survive. Khoury does a great job creating a character that is both annoying and worth rooting for - a delicate balance that is hard to achieve.

My favorite character in Origin was Eio’s younger foster sister Ami. Ami is a minor character, but the happiest character in the novel. She is care-free and full of the joy of life. Ami’s spirit reminds Pia of the happiness to be found in the moment. Ami’s appearance in the climax brings her beautiful childlike philosophies of life to a full meaning. I think Ami is a lustrous embodiment of Khoury’s moral.

Origin is a breathlessly paced story full of profound philosophy and nail-biting plot twists. However beautifully it was written though, I could not help but feel like the book lacked something. I liked it, but there was not an overwhelming “wow” factor. The characters could have had slightly more substance. Though Eio and Pia’s relationship is heartwarming - it comes across as a relationship built on lust and utter curiosity rather than real love and feeling. Pia also has never experienced real love or affection before, so it seems implausible that she would fall head over heels in only a few days.

I recommend this book to anyone who likes a good dystopian science fiction book with a spice of romance. Anyone 12 and up could enjoy this book, but I do not believe it’s a book most adults would find satisfying. This book was written for teenage readers, and is best consumed by that audience. 

​Do you want to start a master race? Here is a simple home-brewed recipe for some tasty Immortis Serum. Feed to 32 people and have them interbreed, and their offspring interbreed, and so on for 5 generations, and then you will have an immortal child!

For an authentic tropical taste, mix
4 ounces of pineapple juice
4 ounces of mango juice
1 ounces of orange juice
For a magical effect, add
2 tablespoons of something shimmery or sparkly
To ensure the eternal youth of your successors, add
2 tablespoons of *spoilers*
Preferably served in the cup of the elysia flower, but cups that look like flowers will do.
Do not inject into bloodstream. Does not guarantee immortality.