Book Review: The Lever by Mark Salzwedel

     Shonda is a reported for PopUp News that has been hired by two families where the young adult in good health went on a trip off-world and mysteriously died, but no body was produced for the family. While looking into it she learned that both visited the same gene-alteration facility. When the records are unsealed it is discovered that they were unknowingly altered to be homosexual and submissive. She travels to Mars, on the run from men in black, to track down a lead of another who fits the same profile. Here she finds all the missing subjects, but their lives are about to get much stranger. 

    I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. When I say that I wasn't expecting what I read when I started is an understatement. This is the author's blurb: In the future, a reporter uncovers a plot to change the DNA of selected young adults, abduct them, and cover up evidence that they ever existed. Her investigation takes her and three gay soldiers to Mars and eventually to the other side of the galaxy, where any misstep they make could doom the human race. 

    Technically this blurb isn't incorrect. However, I didn't expect that they were altering genes to make them something they previously weren't. Be whatever. Gay, Straight, Pan, whatever, but it's up to you and shouldn't be messed with. As such I struggled with this book. There are a lot of sex scenes within the book, which would have been fine if it seemed that the characters would have chose it willingly before their genetic makeup was altered. For instance Shonda and her partner. No problems there. 

    Sexual preferences, or lack of choice thereof, the book was good. If you ignore that glaring fact. We have off-world travel and a future setting where the Earth is still a viable and active habitat for human life. While off world locations are established it seems that they weren't quite as perfected as is displayed in books when it has been longer. Outside of the small civilizations on the planets the air is still not breathable and you can't survive without suits. 

    The AI segments leading up to the soldier's and Shonda's journey across the galaxy is a bit painful to read. There are repeated words, numbers and codes assigned to people, and it is frequently hard to keep track of everything so you come away with a vague sense of what has been told to you. In addition to that there are some places in the book that you will think are typos. I know I did. I mentioned one such instance to the author and he said that in his future people will spell things like they sound and no longer remember the original spelling. To each their own on that one. 

    The author does do a great job of setting the scene. You can tell where the characters are at all times and are able to imagine what the author wants you to with ease. The character's annoyance with the nanobots is easily conveyed as well as their general frustrations. Kudos on these points. 

    This book is available on Amazon for $9.99 by clicking here.