Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, May 1, 2007 (Vol. 75, No. 9))
In her debut, Michaels takes on some of the age-old big questions: good vs. evil, nature vs. nurture, evolution vs. creationism, free will. Fortunately for the reader, she does so with a fresh and compelling story. Josh and Max are brothers, in a close-knit, well-adjusted, stable family. Or are they? Josh's adored older brother is accused of a brutal murder. And it was Josh's creation as a designer baby that saved Max's life as an infant. Is Max guilty? The victim's sister is sure of it. This is a fascinating and realistic page-turner, and virtually impossible to put down. It leaves gory details out, and focuses on the emotional interaction within the family, as well as Josh's introspection as he contemplates his future. Can he determine what he becomes? Or is it all in his genes? The surprises come naturally, and the ending leaves readers to decide. 2007, Ginee Seo Books/Atheneum, 208p, $15.99. Category: Science fiction. Ages 12 to 14. © 2007 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Michele Winship (KLIATT Review, May 2007 (Vol. 41, No. 3))
Michaels skillfully knits together SF and cyberspace with a mystery plot, giving readers a thriller that’s hard to put down. Underlying the story are lingering questions about right and wrong. Josh and Max are brothers who share a closer connection than any other siblings despite their age difference. Josh was conceived to provide Max with the stem cells that provided a cure for his cancer at seven years old. Now, 13 years later, their “normal” family life has been twisted inside out. Max has been accused of murdering a girl and sits behind bars while the investigation takes place. Josh is devastated by seeing his beloved older brother in jail, and wonders, when the truth is finally revealed, if maybe the whole situation was all his fault somehow. They were so close, playing Genesis Alpha together almost every day while Max was off at college, defeating cyber-villains and helping each other accumulate treasures in their made-up world. But was there some clue? Was everything a lie? And more importantly, what does this mean for Josh’s future? Michaels, a first-time novelist, takes risks by addressing several challenging themes and issues of morality, but she does so from a balanced perspective, showing all sides of the story and allowing readers to make their own judgments. Category: Hardcover Fiction. KLIATT Codes: JS--Recommended for junior and senior high school students. 2007, Simon and Schuster, 208p., $15.99. Ages 12 to 18.

Esther Keller (Library Media Connection, August/September 2007)
While Genesis Alpha is meant to be an edge of your seat thriller, it's a cleverly veiled book that poses the moral questions of genetic engineering, with just a hint of prejudice. Josh was born specifically to save his brother; their parents used genetic engineering to have a second baby whose stem cells could save Max. Even with such a legacy, Josh is a well-adjusted 13-year-old boy who loves his family, computers, and video games. When his brother is arrested for murder in a case that garners media attention, this bit of history is sensationalized and people start to question the morality behind genetic engineering. Josh too wonders if it's his fault that his brother may be a murderer and hunts for the answers using their favorite online game, Genesis Alpha. While the plot seems complicated, the author pulls it all together in a book that is ultimately a page-turner and fun to read, even with its dark and difficult themes. This book is primed with material for reluctant readers, but the clunky shifts of tenses at the start of the book may throw them off. Even so, it's worth sticking with to discover the twists and turns. Recommended. 2007, Ginee Seo Books (Simon & Schuster), 208pp., $14.99 hc. Ages 12 to 16.

April Spisak (The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, September 2007 (Vol. 61, No. 1))
Finding out that you are actually a clone of your older brother, created so your cells can cure him of a deadly disease, is never easy. Add in the fact that the older sibling, Max, is now being arrested for a horrible murder, and thirteen-year-old Josh’s life is looking grim indeed. At first, Josh and his parents are certain of Max’s innocence, but the more time Josh spends with Rachel, the murdered girl’s younger sister, who has taken up residence in his garage, the closer he comes to admitting Max’s probable guilt. As the two damaged younger siblings try to uncover proof through Max’s online-gaming archives and chat logs, the press is turning against Josh’s whole family, and it becomes clear that whether or not Max is guilty, the family will never be the same again. Josh, worshipping younger brother turned into a wracked and haunted shell of his old self, is an unforgettable protagonist, inspiring empathy as the only true innocent in the novel. Unfortunately, Josh is surrounded by caricatures: Max oozes charm and barely disguised rage; Josh’s parents are bland and obedient, hoping to cover up their past choices to protect their doctor as much as themselves; and Rachel’s mere presence in the family garage, undetected and unmissed, is an impossibility that weakens her character. In addition, the focus of the novel, the ethical ponderings about whether a clone is doomed to exhibit the exact same behaviors as the original person, seems an old-fashioned cliché. However, even if science fiction buffs may have seen this before in Farmer’s The House of the Scorpion (BCCB 11/02), the terse and powerful sentences, realistic dialogue, and gripping pace will certainly keep many readers engaged and invested in seeing Josh find the beginnings of his own identity. Review Code: Ad -- Additional book of acceptable quality for collections needing more material in the area. (c) Copyright 2006, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. 2007, Seo/Atheneum, 193p, $14.99. Grades 7-9.

Horn Book (The Horn Book Guide, Fall 2007)
Josh was a "designer baby," engineered to save his brother Max from cancer. When Max is jailed for murder, the victim's sister torments Josh as he and his parents slowly lose hope of Max's (and by extension, their own) innocence. The brothers' favorite computer game effectively embodies the examination of good and evil that drives this suspenseful character drama. Category: Older Fiction. 2007, Atheneum/Seo, 193pp, 14.99. Ages 12 to 14. Rating: 3: Recommended, satisfactory in style, content, and/or illustration.

Judy Killgo (The Lorgnette - Heart of Texas Reviews (Vol. 20, No. 4))
Two teenagers, brother and sister, are bound together by a mutual tragedy, and each, torn with guilt and pain, has to decide how they will continue on. At the center of the tragedy is a computer game, Genesis Alpha. Rune Michaels’ book is truly a thriller. Just when the reader thinks he/she knows where the story is heading, Ms. Michaels turns another corner. Each turn will take the reader deeper into moral dilemmas that the world will have to confront sooner than later. Josh and Max are brothers. They are five years apart, but they look alike, sound the same, and share many interests including a very popular online game. They are brothers so close that one would not exist without the other. Max as a child had incurable cancer, and his parents, out of desperation, used every new scientific technology that was available to them to choose the perfect embryo that would be a perfect DNA match for Max’s blood to replace the cells that had already been lost to the cancer treatments. Max was healed, and Josh adored his older brother. Josh’s happy, secure life falls apart one day when he realizes that his brother, who is away at school, has walked away from the online game they play. He soon finds out that Max has been arrested for the murder of a teenage girl at that very time. Josh will never believe the brother he idolizes could have done such a horrendous crime. He feels confident that this nightmare will soon be over. Josh is forced to face reality as he comes face to face with the dead girl’s sister who has run away from home and taken shelter in a shed in Josh’s backyard. Was Josh so like his brother that he would suffer the same fate? Is it his fault that the girl is dead because he saved Max’s life? Do people really have a choice, or is good and evil a component of DNA? How does a popular online computer game change the lives of four teenagers? Ms. Michaels uses this exciting story to introduce vocabulary and processes that students are being introduced to in biology classes as well as creating an opportunity to have a dialogue about the moral dilemmas and consequences new technology is creating for our society. Fiction, Highly Recommended. Grades 8-12. 2007, Ginee Seo/Atheneum, 193p., $14.99. Ages 13 to 18.

Michele Winship (VOYA, June 2007 (Vol. 30, No. 2))
Skillfully interweaving science fiction and cyberspace into a murder mystery, Michaels gives readers a story that is not only difficult to put down but also poses questions that will linger long after the last page is turned. Josh and Max are brothers, separated by several years but sharing a closer connection than any other siblings. When Max was a child, he had cancer, and Josh was conceived to provide Max with the stem cells that saved his life at seven years old. Now, thirteen years later, their world has turned inside out. Max sits in jail accused of murdering a girl. Josh struggles with seeing his idol behind bars and wonders, when the truth is revealed, if maybe the whole situation was entirely his fault somehow. They were so close, playing Genesis Alpha together almost every day while Max was off at college, defeating cyber-villains and helping each other accumulate treasures in their made-up world. Was everything a lie? And more important, does Josh have any control over his future? First-time novelist Michaels takes on several challenging themes and addresses issues of morality from a balanced perspective, showing all sides of the story and allowing readers to make their own judgments. Stay tuned for more from this author. VOYA CODES: 4Q 5P M J (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses; Every YA (who reads) was dying to read it yesterday; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9). 2007, Atheneum/S & S, 208p., $15.99. Ages 11 to 15.