I thought I would share a book Charlie and I read in his Homeschool Reading Class which could be classified as a YA novel with a touch of Science Fiction and even suspense and drama thrown in at time. The book is called The Ingenious and the Colour of Life: YA/NA sci-fi (The Ingenious Trilogy) by by J.Y. Sam (Author). I received a PDF copy from Voracious Readers of in exchange for this review. Inside this post is my affiliate links if you click on the links and make a purchase I will make a small percentage from the products you purchase.
The Ingenious and the Colour of Life: YA/NA sci-fi (The Ingenious Trilogy) is the first in a trilogy about a group of children who are the result of years of experimenting to create humans with a “genius gene.” Raised for their first few years in a lab, the children were then scattered across the globe for their own protection when the project became too much to ethically maintain.
Each of the children have abilities and intelligence that they don’t understand. Some of the kids flaunt their brains, while others are encouraged by their parents to keep their intelligence under wraps, and those children dumb down their school classes so no one will know. Someone is out to kill the children who were results of the Project Ingenious program. Milly, Tai, and Callista (who was not a Project Ingenious child, but is a computer whiz) were all rescued at the last minute by Professor Harald Wolff, one of the project’s originators.
This novel picks up with each of the children years later as it appears someone is out to kill them all. One of the professors responsible for the project gathers them for their safety and together they try to unravel who is after them.
About the book:
From a beguiling new voice in YA sci-fi/contemporary fantasy comes an astonishing thriller about a group of mysterious young adults with the power to change lives…
Ever since teenager Milly Bythaway can remember, she’s had to hide who she really is – dumbing down an extraordinary genius in order to blend into the background. And young Tai Jones, a boy abandoned by his mother and forced to live as a homeless wanderer on the streets of London, soon realises that he has a special gift: he can see thoughts and emotions of others in stunningly beautiful colours. A gift that is both wonderful and awful.
When the teenagers are brought together by a mysterious old scientist for their own safety, they are told of a common and forgotten past. One of secret experiments, and a missing family that they yearn to find. But they soon hear of the disappearance of another child, and are faced with an impossible dilemma – to save themselves, they must risk their very sanity.
In the end, the children must work together, unleashing the full force of their abilities in an epic battle of the world’s greatest minds.
The Ingenious and the Colour of Life is J.Y. Sam’s beautiful, sad, and heart-rending debut – a story that explores the fragility of human nature, with a dash of science, culture, and the animal/natural world.
With hints of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, can scientific genetic experimentation really create the perfect child…?
LIMITED OFFER: ebook now on sale
Available on Kindle Unlimited
Listed in 40 book lists in Goodreads (including Best YA Sci-Fi for Both Genders, and YA Book Club)
A CAPTIVATING, INSPIRATIONAL, AND SUSPENSEFUL MYSTERY THRILLER FOR OLDER TEENS, YOUNG ADULTS – AS WELL AS ADULTS!
“Will appeal to fans of ‘Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children’ by Ransom Riggs, ‘Never Let Me Go’ by Kazuo Ishiguro, ‘The Institute’ by Stephen King, and ‘The House in the Cerulean Sea’ by T.J. Klune.” Voracious Readers Only
“Exciting, intriguing and gripping, this beautifully written book captures the reader and their imagination from the outset. The descriptions of characters, events and settings enables you to fully visualise and identify with them. A book that will appeal to adults and teenagers which will be remembered long after the reader turns the last page.” LoveReading.co.uk
“What an absolutely beautiful story and all-around amazing read! This is definitely going to be one of my Top 15 2021 favorites. Yes, it’s THAT good. I loved everything about this book! Sci-Fi Fantasy mix with writing so good you are LIVING the words. I love how the author incorporates nature throughout this story.” Amazon.com Reviewer
“I REALLY liked this book! I LOVED the writing and the backstory of each character, as well as the way the author built the world. (It sort of gave me “Mysterious Benedict Society” vibes, but for an older audience.) I loved the use of different languages and cultures, and the way every animal in this book was a well-written supporting character.” Goodreads.com
“I love the way the author developed the characters, telling us each of their stories and what they went through. They are really likable and dynamic, and I loved Calista, who was one of the female characters in this book. I loved that no matter what people said to her, she was proud of who she was and always fought for what she wanted.” OnlineBookClub.org
Excellent YA sci-fi book for kids aged 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18 years old – as well as adults!
For fans of ‘Book of Dust’ by Philip Pullman, ‘Girl A’ by Abigail Dean, ‘Klara And The Sun’ by Kazuo Ishiguro, ‘We Were Liars’ by E. Lockhart
Available as ebook, paperback, and hardback
Meet the Author: J.Y. Sam
For British author, J.Y. Sam, sadly, her book characters are far more interesting than she is! She’s married, has a beautiful if somewhat crazy daughter, a thoroughly sensible son, and a rather, shall we say, ‘unique’ Italian husband. She lives a quiet life working at home, surrounded by her cat, Phoebe, her duck, Rosie, four java finches, and a shoal of rapidly multiplying tank fish. Worryingly, she chats much more with her animals (they don’t answer back) than with her family…
It took around five years to write her first book ‘The Ingenious‘, and now that it’s published, she’s hoping that the gestation period for books 2 and 3 in the trilogy will be much shorter! Otherwise, she and her one fan will probably die of old age… And she cannot, and must not, leave an incomplete trilogy – or the universe will almost certainly implode. So watch this space…
APOLOGIES to all those who have pre-ordered book 3 in the trilogy, The Ingenious and the End of Days – the publication date has now been pushed back to the spring of 2023 (this year has been a bittersweet one for me, my daughter’s wedding, I had to have an operation, and dealing with ongoing illness, so unfortunately my writing has been on the back-burner…). Please accept my heartfelt apologies for this, but I can assure you that I will make use of the time to bring you the best ending possible to The Ingenious trilogy. If you email me your pre-order confirmation email, I’ll be happy to send you a complimentary copy of the book when it’ s published.
Check out for further updates. Contact the author on me@jysamofficial.com
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
