Felicia

The Vines is a story that ties together modern advances in microbiology and vaccination with a historical background.

It begins with Finn, a descendent of a family of microbiologists in some form. He discovers a scarred woman named Cora and begins to unravel her connection to his family and the small, abandoned New York island she resides on. We find that Cora has been experimented on for decades and hosts multiple epidemic diseases, including typhoid and smallpox. It is up to Finn to discover how she has lived so long, determine the extent of his family's unethical treatment, and try his best to help her.

I particularly enjoyed the historical aspects of the story. Many famous scientists and their discoveries, such as Leeuwenhoek's “animalcules,” are discussed. It also brings a focus to ethics and if one person's suffering for the “benefit” of mankind acceptable.

I found this book to be a pretty decent start to what might be an entertaining trilogy. There were a few things I found a little annoying. Sometimes I had to reread a sentence 2 or 3 times to really comprehend what it was saying, and it was a bit predictable. I feel like the events the girl goes through and survives are a little far fetched. The premise of the story is very interesting, and I felt I could relate to the feelings the main character felt while basically being a prisoner. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is interested in starting a new series.

Intriguing Start

This is the first book in the series I have read, and I definitely recommend the series. Chronologically, this series should be read second. I decided to read them in the order published instead. I did find some situations unrealistic, but overall the story could new very plausible under the circumstances.