Stronger, Faster, and More Beautiful

By Arwen Elys Dayton

“If you love Black Mirror, this…will send shivers down your spine.”—Teen Vogue

"Appealing to fans of Black Mirror and Westworld, it’s a thrilling read that explores an exciting and terrifying near-future." —Paste

"[An] extraordinary work...groundbreaking in both form and substance." —Hypable 

This “powerful, poignant, and action-packed” (Bustle) novel is a twisted look into the future, exploring the lengths we'll go to remake ourselves into the perfect human specimen and what it means to be human at all.

The future is curious.

STRONGER

Today our bodies define us. We color our hair; tattoo our skin; pierce our ears, brows, noses. We lift weights, run miles, break records. We are flesh and blood and bone.

FASTER

Tomorrow has different rules. The future is no longer about who we are--it's about who we want to be. If you can dream it, you can be it. Science will make us smarter, healthier, flawless in every way. Our future is boundless.

MORE BEAUTIFUL

This is a story that begins tomorrow. It's a story about us. It's a story about who comes after us. And it's a story about perfection. Because perfection has a way of getting ugly.
 
A WALL STREET JOURNAL BEST SCIENCE FICTION BOOK OF 2018
A KIRKUS REVIEWS BEST BOOK OF 2018

5 STARRED REVIEWS!

"A deep and suddenly necessary exploration of the beautiful and terrible futures we face. Every story leaves you desperate for more. Somehow, the further from today Dayton travels, the more real it becomes." --Hank Green, #1 New York Times bestselling author of An Absolutely Remarkable Thing

"An alternately charming and horrifying exploration of what it means to be human and how far we'll go in pursuit of personal and societal 'perfection.' I devoured this book." --Kiersten White, New York Times bestselling author of And I Darken and The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Dec 4, 2018
• ISBN: 9780525580973

Arwen Elys Dayton

Arwen Elys Dayton was born on the west coast of the United States to a math professor father and a romantic mother, who named her after an elf in the Lord of the Rings. Arwen lives in in southern California with her husband and their three children.

Reviews for Stronger, Faster, and More Beautiful

[ecataldi-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wowza!! I couldn't get enough of this book. It's creepy, compelling, and akin to something off of a Black Mirror episode. This young adult sci-fi explores the possibilities of genetic engineering. What if we could get re-grow damaged lungs? Replace skin? Upgrade our vision? What if we could cure genetic deficiencies? It all starts innocent enough. A modification here to save a life. To prolong a life. Soon there is nothing left to cure, there are no accidents that can't be fixed. The future isn't about staying alive, it's about perfection. Want to breathe underwater? There is mod for that. Need extra limbs to make you more efficient at your job? There is a mod for that. Want to be cool and edgy and unique? There are moving tattoos, extra eyes, different colored skin and more to set you apart. Stronger, Faster, and More Beautiful tells the story of genetic modifications through teenagers. Each teenager is living in a different period of scientific discovery and as the future gets closer, the modifications get wilder and the story gets darker. Impossible to put down. A wildly unique book!!

[bella_roell · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

*FOR THE PURPOSES OF A BLOG TOUR, I WAS PROVIDED WITH AN E-ARC. THIS DOES NOT CHANGE MY HONEST OPINION*Stronger, Faster, and More Beautiful has definitely opened eyes to certain challenges of what “perfect” people would be like.This book challenges religion, morals, society, and so many other factors. I was actually pretty disturbed by some things—which is a good thing, especially when on the topic of “righting” the flaws of humanity, such as diseases and near-death experiences.Dayton made the reader think by providing different POVs and situations. It made me, for certain, think about how I would feel if our society were to turn and rely so heavily on medical advancements like “perfecting,” and I use this word due to the nature of this book.The stories of these people were raw. They were emotional, they were challenging, and they were real—and by real, I mean that they could be imagined in a different perspective.Milla’s story hit me hard. As a high schooler, I understand that our time in school is difficult as is already. Adding a car accident and replacement body parts and organs is like telling us “prepare for the storm.” I could understand why things happened the way they did, and I could understand the choices she made. While I was surprised by the happenings, I could see why they were important to use.This book brought out a lot of questions, but it also made me realize where our world may be going. My only question for you is, would you be able to live in this society?I rate this book 4/5 stars. I do suggest you pick it up and give it a chance, and I do hope that you also see the things I did.

[lisa5127 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book was recommended to me by a book club friend after I had shared how much I was enjoying the UnWind series by Neal Shusterman. Her recommendation was spot on!

This is a book made up of several "short stories". Each story takes place a number of years later. So, the first story is a few years from now. Medical advances have made saving lives much more likely than it is today. Each new story goes years into the future with advances in medicine and technology designed to make our lives better. The question at each turn is, "Are lives actually better now?"

If you enjoy a good dystopian story with some science fiction mixed in, you will love this book!