Totality: A Debut Novel Set in the Future

Ellen Gable Hrkach reviews the debut novel by Catholic author Brendan Lyons.

What is man, oh Lord? And what do we owe God in receipt for our body and soul? As we barrel forward in medical and scientific progress, the answer trends increasingly toward "nothing.” (From the publisher)

I thoroughly enjoyed Totality, a debut novel from Brendan Lyons. The story is set sometime in the future, where the "switchover" is being touted as the “pinnacle of medical science by its creators and embraced by the insurance industry.”  The switchover is the process “by which a human being’s mind is transferred into a genetically perfected body, cloned specifically for them.”

null

Tim Plesac, the primary investor of the switchover’s development and the first successful human patient, is now quite wealthy, but he’s questioning whether the government is moving too quickly towards making the switchover vital to healthcare and whether there are potentially damaging side effects. With help from his wife, Ali, these doubts grow stronger.

Nick Jeffreys and his wife Hannah are expecting twins (again). When Hannah goes to her OBGYN appointment, she’s surprised at how strongly the doctor is pushing her to do the switchover immediately after the twins' birth.

The Jeffreys and the Plesacs eventually come together to expose the lies and secrets of those in charge of the switchover.

Totality is a gripping story about the perverted desire to replace God in the creation of human life. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and found the characters well-defined and believable. I especially appreciated that the setting was Philadelphia and New York City, as I grew up in Philadelphia and visited NYC often in my youth.  There are many surprises and twists that make this book a page-turner.

I highly recommend this book, and I look forward to reading future novels by Lyons.  While the author has some growing to do regarding his writing ability, there’s no doubt that his storytelling ability outshines that of many bestselling authors today.

null

Totality is available on Amazon.com and releases May 1, 2024.

Is this a book you'd like to read? Share your thoughts with the Catholic Mom community! You'll find the comment box below the author's bio and list of recommended articles.