4 out of 4 stars
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Note: The book deals with all forms of child abuse. Nearly every type of abuse is present (typically summed up in a few sentences) and they're rarely graphic, but they do exist throughout the book. For those uncomfortable with or triggered by child abuse, this book is not for you.
What would happen if every woman in the world suddenly became incapable of having children? It took a while for people to come to the frightening realization, but that's exactly what happens in The Johnson Project by Maggie Spence. The year is 2017 and somehow a virus has infected literally every woman on earth. The world is less than eight months away from seeing its last newborn child unless someone can fix it. Not only would this mean the end of humanity if uncured, it would also crash the stock market, eradicate all sorts of jobs and lead to countless unknown issues.
Two scientists race to find a cure. Pierre Charbot, a self-centered genius, is put in charge of humanity's efforts while Ted Johnson, an in vitro fertilization specialist whose services will soon be made redundant makes his own attempts. The Johnson family is the center of the book, and all of them work in varying careers that work toward the betterment of children, especially their mother Mary who is a multi-billionaire.
As might be expected, Ted actually finds a cure... of sorts. There's a special method that requires what folks refer to as "special sauce", and when added during the in vitro fertilization process it actually results in successful pregnancy! The downside is that the "special sauce" requires something that can't be mass produced, and The Johnson Project is created to impregnate selected women. The criteria are very specific, though, as there isn't enough for everyone and the Johnson family don't want children born into unhappy situations. This leads to major backlash from the press and, in fact, the world!
What made the book really fascinating are the absolutely crazy ramifications for the entire world. Countries collapse, America undergoes some massive changes, and somehow this virus has made the world a much better place overall - especially for children! It's also really clear that this book was written to highlight how awful the world allows children to be treated; the book often relates stories of child abuse and issues with the systems as they're currently set up. There were two separate times that it didn't even feel like a story and felt more like excursions to make a strong point. One of these happens early and had me worried about the rest of the book, and one is toward the end. The latter is actually a list of brief child abuse news stories worldwide from 2015, and lasts for about 5% of the book (roughly 14-18 pages). It's very fitting in its placement in the book, but is also entirely skippable if one doesn't want to read it all.
Perhaps the only thing more amazing than the endless repercussions of the virus are the plot twists that occur throughout the book. There were a couple events early in the book (aside from the diversion to talk about child abuse mentioned above) that just didn't feel right, but by the end of the book they made perfect sense. Some of the things still have me reeling now, hours after finishing the book.
The plot was masterfully done throughout, and while not all of the characters have big personalities (I especially enjoyed Ted's, as he was hilarious and often lived up to being a dad with his style of jokes), they all do feel unique. There were hardly any grammatical errors (I didn't even count 5), and the book was an easy read, especially for a sci-fi with so many opportunities for heavy medical jargon. The book was just as successful with its theme as well, really showing how precious children are and yet how many different types of awful situations they're put into. The book absolutely deserves 4 out of 4 stars!
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The Johnson Project
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