| Title | : | Wrath |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1454945222 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781454945222 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 309 |
| Publication | : | Published October 11, 2022 |
Wrath is the story of a lab rat instilled with human genes whose supersized intelligence helps him to engineer his escape into the world outside the lab: a world vastly ill-equipped to deal with the menace he represents. Modified through advances that have boosted his awareness of humankind’s cruelty in the name of science, and endowed with a rat’s natural proclivity to procreate regularly, Sammy has the potential to sire a rodent army capable of viciously overwhelming the human race.
Wrath Reviews
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This book was BEYOND cool!! An awesome concept, brutal death-by-rat scenes, and an enrapturing science heavy plot. If I hadn't been raising and rescuing rats since high school I would totally have a new phobia. Wrath gave me hardcore Michael Crichton vibes - the science is clearly well researched and written in an easily understood way. It's obvious one of the co-authors of this book, Sharon Moalem, is extremely educated in the field of genetics.
The main characters skirted the line of "unlikable" really well - both Noah and Sienna were SO frustrating in their decisions but I cant say that they werent realistic. I absolutely loved Prez, Dallas, and Sammy. The latter two made such an adorable team!
Wrath had everything I look for in a scifi horror, even the ending was utter perfection (which I was SO nervous about) wrapping everything up in a way that felt both realistic and foreboding. This is gonna be made into a movie right?? I neeeeeeeeeeeed it. -
(I received an ARC of this book from the publisher. All thoughts are my own.)
If you’ve ever watched "Jurassic Park" and wondered what might happen if the dinosaurs understood human language and were aware of exactly how poorly the humans treated them, then you’re the exact audience Shäron Moalem and Daniel Kraus’s new book, "Wrath" is targeting. Reading like a cross between a blockbuster movie, a hard sci-fi thriller, and a rumination on the very ethics of animal experimentation, "Wrath" is a thrill ride from start to finish. It’ll make you laugh, cry, and quiver in fear all in the same chapter. It’s the kind of book that digs into your brain and stays with you long after you’ve read it. And while it doesn’t necessarily bring anything new to the game, it’s one of the most effective horror books I’ve read this year and easily worth a read if you’re looking for something creepy this Halloween season.
In the near future, EditedPets (think Apple, but if they made technologically advanced pets) is on the cusp of introducing their newest augmented pet - Sammy. Sammy is a genetically modified rat, gifted with the ability to not only understand and learn from humans but to truly communicate with them. As a pet, he’s a game changer. The first step towards that utopian future of true companionship between humanity and the animal kingdom. But as any scientist knows, the path to discovery is often paved with the mistreatment of animals. A truth that Sammy is all too aware of - and, given the chance, all too eager to rectify. And so Sammy devises a plan. A plan to free his fellow rats from the torture and indignities inflicted by humankind forever.
"Wrath" begins like any number of similar stories. There’s Noah, the tech CEO so far divorced from reality that he doesn’t have the faintest idea of the implications of his work, and Sienna, the scientist trying to make a positive difference while ultimately (and inadvertently) causing a great deal of harm. And, at first, Moalem and Kraus lead you to believe "Wrath" is gonna tell their story. That it’s just gonna be another one of those books where the know-it-all scientists mess with forces they shouldn’t play around with, cause a great deal of damage, but ultimately survive relatively intact. Almost immediately, however, "Wrath" careens down a different path. Sure, it absolutely exists within those well-established tropes. But instead of strictly following them, "Wrath" takes its audience’s expectations and mutates them just a little bit. You get exactly what you’re expecting but in a far more surprising and engaging package.
What makes "Wrath" stand out from the rest of the pack is how it humanizes Sammy. Pop culture is full of stories where the mindless horde overtakes humanity and punishes us for our cruelty. But in almost every case, that horde remains a distant other, never humanized in any meaningful way. "Wrath" spits in the face of that tradition and not only invites its readers to sympathize with Sammy but transports them into Sammy’s brain. Multiple chapters are presented entirely from Sammy’s point of view, at various stages of his development. And these chapters are easily the most engrossing parts of the book. We get to see exactly how Sammy goes from this very innocent creature, desperately trying to please his creators, to the devious, master manipulator he eventually becomes.
Along the way, we follow Sammy as he learns new things, meets new people, and mentally evolves in very human ways. This approach humanizes Sammy in a way that many similar stories wouldn’t have done. Sammy isn’t this voiceless, existential threat. He’s a monster of our own making, a reflection of the darkest parts of humanity. He’s a representation of our greatest possibilities and our worst instincts. And, most importantly, he's his own being. His characterization gives this book an overwhelming sense of tragedy. "Wrath" isn’t a survival story, not in the way we’re used to thinking of them. It’s a story about cruelty. About the ways humans are cruel to those they view as lesser beings. And about the ways that cruelty can lead to even more cruelty. And all of this results in a fascinating, haunting read.
Lest you think "Wrath" is all introspection and no action, worry not. As I said, "Wrath" delivers exactly what it promises on the tin. Without venturing too far into spoilery territory, there’s a reason people are comparing "Wrath" to books like "Jurassic Park," "World War Z," and "Frankenstein." And those comparisons are 100% on the money. "Wrath" reads like the literary equivalent of a blockbuster sci-fi thriller. And it’s such a compulsive read, too. "Wrath" is the kind of book that immediately grabs your attention and never lets it go. Once you start reading it, you won’t want to stop. And the last half of the novel is just a barrage of suspense, excitement, horror, and satisfaction. Moalem and Kraus do such a great job of paying off every single plot point they set up, and those payoffs are exactly as satisfying as you’d hope they’d be.
Needless to say, I can’t recommend "Wrath" enough. It’s an action-packed, page-turner of a read, packed with horrific imagery, heartbreaking character development, and thrilling action sequences. "Wrath" is the perfect read for the Halloween season. It delivers an engaging twist on a familiar story, all while placing a mirror in front of our darkest tendencies. As a horror story, it’s profoundly effective and certain to stay with you long after you finish it. As a sci-fi story, it's the kind of story sure to please those looking for a realistic glimpse at the future of our technology. And for those just looking for a good read, "Wrath" is the ultimate compulsive page-turner. -
I loved the concept of this book and the execution was fantastic! How can you not adore Sammy, the cutest mouse ever? Even though you know it's all going to go horribly wrong you still feel for these characters. While it's pitched as a techno thriller horror fans should know this book contains the most blood ratpocalypse ever. Just like every book I have read involving Daniel Kraus it's a unique story, vividly imagined and cleverly written
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Why do people even LIVE in New York City anymore? Apocalypses come there so regularly in fiction, but I think the rats of Wrath are worse than any zombies. Rats, after all, are designed to gnaw through things, jump impossible distances, squeeze through unseen gaps, and generally live below the radar. And there are MILLIONS of them.
Wrath is way more Willard (a movie I only know via trailer, because I was a kid when it came out and now as an adult I'm too scared to see it) than Flowers for Algernon. Super gross and violent, kind of mixed messages in the final denouement, and please for the love of God never tell me how many rats are nearby at any given time. -
This horror techno thriller strongly invokes a mixture of Michael Crichton and Stephen King in my opinion and was an excellent read. A company called Edited Pets is working on it's next big project, Sammy's. Sammy's are genetically altered pets that have been mixed with Human Intelligence DNA to make them smarter and able to communicate with their owner's. However one particular Sammy is more intelligent than the rest and he does not like what he's seeing being done in the labs where he was created.
Sammy eventually escapes with the help of a disabled boy named Dallas who is excited to have a new best friend, a rat he can talk to. Thing's spiral and the only thing that will be able to stop Sammy from starting a catastrophe of apocalyptical and biblical proportions is his friend Dallas.
The characters are all well done and relatable. There's a lot of charm and humor here but there is also a lot of gore and thrills. I really enjoyed it and recommend it for those looking for a great creature horror or fun techno thriller.
A Side Note T. Ryder Smith nailed the narration for the Audiobook. -
Wrath was a lot of fun. I read it in two sittings, and did not want to put it down. I loved the concept, and the way it was executed was top notch. The different characters all felt unique, and I understood their backgrounds and motivations. The progression of the conflict was riveting, a tense ride that ended in some unforgettable scenes. The shift of perspectives throughout the narrative worked perfectly. I never felt confused or disjointed. There were moments where scientific info or animal facts were being explained, but it never felt overly expository where I was pulled out of the book. For those who are sensitive to animal deaths, this might be one to avoid. It is mostly rats, but there is a lot of it. There is also a decent amount of gore in general. Wrath provides a good mix of science fiction and horror, and though I may not totally agree with its view on humanity at the end, I still enjoyed every moment with this book.
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VIVA LA RAT-SISTANCE !!!!
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Hwee-oop 🫡🥹
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4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum
https://bibliosanctum.com/2022/11/03/...
Told in a similar vein to books by Michael Crichton or technothrillers that feel like they can be made into summer blockbusters, Sharon Moalem and Daniel Kraus’ rat-infested collaboration Wrath is a contemplation of the ethics behind animal testing as well as the unquenchable thirst for science advancement—and what happens when everything goes wrong.
In the not-so-distant future, a popular biotech company is changing the way we own pets. After the successful introduction of its glow-in-the-dark goldfish, Edited Pets had promised to expand its ever-growing menagerie of genetically modified pets available to the public, but after a string of disastrous new launches, founder and CEO Noah is desperate for a win. His next big idea? Sammy. This genetically altered rat is engineered to be pocket-sized, extremely adorable, and gifted with the intelligence to be able to understand and interact with humans.
Noah has poured nearly all his company’s resources into developing Sammy, hoping to unveil the rat at an upcoming world pet expo. Unfortunately, his genetics team has recently run into a snag. None of his scientists have been able to solve the problem of Sammy’s rapidly growing brain and the failure of his tiny rodent skull to accommodate it. As a result, all early iterations of Sammy have been met with painful, premature deaths before they could be fully grown.
The Sammy project would appear to be over before it has even begun. That is, until Noah’s friend and lead scientist Sienna comes up with a brilliant plan to overcome their obstacles. It’s not a permanent solution by any means, but at least it will allow Sammy to debut at the pet expo. What no one expected, however, was just how intelligent their creation as become—intelligent enough, for example, to devise an escape plan from his confinement to the lab into the outside world, where his biological drive to breed will put the entire human race under threat of being overcome by a vengeful army of rats just like him.
First things first: you’re going to have a hard time getting through this novel if you have a fear of rats, but also if you’re disturbed by harsh depictions of animal experimentation and the resulting injuries and deaths. Noah and Sienna are both POV characters, but the story does not treat them kindly, the former being the archetypal smug tech CEO elitist whose only concern is his reputation and bottom line, the latter being so caught up in her own good intentions that she loses sight of the dangers of playing god. It’s almost enough to make you sympathize with Sammy, the rat. Believe it or not, he gets his own POV too, and even though he’s the one wreaking all the havoc, it’s hard to fault this poor abused little creature who was an innocent in all this until the dastardly humans decided to mess with his genes.
What I also liked about Wrath is how accessible it was. You don’t need to be a science geek to understand what Noah and his team at Edited Pets was trying to do, and the descriptions of the genetic modifications process were just detailed enough without being overly mired in the techno lingo. That said, the science behind the premise is going to feel a bit far-fetched, but that’s the reality with a book like this where there’s always an expectation that things will get a little over-the-top. Characterization isn’t exactly a priority either, as the plotline places more emphasis on keeping up the action and a snappy pace, much like a screenplay of a Hollywood blockbuster.
Still, if you’re willing to suspend your disbelief and go with the flow, enjoying Wrath shouldn’t be a problem. Just as long as you don’t have musophobia, or this sci-fi thriller is going to feel a lot more like horror. -
It’s been a while since I’ve read a near-future sci-fi, but Wrath really makes me want to pick up more. The fast-paced action, science written by authors who know their shit, and delightfully gruesome imagery made Wrath an unconventional, but exciting beach read. (I did actually read this at the beach)
Wrath opens from the narrative of Noah, CEO of Edited Pets, tech bro asshole with just enough desperation and money to make some extraordinarily bad decisions. After an initially splashy start with the sale of genomically edited glow-in-the-dark goldfish, Edited Pets has been on a downward trend, unable to replicate that success with their follow-up products (genetically modified pets). Which, of course, brings Noah and co to the absolutely brilliant idea of editing mice to be a) extra cute and b) have the intelligence of a human 10-year-old, complete with the ability to directly communicate, in English, with their owner.
Now, before we jump into the horror show of progressively worse decisions Noah and co make throughout the book, please stop and consider for a moment simply the ethical ramifications of mass-producing and selling anything with the intelligence and communication abilities of a 10-year-old. That’s a full-on sapient creature! That is being sold! Now throw in the fact that in order to give these prototype mice such level of intelligence, their brains end up growing bigger than their skulls can handle, ultimately resulting in seizures and death. Mice with the awareness and communication abilities of a 10-year-old. Not a single prototype has survived this fate. You can probably guess where this book is going.
Naturally, Noah and head scientist Sienna don’t think, wow that’s maybe a little fucked up let’s pursue something else. Instead, ‘improvements’ are slowly made to these prototype mice, called Sammys, but also leading to increasingly worse consequences. I really have to give it to Moalem and Kraus for their descriptive writing, because they do not hold back on the gore-y (anatomically correct) details we get of the rat attacks humans suffer in this book.
One of my favorite elements of this book is the inclusion of chapters from a particular Sammy’s perspective. I thought it was a unique inclusion in these kinds of ‘science experiment gone wrong, humanity at risk’ genre of novels that really humanizes Sammy and all the terrible experimentation he’s been forced to undergo. The authors could have easily taken the standard route of ‘look at humanity triumph over the monsters on the loose’. Instead, it’s very clear that Noah, Sienna, and other are not the heroes of this story. Humanity is displayed at both its best and worst, with a very deft execution of nuance.
If I had one complaint, it would be that the jumps in both POV and timelines are not marked, and it would sometimes take me a paragraph or two to realize a different character is speaking or that they’re in a flashback scene.
Overall, I rate this book a 4/5. I loved the fast-paced action, the nuance and humanity the authors give both the heroes and the villains of this story, and the strong adherence to semi-realistic science.
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4/5
Some stunningly horrific imagery of rat swarms turning their vengeance against humans. Really loved how the science was written and you can tell the authors know their stuff -
Book Review: Wrath by Shäron Moalem and Daniel Kraus
Wrath is a science fiction thriller about the fallout after a genetically altered escapes the laboratory to wreak havoc on New York City.
Scientist Sienna and CEO Noah accomplished the impossible once before by creating glowing pet fish and now they want to tackle making the perfect animal companion in adorable little Sammy. Sammy is a genetically altered rat that will be able to communicate and interact with humans but Sienna can’t seem to overcome its rapidly growing brain causing violence and an early demise. When the most recent version of Sammy convinces a little boy to help it escape at a pet expo it will be up to Noah, Sienna, rat catcher Leonard plus the U.S. government to stop Sammy before he can create a rat army.
This book isn’t for weak stomachs or anyone disturbed by animal exploitation and experimentation. The lengths the scientists go to create the perfect rat and the descriptions or rat attacks are graphic and intense. But it reminded me of the horror movies I enjoyed when I was a child where insects and animals go haywire and people are no longer at the top of the food chain.
Overall, this is a dark and disturbing science fiction novel that makes the reader think about what lengths we are willing to go to alter an animal strictly for our own pleasure and what impact that could have on the planet as a whole.
4 stars -
Wrath
by Sharon Moalem and Daniel Kraus
Science Fiction
NetGalley ARC
Scientists splice human genes with rats to make a smart pet.
You know where this one is going, and it goes there.
Think Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, (I didn't know this was a series!) and the movie Ben, (not Willard, he's too old). The story isn't bad, but it got boring because it was pretty clear what was going to happen, and I had to make myself sit down and read the last ten or so pages, and that took me two days because at the first interruption I didn't pick the book back up.
The way it jumped from the different characters' points of views wasn't the best, and leaving characters in the middle of something, then going back to them after that something was over and done with, was lazy in my opinion.
Maybe more descriptions, more blood and guts, could've made this book more interesting, though one death was a little more detailed.
Yes, there could be a sequel, but I won't be looking for it.
2 Stars -
This was such an exciting book to read, probably one of my favourites this year! It's a sci-fi with a good dose of gory rat-induced apocalypse.
It's really a shame this book isn't more popular. If it wasn't for me randomly picking books at a hipster book shop I'd have never heard of it. I'm hoping it becomes more popular and eventually hit the big screens. 🐀 -
The book
The words
I have learned so much
About humans
About animals
About science
About experiments
DALLAS I'll never forget
This book was so entertaining, and fun to read. I found myself deeply caring for these characters. The good, the bad. I loved them all. But most of all I loved Sammy. His struggles opened my eyes to the deplorable nature of animal testing. The ones we all know happen, the ones we all ignore. The ones we all forget.
I haven't read any books in so long, God only knows. Sure jail will force you to read, what else is there to do? Sure school was an easy time to find reading a great past time. What more do you have than time, energy and nothing better to do. But now in my mid thirties. Sitting here next to my beautiful wife. Half of a life lived of hustle, and grind behind me. My last half looks me in the eyes. Sitting here with her silently reading plummeting into the escape of such a wonderful tale I can't help but feel at peace this last week. I had forgotten what that felt like. Thank you Krause & Moalem. You have gifted the world a beautiful homage to Michael Chricton. -
4.4⭐️; Hardcopy; Horror/Sci-Fi;
This book does not get the recognition it deserves. Such an interesting story come to life, WITH RATS!
I teared up a few times for the friendship between rat & boy. A truly unique story.
When have we taken science too far? Is it something we can come back from? Grow from? This novel will overtake you, like rats in a sewer.
EditedPets has been working on a secret, a genetically and intellectually modified RAT; Noah knows it is going to take the pet world by storm. A rat who looks cuter, acts smarter and can communicate with its owner through an app! What could go wrong?
One night, one of the techs lets a specific rat use her iPad, and is shocked by the results! He can surf the web, watch videos, even like or dislike them. But horror soon breaks out at the lab and this special Sammy is the only one make it out alive.
Sammy is soon saved from his creators by a young boy who shows him what love really is. But it also teaches him that what was done to him was wrong… very, very, wrong.
What takes place next is the rat apocalypse, full of chewed up larynx and sucked up eyeballs.
As humans we tend to take things too far in the name of science. Let this be a warning. -
I loved this book. I continued to work so I could keep listening to it. I don't want to sound cliche, but this was a roller coaster ride. My emotions were all over the place as well as my allegiences.
A combination of Flowers for Algernon with the James Herbert classic, The Rats- making this a story I won't soon forget -
I support rat rights and also rat wrongs.
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Oh, where to start with this book? Well, first off this took me much longer to read than I anticipated, but please don’t take that as negative mark against this book. Wrath falls into the category of stories that really make you ponder. I kept having to take breaks to digest both the moral imperatives that this book presented to the reader. Forefront, the fact that animals deserve to be “elevated” right alongside their human counterparts. Phew. That was a lot to digest. I’m not generally a book highlighter, but I wrote down a ton of passages from this book. It has a lot to say.
Now that being said, I should also point out to my more squeamish readers that this book walks that very thin line between science fiction and horror, where bad things happen right on the page. This book is pretty damn violent. However, and I think this is a super important item to consider, this story would feel wrong if this book wasn’t as violent as it is. Here we have a story about humans once again assuming that we are the top of the food chain. A story where we make decisions for beings who can’t tell us whether or not they’d approve of those decisions. A story based partly in a need to see growth, but also very heavily in greed. Often stories like that end up with casualties, and we all know this. I just want to make sure you know what you’re getting yourself into.
That being said, this book does an excellent job of putting the horrors of the choices our characters make into context. It isn’t just the people who should be punished that are, showing that the choices of the few can absolutely affect the many. The book is also quite fairly paced. It picks up speed slowly, but once it reaches the mid-point? This story is full on running to the finish line. I’ll be completely honest and tell you it took me a good three days of separated listening to finish the last few chapters. Some heavy stuff there.
So why the three star rating? Well, partially because this book does take a bit to get started. Also partially because once Sammy was able to actually start iterating his thoughts, I had such a hard time with this book. It would be too hard to explain in a short review, but as his brain grew so did his human thoughts and that just struck a chord with me. Lastly, the ending honestly felt a little rushed. I know, I was just complaining about how hard it was to read. But it did kind of feel like the end of a movie where the plot isn’t quite wrapped up and there is only twenty minutes left. If nothing else, I would have liked to see a shred of character redemption for anyone. Then again, I guess that’s just life. Right?
As you can tell, this book had me all over the place. However I did actually enjoy it overall, and so I can absolutely recommend it. Just be sure to expect violence, and obviously testing on animals. If you’re okay with the darker, grittier parts of humanity, you might like this story. -
1
I literally had zero shits about what was happening in this book. I don’t know if I’ve ever cared less. The stupid names were SO annoying like Nutz4U????? As a nut cart??? Oh there was also Pet Fetch! and so many stupid names that they kept coming up with that made me wanna throw my book across the room holy cow. I know they probably don’t sound that bad, but when the book names a stupid product 10+ times like I really don’t care. Just typing this review is making me go lower, I could never recommend this to anyone. -
Ever wished you could talk to your pet? Maybe read this book first. Or maybe don’t if you’re squeamish.
Using the premise of a genetically enhanced rat sold as a pet, this book delivered a gruesome body horror rivaling any movie I’ve seen. The story is gripping, the pace is breakneck, and the characters engaging. I felt a little sick at several points, but if you can handle some slight nausea and extreme rat violence, a great book.
Also, if you’re like my wife and hate open endings, don’t read the last two chapters. -
Wrath was entertaining. You can quickly see where the story is headed, but I liked the concept. I felt Noah was portrayed way more in-depth than other characters and it felt a bit unbalanced because we had way more main characters. For a dystopian/horror novel I felt there were enough gruesome and uncomfortable scenes.
I can recommend this to science and dystopian fans.
Thanks Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own. -
Wrath is a terrifying sci-fi horror thriller. Exploring themes of genetic engineering, biological uplift, and community. Wrath is perfect for fans of Jurassic Park, M3GAN, Nick Cutter, etc. not for the squeamish, some of the most potent horror in this book is gross body horror involving rats. The narration was occasionally a bit over-the-top, but generally good. The plot was slow to start, but once it got going, it was fantastic!
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INSANELY good. The relationship-building between the kid & Sammy was just *chefs kiss* & the social commentary was so well done. I do kinda wish the ending was a bit less in favor of the humans although I do love that the author chose to make the last page a bit haunting & speculative of what’s to come.
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Big eye opener on the point of view of lab rats tested on and tortured every day. It's a must read for animal lovers. It's a great read, shows us how greed and fame can really destroy our morals. And how we underestimate the intelligence of some animals. I highly recommend this book, I couldn't stop reading 5/5.
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This book is really great, an engaging read that doesnt take itself too seriously. It’s simultaneously ridiculous and believable and keeps you engaged throughout. Viva la ratvolucion!
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4.5⭐️
The perfect book to read before going on a trip to NYC. -
Never in my life did I think I would want a rat as a pet but Sammy has changed my mind. That sweet lil guy just wanted revenge and I was rooting him on every step!
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4.5
