All of humanity lives on four highly controlled bases – each named after a component of DNA – with the rest of the world given over to rewilding, allowing Earth to heal. Homo Sapiens was responsible for the destruction of the planet and extinction of untold species, and therefore cannot be trusted. All skilled jobs are performed by Homo Medius – another race of genetically engineered humans, inferior to the Potiors but far superior to the un-engineered Homo Sapiens. The advent of genetic engineering has led to a race of superhumans, Homo Potiors, who run society. Set only a few hundred years in the future, it’s changed enormously. Plus, the more time she spends with Twenty-One, the more she starts to realise how little there is keeping her from a cage of her own. However, the job comes with risks – at the Museum, she’ll be under greater scrutiny than she ever has been before, putting her and her family’s secrets at risk. Her task is to be a companion to one of the recently resurrected Neanderthals, Twenty-One. When Elise is offered a job at the Museum of Evolution, she sees a chance to build a better life. Sapiens are given limited education and kept in poverty to atone for their ancestors’ crimes.

First published by Locutions Press in 2018 as ‘The Museum of Second Chances’, it’s now being reissued under a new name by Del Rey.Įlise is a Sapien – a member of the lowest order of humanity and held responsible for the damage inflicted on Earth by previous generations. ‘Subject Twenty One’ is simply written, but puts a fresh spin on older ideas, creating an engaging and highly readable story.

The dystopian genre dominated the YA scene for several years, with The Hunger Games, Divergent, and Maze Runner series’ possibly the best known examples, but since then it’s been a tough genre to crack. ‘Subject Twenty One’ is a dystopian novel with an intriguing premise.

Subject Twenty One by A.E. Warren