I have to say that the blurb for The Cicada Prophecy by J. R McLeay immediately grabbed my attention and got me excited in a way that not all blurbs do. I had high hopes for it: a proposed storyline that told the tale of the possibility of eternal life. I waited patiently for the genre to be picked and its’ turn in my queue. Although I can honestly say that as a whole it was definitely up to snuff, I did have a few issues with it as well.
The storyline was exciting and creative to say the least;, leaving me not wanting to put it down because I couldn’t wait to see what McLeay had in store next. However, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that there were also plenty of moments that certain aspects of it left me feeling slightly let down as well.
The storyline pertains to our world in the future where a surgical procedure performed in adolescence prior to puberty prolongs our lifespan indefinitely. The removal of what causes the body to transition from adolescence to adulthood permanently muted leaving humankind outwardly 11-years-old while the mind continues the journey on its own, allowing mental maturity despite the outward appearance. Perhaps this sounds like the cure-all to the problems in our world, but does everyone stand in agreement? How is the world repopulated? Is it truly eternal life? These questions kept me reading!
The story is told in 3rd person with the perspective of each of the main characters being thoroughly developed. This became an issue for me only when the focus one of the main characters, Dr. Richard Ross, turned from character and plot development into a dissertation about biology and the like. In addition to being a world renowned neurologist he also teaches bioethics. Sometimes I felt like I was sitting in his class anxiously awaiting the end of the lecture period. Albeit pertinent information for someone who is pursuing an education in biology; however, I am not.
There were some uncomfortable moments though. Due to the fact that the bodies of the majority of the characters are 11-year-old despite adult minds, just the discussion of those adolescent bodies engaging in adult activities made me queasy. I fully realize that there are only insinuations; however, I feel it is necessary to mention it to perspective readers.
In summation I can say The Cicada Prophecy had an extremely unique storyline with great character development. I certainly feel that the blurb came through on what was promised. I’d like to give the book a 5-fly rating based solely on how much I liked it; however, the couple of aforementioned hiccups cause me to hesitate in doing so.