This Mortal Coil

In this gripping debut novel, seventeen-year-old Cat must use her gene-hacking skills to decode her late father's message concealing a vaccine to a horrifying plague.

Catarina Agatta is a hacker. She can cripple mainframes and crash through firewalls, but that's not what makes her special. In Cat's world, people are implanted with technology to recode their DNA, allowing them to change their bodies in any way they want. And Cat happens to be a gene-hacking genius.

That's no surprise, since Cat's father is Dr. Lachlan Agatta, a legendary geneticist who may be the last hope for defeating a plague that has brought humanity to the brink of extinction. But during the outbreak, Lachlan was kidnapped by a shadowy organization called Cartaxus, leaving Cat to survive the last two years on her own.

When a Cartaxus soldier, Cole, arrives with news that her father has been killed, Cat's instincts tell her it's just another Cartaxus lie. But Cole also brings a message: before Lachlan died, he managed to create a vaccine, and Cole needs Cat's help to release it and save the human race.

Now Cat must decide who she can trust: The soldier with secrets of his own? The father who made her promise to hide from Cartaxus at all costs? In a world where nature itself can be rewritten, how much can she even trust herself?

"Suvada's scary, action-packed debut novel barely takes a breath, and its exploration of what makes us human goes well below the surface." Publishers Weekly

"Suvada's debut novel balances characterization and action with an intensity that readers of dystopian fantasy will find infectious." VOYA

"I was thrilled; I was shocked; I have so many questions. I want to know what happens next." NPR

"This Mortal Coil redefines 'unputdownable.' A thrilling, exhilarating read that's crackling with intelligence. Compelling characters and and incredible twists come together perfectly — I loved this book. This is brilliant science fiction." Amie Kaufman, New York Times bestselling author of Illuminae

Emily Suvada was born and raised in Australia, where she went on to earn a degree in mathematics. She previously worked as a data scientist, and still spends hours writing algorithms to perform tasks which would only take her minutes to complete on her own. When not writing, she can be found hiking, cycling, and conducting chemistry experiments in her kitchen. She currently lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband.