Tankborn by Karen Sandler

Kayla and Mishalla are GENS (Genetically Engineered Non-humans), people made from human and animal DNA to be slaves for the high class trueborns.  When each receives their Assignments on their 15th year, they find themselves involved with something more involving the children Mishalla is assigned to care for and the trueborn family Kayla works for.

I can honestly compare this favorably with the few Octavia Butler books I've read.  And that is high praise indeed.  While Tankborn seemed a bit heavy-handed sometimes with the genetically engineered slave concept, it was still a really enjoyable read and pretty thought-provoking. Kayla and Mishalla are ready made sympathetic characters and it is easy to care for them and their plight. The castes system in the book was a little confusing to me with the trueborns, lowborns and GENS and all the classifications in the middle.  But really it was important to establish who everyone was and how they all fit together.  Like I said, I really liked Kayla and Mishalla and their romantic interests were pretty likeable too.  I liked seeing the growth of Devak, the grandson of Kayla's Assignment.  The conspiracy of the plot was fairly surprising and actually a little horrifying as I become invested in all the characters.  There were a few subplots that were not addressed and so I wonder if they are planning a sequel. 

Provided by NetGalley
Publish date: September 28th 2011
Publisher: Lee & Low Books, Inc.