Parenthetical.net

Eli’s mother has gone insane from Huntington’s disease, and his dad is ever more distant. Instead of applying to college, Eli drunkenly begs an old family acquaintance for a job — Dr. Wyatt, the famous geneticist. Dr. Wyatt hires him as a lab assistant, and Eli can’t believe his good fortune.

But it turns out that his dad hates Dr. Wyatt, and the reason has something to do with Eli’s mother and Eli’s own past. Eli becomes obsessed with finding out what happened among the three adults so many years ago.

This book is creepy as hell, but its strength is the inner emotional life of Eli, and his relationship with his girlfriend Viv. Their climactic fight scene nearly broke my heart, it looked so familiar.

Plus, dude — it’s set in Cambridge! I know exactly where Eli’s apartment is and what Dr. Wyatt’s Victorian looks like and the route Eli takes to jog from home to work at Wyatt Transgenics and even the restaurant Eli takes Viv to. Of course, it means I have no idea whether the settings are described well, or if it just seemed like they are because it’s describing my life.

Anyway, a solid emotional/scientific thriller.