Overview

Sixteen-year-old Ethan Rivers knows he isn't natural. His two different-colored eyes set him apart at school and make him a target. When Ethan learns that his eyes are the result of having two different sets of DNA, he starts to catalog his physical attributes and recognizes that the traits on his left resemble his father and the characteristics on his right mirror his mother. One side has to win, and lately, it's looking like it's going to be his left. Ethan has seen firsthand the repercussions of his father's actions, and Ethan can't control his genetics. Is there any way he won't repeat his father's mistakes?

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Reviews

""Michael Swartz's gritty novel explores the horrors of learning to survive in a dysfunctional family while battling a unique medical diagnosis. Ethan's internal conflict leads to unpredictable mood swings and identity confusion. You can feel the raw pain and emotion.""-Katrina Mackrides, author of The Salty Swan and The Crows Know ""Split is a gripping novel that will keep you turning pages-and questioning the boundaries of identity-until the very last word.""-Deborah Jeanne Weitzman, author of The Sinking of the Leonardo da Vinci ""Reading Michael Swartz's brilliant new novel, Split, put me back in touch with several of the most tormenting dimensions of youth: the brutality of the schoolyard bully, fear of the emerging self, and doubts regarding the limits of human endurance, forgiveness, and redemption. Utilizing his medical experience, Swartz probes these issues through the use of the biological anomaly of a young, human chimera, endowed not with one set of DNA but two. In a fast-paced tale of the struggles between light and darkness, Split takes the reader on a climactic ride from love and security to betrayal and its consequences. The future . . . chosen or predetermined? You decide.""-Jim Gulledge, author of Green Forest, Red Earth, Blue Sea ""Everyone in Split is fighting some kind of battle-in school, at home, in the heart and head, in warfare in foreign lands. Events change lives, sometimes catastrophically. A deeply moving reminder that we need each other to survive. Michael Swartz has written a painfully beautiful story that moves with the speed of a racing heart. Split is a master class in complex family drama, reminiscent of Pat Conroy and Wally Lamb.""-Ron DeChristoforo, author of This Way Out ""Split is a compelling story that explores the challenges and intricacies of discovering and accepting one's true self during adolescence when born as a human chimera, a fascinating genetic phenomenon. This well-crafted and engaging narrative emphasizes the debate over the importance of genetics versus the influence of family, culture, and life experiences in shaping one's personality, along with the emotional and psychological impact of understanding one's genetic makeup when lacking adequate professional and emotional support. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys pondering meaningful stories.""-Marie-Claude Gingras, author of No Stones Left Unturned

Author Information

Michael Swartz writes about protagonists that have a unique medical or scientific diagnosis. The idea for writing his debut novel, Split, came after meeting a chimera patient. After spending way too much time in college (one bachelor's degree, two master's degrees, and a PhD), Michael has worked as a physician's assistant specializing in adult, transplant, and pediatric cardiac surgery while running a research lab that investigates the outcomes of children born with congenital heart disease. He has co-authored seventy scientific manuscripts published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology and the New England Journal of Medicine. He plays guitar and piano when he can, coaches baseball and softball, and lives with his wife, two kids, and Bernese mountain dog.

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