Convergence by Marita Smith

Harbour Publishing House 2017. ISBN 9781922134158
(Age: 13+) Convergence is a blend of the scientific and the spiritual in face of environmental disaster. It follows the story of Robyn Greene and her discovery of an ancient gene that can enable humans to communicate with animals. However, her findings are soon stolen by MRI, a shady organisation who claim that Robyn is one of their scientists, despite her never having heard of them. With the help of Kate and Kara, Robyn's best friends, Robyn and the gene-mutant she uncovers, Fletcher, are able to evade the MRI who come to collect them and murder Fletcher's parents. Meanwhile, the other researchers, Derek, Catherine, Terrance, and Xiaofang, are in the dark. Each has some crackpot theory about the possibility of communication between humans and animals - a crackpot theory that, this time, turns out to be correct. Robyn is determined to find and warn them of the MRI's malicious intentions. Everything happens so quickly and it doesn't even occur to Robyn that they might not be surprised at all to find they've been used. One of them might even be the mastermind behind it all. Could any of them be so callous to work with the murderous MRI? And why is it only now that this ancient gene is rediscovered? Where does it come from and what is its purpose? Only those with the gene can reveal that to Fletcher and the others with convergence.
Recommended for students thirteen and up who have a passion for science and environmental disaster. Smith imbues the text with a strong message about taking care of the environment to prevent disaster, showing in particular, the effect of human pollution on the world's oceans.
Kayla Gaskell, 21