Kwan Wilson was a high school basketball star living in San Diego when a tragic accident changed his life in ways no one could predict. He only looked at his phone for a few seconds, but that was all the time it took to crash his car into a telephone pole, killing his mother and paralyzing him from the waist down. After the accident his father, Admiral Douglas Wilson, sent him off to live with his maternal grandmother in South Florida. Kwan’s new principal, anticipating his depression and isolation, tells him about an internship at a genetics lab in Miami that’s testing shark stem cells on rats in an effort to cure cancer and repair spinal injuries. Kwan declines—until he learns the beautiful Anya Patel is an intern at the lab. The good news is that the stem cells are curing their rat subjects; the bad news is it alters their DNA so much it kills them. When a promising breakthrough is made, Kwan risks his life and injects himself with the experimental stem cells—altering his destiny and the lives of millions in the process.From School Library JournalGr 8 Up—As the result of a car accident caused by texting while driving, Kwan Wilson is a wheelchair-bound paraplegic. His mother died during the crash and his overbearing father cannot forgive Kwan and sends him to live with his grandmother. The teen feels trapped, physically and mentally. He agrees to volunteer at an aquatic stem cell research center once he sees that he will be able to spend time with a lovely assistant. Kwan's guilt and frustration help him to justify his willingness to risk his life by injecting himself with shark stems cells and Human Growth Hormone (HGH). Kwan's crippled body not only heals, but continues to evolve into a body builder's physique with hyper senses, allowing him to once again be a basketball superstar. His adaptations spiral out of control and he develops the physical characteristics and predatory instincts of a bull shark. Kwan's father uses Kwan's amazing metamorphosis to assist with a covert military operation. The conclusion—like the rest of the novel—is a fun ride once readers suspend disbelief when it comes to the over-the-top action sequences and the main character's remarkable cunning. Kwan is a likable protagonist—his insecurities, wants, and emotions (expressed in first-person narration) are typical of most teens. The novel is packed with scientific information on topics such as Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), diving, and shark physiology, making it a great addition for collections promoting STEM fields.—Sherry J. Mills, Hazelwood East High School, St. Louis, MOReviewAs the result of a car accident caused by texting while driving, Kwan Wilson is a wheelchair-bound paraplegic. His mother died during the crash and his overbearing father cannot forgive Kwan and sends him to live with his grandmother. The teen feels trapped, physically and mentally. He agrees to volunteer at an aquatic stem cell research center once he sees that he will be able to spend time with a lovely assistant. Kwan's guilt and frustration help him to justify his willingness to risk his life by injecting himself with shark stem cells and Human Growth Hormone (HGH). Kwan's crippled body not only heals, but continues to evolve into a body builder's physique with hyper senses, allowing him to once again be a basketball superstar. His adaptations spiral out of control and he develops the physical characteristics and predatory instincts of a bull shark. Kwan's father uses Kwan's amazing metamorphosis to assist with a covert military operation. The conclusion—like the rest of the novel—is a fun ride. . . . Kwan is a likable protagonist—his insecurities, wants, and emotions (expressed in first-person narration) are typical of most teens. The novel is packed with scientific information on topics such as Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), diving, and shark physiology, making it a great addition for collections promoting STEM fields. ― School Library Journal

zlib/no-category/Steve Alten/Sharkman_26981622.epub

Alten, Steve

Published by Taylor Trade Publishing, Natl Book Network

Muddy Boots Press

Lyons Press

United States, United States of America

Kwan Wilson was a high school basketball star living in San Diego when a tragic accident changed his life in ways no one could predict. He only looked at his phone for a few seconds, but that was all the time it took to crash his car into a telephone pole, the impact killing his mother while severing his spinal cord and paralyzing him from the waist down.After the accident his father, Admiral Douglas Wilson, sends him away to live with his maternal grandmother in South Florida. Kwan's new principal, anticipating his depression and isolation, tells him about an internship working at a genetics lab in Miami that's testing shark stem cells on rats in an effort to cure cancer and repair spinal injuries. Kwan declines—until he learns the beautiful Anya Patel is an intern at the lab. The good news is that the stem cells are curing their rat subjects; the bad news is it alters their DNA so much it kills them. When a promising breakthrough is made, Kwan risks his life and injects himself with the experimental stem cells—altering his destiny and the lives of millions in the process.

Kwan Wilson was a high school basketball star living in San Diego when a tragic accident changed his life in ways no one could predict. He only looked at his phone for a few seconds, but that was all the time it took to crash his car into a telephone pole, killing his mother and paralyzing him from the waist down. After the accident his father, Admiral Douglas Wilson, sent him off to live with his maternal grandmother in South Florida. Kwan's new principal, anticipating his depression and isolation, tells him about an internship at a genetics lab in Miami that's testing shark stem cells on rats in an effort to cure cancer and repair spinal injuries. Kwan declines until he learns that beautiful Anya Patel is an intern at the lab. The good news is that the stem cells are curing their rat subjects; the bad news is it alters their DNA so much it kills them. When a promising breakthrough is made, Kwan risks his life and injects himself with the experimental stem cells altering his destiny and the lives of millions in the process."

Kwan Wilson, Seventeen, Was A Basketball Star Until He Crashed His Car, Killing His Mother And Paralyzing Himself From The Waist Down, And Now, While Living With His Grandmother In Delray Beach, Florida, He Gets An Internship At A Genetics Laboratory Where Shark Stem Cells Are Being Tested On Rats To Cure Cancer And Spinal Injuries, And Cannot Resist Injecting Himself.

iv, 268 pages ; 24 cm980L Lexile

2023-12-01