Trying To Be Normal (Catalyst Book 2)

Some might say it was rushed, but I thought it was fabulously thrilling. There was another betrayal, and it didn't impact me as m Blog review. There was another betrayal, and it didn't impact me as much as the one in the first book, but it still completely shocked me. Lydia is good like that. If I loved Zel before, I love her even more now. She was a very intelligent geneticist with a longevity trait, and was trying her hardest to keep everyone she cared about safe and sound — her sister Dyl, her boyfriend?? Cy, and the other "mutants" that had become her family.

I loved her attitude. She was sassy, determined, and caring.

I can't say a lot about her without spoiling something, but I think I've done a decent job. She's one of those sweet characters you want to protect at all costs. He was more open and loving toward Zel, and not as overprotective. He hid some things, but it was definitely an improvement. She was much nicer and more accepting, and a loyal friend dedicated to making up for the trouble she inflicted previously. He seemed to switch back and forth, and evade straight, honest answers. In the end he proved himself.

I wouldn't say I liked him, but I was much more tolerant of him. And in terms of relationships, this book had everything. Zel and Dyl had a strong sisterly bond, and care about one another more than anyone or anything else. Zel and Caliga had a strong friendship, and I loved how much the dynamic between them changed: Zel and Cy were dating basically and had a wonderful, healthy romance.

I shipped them so much, and I'm glad things worked out Then, of course, all of the "mutants" were a big, metaphorical family, and I loved that to pieces.

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So, long story short, I just loved this book. I loved everything about it. While I'm aware that there won't be a third book, if there ever was one I would devour it. I love these characters, and the one-of-a-kind sci-fi world, and the strong bonds between everyone. It's just so fantastic, and if you haven't read it or the first one you definitely should. It's easily one of my favorite duologies. Mar 19, Anna Bubolz rated it really liked it. Reveiw I really liked this book because I thought it was very interesting.

I did not like how I did not understand what was going on at first, but I think that was because I read this book first instead of the first book. I liked how the author had a lot happen during the whole book and how the book felt like a very quick read. Plot This book is about a girl named Zelia. She and her friends have genetic mutations. Her friends are forced to run away from the police because the government wants to ki Reveiw I really liked this book because I thought it was very interesting.

Her friends are forced to run away from the police because the government wants to kill them. Zelia's mutation will make her live extremely long and when Zelia made a potion to give animals long lives, it killed them. Someone stole Zelia's potion and gave it to an important person in the government. Zelia's potion killed the man, and ever since people thought of her as dangerous. At the end of the book Zelia finds a way to save her and her friends in California. Characterization Micah had the most noticeable characterization because in the beginning of the book he was portrayed as extremely evil.

As the book went on, the author made it seem like he was not that bad of a guy because he helped save Zelia. At the very end of the book Micah gave his life to save the lives of others. Recommendations I would recommend this book to high schoolers that have taken biology because the book talks about genetic mutations and it helps to know about that.

This book could be for people of any gender because it doesn't have too much romance in it. Aug 07, Gillian marked it as to-read. I cannot wait to read this!!!!! I was in love with the first book! Jun 11, Rhea Michelle Caballero rated it liked it. Lydia Kang, why do you torture me so???????????????? I need more Cy!!!!! May 25, Hannah rated it it was amazing Shelves: Amazing and wonderful and everything I had hoped for!!! Oct 12, Redd Becker rated it really liked it.

Kang explores friendship, forgiveness, family and ethics in this dystopian novel. There are lots of characters to track but most are well developed and are used effectively to keep the story moving. Catalyst is an science fiction-action adventure. Genetically altered humans are hunted for extermination by some, while others use the mutants for financial gain. The mutants, mostly teenagers, are considere Kang explores friendship, forgiveness, family and ethics in this dystopian novel.

Cell Metabolism Is Organized by Enzymes

The mutants, mostly teenagers, are considered outcasts. Because they are feared and persecuted, the teens move from one rumored safe-haven to another. Sep 18, Wendy rated it it was amazing Shelves: When Carus House is attacked by armoured police Zel and her family of genetic outcasts flee to a rumoured safe haven in Chicago. On the run with Caliga a former enemy, Zelia hears the whispered voice of Cy as she gets closer to the border. Determined to follow her gut feeling that he survived the assault on Aureus House, she's s "Catalyst" the exciting and gripping sequel to "Control" begins a year after Cyrad Cy William traded his life to SunAj for Zelia Benten and her sister Dylia's freedom.

Fearing that she's lost Cy as she struggles with jealousy, Zelia begins a quest to find a safe port in the storm of controversy that swirls around her family because of HGM a policy that outlaws any radical aberrations in the genetic makeup of humans. What she doesn't expect is to discover truth about her past and her father's work that could influence their acceptance by the outside world. The plot is imaginative and fast-paced as old animosities are forgiven and new alliances and friendships are forged. With twists and turns the story progresses quickly and smoothly, heating up with a getaway from Neia authorities into Inky where women are prized for their fertility and there is no escape.

In a story that abounds with mysteries of a rumoured list of genetically enhanced children and a safe haven in Minwi that's not on any map, the suspense intensifies, ending in a confrontation that has Zel using her power of persuasion to gain their freedom. The atmosphere of this plot is dark, violent, and threatening, diluted periodically by the humour in Caliga and Zel's sarcastic banter and Spork's antics and abnormal speech.

In a story that blends science, adventure and romance, Lydia Kang has created unforgettable and complex characters like Zelia Benten who's feisty and resourceful, gifted with not only a longevity trait but an enhanced sense of smell. She's highly family oriented and in love with the calm, strong-willed and steadfast Cy William who continues to be haunted by his sister's misfortune. Like Zel he has developed a new ability that he can barely control and fears hurting those he loves. Snarky Caliga Jacobsen, and flirtatious, untrustworthy Micah Kw prove to be selfless and brave, saving those they once thought of as enemies.

And these are only a few of the multiple personalities that add emotional intensity, passion and power to an adventure that's highly addictive. I was swept away by this futuristic scientific thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat from the first chapter to the last. I rate it highly and look forward to reading Lydia Kang's next novel. This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.

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To view it, click here. Going into Catalyst, I was slightly worried since it has been awhile since I read Control. Thankfully, Catalyst made it incredibly effortless to jump right back into the world Kang has created. Catalyst takes place a year after the events of Control and I love th 3. Catalyst takes place a year after the events of Control and I love that it immediately gets into the action and adventure as the characters are once again forced to be on the run and to separate from each other. This gives us readers, an opportunity to explore the rest of the world that Kang has created.

And as a Canadian, I found it interesting how the Canada in this world was portrayed as a safe haven for refugees including those with mutations. Anyway, unlike Control, the romance takes a backseat in Catalyst. This lets us get a glimpse of just how capable Zel is outside the lab, since we already are aware of how much of a genius she is in the lab. In fact, I consider the greatest strength of Catalyst is the portrayals of strong, female relationships. For instance, the friendship that slowly develops between Zel and another girl who had initially been her enemy was realistic and it was nice to observe them both slowly begin to truly care about what happens to the other.

I also adored the mother-daughter relationship between Marka and Zel as it was nice for Zel to acknowledge that Marka was the closest thing she had to an actual parent especially after what she found out concerning her father.

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Overall, Catalyst was a book that I blew through fairly quickly to my surprised. However, I did find Catalyst to be a satisfying conclusion to this duology and I loved the message it had regarding genetics and what it truly means to be human. It's been a really long time since I read the final book in a series and felt satisfied when it was all done. I know I might not sound real convincing, but I'm good, I promise. Among the loops on the emotional roller coaster would be the relationships. Both friendship and romantic, n It's been a really long time since I read the final book in a series and felt satisfied when it was all done.

Both friendship and romantic, none are safe. Then there is the action, the last minute decisions, the truths learned, the escape plans — and yes there are more than one set, I swear I didn't breathe normally for the entire last half of the book. I think what I loved so much about CATALYST was that, while it is literally filled with all the answers you could be looking for, including detailed back stories, you never feel like you're rushed, or that is' over crowded in it's pages.

The same goes for all the new and fascinating characters you meet — Sean and Julian were among my favorite, more for their ability than their people skills. I know you're hoping I'll slip, I'll tell you is Zel find Cy or just some tiny drop of info about him — but I am sorry my friend. The story is far too good for me to be anything more than the vague I have been here — if you want to know, you're going to have to pick up a copy and find out for yourself.

Regardless of the answer to that question, the books in this series amazing, worth every single word! Jul 13, Liwayway rated it it was amazing Shelves: This sequel to "Control" was marvelous in a very thought-provoking way. Even though the plot and the language smack of things sci-fi and technical, the overall message is clear.

The human race continues to segregate and harm that which we don't understand People have been born into the world with features and abilities - whether perceived as freakish or brilliant - that set them apart from "normal" human beings. They are treated like things, animals, dangerous creatur This sequel to "Control" was marvelous in a very thought-provoking way. They are treated like things, animals, dangerous creatures to be feared Relatable feelings of acceptance and discovering ultimately what you decide to fight for coat the overall theme of the book, and each character handles them differently.

You hope for them. You wish for them. You know they're not perfect or super or out of your reach, and yet you're fascinated by them. That's what makes a great story, how the characters make you feel Also, I have to mention the spirit of some of these characters. Zelia is a heroine for the books Wow great ending to a great story!

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this book. After finding out that this trilogy was changed to a 2 book series I was scared I wouldn't be satisfied with how it concluded. I loved control it was a great science fiction book and could not wait for Catalyst. Lydia Kang answered all of our questions and gave us more action than was in the first book.

Zelia came into her self in this book, she was so strong, definitely a Chang from the start of contro Wow great ending to a great story! Zelia came into her self in this book, she was so strong, definitely a Chang from the start of control. The energy of falling rocks would normally be entirely wasted in the form of heat generated by friction when the rocks hit the ground see the falling brick diagram in Figure By careful design, however, part of this energy could be used instead to drive a paddle wheel that lifts a bucket of water Figure B.

Because the rocks can now reach the ground only after moving the paddle wheel, we say that the energetically favorable reaction of rock falling has been directly coupled to the energetically unfavorable reaction of lifting the bucket of water. Note that because part of the energy is used to do work in B , the rocks hit the ground with less velocity than in A , and correspondingly less energy is wasted as heat. A mechanical model illustrating the principle of coupled chemical reactions.

The spontaneous reaction shown in A could serve as an analogy for the direct oxidation of glucose to CO 2 and H 2 O, which produces heat only. In B the same reaction is coupled more Exactly analogous processes occur in cells, where enzymes play the role of the paddle wheel in our analogy. By mechanisms that will be discussed later in this chapter, they couple an energetically favorable reaction , such as the oxidation of foodstuffs, to an energetically unfavorable reaction, such as the generation of an activated carrier molecule.

As a result, the amount of heat released by the oxidation reaction is reduced by exactly the amount of energy that is stored in the energy-rich covalent bonds of the activated carrier molecule. The activated carrier molecule in turn picks up a packet of energy of a size sufficient to power a chemical reaction elsewhere in the cell. The most important and versatile of the activated carriers in cells is ATP adenosine triphosphate. Just as the energy stored in the raised bucket of water in Figure B can be used to drive a wide variety of hydraulic machines, ATP serves as a convenient and versatile store, or currency, of energy to drive a variety of chemical reactions in cells.

ATP is synthesized in an energetically unfavorable phosphorylation reaction in which a phosphate group is added to ADP adenosine diphosphate. When required, ATP gives up its energy packet through its energetically favorable hydrolysis to ADP and inorganic phosphate Figure The two outermost phosphates in ATP are held to the rest of the molecule by high-energy phosphoanhydride bonds and are readily transferred.

The energetically favorable reaction of ATP hydrolysis is coupled to many otherwise unfavorable reactions through which other molecules are synthesized. We shall encounter several of these reactions later in this chapter. Many of them involve the transfer of the terminal phosphate in ATP to another molecule , as illustrated by the phosphorylation reaction in Figure An example of a phosphate transfer reaction.

Reactions of this type are involved in more ATP is the most abundant active carrier in cells. As one example, it is used to supply energy for many of the pumps that transport substances into and out of the cell discussed in Chapter It also powers the molecular motors that enable muscle cells to contract and nerve cells to transport materials from one end of their long axons to another discussed in Chapter But when the required product is Y and not Z, this mechanism is not useful.

A frequent type of reaction that is needed for biosynthesis is one in which two molecules, A and B, are joined together to produce A-B in the energetically unfavorable condensation reaction. The condensation reaction , which by itself is energetically unfavorable, is forced to occur by being directly coupled to ATP hydrolysis in an enzyme -catalyzed reaction pathway Figure A. An example of an energetically unfavorable biosynthetic reaction driven by ATP hydrolysis.

A Schematic illustration of the formation of A-B in the condensation reaction described in the text. B The biosynthesis of the common amino acid glutamine. A biosynthetic reaction of exactly this type is employed to synthesize the amino acid glutamine, as illustrated in Figure B. We will see shortly that very similar but more complex mechanisms are also used to produce nearly all of the large molecules of the cell. Other important activated carrier molecules participate in oxidation-reduction reactions and are commonly part of coupled reactions in cells.

These activated carriers are specialized to carry high-energy electrons and hydrogen atoms. Later, we examine some of the reactions in which they participate. NADPH, an important carrier of electrons. A NADPH is produced in reactions of the general type shown on the left, in which two hydrogen atoms are removed from a substrate.

The hydride ion carried by NADPH is given up readily in a subsequent oxidation-reduction reaction , because the ring can achieve a more stable arrangement of electrons without it. The final stage in one of the biosynthetic routes leading to cholesterol. The difference of a single phosphate group has no effect on the electron -transfer properties of NADPH compared with NADH, but it is crucial for their distinctive roles.

The extra phosphate group on NADPH is far from the region involved in electron transfer see Figure B and is of no importance to the transfer reaction. Thus the two types of carriers are used to transfer electrons or hydride ions between different sets of molecules. Why should there be this division of labor? The answer lies in the need to regulate two sets of electron -transfer reactions independently.

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NADPH operates chiefly with enzymes that catalyze anabolic reactions, supplying the high-energy electrons needed to synthesize energy-rich biological molecules. NADH, by contrast, has a special role as an intermediate in the catabolic system of reactions that generate ATP through the oxidation of food molecules, as we will discuss shortly. Other activated carriers also pick up and carry a chemical group in an easily transferred, high-energy linkage Table For example, coenzyme A carries an acetyl group in a readily transferable linkage, and in this activated form is known as acetyl CoA acetyl coenzyme A.

The structure of acetyl CoA is illustrated in Figure ; it is used to add two carbon units in the biosynthesis of larger molecules. The structure of the important activated carrier molecule acetyl CoA. A space-filling model is shown above the structure. The sulfur atom yellow forms a thioester bond to acetate. Because this is a high-energy linkage, releasing a large amount of free more In acetyl CoA and the other carrier molecules in Table , the transferable group makes up only a small part of the molecule.

As with acetyl CoA, this handle portion very often contains a nucleotide , a curious fact that may be a relic from an early stage of evolution. It is currently thought that the main catalysts for early life-forms—before DNA or proteins—were RNA molecules or their close relatives , as described in Chapter 6. It is tempting to speculate that many of the carrier molecules that we find today originated in this earlier RNA world, where their nucleotide portions could have been useful for binding them to RNA enzymes.

Examples of the type of transfer reactions catalyzed by the activated carrier molecules ATP transfer of phosphate and NADPH transfer of electrons and hydrogen have been presented in Figures and , respectively. The reactions of other activated carrier molecules involve the transfers of methyl, carboxyl, or glucose group, for the purpose of biosynthesis. The activated carriers required are usually generated in reactions that are coupled to ATP hydrolysis, as in the example in Figure Therefore, the energy that enables their groups to be used for biosynthesis ultimately comes from the catabolic reactions that generate ATP.

Similar processes occur in the synthesis of the very large molecules of the cell—the nucleic acids, proteins, and polysaccharides—that we discuss next. A carboxyl group transfer reaction using an activated carrier molecule. Carboxylated biotin is used by the enzyme pyruvate carboxylase to transfer a carboxyl group in the production of oxaloacetate, a molecule needed for the citric acid cycle. As discussed previously, the macromolecules of the cell constitute the vast majority of its dry mass—that is, of the mass not due to water see Figure These molecules are made from subunits or monomers that are linked together in a condensation reaction , in which the constituents of a water molecule OH plus H are removed from the two reactants.

Consequently, the reverse reaction—the breakdown of all three types of polymers—occurs by the enzyme -catalyzed addition of water hydrolysis. This hydrolysis reaction is energetically favorable, whereas the biosynthetic reactions require an energy input and are more complex Figure Condensation and hydrolysis as opposite reactions. The macromolecules of the cell are polymers that are formed from subunits or monomers by a condensation reaction and are broken down by hydrolysis.

The condensation reactions are all energetically unfavorable. The nucleic acids DNA and RNA , proteins, and polysaccharides are all polymers that are produced by the repeated addition of a subunit also called a monomer onto one end of a growing chain. The synthesis reactions for these three types of macromolecules are outlined in Figure As indicated, the condensation step in each case depends on energy from nucleoside triphosphate hydrolysis. And yet, except for the nucleic acids, there are no phosphate groups left in the final product molecules. How are the reactions that release the energy of ATP hydrolysis coupled to polymer synthesis?

The synthesis of polysaccharides, proteins, and nucleic acids. Synthesis of each kind of biological polymer involves the loss of water in a condensation reaction. Not shown is the consumption of high-energy nucleoside triphosphates that is required to more For each type of macromolecule , an enzyme -catalyzed pathway exists which resembles that discussed previously for the synthesis of the amino acid glutamine see Figure The principle is exactly the same, in that the OH group that will be removed in the condensation reaction is first activated by becoming involved in a high-energy linkage to a second molecule.

However, the actual mechanisms used to link ATP hydrolysis to the synthesis of proteins and polysaccharides are more complex than that used for glutamine synthesis, since a series of high-energy intermediates is required to generate the final high-energy bond that is broken during the condensation step discussed in Chapter 6 for protein synthesis.

There are limits to what each activated carrier can do in driving biosynthesis. In these cases the path of ATP hydrolysis can be altered so that it initially produces AMP and pyrophosphate PP i , which is itself then hydrolyzed in a subsequent step Figure An important biosynthetic reaction that is driven in this way is nucleic acid polynucleotide synthesis, as illustrated in Figure An alternative route for the hydrolysis of ATP, in which pyrophosphate is first formed and then hydrolyzed. This route releases about twice as much free energy as the reaction shown earlier in Figure A In the two successive hydrolysis reactions, more In the first step, a nucleoside monophosphate is activated by the sequential transfer of the terminal phosphate groups from two ATP molecules.

It is interesting to note that the polymerization reactions that produce macromolecules can be oriented in one of two ways, giving rise to either the head polymerization or the tail polymerization of monomers. In head polymerization the reactive bond required for the condensation reaction is carried on the end of the growing polymer , and it must therefore be regenerated each time that a monomer is added.

In this case, each monomer brings with it the reactive bond that will be used in adding the next monomer in the series. In tail polymerization the reactive bond carried by each monomer is instead used immediately for its own addition Figure The orientation of the active intermediates in biological polymerization reactions. The head growth of polymers is compared with its alternative tail growth. As indicated, these two mechanisms are used to produce different biological macromolecules.

We shall see in later chapters that both these types of polymerization are used. The synthesis of polynucleotides and some simple polysaccharides occurs by tail polymerization, for example, whereas the synthesis of proteins occurs by a head polymerization process. Living cells are highly ordered and need to create order within themselves in order to survive and grow.

This is thermodynamically possible only because of a continual input of energy, part of which must be released from the cells to their environment as heat. The energy comes ultimately from the electromagnetic radiation of the sun, which drives the formation of organic molecules in photosynthetic organisms such as green plants.

Animals obtain their energy by eating these organic molecules and oxidizing them in a series of enzyme -catalyzed reactions that are coupled to the formation of ATP—a common currency of energy in all cells. To make possible the continual generation of order in cells, the energetically favorable hydrolysis of ATP is coupled to energetically unfavorable reactions. In the biosynthesis of macromolecules, this is accomplished by the transfer of phosphate groups to form reactive phosphorylated intermediates.

Because the energetically unfavorable reaction now becomes energetically favorable, ATP hydrolysis is said to drive the reaction. Polymeric molecules such as proteins, nucleic acids, and polysaccharides are assembled from small activated precursor molecules by repetitive condensation reactions that are driven in this way. Other reactive molecules, called either active carriers or coenzymes, transfer other chemical groups in the course of biosynthesis: NADPH transfers hydrogen as a proton plus two electrons a hydride ion , for example, whereas acetyl CoA transfers an acetyl group.

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Turn recording back on. National Center for Biotechnology Information , U. Garland Science ; Catalysis and the Use of Energy by Cells. Figure Order in biological structures. Cell Metabolism Is Organized by Enzymes The chemical reactions that a cell carries out would normally occur only at temperatures that are much higher than those existing inside cells. Figure How a set of enzyme-catalyzed reactions generates a metabolic pathway. Figure Some of the metabolic pathways and their interconnections in a typical cell.

Figure Schematic representation of the relationship between catabolic and anabolic pathways in metabolism. Biological Order Is Made Possible by the Release of Heat Energy from Cells The universal tendency of things to become disordered is expressed in a fundamental law of physics—the second law of thermodynamics —which states that in the universe, or in any isolated system a collection of matter that is completely isolated from the rest of the universe , the degree of disorder can only increase.

Figure An everyday illustration of the spontaneous drive toward disorder. Figure A simple thermodynamic analysis of a living cell. Figure Some interconversions between different forms of energy. Photosynthetic Organisms Use Sunlight to Synthesize Organic Molecules All animals live on energy stored in the chemical bonds of organic molecules made by other organisms, which they take in as food. Cells Obtain Energy by the Oxidation of Organic Molecules All animal and plant cells are powered by energy stored in the chemical bonds of organic molecules, whether these be sugars that a plant has photosynthesized as food for itself or the mixture of large and small molecules that an animal has eaten.

Figure Photosynthesis and respiration as complementary processes in the living world. Figure The carbon cycle. Oxidation and Reduction Involve Electron Transfers The cell does not oxidize organic molecules in one step, as occurs when organic material is burned in a fire. Figure Oxidation and reduction. Figure The important principle of activation energy.

I admit it, my first efforts at writing were for fanfiction stories. Those halcyon days of flame reviews and poor grammar hardened my resolve to learn the art of writing because I knew I wanted to entertain people with my stories. So I climbed into a thesaurus and dictionary, and came out with a new respect for word usage and more distaste for the inconsistent rules of the English language.

Armed with my trusty keyboard and backed up by my spell-checker I marched into the ranks of the self-published authors. Here I aim to stay mostly because I don't have any other job , and here I aim to please those readers who like a good epic fantasy filled with humor and adventure. Visit her at her website at heidiwillard. Get to Know Us. English Choose a language for shopping. Amazon Music Stream millions of songs. Amazon Advertising Find, attract, and engage customers. Amazon Drive Cloud storage from Amazon. Alexa Actionable Analytics for the Web.

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