Replica by Lauren Oliver

For fans of the Island starring Scarlett Johansson and Orphan Black, this is a YA sci fi story of a human and a replica.

* I  received an advanced reader copy of this book from Indigo Books & Music Inc. in exchange for an honest review. #indigoemployee *

 

The following description is from goodreads:

 

"Gemma has been in and out of hospitals since she was born. 'A sickly child', her lonely life to date has revolved around her home, school and one best friend, Alice. But when she discovers her father's connection to the top secret Haven research facility, currently hitting the headlines and under siege by religious fanatics, Gemma decides to leave the sanctuary she's always known to find the institute and determine what is going on there and why her father's name seems inextricably linked to it.

Amidst the frenzy outside the institute's walls, Lyra - or number 24 as she is known as at Haven - and a fellow experimental subject known only as 72, manage to escape. Encountering a world they never knew existed outside the walls of their secluded upbringing , they meet Gemma and, as they try to understand Haven's purpose together, they uncover some earth-shattering secrets that will change the lives of both girls forever..."

 

 

 

When I started, I thought I would be more drawn to Lyra's story because she's a clone in a secret research facility. However, I ended up liking the human narrator Gemma slightly more. Both sides to the stories have so many hidden secrets as Lyra and Gemma uncover what is going on at Haven and how Gemma's father is involved.

 

Once Lyra got out of Haven and into the outside world, things got more interesting for her. She's a clone who grew up in a hospital and has no idea how anything in the world around her works. Without any spoilers, I wanted to share my favourite line from this book as Lyra becomes more obvious to the difference of human life:

"She wondered again whether she was ugly, whether he realized that now, the same way she knew now that he was beautiful. As a replica it had never mattered, and it shouldn't matter now, but it did. She wondered if this was the human world rubbing off on her, whether she might become more human by becoming uglier, by accepting it.

She didn't want to be ugly in his eyes."

 

I read this book chapter for chapter, starting with Lyra's story and I highly suggest reading it this way. It was so intriguing how each character had the answers to questions the other girl had, and at the end all their information came together. I'm really excited to see where the next book goes and how much danger Lyra and Gemma are really in.

 

Book 2: Ringer

 

My Rating: 4.5/5 Stars