This book was okay it just wasn't really for me. I went into it not really knowing what to expect and it turned out to just not be what I like to read.

This book read very political to me. The author was trying to work out a lot of things for themselves. I just found that this book had some great ideas but it was not executed very well.

There was plenty of mystery in this light sci-fi read. The concept is intriguing and the main character is reasonably likable.

The beginning was hard to slog through. Our protagonist is in a really rough space, and the writing of this really sets that up. Unfortunately, the background of the character is revealed only through very random spurts of dialogue- while this is very much the way teens operate, it can make for a frustrating read (of course, that's why teens can be so difficult, right?).

The ending is fantastic as it is, and it sets you up well for the next installment of the series. What I found particularly refreshing is that it doesn't *force* you to go running to the next book- you could really stop the story at book 1 and be generally satisfied. But I definitely want to see where the revelations at the end take our characters. Solid weekend read!

DNF at 25%. It's been over four years since I received this ARC. I gave it a go and have decided it is not for me. It interested me then and no longer does now.

This book was alright, but I don’t think it was for me. I couldn’t find any redeeming qualities in the characters and mostly found them annoying. While the concept of the similars was interesting, it wasn’t new, and there were now stand out moments to make me connect with this story.

Although this book wasn't necessarily my cup of tea, I do think many younger audiences will love it and it is a great recommendation for those who are new to YA sci-fi/dysoptian novels.

The Similars by Rebecca Hanover is an sci-fi YA novel about six clones who join the prestigious Darkwood Academy, and one of the clones is a replica of Emmaline's best friend who passed away. An intriguing plot.

Thank you for this ARC of The Similars by Rebecca Hanover.

TW: mentions of suicide.

I got to about 65% of this and then decided to call it a day. It's not necessarily that I didn't like it, but the plot started to fold into itself, and I was over it.

Emmaline goes to a school that also allows Similars in. A Similar is essentially a clone, except a smarter, stronger, better looking version of the original DNA holder. It's a controversial practice but Emmaline doesn't care about any of it. She is still grieving the loss of her best friend Oliver to suicide.

Aching with the loss, Emmaline begins the school year watching the Similars being introduced to the class, and the wind is knocked completely out of her when they announce Levi. Levi is the walking, talking, cocky replica of her lost friend Oliver. Emmaline is horrified, but predictably drawn to Levi. How did this happen, and what does this mean for Emmaline.

Intriguing right? And to be fair, maybe it would have been worth it to continue. I was just done. There's a million names to remember, I couldn't keep them straight. Everything about the young, conflicted, budding relationship was exactly what you expected it to be, and I was satisfied with how much I read.

I've been sitting on this book for far too long, but it was because I had a hard time getting into it. After digging into it again, it thought it was okay. I've definitely read books that were worse, but there were a few parts of this one that I was confused as to what was going on.

The positives are that Hanover created a book that was set in a place that I really liked. I saw another review sort of compare it to Hogwarts with technology instead of magic and I think I'd agree with that.

I really wanted to like this one but I was apathetic about it

This is an interesting story and I enjoyed the plot. It did have a lot of description all at once but overall it was a good book for Young Adults.

really enjoyed this story. Have since read the second book and find that they work very well for teen readers. lots to keep attention and enough growth from the first book the keep the reader engaged. Lots of concepts to discuss in the class or in an assignment. totally suitable for classroom use.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

An excellent addition to YA sci-fi. A recommended purchase for public YA and high school fic collections.

*I received this ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

I really liked some parts of this novel and really disliked others; the concept was really unique and intriguing, however Emma was difficult to like as the main character, Levi was hard to read, and we didn't really see much back story with any of the other characters or go into their motivations for behaving the way they did. Everything felt pretty surface level- I think in the hands of another author, and with a few different plots it could have been a really great read, but things went in directions I wish they hadn't, and Emma's internal dialogue was often repetitive and a bit eye-roll inducing.

Not sure if I'd be interested in reading the sequel honestly.

This was an interesting read and I found the premise intriguing. I thought it was a little predictable, but I think my students will really enjoy it. It also raises some great ethical questions around science, technology, and what humans are capable of doing.

This one was really thrilling! It was a little bit predictable, but it has been well-liked by students thus far!

This book was so unique! I couldn’t even imagine finding out that you were cloned without your knowledge or your parents knowledge, and to suddenly discover one day that not only has that happened, but they will be going to your elite private school! Such a fun read, and the mystery and intrigue was great!

I really enjoyed the first half of the book, but it started to lose me by the second half. Even with the various plot twists. I thought as a whole too much detail was crammed into the chapters. And that's when I start drifting. I like dystopian novels on the whole. But this could have been a lot better.

The Similars is a really cool science fiction story about clones at an elite boarding school. How could you not want to read this?! It was really exciting and fast paced and I'm really interested in reading the sequel!

The concept of this book is what really made me want to read it. It took me a little while to get into it, but I was sucked in! What I thought would be a simple "clones meet clonees" book turns out to be more of "revenge of the OG humans" after the head of the top 10 claims to be against the similars being in her school. When the main characters' best friend gets seriously hurt, it becomes a "who-dun-it" that caught my interest. I am really excited to read the second book soon, as I was left on such a cliffhanger!