This teen sci-fi novel surely knows how to weave a creative and drawing plot. While the utilization of the clone storyline always peaks my interest, the plot and the suspense were perhaps the most interesting parts. The novel dangles the clones in front of the readers quite a few times, but the reader is given a very limited interaction through the protagonist. The protagonist herself wasn’t entirely engaging, and the heavy emphasis placed on her lack of friends made her less relatable and believable. The two most interesting characters were perhaps her living friend and the love interest, but the readers don’t get to see very much of either because one goes missing and the other is shown through such a limited lens that it makes some of the development hard to understand. This problem is probably due to the sudden time skips within chapters, which could range from weeks to months at a time, while the novel itself felt as though it only spanned across a very short period. With this in mind, it wasn’t enough to make this novel at all boring. The mystery was weaved into the scientific elements meticulously, and while I did theorize correctly, that added to the wonder of the story, because it was such a clever way to go. If you’re looking for an easy read with a good hand of suspense, this clone drama is the way to go.

**4.5 stars**

I know this novel comes out in almost a year from now, but I need a sequel like right now.

A mixture of science fiction wrapped up in a teenager's world at boarding school. This novel was so unique and interesting that I had to finish it in one sitting.

Emma is entering her junior year at Darkwood, a school for exceptional students. After the death of her best friend, Oliver, things are proving to be tricky for her, especially with the inclusion of six new students this year. The Similars are six clones of Darkwood students. What Emma doesn't expect is to see the clone of her dead best friend Oliver. Levi, the clone, is almost completely identical and Emma wants nothing to do with him. Except, the clones are there for reasons other than studying and Emma seems to be more and more drawn to the Similars.

There were some surprise twists that I didn't see coming, which I absolutely loved, and some that I did see, which were still really brilliant despite me being able to figure them out..

The pacing was a little fast at times, particularly at the end of the novel, so I have to admit, i wish it was a little more developed there.

Emma's character also was a little too convenient. She would walk across conversations that she *just happened to be there for and it also just happens to reveal a huge element of the novel* I think there might have been another way to reveal plot, possibly at a slower pace to the novel, but it wouldn't be as "in your face" as the way it was in the book. Emma felt very stoic at times and I felt like we didn't get a lot of emotion from her, the only time we really see emotion is when she talks about missing Oliver, but when she and Levi start falling for each other, there's almost nothing. I was waiting for a lot more to happen, more development between Levi and Emma, but it didn't happen.

Despite the problems that I mention above, I can tell that the story behind the novel is really unique and I cannot wait to see if there is a sequel for this (which I'm really hoping there is!!)
This is definitely going to be one of the top 2019 novels and I cannot wait to see what else Hanover comes up with in the future.
I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to SourceBooks Fire and Netgalley for letting me read this novel!

One of my favourite reads of the year so far. I was so intrigued by the synopsis and thankfully the book more than lived up to it.
Six clones attend a prestigious school along with the students they are clones of, I actually thought this would get confusing as the names were pretty similar but the writing was so strong it never became an issue. The main character Emmeline is still grieving for her best friend Oliver who has recently died so she is full of shock to see there is a clone of him at the school called Levi. She reacts very angrily to seeing him and I was really interested to see how she would end up feeling about him.
She eventually investigates the background of the cloning and the book has a really great plot twist I didn't see coming at all. It could be a standalone but I really think there is room for a sequel.

A sci fi take on the key if not more disturbing elements of the US 2016 election holds center stage in a novel that questions what it means to be human.

“The Similars” takes place in a future where technology advancement is happening rapidly yet the the appearance of six clones grinds everything to a halt as the world struggles to come to terms with what this new development means for humankind and the future of genetics. Emmaline is just as curious about these new clones and finds herself more involved when one of them happens to be the double of her recently deceased friend and when the tides of civility turn erupting into chaos she must work to uncover the truth behind these creations and do what she can to make sure she doesn’t lose herself in the process.

Anyone who reads a lot can tell you that they learn to catch the little moments that set the course for where the novel is going to go making some of the big twists pretty predictable but this book took it to the extreme to that everything you assume is going to happen happens making the book as a whole rather dull. The main character is also super lucky to just happen to round corners when top secret conversations are going on giving us quick expositions with little actual effort.

Now on to the bigger background question of the novel being that of are the clones worthy of basic human rights and this discussion follows a very similar course to the 2016 election and all that occurred after taking actual moments like California’s defiance of immigration laws, the profiling of clones, border control and the ugly infamous slogan edited just enough to fit the narrative but still a flashing sign in case we didn’t notice it was meant to be symbolism.

Overall this book is pretty boring because there is so little to it that you can guess after the first three chapters where you’re headed and the rest is very in your face with what it’s trying to be in relation to current events which isn’t bad as an idea because there’s a lot to work with there it’s just that I don’t see this series really diving deep into that narrative and the ugliness of hate which is a real shame.

**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review!**

I really enjoyed The Similar. There are many twists and turns with a sci-fi storyline that I could see happening in the future. Emmaline is a fierce and outspoken young woman I think many girls can come to admire. The plot twist is spot on everything I was anxiously worrying about throughout the book. I can't wait for the sequel!

Every once in a while I read a book where I am sad to read The End. The Similars by Rebecca Hanover is one of those books. I really enjoyed this story, as it was a mixture of science fiction and intense drama and mystery. The storyline was weaved with intrigue, good characterization, and full of twists and turns that are surprising and kept my interest throughout the book. The story is filled with a lot of emotion that has you thinking about privacy, thinking about love, and thinking about loss. Even though this is in the young adult genre, The Similars will appeal to any age due to its great story and characters. This book can be listed as one of my favorites and an author I will read again.

Thank you NetGalley and SourceBooks Fire for the Advance Copy. This review is my honest opinion.

This book was not what I expected when I started it. The description does not do it justice. This book was amazing! If I could rate it 10 stars I would. It's a really cool concept. It's refreshing to read something so completely different than what I've read before. I feel lately a lot of books are retellings or have similar plots but this book completely stands out. The story is about The Similars. They are 6 students who will be attending Darkwood Academy for their Junior year. They are clones. Someone took the DNA illegally and made them. Emma is still grieving over her friend that passed away that summer. Are the Similars just DNA clones or are they something more? The twists and turns in this book are thrilling! I couldn't put the book down. I look forward to reading more by Rebecca Hanover. I thoroughly enjoyed her writing style!

I really liked the concept of this book, and the slightly into the future vibe. There was just no sense of urgency at any point; things just sort of happened, one after another, without eliciting any real feeling. What was obviously meant to be a huge reveal, I'd already seen the sign posts for.

I enjoyed it, and I'll look out for the rest of the series, but it could have been so much better.


Receiving an ARC did not affect my review in any way,

An interesting story set slightly in the future. It's clearly the start of a series, ending on a cliffhanger with one character in imminent danger. Despite that, there's little sense of danger; although our main character has just upset one of the most powerful men in the world, there's no implication that he might come after her or send anyone else after her. This holds true for most of the novel; it's good, but there's no urgency in it at any point.

It did bring up some interesting points about clones and legality, and I'll watch out for the rest of the series.


I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I think I was expecting something along the lines of Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go but less traumatizing. Instead this was a bit different. A solid YA read that meditated on friendship, loss and how we handle the process of moving on after grieving – and all the tangled emotions that go with that. Those were really sub themes though as this was definitely a fast paced story whose first aim was to entertain. Emmaline is a great MC, bright, savvy and always questioning. And the love triangle if it can be called one was at least different. Liked it a lot even if it didn’t grab me as much as I was expecting.

I've been having a problem with the newer YA fantasy books lately, so it was nice to get a breather from that business. I've read clone type books before, so this was a pretty fun take on it. Kind of The Islandish mixed with a soap opera, I'd say.

At first, at the beginning, I didn't like the political type feel, so I had to zone that out. But once we get past that it really gets flowing. The romance aspect was the best part—I really adored Levi. There were a lot of times when I was questioning what was going on with him—never quite sure what was behind that persona.

Emma was a great character, thank goodness not annoying! I've been getting too many boring or uninteresting female characters on my radar lately! She was smart and always seemed to ask the right questions. I will say, I guessed the twists pretty early on, but I've read so many books and seen so many movies, I'm rarely surprised these days. 

The author's writing was right up my alley. She had a good way of pulling me in without me getting bored with pointless descriptions. Yes, it does end on a cliffhanger, and yes, I want to read the next book!

I give this 3.5 stars out of 5. I was interested in reading this due to the description, as it sounds like a very unique concept. This is a YA Sci-Fi novel, and was actually executed very well. I may be nit picky when it comes to YA novels, due to me having read so many of them and find the repetitiveness to be boring now. This book, however, was not boring. If I was less nit picky, this book could very well be a 4 or 5 star book, but being the way I am, this was a solid 3.5 stars for me. I found it to be a quite entertaining read, but I did find myself feeling that things would be too slow in parts I felt shouldn't. I especially enjoyed the idea of cloning past students, and our main character's struggle with one of them was fascinating. I think this is a great debut novel for author Rebecca Hanover. With that being said, I wish there could be some tweaks to the flow of the story, but the writing and story was great. As stated, this is 3.5 stars out of 5, but I could very well see myself going out of my way to purchase this book. I say it's a great read, so if you like YA Sci-Fi, this is something you should pick up.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for free in exchange for my completely honest review.

A great dystopian with a very interesting take on cloning.. I fell in love with Emmaline and Ollie. The way the characters are built is amazing! This was, hands down, one of my favourite reads of 2018.

Loved this creepy but intriguing upcoming debut YA by author Rebecca Hanover, due out in early 2019. Six clones of rich and popular students at their elite boarding school stirs up a cloning controversy in The Similars. Teens (and their teachers) will love this one.

This is a great YA, science fiction novel. This novel was unique in concept. The plot to it was vastly different form anything I've ever read and i really enjoyed such a refreshing book in such an over saturated market. The twists and turns in this novel still have me reeling. And what an ending!!! I mean wow, very well done. 

I am absolutely in love with this authors writing. I could not put this book done. It was a definite one click read for me. The character development was well done an each one contributes to the growth of the story. You really see Emma trying to figure out who she is and growing to be someone stronger. 

I was pleasantly pleased with the world building as well. You can tell the author really took time and dedication into making this story something that stands out and will have you wanting more. Overall, I give this book 5 stars! I can't wait to see whats next!!