Member Reviews
This was a good book, it is going to go over very well in the YA community. While I enjoyed it, I think it was a bit too young for me. The kids were just harder for me to relate too, as they were written very true to age. Which I appreciate. It was a fun story, and I really liked how unique the plot was. I also thought the plot twist was clever, and well executed. Cloning has been a very interesting topic for years, as far as the rights and wrongs of it. So it was fun to read it from this aspect.
** Thank you to Netgalley for the e-arc Granted to me for an honest review***
** I also won a physical arc through goodreads***
So at first I thought I really wasn’t going to like this.. In the very first pages Emma is contemplating suicide and that’s a tough subject for me. She also just acts very childish in the beginning through her grief. (I lost my best friend to suicide just like she did so I guess it effected me more when she told another person to basically die all because he was her best friends clone. If you’re grieving a love one from suicide you don’t tell another person to commit it). Over the course of the book though Emma grew a lot. I actually really enjoyed this. I couldn’t put this down at all.
I didn’t really understand the Ten I felt like that could have been left out really it was made to be a big deal but just never understood why and fell off honestly.
Through the clones this book tackles race issues in the country and I really really enjoyed that!! I also like the light mystery involved and all the twists and turns!!
THAT ENDING THOUGH WAS THE BEST PART!!
I thought the premise of this book was really interesting and I enjoyed the story most of the way through. Darkwood Academy is a place for the best and the brightest and also has a reputation as forward thinking. When it is revealed that six students were illegally cloned, the school decides to take the progressive step of allowing the clones to attend Darkwood right alongside their original counterparts. The book has a lot going on: politics as the existence of the clones and their status is debated and divides the student body, a love story and the typical high school haves and have nots scenario. The Similars shines in the first half as we explore all this through the eyes of Emmaline Chance-a girl who is forced into an unenviable situation. I liked Emmaline and the mystery surrounding the clones. Towards the end though I found it a bit hard to deal with the over the top nature of the villain and also I managed to figure out the big twist at the end well before it happened. Still, I think this is a solid start to what looks to be part of a series or trilogy? I'll definitely be reading the next installment because I want to see what happens to these characters.
I found The Similars surprising in a number of ways. When it opens, Emma is so lost in her grief; you, as the reader, are immediately plunged into small, closed-off world. As the book progresses and Emma’s world expands, so, too, does your view. It’s an interesting experience that wouldn’t work if Rebecca Hanover’s writing weren’t as strong as it is. Too much more of Emma’s early apathetic tendencies would be off-putting, but Hanover has found the right balance.
The idea of putting two genetically identical people who were nurtured in different ways together is compelling. It raises the question of nature vs. nurture. Of course, identical twins share the same genetic code, but in almost all cases, they are raised together and have similar traits — my own sisters-in-law even created their own language. I love books that make me think beyond the story, and this aspect of The Similars did just that.
Of course, there’s more to The Similars than just the Similars. The mystery of how they came to be and how more than one person is subtly — or not so subtly — pulling the strings in the background makes for an intense storyline that ends primed for a sequel.
I was super pumped heading into this novel, wind fully in my sails, excited for my first YA novel of 2019. A sci-fi thriller about cloning, identity and elite private school drama? My name might as well have been written in high lighter across the cover with neon arrows pointing me towards the first page.
The first chapter really did hook me. I appreciated the surliness of Emmaline, our heroine with a chip on her shoulder. Her best friend Oliver recently committed suicide, which is hard enough to handle on its own without the added pressure of the newest Darkwood Boarding School arrivals. The clones, or Similars, are exact replicas of six of Darkwood’s most erudite and popular students. One of them is an exact replica of Oliver, Emmaline’s dead best friend.
Super-science and cloning novels are usually rife with moral dilemmas and ethical quandaries. The main reason to write about cloning and AI is to have a discussion about what humanity actually is, the continuing evolution of our definition of life. Anything that might have been related to depth was tampered down with twisty plot, annoyingly obvious side stepping and the characters’ sophomoric antics. The only part that resembled a thoughtful nuance was when the students argue in class about clones rights. Clones are people too, etc.
So after a bunch of really benign twists and turns that take up half the book, we come to the actual meat of the novel. A mad scientist on an island clones superhumans from the memory of former students he went to school with at Darkwood. It’s like a diluted and dumbed down version of The Isle of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells. The end.
Questions for anyone who makes it through the novel without skimming the last few chapters like I had to:
What is the point of the Ten? The Ten is an honor society composed of the top ten in Darkwood’s academic stratum. They meet at midnight (why?) to pull pranks on each other and discuss their right to bully other students. There’s also a long storied history of the Ten which includes (gasp) all of the current Ten’s parents! Wow this conspiracy goes way back.
Why introduce futuristic technology if only to replicate things we already have--like classic DNA testing?
Why have a truth-telling serum just so Emma can never use it to solve major plot points?
I gave this two stars. One because I finished it (hooray!) and the second because of the one scene of interesting dialogue about human/clone rights. If you’re still dying to read this before it becomes a summer blockbuster, borrow it from your local library.
Thanks to NetGalley for the pre-publication copy in exchange for an honest review.
The Similars by Rebecca Hanover is a thrilling sci-fi book set in a futuristic Earth, not too far in the future, though. The book focuses on life at a prestigious private school that had decided to allow a few clones to join their ranks. These clones happen to be the clones of students who attend this school so that should make for a very interesting story.
Our main character is Emma Chance. She is in the process of grieving her best friends death when school starts back up. She knows the clones, The Similars, will be coming to Darkwood Academy this year but she has no idea the bomb, in the form of her dead best friends clone, is going to be dropped on her. Ollie has a clone?! She instantly hates him for even existing.
The clones in this book are copies of kids who go to the prestigious Darkwood Academy and no one knows exactly why or how it happened that way. This ends up playing a big role in the plot and, if you are like me, you won't see it coming.
I truly was not expecting the ending that we got. I knew something big was going to go down but I didn't even remotely guess at what was really about to happen. I was shocked but excited at the same time because that meant there had to be another book to explain WTH just happened.
There was a sense of deja vu for me while I was reading the book. I just kept feeling like I have read this or seen this movie before. I have no idea what caused that but I know in my heart that if I really had read a book or seen a movie like this I would definitely remember. It could have been that there were A TON of elements to this story, from the private school to the advanced technology, that appears in a bunch of other books but after much thinking I still have nothing to compare this book too.
In the end, I am so glad I was given the chance to read this book early but it's bittersweet because now I have to wait even longer TO GET MY HANDS ON THE NEXT BOOK! I wonder if the next book will be called The Originals -tehehe-
Overall, I gave the book 4/5 stars.
This book had me hooked from the synopsis!!
However, it fell a little flat to me as I just found the characters unlikable.
Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I'm not really a fan of the "sinister secret society at a boarding school" trope so this one started on kind of rocking footing. And I can't say as it got much better. The clone element was okay. Clearly the status of the Similars is meant to parallel the debate over immigration. Much of the plot is either entirely predictable or unbelievable. There isn't enough evidence for the plot twists. They are random events to make the plot more exciting. Vaguely exciting but not well supported.
I thought Rebecca Hanover's The Similars raised an interesting question -- what makes you YOU? When multiple people are clones of one another with the same DNA, Students attend school with the people they were cloned off of. This is a timely and relevant issue. I believe this book would spark some interesting discussion; it would be worth including in a mixed novel unit with Brave New World, 1984, Handmaid's Tale, etc. The book was also slightly reminiscent of Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go. That said, I did find The Similars much more engaging.
Thoroughly enjoyed reading this book! I guessed the twist at the end, but I still enjoyed reading it! I cannot wait until the sequels come out!
Ms. Hanover's debut novel about clones is, simply put, fantastic. The Similars is everything I love about reading. The story is engaging; I could not stop reading it everything I predicted ending up not coming true. The characters may be archetypes, but I still felt a full range of emotions over Emma's struggles. I loved the friction caused by the clones, and I appreciate that the students did not wholeheartedly accept them. It is an element of the story that feels accurate, especially given the ethics surrounding cloning that scientists continue to debate. Nothing about the story felt contrived or as if it was checking the boxes. The Similars is fresh and exciting with an ending that will blow your mind. I can't wait for the sequel!
I cannot wait to get this book for my library. The plot is so engaging and can lead to debate and research of topics like human rights and cloning. My students are going to love this story!
Six clones arrive on the campus of Darkwood Academy. Each has a secret but only one has the power to drive Emmaline (Emma)Chance batty—Levi. Why? He looks exactly like Emma’s dead best friend Oliver and, surprise surprise, she’s not only unprepared but very unhappy about it.
As you can imagine, after what amounts to a fiery introduction, the relationship between Levi and Emma has nowhere to go but up; however the story is just as much about the history of Darkwood and the origin of the Clones.
There is a lot to be uncovered and much of it stems from Emma’s desire to trace Levi’s origins; in doing so she starts to wonder how much she doesn’t know about Darkwood’s past; tons of mystery envelops what becomes an interesting love story between two unlikely characters.
Between the six clones, their “originals” (all of whom attend Darkwood), the parents, and the administration itself, there were a lot of characters; while that sometimes led to confusion, it didn’t effect the overall quality of the story. If anything, the attention to detail—particularly the science of it all—coupled with the characters having such well-formed backstories/purpose, added value to the story.
I’m not sure if I’m invested in a second book—as a rule I don’t like reading a series unless it’s already complete because I hate waiting for Book insert whatever number here to release; plus the ending chosen for this easily worked as a stand-alone.
Even so, with so many characters to choose from, I would certainly understand the interest in seeing where this story could lead.
I received an Advanced eGalley of this book from NetGalley
When I first heard about this book, I was super intrigued by the premise. Clones going to a boarding school? Yes please. And while I still think that the entire idea behind the book is very interesting, the execution wasn’t up to par. There was so much that could have been done with the premise that just wasn’t. The story itself just fell flat for me. I really liked the book until the part where the plot actually started to “pick up”, or where it was supposed to at least. I thought it was interesting, and the similars themselves were still so foreign and new that I was just so eager to learn more about them. But as the story progressed, we never really learned enough about each of the similars themselves, and pretty much all of the characters remained one dimensional. And as for the plot, so much could have been done but wasn’t. The plot twists at the end were very predictable, and much of the plot up until that point just didn’t feel very important to me. The technology that was involved in the book was absolutely fascinating, but we just didn’t know enough about it. I am still so intrigued by the technology, the clones, and even the dynamic at Darkwood, and I wish that we could have seen more of it. Emma and Levi’s relationship was also practically nonexistent and then forced all at once, but it could have been so interesting if it had been thoroughly developed. I gave this book a 3/5 stars because it’s not a bad book by any means with many interesting features, it just wasn’t as good as I think it could have been.
As an educator, I would recommend this to high middle and high schoolers in search of a good science fiction novel. It is about loss, love, and clones. There are a lot of issues tackled in this novel, but they are incredibly worth reading about in this novel.
Thank you to NetGalley and Source Fire Books for the opportunity to read this novel before release.
First in a compelling and exciting new series, The Similars takes the familiar boarding school aspect to the next level by introducing clones and asking the very important question: what if you were no longer the only you? How would you react? Not only was this book quite a lot of fun, but I absolutely LOVED the heavy dose of science that runs throughout coupled with some themes that certainly made me think. And it’s definitely something I’m still thinking about. I don’t know how I’d react if I found out I had a clone, but I’d like to think I’d be as accepting and open-minded as the majority of the students at Darkwood. Though I can’t promise that.
The story starts with circumstances shrouded in mystery and continues that way until the many reveals at the end. Nothing in this book is clear-cut. Motives and machinations are as shady as many of the characters and everything — from the creation of the clones to the history of the school — is a puzzle that needs solving. Secrets, deceit, and conspiracies abound and all of them have ties to the clones. Add to that the many plot twists thrown in and I couldn’t put this book down. Readers are given as many answers as deemed necessary, and by the end, the number of questions readers are left with far exceed the number of answers given. I adore slow reveals and The Similars delivered beautifully in that regard.
Everything about The Similars hit so many high notes for me, from the scientific aspects to the boarding school, but I especially loved the characters and the attitudes toward the clones. Most were accepting, but a fair number of them were most assuredly anti-clone and it was an interesting approach to weaving in similar attitudes and prejudices that many people experience in our world, even in the here and now. Aside from that, each and every character had such depth and emotion, each one was truly dimensional, even down to the shallow jerks.
All told, The Similars was a fantastic first installment in a mysterious new series that asks some heavy questions, which I’m still left thinking about. I really enjoyed this first installment and I can’t wait to see what the next book brings. 4.5 stars.
*eARC received via NetGalley.
3.5 stars
Mixed feelings on this one because although I felt like it met the requirements for a Decent Book, I still wanted more and wasn’t 100% in love with this.
I mean–it was pretty good. I think the characters were interesting enough and there was nothing glaringly obviously bad about it. It was all there: boarding school, clones, mystery, secretish societies, rich people.
Yet, as much as the concept was good and even the plot, somewhere along the way, the execution kind of lost me.
And it’s not like Hanover is a bad writer. It’s just that this book honestly was just a little . . . drab.
There, I said it. I felt like it could have used more spice and atmosphere and world-building. It could have used more, emotion (?) I guess. Investment? Something that really connected the reader with the story, because I honestly felt just vaguely disconnected.
I wanted to be absorbed into the almost dark nature of the boarding school–there are so many awesome twisty, dark secret society upper echelon boarding school stories with that dark, almost sinister atmosphere.
I wanted that. I didn’t really get it. Yes, there was a hazing scene, but beyond that it didn’t really reach the atmospheric quintessential “boarding school feel” that I was looking for.
And the twists were just a little predicatable? Which in general I don’t mind, but I wanted them to still be executed in a way that really felt shocking, you know?
I think you can have something predictable and still shocking if you add the right amount of emotional intensity into the scene, and I just didn’t find that.
Overall, it felt almost like this book lacked passion. And it’s not to say that Hanover wasn’t passionate about this–it’s just that I didn’t feel that type of intensity that I was hoping to find in this novel.
However, there were still a lot of pluses. I still thought the plot was inventive and interesting.
We don’t get a lot of stories on clones in YA (not enough, anyways) and I always think it’s a really fun idea to explore. I believe Hanover did a good job in exploring this portion, and I really enjoyed what she did do about the clones.
Plus, the backstory was developed pretty well, and I thought that there were clues along the way that helped, although it did kind of feel like Emma–the main character–was doing a lot of waiting.
A lot of this book is Emma thinking about stuff, and the middle portion sagged a bit in my opinion, because that’s where the least amount of action. I could tell Hanover was trying to keep it engaging, but it did end up losing me in the middle where weeks passed and not a lot really happened.
Overall, I though The Similars had a good concept & plot, but the execution was just kind of lacking and I wanted more from this. If you do like the sound of a not 100% mystery focused mystery (something a little more low key than a full mystery), I might suggest this!
Very clever and well-realized premise. What if there are a group of leading students at a prestigious private school who come to their senior year thinking they will be in the prime position of influence of class, only to discover six new students are clones of five of them, and a sixth the clone of Emmaline's best friend she recently lost to suicide. How will people react? How will the clones behave? The "Similars" have been raised separate from the world on a distant Scottish island, so what will they be like? How much is genetics and how much upbringing and experience? What will it be like staring at... yourself? Now competing against your Similar. And WHY were the Similars "created." What is really going on?
The story builds and races. There are fascinating, diverse characters, good plotting, thrills and intrigue. Fast moving and gripping, and surprisingly believable. Great start to a new YA series.
3.5 Stars, review will be posted on the blog on 1/10/19
As soon as I read the premise of this book, I knew I absolutely had to read it. It's interesting because it details a world we can imagine possible - I mean clones! Scientists are now genetically editing babies and have successfully done so (well, we have to wait-and-see).
This book was an okay read for me. It had so many things I liked: there were some twists and turns I did not see coming, I generally liked the concept, and always give me a book set at a boarding school. The story follows Emma, who is returning to school after losing her best friend Oliver over the summer. Right away, we get great world building as we see that she's in a car that drives itself and she interacts with AI (think Alexa or Siri but these bots can show emotion).
Once she arrives at school, the entire student body is interrupted by the arrival of clones, clones of actual students attending Darkwood Academy, including her best friend's Oliver clone, Levi Gravelle. As the clones try to integrate, we see that there's a big debate as to whether they should be attending the school - because obviously, it makes some very uncomfortable. This really sets the stage for an intriguing story.
But I did find myself slogging through the story as I got about the halfway mark. There were some "character development" issues for me in that I didn't feel emotionally invested in the characters after they had all been introduced. Similarly (pun intended!), I also didn't really connect with the love story that's developed between Emma and Levi. I think it was because it didn't really build organically and I also felt I didn't much know about Levi or see how his attraction to Emma really developed. A third thing is that the story evolved to a comparison of clones v. illegal immigration (a definite hot topic) and every time it was mentioned, it felt like it was forced and preachy - like LOOK, this is what's going on now.
Even though there were some negative aspects, the story ended on a big reveal/cliffhanger, and I'd be interested in reading the second book in the series. I definitely do not discourage you from giving this one a try because it was very interesting and made me think about our scientific advancements and how this will affect us in the future.
As always, happy reading!
Thank you so much to Sourcebooks Fire for an eARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest opinion!
"The Similars" is a boarding school teen drama with a twist that pretty unique to the genre: clones.
I liked the writing of this book. I thought the story was well crafted and well told, but I honestly don't think I was the right audience for this book. I would recommend it to those who are specifically into teen drama, (think, Gossip Girl, Pretty Little Liars, etc), but not to a broader YA audience.