I have a really specific itch when it comes to SF YA and that's the mix of near future and elite boarding school shenanigans. The Similars scratches it perfectly.

Emma is such an unlikable protagonist. She's grieving, angry, and wants someone to reach out while simultaneously swatting every potential friend away. The reader never meets her as a more bubbly version of herself, which I found rather effective in becoming close to her. Her decisions are rather haphazard, in a very realistic way.

The discussion around cloning added to the world-building of this near-future United States. I enjoyed how Hanover explored the world beyond Darkwood Academy, and the in-class discussions did not feel forced.

The twists throughout are well thought-out, though a little bit much. I see the #1 next to the title and I think a piece of it could have been saved for early book #2.

Overall, a thrilling ride from start to finish, as a girl seeks to unearth the new kids' secrets and digs deeper into deadly truths.

I have always been a fan of boarding school books, I even wished I had gone to one for a while when I was a child so combine that with clones and mysteries that makes it even better.

"When six clones join Emmaline’s prestigious boarding school, she must confront the heartbreak of seeing her dead best friend’s face each day in class."

I was drawn into this book right away and there never seemed to be a dull moment as the pacing was set really well. I loved the mysteries surrounding who these clones were and who created and hid them for all of these years. I also found there to be a good amount of romance, not too much like some books are. I was intrigued through the very end and found that it had something different than other books.

It was such an interesting begnning and premise, but I really thought some of the things were just a tad bit too predictable. I expectet the love interest of the character to be a little less creepy.
I did enjoy the writing style and the world building, though. It was fun to read and teh main character was overall likeable witty and brave.

I’ve added the official synopsis for The Similars by Rebecca Hanover because I don’t want to describe the novel. I want to discuss it. There are so many delicious concepts that are becoming closer to reality every day. And they are pulled together in an intriguing story with relatable characters. The Similars reminded me of the free self-published amazing stories I binged on via iBooks a few years ago. They were brilliant stories and just that little unusual. I’m glad someone has published one like that.

There are a few ways you can describe The Similars. It’s a YA novel with teens in school with romance and friendships. It’s also science-fiction discovering and encountering clones, science and technology that’s close but not yet invented. And it’s a political commentary of race and caste, even though clones aren’t a race. Finally, there’s the mystery and cover-up of the clones and their connection to the academy. And a generation-old love triangle that makes it look like Severus Snape moved on from Lily.

I love the way these are all woven together with no one stream really dominating. It’s not a romance, but it’s not really political. The science isn’t confusing or even very sciencey.

But I finished The Similars wanting answers. I’m thankful Rebecca is writing another in the series. Without, too many spoilers I want to know what’s up with the headmaster and principal of the Academy. And Oliver!?! Even Emmaline and Levi—will the romance work? Then there’s Tessa’s campaign against the clones. Oh, and I want to trade my Apple Watch for a plum. Does Dash turn evil? Sentient virtual assistants is probably an extra storyline that can’t fit in the series.

I think what I liked most about The Similars is that it’s not that much sci-fi. We’re on the cusp of having the technology. Actually, we have the early generations of it. In a novel we see how it can be good and evil and how different people react. Even the cloning.

I’m late with this review. The Similars was released on Tuesday. Grab it from the library.

Hello people of the internet!!! On today’s ‘Monday Memos’ we`re going to review a new YA dystopian book called ‘The Similars’ by Rebecca Hanover. This book takes a very interesting look at love, science, & the age old question of where the line should be drawn between technological advancement & basic laws of humanity. Now if Rebecca’s name seems familiar to you, that may be because she did win an Emmy for ‘Best Writing’ in 2008 for her work on the daytime drama ‘Guiding Light’. This book was provided for review by Sourcebooks Fire, however as always this review will be completely honest & spoiler free. So now lets get to the review. Ready? Ok, let’s go!!!

‘The Similars’ revolves around a futuristic United States, in which cloning has become a hot button topic. Currently cloning is considered illegal in the U.S, however everything is shaken up when 6 clones known as The Similar (who were cloned from the DNA of the children of some of the most influential people in the U.S 16 years previously) are invited to enroll at the prestigious Darkwood Academy. We follow are main character Emma as she navigates the difficult process of dealing with the fact that her best friend Oliver has recently committed divide, & the fact that he was one of the teens who has a Similar attending Darkwood. When Emma is chosen as one of 5 new select students to enter a prestigious group at the school called ‘The Ten’ (along with a few of The Similars), she embarks on journey that will reveal dark secrets about her school, friends, & ultimately herself.

I will begin by saying that I definitely give this book a 5 out of 5 smiley face rating, due to its’ great balance of dystopian tropes & interesting, well developed characters. The plot of this story is interesting from beginning to end, & will definitely leave you satisfied yet wondering what becomes of these characters & the society they live in.

I requested this particular book because the synopsis drew me in immediately. I thought the premise was extremely unique, and i absolutely love reading about close/cloning. The story kept me engaged the whole time, and kept me on the edge of my seat. The mystery throughout was definitely one that kept me wanting to read on.

I loved Emmaline, she was such an interesting character, who had a lot going on in her personal life. Everything tied in with her story so well, especially one of The Similars being cloned from her best friend who had very recently passed. I thought she was wonderful at handling everything that was thrown in her path. She made a lot of risks for the people she loved, and I admired that about her.

If you are looking for a unique story that will keep you guessing at every turn, this is definitely the read for you. The sci-if aspects were done so well and easy to follow. I thought the whole premise was done amazingly and I can’t wait to read the next in the series.

Title: The Similars
Author: Rebecca Hanover
Genre: YA
Rating: 4 out of 5

The elite Darkwood Academy is for high-achievers from wealthy families. It’s not cheap, and it’s not easy. But this year, it’s going to get a whole lot more competitive when six new students join the junior class. They’re more than overachievers, they’re clones. And their originals already attend Darkwood.

Emma doesn’t care about the clones. Her best friend, Oliver, died over the summer, and all she can think about is getting through each day without him. Until she meets Levi and realizes forgetting Oliver will be harder than she thought: Levi is Oliver’s clone, and seeing his face every day makes life unbearable.

But something is going on with the clones. They’re hiding something, and Emma discovers they have unheard of abilities to go along with their secret agenda. When her friend is almost murdered, Emma realizes something darker is happening, and she must trust someone if she is to find out the truth. But can she really trust Levi?

This is set in a future-America, but not that future, so it was easy to make sense of the world (sadly). I enjoyed reading Emma’s point-of-view and cannot imagine having lost my best friend and then being faced with his clone every day. There is a lot going on here, and I feel like the author glossed over some things that will hopefully be explored in the rest of the series. I noticed there wasn’t a lot involving the instructors, which seemed a bit odd, considering the setting is basically a boarding school, but it wasn’t something that made the story feel fake. The Similars is definitely a book I recommend.

Rebecca Hanover is an Emmy-winning writer and graduate of Stanford. The Similars is her debut novel.

(Galley provided by Sourcebooks Fire in exchange for an honest review.)

Rebecca Hanover’s The Similars has an interesting premise, but lacked that something extra that would take it from being mediocre to something truly unique. Emma Chance is still reeling from the death of her best friend Oliver who died by suicide. Going back as a junior to Darkwood Academy should help Emma feel normal again, but the elite boarding school just brings back memories of Oliver. When the academy enrolls the Similars, a group of clones, Emma’s entire world is turned upside down. Not only do the Similars bring controversy to campus, the U.S. and the rest of the world are wrestling with the ethics of cloning and clone rights, unbeknownst to Emma, one of the Similars is Oliver’s clone. Emma and Levi don’t get along from the get-go, but when Emma discovers there may be something more to Oliver’s death, she enlists his and the other Similars’ help. I wish I could point to more than the premise as being a positive element of this novel, but from the characters to the plot to the writing, I found this one to be incredibly lacking. Emma was not a character I liked or even respected. She was the kind of character who thought not caring made her stand out, making her come across as incredibly privileged. I was not a fan of her relationship with Levi for several reason, one of which being she literally physically attacks him the first time they meet. Secondly, she never fully deals with Oliver’s death, so starting a relationship with his clone left me feeling uncomfortable. There are twists and turns in this one that sometimes felt so disjointed, it felt like I was reading five different versions of the same story. The writing left me wanting more and while I did like exploring this world, I never felt immersed in this world.

High school is hard enough without having to deal with the clone of your dead best friend. In The Similars by Rebecca Hanover, Emmaline Chance’s junior year at her prestigious boarding school is about to get complicated.

Returning to Darkwood Academy for her junior year is difficult for Emma, who is still reeling from her best friend Oliver’s suicide over the summer. Things become nearly impossible when their six newest enrollees – all of them clones of current students – are introduced, and Levi is the spitting image of Oliver. The Similars, as that’s what they call themselves, claim that they’re only there to get an education, but this situation is not what it seems.

On the surface, The Similars presents an intriguing philosophical question: what rights should a human clone have? It is especially an issue for the six clones of Darkwood Academy students, who were created without the knowledge of the originals and raised on a secluded island by a reclusive billionaire. Are they American citizens? Do they deserve a place in the families of the students they were cloned from? There are so many opportunities for an intelligent discussion, but unfortunately this book offers none.

The Similars is a convoluted mess that bounces from one “twist” to another with no thought or explanation. It makes sense when you learn that Hanover writes for soap operas; the original plot of clones and whatever they’re up to is enough without tossing in a secretive student government that serves no real purpose, an anonymous pro-clone group that is only introduced near the end, people faking their death, paternity twists, and more. This book is so full that after a certain point, the revelations have no impact, nor do they leave any lasting impression. Events where you would expect the author to linger are glossed over quickly so that we can move on to the next “shocking” twist. This is the first book in a series, and it seems unnecessary to have packed so much into what really should be a setup novel.

It doesn’t help that pretty much every character save for Emma is woefully underdeveloped, and even she feels flat as a protagonist. I felt no attachment to anyone; they were all interchangeable conduits for the overly complex plot. You can spot the romance coming from a mile away, yet it still feels like it comes out of nowhere and makes very little sense.

As interesting a concept as The Similars is, the execution is sloppy. It was like reading a script rather than a novel – it isn’t that there’s no internal dialogue or exposition, but it was all very straightforward and not very compelling.

The Similars was a uniquely plotted YA novel centered around the idea of clones. Having never read a novel with this subject matter, I was wholly intrigued with Emma’s worldview and that of the mysteriousness surrounding those at Darkwood Academy. Emma’s grief at having lost her best friend a short time ago and struggling to understand the cruelness of his clone existing was both palpable and poignant. The tension centered around this conflict was perfectly penned to pull Emma in to finding answers and leading readers on an intriguing journey with her.

Straddling both the sci-fi and mystery genres, Hanover’s debut did a great job of creating answers that opened up to more questions which furthered my need to keep reading until the end. I fell into the world of the elite students with ease and felt the mix of animosity and insecurity that breeds around teenagers. Emma’s openness to acceptance was what drew me to her along with her thirst for answers–all drawn from her large heart. The romance was well done with just enough to make it believable without seeming forced, and I adored the instant but complicated connection she shared with Levi. I can’t wait for it to be explored more in future installments.

Though I did guess the motive, I was very unprepared for the final twists at the end and the cliffhanger that resulted. I would have liked for the plot to be a bit more tightened up as I believe Emma was too smart to have missed some of the things she did, but I understand also why she was blind to it—it just lost a bit of believability to me, at least. Overall, The Similars was a book I couldn’t put down and I cannot wait to see where Hanover takes our characters next.

This book was unique and a lot of fun to read. I FLEW through the book in 2 days and enjoyed every page. I loved the clone theme and enjoyed all of the futuristic world building and science included. The reactions to situations were relatable, the characters flawed, and the storyline interesting. I think this will be a very popular book and hope it achieves a lot of success!

Received this ARC via Netgalley.

An interesting view of how clones could affect society. There are a few scenes that are kinda Twilight-y. Definitely have to read sequel when it is released.

This is being sold as a YA Dystopian, I didn’t find that much of that in here, I mean yes there are clones in the story, there are self-driving cars, and watches that have programs that you can interact with, but outside of that I didn’t find much.

The story takes place at a prestigious high school, where the most elite of the elite attend. We are introduced to Emmaline (Emma) Chase, she is starting her Junior year, with much disdain. Her best friend Oliver will not be there since he committed suicide during the summer. Emma gives off the vibe that she just wants to keep her head down and get through her Junior year. There are some new students that will be joining the school, they have dubbed themselves “The Simliars”. They are clones of six students that are already attending the school, including Levi, who happens to be the clone of Oliver. Emma is not thrilled to see Levi at the school, yet she can’t seem to stop thinking about him, which turns into an unlikely friendship, then later into a romance.

There is some mystery to the story, along with an attack on Emma’s best friend Pru. Emma wants to know more about the Similars and what they are about since she catches them sneaking out in the middle of the night.

I did have some issues with Emma, like when she finds out about why the Similars are meeting in the middle of the night, she seems to just go with it, rather than be leery of them. When she finds out what is really going on at the school, she doesn’t alert anyone. The romance even felt wrong somehow.

The ending was more of a WTF that I didn’t fully expect. There was a small hint at part of the ending that I guessed at. There was a bit of things that did happen at the end that confused me a bit, since it was hard to tell what was real and what wasn’t, but the ending did have a cliffhanger This is what will get me to read the next book, I need to know how and why the first book ended the way it did.

Emma is going back to Darkwood Academy for her junior year without her best friend Oliver who committed suicide over the summer. It’s hard to get excited about the current gossip about six clones or “Similars” being enrolled at Darkwood, but when one of them is the clone of Oliver it’s hard to ignore. As she gets to know Levi and the other Similars she realizes that even though they have the same DNA they have individual personalities and aren’t exact copies of the original. As pro and con Cloning groups spring up on campus and around the nation Emma is enmeshed in an investigation into how her friend Oliver’s death was tied to the man who developed and raised the six Similars.

The Similars had such a great premise! Can you imagine showing up for school and finding your face on a cloned classmate? It’s not like high school isn’t difficult enough, right? Then there are the political and moral ambiguities of whether cloning should be accepted or not? These are all details that helped create this finely crafted novel that played out as more of a political intrigue then a YA fantasy novel. What struck me the most is that the hate and bigotry in this novel is not necessarily determined by color or societal hierarchy, in this case bigotry comes in the form of originals and copies. A subject that is topical in today’s world as much as in a fantasy novel. Although not quite yet to human copies. At least I don’t think so?

Emma was a wonderful heroine. She never sat back and just watched, she was always asking just one more question. That one last question always seemed to be slightly over the line but would give her the answers she’d need to make a decision to move forward in her thinking or to fall back on her upbringing. I really admired her fortitude. She never gave up on her friends, and never stopped looking into the Why’s and Who’s.

The Similars, even with all of their mysterious backgrounds and “special powers” seemed more real and fleshed out than their human counterparts. This definitely made it easier to like them but truly the humans were portrayed as pretty awful. You’d be inhuman to like the hateful attributes that were portrayed as “human”.

It took me a little while to warm up to Levi’s character. Emma was so distraught over Oliver’s death that you really felt her anguish over seeing his face on another guy. When she gets to know Levi and realizes they are really nothing alike he still keeps his distance until, well, he doesn’t. It’s really hard to talk about these characters without giving away a lot of the plot. I’ll just say that there is a reason that he keeps himself aloof, but Emma’s investigation makes him get involved and he goes all in emotionally at that point too.

The Similars was a very fast paced novel. Rebecca Hanover filled the story with enough moral, political, and personal subplots that my mind didn’t stop to chew before swallowing this novel whole. When you get ready to read it have your snacks and a coke at your side because you will NOT want to put it down!

Thank you NetGalley & Sourcebooks Fire for an advanced copy of the book. Below is my honest review of the book.

I enjoyed this well enough that I want to read the next book, but it is far from perfect. This is another YA novel where one seemingly normal 16 year old girl can outsmart lots of smart people, teens and adults alike, to get to the bottom of things.

In what seems to be the near-ish future, Emmaline Chase is that special 16 year old girl attending Darkwood Academy, an elite school in the woods of Vermont. (Is that a redundant statement? Are we assuming Vermont = Woods?) It is September of her Junior year and she is returning after the suicide death of her BFF Oliver. It seems that the entire country is a buzz with news that six clones will be joining the school this year, one of which looks exactly like Oliver.

With the introduction of six clones, plus our main character Emma, some other students, faculty, and parents, there are just too many characters (some with similar names) for them to be easily remembered, much less experience much development. Once you can keep them straight, you pretty much know who they are throughout. This leads to some predictability about a third of the way through to the end. I enjoyed how things unfolded, but I can't say this felt like a unique take on a clone story. I imagine this would make a great CW teen show for the 2020 season.

Without giving much away, I will share some random thoughts.

1. Will there be a map of the school grounds in the final version of this book (or in book 2?) Over 400 pages, but I don't really have a feel for Darkwood Academy or the grounds.

2. Everyone is shady as hell. Even without knowing the exact details, Emma gets wind of some diabolical motivations and is just like OK, very well, seems legit.

3. The Ten is like a not-so-secret society for the top students in the school. If you make it as a junior, you're in for your senior year, too. Do their rankings not change? Does it matter if you were to suddenly start to do worse or others performed better than they had done so previously? What is the purpose of this group? It didn't seem like there was any point other than to say you're a part of The Ten as opposed to saying you were 4th in a class of 94 students.

4. Ending felt rushed to the point that it was a little confusing as to whether it was real or imagined.

Overall, it is a quick and fun read, just don't think to much and maybe make a character list to remind yourself at a glance who the students are, who The Similars are, etc. I'll be looking out for the next in the series because it is an interesting premise with twists and turns, even if some aren't totally new ideas. I hope we learn more about this world in the next book, especially in regards to the other clones out there and how they live.

Unfortunately I was unable to completely finish this book. It's definitely a "me" problem; I had a hard time connecting with the characters and I felt like the story was predictable. I'm so sorry I did not love this book. It just wasn't for me. I will not be rating this on goodreads or my blog since I did not finish it and do not want to hurt the overall ratings. Thank you so much for providing this arc to me in exchange for an honest review. I truly appreciate it.

The Similars by Rebecca Hanover is a story like none other I have ever read and leads the reader on a wild ride of mystery, intrigue, and emotions.

The story follows Emmaline as she deals with “The Similars”, or clones of other students who have been admitted to her classy boarding school. One of those similars is the clone of her dead best friend, making the situation all the more difficult.

The Similars was a very unique story. I have read a lot of YA and Teen fiction and have never read something quite like this. Hanover had aspects of science fiction, romance, mystery/thriller, and more all wrapped into this incredible story. Hanover’s writing style is very smooth. She does not jump around like a lot of authors do now-a-days. While this story flashes back to memories occasionally, the main plot line is the primary focus the entire book. Just like in life, the story slowly developed revealing new information that fills holes in the story line until the big “ah ha!” moment at the climax of the story. It was the perfect mixture of suspense and excitement to make me keep flipping pages and saying “just one more chapter.”

Emmaline’s character was beautifully written and believable. I hate when I read a teenage aged book and the teens are doing things that real life teens don’t typically do. This one was reasonable and realistic. Each character, bad and good alike, added something to the story. Hanover didn’t give too much of a description, which I prefer so I can build my own image of the characters in my head.

While this is a YA fiction or teen fiction novel, anyone who likes a little sci-fi and a lot of mystery and thriller vibes will love this novel. There is so much substance to it that there is no way to be bored while reading. I loved the technical aspects, the bit of romance, lots of mystery, and a touch of thrill. Something for everyone. Definitely pick up a copy of this must read for 2019!

This wasn't as good as I was expecting and hoping it to be. However, it wasn't a bad book either. I feel like the whole Similar situation was pretty fleshed out and you learn about them and their upbringing throughout the whole book which was really nice. I did like the main character, I felt like she was very realistic. There were a few reveals that I definitely didn't see coming. I am interested in seeing where things go in the sequel!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Fire, and Rebecca Hanover for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are 100% my own and independent of receiving an advance copy.

Imagine the chance of going to school with the first set of human clones. The Similars, a group of six teenagers, will be attending Darkwood Academy and Emma is less than excited. Created by a rogue lab technician, they have been kept secret, raised apart from society, with only each other for company by a mysterious guardian. Until now. Now they will be going to school with their human counterparts. What will they be like? Will they be exactly like their doubles? Will they like the same things, behave the same way, be good at the same things? I mean, they have the exact same DNA. Emma might be more excited if one of them weren’t the exact copy of her best friend, Oliver. Oliver is the only one who won’t be meeting his clone because he committed suicide last summer. Emma still hasn’t come to terms with his death and now she has to run into his face everywhere - in class, in the halls, in the cafeteria. But it isn’t Oliver, it is Levi, his clone. Levi would rather not have to walk around with some dead kid’s face but he wasn’t given a choice in the matter. He gets that Emma can’t stand him, but she doesn’t even know him. But Emma doesn’t trust the clones, something is off with them. They can’t be trusted. But no one believes her. Now Prudence, her human friend has been attacked. Was it the clones? Was it someone who wants the clones dead and got the wrong twin? Emma is determined to find out and that might just give her some answers to why Oliver died.

I really like the premise of this story. The execution lacked for me. There were too many things going on and I didn’t find any of the story lines very exciting. It had potential but without development it fell flat. I didn’t really bond with any of the characters, so I didn’t really care what happened to any of them. There was the usual teenage angst, very predictable stuff with the cool kids being mean to Emma and her friends, of course the Emma/Levi romantic storyline, really nothing new, not even an interesting take on the old stuff. It was so predictable that the author didn’t even bother to develop the romantic storyline. They didn’t like each other and then they were in love - for no reason at all. Having six clones meant that there were too many to develop any of their characters, but even as a group we didn’t really get to know them. You could have had their point of view told through a character like Pippa. There were some enjoyable parts and the ending had some worthwhile bits, but overall I was disappointed.

Posted to Goodreads: Darkwood Academy has always been know for it's prestige and the fame of its student. However, now it is known for just six new students. These students are known as "The Similiars" and are clones of elite Darkwood students. Emmaline isn't concerned about her new classmates. She has spent the last few months morning her best friend Oliver. However, Emmaline is pulled out of her mourning when one the new students, Levi, is revealed to be the clone of Oliver. Emmaline is drawn to him and knows she can't stay away especially when she learns Levi may hold the secrets to finding her lost classmate.

This was fast but very basic YA science fiction. It felt very similar to other books of it's kind with the mystery and the science fiction being muddled by a possible romance. The characters and the tone of the story felt more appropriate for tween readers with YA sci-fi fans wanting a little more in plot and character development.