I loved The Echo Wife. It was utterly original and thoroughly engrossing and I loved the conclusion. My only complaint is that I didn't want it to end.

Coming February 2021, but you should go ahead and mark it on your TBR list now. It's a WILD. RIDE.

The premise of this story is very Westworld meets Black Mirror, and there are enough creepy moments throughout that this book started to feel a little bit like horror to me. Spoiler here: at one point, as Evelyn is talking about "conditioning" the specimens, my stomach was actually turning. She literally means breaking bones, cutting them so they have matching scars to their human counterparts - they have to make sure Nathan has a large scar on his knee, and they sand away the skin to get it. Eeeeeeek. It gave me the creeps!

I looooved the writing! There are so many references throughout about things that Evelyn would know later - it gave the whole narrative a terribly scary undertone, in the best way.

And hiding the rest for spoiler talk about the ending: THE SECOND FRANTIC PHONE CALL TO EVELYN - HOLY COW. I thought for sure that she had killed Nathan again. Then, when it's revealed that there are bodies, I was certain that we would discover that Evelyn wasn't the original, but was another specimen and the original was dead, too. I was actually shocked that there were so many failed specimens - it never occurred to me that Nathan had failures, I guess?

Evelyn making Martine leave Violet wasn't the only time I hated Evelyn, but was at the top of the list for times I hated her *the most*. And then, you're excited to see Violet get to spend time with Martine, but the trade off is that Martine is the literal guinea pig for life for Evelyn? I left the book feeling like what the FUCK just happened - very Black Mirror.

This one moves quickly, it's captivating, the surprises keep coming, and if you love sci-fi, it's a 2021 must read! Solid 4.5 stars!

Sarah Gailey gets in my head, and stays there. How much loyalty would you feel towards a clone of yourself? What if your ex-husband was the one who did the cloning? This stunning book delves into what it means to have a work-life balance, the glass ceiling, and motherhood in a un-put-down-able tale of deceit, technology, and murder.

BEST BOOK I'VE READ THIS YEAR!! Can I give it 6 stars? Evelyn is a celebrated scientist who makes and programs clones. Her childhood was quite difficult, and now her marriage is not going well. The Echo Wife is the story of what happens when people can be easily replaced. I LOVED how this science fiction tale was so real, so believable! I LOVED how surprising events happen every couple of chapters - I sure didn't see all that comin'! WOW! This is a fun and exciting book - easy to read because there are reasonable number of characters, and they are all quite relatable. I LOVED the way the story flowed and I LOVED the very satisfying ending.

HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

Thank you, Netgalley for letting me read this fantastic book!

The Echo Wife is a thrilling story about Evelyn Caldwell, a geneticist, and Martine, a genetically cloned replica of Evelyn. After having an affair with Evelyn’s husband, Martine, calls Evelyn saying that her husband is dead and she needs help.

This story was pretty crazy. The fact that Evelyn’s husband decided to “upgrade” her for a genetic clone edited to his liking is bonkers. The main focus of this story wasn’t really the murder. I’m not saying that aspect isn’t important, just that it’s not the real meat of the story. The focus is the relationship between Evelyn and Martine, and the development of these two characters throughout the story. Questions of ethics come into play, and the uniqueness of this story had me devour it in one sitting.

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Evelyn Caldwell is a brilliant scientist whose work revolves around clones. If only she could see things in her personal life as clearly as she does at work, perhaps she would have noticed that her husband Nathan was having an affair. Not just any old heartbreaking, gut-wrenching affair with someone younger, prettier, nicer, or less driven, but with Martine, a clone. Nathan has stolen much of Evelyn's work and created a clone of......Evelyn!But a nicer, more maternal version, and for Nathan, life is good. I suppose he had one redeeming quality, he didn't move Evelyn into the attic or kill her, but I am really stretching it by saying anything good about him.
Despite the threat, this poses to her career, Evelyn is also humiliated and suffering on a personal level. A desperate phone call from Martine annoys Evelyn, but curiosity makes her head to the lovebird's house. What she finds will test her in ways she never imagined, and send her down a slippery moral and ethical slope. If two wrongs don't make a right, can any amount of bad decisions make for a happy ending? Evelyn is going to find out.
Well, this one was a trip to cray cray land. The book description was very short, but if I could change one or two things, I think it actually gave too many plot points away. If I discovered them while reading The Echo Wife, it definitely would have upped the what just happened moments. But, there are still a lot of shocking surprises, and at less than 250 pages, I abandoned my garden work plans and devoured this book. Kudos to a story that made me forget about the madness that is 2020 for a little while. 4.5 stars.

I ended with mixed feelings on this one. While I really enjoyed it, about 85% in, I found myself questioning the believability of parts the story. And that’s after accepting the premise that a scientist, who has figured out how to create human clones, discovers that her ex-husband secretly created a clone of her using her scientific breakthroughs and now she has to help the clone, who impossibly got pregnant by her ex. So I could swallow all that but then things like: an entire backyard was dug up in a frenzy after bodies were discovered and in under two hours two people fixed up the backyard enough that the owner didn’t notice?? And I don’t know if it’s just to show how slightly demented the main character is, but why does she choose to sleep in the same bed with her clone? Like all the time, not just in a pinch. Nothing sexual going on but that’s a little more than weirdo. 🤡

There are some more things that bugged me but I don’t want to give away too much since I do recommend you read it. It just seemed a little sloppy when the majority of the book was so good.

This was a @netgalley ARC. The book goes on sale Feb. 16, 2021, but you can pre-order it now.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 / The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey / Pages: 256 / Genre: Sci-Fi Thriller / Release Date: Feb. 16, 2021

The Echo Wife is a beautifully-written story about an ambitious scientist who is betrayed by her husband and, in some ways, by her own life's work.

Evelyn just won a prestigious scientific award for her work in cloning, and her professional life is as good as it can get. Her personal life, less so. Her husband, Nathan, stole and used her own research against her to create a clone that he named Martine. He plans to marry Martine, a more docile, agreeable, lab-generated, clone copy of Evelyn. No one knows Martine exists (apart from Evelyn) and her existence must remain a secret while Evelyn deals with the ramifications.

The story touches on themes of identity, philosophical ideas and ethics (when does a lab specimen become a person?), and struggles to determine when do the ends justify the means? I was thoroughly engrossed in this compelling story with distinct, fully-fleshed out characters, and highly recommend this book.

This is a well-written book. The pacing is fast, but seemingly spot on. The overall narrative is simultaneously engaging and thought provoking. I really enjoyed this one.

Gailey's style isn't new by any means, but she does well to incorporate just enough realism into her "hard" Sci-Fi elements--science is NOT my best subject, so I often feel silly when using that descriptor. The twists are many. If you don't like "plot twists for the sake of plot twists" you might get annoyed with this one. That said, I thought they were tasteful and propelled the story forward. So, they were to my liking. I'm not you, so judge for yourself.

If you're into twisty, thrill-filled Sci-Fi, this might be exactly what you're looking for.

I received a free ARC of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

The Stepford Wives meet Orphan Black in this compelling science fiction thriller.

Because of her ground-breaking clone research, Evelyn is at the top of her career, while her marriage is falling apart. Her husband, Nathan, is having an affair with Martine, who is the domestic woman he always wanted. Also, she is cloned replica of Evelyn. When Nathan is killed, Martine must work together to clean up his mess.

Although it takes place in the future, the setting feels realistic. With lots of twists and turns, the plot is both fast paced and thought provoking. This book is perfect for readers who enjoy reading Science Fiction that explores ethical and moral consequences of technology.

Arc provided via netgalley for review.

This was not at all what I expected it to be! This book is described as a "non-stop thrill ride," and I would not describe this book that way. I actually found this book to be fairly slow-paced and less of a thriller and more of a sci-fi, near future book. This story felt very informed by [book:The Stepford Wives|52350] plot-wise and I think really aimed to pose questions about family legacy and morals and ethics rather than just being a thriller.

This book focuses mostly on the relationship between Evelyn and Martine. I really liked this relationship because it is a very complex relationship given that Martine is Evelyn's clone. This is really where the book asks the reader to think about the ethics of cloning and designing a person exactly how you want and not giving them agency. A lot of this book seemed to me was looking at agency. How much of yourself do you really control and is having a creator as a clone really that different from having parents who turn you into the person you are. This is why this book didn't really read as much as a thriller. Obviously thrillers can impart ideas about ethics and such but this was much more focused on these moral questions rather than the crime that takes place.

This book is around 250 pages and it made really great use of that shorter length. I felt very satisfied by the conclusion to this story. I really liked how it wrapped up it's ideas about the ethics of cloning but still around the reader to come to their own conclusion about how they feel about the story. Also as someone in academia right now, I kind of really appreciate the stuff about research and ethical committees because it's all stuff I work within at my school.

I think if you're going to read this book you should not go in expecting a fast paced thriller despite what it says in the summary. This is a very interesting story with many complex ideas and ethical questions. I do think this is a really interesting book, but don't expect a thriller as you might understand it.

A modern retelling of Frankenstein? Or is it Prometheus? The premise of "The Echo Wife", cloning, is interesting. It raises all sorts of ethical questions. What makes us human? What is the value of a cloned life? How much of our personality and behavior is genetic and how much is learned? Sadly, this book doesn't deal with any of those themes in any meaningful way.

Warning: Spoilers ahead.

First impression: Too much coyness about Martine being Evelyn's clone. It's in the book description so there's no actual mystery. It seems pretentious to devote so much energy to skirting around the main premise of the book until chapter 6 when we all know it already.

I found the science lacking. Obviously, since cloning isn't as far advanced in reality as in the novel, there is no real science to get wrong. Still, the process for creating clones as described lacked verisimilitude. To create a full-grown clone in a matter of weeks and to be able to implant ideas and memories into it's brain during the process just seemed weak. There was no period of learning the basics of life, such as how to eat with utensils and go to the bathroom, skills it takes humans years to learn successfully. Yet here, it appears to happen through osmosis. The idea that a few suggestions implanted on the consciousness of a newly awakened clone would be enough for it to function successfully in the real world, interacting seamlessly with people who knew the original person, seems ludicrous to me and the book did nothing to make it more believable. The story hinges around the "impossible" pregnancy of a clone, yet never explains why clones can't get pregnant or how Martine managed to do it. Maybe those are details which aren't crucial to the plot, but it sure left me wondering.

The protagonist, Evelyn, is about as unsympathetic a character as I've seen. Her constant anger and emotional rigidity is both inadequate for her past life and unreasonable for her current one. There is no explanation or backstory to explain why she ever loved Nathan and nothing in her description to make her seem capable of loving anyone. Even her own clone pisses her off. Martine, Evelyn's clone, riccochets between bouts of genius and insipidity. Martine is able to overcome her conditioning (another scientific process which makes no sense) enough to worry Evelyn, yet can't manage to have an actual personality.

The story swings back and forth between telling us that Evelyn and Martine look too identical to not be noticed and that when they are out together no one pays any attention to them. Is it one or the other? Also, while Martine is nursing the baby, Evelyn notices her gauntness without making mention of what would have to be her extremely enlarged breasts. And when Nathan brings the baby to Evelyn's house, the baby is fussy and presumably loud enough for Martine to hear, yet despite her professed agony over being torn from her baby, her very reason for existence, she doesn't react at all to the baby being so near, either while the baby is in the apartment or once it's gone.

Evelyn's backstory is sparse, with the major events hinted out without actually being told. I actually liked the way it is doled out, a little at a time, one of the few parts of this book I admired. However, the ending, which completes the circle of Evelyn's life, was just too pat, too neat, to be believed.

Overall, this is a book which tries too hard yet falls short in nearly every category. In spite of all that, the story is readable. It did hold my interest, at least after I got past the first few chapters. But I can't recommend it in good conscience. I gave it two stars because the technical aspects of writing are good.

3 1/2 stars rounded up to 4. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc. I had zero expectations going into this book. While it started to feel a bit like The Need in tone and characterization, it shifted away from that and became something more solid in narrative and focus. Evelyn is a strange character; detached and empty, incredibly competent and smart but traumatized in a way that isn't fully explored. The book doesn't linger and neither does Evelyn and it whips through this bizarre reality that ends up more human that the sci fi premise would have you believe. Fans of orphan black should like it very much (as a member of the Clone Club, I count myself among them).

NetGalley provided me with a free Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is my solemn vow: I will read everything Sarah Gailey publishes ever until I die because they are my everything. So far, Sarah has introduced me to queer librarians in a dystopian Western setting, magical teens covering up a murder, magic-hating detectives solving a murder, and hippo-riding cowboys on a heist. And now I'm expected to just COPE with the insanity that is The Echo Wife?????
I knew absolutely nothing going into this beyond the fact of the author. I highly recommend going in blind because WHOA IT IS A WILD RIDE. So I won't go into plot here, except to warn you that this ish gets DARK. Check the triggers before venturing into it, but if you can handle it, I highly recommend picking it up. Especially for fans of sci-fi or mystery/thrillers looking to get into a genre-bending and mind-boggling book that will push you out of your comfort zone. It's only getting a 4 ⭐s from me when placed in the context of Sarah's other novels, which I enjoyed slightly more than this one. But do not take that as a lessening of my whole-hearted love for this, and all of Sarah's books. I honestly don't know how their brain can produce such wide-ranging and non-categorizable work in such a short time. Can't wait to see what they come up with next.

Full disclosure: I was provided an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I devoured this novel in about 4 sessions. I had enjoyed the author’s previous work Magic For Liars, and was excited when I heard the inspiration for this one was to get Joss Whedon’s Dollhouse “right.” I didn’t know what that meant exactly, but I enjoyed Dollhouse and was excited to see what that meant.

Wow, what a ride. Gailey does an incredible job of putting you into the head of the main character while still keeping key information from the reader until it’s absolutely necessary. The protagonist thinks of herself as an incredibly practical person, but it also becomes clear that it’s because she has had to learn to shield herself from so much, even to the point of lying to herself.

The book does a great job of rewarding you for paying attention. Right about the time I started asking “wait, what about...” as I thought through the implications of this particular situation, the book rose up to answer just those questions. I’m avoiding a lot of details because I don’t want to spoil much, but suffice it to say this book takes a familiar sci-fi trope and follows it to places I didn’t expect, but make perfect sense in retrospect.

Evelyn Caldwell is an award-winning scientist developing cloning techniques who has found out that her former husband has stolen her research to create a more "perfect" clone of her. She becomes horrified when the clone, Marine, calls her one day desperate for her help. They end up being forced to team up which alters their lives in substantial ways.

This was an interesting take on clones and was thought provoking. I thought it dragged a bit in the middle with some of Evelyn's thoughts, and I sort of got distracted for a bit and also Evelyn is an unlikeable character which sometimes works for readers. I think this book overall just did not work for me even with the amazing premise but that's not to say that it won't work for many others.

OH My God.

OMG

OH MY GOD
What did I just read??????? I read this in TWO DAYS. Two days. I mean, I don't really need sleep, right?

That was loads of fun! The plot is so fast and there's good character development. The narrator Evelyn has a great handle on Martine, her clone and it's easy to see how similar and how different both women are. I love how they play off of each other and as the plot races on, I was rooting for both Martine and Evelyn! I mean, what?!

Nathan is this looming male character who has few lines but is so powerful and forboding through the story it is like he is really there on every page. Everything he does or has done greatly influences the two main characters.

I don't want to give anything away but I want to say that it is FUN. It's twisty and powerful and surprising. I like the characters and their struggles, their development wasn't put aside to focus on the plot. It is very much a part of the story, which I loved.

I can't even...

Put this on your To Read List. You'll thank me later.

Evelyn Caldwell is intelligent and driven. Her husband Nathan has been with her since working as a research assistant dreaming of changing the world. Clones are tools and she is the revolutionary who has uncovered "conditioning" and programming to create a clone that has memories, desires and even scars like the human they created to mimic. Evelyn is at the top of her career and that drive has let her marriage fall into second place.

Second place is not good enough for her husband Nathan. He uses Evelyn's life work to create a clone of his wife that he thinks improves Evelyn. Martine is the housewife Nathan always wished Evelyn could be. Unfortunately for Nathan, Evelyn's breakthroughs on programming might not be as ironclad as she thought. Maybe a clone who was programmed to be docile and not to challenge or question her husband doesn't like that trait. Maybe, clones can change...

I have taken some time from when I finished The Echo Wife to writing this review. I felt the need to adequately digest this book and understand my feelings. In short: I enjoyed this book but it is lacking something.

While the pace of the first half of this novel was incredible it slowed down drastically after the "incident" that brings together Evelyn and Martine. Additionally, Evelyn is written to be dislikeable. We as readers need to understand why Nathan created Martine. Why he was driven there because of Evelyn. However, she is so morose and in my opinion rude that it is hard to empathize with her. This book is sprinkled with memories of Evelyn's childhood that attempt to rationalize the person she is - why she is so brash - but the backstory feels forced and exaggerated in later chapters.

If I was asked about this book I would say I it is okay but not at the top of my list. The idea was interesting and there were certainly some interesting twists even to the end. However, there were parts that were overdone such as the backstories and Evelyn was obnoxious many times throughout the book. Additionally, she kept saying she didn't understand how Martine was able to "buck her programming" as well as her interesting biological situation. This kept coming up throughout the book but wasn't explained. There was a real opportunity for either another twist or some crumb to give the readers before the novel ended.

Tor publishes The Echo Wife early next year (like a lot of things in the book world, I think this domestic novel/sci-fi/thriller was delayed by COVID). Anyway, the ARC was a quick read of 225 pages ... I got it done in a couple sittings . A tale of science, cloning and deep betrayal. I reached a point, about halfway through, where I couldn't see how the story could go any further ... so I had to read further. The author was very concerned with the expressing of emotions (and more emotions and more emotions). Anyway, when the pace picks up, after the lull around the middle, the story is fleshed out in SO many interesting ways. Any college Lit class would have so much fun analyzing the outcome!!! One I hope to buy and have autographed.

The Echo Wife took a couple of chapters to fully grab me, but after that it was pitch-perfect and didn't let go for a second. This book has it all: clones, identity, marriage, science, gender, trauma, humor, twists, and a razor-sharp voice, and I hope it will be as big of a breakout for Sarah Gailey as it deserves to be. I know I'll certainly be telling people about it and recommending for best of year lists!