Ever since Scarlett turned thirteen, she’s been belligerent and defiant and worst, distant at best, a situation exacerbated by their poverty. Her parents, Tamsyn and Ed, are at their wits’ end.

One night, though, changes everything. Scarlett runs out of their caravan to meet a friend and she is struck by a car. With Scarlett in a coma, Tamsyn and Ed regret the difficulties of the past year. They just want their daughter back. Then, a representative from VitaNova arrives and offers them cutting edge treatment for Scarlett. They will want for nothing. All they need to do is move to Geneva and welcome an artificial version of Scarlett into their family.

The new version, Sophie, is a doting daughter and completes the family. But when Scarlett unexpectedly awakens from her coma, they begin to learn the insidious truth behind VitaNova and the cost they must pay for a perfect family.

I am a fan of science fiction suspense, and I was excited by the idea of the book. Unfortunately, I personally didn’t like the execution. The plotting seemed very slow-paced with all the action happening in the last few chapters. To me, those were the most interesting parts of the story, and wanted them to happen earlier in the book and be discussed in more detail.

What I did like about the book was the Geneva, Switzerland setting. It made me want to visit and walk around the city! The book also raised many interesting questions: what makes AI a sentient being, a person? Who owns a “person” created by technology? And what are the ethical limits of such technology? How far would you go to treat a loved one? These questions would make this novel a good book club selection.

The New One is a captivating and unsettling masterpiece that will leave you on the edge of your seat. With every twist and turn, this book will keep you engrossed and surprised until the very end. It's a must-read for anyone interested in exploring the complexities of family dynamics and the true meaning of love and humanity. The New One is a thrilling escape from reality, but it also offers thought-provoking insights into the human experience. Green's writing is both eloquent and accessible, making it a perfect choice for readers of all backgrounds. Don't miss out on this deliciously disturbing novel that will leave you questioning everything you thought you knew about yourself and the world around you.

The New One was so much more sinister than I expected! That twist!!!

Any parent would make the choice of getting their child reanimated if it meant keeping their body on life support. Moving to Switzerland and getting free housing and fancy clothes onl seems extra neat after you consider the fact your get a new android daughter. Of course, if your human daughter wakes up from her coma that complicates things a little...

Fast paced and futuristicly realistic this was a fun popcorn read id recommend!

Thank you @berkleypub and for my digital eArc. My thoughts are my own.
#penguinrandomhousepartner

Tamsyn and Ed are devastated when their rebellious daughter, Scarlett, is critically injured in an accident, and left comatose with little chance of recovery. With no other options, Tamsyn and Ed agree to participate in a too good to be true medical trial. They are whisked away to Geneva, Switzerland where Scarlett receives the very best medical care while Ed and Tamsyn live in a luxurious apartment with everything money can buy. Everything in their life starts to improve. They relax and discover how good it feels to be wealthy. They also have a new, artificial daughter, Sophie, who is an exact replica of Scarlett.

But when Scarlett unexpectedly recovers things suddenly turn unbelievably nightmarish!

MY THOUGHTS:
In a story where something is too good to be true, it usually comes with strings attached! This one was FULL of more than just one unexpected TWIST! Suddenly, I didn’t know who to trust - or even who to pull for! The story unfolds through multiple perspectives, with Tamsyn as the character I most identified with, perhaps because I am also a mother! I was thoroughly engaged with this story and I highly recommend it!

Read this if you enjoy:
*unpredictable, twisty thrillers
*likable characters with a few surprises
*intense drama

What would you do to save your family? What would you give up to have your family back? Honey and Ed Trelawney love their daughter, but she is out of control and they can't take much more. When she runs from the trailer at 3 am to meet some guy, they wonder if it would be better if she never came back - but still, they go after her. The car shows no signs of slowing and in an instant, their lives are changed forever.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

I don't read a lot of science fiction, but The New One is what I would call science fiction light. It is mostly a family drama with some advance technology. I was drawn to this novel because of the artificial intelligence that was being used. AI has been in the news a lot lately and the timing of this story seemed perfect.

The story is really well written. It flows well and the pacing is good. There's a big plot twist that had I been paying closer attention I might have seen coming but I was just so caught up in the story that I didn't notice the detail. But when I realized it, I was like wow.

While I'm not sure if science would really work the way it does in the book - there's human cloning involved. It is an interesting concept but the book skims over the science and focuses more on how an AI-powered clone interacts in the real world.

There is some mystery surrounding the whole thing. I was suspicious from the start. The Trelawneys are a poor, uneducated family. They live in a caravan - they live in England so I think it is like an RV. Ed works in a restaurant, but Honey works whatever jobs she can pick up - cleaning offices, picking crops, etc. They are desperate and when VitaNova dangles not only the best medical care but a whole new life in Switzerland they don't ask too many questions. But the reader has plenty.

I'm not sure how I feel about how the book ended. It was a little rushed which tempered the sense of danger. I think it was a missed opportunity to build more tension. Instead, we learn the danger that VitaNova poses and in just a few pages the story is over.

I just looked at the page count, which is 400 pages, because I thought it was a short book. I read the ebook in big chunks and I can see where the author/publisher might not have wanted a 500 pages book, but I think the reader would have appreciated a bit more time exploring the danger - I know I would have.

Overall, this is an excellent book. It definitely provides a lot of food for thought and would be great for a book club.

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Friday - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2023/03/the-new-one-by-evie-green-review.html

Thank you to @berkleypub @netgalley for the #gifted copy of the book!

Tamsyn, Ed and Scarlett live in a caravan with their daughter, Scarlett. Scarlett hates her life. They are dirt poor and she wants more out of life. Tragedy strikes and Scarlett ends up in a coma. Suddenly, life presents Tamsyn and Ed with an interesting opportunity. Money becomes no issue if they agree to move to Switzerland and allow Scarlett to have a carbon copy made of her. The catch? The copy has to live with Tamsyn and Ed. Surely it is too good to be true.

What a crazy ride!! I enjoyed the twists in this book. There were so many of them! This book was a great mix of sci-fi and thriller.

Author Evie Green is really Emily Barr. On her website she says, “Evie Green is the horror author who lives in my head.” She uses this pseudonym for her thriller themed books of which standalone The New One certainly qualifies. She goes on, “I had the most fun writing this book. There’s cloning, AI, a family propelled into luxury, a big twist, lots of small twists, and some extreme and murderous sibling rivalry.” By its description, it would be very easy to write this off as another “artificial intelligence (AI) is going to replace people” novel. I was weary when approaching this book because of Spielberg’s “AI” movie which took us on a truly bizarre Pinocchio fantasy with a pretty sucky ending. Pinocchio got a better ending. Frankenstein got a better ending. Add too the fact that British authors are notorious for tragic poetic endings. I will admit to procrastinating my read until I was on vacation on a beach. Even a bad book will be better at the beach. Green was so enthusiastic, however, I had to give it a go.

Green lulled me into her story with an expected set-up. Something will happen which makes it necessary to introduce an AI child. In The New One, Ed and Tamsyn Trelawney are on the verge of divorce. Ed even has a bag packed under the bed that he doesn’t think Tamsyn knows about, ready to leave when he can’t take their disfunctional relationship any longer. He’s thinking one day he’s just not going to come home. They are living in poverty no matter how many jobs they work, and their wonderful, only daughter Scarlett has gotten in with a bad crowd. There is alcohol, swearing, bad grades, and she’s gone off the deep end. They fight all the time. The other people in the trailer park who understand tough times don’t even like them, as they have to witness Scarlett’s outrageous behavior. So when Scarlett gets hit by car and goes into what seems to be a terminal coma, in swoops VitaNova.

VitaNova is a company specializing in cutting edge “reanimation” technology. In plain terms, cloning and AI integration. Eventually, Ed and Tamsyn’s medical insurance is going to reach a cap. The hospital will turn off the machines when the money runs out. Pushed up against the wall with hope that their daughter even might have a chance of waking-up, they take the deal: VitaNova will continue to pay for and provide state-of-the-art coma treatment for Scarlett in exchange for genetic material and participation in their “reanimation” studies. They must welcome an enhanced clone of their daughter into their new luxurious home, provided by VitaNova, and treat her as their own.

I’m happy to say that while I was waiting for the shoe to drop, there’s a plot twist—Scarlett, the source material, wakes up from her coma. What now? Except for maybe Roger Spottiswoode’s “The Sixth Day” staring Arnold Schwarzenegger, that’s not something that has been really explored by sci-fi writers because now it’s about relationships and not the technology. How do the family dynamics change when there’s suddenly a 15-year-old identical twin? One who’s stronger and better at everything? My single criticism is that I would have liked a longer back half the book than front. Green took a lot of time building emotion and getting us invested. When it starts to get to the thrilling part of a thriller book, it was not as in-depth, leaving me with a few questions. It does, however, wrap with a satisfying ending. Thank you!

I would categorize The New One as a young adult or new adult book although it’s told from multiple perspectives, including adult POV’s. I don’t think it’s as predictable of a format as some publishers would like, but I wouldn’t change anything about it. Kudos to Berkley. It’s a good read and the way it unfolds is perfect.

My Rating: A- Enjoyed A Lot

Thank you @berkleypub, @letstalkbookspromo, and Evie Green (@emilybarrauthor) for the gifted copy of the novel.

𝓦𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓲𝓽’𝓼 𝓪𝓫𝓸𝓾𝓽?
A suspenseful, cutting-edge novel about two parents who finally get the daughter they’ve always wanted—it’s too bad she isn’t real. From the author of We Hear Voices.

𝓜𝔂 𝓣𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓼 💭:
Last year, I watched a poignant documentary on Netflix called Hope Frozen, a story about a Thai family who unexpectedly loses their young daughter and decide to have her cryogenically frozen. It struck me because at heart of this novel was a dystopic reimagination of how as humans we deal with grief, and letting go of the loved ones we have lost. The documentary made me question - would I have, given a choice, done the same for my mom? The answer to me at the time seemed to me that I had to accept that there was a power beyond myself that was telling me that no matter how much I tried, or did, I will have to accept my grief - as painful as it will/can be.

The story begins with Tamsyn and Ed, who both work long hours for their daughter, Scarlett. A tragic accident leaves Scarlett in a coma. The couple are offered an unusual offer from VitaNova, to have an artificial copy in the form of Sophia, who will reanimate Scarlett. As the story unfolded, I did not see the twists coming, and was shocked at how thought-provoking this novel is, and how much it makes us think about these new technological advancements. It seems that in the competition between nature and man, man always wants to become/compete with the higher power.

Finally, the last point, I would add is the idea of coma. There has been so much news coverage surrounding the will of the person in comma and investment of the family in the decision making process. I remember the Terri Shiavo case, and that’s what I kept on thinking about while reading this novel. This novel released on March 28, and is out now!



#RandomHousepublishers #Penguinrandomhouse #berkleybuddyreads #berkleywritesstrongwomen #TheNewOne #EvieGreen #LetsTalkBooksPromo

Today is #PubDay for some great new books, I love Tuesdays for this very reason. I am so happy to tell you about The New One by Evie Green.
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I seldom read a synopsis or much about a book before I start reading an advanced copy to review. I love not having any preconceived ideas about where the book might be going or what it’s like. I was definitely surprised by this one. Pleasantly.
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This is a Sci-Fi thriller that doesn’t get too other-worldly or bog us down in details, we just get the fun of reading the story as it plays out. This books merged human cloning with artificial intelligence and had me flipping pages quickly, wanting to know what was going to happen. I definitely had some suspicions but there were a couple of twists that totally threw me off. Love that!
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A hard working, down on their luck couple is raising their teenage daughter in Cornwall. She is more than a handful and they are all at their wits end, the daughter included, when a horrible accident leaves the daughter in a coma with a short time span given to recover. When presented with what looks like a modern miracle, they are offered a new life in Switzerland where their daughter will be a part of some exciting new medical research.
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When they move to Geneva, they are presented with a lifestyle they never even dreamed of. Their daughter will receive the best care while still in a coma, and they will welcome into their lives and home a replica who looks just like their daughter, with a few enhancements.
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Desperate to keep medical treatment for their daughter Scarlett, Tamsyn and Ed are prepared to move heaven and earth and that’s exactly what they do. Their options were limited, almost completely gone, so they agreed to join a medical trial, and this includes moving to Switzerland. If they do, they will receive an artificial daughter, a clone of Scarlett, who has been lying in a coma for weeks.

As unbelievable, is this for both of them to consider, the team handling this transformation as promised them that they will be able to not only love their “new daughter”, but should the actual Scarlett awaken from her coma, simple arrangements can be made to resume their normal life, although they might really want to remain in Switzerland.

As unimaginable as this is for Tamsyn and Ed, their lives had already been made quite difficult by a rebellious Scarlett, and this opportunity gives them a fresh start, and they soon discover that living with the remodel is better than they could’ve imagined. Then Scarlett wakes up, and the former family of three has just become a family of four. When her clone begins to have other ideas that is when things begin to go wrong.

What a different story! It was edgy, immersive, speculative and addicting! What is more is that I loved how nothing was as it seemed, especially when talented author Evie Green began pulling out the shocking twists that simply left me breathless. This says a lot about me as this mixed genre of science fiction and horror is completely out of my wheelhouse, but boy did I love this book!

Many thanks to Berkley and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

It’s time to stand up and applaud…

The New One, has officially published today and I can not wait to hear what you think!

If someone you love was hurt beyond repairable measure would you want to clone them?

Yes?

At what price? And I’m not talking about money…

Sometimes life doesn’t go according to plan. We are thrown curveballs and when offered an easy solution to clone, it seems like a no brainer, right?

WRONG

Let Evie Green drag you down the rabbit hole to show you what happens when you make an emotional decision…

With the perfect balance of paranormal and thriller, this book is sure to be a bestseller amongst book lovers.

Teaser:

For Tamsyn and Ed, life is tough. They both work long hours for very little money and come home to their moody, rebellious daughter, Scarlett.

After a tragic accident leaves Scarlett comatose and with little chance of recovery, Tamsyn and Ed are out of options until a lifeline emerges in the form of an unusual medical trial. In exchange for the very best treatment for Scarlett, a fully furnished apartment, and a limitless spending account, the family must agree to move to Switzerland and welcome an artificial copy of their daughter into their home.

Suddenly their life is transformed. Tamsyn and Ed want for nothing, and the AI replacement, Sophie, makes it feel just like having their daughter back—except without all the bad parts. Sophie is engaged, happy, and actually wants to spend time with her parents.

But things take a turn for the worse when Scarlett makes a very real recovery and the family discovers that the forces behind their new life are darker than they ever could have imagined.

Parents, how many of us have found ourselves almost wishing, in our children’s difficult moments, that they could just be as sweet and loving as they were when they were small? How many of us have thought, if they could just lose this or that undesirable quality, they would be wonderful. If we’re honest, all of us, probably, in some moment of deep exasperation.

That’s where Ed and Tamsyn find themselves. They work multiple jobs trying to keep afloat in their ratty trailer. Their marriage is struggling. Their teenage daughter Scarlett is causing them no end of grief. And they don’t have the bandwidth to deal with her bad behavior.

One night they try to stop her from sneaking out in the middle of the night. Things go horribly wrong, and Scarlett is hit by a car, seriously injured, perhaps never to recover. When a lifeline is extended, literally, Ed and Tamsyn feel like they have no choice but to take it.

VitaNova invites Ed and Tamsyn into what seems like the perfect solution: they’ll create a clone of Scarlett and transfer her consciousness into the new body. The new version will be like Scarlett, only better. New home, new daughter, all the luxuries they could want, and they even find renewed interest in each other. Perfection, right?

Sophie (the new version of Scarlett) really does seem like the perfect daughter at first. She’s so good at so many things. And she’s so well behaved! Ed and Tamsyn, while the idea squicked them out a bit at first (especially Tamsyn), soon appreciate how much better they have it now. So there are cameras all over their new plush apartment. So Sophie has cameras in her eyes. So the VitaNova folks keep tabs on them. That’s okay, right?

And then Scarlett wakes up, and things really get twisty.

Evie Green does a good job of making the reader think. How far would we go to keep a loved one (or a simulacrum of them) in our lives? How much would we be willing to sacrifice? And could we ever trust that someone offering all of this to us really had our best interests at heart?

The characters are well drawn. Sophie seems so realistic, so much like a normal, loving daughter, that you don’t realize how much of her personality is programmed. Might that cause problems with Scarlett, her “origin source,” back in the picture? Ed and Tamsyn struggle with whether they should accept this new reality, and even when they do, we still see that internal conflict remains. We see Scarlett wrestling with feeling like her parents have replaced her with a “better” version. I can’t imagine that – waking up from a coma to find out you now have a twin who’s good at everything. How do you not feel like second best in that scenario?! My heart hurt for Scarlett the most.

Green throws a nice twist in about 2/3 of the way through. I wasn’t really expecting it, and it changed my perception. It also confirmed some things about VitaNova. I’m not telling what the twist it. Read the book yourself and find out!

Five stars for making me read past my bedtime more than once! Highly recommended for fans of near-future sci-fi with shades of horror and thriller that explores what hasn’t happened yet, but maybe could.

Tamsyn, Ed and their only daughter, Scarlett used to be a happy family. But money got tight and things became strained. Then their happy daughter turned into a brooding teen seemingly overnight, adding further stress.

One night in her latest fit of rebellion, Scarlett storms out. Tamsyn and Ed rush after her, but are unable to prevent a vehicle from striking Scarlett. Overcome with grief, the couple sit by Scarlett’s hospital bed day and night, praying to get a second chance with their only child.

Then the hospital approaches them with an unusual proposition in the form of a medical experiment. If the family agrees, they will be relocated, all expenses paid, to Switzerland where they will be put up in a posh apartment, wanting for nothing. There Scarlett will continue to receive excellent care. The catch? The family has to agree to making an artificial copy of their daughter as a replacement. In the unlikely event their real daughter ever awakens, the girls would, for all intents and purposes, be treated as twins.

While morally the proposal feels preposterous, Tamsyn and Ed can’t deny the appeal that comes with starting over. Then they meet the carbon copy, Sophie, and they are instantly smitten. But when the impossible happens and Scarlett does wake up, things take a sisterly, sinister turn.

It’s hard to put into words my thoughts on The New One. While I loved the unique premise, this story fell flat in its execution. There were so many twists and turns I felt like I had whiplash while reading. The “big twist” was supposed to be the real shocker, but since I predicted what it was, it didn’t have much of an impact. I didn’t know who or what to root for, all I knew was a story about identity ironically lost itself along the way.

Wowza amazing twists! 4.5 rounded up.

If you enjoy books like Amen Maxine and What January Remembers, or shows like Black Mirror; ones that contain sci-fi with a bit of mystery and thrills, then you will definitely find a satisfying read in The New One.

Set in the near future, Tamsyn and Ed live in a small caravan on the Cornish coast with their young teen daughter Scarlett. They work menial jobs just to scrape by, with barely enough money for food. Scarlett has become rebellious and rude, sneaking out and drinking. One night things come to a head and Scarlett is hit by a car and is comatose in the hospital. As the weeks drag on, Tamsyn and Ed have to make some difficult choices. Their insurance won't cover the life support much longer--and then they are offered an amazing opportunity. A company in Switzerland will make a "reanimated" (clone) version of Scarlett with an AI brain. They will move the family there and pay for Scarlett's continued care while Tamsyn and Ed enjoy their new life with their new daughter Sophie. This "New One" will be a brighter, cleverer, nicer version of Scarlett. But what happens when Scarlett recovers?

I hesitate to say too much about this book, because the surprises throughout are really fantastic. It takes a LOT to shock me and this book did it many times. The story is fast paced and I had difficulty wanting to put it down while I was reading because it was so engaging and intriguing. The unique storyline is perfect for those who like a bit of sci-fi, but don't necessarily want too much science. This book is mainly a thriller set in the realm of scientific advances.

You will definitely not be disappointed with this captivating book!

The New One by Evie Green is a very highly recommended family drama merged with a science fiction thriller. This is an excellent novel!

Tamsyn and Ed live with their rebellious 14 year-old daughter Scarlett in a camper van and they are doing all they can to make ends meet. Scarlett is rebellious, angry, defiant, moody, and foul mouthed. Both Tamsyn and Ed have had enough. their marriage is on the brink of imploding and Scarlett is impossible. Then the unthinkable happens. Scarlett has an accident and is on life support in the hospital. Everything seems hopeless and the insurance will only last for a limited time.

Then a representative from a medical trial representing VitaNova offers them a life line. Scarlett will be moved into their facility and cared for without any cost to them. All they have to do is allow the team to reanimated (clone) a version of their daughter in Switzerland. The couple will be provided a luxury apartment in Geneva, Switzerland, and have all their financial needs provided for them. Then the reanimated version of Scarlett (Sophie, using Scarlett's middle name) will live with them.

This is an absolutely un-put-downable family drama/sci fi thriller. There are several twists in the narrative that I was not expecting and they totally surprised and startled me. The New One was impossible to read fast enough and the page number at the end stunned me because the pages flew by so quickly. The revelations, twists, and turns in the direction of the narrative kept coming, disturbing and shocking me with each new disclosure.

The writing is exceptional and the narrative is carefully plotted. Each new twist in the narrative changes what you think you know, providing maximum reading pleasure. This is a novel that it is best to read with little information and leave the experience in the capable hands of the Green, the author, in order to fully appreciate it how expertly it is crafted and plotted. If you enjoy thought-provoking science fiction and family dramas this will be an automatic must read for you.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Penguin via NetGalley.
The review will be published on Barnes & Noble, Google Books, Edelweiss, and Amazon.

If you are GenX, did you ever watch that show called Small Wonder where the little girl was a robot?

Well, The New One gave me all the Small Wonder vibes. It is the story of a teenage girl, Scarlett, who was in a tragic accident and while she was in a coma, her parents opted to have her basically cloned with AI. I don’t want to give any spoilers after that but this book was intense and nuts and so addictive. So many twists that I did not see coming and so much intensity and creativity. This was outside of my normal genre for sure but I was absolutely hooked and so invested in this clever page turner.

What would you do if your child was in a tragic accident leaving them comatose with little chance of survival? This is a story of parents who were offered a cutting-edge, borderline legal (if they moved to Switzerland) treatment which would give them a cloned copy of their daughter while allowing their daughter to continue with the best medical treatment in the hopes the real girl will one day wake up. Their lives are turned completely around going from living in a caravan trailer park to having a fully furnished luxury apartment. The clone daughter is everything they wished the real daughter had been, but then the real daughter wakes up. Suddenly there’s a sinister undertone as the competition between the daughters. This thriller borders on sci-fi and horror and started out at an okay pace and just when I thought I had it all figured out, boom, plot twist, and I could not put this down anymore until I finished. This was such a fun and edgy book and I really do hope someone makes this into a movie or a limited series show!

Summary: When a tragic accident leaves Tamsyn and Ed’s daughter Scarlett in a coma with little chance of recovery, their world is shattered - until they are offered a deal of a lifetime.

Thoughts: Wowza the twists!! If you are someone who loves twisty thrillers, pick this one up immediately.

While Sci-Fi is not always my favorite genre, this synopsis grabbed my attention immediately. A fast and easy read, that’s also great on audio, I was completely immersed in this book throughout the vast majority of it. The psychological aspect? Perfection. The twists? Heck yeah!! I never knew what was coming around the bend and boy was that enjoyable.

The characters were quite nuanced for a thriller, and I felt as though I was in each of the characters heads for most of the book. The author’s pacing was very good and it really kept me on the edge of my seat. My only criticism of this story is that the ending felt a bit confusing to me and I’m not 100% sure I grasped it. I still really liked it, even with my confusion.

Read if you like:
•sci-fi thrillers
•quick reads
•great twists
•psychological thrillers

Thank you Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

The New One by Evie Green
Pub date: March 28, 2023

Hold on to your hats because this is a wild ride! I finished this last night at 1:30 in the morning and then just lay there, thinking about it for another half hour.

The thing about this book is that I can see the appeal of absolutely everything! As a mother, and a hard-working one that has to shuffle responsibilities, I can see how the parents of Scarlett fell a bit short. Life is stressful and can be hard so when Tamsyn and Ed lose sight of themselves and their 13-year-old daughter, Scarlett, goes a bit off the rails, I got it.

When tragedy strikes and the parents are given a choice at the most vulnerable point of their lives. Of course, they take the opportunity given them and their lives change in the most dramatic of ways with just one change. Scarlett is replaced with Sophie, an AI replacement, who is everything that Scarlett used to be and better. The real question is: what happens if Scarlett awakens from her coma?

Friends, this is one of the twistiest of twisty books and had my heart both racing and breaking. Highly recommending this one and I think it’s best to go in with the bare bones of the story!

My thanks to @BerkleyPub for this gifted DRC

Unpopular opinion incoming - not a fan of this one.

First of all, let me tell you - the idea behind this book is phenomenal and this book would make a great book to discuss. There is so much going on - cloning, making decisions after a deadly crash/impairment, relationships, personal space, etc. However the execution was not there for me in this book.

The story follows a family. They live a poor life, and have a lot of emotional issues within the family. Their 13/14 year old daughter has started acting out, and one night things escalate, and as she is running away, she is hit by a run-away driver. Now that she is in coma, the parents are given an opportunity, to try out some new medical trials that involves cloning. Agreeing to such a thing, involves moving to Geneva, and accepting all the gifts, riches, etc but not having any control on how and what is done in such a medical trial.

Now that the family is rebuilt, and the new daughter who is much more agreeable, smarter, stronger better is living with them, the dream has come true. There's nothing they are in need of. But things aren't as good as they seem. It wouldn't be a book if there was no sinister machinations in the background.

Like I said, it has a great premise, and I loved that this book turns dark. NO SPOILERS. However, with 400 pages, some parts felt very repetitive. It felt like the characters all they do is ponder the same thoughts and ideas over and over. And the end felt so rushed. With how long it took to get to the end, it didn't give me the satisfaction I needed to really turn this book around. Now, the twists are kind of obvious, and the solution to the problem wasn't surprising or unpredictable, I really felt like I was pushing to the end to just finish it. Nothing surprised me by the last page.

I wish I could have loved this, as it would be a great sci-fi/horror/thriller book, but this one just isn't for me.

Thank you to Berkley for my review copy. All opinions are my own.