Summary
Emma is back at Darkwood Academy for her junior year. And it’s going to be an unusual one. The biggest change is that her best friend Oliver won’t be with her. She’s still grieving the loss and medicating away the pain of finding him dead at the start of the summer.
The other big change is the arrival of the Similars, a group of six clones set to attend school alongside the kids whose DNA was used to create them. In a United States that forbids cloning, in a world still trying to decide how to treat clones, this group of six is big news.
One of the prominent families embroiled in the story tried to pay off the Similar of their daughter so she wouldn’t show up at Darkwood. No such luck. All six clones arrived on schedule.
Emma’s roommate and other best friend also has a Similar. Her family welcomed the girl into their home for the summer. They’re committed to changing the negative view people have of clones. And Emma agrees with them.
Until she sees that one of the six is a clone of Oliver named Levi. Levi is a punch in the chest, a twist of the knife, every time Emma sees him. As far as Emma is concerned, Levi shouldn’t even exist.
Review
That summary doesn’t even scratch the surface of what is going on in this story. This is suspense meets science fiction, and someone even described it as dystopian. There’s a LOT to this one. And I found it completely engrossing.
Emma is a great protagonist. She’s smart and confident. She knows her place at Darkwood, and she knows how things work there. Or at least she thinks she does. She has her mixed feelings about the Similars, especial Levi. She empathizes with them. They are distinct individuals with their own stories and feelings. And someone plunked them into a no-win scenario. But Emma also knows they are hiding things. Everyone seems to be hiding things! And Emma is determined to find the answers and uncover the secrets, especially when someone dear to her disappears.
I didn’t want to put this one down. It’s captivating. I still have questions, so I’ll have to wait until book two to see how things evolve from here. If you enjoy twisty, suspenseful stories, be sure to check this one out!