Review Detail

All Dahlia 16 knows is that she's just one of five thousand identical girls that's sole purpose is to work for the greater good of her city. Individualism is frowned on. But everything changes when she's stuck on an elevator with Trigger 17. Something about him has her questioning more than just her purpose, but the emotions that he ignites whenever he's around. Then she realizes that she's 'flawed', which means not only will she be destroyed but everyone like her. In order to find answers she must do the very thing she's been programmed not to do: break the rules.

What worked: I read this story within two hours. Engaging with an unique twist on the whole 'cloning' premise.

Dahlia might be one of five thousand identical clones, but she knew from the start that somehow she wasn't really the same. She questions, feels pride in her accomplishments even when her leaders tell her this is wrong, and feels emotions for a boy that leads her to break rules in order to meet with him again. One huge thing that I loved about Dahlia is her concerns for her other 'friends/sisters' that share the same genome and their fate once she's ruled flawed. The administrator in her city destroys not just the one flawed clone, but all of them. Her fear shows the humanity in what could be the otherwise stereotypical clone who's sole purpose is working as a collective whole. Dahlia is more human than her captors.

Trigger's revelations show that Lakeview hides a more sinister purpose. Secrets are slowing revealed with a wowza cliffhanging conclusion that I didn't see coming!

Fast-paced suspenseful dystopian tale where a city hides a sinister motive and a heroine who will stop at nothing in order to find the truth.