Review Detail

"Monsters, they call us. Demons.
Sometimes, on sleepless nights, we wonder if they’re right."

Before Replica I had never read a book by Lauren Oliver. After Replica, I feel sorry that I never did! The format of this book already made it stand apart from all the others, but it’s clear that she has a writing style unlike any other I’ve read. I can’t really explain it, but it made me feel fully immersed in the world she created.

Before I go further with my review, I feel like I should explain how people can read this book and how I read it. There are multiple ways you can read this book because it is told from two perspectives, with each side having half of the book. One half is Gemma’s and the other is Lyra. It explains the same story from each of their perspectives, allowing you to view every situation from both sides while also giving you experiences they have on their own. It sounds a bit complicated, but it’s really simple I promise!

You can either read from Gemma’s perspective first until her end, or Lyra’s first until her end. Or you can choose to alternate chapters. I choose to alternate chapters and I found that to be the most enjoyable, however what makes this special is that you have many options :)

The story follows both Gemma and Lyra trying to figure out the truth. Lyra is a girl who was born in a research facility which creates replicas, something like human clones. All the replicas including Lyra are isolated from the real world and treated only like subjects, and not the living, breathing beings that they are.

Gemma is a girl who always follows the rules. She practically grew up in hospitals, and her parents tend to be a bit overbearing, but she deals with it. It’s not until a weird experience causes her to look for answers.. which leads her to the research facility that Lyra is at.

There, they meet by chance and begin to unravel the truth about their lives- together.

Everything about this book was fast-paced and filled with questions that you just NEEDED to know the answers to. I read this over three of my busiest work days, using tons of excuses to even read a couple pages of the book. It was that addictive! On top of everything, this read felt completely new. The whole concept of it was original, but Lyra and Gemma were complex characters who felt read and constantly surprised the reader.

Overall, a great new addition to YA and something unlike most! I think most people will be able to relate to at least one of the girls, and definitely will not be able to start reading once they start!