The opening scene of Replication hooked my interest with a Nazi style medical human experimentation prison. The hero, a 17-year-old called Martyr, was about to be “expired,” echoing “the reaping” in the opening of The Hunger Games. Accordingly I thought I had another futuristic, dystopian tale on my hands, until the heroine, Abby, turns out to be a not so everyday contemporary, seventeen-year-old going about the business of a high school junior with a troubled dad who also happens to be a genetics scientist. The plot thickens as Abby is sucked into the vortex of solving the mysteries surrounding the small Alaskan community of Fishhook. Unexpected turns mark the story as we root more and more for Martyr’s escape, liberation of all the captives and resolution of Abby’s conflicts.
Williamson’s diversifies her characters well, even among clones. Moral All-Star, Martyr, contrasts nicely with the evil Dr. Kane, his creator, and with other clones. The heroine rises above authentic teen struggles and the romantic moments were tastefully and mostly realistically applied. The Christian world view was unflinching, the suspense riveting and the writing compelling. The unique plot forces you to consider some of the moral fallout of human cloning. I loved this book and highly recommend it for young adults and adults alike.
Age Range: 14 and up
Genre: Science Fiction
Zondervan 2012
Available: Amazon, Christianbook.com Also ask for this book at your local library
