The Originals by Cat Patrick

The Originals by Cat Patrick
Release Date: May 7, 2013
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Pages: 304
Series: n/a
Review Source: Netgalley

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)
A riveting new story from Cat Patrick, author of Forgotten and Revived.

17-year-olds Lizzie, Ella, and Betsey Best grew up as identical triplets... until they discovered a shocking family secret. They're actually closer than sisters, they're clones. Hiding from a government agency that would expose them, the Best family appears to consist of a single mother with one daughter named Elizabeth. Lizzie, Ella, and Betsey take turns going to school, attending social engagements, and a group mindset has always been a de facto part of life...

Then Lizzie meets Sean Kelly, a guy who seems to see into her very soul. As their relationship develops, Lizzie realizes that she's not a carbon copy of her sisters; she's an individual with unique dreams and desires, and digging deeper into her background, Lizzie begins to dismantle the delicate balance of an unusual family that only science could have created.

My Thoughts:
I was totally hooked by the premise of this book. Clones are such an interesting concept, so reading from the perspective of a teenage girl who is a clone, and has grown up with two other clones, is definitely intriguing. The book, to me, really focuses on a girl trying to find herself and figure out who she is as an individual when she’s been forced into a charade of hiding who she is.

I felt automatic empathy for all the girls, but especially for Lizzie, since we're reading from her POV. It wasn’t difficult to feel angry on her behalf, to want to champion Lizzie’s causes: the need to be herself, to make her own choices, and particularly to be with the boy she likes. The sweet romance between Lizzie and Sean was definitely one of the highlights of the book for me. I also loved how the three girls cared for, and related to, one another. Ella, Betsey, and Lizzie are all clones of the same girl, but they each had their own personality and things unique to them.

‘The Originals’ had a good start and set up to the story, and I was intrigued trying to figure out what the Mom might be hiding and where the story would end up. Unfortunately it all led up to a reveal that fell a bit short. It felt slightly anti-climactic, almost like an easy fix. Cat Patrick definitely knows how to write about intriguing and complicated premises, but while this was a book that I enjoyed for the most part, it's not one I find particularly memorable.

The Cover:
It's interesting, but there are a few covers being released that look like this, so it's not particularly unique.

Rating:
[3/5]

Find The Originals by Cat Patrick on Goodreads, Book Depository, & Amazon.