One to Watch

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In a world where dystopian fiction is quickly becoming a cliche, it's books like this that come along to revive the genre. This is a post-apocalyptic narrative as it should be. Rather than having yet another story where the world ended because there was a bomb and people have rebuilt, but oh no, there is a war coming, this story builds a full universe that is utterly chilling in just how plausible it is. The idea of clones being used to continue the species, with genetic modification being implemented in order to perfect the race and ensure peace is a rich narrative to work off of, but also a little terrifying because it seems like something that could happen when you stop to look at our current scientific climate. And that's what makes this book so engrossing from the beginning. The best dystopian fiction needs to have some truth behind it for best effect, something this author understands. And while it does fall into that category of having what you might call a "chosen one" narrative, in this case, there is a good reason for it, since the main character literally was chosen by the people in charge to be born and raised in this society apart from everyone else. He's not meant for great things because he thinks he is, he already stands out because there is no one else like him in the microcosm he lives in. It is fairly obvious that this story is heading in a direction to tell us that perfection is not realistic or sustainable, and that our flaws are what make us who we are, and that is a message that isn't really focused on enough in contemporary literature. The beautiful thing about this version of that story, however, is that even though we can tell that's where it is going, the book gives nothing away as to how we are going to get there. Like "Only Ever Yours" the book is building a world where the status quo could either be completely usurped, or it could win at the end of the day, with change still far on the horizon. And that's one thing that truly sets this one apart, the world building. This author has struck a pitch-perfect balance of creating a rich, layered reality that you can immerse yourself in, but without spending precious word-count on explaining it. She gets the tried and true rule of "show don't tell", which will never fail to win me over as a reader. Overall, once you get past everyone having basically the same name, this a book that will suck you in and not release you. It is the kind of dystopian fiction that we need, the kind that can make you think about the world around you in crucial ways.