Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published May 2013
304 pages
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publication Information
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.
"Starred Review. Patrick doesn't dwell on the science behind the story, but instead uses cloning as a vehicle to explore themes of identity, sisterhood, and family. Ages 12–up." - Publishers Weekly
"Readers will enjoy the quick pacing and speculating on science's ethical dilemmas. Provocative." - Kirkus Reviews
"Have you read Cat Patrick yet? If not, you should. The Originals is a unique exploration of identity, familial love, and bioethics wrapped into a universal coming-of-age story and an enchanting high school romance." - Gabrielle Zevin, award-winning author of Elsewhere, Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac, and the Birthright series
This information about The Originals was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Cat Patrick is the author of Forgotten and Revived. She lives in the Seattle area with her husband and twin daughters. When asked about how she comes up with the concepts for her novels, Cat explained that she has a love for "high school strange."
The Stone Home
by Crystal Hana Kim
A moving family drama and coming-of-age story revealing a dark corner of South Korean history.
The House on Biscayne Bay
by Chanel Cleeton
As death stalks a gothic mansion in Miami, the lives of two women intertwine as the past and present collide.
I like a thin book because it will steady a table...
Click Here to find out who said this, as well as discovering other famous literary quotes!
Your guide toexceptional books
BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
