Beta

In this kickoff to a planned four-book series, Elysia is a beautiful teenage clone bought as a companion to a wealthy family living on the exclusive island of Demesne on an Earth that is recovering from ecological disaster and global warfare. Though Elysia initially believes she has no free will, she discovers a taste for human foods like macaroni and cheese and chocolate—and, more importantly, begins to feel emotions like attraction, worry, and rage. She also has mysterious memories of the human girl from whom she was cloned, but keeps her discoveries secret, for fear of being marked a Defect. Cohn (coauthor of Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist) describes Elysia’s luxurious world completely and persuasively, hinting that social justice themes may escalate in subsequent books; Elysia’s evolution from robotic to real is similarly believable, as is her increasing desire for freedom. However, characters’ widespread use of 21st-century slang and idioms distracts from the futuristic setting, and readers may be overwhelmed by the dizzying acceleration of events and revelations in the final chapters, which pave the way for the next installment. Ages 14–up. Agent: Jennifer Rudolph Walsh, William Morris Endeavor. (Oct.)