This book was very different than everything I've read lately but I really enjoyed the story. It was
a very well done sci fi, dystopian type novel. The book starts out with our main character Emma finding out with the rest of the school that six Similars will be joining the school. The Similars are like other students however they are slightly different. They are actually clones of six current students at the school. This makes for a huge outcry because the families of the cloned students were not given notice so they are just as confused as the rest of the population. Things get worse for Emma when the last Similar happens to be the clone of her best friend, her best friend Oliver, who had just committed suicide just a few months prior. Emma wants nothing to do with the clones however she finds herself being pulled deeper and deeper into their word, and unveiling secrets about the clones as well as secrets about her school and what was actually going on with Oliver. I found the book really interesting and I liked the way that the clones were introduced. I found them very interesting. I also really liked the main character, Emma, I thought that she was a strong female lead and you don't see that to often. I think that my favourite part about this book had to be the plot. Such a creative idea. If you like sci-fi books then this one shouldn't be missed it gives a fresh take on an old genre. Very fascinating read and I'm glad I got the chance to check it out. There were lots of twists in this book that you would never see coming. Great read. The best part had to be the ending I can't wait to see what happens in the next book.

One thing this author is not short of is imagination.I don't think I have read a book quite like this before,just when I thought I knew where it was going it would take off in a different direction.I liked the main characters and the setting of the book was interesting,and it was fast paced and really entertaining.I know I am not in the intended age range but that didn't matter I don't think you have to be a young adult to enjoy this story.I thought it was great and look forward to reading more by this author .If this is their first book wow, wait until they get the hang of it, only joking this was as accomplished as anything I have read,I'm impressed.I think this book will do really well I hope it does it deserves to.Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for the ARC.

Let's face it, we live in a world where technological advances definitely are moving much faster than the ethical discussions around these advances. The Similars takes on one of the most controversial issues in medical ethics today, cloning. The basic premise of the book is that unbeknownst to a number of students at an exclusive boarding school, they had been cloned as children. When the news gets out that the handful of students had been cloned, the headmaster invites the cloned versions of the students to join them at the boarding school along with their "originals." However, not all is at it appears.

As for the book itself, I really enjoyed the book and found it easy to read. The writing and plot are pretty simplistic and straightforward, which is good for YA. There are definitely a few twists and turns that I didn't predict, but there were others that kind of stood out as pretty obvious.

I would recommend to anyone who is interested in a good thriller or a book that raises questions regarding cloning. For example, if human clones did exist, what rights (if any) would they have?

Overall, I found the book very enjoyable and highly recommend.

I read a pre-release version of the book for reviewing purposes. The thoughts expressed in my review are 100% mine and not impacted by the author or publisher.

"If we don't have control over our own DNA, we have no control over our destiny"

* * 
2 / 5

If I were to describe The Similars in one word it would have to be "bizarre". This book is chock-a-block full of clones, scientific plots, secret islands, suspicious car crashes, and a strong contender for the weirdest love-triangle I've ever had the pleasure to read. The idea was fun but the execution was clunky.

Emma is the daughter of a rich man and she attends the elite boarding school, Darkwood Academy. At the start of the summer her best friend, Oliver, had died, leaving her alone, grieving, and confused. Understandably, she couldn't care less about the new school year, even though this year features six (possibly illegal) clones. At least, she doesn't care until she comes face to face with Levi, who is an identical copy of her dead best friend. 

"The Similars are beautiful and lithe and fiercely confident. But they are also, somehow, inhuman"

I loved the idea. I'm a sucker for boarding-school settings and this one went the whole hog complete with an elite secret group and even more secret initiations. I liked the high-tech setting and the parallels that were drawn between immigration in the real world and the issues of clone rights in the book. I thought it was a solid idea.

I wasn't so fond of the actual book. Initially, for the first fifty or so pages, I was totally hooked. A suspicious death, some clones, school drama? Consider me intrigued. But then my interest just dwindled as most of the characters turned out to be quite flat and everyone was doubled up because of the whole original/Similar thing. Then there was the entirely predictable relationship between Emma and Levi: first she hates him because he resembles her best friend, he hates her for not wanting to be around him. You can imagine how it goes, and it's weird. The plot itself was ... odd, featuring a top-secret island, some weird experimental stuff, and lots of bad decisions. 

The Similars wasn't exactly the book I was expecting and it didn't work for me. There was more romance than I wanted (starring the main character, the dead best friend, and his clone) and the plot was disappointing. 

My thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of The Similars.

Emmaline Chance attends the prestigious boarding school, Darkwood Academy. It should just be a school where the elite attend, where her family went before her. What she finds, though. is that darkness and secrets seem to linger on every side. Having just lost her best friend she already dreads returning to the school grounds but when you add the intrigue of the six new students entering into her year-- well, the idea of returning is made even less desirable.

Those six students would be strange enough for the school that does not bring transfer students in but these students are all exact DNA clones of current Darkwood students, or "Similars" as they prefer to be called.

Faced with Levi, the Similar replica of her dead best friend, Emmaline must walk into the new year but she cannot be prepared for the events that unfold. Neither can the reader, I was pulled all over the place while reading this title! I did have some ideas of what might lay ahead for Emmaline and the six Similars but Hanover kept me on my toes.

I was disappointed that this is only the first in a series (disappointed only because I am reading this as an ARC in August 2018 which tends to mean that the second installment is even further away because this title is published January 01, 2018. MAN!)

First of all, I would like to thank Netgalley for allowing me early access to this fabulous first book in The Similars series to review.

From the moment I saw the cover and read the book description, I was hooked. Poor Emmaline returns to her boarding school and has to face seeing a clone of her best friend who committed suicide over the summer. We join Emmaline, six clones and her classmates on a journey that has you questioning what is real and what is not quite as it seems.

Be prepared for wanting more! I am READY for the second book in this series and the first one isn't even officially published yet. It will be a LONG wait. Awesome book!

This book is set in the future where the debate on whether clones should be legal or illegal. In a lab mix up, six clones are created and become known as the Similars. They eventually join a school where their DNA match also attends. Emma is shocked to learn that her best friend who recently passed has a Similar named Levi. Can Emma move pass her friends tragedy or will looking at Levi everyday at school be too much for her to handle?

I would highly recommend this book. Emma is a relatable character even if you have not experienced the loss of best friend. The interactions between students who accept the Similars versus the students who want them gone are interesting. This book kept me wanting to read more and more.

Oddly enough, with the cloning aspect . . . this was a book of halves for me. The first half was insightful, poignant, and extraordinarily enjoyable. An easy four stars. But the second half was disjointed, campy, and pedestrian. Two stars. So, the math wizard that I am, decided to average those two ratings and just call it even with the three stars.

The first half. Emmeline Chance is a young woman headed back to school following the death of her best friend. A death that was an apparent suicide. Wracked with feelings of guilt, remorse, loss, and that empty forward motion that can afflict the still-living, Emma is trying to just get through this first part of returning to a new year of school.

I felt the depth of Emma's emotions, the complexity with which Hanover approached this girl's recovery process. There was a thoughtful angle by the author which serves to immediately endear the reader to Emma. She was a likable person, too—as we soon learn about her attitude to the incoming clones who have dubbed themselves the Similars. She's accepting without it seeming to be simply feeding the plot, and she questions the clones without it appearing to be out of character.

Emma's interactions with Levi and the other Similars, her other classmates, and her inner dialogue were well-written and easily displayed Emma as a fully-fleshed out and unique individual. As the introduction to the Similars themselves progressed, and the story opened up more, I found myself completely immersed in this school and the world beyond. Emma's situation and how she tries to handle it evoked so much sympathy from me that I was connected to her from the get-go. I could not read that first half fast enough.

However. The second half. As the book's plot started to come together, filling in the missing or unknown information, and the larger conflict was explained, revealing the story's villain, the plausibility of this book's plot fell apart. The second half of the book felt off and disconnect from the first. I don't know which idea served as the springboard for the entire book, but they felt separate and apart. There were moments in the second half of the book that made me feel that we were perhaps headed back in the right direction, but then something else would come up that was flat and lifeless. The villain was of a type. He wanted revenge from some past where he felt wronged, and this act and plan must've stunted his maturity and emotional growth, because he came off about as one-dimensional as you can get. He was villainous and almost let loose a maniacal, hand-wringing laugh by the time he came into the spotlight.

Deus ex machina. The technology in the first half is one thing . . . there are givens which you just accept. Like clones or the easy to follow personal electronic devices surrounding the people...no problem. Even when the mystery opens up, and what is old technology to Emma helps set the stage for just how technologically advanced her society is—all this is easy to accept. But once the villain comes on the scene, it appears to be no holds barred for highly improbable electronics. I don't want to give away anything, which limits my ability to dissect, but it just felt as if there were suddenly limitless possibilities and these were being pelted at Emma without much explanation or reaction to fully impress the reader of the gravity of the situation. Plunk, here comes another out of this world technology.

The twists and turns. The first half didn't have much by way of revealing, just pacing alone wouldn't have allowed it, and I'm thankful that the course didn't vary from giving me a stellar first half. But what I assume were twists, turns, and reveals, in the second half offered me no surprises and were predictable down to the end.

All in all, this was a fairly enjoyable book—with the understanding that the ending was predictable and the villain and his cackling monologuing did not impress me. As it stands, I have the slated sequel on my Someday list, but we'll see how it pans out before I go diving right into it. I may just still be curious enough about the overall plot to warrant a perusal. It remains to be seen.

"'Darkwood might be progressive, but your society on the whole has a long history of classifying people by their race or religion or sexual orientation or gender and using those classifications to subjugate particular groups. Is it surprising that a bunch of small-minded government leaders think cloning is the first step onto a slippery slope toward total Armageddon and the demise of the human race as we know it?'"

I received a free e-ARC through NetGalley from the publishers at Sourcebooks Fire, which is rapidly turning into one of my favorite YA publishers. They seem to have more hits than not, and a lot of their books have made their way onto my TBR. Trigger warning: suicide.

Three months after her best friend, Oliver, commits suicide, Emmaline Chance returns to Darkwood Academy, an elite preparatory school for children of some of the richest and most influential people in the country. It's also one of the most progressive, and for the first time, Darkwood is accepting six clones into its halls. The clones were made illegally and without their DNA parents' consent, but controversy is still flying about whether or not clones should have the same rights as everyone else. But the Similars aren't just any clones-- they're clones of other Darkwood students, and Emma has to face the agony of someone else wearing Oliver's face. When she receives a mysterious message that Oliver left for her, she's pulled even further into the Similars' group and learns that no one can be trusted.

I teetered on the edge of 3 and 4 stars for this book because I did like it, and I think it's a well-done bit of YA science fiction. The beginning is stronger than the end though, as the threads of conspiracy end up spiraling a little. It's also difficult to keep track of all the characters and which sides they're on. There are the six originals, the six clones, and a number of parent characters, both when they're at school and not, plus some people lying about who they are. It ends up being a lot to keep track of, and I could have used a few more signals or maybe some family trees that include cloned counterparts.

Emmaline is a fairly standard heroine. Given that her best friend just died, her father is distant, and she's faced with seeing not-Oliver every day, there's a lot of angst in the novel. While merited, it's a little overwhelming, and we don't get to see a lot of other sides of her character. She's impulsive and has a tendency to talk back, but while we're told she's one of the smartest kids in the school, we don't really get to see her working through problems. (Also, what are the Ten for? They don't actually do anything besides haze each other.) The romance with Levi is also a little heavy-handed, with some dramatic but obvious conflicts, but I'm rarely a fan of romances.

On the whole, it's an enjoyable novel. The writing is good, and the plot is interesting and well-paced. I enjoyed the world Hanover sets up where the technology is advanced enough to make cloning a possibility, but the ethics of it haven't quite caught up. There's a morality thread in there about who counts as a human and whether or not clones deserve the same rights that could easily run parallel to some of the issues we're having in the real world. The end has a few twists, at least one of which is ridiculous and another that genuinely surprised me (in a good way), and I'm interested enough to continue with the series.

I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.

You Should Read This If:
-You’re into the idea of Diet Orphan Black Lite, because you’re about to get lots of clones and scientific intrigue, YA-style.
-You liked The 5th Wave or are just looking for a solid little Sci-Fi to whip through.
-You enjoy reading about teens in a highly exclusive clique at an elite boarding school who have lots of angst and moderate amounts of character development.

The Similars teetered on the verge of being sort of ridiculous, but ultimately, I decided it landed on the side of high entertainment value. It has all the necessary makings of a great YA SciFi: 16-year-old clones, secret societies, Smart House levels of technology, a compelling plot, parental resentment, and a lot of teenage angst. So gimme that sequel! I’m here for it.

Here’s the skinny: In a not-so-far-off future, Darkwood Academy is a boarding school that’s no stranger to the ground-breaking and progressive. This year, they’re planning to secretly host to the ultimate social experiment by bringing 6 clones - dubbed “The Similars” - to campus to attend high school alongside their Original copies. There’s quite a bit of mystery surrounding the Similars: Why were the created? Where have they been living for the past 16 years? And is it a coincidence that one of the Originals committed suicide the summer before their arrival?

Rebecca Hanover hits the ground running. She keeps the plot rolling at a consistently quick pace; answers are given in tandem with new questions. The story is highly atmospheric with dark towers, secret labs, and cloak-and-dagger societies. The clone schtick hasn’t been overused in this genre, so Hanover even had some wiggle room to dictate her own rules in clone-lore. I was so thoroughly invested in the plot and solving the mysteries that I stayed up late into the night finishing this one.

Plot-heavy indeed, but this story has a message. There are some poignant themes about xenophobia and the danger of fearing difference. I was particularly invested in the clone-related legislation and activism weaved into the story; it certainly echoes some important issues we’re facing here in 2018.

That being said, this is a YA book, and there will rarely be a moment that you forget it. Character development exists to some extent, though it’s certainly not what drives this book. The villain is so overly exaggerated that I had difficulty not picturing them stroking a fluffy white cat while delivering each line. I liked the eerie atmosphere, though it skated a fine line of being too dramatic (Darkwood Academy, Dark Lake….even Parent’s Weekend was called Dark Weekend, which has got to be the worst branding of all time.).

Teen romance is plentiful and a bit cringy, which is completely expected. What I wasn’t anticipating were the levels of child-to-parent drama; there’s quite a bit, and I didn’t hate it. In fact, hearing the stories of the parents during their tenure at Darkwood Academy added a certain level of depth to the story.

The writing isn’t perfect, but overall, I was so happy to be along for this ride.

Rating: 7/10, because, yes, there will eye rolls, but this is a straight up blast to read.

The Similars by Rebecca Hanover will please YA Sci-Fi and Fantasy readers. This book is suspenseful, full of plot twists, quick and definitely engaging! The cloning theme was unique and will definitely spark some thoughts for readers. Already looking for the next book…..
This title was provided by NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Exciting technology-forward YA novel that dives into the subject of cloning. Emma goes back to Darkwood boarding school as a junior but things won't be the same this year. Her best friend, Oliver, is gone and the school has 6 clones that are replicas of some of the students (aka Similars). One of them looks exactly like Oliver. Mystery, suspense, and a touch of high school romance all make this book a quick, enjoyable read. Satisfying ending yet open to a sequel.

Emmaline Chance is a Junior at Darkwood Academy, the most elite private school of the future.
Her best friend Ollie died over the Summer, and just as she is coming to terms with his loss, a new group of students, The Similars, have enrolled at Darkwood - and one of them has Ollie's face

I really enjoyed the clone aspect. This is Orphan Black meets high school.
Look, the science makes no sense and the ending didn't give me any closure but I enjoyed being along for the ride. I will be holding my breath for the sequel. Levi was absolutely my favourite character

Read if you enjoy:
The Mortal Instruments series
Vampire Academy
Orphan Black

THE SIMILARS will elevate your expectations for YA suspense novels. The spiral staircase you see on the cover of this book? Picture each and every step as a plot twist that propels you deeper into the intriguing world of Darkwood Academy. By grounding us in a stereotypical elitist boarding school where wealth and power are limitless, Hanover earns our suspended disbelief for the astonishing scientific technology and blue-blood-only secrets that are to be unveiled as the story progresses.

In the midst of a mystery driven by teen identity, relationships, and powerful cliques, Hanover also inspires readers to think critically about medical ethics and construct parallels to modern-day immigration issues.

Stellar writing, captivating characters, and an amazingly original storyline spiral together to transcend recent YA releases. Hanover’s novel does not read like a debut work. At all. Fans of Marie Lu will find THE SIMILARS to match the pace and tension they loved in WARCROSS and LEGEND. Readers who have been aching for a novel as original as Rob Well’s VARIANT will be thrilled to discover THE SIMILARS as an ideal “Book Alike.” ~ Review of Netgalley ARC ~ Lisa Brennan @noveltalk

Read alike for those who loved We Were Liars and One of Us is Lying with scientific and ethical themes similar to Stung and Unwind. Full of suspense, plot twists, and fast paced. Dramatic themes including moral issues regarding the cloning of humans, genetic typing, and human rights. However, does not get bogged down in ethical and scientific language. Young adults will love the suspense, romance, and social tension between characters while considering the ethical issues touched on throughout the novel. Great Read!!!

I truly enjoyed the twists that this book offered. The concept of clones attending school with their "originals" was unique and the end was not what I expected - I am hoping there is a sequel as I feel invested in learning the rest of the story. I also really enjoyed how the author mixed in the complications around the rights of clones and how different countries were weighing in.

The plot of the book moved quickly and didn't get bogged down at any point. Though there were a wide range of characters, I felt that I could follow along with who was who and where they fit into the story line. I am intrigued to see how the prior generation's experiences affect the current generation's experiences in the next book as well - their role was a bit of a surprise to me in the first book. Overall, a fascinating read that I truly enjoyed!

Which is worse- losing your best friend in the world or having to attend your fancy prep school with his clone? One part the future is near, another part science fiction this YA book asks some tough questions about human rights. It is also the beginning of a series, so sigh...........let the wait begin.

3.5 stars

This is a YA Dystopian novel. A rather lite dystopian as there isn't much world building and it's very near future.

The setting is a prestigious high school where our group of characters are the elite of the elite. The main protagonist, Emmaline Chase, is starting her Junior year without much enthusiasm. She lost her BFF to suicide over the summer and she is still reeling from the pain of that loss. So the fact that six new students at her school turn out to be clones of some other students, she doesn't much care... until she sees that one of them is a clone of her lost best friend. Her initial rage slowly becomes friendship and later a budding romance.

The romance is very much a back burner to the plot. There is mystery, suspense, and danger. In fact, the secrets tend to overwhelm the story-line. Some of the reveals were a surprise, but some of them were a bit predictable. I had a hard time engaging with the characters who seemed mostly one-dimensional to me. Even the romance felt stilted and stale. However, I was captivated by the ongoing action and eagerly made my way to the end of this story --- only to end up hanging off a cliff without a solid ending.

I'm curious enough to want to read the sequel. The must be a sequel because this book ends rather abruptly. But I'm not entirely sure. It sounds like it may head into a love triangle which I don't enjoy in my reading. I suppose it depends on how long it takes for the second installment to be published. This first one is due out in January of 2019.

I did NOT see that last twist coming! That is something you hardly ever hear me say. Most books I have figured out the twist well before I've gotten there or I at least have a pretty good guess I'm waiting to confirm. When this one was revealed I was truly surprised and it hadn't occurred to me at all so that was very exciting! Despite that, the book overall was fine for me, but not great. Emma and Levi's relationship arc was the same as any other doomed lover affair - hate, forced together, discover the other is not so bad after all, get close, obstacle to love with one of them misunderstanding what's happening and the other not explaining, resolution of the obstacle, deepest love story every told, self-sacrifice. Yawning as I type. It was not a bad love story, just nothing new happening there to capture my attention. As for the rest of the plot...


It kept me turning pages quickly to see if there was some answer to the many, many questions:

What are the Similars missions?

What are their special abilities?

Why do they have special abilities? Are they NOT human?

Why is the school allowing the anti-clone protests when they preach open-mindedness?

What does Oliver's last message to Emma mean?

What does the message in the book from Pru's father mean?

Why is Emma's father so distant from her?

Is Pru dead?

Do The Ten do anything meaningful or do they just meet at midnight to haze and harass each other?

Why would the principal allow Emma to just leave the lab after what she saw? And why isn't Emma terrified for her life after that weird encounter?!

And more, not all of which are answered in this book. It was all a little too much without enough closure on all points. Despite Emma apparently being extremely smart since she placed in "the Ten", she doesn't seem particularly adept at figuring much out. Like I said, I was reading quickly because I was caught up in the story despite the flaws I kept finding.


Finally, there were just too many characters to keep track of once all the parents became involved. I'm not sure how to fix that since the past is relevant to the present, but something needs to be done so that I can tell who has grudges from the past and which parents are supposed to hate each other now. At least give some names that stand out or just call the parents Mr. So and So, Mrs. So and So. But Jago and Jaeger? And then the dinner on parents' weekend - Lord help me!

Emmaline is dreading her return to Darkwood for her junior year. Her life was already tragic, with her mother passing when she was young. This past summer however, her best friend Oliver passed away leaving a gaping hole in her heart and her life.
Darkwood, a prestigious school for exceptional children of the elite, has opened its doors to Similars, clones raised in a remote island by an eccentric benefactor. The country is divided about the rights of clones, and so are the students at Darkwood.

This novel was a quick read that reflects on human nature, self-interest, and privilege. I really enjoyed the background character development.