The Similars is a Sci-Fi novel set in the future of Earth. The story follows Emmaline who attends the prestigious Darkwood Academy. It is a boarding school for the elite of the elite. Each student is special in some way in that they have some talent that helped them get admitted past just being extra smart. Emma is returning to Darkwood for her senior year but there are two things she is going to have to cope with: the suicide of her best friend, Oliver, and the fact that six clones (the similars) will be attending Darkwood with her. This was fine until it turned out that one of the clones is Oliver’s. There is a lot of controversy surrounding the clones and initially Emma couldn’t be bothered about it. However, she quickly gets sucked into the conspiracy surrounding them and the school.
The Similars was a fascinating story. I gave it four out of five stars on Goodreads because I thoroughly enjoyed it. The story took me a little bit to get into but once I got into it, I could not put it down. I was caught up in the conspiracy and I needed to know what was going on. Why were the similars so weird? Why were they the clones of only those specific students at the school? I had a lot of questions, and fortunately a good chunk of them got answered, which is always satisfying. The story kept me guessing and then the ending had me eagerly anticipating the sequel and considering the book doesn’t come out until January 2019, I am going to be waiting a long time.
I really liked the set up of the world Emma lived in. The story was futuristic, but it was realistically futuristic. What I mean is that it felt like the technological advancements that the characters used and interacted with, seemed completely likely that we would have them. The AI technology seems to be something that we will achieve eventually (whether that’s good or bad) and all of it just seemed like the path that we will follow technologically speaking. I also appreciated the way that things weren’t overly explained. The science was there, it seemed to make sense, but the story didn’t talk down to us. I enjoyed the characters and it was really interesting to explore Emma’s grief over her friend Oliver, but also her friendship with her only other friend. I liked the aspect of cloning, because I haven’t read too many novels where that features heavily into the plot. It felt fresh and original. I also enjoyed how realistic the world felt. It made sense to me that people would be prejudiced against something they were unfamiliar with and that happened in the story with the clones and certain parts of the school turning against them.
So why four stars you might ask? Well, the slow start. It took me a little while to feel hooked by the novel despite the premise being really intriguing. I find for a five star read I need to be gripped all the way through and really blown away. I definitely had a great time reading The Similars but the book didn’t completely blow me away. I just wanted something a little bit more gripping at the start of it. That being said, I do think the story started appropriately, it just didn’t fully pull me in like I had hoped. It made up for it in the end.
I definitely think that this book will do well when it comes out, and I recommend that you pick it up and read it when it comes out next January. I think I will be grabbing my own physical copy when it comes out so I can have it and re-read it as a physical copy. So please join me and read it when it comes out because it deserves a lot of hype and love.

'The Similars' is set in the near-future with believable advancements in technology, including cloning. The characters were easy to relate to and their emotions and reactions felt real. All in all, an enjoyable YA series starter about rich prep school kids and how wealth and politics affect their lives. Highly recommended.

This book had me confused at the beginning and I was all in by the last page. This story is your typical dystopian with a whole new twist! If you can overlook the personal plot on politics, the story was amazing and deserves a slot in my four star corner! Amazing job!

I wasn't prepared for the end - and the sequel isn't out until 2020?! I have so many questions!
Raised some really interesting questions, and some fascinating thought experiments, as well as tying in intrigue, science, and politics. While sometimes the teen romance was a little distracting, I thought this was really interesting.

I enjoyed this but felt the main character lacked her own personality. I would have liked more reflection by her. I enjoy the premise and I figured out 1/2 of the main twists pretty early.

Clones, clones, clones....I am not sure what is going on with me this year but i love clone books.
This one also did not disappoint. This book had heartbreak, friendship, love and a soap opera feel with quiet a bit of politics thrown in.
While i get that it may not be everyone's cup of tea and the end of the day this book for me lived up to my expectations and i can not wait to read more.
PRO'S
Clones, exceptional writing and complex characters
CON'S
I have to wait to read more !!!!

The Similars is a perfect way to start off 2019! Set in the near future The Similars is a perfect example of scientific advantages that the human race has made so far and how it could go so wrong. From start to finish The Similars had me captivated with its uniqueness and twists and turns. The Similars is perfect for fans of science fiction and psychological thrill rides. This book messed with my head in the most perfect of ways.

Emma's best friend Oliver had committed suicide during summer break, devastating Emma. Returning to Darkwood Academy, an elite boarding school for brilliant teens is torture for her. This year is different though, not only does Emma have to face the year with out her best friend by her side but it is also the first year that the Headmaster is allowing clones to be admitted as students. In a lab mistake sixteen years ago after the cloning process was created six teens from Darkwood Academy where cloned from their cord blood and now those clones are attending Darkwood. The sixth teen though? Emma's best friend Oliver. Levi, Oliver's clone someone that Emma wants to hate desperately but must work with to figure out the grand scheme behind the Similar's suddenly being allowed at Darkwood, the mystery behind their upbringing and who is not who they claim to be.

I loved the world building in this. Essentially there really isn't much world building considering it doesn't take place too far into the future. Some sci-fi books are pretty heavy on world building that it takes away from the plot. I am glad The Similars didn't fall into that. I really enjoyed reading about the scientific advantages that have been made and the technological advances. It gave The Similars a scary real vibe. Scientist can already clone animals so this book isn't a far reach into the future in the slightest!

I really enjoyed Emma's character. She was really easy to relate to. Her actions towards Levi int he beginning of the novel are understandable as time goes on and we see how she mourns Oliver and that Levi is a constant reminder of what she lost. I was a little standoffish initially about Emma falling for Levi for the fact that he is Oliver's exact DNA code. Though they are different people it is still Oliver if in the end. (If that made any sense at all.) But Emma was able to distinguish the difference between her best friend and the boy she is falling for. The romance also didn't take up the whole plot of The Similars, it was there but I didn't slow or make the plot halt.

In the end I am super excited to see what the sequel of The Similars is going to have install considering how it ended. Hanover's debut was simply amazing and will be a book that I will be pushing on everyone.

As seen in some of the other reviews, I can certainly a film adaptation of this story. I was absolutely reeled in by the synopsis: and while I do wish there was a little bit more expansion on the world building, the ideas and concepts in the plot were innovative and impressive nonetheless. The twists certainly kept me going, and before I knew it I was at the end. I’m definitely looking forward to a next installment.

Not gonna lie, it wasn't only the gorgeous cover that caught my attention...seeing "dead best friend's face" made me request the ARC immediately because I am nothing if not a sucker for anything related to death/murder/fun dark violent things (note: this only applies in fictional things). Not to mention the idea of clones and all. It got my inner science nerd excited!

Unfortunately, I have a few issues with this book. They mainly stem from the juvenile feel of book. I get that YA encompasses a wide range of ages, but I'd certainly put this at the younger end of the spectrum, for late middle school maybe.

The worldbuilding and technology didn't make a lot of sense to me. Or I guess rather, I got what the author was trying to do, but it didn't feel realistic. Clearly the technology in this world is advanced, yet the details to support that aren't there. Besides their "plums" (like personal technological assistants - I think in the form of watches? I forget) and their electronic keys...I can't remember much else that made this world much more futuristic than ours. Yet clearly they are meant to be more advanced than us if they're already past the point of figuring out how to clone people.

In addition to my confusion re: worldbuilding, the plot didn't read as very realistic to me. I don't understand why they let Emma meddle so much, especially considering they could track her with her key. I'm also not sure why they couldn't figure out who attacked Pru in the first place, considering the technology they're supposed to have. And other things like when Levi told her that he signed over the shares to his father, it read as so...unresearched to me.

Finally, the twists and turns are kind of crazy, and I'm not sure if they're entirely believable. And the sparks between Levi and Emma are fairly lacking.

I was really intrigued by the plot, so I'm sad that I couldn't rate The Similars more highly. However, I think for middle schoolers and possibly younger high schoolers, this might be a good read.

I had been anxiously awaiting this title for months! Thank you to NetGalley and SourceFire for this advanced copy. This story was fantastic. The authors world building was unparalleled. I certainly hope this becomes a full series because I could get down with that.

This book started off as a 4.5 stars for me but as it went on, I felt there was just something MISSING. Our epic climax felt like an undramatic surprise and our love interest/main character/everyone? are equally bland. Perhaps I read too much but I wasn't very surprised by the twists, and was in fact more irritated by the sudden ending that is surely a lead up to a sequel/future Netflix bait.

I received a copy of this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This arc was provided to me for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

2 Stars

The Similars had so much potential to be a great story but unfortunately for me, it failed to reach it. The plot revolves around Emma, who has just lost her best friend, Oliver. To make matters worse there are now six clones who join her prestigious boarding school. Emma wants nothing to do with them even Levi, the one who was cloned after her best friend. But somehow Emma gets swept up and begins discovering the truths behind the clones. And when discovering those truths, Emma begins to fall for the boy with her dead best friends face.

I really liked the concept, it gave me sci-fi feels but it just turned into a very predictable book with all the typical tropes. (hello love triangle) The characters were very bland and not very likable especially Emma. The clones had almost zero character development which made them difficult to get to know. There were moments I did enjoy the book and I found myself wanting to continue which is why I started and finished within an entire day. But those moments were rare and by the end, I had to force myself to continue.

Overall, I couldn’t say this book was for me. I wish I would have enjoyed this book more, but it was just one of those books that ended up frustrating me more than anything. Because the potential was there, it just wasn’t able to execute a satisfying ending for me.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Great YA novel that focuses on the moral aspects of cloning. I love Emma and got pulled into her story. This is an interesting novel, and I highly recommend it.

I thought that the concept for The Similars had potential. Unfortunately, it failed to live up to it for me.

I think the idea of cloning is very interesting. It brings up so many ethical questions. Some of those issues were brought up in the course of the book, however I didn’t think it was handled well. Instead of actual discussions and honest questions, it was treated like so many hot button topics are these days: with the two sides yelling their opinions at each other and not having an open mind about it at all. I get enough of this in real life, I don’t really want it in my entertainment. The author also tried to draw parallels between cloning and illegal immigration that I felt was a bit of a stretch.

I didn’t really love any of the characters. The story is told through Emma’s first person POV, so I felt like I got to know her pretty well, but character development was really lacking for everyone else. Emma was likable most of the time, though. The Similars are easily the most interesting characters of the book, but only a little bit of time is spent getting to know any of them. I didn’t really get on board the romance. Even though it was obvious what was going to happen, I still felt like it just kind of happened out of the blue.

There are two reveals towards the end of the book that I felt were supposed to be twists, but they were both things I suspected pretty early on in the story. Even though they didn’t surprise me at all, I think they have potential to provide some interesting paths in the coming books.

Overall, The Similars was just not for me. Despite an intriguing premise, the lack of character development, somewhat messy writing, and forced political overtones made this a book I was just getting through, rather than enjoying. As of right now, I’m not interested in continuing the series. I am by no means the target audience for this book, though, so those that are may find this a much better read than I did.

Overall Rating (out of 5): 2 Stars

I can’t wait for the second book in this series! This is the first book I’ve enjoyed from beginning to end in a while. I started to figure out the twist at the end but not really until the last 3 chapters but that didn’t ruin it for me at all.

Emma and her school mates finds out that six of them have been cloned and that their clones will be joining them at their boarding school. Emma isn't interested, she's still trying to come to turns with her best friend Oliver's suicide. But what will she did when she finds out one of the clones has Oliver's face? And just what are the clones hiding? This book is going to be one of the bestsellers of 2019!

This book was definitely a fast pasted, hard to put down read. The concept was thoroughly interesting but the plot left me wanting more. Due to so many characters it was hard to connect with their stories, and the conflict felt rushed and too much. Despite that, I enjoyed the read and will be waiting for the next one in the series!

When six clones join Emmeline at her boarding school (Darkwood Academy) life changes dramatically. Can you imagine seeing the face of someone you just lost everyday, knowing that is just a copy - and not your friend? In this twisted tale, Hanover weaves a story of bioethics, friendship, and deceit that ends with the possibility of continuation. I enjoyed it for its uniqueness and unpredictability.

WOW! I loved this book. Thrilling from beginning to end, I couldn't put it down! Emma is experiencing such relatable heartbreak after losing her best friend Oliver to suicide over the summer. So imagine how much harder that is when she finds out that his clone will be attending school with her. Not to mention all the mystery and intrigue surrounding the clones as they join their originals and as you delve deeper into the school itself. I highly recommend this book!

I would like to thank Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.

Great dystopian novel! I only call it dystopian because of the cloning and technology but it had a modern day feel to it. I really enjoyed this book a lot and loved how it pretty much felt so real. In a world where cloning is against the law in some parts of the world a scientific “madman” clones some of the students of an elite school. This is the year that the student’s find out who was “cloned” and their Similars( as they have chosen to be called) start attending this prestigious school along with their counterparts.

This was interesting in that this story is kind of mirroring our society today. The Similar’s are not being accepted by a big part of the country. Political groups have prejudices and biases towards them and are trying to make it illegal for these people to be in America.

There is a budding romance in this book which is always a plus. A lot of plot twists and the ending left you wanting more. This book doesn’t even come out until 2019 so the sequel will be a long wait. This was a pretty fast read that kept you interested. An original story.