The Echo Wife

When life for the entire universe and planet turns on its end and like everyone else you "have nothing to do" while your place of work is closed and you are in #COVID19 #socialisolation,  superspeed readers like me can read 250+ pages/hour, so yes, I have read the book … and many more today. (I have played a zillion games of scrabble, done a zillion crosswords and I AM BORED!!!)

I requested and received a temporary digital Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley, the publisher and the author in exchange for an honest review.  

From the publisher, as I do not repeat the contents or story of books in reviews, I let them do it as they do it better than I do 😸.

The Echo Wife is a non-stop thrill ride of lies, betrayal, and identity, perfect for fans of Big Little Lies and Killing Eve.

Evelyn Caldwell’s husband Nathan has been having an affair — with Evelyn Caldwell. Or, to be exact, with Martine, a genetically cloned replica made from Evelyn’s own award-winning research. But that wasn’t even the worst part. When they said all happy families are alike, I don’t think this is what they meant…


This is a really difficult book to explain and as a result, to review. I kept asking my husband questions about the, well, sexual and moral implications, via Skype while I read this as we are socially isolated 180km apart during this #COVID19 pandemic. He works in an ER and I have nonagenarian parents so we are keeping us all healthy. (yes, I am reading and reviewing the book TEN MONTHS in advance) I asked I'm so many questions he now wants to read the book as a genetically cloned replica COULD live with him right now.  It is VERY Stepford Wivesian (yes, I made that word up!) but 100x better than Sister Wivesian and I am saying that as a Morman.

It is very well written and the plot line kept me seriously gripped as to what was happening on every single page. It is a roller coaster of a ride read -it goes there and is not afraid to do so. What a freaking INCREDIBLE READ ... my book clubs (I belong to eight of them) should be prepared to read this ASAP when it comes out as I may foist it on all of them - that's 203 readers in addition to me!

As always, I try to find a reason to not rate with stars as I love emojis (outside of their incessant use by "🙏-ed Social Influencer Millennials/#BachelorNation survivors/Tik-Tok and YouTube  Millionaires/etc. " on Instagram and Twitter... Get a real job, people!) so let's give it 👯👯👯👯👯 (yes, I was able to find clones/twins!!!) 

I asked my husband the HARD QUESTION >>>> and he says "he would rather #bealonethanwithaclone

What’s worse than finding out your husband is having an affair? Discovering he’s having an affair with your double, not your twin – your clone. The clone your research created. It can’t get much worse than that can it? It turns out it can

Westworld (more understandable version) meets Stepford Wives and Orphan Black kind of story is freshly baked from the oven. I see five sizzling, well-deserved, shiny stars dancing above my head! This is more entertaining, mind bending, grey cells frying, soul shaking, heart throbbing adventure than I expected.

This is absolutely, deliciously my kind of extremely crazy story: imagine your husband replace you with another version of you. What would you do? Scream, cry, call a contract killer, suffer from depression, commit to kill the other version of you or accept the defeat and work on cloned replicas of Tom Hardy at your lab (last option is the best choice but unfortunately the heroine of this book didn’t make wise choices like me!)

 Okay, let me rephrase it: our brilliant scientist Evelyn’s husband Nathan is not happy that she is a workaholic, heartless, cutthroat bitch who prefers to live in her lab and work 24/7 for your scientific experiments. ( it’s true! I think JJ Abrams inspired by her when he named his production company “Bad Robot” because most of the parts: she acted like really mean robot, hardly process human feelings.) And of course she doesn’t want to have a baby. It’s unnecessary responsibility, right? She’s working way too much important things. She’s the brilliant Evelyn Caldwell, a rising star of scientific innovations with brightest future ahead of her. 

  But her dearest husband cheats on her with a woman looking exactly like her. Actually he’s dating with cloned replica of hers (Whattttt???) And now he wants to divorce! And this is not only mouth dropping part of her unbelievably unique story: the cloned replica is pregnant right now! (WTF! Did I read right? How could be scientifically possible? But Evelyn’s dear clone Martine is expecting. And she meets her with the shop to show her growing baby bump and Evelyn tells her the ugly truth about the reason she’s been created. 

  From now on, if the story is not crazy enough for you: Just wait for Martine’s urgent call on the phone. She panicked, barely breathing and she seems like losing it. As Evelyn goes to the house Martine shares with her ex-husband: she finds out, her ex lying on the floor in blood bath. Martine says: “it was self –defense” and Evelyn replies: “Let’s bury him!”

Still not crazy enough for you? Wait for it. Evelyn and Martine realize a search party can begin sooner they will be prime suspects of Nathan’s mysterious disappearance. Or at least Evelyn is gonna lose everything: her researches, reputation and freedom because nobody knows Evelyn is existence. She is illegal. So they decide to work on a new clone replica. They’ll recreate Nathan to solve the problem! Yesss, I know you’re hooked and 

I stop right now! I already gave so many juicy details. But I assure, the story’s conclusion is more twisty and shocking. Yes, there are more revelations and surprises to come.

Overall: It was one of the best, amazing, shocking, dazzling, phenomenal sci-fi reads of this year. I highly recommend it to genre lovers. I couldn’t put it down! It’s smart, its dark humor captivates you and you don’t want to let it go. 

Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan/ Tor Books for sharing this remarkable ARC with me in exchange my honest review. I truly loved it so much.

I loved this book! I made a lot of connections between The Echo Wife and Frankenstein. I found Evelyn's feelings about Martine really interesting.

Thank you Netgallery and publisher for the free digital ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review. 
First of all the cover is striking and says read me I love it!  The book was really good I can't think of anything negative to say. I highly recommend reading this book.

I can’t even. How does Sarah Gailey constantly put out such amazing books? They are a machine. A beautiful, strange, brilliant machine.

Evelyn is a brilliant scientist in the area of human cloning, her husband is less successful, except in creating a more malleable and compliant version of his wife. When Nathan ends up dead everything unravels and Evelyn is left to clean up yet another mess. An interesting look at genetics and nature vs nurture, the morality behind cloning and the ethics of science wrapped in a nonstop thriller. A great read!

This was unexpectedly fun and crazy! I wasn't sure I was going to like it from the description, but wow! There's just enough science-y cloning stuff to be interesting. There's Evelyn, who is really hard to like and harder to feel sorry for, but I found myself hoping her plan would succeed, if not exactly liking her.  Especially when I realized how her ex-husband had programmed Martine to "behave."  There's Martine, who begins to break through her programming and defies all odds - and science! - by ending up pregnant. This really kept me guessing the whole way through with no idea what would happen next.

Fully fifteen percent into it, this seems like a domestic novel focused on women's lives and relationships. Then the quick dive into sci-fi and suspense. that totally reshape one's engagement with the story. Great genre blending for sure. This will please sci-fi readers, but is also a satisfying novel for those who generally stay clear. of it.

In the midst of betrayals and discoveries, there are ethical questions on the table.. While set in the near future, today's themes are prevalent. How do I change my husband so he becomes the man  i want him to be? How dare he try to change me! Why must women always tiptoe around men? Is it so impossible that women might actually be smarter than men? How do women find their voice and claim who they are and what they want.? When does science go too far?

Thoroughly enjoyed this. Think there could have or should have had one more murderous twist at the conclusion as it seemed set up for that. Excellent character development and plot.make this one absorbing read.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan/Tor for providing this copy for my review!

What a delightful little book this is! The publisher's copy describes it as a mix of Westworld, Blake Crouch's works,   and Big Little Lies, and I can't really argue with that. It's maybe less mind-bending than Blake Crouch's stuff, but still offers plenty of unexpected surprises along the way. Add in some stuff about what it's like to be a female scientist, and some thoughts about what it means to be a human, and this is defnitely worth some of your time.

This was a delightful read. I enjoyed the plot and there were several surprises littered across the book. I assumed that the most interesting thing would be Martine, but Evelyn’s family history, Nathan’s betrayal and a whole lot of other drama. I know the author tried to address the ethical aspect of this book, but it got me thinking of what I would have done in her shoes. I still do not know! 

Thank you netgalley for the opportunity to read this lovely book!

This thrilling book was far from what I expected, in fact, it surpassed my expectations entirely. While I’m a fan of thrillers in general, I find most of them formulaic and often predictable. Sarah Gailey has totally turned that on its head in “The Echo Wife.”

On the surface, you have standard fodder for a contemporary thriller: a successful woman finds out her husband has another partner, and the story begins. The added sci-fi layer, in which Gailey drops in the science of cloning and how it works (in the world of the book, that is) makes for a fascinating read. While the story follows the flow that we would expect of a thriller, the twists and turns are unanticipated. The shift of focus in this story away from infidelity and toward the cultivation of a relationship with The Other Woman is remarkable.

Since finishing reading this title a few weeks ago, I’ve thought of it frequently – there really is so much to think about. It’s a great pick for a passive reader or a lover of thrillers, but there is plenty of content there for a deep book discussion or a full literary analysis. I keep wanting to recommend the title to people, then I remember that this one isn’t out until early 2021. “The Echo Wife” is worthy of attention from the book world, and is a commanding addition to the sci-fi thriller genre.

Sarah Gailey never disappoints. The Echo Wife is unlike anything she's ever written and will please current and new readers alike. A recommended purchase for adult fiction collections.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC. The Echo Wife should definitely be added to 'to be read' list. Evelyn Caldwell is a brilliant scientist who has revolutionized the field of cloning. Unfortunately, her husband has left her and is having an affair with a clone of Evelyn that he secretly created, and then ends up dead. Leaving Evelyn and her clone to clean up the mess he left behind.  Filled with questions of morality and a great undercurrent of suspense, The Echo Wife was hard to put down. I would highly recommend this title to anyone.

Wow. Wow. WOW!

This was a 4.5 star read for me and I'm debating if I should round it up or down (so don't be alarmed if the rating changes), because it feels like one that needs sitting on. Fear not, I'm not going to sit on my e-reader. I am, however, still thinking about the book and implications. (Okay so I only finished it four days ago, but I have a shockingly bad book memory and sometimes books begin to fade after mere hours.)

This story has a phenomenal premise, but an unusual enough one that I wondered if it was spoiler-y or if that really was just the start of the story. (What's described in the marketing blurb for this book is the END / climax of most mystery books?) Well, turns out it really is just the start of the story, which makes this one extra fascinating, because so often we get the lead up to murder but not the aftermath!

And when it comes to interesting things about this story, that's only the beginning. There's cloning ethics, some pretty hard hitting emotional questions (how would you feel if your partner left you for a so-called "better", tweaked clone version of you?), and a flipping FASCINATING but also wonderfully monstrous MC.

Evelyn is definite unlikeable female protag goals, which sounds weird because why is that a goals? What I mean is, it's rare to find female MCs that are written so intentionally to be unlikable, because female MCs get sooooooo much scrutiny in that regard. So... she's certainly unlikable and does NOT lean into her emotional side (she has twinges of conscience, but they're really that -- twinges). She's also really, really smart and interesting. I loved reading her story. (They're not really the same, but in these particular regards I'd liken Evelyn a bit to Cas Russell, whom I love wholeheartedly.)

The Echo Wife is full of interesting twists. The whole story was suspenseful and riveting and the ending was just... so right. So well done. And there were numerous ethical and theoretical questions throughout that made my head spin. That's why I'm still thinking about the story. And, actually, writing this review convinced me that this is, indeed, a five star read. I initially thought 4, maybe 4.5, but it's one of those that grows on you. Because it is so thought-provoking. Because it pushes your mind to keep working after reading the last page. Because part of the story exists in the after, in the way it makes you reflect. I don't think I felt its full impact until really giving myself this time and space to consider it all. And now I want to reread the book.

Five stars it is! This is (non-space opera) sci-fi at its best. Highly, highly recommended!

Thank you Tor.com Publishing for providing a free e-galley via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A throughly creepy thrill ride. What would happen if your husband decided to make a clone just like you but with all your faults eliminated.? Then what would happen if that clone killed your husband? What is your responsibility to that clone? She’s just like you but a little different. That’s what I mean about creepy but in a good way. Lies, murder, betrayal, a book you can’t put down.

Evelyn Caldwell is a workaholic. While her clone research is making breakthroughs, her marriage is falling apart. Then she discovers her husband Nathan is having an affair with Martine who isn't just any woman, she's Evelyn's clone. In a world where clones are made to be disposable, Evelyn finds herself in unknown waters that go deeper than she realizes. As Evelyn's world continues to fall apart, she finds herself questioning not only her failed marriage, but her own work and how far she is willing to go to save it.

Wow. The book's blurb mentions Westworld, but in a way it felt like a Westworld, Stepford Wives, Frankenstein mashup. This is a hard book to discuss without giving spoilers away, but I liked the way the morality and ethics of clones are explored without being too heavy handed about it. Something that I personally appreciated was Evelyn being childfree, that is to say one who isn't planning on having kids. I enjoyed the way it plays into her failing marriage in a way that reflects the modern era well and the family versus career choices women are making. All the twists and turns of the plot kept me glued to the pages. 

This book releases February 16, 2021 and is one worth adding to reading lists.

Disclaimer: I received a free digital ARC in return for an honest review.

Sarah Gailey writes the most amazing books and The Echo Wife does not disappoint.!

Evelyn is an award-winning scientist at the pinnacle of her career whose work involves clones. She's also divorced. Her once-loving husband wanted a family, a softer, more agreeable wife. He had an affair and left Evelyn but not just for any woman. He created a clone of Evelyn - a softer, more agreeable Evelyn - ready to be the perfect mother and homemaker, just as he desired and created.

The tension goes through the roof when the clone calls Evelyn begging for her help. And they both embark on a course of action that binds them together and irreparably change their lives

A biting look at the choices women face trying to balance societal demands and expectations with their own desires and needs. With a side trip examining the ethics of clones and how they might be used.

Sharp, twisty, and brilliant. A total page-turner!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for the DRC.

The story was complex, which was a good thing. It was like a wreck that I couldn't look away from, and it was hard to put the book down. Everything made sense, I didn't feel like there were loose ends, and the writing itself was great. Highly recommend. Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for the opportunity to read this.

This book blew my mind. It is like a scary nightmare happening, but like you cant look away because you need to know what happens next. Imagine your husband cheating on you... yeah, that is bad. But then he is cheating on you with your clone? That is just like some scary sci-fi stuff happening, and what do you do then? The complexity of this story was mind boggling, and I could not get enough. I was horrified and entranced. It was like Frankenstein but so much worse because the monster is you? Or the clone? Honestly, one of the best and scariest sci-fi books I have ever been lucky enough to read. 

Thank you tor/forge books and NetGalley for the advanced review copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

When Evelyn discovers that her husband has stolen her research and used it to create a clone of herself (With all of her "less desirable" traits removed. Gross.), she starts a chain of events that quickly begin to spiral out of control. Sarah Gailey's The Echo Wife is the story of betrayal, revenge and the question of who can (and can't) really be considered "human".

Lest you are tempted to write this book off as only futuristic sci-fi, The Echo Wife, is really more of a "will-they-get-away-with-it" thriller that also happens to have some clones.

What I appreciate most about Gailey's work, is that even when the circumstances are fantastic, all of their characters are still so grounded in emotional truth. Nobody makes any weird choices to move the plot along. Everything. Makes. Sense. It's really delightful.

I would recommend The Echo Wife to fans of Gailey's previous work and folks who like a little genre-bending. Also, anyone going though a tough break-up will likely also enjoy this book for the schadenfreude alone.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Books for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.  

I requested The Echo Wife after skimming two sentences.  I saw “Killing Eve” and “clone” and I was good to go.  I didn’t read any more of the description so every twist was refreshing and fun.  I liked the uniqueness of the plot and the sci-fi/thriller combo.

Evelyn is not a likable character but she is shown honestly and with her flaws.  I liked Martine a good deal.  There were some fantastic lines:  “I filled my pockets with that smile” and “No one would look at the seams that held me together and guess that they were scars.” 

There were a few holes that bothered me—I don’t want to say something that will give away some of the twists—but how are characters being financially supported and getting medical treatment?  A random complaint but it annoyed me.

I was going to give it a 4* but that just isn’t enough so 4.5* it is.    I highly recommend reading The Echo Wife.