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Replica
REPLICA is a fast-paced thriller/romance you will find hard to put down. Beth Chandler, bright, attractive but unassertive, is accidentally replicated in a flawed experiment at the government research institute where she works. A second Beth comes into being, complete with all her memories. To Sir Peter Ellis, MI5 chief, the replica is an embarrassment that must be hushed up and disposed of. Overhearing him, Beth Two goes on the run. With no official existence, homeless, penniless and pursued by Sir Peter’s agents, she has to find the inner strength and aggression to survive on icy London streets. Meanwhile the original Beth, unaware of what has happened, becomes romantically involved with Nick Cavanagh, the spec op she believes is there to protect her. In fact, he’s hunting her double. Nick refuses to face his moral doubts about Beth Two - as far as he’s concerned, it’s not his problem. As events unfold, and the situation grows more complicated, he has to decide whose side he is on. S. Horrigan, AMAZON VINE TOP 500 REVIEWER, “Read it! You won't regret it! Another cracking story from Lexi. Don't be put off by the seemingly science fiction based plot. The real story is the way that the two Beths deal with situations that they find themselves in and of their discovery of their real self. As with Lexi's first book, presentation on the Kindle is about as good as it gets. This deserves nothing less than 5 stars! An original, very well told intelligent story that had me turning the pages right to the end.” (See entire review below.) Full length 82,000 words, by the author of REMIX.
287 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 7, 2011
51 people are currently reading
763 people want to read
About the author
Lexi Revellian
19 books102 followers
Remix
is my third novel; it's the story of Caz Tallis, who is startled one quiet Sunday morning to find a stranger asleep on her roof terrace...
I enjoy reading intelligent, pacey books with humour, and that's what I try to write. I believe it's a crime to bore the reader.
My day job (using my real name, Lexi Dick) is designing and making jewellery and silver; I've made pieces for Lady Thatcher, the Athenaeum and Her Majesty the Queen.
I enjoy reading intelligent, pacey books with humour, and that's what I try to write. I believe it's a crime to bore the reader.
My day job (using my real name, Lexi Dick) is designing and making jewellery and silver; I've made pieces for Lady Thatcher, the Athenaeum and Her Majesty the Queen.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews
dnf
September 20, 2016DNF'ed at about 45% (though I read the epilogue...for reasons)
On the one hand - dopples! Clones! Replicants! With my current obsession over Orphan Black I figured why not? I picked this up for cheap a longish time ago (January), but my reading habits being as they are haven't gotten around to it.
In retrospect I shouldn't binge-watch Orphan Black and then read books about clones.
The science I can handwave away - I'm a fan of Star Trek, trust me we know how to do this - the constant lying from the nominal love interest towards the "original" Beth I can forgive since he was doing a job. I can even forgive the "clone" Beth doing stupid shit since she's really confused and is essentially tossed out onto the street to survive instead of being summarily executed and dissected.
I'm not forgiving about a dull plot, dull characters and general lack of interesting anything happening.
Beth is boring. Clone Beth is even more boring. Clone Beth's struggle to survive without being...well herself...is boring. Beth's indecisiveness about her boyfriend is boring. Beth and Nick are boring together. Beth's crazy boss is boring.
It sort of just meandered onwards. I eventually got restless and skipped to the end.
So spoilers from here out.
Who wants to tell me which is more likely?
On the one hand - dopples! Clones! Replicants! With my current obsession over Orphan Black I figured why not? I picked this up for cheap a longish time ago (January), but my reading habits being as they are haven't gotten around to it.
In retrospect I shouldn't binge-watch Orphan Black and then read books about clones.
The science I can handwave away - I'm a fan of Star Trek, trust me we know how to do this - the constant lying from the nominal love interest towards the "original" Beth I can forgive since he was doing a job. I can even forgive the "clone" Beth doing stupid shit since she's really confused and is essentially tossed out onto the street to survive instead of being summarily executed and dissected.
I'm not forgiving about a dull plot, dull characters and general lack of interesting anything happening.
Beth is boring. Clone Beth is even more boring. Clone Beth's struggle to survive without being...well herself...is boring. Beth's indecisiveness about her boyfriend is boring. Beth and Nick are boring together. Beth's crazy boss is boring.
It sort of just meandered onwards. I eventually got restless and skipped to the end.
So spoilers from here out.
Who wants to tell me which is more likely?
July 5, 2012
This novel gets an A+ for convincing characters and dialog and--especially appreciated--for a wonderfully unique story idea.
Beth is a secretary who knows she needs to work on self assertiveness. Her boyfriend walks all over her and her boss, a scientist, sees nothing wrong with calling on her without warning to stay late and help with a project after working hours.
That project results in creation of a duplicate Beth--one who is not only a perfect clone of the first but who also shares her memories and personality. However, the original Beth isn't informed of that outcome. The scientist's director decides that Beth Two will be experimented upon and then terminated.
The story takes off when Beth Two realizes her situation and escapes. Then begins a lengthy ordeal during which she attempts to contact her double while evading a special-ops agent who has an uncanny ability to predict her next move (actually not so uncanny in view of the fact that he has supplanted the worthless boyfriend and is getting very well acquainted with Beth One).
The thing that takes him and everybody else by surprise is the effect of these ongoing threats on Beth Two's previously acquiescent nature.
That's all I'm gonna say about the plot. I don't want you to be satisfied with reading a review. I want you to read Replica.
I knew about Lexi Revellian thanks to having crossed her path more than three years ago during the glory days of the authonomy website. The manuscript (for another book) that I critiqued back then had only the most trivial hiccups, and the same is true here.
I cannot avoid questioning whether any scientist, high-strung or not, would conduct the first human trial of his new technology in such a spur-of-the-moment manner as is done here. The author's fingerprints are a bit too obvious in the bicycle incident. Beth Two tends to repeat herself in noting that each lucky break is the best meal or the best night's sleep ever, and conversely that each setback is an all-time low. (In her shoes I would likely do the same, but in the narrative it's slightly distracting.)
OK, here's one more drawback: Having finished this book, I find it depressing to think how many more I may have to read before finding another that's this enjoyable.
Beth is a secretary who knows she needs to work on self assertiveness. Her boyfriend walks all over her and her boss, a scientist, sees nothing wrong with calling on her without warning to stay late and help with a project after working hours.
That project results in creation of a duplicate Beth--one who is not only a perfect clone of the first but who also shares her memories and personality. However, the original Beth isn't informed of that outcome. The scientist's director decides that Beth Two will be experimented upon and then terminated.
The story takes off when Beth Two realizes her situation and escapes. Then begins a lengthy ordeal during which she attempts to contact her double while evading a special-ops agent who has an uncanny ability to predict her next move (actually not so uncanny in view of the fact that he has supplanted the worthless boyfriend and is getting very well acquainted with Beth One).
The thing that takes him and everybody else by surprise is the effect of these ongoing threats on Beth Two's previously acquiescent nature.
That's all I'm gonna say about the plot. I don't want you to be satisfied with reading a review. I want you to read Replica.
I knew about Lexi Revellian thanks to having crossed her path more than three years ago during the glory days of the authonomy website. The manuscript (for another book) that I critiqued back then had only the most trivial hiccups, and the same is true here.
I cannot avoid questioning whether any scientist, high-strung or not, would conduct the first human trial of his new technology in such a spur-of-the-moment manner as is done here. The author's fingerprints are a bit too obvious in the bicycle incident. Beth Two tends to repeat herself in noting that each lucky break is the best meal or the best night's sleep ever, and conversely that each setback is an all-time low. (In her shoes I would likely do the same, but in the narrative it's slightly distracting.)
OK, here's one more drawback: Having finished this book, I find it depressing to think how many more I may have to read before finding another that's this enjoyable.
September 21, 2011
Beth is accidentally cloned and her clone is chased by MI5. This book was pretty engaging. Honestly, I kind of liked it. At the same time, it was completely bizarre and I kind of hated it. So Beth is this secretary, who by the way may be one of the top 5 blandest characters in the history of books, who is asked by her mad-scientist boss to step into this duplicator to make a copy of herself, that she is TOTALLY FINE WITH although she's seen test animal subjects and knows that an EXACT COPY (minus volition, etc.) will be made that then dies. Now maybe I spend too much time in treatment settings, but this kind of complete nonchalance at your own body being constructed and destructed is very concerning to me. But, whatever, Beth really likes her job and likes her boss and has no backbone, and what the hey, her boyfriend's going to be late coming home anyway, so who cares if just up and consents to this insane experiment, which also by the way is being conducted by one person with no apparent ethical oversight whatsoever.
Alrighty then, so that happens, and then the crazy thing - because so far everything is just a day's work for Beth - is that the copy actually is a clone, with all of the same memories as Beth, conveniently named Beth Two. And this is where, as Hercule Poirot would say, there is something very wrong with the psychology of Beth Chandler. Because let's say I was sleeping and woke up and found myself in a chamber and remembered having gotten in the chamber earlier that day because, as elaborated above, I have no backbone and no social life, and then I was told I was the COPY, I would pretty much NOT BE COOL WITH THAT. In fact, I'd probably be like, um no, you crazy experimenter, I remember everything about my life, including when I got in a machine in the other room, and now you're telling me that because a. I have no metal in my clothes (the machine copies everything but metal?!?!) that are otherwise totally identical to the clothes I was wearing before and b. I'm in another room that I'm sure you could have moved me to while I was conked out, I AM NOT ME?? That's a no. In fact, I AM ME and YOU ARE CRAZY. That's probably what I'd say. But Beth Two takes all of three pages to be like, alrighty then, I guess I am a clone, I should run for my freedom. Are you effing kidding me?
So then lots of stuff happens and if there's something that I admire about the book, it's that it actually is a nice peep into life when homeless, but that aside, Beth One gets cozy with the Secret Service guys who are protecting her from supposed terrorists and making sure that the clone doesn't find her, because they didn't tell her about the clone, whatever whatever, and Beth One is enough of a sap to just be fine with this and occasionally nip off to Ikea. And Beth Two goes on the run. Anyway, and I don't think is a spoiler because at some point they're obviously going to meet, but when they do meet, Beth One takes another three pages to be totally understanding of the fact that she has a clone. If this happened to me, I would freak out for AN ETERNITY AND PROBABLY SUSPECT SOMEONE HAD DRUGGED ME. And then if by some chance I came around to it, I'd be shaking with crazy amounts of fear that I WAS the clone, because how the hell would I know differently? Anyway, Beth One and Two just talk about their old boyfriend.
So basically, the drama of this book, which should have been the fact that someone was cloned, was actually the horror that the person cloned was the one person in England without a soul. But all that aside, it was engaging!
Alrighty then, so that happens, and then the crazy thing - because so far everything is just a day's work for Beth - is that the copy actually is a clone, with all of the same memories as Beth, conveniently named Beth Two. And this is where, as Hercule Poirot would say, there is something very wrong with the psychology of Beth Chandler. Because let's say I was sleeping and woke up and found myself in a chamber and remembered having gotten in the chamber earlier that day because, as elaborated above, I have no backbone and no social life, and then I was told I was the COPY, I would pretty much NOT BE COOL WITH THAT. In fact, I'd probably be like, um no, you crazy experimenter, I remember everything about my life, including when I got in a machine in the other room, and now you're telling me that because a. I have no metal in my clothes (the machine copies everything but metal?!?!) that are otherwise totally identical to the clothes I was wearing before and b. I'm in another room that I'm sure you could have moved me to while I was conked out, I AM NOT ME?? That's a no. In fact, I AM ME and YOU ARE CRAZY. That's probably what I'd say. But Beth Two takes all of three pages to be like, alrighty then, I guess I am a clone, I should run for my freedom. Are you effing kidding me?
So then lots of stuff happens and if there's something that I admire about the book, it's that it actually is a nice peep into life when homeless, but that aside, Beth One gets cozy with the Secret Service guys who are protecting her from supposed terrorists and making sure that the clone doesn't find her, because they didn't tell her about the clone, whatever whatever, and Beth One is enough of a sap to just be fine with this and occasionally nip off to Ikea. And Beth Two goes on the run. Anyway, and I don't think is a spoiler because at some point they're obviously going to meet, but when they do meet, Beth One takes another three pages to be totally understanding of the fact that she has a clone. If this happened to me, I would freak out for AN ETERNITY AND PROBABLY SUSPECT SOMEONE HAD DRUGGED ME. And then if by some chance I came around to it, I'd be shaking with crazy amounts of fear that I WAS the clone, because how the hell would I know differently? Anyway, Beth One and Two just talk about their old boyfriend.
So basically, the drama of this book, which should have been the fact that someone was cloned, was actually the horror that the person cloned was the one person in England without a soul. But all that aside, it was engaging!
June 21, 2012
Replica by Lexi Revellian. Another cracking good read from a blisteringly good author. Beth gets cloned and then has to survive when the secret services decide she is evidence of something they want to keep quiet. This book is a blockbuster film waiting to happen in my opinion. In the meantime lucky readers get to have the film all to themselves in their heads :)
Update now I've finished: I've realised the author I was being reminded of as I read this. Mary Stewart. When I was younger I worked my way through her series of what would probably be classed as YA adventure romance novels and loved each one of them. Lexi Revellian has the same knack of writing heroines who work their way through difficulties in a believable manner, making the right amount of mistakes to enable things to go wrong in an interesting manner without making such stupid mistakes you lose interest. The romance aspect is light and not sloppy, just sensibly intrinsic to the plot and develops organically from the characters' personalities. This isn't by any means a romance novel - the action/adventure is the main ingredient and I think this book is probably as much suited to men as to women, maybe even slightly more so. This would make a cracking film or tv series.
What I said when I started it : I'm well into this ebook now. Looking forward to the rest of it. It's a good solid reliable page turner. The main character is likeable, the baddie is deliciously unpleasant, the premise is gripping and the story line romps along nicely. Reminds me of the illustrated serials I used to read when I was a girl in the days when girls comics had extremely good and varied stories, before it all turned into boys, sex and popstars and reality tv and celebs. You remember? In those days we used to talk about the stories at school and be on tenterhooks waiting for the next instalment. Will say more when I've finished it.
Update now I've finished: I've realised the author I was being reminded of as I read this. Mary Stewart. When I was younger I worked my way through her series of what would probably be classed as YA adventure romance novels and loved each one of them. Lexi Revellian has the same knack of writing heroines who work their way through difficulties in a believable manner, making the right amount of mistakes to enable things to go wrong in an interesting manner without making such stupid mistakes you lose interest. The romance aspect is light and not sloppy, just sensibly intrinsic to the plot and develops organically from the characters' personalities. This isn't by any means a romance novel - the action/adventure is the main ingredient and I think this book is probably as much suited to men as to women, maybe even slightly more so. This would make a cracking film or tv series.
What I said when I started it : I'm well into this ebook now. Looking forward to the rest of it. It's a good solid reliable page turner. The main character is likeable, the baddie is deliciously unpleasant, the premise is gripping and the story line romps along nicely. Reminds me of the illustrated serials I used to read when I was a girl in the days when girls comics had extremely good and varied stories, before it all turned into boys, sex and popstars and reality tv and celebs. You remember? In those days we used to talk about the stories at school and be on tenterhooks waiting for the next instalment. Will say more when I've finished it.
August 30, 2013
This is the best value for money book on kindle I have read so far! Perhaps, because I am a twin, the story holds a certain resonance for me and this is also perhaps why (without spoiling anything) the ending, though a satisfactory conclusion, is more bittersweet for me than it may be for others. The author cleverly avoids trying to give any fancy scientific explanation for how the replication is brought about and it just becomes a fact you accept because you get so wrapped up in the consequences. She also doesn't really delve into any philosophical ideas that could be mooted re the replication (e.g. do they both have a soul?) or consider that the "mistake" made (in that the original Beth is duplicated exactly with all her memories etc) would still have very valuable, practical uses (e.g. if the original is injured or becomes ill, a healthy replica would be a very precious commodity - those of you who have watched "The Island" will know what I mean!) Having said all this, it is really a good thing that the story does not get bogged down with any reasoning like this. The plot moves along swiftly, it is well written and the characters (particularly Beth Two) elicit our empathy and our undivided attention - I kept coming back to the story every opportunity I got!! Maybe I'm wrong, but I somehow doubt that nice, honourable men such as Nick and Ollie would have the jobs they have in the Security Service, but
at the same time it is nice to see them portrayed as something more than paid goons. All in all, a compelling idea for a story and an extremely enjoyable read. I will certainly be checking out more of this author's work.
at the same time it is nice to see them portrayed as something more than paid goons. All in all, a compelling idea for a story and an extremely enjoyable read. I will certainly be checking out more of this author's work.
March 13, 2014
This book was on the second to last of 12 pages on my Kindle. I had gotten it a long time ago and was never really compelled to read it. So I dusted it off, so to speak, and started to read it.
Beth Chandler, a rather non-descript secretary, works for a research scientist whose focus is on cloning a human who can be used on the front lines in war. The cloned soldier would not have a consciousness but rather be controlled by the human at a safe location. The scientist, eager to test his machine, convinces Beth to be replicated. The problem is her replica has all her memories and is, in fact, a sentient being...a perfect replica of the original.
What follows is a harrowing story of survival for the replica while the original is blissfully unaware of her existence.
It is not often that I am unable to predict where a storyline heads. This book sucked me in and I honestly had trouble trying to figure out exactly where it was going to end. Though some parts were predictable, it really was suspenseful with twists and turns that made it a really good story. And I did not expect the ending. I would definitely recommend this book.
Beth Chandler, a rather non-descript secretary, works for a research scientist whose focus is on cloning a human who can be used on the front lines in war. The cloned soldier would not have a consciousness but rather be controlled by the human at a safe location. The scientist, eager to test his machine, convinces Beth to be replicated. The problem is her replica has all her memories and is, in fact, a sentient being...a perfect replica of the original.
What follows is a harrowing story of survival for the replica while the original is blissfully unaware of her existence.
It is not often that I am unable to predict where a storyline heads. This book sucked me in and I honestly had trouble trying to figure out exactly where it was going to end. Though some parts were predictable, it really was suspenseful with twists and turns that made it a really good story. And I did not expect the ending. I would definitely recommend this book.
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March 24, 2020DNF at 12%
I liked the other two novels by this author, Remix and Wolf by the Ears, but this one - just NO. Especially after I read a couple of reviews.
I liked the other two novels by this author, Remix and Wolf by the Ears, but this one - just NO. Especially after I read a couple of reviews.
May 20, 2011
I’m always a little wary of having over-high expectations of a book on the grounds that I liked the author’s other works because unless they involve the same characters in the same world, it doesn’t always work that way; but having read and loved ‘Remix’, I picked up ‘Replica’ in the assumption that what I had before me would be as well-written, well-formatted and sharply edited as her first book. I was not disappointed.
‘Replica’ tells of Beth Chandler, who on finding that her planned evening with her feckless boyfriend has fallen apart, is persuaded to let herself be subjected to the trial-run of the replicating machine on which her boss, the Professor is working. Getting back out of the machine, she is told that it did not work and is only mildly dismayed at the loss of her evening; however, what she does not know is that in the receiving end of the replicating machine in the other lab lies Beth Two - a perfect, thinking, fully-functioning copy of herself.
Beth Two fairly quickly realises what has happened; but she also overhears the Professor arguing with his unscrupulous boss over the potential fate of the replica and whether she can really be said to be a person, and therefore possessed of basic human rights. Being no fool, Beth Two flees; and Beth One, all unwitting, suddenly finds her life crumbling around her. Due to what she is told is a terrorist death-threat, she is moved to a safe-house, a new job, and watched around the clock by security men who are hoping that the replica Beth will come to the original for help.
This has the potential to be a very confusing book but due to the neat trick of telling Beth One’s story in the third person and Beth Two’s story in the first person, there is never any confusion as to who is saying what. Beth Two is thrown into a fugitive lifestyle while Beth One is protected and provided for, and the gradual difference made in their character by the circumstances is an interesting theme that emerges as the story develops. So too is the romance between Beth One and the hunky man from MI5 who she thinks has been set to protect her; he cannot tell her that his task is really to deal with the replica if she should appear, so while he is falling for the original Beth, all the time he must be prepared to “get rid of” Beth Two who is identical to Beth One in all respects; another intriguing ethical twist.
The development – or lack thereof – of the respective Beths is alternately exciting and full of suspense; the characters are engaging and believable; and all told, ‘Replica’ is another sterling effort from Lexi, quite on a par with ‘Remix’ and a lot of fun to read.
Should you buy it? Yep; no reservations. If you like this sort of story, you’ll love this one!
JAC.
‘Replica’ tells of Beth Chandler, who on finding that her planned evening with her feckless boyfriend has fallen apart, is persuaded to let herself be subjected to the trial-run of the replicating machine on which her boss, the Professor is working. Getting back out of the machine, she is told that it did not work and is only mildly dismayed at the loss of her evening; however, what she does not know is that in the receiving end of the replicating machine in the other lab lies Beth Two - a perfect, thinking, fully-functioning copy of herself.
Beth Two fairly quickly realises what has happened; but she also overhears the Professor arguing with his unscrupulous boss over the potential fate of the replica and whether she can really be said to be a person, and therefore possessed of basic human rights. Being no fool, Beth Two flees; and Beth One, all unwitting, suddenly finds her life crumbling around her. Due to what she is told is a terrorist death-threat, she is moved to a safe-house, a new job, and watched around the clock by security men who are hoping that the replica Beth will come to the original for help.
This has the potential to be a very confusing book but due to the neat trick of telling Beth One’s story in the third person and Beth Two’s story in the first person, there is never any confusion as to who is saying what. Beth Two is thrown into a fugitive lifestyle while Beth One is protected and provided for, and the gradual difference made in their character by the circumstances is an interesting theme that emerges as the story develops. So too is the romance between Beth One and the hunky man from MI5 who she thinks has been set to protect her; he cannot tell her that his task is really to deal with the replica if she should appear, so while he is falling for the original Beth, all the time he must be prepared to “get rid of” Beth Two who is identical to Beth One in all respects; another intriguing ethical twist.
The development – or lack thereof – of the respective Beths is alternately exciting and full of suspense; the characters are engaging and believable; and all told, ‘Replica’ is another sterling effort from Lexi, quite on a par with ‘Remix’ and a lot of fun to read.
Should you buy it? Yep; no reservations. If you like this sort of story, you’ll love this one!
JAC.
February 6, 2012
The quiet, unassuming Beth is a secretary in a government research lab, and while working late one night she accidently gets involved in a scientific experiment with unexpected results. Now there are two Beths – each with a full set of memories and each wanting her life back. Of course the government can’t afford for its secret to be out and so one of the Beths has to go – but which one?
The author does a wonderful job of giving each Beth her own “personality”, despite them being the same people. At the point of separation they are both naively trusting – while the original Beth has no idea of what has happened, she blindly follows instructions and lets everybody control her life until boyfriend Rob oversteps the mark and she starts to break out of the mould. Meanwhile Beth Two is heartbreakingly resigned to her fate, knowing full well that she is not the “real” Beth and therefore not entitled to reclaim her old life or family. With no friends and no money, she is forced to live rough but finds allies in unexpected places.
And as their lives diverge, each Beth finds an inner strength; as government agents close in, what starts as a fight to just be Beth turns into a fight for survival.
This is an unusual story told from several perspectives. While I’m not normally a fan of first person and third person narrators used within the same story, here it works extremely well to differentiate between the two main characters and allows us deeper insight into Beth Two, who throughout the story grows from simply the replica into a force to be reckoned with. And by the end, I wasn’t sure which Beth I felt the most empathy with.
A fascinating insight into what makes a person who they are – how lives, memories and personality shape character. And I might add – flawlessly written and perfectly formatted too. As good as, if not better, than any of the paperbacks on the best-sellers shelves in the shops.
The author does a wonderful job of giving each Beth her own “personality”, despite them being the same people. At the point of separation they are both naively trusting – while the original Beth has no idea of what has happened, she blindly follows instructions and lets everybody control her life until boyfriend Rob oversteps the mark and she starts to break out of the mould. Meanwhile Beth Two is heartbreakingly resigned to her fate, knowing full well that she is not the “real” Beth and therefore not entitled to reclaim her old life or family. With no friends and no money, she is forced to live rough but finds allies in unexpected places.
And as their lives diverge, each Beth finds an inner strength; as government agents close in, what starts as a fight to just be Beth turns into a fight for survival.
This is an unusual story told from several perspectives. While I’m not normally a fan of first person and third person narrators used within the same story, here it works extremely well to differentiate between the two main characters and allows us deeper insight into Beth Two, who throughout the story grows from simply the replica into a force to be reckoned with. And by the end, I wasn’t sure which Beth I felt the most empathy with.
A fascinating insight into what makes a person who they are – how lives, memories and personality shape character. And I might add – flawlessly written and perfectly formatted too. As good as, if not better, than any of the paperbacks on the best-sellers shelves in the shops.
February 7, 2013
I get a lot of free books, and occasionally I get a good one. This one was really well written. It drew me in, and I had a hard time putting it down. (I was up until after 1 AM on a weeknight finishing it!)
This story is about a young woman who works in a government research institute in London, gets cloned without realizing it, and the "Replica" overhears that they plan to "get rid" of her so she takes off. The story is the replica trying to keep away from the London version of the FBI/CIA, and how it changes her from the original.
I have to agree, I was not all that thrilled with the very end, but loved the suspense.
I enjoyed it, and will look for more work from this author.
This story is about a young woman who works in a government research institute in London, gets cloned without realizing it, and the "Replica" overhears that they plan to "get rid" of her so she takes off. The story is the replica trying to keep away from the London version of the FBI/CIA, and how it changes her from the original.
I have to agree, I was not all that thrilled with the very end, but loved the suspense.
I enjoyed it, and will look for more work from this author.
March 6, 2012
i would have given this book 4 stars except for the last 2 pages which were WTF for me. this book was so plausible and riveting up to this point. this book shows that the future can be exciting but it can be dangerous as well, as is the science in this future. it is frightening how a privileged few can get away with murder,, quite literally, all because they think what they are doing is for the greater good. highly recommend this book, but i WISH the end was different--i just didn't find it believable because of what had happened in the book previously.
August 2, 2016
Ok, so it's a bit fluffy and female and there's sop and a little romance. But you know, I found myself bespelled and enthralled and devouring the pages even so. I enjoyed the Time Rats book quite a bit and seeing the synopsis of Replica made me go "Ooh!" and it really and utterly didn't disappoint. With London captured well, plenty of action and a glimpse into just how a person can change because of circumstance this is a book I'd have no issue recommending strongly to the right sort of reader.
August 23, 2016
Compelling characters and premise hurl you into a suspense thriller worthy of Alfred Hitchcock. This is the fourth novel I've read by this author and all have been difficult to put down. What I like most about her books is that she creates intriguing scenarios and relatable characters that make the reader imagine what THEY would do in similar circumstances. The best book are those that keep you wondering and imagining after you've finished them.
March 13, 2013
I really liked how this played out... Lexi Revellian did a very good job of developing the two Beths that are supposed to be identical to one another other than the experiences they have after they're separated...I loved that the relationships between all of the characters were complicated and unpredictable.
This book was awesome and kept me guessing all the way to the end. Well done!
This book was awesome and kept me guessing all the way to the end. Well done!
August 9, 2014
A friend recommended this book and I’m so glad she did. What a find Lexi Revellian is. I was gripped from the first page. The plot is completely different from anything I’ve read before (and I read a LOT), the characters are absolutely believable and the language is beautiful. In other words Lexi Revellian really knows how to write. I’m off now to download another one.
October 11, 2014
Two sides of the same woman. One is easily recognizable, nothing in her life changes - well except for the lovely man who is supposed to protect her. The other driven to desperate acts when she escapes to the streets of London in winter - and there's that guy who keeps hunting her down.
December 9, 2013
This was really really good. Yes, it's a bit of fluffy escapism, but it's escapism at its best. Liked it so much I went looking for another book from the same author. Read Remix, didn't like it nearly as much.
November 4, 2011
good read. Liked that it wasn't heavy on the sci-fi stuff, more a tale of survival. great ending!
January 23, 2013
A very good read. Genuine. Full of action, romance, suspense, and govt. corruption. Really loved it.
May 11, 2015
Clone Thriller
A young woman discovers a woman who is her twin. The twin is a clone grown in a lab from the main character's DNA.
A young woman discovers a woman who is her twin. The twin is a clone grown in a lab from the main character's DNA.
October 8, 2022
Fab read.
February 13, 2022
Excellent read!!
January 18, 2018
My first Kindle book and I really enjoyed it. It had the right amount of suspense and tension. Made me want to pick it up and keep reading. A good sci fi story which actually could be believable. The only thing that I didn't like was the ending. It was going so well right up to nearly the end then the author just put in a really cheesy ending. My only complaint though
July 11, 2020
At first I thought this was going to be science fiction only but it turned into a thriller. This was a good concept but also freaky, could you imagine a soulless clone!
The story has just enough tension to keep you interested, I felt the characters didn’t really have enough depth so I found it hard to feel anything for them and their situations.
The story has just enough tension to keep you interested, I felt the characters didn’t really have enough depth so I found it hard to feel anything for them and their situations.
October 11, 2011
I very much enjoyed a previous book ('Remix') by this author, so this seemed like a good bet and I wasn't disappointed. The only difficult part is the initial premise: that a scientist has developed a method of cloning which produces a robotic-like copy under the control of the original, intended for military use, and decides his first human test subject will be his secretary Beth, whereupon things go slightly wrong - the copy is fully autonomous. Yeah, right. But the author addresses our scepticism: the process has already been extensively tested on animal subjects with the expected results. But why would the secretary agree to it? Because she's a meek little doormat. On the whole, it doesn't require much effort to go along with this.
Once you get past this point, the plot flows along in a totally logical and believable way. The scientist's boss sets out with a team of hitmen to capture, test and ultimately kill the replica, and the story follows her attempts to escape this fate. Because we see both sides, both hunters and prey, the tension is built up beautifully. There are narrow escapes and things going horribly wrong for both. The people the replica (Beth Two) meets all behave in credible ways - the officious security people who move her on, the doctor who disbelieves her story but doesn't try to hinder her, the friendly homeless people, the slight acquaintance she turns to in desperation who is so baby-befuddled that she asks no questions.
In the previous book, the characters had a certain eccentric charm, but the main characters here are less appealing. Beth One is - well, a doormat, and Beth Two, although she turns out to be moderately resourceful, is just a doormat scraping by in difficult circumstances, and I never found her very likeable. As for the male protagonist, Nick - look, I know the story is partly about his redemption from selfishness and arrogance, but I honestly don't see him being any different from Beth's obnoxious previous boyfriend. He hits on the woman he's supposed to be protecting when she's vulnerable, while simultaneously planning to kill her doppelganger. Yes, yes, I know he loves his son, and he's loyal to his friend, blah, blah, but a selfish jerk is still a selfish jerk. The other characters are better. I liked the Polish friend, and I loved the doctor caught up in the middle of a potentially lethal situation, spluttering in outrage - you just can't do that, this is Britain, we don't do things like that here! And the oily and cold-blooded boss is totally believable.
This is a well crafted book, and one of the most tightly plotted I've ever read. It's a real page turner almost right from the start, and a thoroughly enjoyable read.
Once you get past this point, the plot flows along in a totally logical and believable way. The scientist's boss sets out with a team of hitmen to capture, test and ultimately kill the replica, and the story follows her attempts to escape this fate. Because we see both sides, both hunters and prey, the tension is built up beautifully. There are narrow escapes and things going horribly wrong for both. The people the replica (Beth Two) meets all behave in credible ways - the officious security people who move her on, the doctor who disbelieves her story but doesn't try to hinder her, the friendly homeless people, the slight acquaintance she turns to in desperation who is so baby-befuddled that she asks no questions.
In the previous book, the characters had a certain eccentric charm, but the main characters here are less appealing. Beth One is - well, a doormat, and Beth Two, although she turns out to be moderately resourceful, is just a doormat scraping by in difficult circumstances, and I never found her very likeable. As for the male protagonist, Nick - look, I know the story is partly about his redemption from selfishness and arrogance, but I honestly don't see him being any different from Beth's obnoxious previous boyfriend. He hits on the woman he's supposed to be protecting when she's vulnerable, while simultaneously planning to kill her doppelganger. Yes, yes, I know he loves his son, and he's loyal to his friend, blah, blah, but a selfish jerk is still a selfish jerk. The other characters are better. I liked the Polish friend, and I loved the doctor caught up in the middle of a potentially lethal situation, spluttering in outrage - you just can't do that, this is Britain, we don't do things like that here! And the oily and cold-blooded boss is totally believable.
This is a well crafted book, and one of the most tightly plotted I've ever read. It's a real page turner almost right from the start, and a thoroughly enjoyable read.
April 14, 2011
After reading and loving Lexi's first book Remix as soon as her second book was released it went straight onto my Kindle.
Beth Chandler works in a Government research institute, and is too passive, letting people like boyfriend Rob and boss The Prof talk her into saying yes when she really wants to say no. This is how she finds herself accidentally duplicated by The Prof in an experiment designed to create clones for military use. However instead of Beth being in control of her clone Beth 2 is an exact replica and a sentient being. When Beth 2 overhears a discussion demanding they test then destroy her she goes on the run. This book is written partly in the first person, detailing her life on the cold streets of London. Meanwhile Beth is unaware of the existence of her clone and is fed a story about needing protection from terrorists to explain the presence of Spec Ops personnel. She finds herself falling for her protector Nick, unaware that he is trying to find and liquidate her double. We see their side of the story written in the third person.
The idea of a Government lab somewhere creating clones is slightly disturbing but with advances in science presumably not completely beyond the realms of possibility, so the basic premise is really interesting even if it may require a small leap of faith on the part of the reader. It certainly threw up some good questions for the characters the rights of sentient beings even if they are clones created in a lab and effectively non-people.
Once again Lexi has written some great characters, and although the two Beths are the same person they show different personalities, driven largely by the circumstances they found themselves in. To start with Nick was the MI5 spec ops guy, determined to hunt down Beth 2 for termination, but I felt a bit sorry for him as he tries to deal with the conflict he faces in hunting down Beth's double once he has fallen for the original Beth. I did feel that Beth got involved with Nick too quickly though, it didn't feel in character for her.
I enjoyed the descriptions of London and the places Beth 2 visits while trying to survive on the streets, I got a real sense of how hard it must be.
This seems to be an average length book, judging by the number of kindle locations, but it took me no time to finish as the pace and tension kept me reading. It has been well proofed and formatted and was a really enjoyable read, another action with a bit of romance on the side.
Beth Chandler works in a Government research institute, and is too passive, letting people like boyfriend Rob and boss The Prof talk her into saying yes when she really wants to say no. This is how she finds herself accidentally duplicated by The Prof in an experiment designed to create clones for military use. However instead of Beth being in control of her clone Beth 2 is an exact replica and a sentient being. When Beth 2 overhears a discussion demanding they test then destroy her she goes on the run. This book is written partly in the first person, detailing her life on the cold streets of London. Meanwhile Beth is unaware of the existence of her clone and is fed a story about needing protection from terrorists to explain the presence of Spec Ops personnel. She finds herself falling for her protector Nick, unaware that he is trying to find and liquidate her double. We see their side of the story written in the third person.
The idea of a Government lab somewhere creating clones is slightly disturbing but with advances in science presumably not completely beyond the realms of possibility, so the basic premise is really interesting even if it may require a small leap of faith on the part of the reader. It certainly threw up some good questions for the characters the rights of sentient beings even if they are clones created in a lab and effectively non-people.
Once again Lexi has written some great characters, and although the two Beths are the same person they show different personalities, driven largely by the circumstances they found themselves in. To start with Nick was the MI5 spec ops guy, determined to hunt down Beth 2 for termination, but I felt a bit sorry for him as he tries to deal with the conflict he faces in hunting down Beth's double once he has fallen for the original Beth. I did feel that Beth got involved with Nick too quickly though, it didn't feel in character for her.
I enjoyed the descriptions of London and the places Beth 2 visits while trying to survive on the streets, I got a real sense of how hard it must be.
This seems to be an average length book, judging by the number of kindle locations, but it took me no time to finish as the pace and tension kept me reading. It has been well proofed and formatted and was a really enjoyable read, another action with a bit of romance on the side.
June 8, 2011
This was the first time I’ve ever read a book like this, yet again blogging has shown me a book that I really liked that I never would have read had I not started reviewing books for authors! REPLICA has a crazy sci-fi feel to it, but without the aliens and spacemen! It was difficult to grasp the idea of replicating a human, and when the replication goes wrong, craziness ensues!
I like how the book was told in both 3rd person and 1st person. Beth One’s story is told in 3rd person, and Beth Two’s is told in 1st. This way the reader is able to keep track of which Beth they were reading about. Obviously the book is called REPLICA, because the main character Beth is replicated, hence the Beth One and Beth Two. I thought it was cool how the author put more of the focus on Beth Two, and her adventure staying free of the Secret Service members who were after her in order to take her to a lab and have tests run on her. Beth Two is able to get out of some sticky situations, and even though her and Beth One are the SAME person, with the same memories, as a reader we see Beth Two grow and change more as a character because of the obstacles that are placed before her in the story. Beth One’s life goes on as usual, so there is no real change in her character. I know talking about two Beth’s is confusing, basically you just need to read the book to get it!
I liked Nick as the main guy in the story. I definitely had the image in my mind of some tall, dark, rugged looking guy, who has a sexy but dangerous look to him. He annoyed me a little bit in the book, because of the fact that he was one of the main Secret Service men hunting for Beth Two, but overall he won me over.
I really did like this book even though it’s written for someone younger than me. I think that YA literature lovers and people who love reading in general will enjoy this book. It’s a fun adventure story, that does have some serious aspects to it, and it’s creative and original! The only negative thing I have to say about the book is that when someone you love dies, I feel like there should be more of a reacting then was shown in this book. I can’t say anymore than that, because it’s a HUGE spoiler. I was a little disappointed at the characters reactions, but other than that I really enjoyed reading this book. It was a quick, fun read, and I would definitely recommend it.
I give this book 4 out of 5 stars!
I like how the book was told in both 3rd person and 1st person. Beth One’s story is told in 3rd person, and Beth Two’s is told in 1st. This way the reader is able to keep track of which Beth they were reading about. Obviously the book is called REPLICA, because the main character Beth is replicated, hence the Beth One and Beth Two. I thought it was cool how the author put more of the focus on Beth Two, and her adventure staying free of the Secret Service members who were after her in order to take her to a lab and have tests run on her. Beth Two is able to get out of some sticky situations, and even though her and Beth One are the SAME person, with the same memories, as a reader we see Beth Two grow and change more as a character because of the obstacles that are placed before her in the story. Beth One’s life goes on as usual, so there is no real change in her character. I know talking about two Beth’s is confusing, basically you just need to read the book to get it!
I liked Nick as the main guy in the story. I definitely had the image in my mind of some tall, dark, rugged looking guy, who has a sexy but dangerous look to him. He annoyed me a little bit in the book, because of the fact that he was one of the main Secret Service men hunting for Beth Two, but overall he won me over.
I really did like this book even though it’s written for someone younger than me. I think that YA literature lovers and people who love reading in general will enjoy this book. It’s a fun adventure story, that does have some serious aspects to it, and it’s creative and original! The only negative thing I have to say about the book is that when someone you love dies, I feel like there should be more of a reacting then was shown in this book. I can’t say anymore than that, because it’s a HUGE spoiler. I was a little disappointed at the characters reactions, but other than that I really enjoyed reading this book. It was a quick, fun read, and I would definitely recommend it.
I give this book 4 out of 5 stars!
June 17, 2011
I find the premise of this book absolutely fascinating. With the advances in cloning, it's quite possible that this very experiment has already been conducted somewhere, and that makes this plot all the more compelling. I found myself contemplating what a replica would truly be like, in terms of character and actions. Lexi Revellian does a lovely job of differentiating the personalities of the two Beths, while maintaining enough similarities to keep the premise of the story realistic.
The story is written from both the first and third person points of view. It is easy to tell the thoughts of Beth One (original) and Beth Two (replica) apart, as Beth Two is always told through first person. The result is a clearly defined storyline, with the tendency to identify most with the replica. Knowing her personal feelings and struggles really gives her life and makes her the most interesting character in the book. Beth One, on the other hand, felt much more one-note and never totally came off the page for me. She seemed more like a replica to me than the very alive Beth Two. It did have the effect of really stressing the differences between the two Beths, which I'm sure was the point, but I would have liked Beth One to have a more developed presence in the story. I liked that her personality was very different than her replica's personality, but I think it's still possible to have strong characterization in a meek character. We see some growth and she does come more alive towards the end of the book, but her actions and reactions prior to that felt lacking in any personality.
I am of two thoughts about the ending of the book. I really liked the climax of the story, overall. It had a few surprises in store and I liked that it wasn't entirely predictable. I thought the resolution of the conflict added a clever twist. If the book would have ended there, with a tiny epilogue, I would have been satisfied. What I didn't like as much was the very last chapter. That seemed to me a little more unrealistic, and (without giving spoilers) I felt like Beth's behavior seemed uncharacteristic and the result was somewhat disappointing. I would have preferred choices that were more in line with Beth's personality and less of the "perfect package" wrapping.
A really fun and thought-provoking read, this entertaining book is well worth the time.
(Full review @ gracekrispy.com MotherLode book reviews)
The story is written from both the first and third person points of view. It is easy to tell the thoughts of Beth One (original) and Beth Two (replica) apart, as Beth Two is always told through first person. The result is a clearly defined storyline, with the tendency to identify most with the replica. Knowing her personal feelings and struggles really gives her life and makes her the most interesting character in the book. Beth One, on the other hand, felt much more one-note and never totally came off the page for me. She seemed more like a replica to me than the very alive Beth Two. It did have the effect of really stressing the differences between the two Beths, which I'm sure was the point, but I would have liked Beth One to have a more developed presence in the story. I liked that her personality was very different than her replica's personality, but I think it's still possible to have strong characterization in a meek character. We see some growth and she does come more alive towards the end of the book, but her actions and reactions prior to that felt lacking in any personality.
I am of two thoughts about the ending of the book. I really liked the climax of the story, overall. It had a few surprises in store and I liked that it wasn't entirely predictable. I thought the resolution of the conflict added a clever twist. If the book would have ended there, with a tiny epilogue, I would have been satisfied. What I didn't like as much was the very last chapter. That seemed to me a little more unrealistic, and (without giving spoilers) I felt like Beth's behavior seemed uncharacteristic and the result was somewhat disappointing. I would have preferred choices that were more in line with Beth's personality and less of the "perfect package" wrapping.
A really fun and thought-provoking read, this entertaining book is well worth the time.
(Full review @ gracekrispy.com MotherLode book reviews)
November 27, 2012
Two years ago, I read and reviewed an earlier novel by Lexi Revellian called Remix. I loved it, so when I was offered the chance to review a second novel, Replica, I jumped at it.
I wasn’t disappointed!
Plunging straight into the action seems to be something of a Revellian trait, as Replica doesn’t hang around. By page 8, major events have already occurred and we’re having to deal with the aftermath of some pretty earth-shattering revelations very soon afterwards. Suspension of disbelief can be a major hang-up of mine if the subject matter isn’t handled well, but Lexi is a real pro – with everyone aware of science’s progress with cloning the notion of replication is an unnervingly real prospect, and the lack of overly scientific jargon to explain everything away (which might have hampered proceedings, making them seem contrived and unrealistic while bogging the reader down in “facts” they do not need) adds to that sense of realism – we just accept it as a matter of fact and run with it.
The writing is ludicrously easy to read – honestly, I have very rarely come across a writer whose words seem so effortless to read and it’s a real joy to get into the story and characters so quickly it feels like one has known them for years. Even with two Beths who start out essentially the same person, but through their very different experiences after the replication, rapidly become completely separate and instantly recognisable, it never becomes even remotely confusing – one is always acutely aware of who is who.
In the hands of a lesser writer, this could have been a real mess, but Revellian takes a nifty idea and writes it so neatly that when we reach the shocking conclusion, there are aspects which one honestly didn’t see coming, but afterwards one realises it couldn’t have happened any other way.
On the back of enjoying this novel (and the previous one) so much, I can hardly wait to read Ice Diaries!
I wasn’t disappointed!
Plunging straight into the action seems to be something of a Revellian trait, as Replica doesn’t hang around. By page 8, major events have already occurred and we’re having to deal with the aftermath of some pretty earth-shattering revelations very soon afterwards. Suspension of disbelief can be a major hang-up of mine if the subject matter isn’t handled well, but Lexi is a real pro – with everyone aware of science’s progress with cloning the notion of replication is an unnervingly real prospect, and the lack of overly scientific jargon to explain everything away (which might have hampered proceedings, making them seem contrived and unrealistic while bogging the reader down in “facts” they do not need) adds to that sense of realism – we just accept it as a matter of fact and run with it.
The writing is ludicrously easy to read – honestly, I have very rarely come across a writer whose words seem so effortless to read and it’s a real joy to get into the story and characters so quickly it feels like one has known them for years. Even with two Beths who start out essentially the same person, but through their very different experiences after the replication, rapidly become completely separate and instantly recognisable, it never becomes even remotely confusing – one is always acutely aware of who is who.
In the hands of a lesser writer, this could have been a real mess, but Revellian takes a nifty idea and writes it so neatly that when we reach the shocking conclusion, there are aspects which one honestly didn’t see coming, but afterwards one realises it couldn’t have happened any other way.
On the back of enjoying this novel (and the previous one) so much, I can hardly wait to read Ice Diaries!
July 23, 2011
I have to say I really enjoyed this story. It kept me guessing about what was going to happen next the whole way through and the ending even managed to catch me by surprise. It’s not often I get hit off guard like that so kudos to the author. Beth two and Nick made really great characters. Beth one not so much, but then I felt the real story revolved around the replica anyway, so this didn’t matter. I felt the beginning of the novel read a tiny bit rough in parts, but this smoothed out quickly as we got the characters introduced and became more caught up in what I thought of as a fascinating plot. I found very few places where I was tempted to skim. If you knew me and how impatient I can be at times to get on with things, you would realize just how much of a compliment this was to the story and its ability to hold my attention. It raised a lot of questions about the morals involved with cloning, or producing replicas of real people, and what could happen if we aren’t careful. With science proceeding ahead in leaps and bounds, who knows, the questions raised by Lexi Revellian in “Replica” could very well be a problem we will be faced with in the near future. Definitely worth taking a look at here. I’m sure you will enjoy reading “Replica” as much as I did. A great read for those of you who like a good romance, but will also hit the spot for any who enjoy a thriller.
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