The Visitors

The Clone Codes #3

by Patricia C. McKissack

The stunning conclusion to the Clone Codes trilogy
There is a wicked system of operation inside the Topas Corporation, where clones are produced. Only authorized Topas officials are allowed inside. Only they, along with the clones themselves, know what happens within the walls of the world's largest and most powerful cloning company. This final book of The Clone Codes plunges readers into this strange reality. At the same time, The World Federation of Nations has issued an urgent decree to the masses--find Houston Ye, a cyborg, and Leanna Deberry, a clone, both fugitives! There is a $1 million bounty on each of their heads if captured alive. Once again, the McKissacks blend a futuristic world with events from world history to create a gripping sci-fi adventure.

Genres: Science Fiction, Middle Grade

160 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 2012

About the author

Patricia C. McKissack was the Newbery Honor, Coretta Scott King Award-winning author of The Dark-Thirty and Porch Lies an ALA Notable Book. She collaborated with Jerry Pinkney on Goin' Someplace Special (Coretta Scott King Award winner) and Mirandy and Brother Wind (Coretta Scott King Award winner and Caldecott Honor Book).

Reviews

[Mary Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this is a solid wrap-up for the trilogy. The plot moves VERY quickly but these are middle grade fiction novels, so I appreciate that the authors don't overwhelm a young reader with a ton of details. I do wish they would have chosen just one MC to tell the entire story instead of three as I found the shifts in the first-person narrative jarring. I would have loved these books as a kid and think they're a great series for any young reader interested in sci-fi. My criticisms still stand but can be found in my reviews of the first two books.

[Delaney · Rating 3 out of 5]

This final installment in the Clone Codes trilogy is told from the perspective of boy genius Carlos Pace, son of Dr. Marcus Pace. This last book is mostly centered on the main characters (Houston, Leanna, and Carlos himself) trying desperately to fight against the WFN and Topas Corporation, who are bent on enslaving clones and limiting the rights of Cyborgs. They are trying to do all this as the court date hurtles closer in which Leanna has to make a final appearance to free everyone once and for all. Aliens called the O also make numerous appearances, as they know what lies in the future.

I have been waiting forever to get access to this final book for AGES. I just got it and devoured it, excited to see how the trilogy turns out. However, I hate to admit it, this book is probably the choppiest of them all. It starts out as Carlos watching Leanna's memory stick (a tube that allows you to hold memories and even emotions) from what happened to her while she was kidnapped. It took me a while to realize that this wasn't actually happening to Carlos, and once I did it was very confusing. Carlos completes the memory stick,and then almost immediately after, the characters start going on about events and ideas that were hardly mentioned in the first and second, and then there's an attack on where they're hiding. This moment, and some others, were very understated and came way too fast, without any explanation. (I mean, honestly. Cyborgs outside the window are being beaten down by evil robots and they treat it as a trip to the grocery store.) I did like the ending and how all is revealed at the end.

My conclusion? This book is like a batch of cookies:could be great, but only half baked.

[Steven R. McEvoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the first book, The Clone Codes. I was a little disappointed in book two Cyborg, in this series. The length of the book was closer to a novella than a novel and yet priced as a novel. This third book, The Visitors, is longer and as it wraps up the Clone Codes Trilogy it does a great job of redeeming the series. It deals with questions of freedom, justice and the ultimate question of being - what does it mean to be a sentient being?

Things are quickly moving towards a final conflict between the World Federation of Nations and the Liberty Bell Movement. Both Clones and Cyborgs are uprising. A new species of beings is brought into the conflict and the mysterious O visitors from outer space intervene because Humans are just not ready to go beyond our own star yet. The O are trying to guide and direct us on the right path.

This story was full of new twists and turns. It was a riveting read and I could barely put it down, and I read it in under a day. It was a great read and I highly recommend the whole trilogy!
...
Read the review and with links to other reviews of books by the authors on my blog Book Reviews and More.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Carlos experiences "virtually" what Leanna has gone thru trying to be an altered clone. Now he is more determined to help his friend become free. After a visit from The O, he begins to understand that Ruby is, in fact, a sentient being who needs to experience the "splitting" in order to survive. As Chancellor Graham continues her campaign to defeat the Liberty Bell movement, the cyborgs, clones and now the Chrystallines band together to demand a peaceful solution to the problem: have the trial and let the world decide whose right

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This final installment in the Clone Codes trilogy is told from the perspective of boy genius Carlos Pace, son of Dr. Marcus Pace. This last book is mostly centered on the main characters (Houston, Leanna, and Carlos himself) trying desperately to fight against the WFN and Topas Corporation, who are bent on enslaving clones and limiting the rights of Cyborgs. They are trying to do all this as the court date hurtles closer in which Leanna has to make a final appearance to free everyone once and for all. Aliens called the O also make numerous appearances, as they know what lies in the future.

[Candace · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good ending to the series. The outcome was the expected one but a nice twist was included. It's still jarring the way they skip over events from book to book yet reference it later. It was better in this book because of the way they referenced back to Leanna's experience in the Topas Corporation. There is also a great moment with one of the characters in proving the basic right of clones as human beings. Pretty good overall

[Jennah Mielke · Rating 2 out of 5]

I dont have much to say about this book. i got confused and didnt get most of it. If you can understand confusing books like this, this is a book for you. i didnt like it as much as i thought i would..... i thought that itt would have way more action than it did. It wasnt all bad though there were some parts i liked. I think maybe i got confused because this is the third book. I would recomened that you read the first and second ones first.

[Haley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had the most unique type of alien being I've ever heard of: The Crystallines. That's what RUBy is. She not just or rock or a computer. She a being made of crystal-well she is a crystal, a sentient crystal. She doesn't look like a person or animal or anything. But the whole thing was pretty cool.

[Talissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Visitors is the final book in the Clone Codes series. Joining the clones now include cyborgs and "rocks" that have a conscience. McKissack's purpose is almost unchanged from the first book: equality. This time, though, the purpose changes a little, as the fight for freedom is done nonviolently as Leanna looks at Martin Luther King Jr's life. Finally, the story ends with the fight won.

[Kathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just didn't like this one as much as the other two. Maybe it was the younger narrator. It felt rushed and disjointed. The ending seemed a bit too contrived.

[The Styling Librarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this conclusing. Wrapped up some unanswered questions and left it for the team to write other books if they wanted...

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was slow reading and not interesting. I didn't like how it was written in a kind of diary format.

[Larissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

It seemed a bit flat after the first two books

[Crystal · Rating 1 out of 5]

Only read because I just felt that I needed to finish the series. This was the worst one yet. It felt rushed, disjointed and the ending seemed contrived.

[Vanessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

There could have more of an explanation to it.

[Jnase1 · Rating 2 out of 5]

As strange as the first two books were, this book was the strangest of all. Didn't really care for the ending either. Kind of disappointing.

[Jed Ogea]

I just read a great book by Patricia C. Mckissack some of the characters are

[Msiddiqui4 · Rating 4 out of 5]

SWBST + Themes
Carlos Pace wanted to be a regular human being, but the place he lived in holds a headquarters where clones are made. So if he can stop the headquarters, then he can live peacefully.

[Bruce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really loved this story and all the characters in it!

[Irinel Finco · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grade school level.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it want more and can't wait to read what's next

[Lena]

on pg 31