Really interesting book. Enjoyed the science fiction concepts and themes it explored. Enjoyed that it brought up themes of childhood trauma to explain how the main character became so

rigid, mean, intense etc

However I found the writing slogged a bit when talking about the main characters feelings and I found her main insufferable at points

I knew Evelyn wasn't supposed to be lovable, but oh my god, I could not stand her! At the beginning I was even hoping that Martine was going to kill her and take her place or something lol. Wished we saw Martine's perspective. Enjoyed the ending. Some really good scenes like them dealing with the bodies. Also wished the lab assistant came back.

The audiobook narration wasn't my personal favourite, the narrator sounded like they were about to start sobbing multiple times throughout and it gave it a bit of an odd vibe.

The ideas around cloning are fascinating if you don't ask yourself any questions about them! Overall, this was a decently imagined book that was a tiny bit tedious to read, but worth it for a few hours' entertainment. 

This book reads like an episode of The Twilight Zone. Thrilling plot developments and well developed characters had me zoom through it in one sitting. It has a very hopeful message about escaping abuse and finding the strength to rise above limitations forced on you by those who want to see you fail. Martine is such a well written and sympathetic character who shows that initial preconceived notions put on her by others can't define who she chooses to become. Evelyn has a strong story arc that sees her overcoming horrific emotional abuse to find the strength to break the cycle of others cruelty and betrayal to begin extending grace that she was never given. All of it told in a compelling Sci-fi story that will keep you hooked.

I really struggled on and off with finishing this book but ultimately I landed on the side of liking it. A lot of the things that bothered me or seemed confusing early on made a bit more sense when all the pieces started to click together in the end. It was hard at times to get through the first ~half but I think the author ultimately did a good job of exploring the themes they were aiming to explore.

Brutal and uncompromising and excellent. Are there some holes in it? Completely. Is that the point? Not even a little. Wow. I am awed and shaken by this book. 

 This book is a bit of an acquired taste, and I'm not sure that I acquired it by the end. If you love reading books with horrible main characters you are meant to hate, you'll love this. If not, this is going to be upsetting from start to finish.

I do think this book is relatively successful at what it sets out to do. It explores cycles of abuse, misogyny (both external and internal), and, obviously, the ethics of cloning. Martine's storyline really pulled me in, and every revelation about what her life was like got me more and more invested. The place she ended up in by the end still sticks with me. I wanted to pry the book open, pull her out of it, and weld the door shut after her. That speaks volumes for the effectiveness of Gailey's writing. 

That being said, the main character, Evelyn, is written as a cold, uncaring asshole, and that is done so effectively that it makes the novel hard to read. If you need your main characters to be even remotely likable or empathetic, you will not like this one. I do understand that Evelyn is intended to be this way, but on a personal level, it was just too much. I couldn't stomach a second read of this.

Overall, this is a brutal examination of misogyny, abuse, and personhood. It won't be for everyone, but if you're ready for a tough read, it'll deliver. 

(Cross-posted on Goodreads)