Beta [Hardcover]

Rachel Cohn (Author)

Book Description

Release date: October 16, 2012 | Series: Beta

Elysia is created in a laboratory, born as a sixteen-year-old girl, an empty vessel with no life experience to draw from. She is a Beta, an experimental model of a teenage clone. She was replicated from another teenage girl, who had to die in order for Elysia to exist.

Elysia’s purpose is to serve the inhabitants of Demesne, an island paradise for the wealthiest people on earth. Everything about Demesne is bioengineered for perfection. Even the air induces a strange, euphoric high, which only the island’s workers—soulless clones like Elysia—are immune to.

At first, Elysia’s life is idyllic and pampered. But she soon sees that Demesne’s human residents, who should want for nothing, yearn. But for what, exactly? She also comes to realize that beneath the island’s flawless exterior, there is an under­current of discontent among Demesne’s worker clones. She knows she is soulless and cannot feel and should not care—so why are overpowering sensations cloud­ing Elysia’s mind?

If anyone discovers that Elysia isn’t the unfeeling clone she must pretend to be, she will suffer a fate too terrible to imagine. When her one chance at happi­ness is ripped away with breathtaking cruelty, emotions she’s always had but never understood are unleashed. As rage, terror, and desire threaten to overwhelm her, Elysia must find the will to survive.

The first in a dazzlingly original science fiction series from best-selling author Rachel Cohn, Beta is a haunting, unforgettable story of courage and love in a cor­rupted world.

 

 

Praise for Beta:

 

"A terrific premise that is equally well executed...Readers can only hope [the sequel] will be as thrilling as this series kickoff."

--Los Angles Times

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Rachel Cohn is the New York Times bestselling author of eleven young adult novels, including Gingerbread, Shrimp and Cupcake and, with David Levithan, Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist and Dash and Lily's Book of Dares.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion Book CH (October 16, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1423157192
• ISBN-13: 978-1423157199
• Product Dimensions: 6.2 x 1 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (59 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #92,357 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Quite a Few Issues October 19, 2012

By Christina (A Reader of Fictions) TOP 1000 REVIEWER

Format:Hardcover

Before I got to read this one, I saw a few non-flattering reviews roll in, so I was on my guard, prepared for another in a string of disappointing reads. Thankfully, I enjoyed Beta pretty much all the way through, although I am definitely immensely skeptical about where the series is heading.

Beta takes place on an island paradise, home to only the richest and most fashionable of people. These people are so rich that they have clones, programmed to be emotionless and get work done perfectly, to take care of them, because, honestly, human butlers and nannies are just so last season. The rest of the world is not so nice, and is very different from the one we know today. Details on that are somewhat limited in Beta, but I hope to learn more about the Water Wars and what the cities are like in later installments.

I do need to talk for a bit about the concept of the clones to serve this island. Honestly, I don't get it. They talked about why they needed them: because good labor is too difficult to find, since the island didn't have natives and travel to the island is exceedingly expensive. That's nice and all, but I'm FAIRLY CERTAIN that producing clones is about 80 billion times more expensive than that. Also, the whole process seems suspect to me. For one thing, the person being cloned is supposed to be dead, which makes me wonder where all of the hot, dead people are coming from. Another problem with I have with this is the whole business about how they separate out the soul from the body. Did I miss when we figured out where the soul is? Has a physical soul been located in the future?

Betas are not supposed to be able to feel or taste anything. They should be, essentially, like robots. Elysia, our heroine, is a beta, a test clone for the new teen line. Because she is gorgeous (stacked), she sells quickly and goes to serve as a companion in the home of a wealthy family. It quickly becomes apparent that Elysia is not what a clone should be, which I am thankful for, since her first person story would have been VERY boring were she actually the way clones are meant to be.

Thankfully, I did not find her narration boring at all. Cohn's writing often amused me and I really liked the rhythm of it. Basically, she used the beginning clone section for comedic value. Even early on, it's apparent that something is wrong with Elysia's programming because she is so incredibly curious. As such she asks lots of inappropriate questions. For additional reader amusement, she interprets things very literally, like wondering where a girl 'puts out the sex.' This humor was obvious, but I must admit I was still entertained.

Cohn makes an attempt at twists, and there are several in here. Most of them I saw coming from miles away. Pretty much as soon as a character was introduced, I would predict that x and y would happen to them and then a hundred pages or more later, it would. The twists at the end did get me, though, I will admit. Basically, there are enough surprises that she'll likely catch you off guard once or twice.

For most of the book, I was okay with the romance. Just okay. I don't especially care for either guy (yes, a love triangle, and one that I suspect I will come to loathe). Tahir sounds totally dreamy. Were I Elysia, I would be all over that one, because he sounds delicious. Besides, he's actually there, which helps. Still, I did not really experience any feels at their romance. Mostly, I just wanted her to enjoy herself, because why the hell not. The other boy has a history with her First, aka the girl she was cloned from, and she knows him from a brief memory. He holds no appeal for me. Still, the dynamics of the love triangle were interesting enough thus far.

Did you notice that I have mentioned THE END a couple of times as having been somewhat distinct from the rest of the novel for me? GOODNESS GRACIOUS, THE ENDING. I really wish that I could talk about this in detail with you guys, but I won't because spoilers. Here's what I can say. Things get darker, which I give Cohn props for. Something I thought was coming but kind of didn't think would happen because it usually doesn't in YA DID happen, and it was painful. That part of the end was good in a painful way.

THEN there's some things that I am just all kinds of not cool with, which sucks because I had such a pleasant reading experience up to that point, despite my nitpicking above. What it comes down to is that some trope-ish things happen all in a row and I am REALLY concerned about whether I will like the next book at all. If anyone has read this book, I would love to discuss!

So, for the review skimmers, I will say that I enjoyed reading Beta quite a bit, but I am not altogether sure how I feel about it. A lot will hinge on whether you like Cohn's writing and what happens in book two.

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Exciting new dystopia! October 22, 2012

By Evie Seo (Bookish blog)

Format:Hardcover

A provocative, intellectually stimulating and emotionally engaging tale of humanity, identity, ethics and free will, BETA is, in a word, fascinating. In this fun to read, absorbing and unique novel, Rachel Cohn addresses some interesting ethical issues about the pitfalls of cloning and bio-genetics. She introduces us to a great new heroine that, engineered to serve the wealthy residents of Demesne, is forced to either obediently follow all the rules or die. Disquieting, thrilling and haunting, BETA is the first book in what quickly became one of my new favourite YA dystopian series!

Set on an idyllic island inhabited by only the wealthiest, most powerful people in the world (Demesne), BETA tells the story of Elysia, a first in a new generation of teenage clones. Elysia's life is not her own. She is a clone and therefore she does not experience emotions or desires. She is merely an expensive toy, a servant, a valuable possession designed to do whatever she's asked to do. While she's a novelty that her owners like to show off to their friends, she's also totally expendable and even the smallest hint of being a "defect" will result in her immediate termination. What will happen to Elysia when she'll discover that she might be, indeed, a defect? Will she find it in herself to fight for her life and freedom? In a world where clones are nothing more than slaves, and emotions and desires - a sign of imperfection, is there any hope for this unwanted clone who so desperately wants to live?

BETA has a lot to offer. It's well-written, fast-paced, filled with jaw-dropping twists and unexpected - at times even shocking - plot developments. From the first page to the last, it's a wild, breathtaking ride that is sure to surprise you at least a few times. The captivating and convincing prose ensures that even its most bizarre futuristic themes and improbable situations remain believable, the characters - relatable. Rachel Cohn created a world that, though a little bit underdeveloped and sketchy on the details (and possibly purposefully so!), is simply fantastic. Unsettling, cold and emotionless, yet beautiful and undeniably compelling. It's not a flawless book, but Cohn's greatly enjoyable writing style makes the few flaws and shortcomings easy to overlook and results in a perfectly satisfying, exciting story. Moreover, BETA is not only an action-packed and highly entertaining futuristic noir, it's also a multi-dimensional and thought-provoking morality tale. An affecting picture that is rich with metaphor, ambitious, and thematically relevant. Featuring themes such as discrimination, search for identity, equality, free will and slavery, it's an insightful examination of what it means to be human - to live, feel and want.

I enjoyed Elysia's first-person narrative and thought it worked way better than a third-person narrative would. I thought she was a great, likeable protagonist and while some of her decisions made me raise my eyebrows a little, overall I found her character quite realistic (as much as a clone could be) and relatable. In the end, I can say that I grew attached to her and enjoyed cheering her on. It was compelling to see the world through her eyes and watch her explore, learn, and experience all the new things for the first time. Her inexperience often lead to many funny situations and hilarious misunderstandings. At the same time, though, while some parts of the story were amusing, even heart-warming, the overall tone of the story was serious, quite unsettling and dark.

Another aspect of this book that I really loved was its mysteriousness. There is so much going on within the pages - from cloning and rebellious movements against it to Elysia's personal experiences and adventures - yet most of that is covered with a veil of mystery and secrecy. And while we do get some answers at the end, many of the questions are left unanswered. For the most part, the story line was positively unpredictable. The tension never let up and kept me on my toes all throughout the book. The only thing I could possibly complain about is that I now have to wait so long to find out what happens next! And that ending?! Oh. My. Gosh. Talk about a killer cliffhanger!

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Slow Paced & Very Mediocre January 1, 2013

By Scott Reads It

Format:Hardcover

**I would like to thank Disney-Hyperion for providing me an ARC on NetGalley.**
Beta is one of those books that came with alot of hype and publicity. I read many mixed reviews for Beta but I didn't let that stop me from reading it. Beta has a super interesting concept but I don't think it was executed well. This a book where there is an extremely slow paced plot where throughout the majority of the book nothing seems to happen. There was way too much dialogue and not nearly enough conflict. Beta joins the ranks of books like Matched where the romance is way too overwhelming and slows down the plot. To say I'm disappointed with Beta would be an understatement.

Beta takes place on Demense, an island that is considered by it's wealthy residents to be flawless. The air on Demense even gives the residents an ataraxic high. Clones are employed by the residents of the island as servants who fufill the residents of Demense's every whim. These clones are replicated from dead humans who are called Firsts but clones do not have memories of their Firsts.

In addition to not having memories of their Firsts, clones are not supposed to have emotions otherwise they are considered defects. Defects are illegal due to the fact that they aren't the mindless zombies the residents of Demense want them to be. Clones also have a tattoo that reveals what their occupation is on Demense. I really enjoyed the descriptions and anecdotes about the clones on Demense.
Our protagonist is Elysia was adopted by a general's family and lives on Demense. She is a Beta, an experimental teen clone which makes her unique on Demense. Elysia begins to realize that she isn't the mindless clone everyone thinks clones should be. I did like Elysia but her perfection became extremely annoying. She was extremely athletic, social, smart, pretty and the list goes on and on. The fact that she displayed emotion didn't make her anyless perfect in my opinion. The emotions made her stronger as a character and helped her face challenges.

I wasn't a fan of the romance of Beta at all because it seemed superficial. When I read romance I like it to feel that the characters have a connection but Tahir and Elysia didn't have any connection. Their so-called romance was superficially built on looks and I feel like they barely knew each other. As soon as Elysia meets Tahir it's insta-love and she begins to swoon over Tahir. I really liked Elysia until this point because she felt very strong and independent. As soon as she met Tahir she was extremely reckless, rash, and ignorant and I felt like she was too smart to be so brainwashed into believing that it was true love. Seriously you know nothing about him at all and you still think you're in love? That's not love at all it's purely ridiculous infatuation.
The plot of Beta seemed to be almost conflict-less and bereft of any action. Beta moved at a very sluggish pace that I struggled to keep reading. At a certain point there way too much swooning and insta-love until I couldn't take it anymore. For 85% of the novel there was so little tension and eventful things that I could have just skipped it all. If I had just read the last 15% of Beta after reading the beginning it wouldn't have made any difference because virtually nothing happened at all. I became so extremely bored with Beta that I kept putting off reading it and at a point each page felt like a struggle. By the time I reached the ending where something finally happened, I was too bored out of my wits to care at all. Also Beta was way too predictable and I knew what was going to happen 99% of the time. Beta was way too cliche for me and predictable for me.

Rachel Cohn decided to explore very controversial topics such as sexual abuse and drug use in Beta. I didn't really think she handled these topics well in Beta at all because everything felt so nonchalant. The teens on Demense are constantly using a drug 'raxia to achieve ataraxia. Doing 'raxia really had no importance in the book at all and it just felt extremely unnecessary. There was no deeper meaning where people are warned that drugs are bad for you at all so I am not sure why this was included in Beta. Why are clones sexually abused? There are cases of sexual abuse in this book but they didn't feel serious at all. I think these scenes were way too casually executed because sexual abuse is a serious issue. The mentioning of sexual abuse in Beta seems just randomly added in because it doesn't even feel like an issue. Rachel Cohn doesn't even make us have empathy for the character who got sexually abused. The sexual abuse in this novel didn't appear to have any significance at all and it bothered me how it felt just effortlessly thrown in.

Beta wasn't the book for me at all. If you enjoy reading sluggishly paced books with no conflict at all, Beta may be your fix. I don't really enjoy romances when I can't even like the male romantic interest at all. Beta has a serious case of insta-love to the point where it is extremely painful to read. I really felt like Beta had a ton of potential but Rachel Cohn focused way too much on romance. The chances of me reading Beta's sequel is as likely as the world ending in 2012.