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16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Rushed Me and Lost Me, January 9, 2010
This review is from: The Clone Codes #1 (Hardcover)
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The Clone Codes should have been a fantastic book. The setting and premise are promising - a future world where clones and cyborgs are treated as property and less-than-human. An underground organization, deliberately compared to the Underground Railroad on the nineteenth century, strives to win personal rights for all human beings, and members find themselves declared enemies of the state. Leanna Deberry, a teenage girl clone who was raised as a human, represents the sole proof that second-generation beings are equal to their progenitors. In my opinion, it's the style of writing that diminishes this wonderful premise into a 3-star book. In the belief that young readers have no patience, the authors have rushed to dump us immediately into the danger-escape-chase mode, without taking the time to build a setting full of richly drawn characters we care about. I found the writing extremely bumpy at the beginning. I believe that readers delving into science fiction and fantasy need to be given time and space to suspend their disbelief. The book should draw you in gently until you are willing to believe whatever the narration gives you. Instead, while reading The Clone Codes, I found myself saying, "C'mon now! Do you expect me to buy this?" Throw in some aliens where none are really needed, and include the unfortunate fact that there are few surprises in the book (every big reveal was something that I'd seen coming for a long time) and readers may be left with a disappointment.
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Future History Fails to Fully Engage, January 6, 2010
This review is from: The Clone Codes #1 (Hardcover)
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The idea behind "Clone Codes" is interesting: a way to teach young readers today about the past issue of slavery by placing similar conditions in a future world. However this isn't a new idea really and therefore it had to be something quite special to stand out for me. Sadly it fails on several levels. First, the book is simply too short. There is no solid conclusion to our heroine's adventures. While that might be ok if this were the first book in a series, I see no evidence of that plus it ends rather suddenly as though this copy wasn't finished and was missing at least 20 pages. Second, the characters are not fully explored. I want to care about Leanna, I really do but I don't feel enough time was spent on her life to get a good feel for her. After events start happening to her, she seems to flow with them instead of directing or influencing them very highly. Yes, she is just a teenager but for a book written for teens and tweens I expect more active characters for their age group. Third, some aspects of the world or just briefly mentioned and never fully explored. Who are these aliens exactly? We see them only for a brief time. Why does a ship's computer seem to behave in an odd fashion? Why would a family risk it all to break the laws and clone a child? Why is this even called "Clone Codes"? I have an idea but it isn't very clear and I don't want to ruin the book for anyone who might decide to give it a shot. Finally, even though I'm a historian and one of my topics is slavery, the use of antebellum southern slavery here is like a huge hammer hitting the reader over the head. It's just too convenient some of the things that happen and some of the information Leanna is flat out given. The result is that I was deeply disappointed by this book though I have to give it a star for even attempting to make a future connection to our own history on such a difficult subject.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Political messages, April 18, 2010
This review is from: The Clone Codes #1 (Hardcover)
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The great thing about this YA sci-fi book is that much like most good sci-fi the book opens the door to great discussions about issues. With this book, we can think of the under-class, who do jobs that most don't want to do. However, in this future world clones are doing the "dirty" jobs. And, the clones do not have rights--aren't viewed as being worthy of rights, since they are not human. Yes, the book is predictable at times, but this book is geared for the YA crowd and not necessarily adults. Even if teens are left thinking, "Oh, I saw that coming," we can still discuss slavery, union politics, and the nativist rumblings in the US for instance and how some groups are viewed as being less worthy of full civil rights and protections. Some books open the door for more conversation, and this book is one of those books. Is it a classic or later to be designated classic, no, but it offers teachable moments and that makes it a worthy read. I have suggested the book to my tween and she will get to it--big pile of books to read.
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