Replication: The Jason Experiment [Hardcover]

Jill Williamson (Author)

Book Description

Release date: January 3, 2012

When Your Life Is Not Your Own Martyr---otherwise known as Jason 3:3---is one of hundreds of clones kept in a remote facility called Jason Farms. Told that he has been created to save humanity, Martyr has just one wish before he is scheduled to 'expire' in less than a month. To see the sky. Abby Goyer may have just moved to Alaska, but she has a feeling something strange is going on at the farm where her father works. But even this smart, confident girl could never have imagined what lies beneath a simple barn. Or what would happen when a mysterious boy shows up at her door, asking about the stars. As the reality of the Jason Experiment comes to light, Martyr is caught between two futures---the one for which he was produced and the one Abby believes God created him to have. Time is running out, and Martyr must decide if a life with Abby is worth leaving everything he's ever known.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jill Williamson is a novelist, dreamer, and believer. Growing up in Alaska led to love books, and in 2010 her first novel, By Darkness Hid, won the Christy Award. She loves working with teenagers and gives writing workshops at libraries, schools, camps, and churches. Jill lives in Oregon with her husband and two children. Visit Jill online at www.jillwilliamson.com

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Zonderkidz (January 3, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310727588
• ISBN-13: 978-0310727583
• Product Dimensions: 5.6 x 1 x 8.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (142 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,128,639 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jill Williamson is a chocolate loving, daydreaming, creator of kingdoms and the award-winning author of several young adult books including the Blood of Kings trilogy, Replication, the Mission League series, and the Safe Lands trilogy. She lives in Oregon with her husband and two children and a whole lot of deer. Visit her online at www.jillwilliamson.com, where adventure comes to life.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A very interesting read! April 16, 2012

By A Book Vacation

Format:Kindle Edition

This is Christian fiction, so those strongly opposed to religious novels may want to stay clear of this story. However, it's a really interesting premise with some great morals and, even though I really hate preachy novels, I thought this was a good read overall. While it's true that the religious aspect does come on quite strong in some parts, including the quoting and deciphering of scripture, in retrospect, it flows rather nicely with the story as Martyr, a clone set to expire, has never thought of a Creator at all. In every society, there is some type of higher being that is worshipped, and if not worshipped, the people of the society at least have heard of a higher being, but Martyr has never thought about it, nor has anyone ever brought it up to him. Thus, watching Martyr's reaction to Abby's assertion that Martyr does indeed have a higher purpose in life and that God loves him was actually really interesting. Of course, like a toddler, Martyr latches on to anything new--he's never had a chance to see or experience anything outside the farm, and so it's debatable as to whether or not Martyr really believes or is just in awe of this newfound Being, but that's a debate for another time. Regardless, this novel tackles some very interesting topics that YA doesn't usually pursue, making it entirely unique in its own right.

Religion aside, though, Williamson does a great job fleshing out her characters and her storyline. I loved that Abby is a very strong female lead, a Christian, and yet a flawed individual. Williamson does not make her out to be "holier than thou," and Abby succumbs to the same temptations, thoughts, and actions that the rest of us do, which, ultimately, makes her human as a very likable character. Martyr, of course, is very interesting in his own right, taking care of others and ultimately becoming a leader for his brethren, all who look like him and were cloned of the same doctor in order to find cures for diseases, including the doctor's own disease, Lupus. J.D. was not my favorite, but he was incredibly real. As a teacher of high school, I see students like him all the time, and the fact that all these characters emulate real behaviors made them all the more real to me. Overall, I really enjoyed this story and recommend it to those not opposed to a little overbearing religious talk here and there.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing and completely compelling! January 30, 2012

By Katie McCurdy

Format:Hardcover

I am not a very big fan of fantasy, sci-fi, or paranormal books. In fact, the majority of books I've read in these genres, I didn't like. Not so with Jill Williamson and her newest book, Replication! Taking the very interesting and touchy subject of human cloning, she spins a fantastic and gripping tale about Jason:3:3--nicknamed Martyr--and his desire to see the sky before he expires...in less than 30 days.

I really liked getting to know Abby in Replication. She seemed to have such a sweet personality, and yet she had such a "teenage-ish" feel with the way her scenes are written...they were all wonderfully done. And whenever a scene was written from Martyr's perspective, it was so unique. The way he describes things he's never seen--TV, runny eggs, a pregnant woman--was so innocently sweet--I even laughed at a few humorous moments.

Coupled with a great cast of characters, Williamson also created an intense and suspenseful plot that kept the reader on edge. Especially for the last half of the book--it just took off! Written for the YA genre, there wasn't thing questionable within the book that younger teen readers might have a problem with it. And while Replication is in the YA genre, I think readers of all ages would enjoy this adventure!

If there's one thing I love most in reading, is when the author can grab my attention from the beginning and never have a dull moment--and Jill Williamson did just that in Replication! I was riveted to the pages, intrigued by the characters, and completely lost in the suspense and action!

I reviewed this book for Team Novel Teen Blog Tour. Special thanks to the author for sending me a review copy. It was not required that I give a positive review, but solely to express my own thoughts and opinions of this book, which I have done.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A near-future tale of suspense in the spirit of The Island and Robin Cook's medical thrillers December 11, 2012

By Fred L. Warren

Format:Hardcover

Jason 3:3, nickname, "Martyr," lives in a tightly-controlled underground facility supervised by a team of scientists, in a community of other genetically-engineered boys. Within their blood lies the antidote to a toxin that has rendered the surface of Earth virtually uninhabitable. They believe they are humanity's last hope. Martyr is nearly 18 years old, his DNA-encoded expiration date. He is content to die, knowing his sacrifice will enable the survival of thousands, though his fondest wish is to see the sky with his own eyes, just for a few moments. One day, an opportunity for escape presents itself, and he impulsively seizes it. What he discovers beyond the facility will reveal a terrifying truth, and a desperate hope.

Meanwhile, Abby Goyer is less than pleased about her biologist father's new job, which has unceremoniously whisked them away to a little jerkwater town in the Alaskan countryside. She's coping as best she can. The standoffish locals have her feeling like a freak, and she's caught the unwelcome attention of J.D. Kane, the boorish, unfairly handsome captain of the football team. Just when she thinks her life can't get any worse, Abby finds a strange boy hiding in her bedroom, shivering and bald, acting like he just dropped in from another planet.

And he's a dead ringer for J.D. Kane.

Replication - The Jason Experiment, is a near-future tale of suspense in the spirit of The Island and Robin Cook's medical thrillers, written by Jill Williamson, author of the award-winning Blood of Kings young-adult fantasy trilogy.

It asks a lot of profound questions along the way. What might happen when a person who is nearly a blank slate confronts a complex world that is nothing like he's been led to believe? Is destiny governed by heredity? What is it that makes each of us a unique individual? Does morality impose limits on scientific experimentation, even for a noble cause?

Williamson moves the story along at a nail-biting tempo that kept me turning pages from beginning to end over three hours of a graveyard shift at work, no small feat. As in her other works of my acquaintance, she displays a knack for creating appealing characters. Abby is a smart, resourceful, and likable heroine, though I found her incessant mental gushing over boys a bit tiresome and stereotypical. Martyr was more three-dimensional, and I found his portrayal both believable and gripping.

This is also Christian fiction, and I thought Williamson did a good job organically integrating faith issues into the story via Martyr's natural curiosity about the outside world, his own purpose in life, and Abby's confident Christianity. That thread of the story didn't feel preachy or overwrought.

Most of my gripes were minor and involved implausibilities in the story's setup and some inconsistencies which would probably bother jaded old science fiction fanboys more than its intended teen audience.

I think Replication strikes the heart of the envelope for teen fiction, though genre fans of any age would probably enjoy it. There's some mild violence (and one horrific incident that happens offstage and is referenced indirectly), painful scientific experimentation on human beings, and a bit of chaste kissing, but nothing that would offend most parents or any teens in my neighborhood.

>>This review is based upon a copy of the book provided to me free of charge by the publisher, a courtesy I appreciate, but which does not guarantee my recommendation. I strive to evaluate every book I review purely on its intrinsic merits.<<