Taylor Five [Turtleback]

Ann Halam (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 30, 2005

A gripping, deeply moving adventure raises startling questions about what it means to be human.

Taylor Walker seems like any ordinary 14-year-old. Ordinary—if you overlook the fact that she lives on the island of Borneo, on a primate reserve run by her parents, and knows how to survive in the jungle. Obviously, Tay isn’t just like everyone else. But she is like one other person. She’s exactly like one other person. Tay is a clone, one of only five in the world, and her clone mother is Pam Taylor, a brilliant scientist.

When rebels attack the reserve, Tay escapes with her younger brother and Uncle, an exceptionally intelligent orangutan. As they flee through the jungle, Tay must look within to find her strength: Pam’s DNA, tempered by Taylor’s extraordinary life. And she looks to Uncle for guidance—for Tay knows that the uncanny bond between Uncle and herself is the key to their survival.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Gr. 8-10. Taylor, a 14-year-old living on the island of Borneo with her scientist parents, was "a special sort of test-tube baby." Special, indeed. She's one of the first successful human clones, a fact that fills her with resentment. Her angst quickly recedes into the background, though, when rebels attack her family's compound, and she must flee through the jungle with her wounded younger brother and a partly tame orangutan. Her battle for survival is gripping, but as in Halam's Dr. Franklin's Island (2002), the ordeal is just part of the story. Once rescued, Taylor faces a welter of new challenges: numbing grief, an awkward relationship with her guardian (her genetic "mother"), and uncertainty about the fate of her faithful ape companion. The teen-as-biotech-experiment premise will remind many readers of Peter Dickinson's Eva (1988), although this novel isn't as cohesive. Though the harrowing losses Taylor suffers may prove too much for some readers, the taut suspense and Taylor's gritty intensity will compel many YAs, especially those who gravitate to dense, philosophically minded sf. Jennifer Mattson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"Taylor Five is an extremely moving and engrossing read that throws up some powerful issues. Definitely recommended." Armadillo, Christmas 02 --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Turtleback
• Publisher: Demco Media (December 30, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0606345795
• ISBN-13: 978-0606345798
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Ummm... It's OK but not the best, April 24, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Taylor Five (Hardcover)

I didn't really like the book itself, but I really enjoyed the theme and concepts (you can figure for yourself). The book starts out in Borneo where Tay's bro is returning to the orangutan reserve, and Tay is revealed as one of five clone test-tube babies. There are many chapters are introduction and life at the reserve. Then rebels attack and Tay, her brother, Clint the Eastwood-obsessed scientist, and a human-like orangutan called Uncle. Some 5 chapters later, Tay and Uncle live. What a long lived 1000 kilometer trek. Uncle gets locked up and with the painful ordeals, Everyone thinks they're helping Tay by making her forget and not know the secrets, but it worsens. SO, exactly what is it about her and uncle and the other 4 clone test-tube babies? Four words for Tay: STOP CRYING AND STAMMERING. At first you could understand her pain, but then the stammering and sniffling and the teary eyes start to get really annoying. If this should be a good book, Tay shouldn't cry as much and be a more stronger character.