Taylor Five [Paperback]

Ann Halam (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 29, 2002

Tay is 14 and she is a girl with a secret. Officially documented as 'Taylor Five' she is the clone child of a globally famous scientist. Like her gene mother, she will grow up to have phenomenal physical and mental abilities. She is an experiment in the corporate race to create a perfect being. For now she is living with her adopted family who work in the rainforests of Borneo rehabilitating orang-utans and returning them to the wild. 'Uncle' is one orang-utan who has chosen stay, he's almost like one of the family. Then terrorists strike the refuge, killing her parents, and Tay sets out on a harrowing adventure accompanied by 'Uncle'. Her already extraordinary existence becomes even more fascinating as Uncle's huge intelligence and uncannily ' human' behaviour develops an unshakeable bond between them as he tries to help her to safety.

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

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Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Orion Childrens (August 29, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1858817927
• ISBN-13: 978-1858817927
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,498,288 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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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.