Unique [Paperback]

Alison Allen-Gray (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2004

When Dominic discovers he had an older brother who died before he was born, he realizes the reason why he is such a disappointment to his father. His brother was a brilliant academic and promising scientist - but Dominic prefers to spend his time painting. Dominic heads for Cambridge to find out more about his brother and discovers much more than he ever bargained for - after his brother's death his father had him cloned and the result was Dominic. How can Dominic ever live with this mindblowing discovery? If the truth is ever made public it could put people's lives in danger - including his own. It tackles this very current issue of cloning in a way that makes readers realize the human consequences of scientific advances.

Editorial Reviews

Review

`genuinely enthralling' The Guardian

`Allen-Gray writes in an easy, readable style, raises stimulating questions, and offers a plot that keeps you guessing throughout.' The Financial Times

`This excellent novel is several things at once . . . its pace, tension and ever-present danger are worthy of a latter-day John Buchan . . . (the) story makes a terrific book - exciting, heartening, intelligent, and all too topical.' Peter Hollindale

`A novel with frightening possibilities for its adolescent readers (who face a future where these issues must be solved), and one that should be required reading for the adults who currently make the decisions.' Booktrusted News --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

Alison Allen-Gray is the author of 'The Lost Kitten' which was shortlisted for the Children's Book Award. She is also the co-founder of performing arts in Wales and has performed at the Edinburgh fringe.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Oxford Childrens (January 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0192753355
• ISBN-13: 978-0192753359
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,787,896 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Mostly hit, with a few misses., January 4, 2012

By 

CJWallace91 - See all my reviews

This review is from: Unique (Kindle Edition)

The idea behind this book was intriguing, and certainly made you think about the whole premise of cloning and the arguments and ethics behind it. Looking at the subject in this first-hand fictional account gave a lot of insight which it would be much harder to glean from any number of academic debates to be had on the subject.

What stopped me giving a 5-star rating was that at times it felt confused and muddled, the world in which this took place didn't feel cohesive. In parts it seemed very futuristic, in others it seemed to lag behind our own. And some of the points in the book felt exaggerated to make a more dramatic story, but ended up feeling forced.

However, these are small annoyances and overall it's a very enjoyable read, well worthy of a purchase, especially at the 99p price tag I picked it up for in the Kindle book sale!