Book Review: Beta by Rachel Cohn

Title: Beta

Series: Annex1

Author: Rachel Cohn

Publisher: Hyperion

Expected Publication: October 16, 2012

Source: ARC, publisher (through Jeana from The Bucket List)

     In a world constructed to absolute perfection, imperfection is difficult to understand—and impossible to hide.  

     Elysia is a clone, created in a laboratory, born as a sixteen year old girl, an empty vessel with no life experience to draw from. She is a Beta, an experimental model of teenaged clone. She was replicated from another teenage girl, who had to die in order for Elysia to be created. 

Elysia's purpose is to serve the inhabitants of Demesne, an island paradise for the wealthiest people on earth. Everything about Demesne is bioengineered for perfection. Even the air there induces a strange, euphoric high that only the island's workers—soulless clones like Elysia—are immune to.

At first, Elysia's new life on this island paradise is idyllic and pampered. But she soon sees that Demesne's human residents, the most privileged people in the world who should want for nothing, yearn. And, she comes to realize that beneath its flawless exterior, there is an undercurrent of discontent amongst Demesne's worker clones. She knows she is soulless and cannot feel and should not care—so why are overpowering sensations clouding Elysia's mind?

If anyone discovers that Elysia isn't the unfeeling clone she must pretend to be, she will suffer a fate too terrible to imagine. When Elysia's one chance at happiness is ripped away from her with breathtaking cruelty, emotions she's always had but never understood are unleashed. As rage, terror, and desire threaten to overwhelm her, Elysia must find the will to survive.(goodreads)

My thoughts:

This book. It about killed me. :))

     Beta was so good! And the ending made me want more. More. More. Alluring plot and the story swept me away! This science fiction and dystopian-ish novel exuded excellence. Rachel Cohn. I've always known her as a smart and good story teller, and with Beta, she still is. A good synopsis. Good premise. And the prose was perfect. 

     Elysia is a clone, created to serve the people living in Demesne, just as every other clones' purpose. In the island of Demesne, an island paradise for the wealthiest people on Earth,  the air, the water, and everything in there is bioengineered to give pleasure. Ordinary human workers soon became lax on their jobs so they won't do anymore, thus clones were made- to serve them. Elysia, is a Beta- an experimental teen clone. For clones to exist, a person must die. (so the person's soul can be extracted, chips inserted, etc). 

     At first, Elysia's is living a pampered life, bought to be a part of a family. We are slowly introduced to the leisurely and idyllic life of Demesne's inhabitants. Then, slowly, Rachel Cohn  injects the imperfections on the scene. We start to see the faults, and all the wrongs in the picture. Elysia discovers she is different, she experiences love and all the emotions clones are not entitled and engineered to be. Secrets and lies are unraveled. Shocking events happen. Things you didn't expect to happen will happen. The kind of shock that will truly throw you off your seat! Lucky for me, I was lying on bed,hehe. There were identities and events that I have correctly guessed. But, just as I was confident I knew where the story was going, I am baffled that things didn't go where I expected them to be. What an incredible twist. The last five or so chapters of the book made me grunt and just gasp in awe and disbelief with each.paragraph.that.I.read. It was more shocking because the first 80% of the novel held a sure and steady rhythm and pace, then BAM! Series of chapters with words leaving you speechless. 

     This is a truly different genre of novel Rachel Cohn has written before. When I first read the synopsis of the book, I thought it was going to be "one of those dystopian novels". While some characters might remind you of another character, but the story is still very original and crafty. Very very deeply engaging and my mind just about blew over. This is something you won't easily forget.