Book Review: The Originals by Cat Patrick

My Rating: 4 stars

Date Read: May 23, 2014

Publication Date: May 7, 2013

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

Genres: Young adult, contemporary, science fiction

Summary (taken from Goodreads): Lizzie, Ella, and Betsey Best grew up believing they were identical triplets.

Then they learned the truth... and no one else can know.

Now, to the outside world, the Best family appears to consist of a single mother with one seventeen-year-old daughter named Elizabeth. Lizzie, Ella, and Betsey take turns going to school, pursuing extracurriculars, and even dating.

Then Lizzie meets Sean Kelly, the one person who can help her realize she's not a carbon copy of the others - she's an individual with unique dreams and desires. Digging deeper into her background and her mother's role in her life, Lizzie begins to dismantle the delicate balance of an unusual family that only science could have created.

Review: This book was a very fast read for me. Usually, stories I am able to read quickly have little meaning or emotion. They feel like they were written fast, too.

I didn't feel this way about The Originals. This story was fast-paced, but not lacking. It was interesting from the start with very few slow points.

The characters were great as well, especially the main character, Lizzie. I enjoyed that, although they were clones, she and her sisters were different from one another. Their mother irritated me, and I never really forgave her through the story. And then there was Sean, Lizzie's boyfriend, who was just so sweet. He was there for her in a way most people wouldn't have been, and it was nice to read that.

Despite my love for this, I did only rate it four stars. This is because, as much as I enjoyed them, I feel like the characters could have been developed further. And while I loved the ending (especially getting to read the song!), I do wish some things had been explained more in depth.

I do recommend this book even with its faults. It tells a beautiful story and I enjoyed every moment reading it.