Review: The Originals

The Originals by Cat Patrick
Publishing date: May 7, 2013
Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers

17-year-olds Lizzie, Ella, and Betsey Best grew up as identical triplets... until they discovered a shocking family secret. They're actually closer than sisters, they're clones. Hiding from a government agency that would expose them, the Best family appears to consist of a single mother with one daughter named Elizabeth. Lizzie, Ella, and Betsey take turns going to school, attending social engagements, and a group mindset has always been a de facto part of life...

Then Lizzie meets Sean Kelly, a guy who seems to see into her very soul. As their relationship develops, Lizzie realizes that she's not a carbon copy of her sisters; she's an individual with unique dreams and desires, and digging deeper into her background, Lizzie begins to dismantle the delicate balance of an unusual family that only science could have created.

THE ORIGINALS follows three girls, clones, who are in hiding from the government and have no option but to live one life. I was drawn in by the story, but also by Cat Patrick whose past books I have enjoyed. I'm just going to jump right in and say I didn't love this one as much as Cat Patrick's other novels, Forgotten and Revived. Forgotten is a book that just stayed with me after reading it. The Originals...not so much. It wasn't a bad book, but I guess, to me, it just pales in comparison to her other works.

Lizzie, Ella, and Betsey's characters are so different from each other. The way each handles their situation is very distinct and I could see why their mother would be able to tell them apart. Lizzie is a girl who is able to handle herself. She's argumentative (in a good way) and able to stand up for what she believes and wants and I love that.

For me, the romance was kind of lackluster. I didn't feel the chemistry between Lizzie and Sean like I did with the couples in Forgotten and Revived. Those were some hot romances. That's not to say I didn't like either Lizzie or Sean, I think they're nice characters, but together they didn't do anything for me.

My main complaint of the book is that everything is solved too easily, there are almost no struggles for anybody. I find Cat Patrick's books to be more about character studies, so the included mysteries don't usually take center stage. But if they're going to be included, they should become just as important as the characters and this one fails for me.

It's the the story and the characters that captured my attention and kept me reading. Don't get me wrong, I don't think it's a bad book, but to me, it became just an okay book.