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5 YA Reads for Fans of Orphan Black
Like everyone who has watched Orphan Black ever, I have no idea how Tatiana Maslany does it: playing so many characters, jumping into the various roles of multiple clones, all with their own complicated problems and unique struggles.
The concept of cloning and its ethical implications, and the debate as to whether the clones are just like everyone else or, as the Proletheans in Orphan Black call them, abominations…well, those themes are present in just about every story that addresses cloning. In this roundup of YA reads, we’ve got moral dilemmas, sci-fi action and complicated romance galore, all of it perfect for Orphan Black fans who know that an hourlong fix a week won’t be enough. Get your TBR list ready.
The Lost Girl, by Sangu Mandanna
In Mandanna’s haunting novel, we’re introduced to Eva, a young girl created to serve as an “Echo”—basically, she’s a clone of another girl, and should something happen to that other girl, it’s her job to replace her. Her life consists of studying the girl she hopes never to stand in for, learning absolutely everything she can about her. It’s her job, her purpose. She needs to be ready to jump in and replace the real girl. And then the worst happens, and it’s time. Suddenly, she’s thrust into a grieving family that isn’t quite sure this Echo is something they even want. Does she stay and live her life as a copy, or does she run in an effort to be herself?
Dualed, by Elise Chapman
In the world of Dualed, humanity has become infertile. But thanks to The Board, the ruling power that oversees this postapocalyptic futuristic wasteland, humans are cloned, and humanity is still around and kickin’ it. But with a very dark consequence: see, The Board grows every citizen they bring into the world, and they create clones, twins, of each person. Which might sound lovely, the idea of everybody having a twin brother or sister. But it’s not that simple. Or sweet. Or happy. At all. These twins, or “Alternates,” are raised by another family. And in order to survive in the harsh city of Kersh, you have to kill your Alternate (or “Alt”) before you turn 20. The resulting story is a thrilling, futuristic ride of epic battles and showdowns. Fun fact: with sequel Divided, Dualed is a duology.
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Replica, by Jenna Black
Another sci-fi thriller that takes place in the future, Replica brings you to the Corporate States, and introduces you to Nadia and Luke, two upper-class teens with high-powered jobs and good fortune awaiting them. Best friends since forever, the two are arranged to be married, even though they aren’t in love with one another. In a country basically run by wealthy executives, with poorer people as employees, Luke’s in love with a boy named Kurt, who’s of the lower, poorer caste. Then tragedy strikes, and Luke is killed. And when he wakes up, he’s a replica of himself. The two best friends take off on an adventure to uncover the secrets behind his murder, and unravel the corrupt nature of the society they not only live in, but are expected to lead. After you race through Replica, read books two and three, Revolution and Resistance.
The Originals, by Cat Patrick
Lizzie, Ella, and Betsey are identical triplets, living happily with their single mother despite their odd lifestyle: when they go out into the real world, they all identify themselves as a single girl named Elizabeth, taking turns going to school, to extracurriculars, even to a part-time job. But then they discover the dangerous truth about their lives, one that could lead to them being destroyed if they aren’t careful. But after meeting and falling for a boy named Sean, Lizzie’s inspired to realize she wants to be her own person, not just one of three.
The House of the Scorpion, by Nancy Farmer
Even though this book won like, every award ever, it’s only recently made it to the top of my reading list. Am I in trouble for this? Please don’t send me to YA Book Jail. Please? In Farmer’s incredible novel, we’re introduced to Matteo Alacran, a teen boy who is the clone of an incredibly powerful drug lord who has managed to live to be well over a century old. How? By harvesting the organs and vital parts of the clones he creates. Horrible, right? But in this world, not only are the drugs okay, so is the poor treatment of clones. They’re basically livestock, looked down on by everyone. As the clone of the country’s ruler, Matteo gets special treatment, but must figure out what it means to be a human, not just a clone, in the society he lives in.