The WordSmithe

Heather Hildenbrand's Imitation is a creative look at the world of human cloning through a young adult's eyes. The first couple of chapters were a little slow, but, the book is well worth it. By the end of the book, you are fully vested in the characters of Ven and Linc.

In my opinion, this book really starts when Ven gets her mission. Before that, her life is mundane and very routine. The handling of the details enabled me to visualize things as Ven might see them. After all, she is a clone whose only knowledge of the "real" world comes from camera footage on her Authentic.

I particularly liked how Ven's Authentic was more fake than any Imitation could be. She was a superficial snob who was totally unlikable. You come to love Ven and want to defend her to the arrogant antagonist, Titus Rogen. His world is full of manipulative people who would do anything to get what they want.

This is not a simple story of good and bad, however. It has interesting twists and leaves a person thinking. Does the presence of a soul make you human? Or, is it the fact that you have human DNA alone that makes you human? Should human clones be entitled to any rights? Would their lives matter? Should science and technology have a role in politics? All of these questions are raised in Hildenbrand's book making for a very interesting read.
I would definitely recommend this book. You'll want to pace yourself, though. It's a trilogy with only two books written so far.