'The Echo Wife' by Sarah Gailey is a dark and intense thriller set in a near future where human cloning is a reality. The story follows Evelyn Caldwell, an award-winning scientist who discovers that her ex-husband has cloned her to create a more perfect version named Martine. As the plot unfolds with Nathan's murder, Evelyn and Martine are drawn into a web of secrets, betrayal, and revenge. The writing style is riveting, with complex characters and ethical dilemmas surrounding human cloning at its core.

Characters:

Characters are morally complex, exploring themes of identity, agency, and trauma in the context of cloning and relationships.

Writing/Prose:

The writing style is intimate and introspective, effectively capturing the complexities of the protagonist while engaging with ethical dilemmas surrounding cloning.

Plot/Storyline:

The story follows Evelyn Caldwell, a renowned scientist, who faces betrayal as her husband clones her to create a more docile partner, leading to complications and dark twists following his death.

Setting:

The setting intricately weaves a near-future context for cloning with personal domestic spaces that underscore relationship dynamics.

Pacing:

The pacing varies, starting slow but ultimately accelerates with plot twists that keep readers invested and engaged.

My gown was beautiful. It was the kind of garment that looks precisely as expensive as it is. I did not hate it, because it was beautiful, and I did not love it, because it was cruel. I wore it becaus...

Notes:

Evelyn Caldwell is a leading scientist in cloning but struggles with her personal life.

She discovers her ex-husband Nathan has cloned her to create a more compliant version, named Martine.

The main themes of the book include identity, free will, and ethics of cloning.

Martine, unlike Evelyn, is gentle, obedient, and desires a family, as Nathan programmed her that way.

When Nathan is murdered, both women are forced to collaborate on covering it up, raising ethical dilemmas.

The story explores emotional abuses, as it delves into Evelyn's traumatic past and its impact on her behaviors.

Evelyn's perspective is unreliable and morally ambiguous, challenging readers' sympathies as they navigate her decisions.

The book contains discussions about the dehumanization of clones, likening it to the treatment of non-human animals.

Evelyn's character development reveals a complex interplay of villainy and victimhood throughout the narrative.

It has been compared to themes from 'The Stepford Wives,' raising questions about gender dynamics and expectations in relationships.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

The Echo Wife contains high trigger warnings for emotional, physical, and sexual violence, including child abuse.

From The Publisher:

Sarah Gailey's The Echo Wife is "a trippy domestic thriller which takes the extramarital affair trope in some intriguingly weird new directions."-Entertainment Weekly

I'm embarrassed, still, by how long it took me to notice. Everything was right there in the open, right there in front of me, but it still took me so long to see the person I had married.

It took me so long to hate him.

Martine is a genetically cloned replica made from Evelyn Caldwell's award-winning research. She's patient and gentle and obedient. She's everything Evelyn swore she'd never be.

And she's having an affair with Evelyn's husband.

Now, the cheating bastard is dead, and both Caldwell wives have a mess to clean up.

Good thing Evelyn Caldwell is used to getting her hands dirty.

Ratings (16)

Incredible (3)
Loved It (6)
Liked It (5)
It Was OK (1)
Did Not Like (1)

Reader Stats (46):

Read It (17)
Want To Read (28)
Not Interested (1)

1 comment(s)

colrav772

Incredible

6 months

A dark,twisty, orginaltale with hat ips so a few classics. Really enjoyed this.

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About the Author:

Hugo Award-winning and bestselling author Sarah Gailey is the author of the novels The Echo Wife and Magic for Liars. Their nonfiction has been published by Mashable and The Boston Globe, and they won a Hugo Award for Best Fan Writer. Their fiction credits also include Vice and The Atlantic. Their debut novella, River of Teeth, was a 2018 finalist for both the Hugo and Nebula Awards.

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The Echo Wife

Sarah Gailey