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Q&A | May 20, 2013
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$17.99
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More copies of this ISBNThis title in other editionsBeta (Beta)by Rachel Cohn
Synopses & ReviewsPublisher Comments:Elysia is created in a laboratory, born as a sixteen-year-old girl, an empty vessel with no life experience to draw from. She is a Beta, an experimental model of a teenage clone. She was replicated from another teenage girl, who had to die in order for Elysia to exist. Elysias purpose is to serve the inhabitants of Demesne, an island paradise for the wealthiest people on earth. Everything about Demesne is bioengineered for perfection. Even the air induces a strange, euphoric high, which only the islands workers—soulless clones like Elysia—are immune to. At first, Elysias life is idyllic and pampered. But she soon sees that Demesnes human residents, who should want for nothing, yearn. But for what, exactly? She also comes to realize that beneath the islands flawless exterior, there is an undercurrent of discontent among Demesnes worker clones. She knows she is soulless and cannot feel and should not care—so why are overpowering sensations clouding Elysias mind? If anyone discovers that Elysia isnt the unfeeling clone she must pretend to be, she will suffer a fate too terrible to imagine. When her one chance at happiness is ripped away with breathtaking cruelty, emotions shes always had but never understood are unleashed. As rage, terror, and desire threaten to overwhelm her, Elysia must find the will to survive. The first in a dazzlingly original science fiction series from best-selling author Rachel Cohn, Beta is a haunting, unforgettable story of courage and love in a corrupted world. Praise for Beta: "A terrific premise that is equally well executed...Readers can only hope [the sequel] will be as thrilling as this series kickoff." --Los Angles Times Review:"In this kickoff to a planned four-book series, Elysia is a beautiful teenage clone bought as a companion to a wealthy family living on the exclusive island of Demesne on an Earth that is recovering from ecological disaster and global warfare. Though Elysia initially believes she has no free will, she discovers a taste for human foods like macaroni and cheese and chocolate — and, more importantly, begins to feel emotions like attraction, worry, and rage. She also has mysterious memories of the human girl from whom she was cloned, but keeps her discoveries secret, for fear of being marked a Defect. Cohn (coauthor of Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist) describes Elysia's luxurious world completely and persuasively, hinting that social justice themes may escalate in subsequent books; Elysia's evolution from robotic to real is similarly believable, as is her increasing desire for freedom. However, characters' widespread use of 21st-century slang and idioms distracts from the futuristic setting, and readers may be overwhelmed by the dizzying acceleration of events and revelations in the final chapters, which pave the way for the next installment. Ages 14 — up. Agent: Jennifer Rudolph Walsh, William Morris Endeavor." Publishers Weekly Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
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Other books you might likeRelated SubjectsChildren's » General Children's » New Arrivals Children's » Science Fiction and Fantasy » General Children's » Science Fiction and Fantasy » Science Fiction Young Adult » General
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