The Other You - Carys Green

THE OTHER YOU

CARYS GREEN

****

Elena and Stu are barely holding it together. Their newborn screams through the night, their nerves are frayed, and their marriage is hanging by a thread.

Then comes More You: a company offering an impossible solution — a clone. For a price, they can have another Elena. One who is fresh. Alert.

At first, it feels like salvation. The clone is calm, capable, perfect. But soon she starts to pick up Elena’s habits. Her voice. Her smile. And in the quiet hours of the night, something in the house begins to shift.

When the cracks finally split wide open, Elena is forced to confront a terrifying question: if someone takes your place, what happens to you?

MY REVIEW

****

I enjoy standalone sci-fi books and was excited to dive into The Other You – a story of clones and family drama.

Elena is struggling after the birth of her first daughter, so when her mother-in-law suggests getting a clone from More You, it seems like it could be the perfect solution. Who else can you trust to parent your child, if not yourself? But is the clone a direct copy, or something more sinister?

The Other You splits perspective between new mother Elena and mother-in-law Catherine, both of whom do not get on. Catherine’s perspectives in particular are well written - displaying an unlikeable lady who feels that Elena is not good enough for her son and will do all she can to intervene and prove it. Elena’s chapters, by contrast are relatable – a young women struggling and being manipulated by her family into doing something she isn’t sure she wants to do. I was surprised how much Elena didn’t want the clone, which meant we never really got to the point where we thought this story was going to end well. Usually with stories like this, we at least have a small amount of the calm before the storm where the illusion is given that everything is ok before it shatters.

Although I did like the plot, I did feel like it was something I had read or watched before – it isn’t really a new premise. There’s a lot of the sci-fi concepts of nature vs nurture and how much of your personality is made from your memories and experiences as well, which I enjoyed. I did feel like it was very slow for the first half, but this changes abruptly at around 70% where the pace shifts and it becomes very action packed. Before this point I would have said it was a 3-star read but the last part of the book pulls it up to 4 stars with a chilling twisty conclusion which I loved.

Overall, The Other You is a chilling sci-fi - it’s a little slow to get going but worth it by the end. Thank you to NetGalley & Random House UK – Vintage – Harvill for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

LINKS TO BUY

Amazon UK

Waterstones