Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher and netgalley. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Half Life

Author: Lillian Clark

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 4/5

Recommended For...: Thrill seekers, black mirror, cloning

Publication Date: June 9, 2020

Genre: YA Thriller

Recommended Age: 16+ (cloning, sexism, morality)

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Pages: 304

Synopsis: An overachiever enrolls in an experimental clone study to prove that two (of her own) heads are better than one in this fast-paced, near-future adventure that's Black Mirror meets Becky Albertalli.

There aren't enough hours in the day for Lucille--perfectionist, overachiever--to do everything she has to do, and there certainly aren't enough hours to hang out with friends, fall in love, get in trouble--all the teenage things she knows she should want to be doing instead of preparing for a flawless future. So when she sees an ad for Life2: Do more. Be more, she's intrigued.

The company is looking for beta testers to enroll in an experimental clone program, and in the aftermath of a series of disappointments, Lucille is feeling reckless enough to jump in. At first, it's perfect: her clone, Lucy, is exactly what she needed to make her life manageable and have time for a social life. But it doesn't take long for Lucy to become more Lucy and less Lucille, and Lucille is forced to stop looking at Lucy as a reflection and start seeing her as a window--a glimpse at someone else living her own life, but better. Lucy does what she really wants to, not what she thinks she should want to, and Lucille is left wondering how much she was even a part of the perfect life she'd constructed for herself. Lucille wanted Lucy to help her relationships with everyone else, but how can she do that without first rectifying her relationship with herself?

Review: This book was absolutely amazing! I loved every minute of it and I totally got Black Mirror vibes. The character development was amazing, the world building was stupendous, and the writing was amazing. The plot kept me intrigued from start to finish and overall I really love this book! Definitely worth the reread as well.

However, the beginning of the book is a bit slow and it doesn’t really fit the flow of the book, but it was a very interesting premise and I enjoyed the book overall.

Verdict: I highly recommend this read!