What is Replica about?
From Lauren Oliver, New York Times bestselling author of Before I Fall and the Delirium trilogy, comes an epic, masterful novel that explores issues of individuality, identity, and humanity.
Lyra’s story begins in the Haven Institute, a building tucked away on a private island off the coast of Florida that from a distance looks serene and even beautiful. But up close the locked doors, military guards, and biohazard suits tell a different story. In truth, Haven is a clandestine research facility where thousands of replicas, or human models, are born, raised, and observed. When a surprise attack is launched on Haven, two of its young experimental subjects—Lyra, or 24, and the boy known only as 72—manage to escape.
Gemma has been in and out of hospitals for as long as she can remember. A lonely teen, her life is circumscribed by home, school, and her best friend, April. But after she is nearly abducted by a stranger claiming to know her, Gemma starts to investigate her family’s past and discovers her father’s mysterious connection to the secretive Haven research facility. Hungry for answers, she travels to Florida, only to stumble upon two replicas and a completely new set of questions.
While the stories of Lyra and Gemma mirror each other, each contains breathtaking revelations critically important to the other story. Using hotlinks in this electronic edition, readers can decide how they would like to read the book, as with the print version. They can read the story of Gemma or Lyra straight through first, followed by the other girl’s story, or they can move between chapters in Lyra’s and Gemma’s sections. No matter how it is read, Replica is an ambitious, thought-provoking masterwork.
What happens when the girl who has always felt like a copy discovers the girl who actually is one?
- A Dystopian Mystery: Gemma’s search for answers about her family leads her to the secretive Haven Institute—and to Lyra, a girl who shouldn’t exist.
- An Escape from Captivity: After an explosion destroys the only home she’s ever known, Lyra and another replica, 72, must survive in a world that sees them as monsters.
- The Question of Identity: As Gemma uncovers the secrets of her own past, Lyra begins to question everything she’s been taught about what it means to be human.
- Science Fiction Meets Thriller: Packed with twists, secrets, and a hint of romance, this novel explores the dark side of genetic engineering and the true meaning of humanity.