User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
What was the point of this book. Why did none of the characters have motivations that made sense. Why did the main character flip flop so much. How could a book be so boring
Rating: really liked it
The premise of
The Echo Wife is insanely good. Evelyn Caldwell is a scientist at the forefront of cloning technology. Unfortunately, her husband Nathan doesn't love her anymore. Instead, he has transferred his affections to a clone of her named Martine. Evelyn is understandably upset about this. But when something happens to Nathan, Evelyn and Martine are forced to team up to fix the problem.
That sounds crazy, right? If you could resist such a premise, you're a much stronger person than I am, because I could not. That, plus the cover, and I immediately had to get my eager hands on it.
When a book has such an amazing premise, the question that always comes up is, did it deliver? And I'm torn here. On the one hand, the plot is brilliant and unique, and it unfolded with lots of surprises along the way. But there were a couple of things that really didn't work for me.
First, the science in here is pretty laughable. Now, I understand this is science fiction, and creative liberties are allowed. But the way science and cloning are explained makes me think the author threw a bunch of advanced biology words into a giant word salad, swirled them around, and just haphazardly grabbed words out to fill in the blank whenever a scientific phrase was needed. But those words mean something already, and they don't really make sense in the context they're dropped in.
Also, cloning is an existing technology in our real world today, one in which we've already had extensive discussions regarding its ethics. But this book throws all that out the window. Instead, it approaches it without even a basic understanding of the dilemma within. It's hard for me to reconcile how advanced the cloning technology is in the book with its less than rudimentary consideration of the associated ethics and morality issues.
Still, my biggest problem is with Evelyn's character. The story is told from her point of view, and it is overwrought with her emotions. She is constantly in a fit of rage. Things which set her off include (but are not limited to) an old couch, someone helping her unpack, coworkers not realizing that she's upset, but also coworkers realizing and asking if she's upset. Goodness gracious, you just can't win with her. Every time I had to read another passage on her self-righteous fury, I wanted to stab myself with something sharp. I wish all those excessive emotions were left out, as it took a lot away from the story.
In the end, if you're debating whether to give this book a try, I think my answer is still yes, simply because of the brilliant and unusual premise. It's a short read at only 250 pages, and it's interesting to see how the plot plays out. Just try to ignore all the science mumbo jumbo and overwritten feelings.
Rating: really liked it
Westworld (more understandable version) meets Stepford Wives and Orphan Black kind of story is freshly baked from the oven. I see five sizzling, well-deserved, shiny stars dancing above my head! This is more entertaining, mind bending, grey cells frying, soul shaking, heart throbbing adventure than I expected.
This is absolutely, deliciously my kind of extremely crazy story: imagine your husband replace you with another version of you. What would you do? Scream, cry, call a contract killer, suffer from depression, commit to kill the other version of you or accept the defeat and work on cloned replicas of Tom Hardy at your lab (last option is the best choice but unfortunately the heroine of this book didn’t make wise choices like me!)
Okay, let me rephrase it: our brilliant scientist Evelyn’s husband Nathan is not happy that she is a workaholic, heartless, cutthroat bitch who prefers to live in her lab and work 24/7 for your scientific experiments. ( it’s true! I think JJ Abrams inspired by her when he named his production company “Bad Robot” because most of the parts: she acted like really mean robot, hardly process human feelings.) And of course she doesn’t want to have a baby. It’s unnecessary responsibility, right? She’s working way too much important things. She’s the brilliant Evelyn Caldwell, a rising star of scientific innovations with brightest future ahead of her.
But her dearest husband cheats on her with a woman looking exactly like her. Actually he’s dating with cloned replica of hers (Whattttt???) And now he wants to divorce! And this is not only mouth dropping part of her unbelievably unique story: the cloned replica is pregnant right now! (WTF! Did I read right? How could be scientifically possible? But Evelyn’s dear clone Martine is expecting. And she meets her with the shop to show her growing baby bump and Evelyn tells her the ugly truth about the reason she’s been created.
From now on, if the story is not crazy enough for you: Just wait for Martine’s urgent call on the phone. She panicked, barely breathing and she seems like losing it. As Evelyn goes to the house Martine shares with her ex-husband: she finds out, her ex lying on the floor in blood bath. Martine says: “it was self –defense” and Evelyn replies: “Let’s bury him!”
Still not crazy enough for you? Wait for it. Evelyn and Martine realize a search party can begin sooner they will be prime suspects of Nathan’s mysterious disappearance. Or at least Evelyn is gonna lose everything: her researches, reputation and freedom because nobody knows Evelyn is existence. She is illegal. So they decide to work on a new clone replica. They’ll recreate Nathan to solve the problem! Yesss, I know you’re hooked and I stop right now! I already gave so many juicy details. But I assure, the story’s conclusion is more twisty and shocking. Yes, there are more revelations and surprises to come.
Overall: It was one of the best, amazing, shocking, dazzling, phenomenal sci-fi reads of this year. I highly recommend it to genre lovers. I couldn’t put it down! It’s smart, its dark humor captivates you and you don’t want to let it go.
Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan/ Tor Books for sharing this remarkable ARC with me in exchange my honest review. I truly loved it so much.
Rating: really liked it
Who would you be?Evelyn Caldwell is a brilliant scientist, a pioneer in cloning research. She has a secret though. Her husband is cheating on her. With Evelyn’s clone.
This story provided so much food for thought, and I loved noodling on the questions raised by this book. Who would you be if you were just a slightly different version of yourself? What ripples would that cause? For example, if you are a very assertive person, what would happen if you suddenly became a pushover? Would you still be the CEO or a business owner? Would you be a good book reviewer if you always gave out five stars because you just didn’t want to rock the boat? Should we be trying to shape our partners into something else? And if we would like the result? These were interesting questions to ponder.
This book also heavily covers the issue of cloning/genetics which are fascinating topics. When Melville, my first cat, was sick, I strongly considered cloning him. I wondered what his clone would be like. Would he sit on my lap for just a few minutes and then move close to me but not touching? Would I still be his favorite? Would he wait by the door and meow when I arrived home? In addition to cloning, there are instances of genetic counseling, how to successfully have children who won’t inherit a genetic illness. But where is that line? Should people be picking boy/girl/blue eyes/green eyes/tall/short/kind? And who should be making those decisions (parents/lawmakers/scientists)? Also, can we avoid adopting traits from our parents? Do you remember vowing never to say the same things as your parents? Yet, twenty years later, you find yourself saying things like, “Are we air conditioning the Great Outdoors?” and “Who left these lights on?”
Now, there were two things that I disliked about The Echo Wife. One: The Echo Wife seemed to be slow paced. Not much happened over a large portion of pages. There was too much inner monologue. Two: About 80% into the book, there was a character who did something that was totally out of character.
Overall, a great book for anyone who has experienced another person trying to change you into someone that you are not.
2022 Reading Schedule
Jan Animal Farm
Feb Lord of the Flies
Mar The Da Vinci Code
Apr Of Mice and Men
May Memoirs of a Geisha
Jun Little Women
Jul The Lovely Bones
Aug Charlotte's Web
Sep Life of Pi
Oct Dracula
Nov Gone with the Wind
Dec The Secret Garden
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Rating: really liked it
**4.5-stars rounded up**You really brought this full circle, didn't you, Sarah Gailey?! You clever, clever human, you.
I read the majority of
The Echo Wife in one sitting. There are
many great themes explored within this story. I couldn't put it down!
This is the first novel I have read by Sarah Gailey, but will not be my last. I have already added three of their earlier books to my TBR.
This novel follows Evelyn Caldwell, an award-winning research scientist in the field of genetics; more specifically, her work deals with cloning.
We hear this entire story through Evelyn's perspective, which personally, I found refreshing. It seems like most novels I have read recently, follow multiple perspectives, so it was nice to just sit with one narrator the whole way through.
Evelyn's husband, Nathan, has betrayed her with another woman. A woman who just so happens to be her clone. Yes, her literal genetic clone.
Essentially, he has replaced her with a version that will be more compliant with his wants and needs. More docile in their relationship, something Evelyn never was.
When Nathan ends up dead, Evelyn's clone, Martine, suddenly becomes a very real problem for her. One that could end her career as she knows it.
Evelyn needs to get control of the situation, and Martine, before everything she has worked for is taken from her.
As Evelyn and Martine begin to work together, Evelyn is shocked to have actual feelings for the clone; like she would for a real person.
This novel explores some fascinating, and frankly, frightening topics. Set in the not too distant future, it examines the ethical issues that arise with cloning and cloning research.
What makes something human? What are the parameters that should be followed in this type of research? What if something goes wrong, or a clone goes rouge? Who has the authority to decide the clone's fate?
In addition to the fabulous scientific elements, I really enjoyed getting to know Evelyn Caldwell. I felt she was such a well-developed character.
We learn how Evelyn's parent's relationship shaped the woman she became. Her parents had quite a contentious relationship and Evelyn was the silent observer to it all.
Her Father was brilliant, he taught Evelyn so much and set her on the career path she ends up on, but he also was a raging tyrant.
Her Mother taught her another set of skills entirely. While she viewed her Mother as mild and cowardly, her experiences with Nathan and Martine caused her to re-evaluate those beliefs.
While this is just a subplot to the greater story, it contributed quite a bit to my enjoyment. I felt it added a lot of depth to Evelyn's character and allowed me to better understand her choices and motivations.
I really connected with Evelyn. I'm sure many will find her cold, but I think she is more determined and driven than uncaring. Choices she made, if made by a man, would probably be viewed differently by a lot of people.
Overall, this is an extremely intelligent and well-constructed story. My one very small negative, was that I was pitched Thriller and was expecting that. To me, this really isn't much of a Thriller even though it is quite compelling.
I do highly recommend this. I think it would make an incredible Book Club selection, or Buddy Read, as there are a ton of deep issues to discuss.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Tor, for providing me with a copy of this to read and review. I cannot wait to pick up more titles from this author!
Rating: really liked it
I know that February 2021 is lightyears away, but please do yourself a favor and add this thrilling read to your TBR now. A little bit of The Wife Between Us, a little bit Blake Crouch, and add in a dash of Big Little Lies and
Killing Eve, and you'll become acquainted with The Echo Wife! If the science fiction aspect makes you wary, please know that this facet isn't intense, as this still reads as a very mainstream thriller. I can't wait to see the cover that is chosen and to find out what other readers think of this one!
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.
Rating: really liked it
The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey
Evelyn is a brilliant award winning scientist and researcher. She's also a cold hearted, unethical, immoral witch who I feel would have been comfortable working side by side performing deadly experiments with the Nazi death camp doctor, Josef Mengele. She can justify anything she does and squelch any tinge of conscience, her work is everything and collateral damage is nothing to her. She is so involved in herself and her work that she doesn't even notice that her husband has been cheating on her, in a very unique way, for a very long time.
Now her husband, Nathan, is dead, killed by Martine, a clone of Evelyn, made by her cheating, lying, husband. This is a mess that Evelyn has to clean up because what Nathan accomplished was with information stolen from Evelyn. Finally, Evelyn acknowledges to herself just how bad she will look if Nathan's body is found and her clone is exposed to the world. Evelyn has no intention of stopping her beloved work but she also has no intention of having what she really does in the lab laid bare to the sensibilities of people who would put compassion before science.
So Evelyn has to work with Martine and it's through knowing Martine that Evelyn begins to see things through the eyes of others. Not that she wants to stop doing what she is doing. Where the story hit me the most is the description of how unwanted clones are disposed of...how they might fight back when they realize what is happening. How the clones need to mirror the human they are supposed to be so they are maimed and broken appear the real thing. How clones are experimented on, broken, vivisected, discarded as if they are nothing. There is a very real horror story under the wrappings of the dilemma of a scientist and her clone having to cover up what they did and what they are.
This is a very interesting story although there seems to be a lot that might not hold up under closer inspection. Things happen and things get done way too easily but maybe a lot of it is just glossing over the details. Still, I have a feeling that the way the book ends can't be the way it really will end. I think the future is going to be one big train wreck for Evelyn, at some point, even if we aren't there to see it.
Thank you to my Secret Santa(s) for this book. Published February 16th 2021 by Tor Books.
Rating: really liked it
this story wasnt what i thought it would be, but i still very much enjoyed it.
i think because i went into this expecting a mystery/thriller (especially because the synopsis heavily implies a murder), i kept trying to look for things that werent there, i kept hoping for twists that never came, i kept trying to figure out who the bad guy is when there is no bad guy at all. there is no mystery. everything you need to know is in the synopsis. and this isnt a thriller as the tone is not suspenseful.
what this story is about is how evelyn and her clone handle the death of their husband. i would very much label this ‘domestic sci-fi.’ it discusses the topics of cloning, their rights (if any), their purpose, and how they fit into every day family living. i do like the bond evelyn establishes with martine. its very unconventional, but relatable. almost sister-like. i also like the quick pacing, easy-to-devour writing, and unique concept.
due to the short length and accessible content, i think this would be a good first book for readers who are looking to branch out into the sci-fi genre.
↠ 4 stars
Rating: really liked it
You are happily married...until you aren't...isn't that the way it always goes? Your husband thinks you are "almost" perfect, but there is just something missing...so he decides to take care of that...by cloning you.. Yes you heard me correctly....
So of course when the cheater ends up dead.. yep dead.. well Evelyn and her clone need to fix this mess he got them all in...and that is when the cray begins.. Oh you thought the cray already happened? No you just wait...more to come..
Wow! This was one wild ride and I loved it. This book was so unique, so intriguing that I found myself thinking about it all the time. At work, in the car, while making dinner...hell I think I dreamed about it. Anyways, you get the point. I couldn't wait to pick this book back up.
I highly suggest going into this as blind as you can. I guess technically this is classified as sci-fi but I really think everyone will enjoy it. It somehow doesn't seem as "out there" as it sounds. Highly entertaining and very clever. This was my first book by this author and I loved her writing style!
Huge shoutout to Tor for my gorgeous gifted copy! Loved it!!!
Rating: really liked it
vlog (reading authors for the 3rd time) https://youtu.be/f0aIVy9JRuk
Rating: really liked it
oooh, goodreads choice awards finalist for best science fiction 2021! WHAT WILL HAPPEN LET’S FIND OUT!The floor was well polished.
Dragging him across it wasn't hard at all.
this is a deliciously entertaining bit of domestic suspense with a SF cherry on top.
evelyn caldwell is a brilliant scientist whose award-winning advances in cloning technology have won her great renown—she has risen to the very top of a male-dominated field, and the method she developed to program personality traits into clones bears her name. however, her professional success has been at the expense of her personal life; she has chosen the demands of her career and her research over motherhood and doting-wifehood; frequently standoffish and impatient with her husband nathan's intellectual shortcomings and emotional requirements.
when he leaves her for another woman, she learns she has unwittingly created a monster of her former spouse, who has stolen her research and has himself secretly created—not a monster, but a clone of
her, with all of her undesirably prickly personality traits spliced out, resulting in a demure and accommodating replacement he has named martine and now plans to wed.
this is, to put it mildly, not a good thing for evelyn, personally or professionally. the caldwell method was not meant to be used to improve one’s spouse, nor were her clones supposed to engage with the world beyond her lab; they were intended for organ donation, genetic and medical research, or for short-term use as body doubles. martine’s very existence has already destroyed evelyn’s marriage, and now threatens her professional standing and her funding, especially since martine is now pregnant, which shouldn’t be possible.
when nathan dies, suspiciously and messily, evelyn is forced into an uneasy alliance with martine; keeping her—and nathan’s death—a secret in order to protect her reputation. what follows is a briskly-paced tale of ethics and morals and self-preservation, with a bit of frankenstein’s responsibility-for-one’s-creation, unintentional or not, thrown in.
it’s a wholly original variation on a number of familiar storylines: a love triangle where the other woman is, fundamentally, the
same woman; a partners-in-crime buddy tale complicated by the disorientating experience of a character befriending a slightly-tweaked version of themselves; and a twist on the mother-daughter dynamic as a woman tries to understand this ‘new’ being who shares her genes; watching her develop, learning what her implanted social cues signify—the experience of new motherhood reinterpreted as a science experiment.
the relationship that blossoms between evelyn and martine is darkly delightful and a real win for the sisterhood. refreshingly, evelyn sees martine as more of an intellectual curiosity than a rival—there’s no homewrecker shade thrown; she knows the blame falls squarely on nathan, and she even feels a little sorry for martine, programmed as she was to love nathan, with no agency of her own or ability to make her own choices. because a clone is not a person, right? riiiiiight?
yeah, that’s another wrinkle in this l’il shar-pei puppy of a story.
how they managed to cram so much into a 250-page book is remarkable. read this book, and then you can remark upon it, too!
a million thanks to jordan/tor for sending this my way. i gave the box's second "influencer" copy to MY echo wife erica (or am
i the echo wife?) no matter, i know she will love it, too.
*********************************
there are so many treasures in this box, i feel downright
courted!
come to my blog!
Rating: really liked it
Martine is a genetically cloned replica of Evelyn Caldwell, made from her own award winning research.
But, Evelyn did not clone herself.
Her husband Nathan made Martine, to replace Evelyn with a more patient, loving version of his wife...a version without a temperament that can sting like a hornet!
And, then he promptly moved in with her.
So, how did the “cheating bastard” end up dead in his “more compliant” wife’s kitchen? And, why is Martine calling Evelyn for help?
This is an “intelligent” thriller based in the not too distant future, with just a few aspects of cloning to understand before the “fiction” kicks in!
It then becomes an original, engaging story which I thought could go in one of THREE different explosive directions...but, I was mistaken..
It went in a FOURTH direction that I had not even considered! 😱
Though not how I pictured it ending, I do think the conclusion “fit” the narrative , even if it WASN’T as exciting as the endings I had envisioned!
Thanks to Michael David, who paid this forward to me, after receiving a Physical copy of this ARC, from our friend, Denise! I will be doing the same!
AVAILABLE today from Tor Books!
Rating: really liked it
I have to say that this wasn’t what I was expecting according to the blurb for the book which compares it to “Big Little Lies”, it is absolutely nothing like that book.
This book has a dystopian feel and is purely science fiction, at least at this time!!!
I didn’t feel the fast pace of a thriller. It was character driven and we are being told the story by Evelyn, a supposedly brilliant scientist who is, at the beginning of the book, being given an award for her research into cloning humans.
She is a hard edged woman full of anger, regrets and betrayal by her husband. Nate had left her for another woman. Nate and Evelyn had grown apart because Evelyn chose to spend the major part of her time in the lab instead of spending time with Nathan. He also wanted a family and she did not! She knows who the woman is that he left her for, it is a replica of herself, with softer feelings and a caring personality. Her name is Martine and she is the other protagonist in this novel. She is Nate’s creation whom he promptly moved in with!!
There were some glimpses of Evelyn’s life growing up and you are able to see some of the reasons why Evelyn is such an unlikable, very driven person.
There are several OMG moments in this novel but it wasn’t enough to make up for uneven writing, dragging commentary and huge plot holes. There are some sections where Evelyn is describing the scientific method of creating clones which was a bore to read..
Here is an example: “Nathan had somehow found a way to circumvent the sterility that was built into the entire framework of duplicative cloning. It was one of the things that made my work legal and ethical: each duplicative clone was an island incapable of reproduction, isolated and, ultimately disposable. It was bedrock”. Oh how she loved to talk about her feelings and her accomplishments!!
Since this book was somewhat unpredictable I was hoping for a mind bending ending, but it didn’t come. The ending was almost “mundane”.
I am giving it 3 stars for an original premise and my lingering thoughts about Martine and what would happen to her in the future. It also made me think about how far humans will go with their scientific discoveries in the future.
If you enjoy dystopian and sci fi and are willing to suspend belief, you may love this book. My favorite character was Martine who was certainly a better version of Evelyn!
I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through Edelweiss.
Rating: really liked it
im very torn on this book. the concept was super interesting.
what if you find out your husband is cheating on you?
what if the woman he is cheating with is an exact replica of you that he made to be the "perfect wife"?
what if your clone calls you in the middle of the night because she killed him and needs help burying the body???????
however despite this wild plot, it was kinda boring. there were parts that were very intriguing and the discussions on what make you human and if clones should have rights were really interesting but for a 250 page book it really dragged
Rating: really liked it
Evelyn Caldwell is at the top of her profession. She is an award-winning scientist/researcher who is at the top of her game. Unfortunately, her husband has left her --- for her. WHAT!?! Yes, he has used her award-winning research and created the perfect woman in Evelyn's image. A new and improved version of Evelyn if you will.... or at least a better version for him. He wants a Stepford wife whose sole purpose is to please him, to give him what he wants, one who will not burn the eggs, be smarter than him, or have her own opinions....and yet....
Martine is Evelyn's clone. Made without Evelyn's knowledge or consent. Imagine your find out that your spouse is having an affair with...You....well not you...but a cloned version of you. Talk about a slap in the face! Plus, he wants a woman who looks exactly like you, has your mannerisms, etc. CREEPY. Imagine that the clone, Maritime, wants to meet you, have a little chat... How would you feel about that???
Now, Nathan, the cheating husband is dead.... what are the two Mrs. Caldwell's going to do?
Oh, how deliciously fun! This book is set in the near future where clones are being produced in labs. What is ethical and what is not? How far will science go? Dolly the sheep, Martine is not. I loved that this book touches lightly on Science and did not leave me feeling left in the dark with too much science jargon.
I had my ideas about how I thought this would go, I was off base, but nevertheless, this was a hoot and proved to be an extremely fast read. This is a nice blend of science fiction and domestic drama. The Echo Wife is original and intelligent. It became a page tuner that I did not want to put down.
Well written, thought provoking and entertaining. I can't wait to see what Sarah Gailey writes next!
Thank you to Macmillan-Tor/Forge and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
See more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
