Before I begin, since I am reviewing a sequel there are some spoilers for M.D. Waters’ first book Archetype in this review. If you haven’t already read that book you might want to read my review of it instead.
Binge read publishing. Like Netflix releases entire seasons of House of Cards or Orange is the New Black all at once, Dutton has tried to experiment releasing books in a series closer together. Archetype was published in February and instead of having to wait a year or more for the sequel Prototype is coming out next Thursday!
This duo is perfect for this new model. Prototype is just as much of a page-turner as it’s predecessor. It was no surprise to me when I read it in one sitting.
Archetype didn’t exactly end with a cliffhanger. We knew who was the good guy and who was the bad guy. We figured out that Emma was a clone. We knew where the strange dreams and voices in her head were coming from.
But we didn’t know who Emma was. And Emma didn’t know that either.
What made me love Prototype even more than Archetype is that instead of the tension being between two men, in this book the tension comes from Emma trying to figure out who she is. She struggles to know if she should be reaching out for the first Emma’s parents or her daughter. Should she be fighting in the revolution the first Emma believed in or following her own path towards a peaceful life.
Emma still feels the same longing for Noah (and at times, spookily, Declan) but she worries their feelings for her are too tied to the woman who’s DNA created her. She shares genetics and some memories with the first Emma … but she’s not sure if that makes her the same person.
Even though this clearly isn’t YA, it is in many ways a coming of age story. There are some big twists that will keep suspense fans reading, but for me it was the character development that made this book so fun to read.
***I received a free copy of this book from the publisher, but all the thoughts and opinions expressed in this blog post are my own.
Alison Doherty 