The Originals is a unique and clever book that really makes you care for the characters. I picked it out from my school book fair, liking the idea of clones after I read Never Let Me Go. But despite this, the two books were very different...

The Originals tells the story of three seemingly normal girls: Lizzie, Ella and Betsey Best. To most people they would seem like sisters or triplets. But that's not what they are at all: they're clones. The three girls live as one person: Elizabeth Best. One has the first part of the day (till lunch), the next has the afternoon, and the third has the evening. And strange as it may seem, the girls are perfectly happy with this; they're used to it.

But then Lizzie (who tells the story) and Ella fall in love… with different boys. Surely Elizabeth Best can't date two boys at once?! As this conflict awakens, Lizzie realises how unfair her situation is… and decides to fight for her own life.

One of the best things about this book is the characters. Lizzie, Ella and Betsey are so different, even though they look identical. Lizzie is creative, individual and strong-minded, Ella is academic, romantic and obedient, and Betsey is passionate, determined and dramatic. Sean is also a great character. He really cares about Lizzie, and is able to deal with being told things that would shock most people. And their mum… this is a deep character with a lot of secrets.

If I had to find any faults with this book, I would say that from time to time things do seem to be a bit fake, a bit too perfect or too easy. And as great a character as Sean is, he could've done with more faults or secrets. Also, the ending is a bit sudden.

But this is an exciting story filled with shocking revelations, suspense, mystery and romance. It's not the dystopia I thought it would be, but it is just as good if not better than I would've suspected. Patrick is a very good writer, and she is excellent at creating a distinctive style to reflect Lizzie's unique personality. And she also deals well with the strong themes in this book: identity, difference uniqueness and honesty.

So, to conclude, The Originals is a unique book that will make you think differently, and consider what you take for granted. I recommend it to girls 12+. So, what are you waiting for…

• Buy this book at the Guardian Bookshop

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