joziepaterson's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
calli's review
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
king_taliesin's review
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
claudia_is_reading's review
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
4.75
A great book but, at its core, a very sad one.
I liked Leila, with her stubborn streak, her need to discover what happened to her sister, and her love for Agatha Christie...
I liked Leila, with her stubborn streak, her need to discover what happened to her sister, and her love for Agatha Christie...
I totally feel like Miss Marple now (not that this was her way of solving a murder, this is more Sherlock Holmes’ methods, but I never liked him)
I even liked the Jays and kind of understood the Bees. The Ays, though, not so much *laughs*
But as we advance with the story we slowly get that Lily was right, there is something really fishy going on, something is being kept hidden and Lily's discoveries have put that secret in jeopardy.
The mystery is fantastically done and the personalities of the clones are clearly defined in part by their role in the asteroid, yes, but also by the way in which they act individually. It's strange that we can identify them, but it's also part of the reason why the plot works so well.
And the solution to the mystery isn't a happy one, the ending is just heartbreaking. But nothing else would have been right.
Wholeheartedly recommended for lovers of science-fiction and mysteries.
But as we advance with the story we slowly get that Lily was right, there is something really fishy going on, something is being kept hidden and Lily's discoveries have put that secret in jeopardy.
The mystery is fantastically done and the personalities of the clones are clearly defined in part by their role in the asteroid, yes, but also by the way in which they act individually. It's strange that we can identify them, but it's also part of the reason why the plot works so well.
And the solution to the mystery isn't a happy one, the ending is just heartbreaking. But nothing else would have been right.
Wholeheartedly recommended for lovers of science-fiction and mysteries.
robotghostattack's review against another edition
5.0
This surprised me! I wasn't expecting to love it so much; it really felt like an Agatha Christie mystery, but with clones! On an asteroid! So fun.
mdpenguin's review against another edition
5.0
I was about to give this four stars but, really, I can't think of any faults and I really did enjoy reading it. I think that where it loses a little of my esteem is in the way that the root story has to do with class conflict but, while there are moments to think about it, it's not a strong enough undercurrent to really call this intelligent or thoughtful. It was stimulating and had me guessing the whole way. There are good twists involved but none of them come out of nowhere just to mess with the reader. Taken solely as a claustrophobic scifi mystery novel, it's really very good.
belowvaultedsky's review
3.0
Death of A Clone is set in a future where Earth has been depleted of metals and cloning has become viable. So teams of clones, supervised by Overseers, are sent out to various asteroids where they will mine, separate, and catalogue all the required metals. Our protagonist Leila, is one such clone, and she's been working out on Mizushima-00109 (nicknamed "Hell") alongside her brothers and sisters (who are also clones). Life is more or less routine for this little makeshift-family, until one day, a clone is found murdered in a mine shaft. Now Leila is determined to put all her amateur detective skills to use and nail the culprit.
This was a solid, fast-paced, uncomplicated whodunit set in space. The story gives you very little preamble and throws you right into the thick of things, which I appreciated, though it might be considered a little abrupt for some people.
Leila's character is reminiscent Veronica Mars with her sense of humour and "I'm going to solve this and you can't stop me" attitude. Her narration is easy and enjoyable, and I found her obsession with Agatha Christie mysteries quite charming.
I did, however, find the worldbuilding and character development rather shallow. With the former, I would have loved some in-depth exploration into the situation back on Earth and how these clones came to be made. There's also quite a bit of infodumping at the end, and the big reveal itself is a little abrupt and underwhelming.
Your enjoyment of this book really depends on what you're looking to get out of it. Are you looking for a scifi that dives deep into the meaning of identity and the ethics of using cloned individuals as labourers? You won't find that here. Are you looking for a quick novel-form of Clue set in outer space? Then you got it.
Review copy provided by Netgalley and Abaddon Books in exchange for an honest review.
This was a solid, fast-paced, uncomplicated whodunit set in space. The story gives you very little preamble and throws you right into the thick of things, which I appreciated, though it might be considered a little abrupt for some people.
Leila's character is reminiscent Veronica Mars with her sense of humour and "I'm going to solve this and you can't stop me" attitude. Her narration is easy and enjoyable, and I found her obsession with Agatha Christie mysteries quite charming.
I did, however, find the worldbuilding and character development rather shallow. With the former, I would have loved some in-depth exploration into the situation back on Earth and how these clones came to be made. There's also quite a bit of infodumping at the end, and the big reveal itself is a little abrupt and underwhelming.
Your enjoyment of this book really depends on what you're looking to get out of it. Are you looking for a scifi that dives deep into the meaning of identity and the ethics of using cloned individuals as labourers? You won't find that here. Are you looking for a quick novel-form of Clue set in outer space? Then you got it.
Review copy provided by Netgalley and Abaddon Books in exchange for an honest review.
katebrarian's review
3.0
I really enjoyed reading this book - it was easy to read and hard to put down. It took me a while to get a handle on Leila's personality, but I liked the world-building. The mystery was enough to get me interested and the ending was satisfying.
kjcharles's review
A Christie-style murder mystery in space. It's very well done, with a narrative that unspools in a highly satisfying way, and which makes SF elements plot-crucial but in a completely fair way (the clues are all there, it's not a magic laser beam mcguffin). Good fun.
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