The Echo Wife
- Downloads：7228
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-02-17 04:24:47
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Sarah Gailey
- ISBN：9781250174666
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Editor Reviews
10/19/2020
This creepy， exhilarating science fiction outing from Gailey （Magic for Liars） dissects an unconventional affair that violates both a couple’s marriage vows and scientific integrity。 Dr。 Evelyn Caldwell is startled to discover that her husband， Nathan， has been seeing another woman—and even more shocked to learn that the other woman is a clone of Evelyn herself。 Nathan created Martine to be everything Evelyn isn’t: attentive， submissive， and family-oriented。 Adding insult to injury， Nathan used Evelyn’s own research to do so。 An explosive confrontation among the three ends in Nathan’s murder， leaving Evelyn and Martine forced to work together to cover up the crime。 It’s a situation that is not entirely unfamiliar for Evelyn， whose troubled past is teased out bit by bit。 The women slowly discover that Nathan was hiding more secrets than either of them knew， forcing Martine and Evelyn to think on their feet in order to save themselves and the odd little family they create along the way。 Gailey’s story unspools as a series of dark reveals that leave both the characters and the audience reeling。 Readers won’t want to put this one down。 （Feb。）
Reviews
B&NLindsayB
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I will be honest; this is not my typical read。 Thrilling enough for Thriller readers。 “Sci-Fi-y” enough for Science Fiction readers， and so creepy and crazy it is believable！ Dark， clever， smart， and un-settling， The Echo Wife will stay with you long after the last page。
Melly Mel - Shelf_ishly_lit
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BOOK REVIEW: THE ECHO WIFE by Sarah Gailey Pub Date: February 16， 2021The Echo Wife is a domestic suspense novel with a unique twist reminiscent of Ray Bradbury’s styling of science fiction making the novel consumable for readers across genres。 This is propulsive story centered around intriguing relational dynamics of a marriage interrupted and the hazards of science unchecked。 The Echo Wife will sweep you up in a myriad of “what-if’s” of runaway science and tech and the implications that we may BOOK REVIEW: THE ECHO WIFE by Sarah Gailey Pub Date: February 16， 2021The Echo Wife is a domestic suspense novel with a unique twist reminiscent of Ray Bradbury’s styling of science fiction making the novel consumable for readers across genres。 This is propulsive story centered around intriguing relational dynamics of a marriage interrupted and the hazards of science unchecked。 The Echo Wife will sweep you up in a myriad of “what-if’s” of runaway science and tech and the implications that we may one day face。The Echo Wife is a smartly crafted thriller infused with sci-fi elements where protagonist Evelyn learns her husband Nathan has strayed from the marriage to another women， Martine – only she is not just a woman， she is Evelyn’s clone。 With plot development as exacting as science yet as engaging as the best of psychological thrillers， Gailey does a great job of creating an almost plausible scenario come to life which is truly horrifying when you think that “one day” might not be so far away。 The ending is left open which keeps readers thinking about the implications of cloning designer human species and the many ethical quandaries to be considered。 I devoured this novel in a day！ Fans of The Wife Upstairs， Black Mirror and Bradbury will likely find this mix completely unputdownable。My thanks to thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan/ Tor Books for sharing this exciting ARC with me in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Jenny
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What the literal f*&$ did I just read？ All I know is I love Orphan Black and Westworld， so this was an easy sell and it DID NOT DISAPPOINT。
Linda McCutcheon
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I listened to the audiobook of The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey within 24 hours because it was just brilliant。 The author mapped out this science fiction psychological thriller with uncanny precision。 Every scene， every clue， every motive had a valid reason to exist and at the end it had a payoff that I did not envision and that is the best ending for a thriller fan。Evelyn is an award winning genius scientist who is focused on her work and only her work。 She is married to Nathan， who is a scientist I listened to the audiobook of The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey within 24 hours because it was just brilliant。 The author mapped out this science fiction psychological thriller with uncanny precision。 Every scene， every clue， every motive had a valid reason to exist and at the end it had a payoff that I did not envision and that is the best ending for a thriller fan。Evelyn is an award winning genius scientist who is focused on her work and only her work。 She is married to Nathan， who is a scientist in his own right， but nowhere as committed to his work as she has been forever。 She thought he knew who he married and accepted her priorities; that is until she finds clues of his affair。 Clues that lead her to a quaint little house。。。where the door is answered by Martene。。。who looks exactly like Evelyn！What follows is not what you think。 This is not a story about a revengeful scorned wife。 Yes there is murder， actually a lot of murder but not necessarily by who you think or why you think。 It is also a fascinating psychological look into the mind of Evelyn who is without doubt the smartest person in the room， usually the most aware person in the room but whose backstory shows a very damaged fragile soul who has been taught， maybe groomed is a better description， to accept her inabilities like no patience， no empathy and no friendships。。。that is until she meets Martene。The Narrator Xe Sands should receive an Oscar for this performance。 I believed she was Evelyn telling me， in confidence， her story。 The inflections， the tones， and the emotions were very real and excruciatingly human。The Echo Wife is a MUST READ！I received a free copy of this audiobook from Macmillan Audio for a fair and honest review。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Permanently_Booked
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I have been processing this one for a bit in hopes of getting my thoughts together for release day。 I am still processing。 Just whoa。 If you like domestic thrillers and sci-fi and just shake your head weird than this is definitely your kind of read。 It was totally my kind of read too。 This novel not only keeps you wondering what will happen next but it comes with so many moral debates too。 Cloning has always been an intriguing topic and I tend to gravitate towards books that have this as a premi I have been processing this one for a bit in hopes of getting my thoughts together for release day。 I am still processing。 Just whoa。 If you like domestic thrillers and sci-fi and just shake your head weird than this is definitely your kind of read。 It was totally my kind of read too。 This novel not only keeps you wondering what will happen next but it comes with so many moral debates too。 Cloning has always been an intriguing topic and I tend to gravitate towards books that have this as a premise。 Gailey did an exceptional job bringing together the scientific， the morally grey， and the thought provoking 'what the hell did I just read' factor。 I had read about half of the novel before I heard Macmillan Audio had the advanced listener copy available and I couldn't resist hearing how Xe Sands would bring Evelyn and Martine to life。 It was perfection。 Sands voice for Evelyn had the dry， very observatory tone I imagined in my head。 The almost clinical and emotionless persona of someone locking away all emotions to just get through。 Martine came off as the programmed Stepford wife bouncing around in my imagination and I just fell in love with her progression into someone fighting to be more。 To be seen as real。。。 alive。 Shun the programming。 I just loved this character dynamic and the utter craziness these two go through。 Talk about something to bond over。 For me， the audio added a whole other connectable level to the story for me。Whether you grab the audio or the physical copy I do not think you'll be disappointed if you like this genre。 The beginning is slow， there is technical jargon that can seem weighty and pushing into the psyche of Evelyn， I personally found difficult at times。 It is all worth it though。 Gailey is REALLY going to make you think with this one！Thank you Tor Books and MacMillan Audio for the opportunity to read and listen to this novel in exchange for an honest and unbiased review。 。。。more
Erica
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The good:-I really liked this story！ There were fun philosophical and sociological quandaries， problems caused by trauma that create more problems， learning self-awareness through literally watching yourself， science and ethics， and murder！-I enjoyed how claustrophobic I felt while reading this！ It was uncomfortable and unnerving。-I got that sense of smirkiness when something I thought would happen early on didn't and I reluctantly thought， "Oh， I guess I'm reading this wrong。。。" but it turned o The good:-I really liked this story！ There were fun philosophical and sociological quandaries， problems caused by trauma that create more problems， learning self-awareness through literally watching yourself， science and ethics， and murder！-I enjoyed how claustrophobic I felt while reading this！ It was uncomfortable and unnerving。-I got that sense of smirkiness when something I thought would happen early on didn't and I reluctantly thought， "Oh， I guess I'm reading this wrong。。。" but it turned out， I was not reading it wrong at all。The medium:-The characters。 OMG， these characters。 They were awfully hard to be around for so long。 Evelyn is totally right about her former husband， Nathan， and all his shortcomings。 In fact， there are even more than she suspected！ But Nathan was totally right about Evelyn and all her shortcomings which， I guess， is why he tried to make a version of her he liked better。 Regardless， they're both assholes。The bad: -I really didn't like the writing。 It's too repetitive and explainy for my tastes。-The suspense， horror， icked-outness I wanted to feel never manifested， partially because some of the events I had expected never happened and partially because of the aforementioned over-explainy writing。The best thing:-karen sent me the ARC so I could read this before its release， which I technically did since I finished it last night。 As of today， it's a Real Book！ Welcome to the world， Echo Wife， and thank you， karen！The worst thing:That summary。 It makes this story sound cute and fun！ "Oops， I Killed Our Husband！" This story is not cute and fun。Lemme write a less whimsical one:Evelyn Caldwell， a brilliant， award-winning scientist whose research in cloning was stolen by her ex-husband， has recently met the woman for whom her husband left her: a clone of Evelyn named Martine。 Martine is everything Evelyn is - smart， capable， focused - and everything she is not - adoring， pregnant， a killer。 With one dead husband and a host of unethical circumstances between them， Evelyn and Martine can either work together to get away with murder or they can ruin each other in the worst ways possible。The last thing:I just want to state that if I accidentally found a clone of myself and then buddied up with her， I would adore her so much。 I understand that she would irritate me because I am often irritating but I also know how delightful I can be and with two of me running around， we'd get so much accomplished。 I was glad Evelyn learned to love her clone but I couldn't believe it took so long （yes， I could。 Evelyn is terribly emotionally stunted） 。。。more
Kristy Alley
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If you wish you liked sci-fi but your taste runs more to Gone Girl， this book could be for you。 If you wish you could get in on the Gone Girl fun but you are more of a sci-fi kind of reader， this book could be for you。 This was a fast-paced， compelling story with enough scientific speculation （what if an adult-clone could be created and imprinted with the memories and personality of the original - would it be a real person？ Would it have the right to autonomy？ Could those clones replace us？ Can If you wish you liked sci-fi but your taste runs more to Gone Girl， this book could be for you。 If you wish you could get in on the Gone Girl fun but you are more of a sci-fi kind of reader， this book could be for you。 This was a fast-paced， compelling story with enough scientific speculation （what if an adult-clone could be created and imprinted with the memories and personality of the original - would it be a real person？ Would it have the right to autonomy？ Could those clones replace us？ Can we be sure WE are not clones？） to make it serious sci-fi， and enough murder and morally ambiguous character development to make it a thriller。I had a good time。 。。。more
Ramavtar Jadhav
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 The echo wife
Aaron Akbar
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I started this as a bit of a guilty pleasure read。 And on one level， it really was。 The situations the main character finds herself in are certifiably insane， and keep getting crazier as you go。 It's hard to put down。But more than that， was suprised over the sheer level of thought provoking situations it contained。 It definitely fits in the realm of something like Black Mirror， but what suprised me was how many times the plot twisted and turned to provide yet another level of moral and ethical d I started this as a bit of a guilty pleasure read。 And on one level， it really was。 The situations the main character finds herself in are certifiably insane， and keep getting crazier as you go。 It's hard to put down。But more than that， was suprised over the sheer level of thought provoking situations it contained。 It definitely fits in the realm of something like Black Mirror， but what suprised me was how many times the plot twisted and turned to provide yet another level of moral and ethical dilemma。 There's a certain degree of suspending disbelief at the world， and I hope no one goes into this treating it like a hard sci-fi or a speculative fiction。 Because the real strength is in providing a perfect setup to analyze the complexities of identity， gender norms， and power dynamics。 The situations in the book aren't situations we would ever find ourselves in， even if the technology got there。 And that's good。 Because， Instead， they are a backdrop of "what ifs"。 "What ifs" that reveal the darker corners of capitalism， the patriarchy， and generational trauma and allow us to feel a little more uncomfortable about the thousand little ways we dehumanize ourselves and others。 Erie and enjoyable tension through and through。 。。。more
Oliver Harris
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This book was everything I was hoping for and more！ I have loves every single one of Sarah Gailey's books and this one is no exception！ It was phenomenal as a thriller， as a sci-fi， just as a novel！ I was blown away！ This book has a sort of West World vibe which is an automatic win for me and then it also has hints of Orphan Black and The Last Wife but its also its own unique story。 Its the type of thriller that everyone is going to be talking about within 24 hours of the release because no one This book was everything I was hoping for and more！ I have loves every single one of Sarah Gailey's books and this one is no exception！ It was phenomenal as a thriller， as a sci-fi， just as a novel！ I was blown away！ This book has a sort of West World vibe which is an automatic win for me and then it also has hints of Orphan Black and The Last Wife but its also its own unique story。 Its the type of thriller that everyone is going to be talking about within 24 hours of the release because no one will be able to put it down once they get their hands on it！ I can not wait to see where this book goes。 It is going to be huge！ I can not wait to make all of my friends read this and hear their theories as they read！ Honestly this is going to be making my top 10 of 2021 its its only February！ Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the early review copy。 。。。more
Lata
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Evelyn is a brilliant researcher in cloning， and we find out immediately that not only has she won an award for her groundbreaking work， but her husband Nathan and she are getting divorced。She’s got a detached quality even while she’s keenly analytical and fiercely intelligent。 She does not suffer fools， or weakness in anyone。 She’s also got blind spots in her that allow a number of actions to occur to her and around her， all of which shock her to her core， and that threaten her research and rep Evelyn is a brilliant researcher in cloning， and we find out immediately that not only has she won an award for her groundbreaking work， but her husband Nathan and she are getting divorced。She’s got a detached quality even while she’s keenly analytical and fiercely intelligent。 She does not suffer fools， or weakness in anyone。 She’s also got blind spots in her that allow a number of actions to occur to her and around her， all of which shock her to her core， and that threaten her research and reputation， both more dear to her than anything or anyone。Evelyn is filled with fury， but at the same time she’s cold and quiet， and only gets quieter the more angry she becomes。Then， Evelyn’s clone， Martine， enters her life。 Nathan created Martine to be a kinder， gentler， meeker version of Evelyn， who would want everything Evelyn either derides or has no interest in: a warm， welcoming， love-filled home with children。Sarah Gailey had me reading as fast as I could， as Evelyn’s， Nathan’s and Martine’s lives all collided explosively。 Martine’s presence causes Evelyn to interrogate her feelings about Nathan， her work， herself， and her childhood， where the patterns of her behaviour were set by an abusive father。Many secrets come to light over the course of the book， often ugly， and also reiterate to Evelyn the myriad ways in which Nathan， and her predominantly male colleagues and peers， treat a brilliant woman， diminishing her abilities and strengths at every turn as the only way to make themselves feel better about themselves。It’s also impossible while reading this book not to think of other stories of clones; for example， Philip K。 Dick’s replicants， Duncan Jones’ Sam Bell， and the Clone Club of Sarah Manning and her fantastic sestras。 Here， Evelyn must contend with Martine and Martine’s flawed programming， as well as what this means to Evelyn’s research， and to her conception of clones in general。 I thought Gailey posed some difficult and valuable questions about designed beings and their uses over the course of this book。。I like this author’s work a lot， and all their works have a core of anger， expressed in some stories more loudly than others， and are also filled with unlikeable people doing unlikeable and even cruel things。 And these stories are terrific， keeping me reading late into a night because， unlikeable or not， this author’s work is so compelling。 As this book is。 。。。more
Kendall
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Phew。。。 this one was quite the unique read。Your husband thinks you're almost perfect and then all of a sudden he feels like he needs to clone you。 How about that？！ A clone？ Nathan clones his wife。 Martin is Evelyn's clone。。。。 can you imagine having your clone want to talk with you and chit chat about life？！ Haha oh my goodness how CREEPY。Now， Nathan the cheater has been found dead。 Evelyn and her clone have got to figure this mess out。 This was definitely quite the unique ride and I had so much Phew。。。 this one was quite the unique read。Your husband thinks you're almost perfect and then all of a sudden he feels like he needs to clone you。 How about that？！ A clone？ Nathan clones his wife。 Martin is Evelyn's clone。。。。 can you imagine having your clone want to talk with you and chit chat about life？！ Haha oh my goodness how CREEPY。Now， Nathan the cheater has been found dead。 Evelyn and her clone have got to figure this mess out。 This was definitely quite the unique ride and I had so much fun with it！！ I recommend going in blind for this cray crazy ride！ Thank you so much to Bookish First for my copy！ This was well written， thought provoking， and just pure fun entertainment。 Page turner in my opinion for sure :）。 I look forward to seeing what Sarah Bailey has up her sleeve next！ :）What I really loved was how original this one is！！ Nothing that you've seen before that's for dang sure！！ 。。。more
Susan
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This science fiction novel to me has a Blade Runner vibe to it with respect to the ethical dilemmas the main character faces and a general dark moodiness。 I liked it， but left wanting more， particularly about how the clones were used in society in general and how they were treated by other people。 It could be the author chose intentionally to keep the story limited to Evelyn and Martine， giving it a more tense and claustrophobic。 I am a library paraprofessional and received an advance reader cop This science fiction novel to me has a Blade Runner vibe to it with respect to the ethical dilemmas the main character faces and a general dark moodiness。 I liked it， but left wanting more， particularly about how the clones were used in society in general and how they were treated by other people。 It could be the author chose intentionally to keep the story limited to Evelyn and Martine， giving it a more tense and claustrophobic。 I am a library paraprofessional and received an advance reader copy from NetGalley。 。。。more
Karen Bartiromo
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I have never read anything like this and I loved every minute of it。 I was a bit skeptical， afraid that I wouldn't enjoy or understand the sci-fi aspect， but it was wonderfully done and written in a manner that was easy to understand！ Very pleasantly surprised with this one！！ I have never read anything like this and I loved every minute of it。 I was a bit skeptical， afraid that I wouldn't enjoy or understand the sci-fi aspect， but it was wonderfully done and written in a manner that was easy to understand！ Very pleasantly surprised with this one！！ 。。。more
blondethrillerbooklover
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫I was totally surprised by this book！ I do NOT like Sci-Fi at all， but I loved this！ It’s so different and interesting and the author is insanely talented。 I love her use of metaphor and the way the main character processes the world。________________________________Evelyn is a genius that has recently won a prestigious award for her ground-breaking work with clones。Evelyn has just found out that her husband is having an affair with a clone named Martine。Her husband ends up dead。 Evelyn ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫I was totally surprised by this book！ I do NOT like Sci-Fi at all， but I loved this！ It’s so different and interesting and the author is insanely talented。 I love her use of metaphor and the way the main character processes the world。________________________________Evelyn is a genius that has recently won a prestigious award for her ground-breaking work with clones。Evelyn has just found out that her husband is having an affair with a clone named Martine。Her husband ends up dead。 Evelyn and Martine end up relying on each other 👀_________________________________Sounds crazy right？ Even if you don’t normally like Sci-Fi， give this one a try！ It’s a different take on the domestic thriller and is written so， so well。 。。。more
Jessica
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All my reviews can be found at: http://jessicasreadingroom。com~~~~This review will appear on my site on Publication Day: February 16， 2021。~~~~I must say that after I had read about 80 pages I decided that the book description gives away too much and I really can’t stand that！ All you really need to know is that The Echo Wife deals with clones and murder。I am selective with what I read that is of the sci fi genre， but this one was right up my alley！ The Echo Wife is total Science Fiction， and th All my reviews can be found at: http://jessicasreadingroom。com~~~~This review will appear on my site on Publication Day: February 16， 2021。~~~~I must say that after I had read about 80 pages I decided that the book description gives away too much and I really can’t stand that！ All you really need to know is that The Echo Wife deals with clones and murder。I am selective with what I read that is of the sci fi genre， but this one was right up my alley！ The Echo Wife is total Science Fiction， and the science is not too much for the typical non sci fi reader。 Some describe this one as a thriller as well， but for me it was not: It is character driven and is slower moving。 All science fiction is fiction until it becomes fact！Evelyn is our narrator to the novel and she starts her story with receiving an award for her research。 It goes in a direction I figured out （most likely due to the many thrillers I read）， but I enjoyed going for the ride。 Evelyn is not very likeable and yet Martine is and they are total opposites， yet also not。 There are a few OMG moments that add to the story。 The novel does have a conclusion， yet I wanted more story to see what will be coming next。 This novel does leave you thinking about how far we humans will push science and to quote Jeff Goldblum in Jurassic Park: “Yeah， but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could that they didn’t stop to think if they should。”This is my first novel by Gailey and I really enjoyed it。 If you are a sci fi reader then this one you should read！ Many thanks to the publisher Tor Books for granting me a copy to read and review via Bookish First。 。。。more
Sunyi Dean
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W O WBrilliantly done。 Amazing characterisation is the foundation for this book， that and the incredible writing。 Definitely one of my top reads of the year so far。Thanks to the publisher an author as this was a free arc received on goodreads and it was amaze balls！###Slightly longer review: I read this in one sitting and thought it was phenomenal。 Not so much for the ideas （clones haven't been a bold new idea since the 1930s， contrary to what the litfic crowd would have you believe。。。） or the " W O WBrilliantly done。 Amazing characterisation is the foundation for this book， that and the incredible writing。 Definitely one of my top reads of the year so far。Thanks to the publisher an author as this was a free arc received on goodreads and it was amaze balls！###Slightly longer review: I read this in one sitting and thought it was phenomenal。 Not so much for the ideas （clones haven't been a bold new idea since the 1930s， contrary to what the litfic crowd would have you believe。。。） or the "bUt WhAt iS a HoOmAn" musing （also not new）， but because the characters are incredibly well done and the personal story arc is riveting in a macabre， darkly humourous way。 Straight up thriller readers and the Purity Litfic crowd won't like this much but it's a great bit of upmarket spec fic。 Some of the Goodreads reviews called it a cross between Killing Eve and Westwold， and I think that's pretty accurate for feel。 。。。more
Jen
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The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey is an absolutely fantastic story， a what-if between the Twilight Zone and the Stepford Wives。 Dr。 Evelyn Caldwell created the Caldwell Method for cloning， a way to inject memories and personality into the clones her lab creates。 But then the person she trusted most uses her own methods against her， and now Evelyn has to save her own clone if she wants to save herself。 Full of science fiction concepts and an in-depth look at the human condition， The Echo Wife was bri The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey is an absolutely fantastic story， a what-if between the Twilight Zone and the Stepford Wives。 Dr。 Evelyn Caldwell created the Caldwell Method for cloning， a way to inject memories and personality into the clones her lab creates。 But then the person she trusted most uses her own methods against her， and now Evelyn has to save her own clone if she wants to save herself。 Full of science fiction concepts and an in-depth look at the human condition， The Echo Wife was brilliant writing and will make readers think。 Evelyn at the start was like many of us - proud of her work and feeling betrayed over what her ex-husband did to her。 But then everything changes。 And Evelyn changes。 How is a scientist supposed to respond when her clones start feeling more than they should， start deviating from their programming when they shouldn't be able to？ What is a cloning scientist to do when her clones act more and more human everyday？ And how does a scientist go against her moral fiber and keep her greatest creation a secret？The Echo Wife asks all these questions and more as the person who specializes in cloning becomes a study in the human condition。 I devoured The Echo Wife and recommend it to both fans of science fiction and regular fiction。 A huge thanks to Tor Books and Netgalley for allowing me to read The Echo Wife in advance of its release date。 。。。more
Meadhbh Dhommnail
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The premise of this book is interesting and I really enjoyed the writing and the plot， I just had a lot of trouble engaging with the main POV character。 Her justifications for disposing of her test subjects as if she weren't growing people were difficult to deal with， and she definitely is not a perfectly honorable heroine。。 While I didn't necessarily like her callousness， I was able to get behind her need （selfish though it was） to take care of Martine。 It wasn't a light read， by any stretch of The premise of this book is interesting and I really enjoyed the writing and the plot， I just had a lot of trouble engaging with the main POV character。 Her justifications for disposing of her test subjects as if she weren't growing people were difficult to deal with， and she definitely is not a perfectly honorable heroine。。 While I didn't necessarily like her callousness， I was able to get behind her need （selfish though it was） to take care of Martine。 It wasn't a light read， by any stretch of the imagination， but the science was explained in such a way that a layperson could understand it completely， especially one who'd been paying attention to cloning science in the last few years。 It was definitely a different take on the ex-and-current-wife-kill-husband trope。 Overall， I enjoyed the novel and it gave me a lot of food for thought。 。。。more
Jared | beardedreading
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RTC
Daniel
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If you haven't read anything yet about the plot to Sarah Gailey's The Echo Wife， you might consider starting it without indulging in any summaries， not even what's on the cover jacket。 And long story short， I strongly recommend The Echo Wife。 I received the novel and placed it on the ARC shelf with all the others， entering into my notes for potential review。 As time passed I saw more word-of-mouth posts praising the novel; mentions included it being featured on several Best。。。 or Most Anticipate If you haven't read anything yet about the plot to Sarah Gailey's The Echo Wife， you might consider starting it without indulging in any summaries， not even what's on the cover jacket。 And long story short， I strongly recommend The Echo Wife。 I received the novel and placed it on the ARC shelf with all the others， entering into my notes for potential review。 As time passed I saw more word-of-mouth posts praising the novel; mentions included it being featured on several Best。。。 or Most Anticipated。。。 of 2021 lists， both within the SF genre and pop-culture wide。 I still didn't read what the book was actually about， and as for Sarah Gailey， I couldn't recall ever reading their work before to know if I would like it。 Despite the broad hype （which always makes me leery）， I decided to start reading The Echo Wife - probably because specific authors and reviewers I'm fond of also hyped it。 I cracked the ARC open and began reading， still without even reading the back cover synopsis， only expecting something SF that somehow involved genetics。 Not until approximately page 50 of the novel does the The Echo Wife fully reveal one of its major themes and plot elements。 It takes a few more chapters still for an event to occur that sets the rest of the novel into motion。 For certain there are hints to these things earlier in the novel， but Gailey gradually reveals details about their protagonist and the speculative world， details that the synopsis just flat-out states， lessening the reveal。Now this is understandable， potential readers have to be told something about what this book is about， and even knowing these details， there are still a lot of surprises and discoveries for the rest of the novel until its ending。 But， if a reader can be convinced to give this book a try without knowing any details， well， it makes it even all the more a satisfying read。 Prior to any plot 'reveals'， here is what Gailey establishes in the earliest pages of the novel:The novel begins with genetics researcher Dr。 Evelyn Caldwell attending an awards reception/banquet in her honor。 Brilliant， but feeling out-of-place in this social setting， Evelyn cooperates in the engagement only because of its necessity for securing continued support for her ground-breaking research in growing human tissues in the lab。 While tolerating the spectacle of the present by keeping her eyes on her future plans， Evelyn also reflects upon her past struggles to get here。 Throughout professional and personal hurdles， including recent separation from her husband Nathan， Evelyn has persevered， sacrificed， and found success。Following the reception and rest to recover， Evelyn returns to her life: the laboratory。 Fired up to keep things moving forward and squashing all uncertainties or self-doubt that still rear their heads in her psyche， Evelyn gives orders to her lab assistant， the only other person that Evelyn trusts as competent and reliable。 About to start on the research， Evelyn's assistant informs her that she has received a phone message from a woman named Martine。 This stops Evelyn with a shock: Martine， the new fiancée of Evelyn's former husband Nathan， a woman whose existence she has even kept secret from her trusted assistant。 Hesitant， Evelyn decides to go meet Martine， where she - and the reader - find their first surprise。If you happen to still know nothing more of this novel， do consider leaving it at that。 The Echo Wife is a speculative fiction thriller that predominantly focuses on themes of women in research and the personal life that a woman is expected to have versus that which they may choose to have。 The speculative aspect involves genetics， though do not expect it to be fully fleshed out science。 Dr。 Caldwell's award-winning research and techniques are vaguely described in terms of epigenetics and development， but not in believable detail that a biologist could imagine this speculative technology as actually existing。 The reader is just asked to accept the science （fiction） as a set up for the social issues and character relationships that lie at the heart of the novel。 That seems intentional by Gaiely， and that's perfectly fine to a reader like me。 In fact， a lot of the details in the science are things that Evelyn herself doesn't at first understand completely， things she'll have to look into further。 The unexpected， seemingly 'impossible' aspects of the speculative elements in the novel are thus kind of the point， part of the mystery。And mystery/crime/thriller is a category that The Echo Wife fits into just as comfortably as science fiction。 However， it is not about solving a mystery， nor is it filled with taut action。 It's about how characters deal with secrets， mysteries， and uncertainties; how crimes can be covered up， and with resilience， moved past to still find some sort of success。 It's a psychologically driven thriller around the characters of Evelyn and Martine， women with a shared history， yet very unique。 The Echo Wife speaks a lot to the experience of women in science - or professional lives in general。 It raises a lot of moral questions， but doesn't seek to provide trite answers。 Again and again Evelyn writes: I am not a monster。 The reader is left to conclude the truth to that statement。 Gailey writes their characters in ways that blur the lines between hero and victim and villain， and they capture them with prose that never becomes oppressively dark， yet always has a foreboding shadow of secretes and deception lying behind it。 If you have already read other reviews or synopses of The Echo Wife to know more specific details， I'll go into a few of those things， particularly biology aspects I find interesting as a biologist， here after this Gram negative:SPOILER OUTER MEMBRANESPOILER PEPTIDOGLYCAN （PERIPLASM）SPOILER CELL MEMBRANESo， Martine is a clone of Evelyn; after voicing resistance to Nathan's desires for her， and then being attacked by Nathan， Martine kills Nathan。 Evelyn is willing to help， both in physically hiding Nathan's body in the garden， and supporting Martine， who Nathan has biologically programmed with limitations and kept in ignorance。 Bodies in the garden will return in multiple ways before novel's end。Gailey handles all of these twists fantastically well， plus others like Evelyn's betrayal in the lab and Evelyn's relationship with her parents。 All disparate elements filter in for the same theme， the formation of a woman。 Who is Evelyn/Martine， and why？ How much is her and how much is conditioning and the will of others？ Gailey takes this beyond the whole nature/nurture kind of debate when it comes to speculative genetics in a more modern way。 What I mean is: Clones are not a new theme to science fiction。 The term 'clone' in this context means an organism that is genetically identical。 Science fiction has used clones - even furthered to include the copying of memories and experiences。 What Gailey does a bit differently here is playing with that term 'identical'， in ways that more closely match actual biological reality。 In that classic SF sense of 'clone' Martine isn't really a clone of Evelyn at all。 She is a genetically modified creation built upon an Evelyn template。 And really， that is what all human cloning would result in。 After all， all of our cells are clones of each other。 They all contain the same DNA （or lose it）。 Yet one cell can form part of heart tissue， another lung， another a neuron， another a leukocyte， another osteoclast。 Very， very different， yet with the same blueprints。 And that's just in one organism through developmental variations in gene expression。 Between two that share 100% of the same genetic material there is a complicating factor of epigenetics - changes that occur through DNA modifications， inherited protein structures， inherited microbes， etc。 Somehow， Dr。 Evelyn Caldwell has found a way to not just let those processes proceed， that create variability even in a 100% DNA identical genetic clone， but to exert directed changes in them。 Moreover， she has somehow found a way to map memories and selectively impart those。 Nathan has taken her techniques and purposefully made changes she explicitly set out to not allow in the clones。 This creates a lot to ponder regarding bioethics， even if Gailey doesn't really go that classical direction in their novel。Instead Gailey takes it to that level of the ethics of Nathan purposefully making an Evelyn replacement adhering to his desires and plans that the actual Evelyn did not make a priority。 These physical actions mirror what men （or really spouses or even relationships in general） do to one another in s symbolic sense all the time。 Within a relationship， what are the balances between sacrificing versus selfishness？ Are professional concerns different from others？ And what are the differences between the genders for these decisions/expectations？With the foundation of speculation around 'cloning' Gailey forms all of these questions （and more） through their fascinatingly flawed characters and engaging plot。 Whether all， or just some of it， represents a surprise to readers shouldn't affect one's overall appreciation of the novel。 If you go into this expecting an action-driven SF murder thriller， you might be disappointed， because that's not what it is。 If one lets The Echo Wife speak on its own terms， I believe readers will find it has a lot to say and provide one to consider， and it will entertain。 And that is what good speculative fiction and a thriller does。I've now had the chance to also read a short story by Sarah Gailey in the Escape Pod anthology， which I'm reviewing for Skiffy & Fanty。 I'll definitely keep my eyes open for more of their future work， and hopefully have a chance to also read some of that prior。 。。。more
Kym's Open Books
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This was crazy！！I’m still processing Review to come
Laura
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Another reviewer described this as Westworld meets Stepford Wives meets Orphan Black。 This describes it perfectly。 It's an original take on cloning with a delightfully creepy twist that I didn't see coming but made perfect sense in the context of the story。 An ethics question for book group discussions。。。 is it murder if you kill a clone？ I couldn't put this one down。 Another reviewer described this as Westworld meets Stepford Wives meets Orphan Black。 This describes it perfectly。 It's an original take on cloning with a delightfully creepy twist that I didn't see coming but made perfect sense in the context of the story。 An ethics question for book group discussions。。。 is it murder if you kill a clone？ I couldn't put this one down。 。。。more
Jess Owens
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Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review。 The Echo Wife is a science-fiction mystery。 I don't think "thriller" is a fitting descriptor but that is not to say that it isn't a quick read。 The main character， Evelyn is a scientist working in human cloning。 She is a pioneer in her field and her life revolves around her work。 She had a hard upbringing with distant parents who she no longer talks to and her marriage has failed as well。 All she has left is her Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review。 The Echo Wife is a science-fiction mystery。 I don't think "thriller" is a fitting descriptor but that is not to say that it isn't a quick read。 The main character， Evelyn is a scientist working in human cloning。 She is a pioneer in her field and her life revolves around her work。 She had a hard upbringing with distant parents who she no longer talks to and her marriage has failed as well。 All she has left is her work。 After receiving a huge award for her accomplishments， we find out that Evelyn's husband left her for another woman and that woman is Evelyn's clone。 I don't want to say much beyond that because it would give away some of the twists and turns of the story。 I didn't read much about this book before reading it and I think that's for the best。 I read this book in one sitting so I think it is a fast-paced read and it is relatively short。 The story is written in first person which I didn't mind。 Being in the mind of Evelyn was very interesting。 You really got to see how much her childhood affected her and the choices she makes in adulthood。 There is a main storyline going on but also a smaller mystery that I thought was interesting。 While there is a plot， I would say this is more character-focused， because we really get to see all Evelyn goes through and the reasons behind the decisions she makes。The Echo Wife also addresses some deeper topics such as the concept that all women want children and what a woman's "place" actually is。 I like how our main character was a strong， smart， and independent woman working in science。 This story also touches a little on domestic abuse in relationships， the concepts of what makes us human and how easy it is to not really know someone。 I thought overall it was a great story。 If you are more of a plot-driven reader， you may not enjoy this as much。 I enjoyed the character study of a woman who was very determined and career focused and also kind of a loner。 I loved the sci-fi element of cloning and the science around that， even if I don't truly understand how it works。 I'm rating this 3。75/5 but rounding up since it was a very quick and enjoyable read。 Again， I don't think it was very thrilling and even calling it a mystery seems like a stretch， but I enjoyed it。 。。。more
Dabney
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I received an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review。Rating: 3。5， rounded up to 4Dr。 Evelyn Caldwell's life is in shambles after she discovers that her husband， Nathan， is having an affair -- with an idealized clone of her！ After the divorce Evelyn is even more committed to her career and research but the other woman throws her plans into chaos when she kills Nathan。 Now there's a body to dispose of， lies to craft， and a baby on the way - a baby whose existence should be scientifica I received an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review。Rating: 3。5， rounded up to 4Dr。 Evelyn Caldwell's life is in shambles after she discovers that her husband， Nathan， is having an affair -- with an idealized clone of her！ After the divorce Evelyn is even more committed to her career and research but the other woman throws her plans into chaos when she kills Nathan。 Now there's a body to dispose of， lies to craft， and a baby on the way - a baby whose existence should be scientifically impossible。 As Evelyn plots a way to get out of this mess， even more secrets and problems emerge， leading her down a path she never meant to tread。This book is very cerebral， with a heavy focus on science， specifically human cloning。 Evelyn has perfected a method of programming clones to have the memories and personality of their donors， and she's also developed a way to condition the clones - essentially giving them injuries， scars， and conditions that match their donors。 It's gruesome， morally questionable work and Evelyn has a history of running through assistants who can't cope。 Evelyn does not have any issues with her work on the "specimens，" as she refers to the clones， but her objectivity is challenged when she meets Martine， the clone of herself that was made by her husband。 Docile， perfect， and obedient Martine embodies all of the traits that Evelyn has fought to smother。 Reading about their strange relationship and the lengths Evelyn will go to to protect her career were the best parts of the book， along with the creeping horror and Nathan's later revealed secrets。While I was interested in the story and finding out how Evelyn and Martine would get away with Nathan's murder， I didn't actually care for the characters。 I found it difficult to believe that Evelyn ever loved anyone or anything other than her research and her professional standing。 There were also major plot holes and I kept wondering if they would be addressed but they weren't。 Overall， I think this is a deeply interesting character study with enough suspense and mystery to keep the story rolling along。 。。。more
4rachel
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I loved this quirky little tale 。 Nathan has left his wife Evelyn for another woman - well not quite - increasingly unhappy because Evelyn doesn't want children - he decides to create a clone of Evelyn who will be more than happy to have a family with him。 However all does not according to plan - Be careful what you wish for Nathan ！！Brilliant Thank You NetGalley fir an ARC in return for an honest review I loved this quirky little tale 。 Nathan has left his wife Evelyn for another woman - well not quite - increasingly unhappy because Evelyn doesn't want children - he decides to create a clone of Evelyn who will be more than happy to have a family with him。 However all does not according to plan - Be careful what you wish for Nathan ！！Brilliant Thank You NetGalley fir an ARC in return for an honest review 。。。more
Kate Kennedy
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This was such a fantastic book！ It raises questions of nature vs nurture and the arbitrary categories we create to make our lives more convenient， all while being an excellent thriller。 This would be a great book club read！
Jessica Diame
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An argument of nature vs nurture， the life cycle of a marriage， medical ethics， and some other cool science-y stuff。
Ashley
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Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Books for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review！"Never apologize just because someone is mad at you，" he said。 "Never let anyone make you say that you're sorry just to appease them。" The Echo Wife follows Evelyn Caldwell， a brilliant scientist， who works in creating clones for temporary and functional purposes， i。e。 body doubles， organ replacements， etc。 Although she has recently reached amazing scientific breakthroughs， she finds it hard to cel Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Books for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review！"Never apologize just because someone is mad at you，" he said。 "Never let anyone make you say that you're sorry just to appease them。" The Echo Wife follows Evelyn Caldwell， a brilliant scientist， who works in creating clones for temporary and functional purposes， i。e。 body doubles， organ replacements， etc。 Although she has recently reached amazing scientific breakthroughs， she finds it hard to celebrate after the other discovery that her once business partner and husband Nathan left her for another woman named Martine。 The real kicker？ Martine is a clone of Evelyn who Nathan made so he could marry a ‘better’ version of her。 This book is a wild ride that is full of an unnamable tension between all the main characters that left me always wondering whether they were about to make out or murder one another。 I am not usually a fan of science fiction， but I found myself so intrigued that I immediately wanted to continue to the next chapter。 The plot didn’t go in any way how I expected， but I found the ending just as intriguing as the rest of the story。 I will certainly look to read more by Sarah Gailey！ 。。。more
Kristy
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4。5After finishing The Echo Wife I sat in front of my laptop trying to put my thoughts into words and admittedly it was difficult to do。 This novel brings up many of the ethical questions and scenarios that have plagued scientists and philosophers for decades。 What makes a human， human？ Can a clone become a person？ Is a clone a person？ Evelyn Caldwell is an award winning scientist and researcher in the field of cloning。 While she was immersed in specimens and research， her husband Nathan decided 4。5After finishing The Echo Wife I sat in front of my laptop trying to put my thoughts into words and admittedly it was difficult to do。 This novel brings up many of the ethical questions and scenarios that have plagued scientists and philosophers for decades。 What makes a human， human？ Can a clone become a person？ Is a clone a person？ Evelyn Caldwell is an award winning scientist and researcher in the field of cloning。 While she was immersed in specimens and research， her husband Nathan decided to steal her research and some DNA so he could create his own Stepford wife clone Martine。 Soon Evelyn and Martine are forced together in an unlikely partnership where they need to protect themselves and confront the lies that brought them together。 Both women are imprisoned， Evelyn by her past and Martine by her programming。 As they spend more time together they are forced to reexamine everything they thought they knew。 This would be a great book for fans of Orphan Black and Westworld。Thank you Netgalley and libro。fm for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Rebecca
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