A Great Near-Future Story
5 out of 5 stars
Wow, what a book Constance was. I went into this one seeing “human cloning” and pretty much just that. I love stories that are about near-future stuff like this and take them in directions that you couldn’t have predicted, which is exactly what FitzSimmons did here.
This review will be a tough one to explain because there were so many different aspects that would end up being a spoiler if/when I mention them – that I’m going to do my best and try not to spoil it. I will say that the story itself was fascinating. It’s part mystery and definitely part science fiction. Constance as a character was super interesting, especially once things “take a turn” I’ll say to not spoil anything. It sort of felt like listening to the true-crime podcasters talk about what could have happened – except it was her she was investigating.
The clone-specific aspects reminded me a bit of the 2005 Michael Bay film, “The Island” especially since that was dealing with a similar issue (cloning, how to keep them alive, etc). But the twists and turns that Constance takes weren’t anything I could have prepared for. It also felt a little bit like The Matrix just because there were a lot of “what/who do I believe” moments that kept me lost.
Overall, Constance was a blast from beginning to end. FitzSimmons wrote a book that felt real even if it was talking about futuristic stuff, like cloning. The issues that were there (where in the country supporting clones/cloning for example) – along with the different feelings that both the original and clone would feel felt dead on. Like incredibly accurate.
Book Description:
A breakthrough in human cloning becomes one woman’s waking nightmare in a mind-bending thriller by the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of the Gibson Vaughn series.
In the near future, advances in medicine and quantum computing make human cloning a reality. For the wealthy, cheating death is the ultimate luxury. To anticloning militants, it’s an abomination against nature. For young Constance “Con” D’Arcy, who was gifted her own clone by her late aunt, it’s terrifying.
After a routine monthly upload of her consciousness – stored for that inevitable transition – something goes wrong. When Con wakes up in the clinic, it’s eighteen months later. Her recent memories are missing. Her original, she’s told, is dead. If that’s true, what does that make her?
The secrets of Con’s disorienting new life are buried deep. So are those of how and why she died. To uncover the truth, Con is retracing the last days she can recall, crossing paths with a detective who’s just as curious. On the run, she needs someone she can trust. Because only one thing has become clear: Con is being marked for murder – all over again.
Constance by Matthew FitzSimmons
Narrator: January LaVoy
Length: 10 hrs and 57 mins
Series: Constance #1
Published by Brilliance Audio on September 1st 2021
Genres: Thriller
Format: Audiobook
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