INTO THE ABYSS

Because clones can be cloned again, a new version of Violet returns to fight against clones programmed to do evil in this Falls the Shadow (2014) sequel.

This stand-alone continuation doesn’t provide much back story, but that’s fitting, as Violet awakes in the third version of herself with no memories of her past. Her purpose as “the president’s most precious tool” is to train members of the Clone Control Advocacy how to take down and destroy clones programmed to wreak havoc on society. Rather than another thriller, this sequel, told from Violet’s first-person perspective, focuses on the philosophical. The white teen incessantly ponders what it means to be human, particularly to feel emotions, form attachments to others, and have free will. And if her “computer-brain” is starting to feel fear, does that mean she’s slowly becoming human? While Violet may wonder about her humanity and interpersonal connections, her story deviates from most of its genre ilk with its lack of romance. The real action doesn’t get started until late in the book, when a civil war threatens to break up the CAA. Violet does team up with the president’s secretive adopted son to defend the president and family members, but she acts more out of allegiance than love and eschews any form of physical affection.

Give this effort to fans of dystopia who prefer sci-fi essentials to fluff.