Title: Chloe
Author: Jerry Leppart
Publisher: iUniverse
ISBN: B07MTVM21H
Pages: 210
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Women Fiction
Reviewed by: Jennifer Weiss

Read Book Review

Chloe is your typical twenty one year old girl searching for who she is, but there is one major thing that sets Chloe apart from everyone else her age; everyone else in the world for that matter. She is the first and only human clone. Dr. Ahmann is the man who created Chloe, but he cannot give her any guidance on answering all the questions she has. Needing to get away and begin a new life Chloe finds herself in Montana, picking up a hitchhiker named Billy Two Bears. Once Billy leaves she continues her journey of self-discovery. But when she begins to have seizures, she realizes she needs to return home. Along the way she meets others who help her discover the beauty of loving oneself and accepting choices. Once she returns to the good doctor she finds out she is pregnant. Now she has another decision on her mind: keep the baby and end her own life, or keep her life and end the pregnancy.

Chloe is a well written novel with a character many readers can associate with. From the very beginning this novel provides readers with someone compelling to think about and reflect on as they continue to read through Chloe’s journey. This novel raises and tries to answer some questions which come with cloning such as: is the clone their own person or merely a replication of the original? He creates a truly mesmerizing personal adventure. The novel does get a little technical in the beginning as Dr. Ahmann explains cloning to Chloe, but the rest of the story doesn’t get too technical and difficult to follow.

The concept of cloning has been one many authors have approached and speculated on. Jerry Leppart’s take on this idea is an interesting one in wondering if a clone could reproduce or not. Readers are able to get inside Chloe’s mind and for some share the same thoughts as they are faced with a similar decision. Leppart takes the reader on a journey with Chloe as she contemplates the intricacies of what it means to really be human. Chloe takes through a number of emotions from the funeral of Chloe’s father to meeting Billy Two Bears and then losing him to her finding out about the baby. You cannot help but feel for this young woman. You imagine yourself in her shoes and wonder what you would do in her place.

Jerry Leppart provides readers with a solid and fresh story they can latch onto and devour until the very end. Science fiction is a genre that allows authors to explore new and old concepts such as cloning and Leppart does an excellent job at providing the same concept in a unique and interesting way. In a way, that will appeal to an audience that may shy away from this genre. I think many readers regardless of their preference in genres would enjoy this novel because it has a little bit of everything. Chole is a book that is interesting, holds your attention with characters readers can relate to. It is certain to make a lasting impression on the young adult reading audience.