Title: The Pretenders
Author: Rebecca Hanover
Publication: December 10, 2019
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Genre: Teens, YA Fiction, Mystery/Thriller
Pages: 416
SYNOPSIS: (From Goodreads)
In this conclusion to The Similars duology, Emma must figure out who she really is, decide between two boys with the same face, and stop a dangerous plan based on revenge.
Emma is still reeling from the events of her junior year at Darkwood. Not only is her best friend, Oliver, shockingly alive, but the boy she loves—his Similar, Levi—is still on the island where he grew up, stranded with his deranged creator.
More importantly, she is grappling with who she really is. Emma can’t accept the hard truths she learned last year and refuses to share her secrets with anyone, isolating herself from her friends and Ollie.
But when more of the Similars’ creator’s plot is revealed, Emma and her friends will have to try to stop him from putting a plan into motion that could destroy everyone she loves.
REVIEW:
**A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**
Having read The Similars by Rebecca Hanover and loving it, I was completely in when I saw she had written a sequel, The Pretenders. All my favorite characters were back and I was so ready to see the next step in their journey.
The second story follows Emma again as she is back at Darkwood Academy with her clone friends and some add on friends as well. This time things are STILL not as they seem. I loved being reintroduced to all my favorite characters. I feel like this second book really gave you more insight into the personalities of the similars than we got in book one. They were meant to be enigma’s in the first book and now they are meant to be just one of the crowd.
The mystery in this book really had me going. I was not at all figuring out what was going on, which really made me want to read more because I just needed to know! It definitely keeps the readers attention and keeps the story flowing so you don’t get bored. The story line twisted enough where there were a few moments I thought maybe it was too much, but as the pieces of the puzzle came together, I realized it was just the right amount of confusion to keep it interesting for the reader.
While this book is primarily labeled YA Fiction and Mystery/Thriller, I could categorize it with science fiction with the amount of science geared stuff in it. It would appeal to lovers of mystery of sci-fi. I love the characters, their development, and the writing is smoother, making for an easy read. Everyone should check this book out… but make sure you read book one first.
STAR RATING: 5/5
You can get your copy of The Pretenders on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or check your local bookstores. Also make sure to add it to your To Reads list on Goodreads and leave feedback for the author when you are finished. Also make sure to check out more from author Rebecca Hanover HERE on her website. You can also check out our review of the first book in this series, The Similars HERE.
