A binge worthy sci-fi thriller that cleverly tackles the ethical questions of clones and trauma
—Amanda Khong, Bookish Brews
Bookish Brews Snapshot
The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey
Evelyn’s life and everything she knows begins to spiral out of control when she discovers that her husband, Nathan, has used Evelyn’s own award-winning research to clone her and create a more docile and submissive wife.
⏱️ Fast Paced 📖 Couldn't Put It Down 🥀 Flawed Characters 🎲 Plot Twists
- Genre: Science Fiction, Speculative Fiction, Thriller
Book Review
Creepy, smart, cyclical, intense, eerie, distant, balanced, fast-paced
The Echo Wife has been on my list for a while, ever since Sarah read and reviewed it (and made this incredible flatlay for it that I’ve included below). I’ve been meaning to read Gailey’s work because I’ve been hearing people sing praises for their work for quite some time. I have to say this did not disappoint. This book is a perfectly quick, summer, creepy book. It goes by quickly, but it has a lot of depth at the same time.
Evelyn Caldwell is an award-winning scientist, known for her perfection of human cloning. In such a sensitive profession, she and everyone she works with abides by a wildly strict code of ethics in regards to her clones. That is until Evelyn finds out that her husband Nathan has used her own technology to clone her into a more submissive and docile wife.
The most outstanding part of The Echo Wife was how much of an internal monologue we get from Evelyn. The book is told from her perspective, and so we are really able to see her thought process. It’s so interesting to see her grapple with the ethical barriers about her profession that she has put up to shield herself from the work she is doing. It’s so interesting to see how those barriers are paralleled in her real life. But the way that Evelyn thinks does so much for the story because we see all of the internal conflicts with her morals and her traumas. Sarah Gailey walks on such a tightrope here to balance moral conflict and past traumas and somehow makes them parallel so well, it’s truly astounding.
We, as readers, are asked to suspend some of our beliefs in order to understand what is happening in the book. Is this world the same as ours? Is it in the near future? How have we been able to clone people perfectly with what appears like no other technological advances? But it doesn’t matter. That isn’t the point. The story uses a science fiction element to highlight trauma and the cyclical nature of abuse. It speculates on how it happens, and by using the first-person narrative, it shows the chain of thought that could get someone there. It is powerful and hard to read, but it is well done.
The Echo Wife is a quick and creepy ride of a book. It balances current moral dilemmas with past trauma and protective ethics. This book uses a science fiction element to highlight real-life trauma and abuse to create one wonderful story.
Book Club Questions
- Once finished, discuss the cyclical nature of the plot. What pieces came full circle for Evelyn? How does her relationship with Martine parallel her relationship with her parents?
- What do you feel the novel was trying to say about the lasting effects (imprints) that people have on each other?
- How did the decision to use clones to discuss trauma and the imprints people have on each other work for this story? Was it the best option? Did it enhance the message & story?
- How do you feel about suspending certain beliefs in order to enjoy science fiction affect your enjoyment of reading sci-fi? What beliefs did you need to suspend in order to fully appreciate this novel?
