Review: The Originals by Cat Patrick

The Originals
Cat Patrick
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Release Date: May 7, 2013

A riveting new story from Cat Patrick, author of Forgotten and Revived.
17-year-olds Lizzie, Ella, and Betsey Best grew up as identical triplets... until they discovered a shocking family secret. They're actually closer than sisters, they're clones. Hiding from a government agency that would expose them, the Best family appears to consist of a single mother with one daughter named Elizabeth. Lizzie, Ella, and Betsey take turns going to school, attending social engagements, and a group mindset has always been a de facto part of life...
Then Lizzie meets Sean Kelly, a guy who seems to see into her very soul. As their relationship develops, Lizzie realizes that she's not a carbon copy of her sisters; she's an individual with unique dreams and desires, and digging deeper into her background, Lizzie begins to dismantle the delicate balance of an unusual family that only science could have created.

I am a huge fan of Cat Patrick. I'll read anything by her and I was very excited to read The Originals. However, I didn't enjoy it as much as Patrick's other novels. It was still an interesting and unique, but it fell short in certain areas.

One of my favorite aspects of Patrick's novels is the originality. She always has a unique story to tell and The Originals was no different. It's a clone story, but with a twist. The world sees the three "sisters" as one person. Even though these three are clones, they all have different personalities and it was interesting to get to know each of them. 

One thing that I didn't like about this book was the love aspect. I really liked Sean, don't get me wrong, but can you say insta-love? I know this really bothers a lot of people, but it's something that I can normally get past if it isn't too much. But in The Originals, Lizzie trusts Sean with her secrets way too quickly and Sean accepts everything way to quickly. 

This is a fast-paced book and a fast read. However, the ending was too abrupt. Not only was it abrupt, but everything wrapped up too easily. I would have really liked to see this book expanded.

Honestly, a lot of the problems in this novel (the romance, the ending) could be fixed if it was expanded and developed more. I'm not saying it needs to be a series, but this is a unique concept and it could easily be a five-hundred page novel rather than a three-hundred. I am still a Cat patrick fan and will continue to read her novels.