The Second Clone. Carol Matas. Markham, ON: Scholastic, 2001. 144 pp., pbk., $5.99. ISBN 0-439-98813-6. Grades 7-9 / Ages 12-14. Review by Christina Pike. *** /4

excerpt:

"Maybe that's the only way she can make herself different from you," Emma says.

"Differentiate herself," I muse. "That makes sense, I suppose."

"It should cheer you up," Emma points out. "It means you are you, and she is she... or is that she is her?..."

We sit at our desks and instead of concentrating on class my mind begins to wander. What Emma said is true, I guess. Or is it? I don't know. Ever since I discovered I'm a clone of Jessica, Mother and Father's first child, I've wondered who I am. Am I just a pre-programmed package, a copy? Do I have my own personality?

The Second Clone, Carol Matas' sequel to Cloning Miranda, tells the story of Miranda's life after her recovery from a deadly disease. Her clone, Ariel, who was created to supply Miranda with organs if hers should fail, is now living in her house as her younger sister. School begins, and life seems to have returned to normal except that Ariel begins to act not like herself, and Miranda is the only one who seems to have noticed. It isn't until the "new" Ariel begins to get sick that Miranda discovers the truth. There is another clone, and her name is Eve. It is up to Miranda, her friend, Emma, and Eve to find Ariel and save her from an uncertain fate.

     Matas delves into a very controversial field - cloning. She addresses the key questions behind the controversy, "Does a clone have rights?" and more importantly, "Is it human?" Through the experiences of the very different characters of Miranda, Ariel and Eve, who are all clones, the reader is also given the opportunity to see the world from their perspectives. This approach makes the issue of cloning even more complicated by taking the issue and humanizing the arguments. The plot, although at times somewhat unbelievable, does flow smoothly. The characters are, to some extent, stereotypes: Miranda is the typical teenager, Ariel the sheltered younger sister and Eve, the lab experiment. Overall the novel is an interesting read that causes its reader to stop and ponder, "What if?"

Recommended.

Christina Pike is a Learning Resource and English Teacher at Ascension Collegiate, Bay Roberts, NF.

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