S. F. Prescott

Eerie, suspenseful, and addictive.

Evie Green is a pseudonym for a British author who has written professionally for her entire adult life. She lives by the sea in England with her husband, children, and guinea pigs, and loves writing in the very early morning, fueled by coffee.

Published March 28th, 2023.

CLICK HERE to read a short excerpt!

This book hooked me from the first chapter. I felt awful for Tamsyn and Ed as their 14-year-old daughter, Scarlet, upended their lives after she ran away from home one night and was involved in a tragic accident. The time spent in the hospital recovering, and the uncertainty of whether their insurance would cover her treatment created realistic tension, pulling me further into the story. When they were presented with the option of an experimental medical trial in Switzerland it definitely felt too good to be true. Tamsyn’s suspicions and Ed’s blind optimism felt authentic when presented with the trial, and since they had a lack of options, it felt like the logical next step. The new technology mentioned in the book was interesting to learn about and I enjoyed the creative spin on the genre making it feel like The Stepford Wives meets M3gan. I didn’t care for Scarlet’s character in the beginning, especially her contempt for her parents and their humble life in Cornwall. The character I felt the worst for was Tamsyn, dealing with the accident and the shock of her new living situation, while also feeling estranged from her family.

I blew through the chapters as the plot unfolded and when the first big twist was revealed at the midpoint I was shocked. It was interesting to read about the AI and reanimation technologies, especially when introduced to supporting characters in the story. I found the whole concept disturbing but couldn’t put the book down. The writing was vivid and immersive, pulling me into each scene. I enjoyed the change in perspective, learning what each character remembered around the night of the accident and what secrets they were keeping from each other. The perspectives of the reanimations—including their telepathic communication—was an interesting layer to the story. The characters were believable and the dialogue easy to follow. As much as I enjoyed this book overall, I would have loved one final twist in the last chapter.

4/5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

For readers who enjoy suspense books with a sci-fi element, interesting characters, and big twists.

Synopsis:

For Tamsyn and Ed, life is tough. They both work long hours for very little money and come home to their moody, rebellious daughter, Scarlett.
 
After a tragic accident leaves Scarlett comatose and with little chance of recovery, Tamsyn and Ed are out of options until a lifeline emerges in the form of an unusual medical trial. In exchange for the very best treatment for Scarlett, a fully furnished apartment, and a limitless spending account, the family must agree to move to Switzerland and welcome an artificial copy of their daughter into their home.
 
Suddenly their life is transformed. Tamsyn and Ed want for nothing, and the AI replacement, Sophie, makes it feel just like having their daughter back—except without all the bad parts. Sophie is engaged, happy, and actually wants to spend time with her parents.
 
But things take a turn for the worse when Scarlett makes a very real recovery and the family discovers that the forces behind their new life are darker than they ever could have imagined.