Imitation by Heather Hildenbrand Blog Tour and Review!

Everyone is exactly like me. There is no one like me.

Ven wrestles with these contradicting truths every day. A clone of wealthy eighteen-year-old Raven Rogen, Ven knows everything about the girl she was created to serve: the clothes she wears, the boys she loves, the friends she loves to hate. Yet she’s never met the Authentic Raven face-to-face. 

Imitations like Ven only get to leave the lab when they’re needed—to replace a dead Authentic, donate an organ, or complete a specific mission. And Raven has never needed Ven . . . until now.

When there is an attack on Raven’s life, Ven is thrust into the real world, posing as Raven to draw out the people who tried to harm her. But as Ven dives deeper into Raven’s world, she begins to question everything she was ever told. She exists for Raven, but is she prepared to sacrifice herself for a girl she’s never met?

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Excerpt : 

The rough fabric of my cotton nightgown chafes so I lie very still. Once, during a training exercise, they gave me a satin blouse in place of my coarse uniform. For a few moments, I was completely her—eighteen-year-old Raven Rogen, my Authentic—down to the fabric. The slippery material felt like cool fingertips on a hot day. All I could think was: She wears clothes like this every single day.

I know everything about Raven and the world she lives in, thanks to the video footage I watch during my training sessions. But I have never experienced anything for myself—not even the sun. My entire life is an imitation of hers.

I am an Imitation.

All of us here are. From the time the tubes are removed and air is forced into our lungs, until our petri-grown organs learn to contract on their own, we are nothing but shadows of our Authentics. I used to think there was an Imitation for every Authentic, but when I asked my Examiner, Josephine, she laughed and said we’d need a whole lot more space here if that was the case. Only special Authentics get the privilege of a copy—ones with money, power, influence.

It seems as if there are thousands of us, though it’s hard to tell exactly how many exist. Twig City is sorted into sections, our placement depending on our gender, how old we were when they “woke” us, and whether we’ve gotten a note from Marla. Those woken at a young age live in a different wing, where nurses and teachers chart their development daily. You have to be at least twelve to live on my floor—the training sector, where we learn to become our Authentic—but the oldest I’ve seen is somewhere around fifty. There is no saying how long you’ll stay in this sector once you’re here. Could be a week, could be a year, depending on when your Authentic needs you. I’ve been awake for five years. Training. Preparing. Waiting—for a note from Marla. And for what comes after.

 

About the Author:

Heather Hildenbrand was born and raised in a small town in northern Virginia where she was homeschooled through high school. (She’s only slightly socially awkward as a result.) Since 2011, she’s published more than eight YA & NA novels including the bestselling Dirty Blood series. She splits her time between coastal Virginia and the island of Guam and loves having a mobile career and outrageous lifestyle of living in two places. Her most frequent hobbies are riding motorcycles and avoiding killer slugs.
Heather is also a publishing and success coach bent on equipping and educating artists who call themselves authors. She loves teaching fellow writers how to create the same freedom-based lifestyle she enjoys. For more information visit www.phoenixauthorink.com and find out how to create your own Outrageous Life.
She is represented by Rebecca Friedman. You can find out more about Heather and her books at www.heatherhildenbrand.com.

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My Thoughts : 

Raven Rogen has everything. She is rich, popular and does what she wants, at least that's what it seems like to Ven, Ravens clone. Ven has to watch Ravens life everyday to learn how to be her if needed. See clones are only created for one reason, and that's to replace the Authentic when and if needed. None of the clones who where sent to replace their Authentic ever return so the clones know nothing about the outside apart from what they are allowed to see from the glimpses of their Authentics videos. 

Ven is called to duty and is equal parts happy and anxious. Ven knows her job is to be Raven, down to the littlest detail, but as Ven lives Ravens life she sees its not as glamourous as she thought. For a start she wasn't told that Ravens life was in danger and that Ven is the bait!! She must figure out what is going on before its too late. 

I fell in love with Heathers work when I first read her Dirty Blood series and this book just cements it!! It was amazing. 

Ven was a brilliant heroine. She knows her place in life is the be Raven yet she still has her own personality. The clones are lead to believe that they are nothing but emotionless beings put on the earth to serve their Authentic. Ven doesn't believe this though, how can she be like that when she has every kind of emotion flowing through her. When she is sent to be Raven, she hates how Raven treats everyone, she hates how Raven uses people and while she has to behave like Raven, or else she will be killed, she doesn't enjoy it. 

Titus, Ravens father, is the one who made the clone for Raven. He treats Ven like she is nothing. He is more than willing to make Ven the bait just so he can capture the people after Raven and question them. He doesn't care what happens to Ven nor any other clone. He is heartless and cruel. Ven hates him and will do anything to be free of him. 

Then we have Linc. *Sigh* Linc!! ;) How I loved this serious, aloof, mysterious character. He is Ravens, and now Vens, bodyguard and is always there for her. He hates that Titus is putting Raven out there, just to catch and "question" the people. To Linc it seems that Titus doesn't care about his own daughter, but little does Linc know that Raven isn't herself. He knows something is different with her but he doesn't know what. Since the first time she is attacked Raven seems nicer and Linc thinks maybe it made her realise life is precious. He finds himself drawn to the new Raven but what will he do if he finds she isn't who he thinks??

This is my first clone book and I have to say, I loved the plot. I loved how the Imitations are made specifically for their Authentic and can be used for parts or can be used if the Authentic dies. The mainstream people have no idea that the Imitations are there, they are only used by the very rich an powerful, so anyone could be a clone and you'd never know. It was a fascinating concept. 

So ya, overall I loved Imitation. Its got everything a great book should have, suspense, mystery, great characters and plenty of action. From the very first page we are dragged into a world of corruption, a world where the elite thrive and the rest are forgotten about. The clones are made to follow orders or else face the kill switch. I loved everything about this book and need book 2 NOW!!