Amy Number Seven

March 1, 1999
The Amy at the center of this debut novel in Kaye's Replica series has a problem most 12-year-old girls would kill for: she suddenly excels at everything she does. She performs flawlessly at gymnastics practice, answers a complicated math problem in a split second and demonstrates tricky maneuvers on ice skates with ease. In an intentionally cryptic prologue and in subsequent, brief interludes between chapters, the author introduces "the director," who is investigating the possibility that a "project" that was "terminated" 12 years earlier has in fact survived. Meanwhile, Amy's mother (a biologist) has been vague about the girl's father for years (he allegedly died in a car accident before she was born), but Amy is determined to uncover her family history for an autobiography assignment. At the conclusion, after rescuing Amy from a mysterious pursuer, her mother comes clean: her daughter is one of 13 clones--all named Amy--created as part of a government experiment to create a "master race." Veteran series author Kaye's (Camp Sunnyside Friends; Sisters) characters and dialogue are credible, but readers may find the clues linking Amy to the director's quest obvious and often redundant (e.g., a mysterious man with a camera appears to be stalking Amy; a friendship with a new neighbor who conveniently knew Amy's mother in college drops key facts in passing; anonymous notes warn Amy to keep her talents to herself, as "you may be in danger"). The pursuit continues in Pursuing Amy, scheduled for simultaneous release, and Another Amy, planned for December. Ages 8-12.

October 1, 1998
Gr 4-7-Amy Candler thinks she's a typical, seventh-grade girl-until she's stumped by a school assignment to write an autobiography. She knows little about her past and her mother responds abruptly anytime she tries to find out more. As the story progresses, Amy discovers she has unusual talents and powers, receives mysterious warning letters about not revealing her abilities, and realizes that a strange man is following her. Her mother finally reveals that Amy was one of seven babies produced in a government lab experiment. All of the scientists involved became disillusioned when they found out that instead of finding a cure for human diseases, the goal of the research was to create a master race. In protest, they burned down the lab and gave the babies to adoptive families. All except Amy, that is, who was rescued from the flames by the woman she knows as her mother. Now, the government agents involved in the original experiment are trying to capture Amy. Her mother is warned against trying to escape with her daughter and at this point, this first book in a new series ends abruptly. While readers will suspect the truth about the young heroine early in the story, the book is nevertheless a page-turner, perfect for light escapist reading. The topic of test-tube babies and cloning is certainly a hot one and the book will raise interesting questions for discussion.-Jacqueline Rose, Lake Oswego Public Library, OR