Review: The Originals

Title: The Originals
Author: Cat Patrick
Publication Date: May 7, 2013
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary Romance, Science Fiction

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Lizzie, Ella, and Betsey Best grew up believing they were identical triplets.

Then they learned the truth...

and no one else can know.

Now, to the outside world, the Best family appears to consist of a single mother with one seventeen-year-old daughter named Elizabeth. Lizzie, Ella, and Betsey take turns going to school, pursuing extracurriculars, and even dating.

Then Lizzie meets Sean Kelly, the one person who can help her realize she's not a carbon copy of the others - she's an individual with unique dreams and desires. Digging deeper into her background and her mother's role in her life, Lizzie begins to dismantle the delicate balance of an unusual family that only science could have created.

Review

I've seen this title in bookstores a lot of times already, and I guess that's one of the reasons why I felt like I should give it a shot. The summary seemed okay; it kind of got me curious about how the author would make such a story play out.

Unfortunately, I was really disappointed after (and even while) reading this book. The main character herself got on my nerves real quick. Lizzie is just so immature about everything. She agrees to something, but when she doesn’t win the deal, she complains about how unfair it is. Would it kill her to be a little less selfish? I get that she feels like she doesn’t have a life because she has to share it with her two sisters, but throwing all these tantrums because of a boy? It’s really stupid.

The idea for the plot was new (for me at least), but the rest of the story was not quite compelling enough. I felt that the whole story wasn't explained thoroughly, leaving a lot of questions unanswered. A few characters seemed like they were just thrown in for convenience, then they’re never heard of again. Some parts of it were just shallow for me, as I thought it would deal with more serious matters than a teenage girl whining over not getting what she wanted. There were some interesting events, I admit, but others were just bland.

Overall, it was an okay read, but I’m sorry to say that I don’t think it’s something that would really leave a mark on its readers. If you’re up for it, though, you can give it a try!