Amy, Number Seven

Replica #1

by Marilyn Kaye

Twelve-year-old Amy Candler is perfect in every way.  She has superhuman powers: Amy can perform like an Olympic gymnast, she knows the answer to every question in her classes, and she can see and hear things from a distance out of range for a normal person.

But the one thing Amy cannot do is remember anything about her past.  All she knows is that she keeps having a recurring nightmare that seems almost too real.  She has a birthmark she is certain wasn't there yesterday, a strange man is taking pictures of her, and she keeps getting anonymous warnings to keep her talents to herself.  Amy is in a race against time to piece together her identity before it is too late!

Genres: Science Fiction, Young Adult, Middle Grade, Fiction, Childrens, Fantasy, Teen

208 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 13, 1998

About the author

I was born in New Britain, Connecticut, and grew up in Atlanta, Georgia. I also spent a year (5th grade) in Montgomery, Alabama, and a year in Ann Arbor, Michigan(8th grade). As a child, I always wanted to be a writer, but I had lots of other ambitions too. I wanted to be a teacher, a librarian, a movie star, the president of the United States, and a ballerina.

I didn't achieve all my goals. I never became a movie star, the president of the U.S., or a ballerina. But I've been a teacher and a librarian and most of all, a writer. I've been writing for as long as I can remember. Growing up, I always kept a diary. I wrote poems, stories, plays, songs and lots of letters. Writing wasn't easy for me, but it felt natural and right.

I've always read a lot, too. I was an English major at Emory University (I love Shakespeare), and I also received a master's degree in library science at Emory. I earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree from the University of Chicago, and I taught children's and teen literature at St. John's University in New York for over 20 years. Now, I'm a full-time writer, living in Paris, France - the most beautiful city in the world.

Reviews

[becka]

it's the 90s middle school version of orphan black

[Lila · Rating 4 out of 5]

I surprisingly still like it, even though this is MG and I am 23 years old *bashful face*

I still like the story, though unsurprisingly I would prefer it if the protagonist is a bit older, at least high school.

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual rating: 2.5 stars

Initial thoughts: I must've read this book for the first time about twelve years ago. For me that's half a life time. Hah. So it's interesting to compare my perspective now with that from back then. When I was twelve, I had just about learnt English. Naturally, my linguistic knowledge wasn't anywhere near as good as today, so I didn't notice any of the editing errors. Also, I wasn't so jaded yet by "perfect" characters. By now I avoid books with perfect protagonists.

Alas, in this book, it's what carries the plot, so I accepted that during my re-read. Re-reading the book, I noticed how much I surprisingly remember yet how much I also forgot, if that makes sense. Like, I would read, looking for something I remembered in particular, only to notice something else. In a way, that means that the plot isn't entirely predictable, although it still is predictable to a large extent. Nonetheless, for the twelve-year-old me, there had been sufficient hooks to keep me reading, as I wanted to know what would happen next.

Besides, which student hasn't wished for photographic memory before, just so they wouldn't have to put in so much effort at school? I know I wished for it plenty of times over the years.

Either way, it was fun re-reading Amy, Number Seven just to get a sense of what I used to enjoy reading. I can see what drew me to the series when I was younger and even though those books might be much more simplistic than the books I've read since then, they still shaped me into the reader I am today. One thing is clear, I already enjoyed science fiction back then, despite my preference for contemporary books and that year-long phase I had where I read almost nothing but mysteries.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amy is just a normal healthy kid until she puberty kicks then. Then, instead of getting pimples or hair armpits, she gets strong and super smart. She is fast and can do the most complicated math problems in the blink of an eye. She thinks all this is pretty cool until she starts getting notes warning her not to show her talents. And when her mother starts freaking out over everything Amy does, Amy knows something is up. She and her friends are determined what is different about Amy.

I read this because I have really enjoyed Marilyn Kaye's Gifted series. This book is for a slightly younger crowd but I really enjoyed it. There are creepy people trying to help Amy and even creepier people trying to see if she is one of an experiment they thought had failed. Totally suitable for tweens and teens who like a quick slightly adventureous read. I can't wait to see what happens next. This made a great lunch time read, btw.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book years ago, but I still remember the series. I use to stay up late reading them. I remember the perfect girl, who turns out to be a cookie cutter like her other sisters. This was an interesting book. I usually don't give ratings on books I read before Goodreads because I don't retain that much of the story (or my opinion on it).. this series however stuck in my head.

[meri · Rating 4 out of 5]

nostalgia rush is real!!! this book has aged surprisingly well. i’m excited to read this series again. (i started from the 3rd book heh...) the general idea still feels ”possible” and dystopic and the story goes on softly and is easy and fun to read. the characters feel lively and i felt like i was 10 ish again!

[✩☾ Žana Černoš ☽☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I fucking loved this book when i was little, i praised the shit out of it.

[Anna Reta Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vanhaa lapsuuden suosikkia on vaikea tähdittää. Miten arvioida kirjan, jolla on minulle tosi suuri merkitys koko lukuharrastukseni syntymisessä, mutta josta samalla näen, ettei se nyt mikään maailmankirjallisuuden mullistava klassikko ole?

Tätä kirjaa lukiessa oli mielenkiintoista huomata, kuinka minä selvästi olen aina pitänyt hyvin juonivetoisista, nopeatahtisista kirjoista. Amylle sattuu ja tapahtuu ihan hirveän paljon tämän kirjan aikana. Pidän myös siitä, kuinka juoni rakentuu järjestämällisesti kohti loppuratkaisua. Kaikki osat liittyvät toisiinsa. Tässä kirjassa ei turhia jaaritella, vaan mennään suoraan asiaan!

Muistan, että aikoinaan aloin väheksyä replica-sarjaa, koska netin kirjafoorumeilla Amyn täydellisyydestä valitettiin. Ainakaan tässä kirjassa Amy on mielestäni kaikkea muuta kuin täydellinen. Hän ei tottele äitiään, on kateellinen luokkatoverilleen ja muutenkin käyttäytyy kuin, no, normaali teini-ikäinen. Ymmärrän myös nyt, miksi Amy minuun aikoinaan vetosi: olin sensorttinen esiteini, että etevä, kaikessa pärjäävä päähenkilö kolahti juuri oikealla tavalla. Halusin osata kaiken, joten halusin myös lukea päähenkilöstä, joka oikeasti osasi kaiken.

Muiden mielipiteet Amyn ärsyttävästä täydellisyydestä saivat minut aikoinaan jopa myymään kaikki replica-kirjani eteenpäin, mikä nyt kaduttaa. Onneksi olen löytänyt sarjan kaksi ensimmäistä osaa hyllyyni jälleen.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

En barndomsfavorit, älskar den här serien ❤️

[(Liene) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars
This review is for the series as a whole.
This was my favorite book series when I was 11 and it is the reason I started liking and reading sci-fi.
When I was younger and reading this series for the first time I would have given it 5 stars, but rereading it now I have to take off half a star because most of the plot twists are very predictable. Back then it didn't bother me so much, so don't let that stop you or your kids from reading the books, the stories were fascinating anyway. If I was reading it now for the first time I probably wouldn't give it more than 2.5 stars, but I am rating this book by what it is - a book for younger readers. So it gets 4.5.
I read this book and the entire series of 24 books plus the 3 books in the mini series when I was around 11 or 12 and reread them when I was about 14 and still found them interesting and age appropriate. I still like to read middle grade and childrens books sometimes at age 23 and the story line of Amy Candler in "Replica" is still interesting to me, though the reading itself of the books isn't nearly as captivating as it was back then.
Even so, the series is a great one for kids and young teens. I still wonder how I am the only person I know that has read or even heard about these books. They definitely deserve more attention than they have been given.

[Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Simply, I don't like "perfect" characters, even if they have a major part in the plot. I was just searching around my library and came upon this book; the cover was interesting, the "How many are out there?" on the cover of the book gave away literally all the surprise in the book for me.

The supporting characters were forgettable and not all that interesting; they didn't have quirks,(except for Tasha's dental fear, which was just a plot-mover so it's not really what I meant) and it seems like all they did was emphasize/reveal more of Amy's perfectness. Jeanine was just the mean girl who didn't show any good qualities - I don't think any kid's like that, not at that young age anyway(might be parents' fault, but her mom seems like a fairly normal parent who spoils her kid).

So, main character, best friend, love interest, and rival; simple, yet quite effective.

I really do like the book though. The story flow was nice, for the most part at least. Detail wasn't the book's main asset, but it was enough to satisfy me. The book kept me reading, even though I knew what was going to happen, so that's an extra star. I might read the rest of the series, but the copies of this series might be hard to find.

Actual rating: 2.5 stars

[Ema · Rating 4 out of 5]

This just made me feel comforted.

Loved the way that information was presented in such a mysterious way. Loved all the characters and the mother daughter dynamic. Loved how simple the science was!.

--

I JUST FOUND OUT THE NYPL HAS 19 OF THE 24 REPLICA BOOKS

OH MAN OH MAN OH MAN

GUESS WHO'S BINGE READING THESE BAD BOYS ON HOLIDAY oh MAN this series has stuck with me since I read them at age 7 or so and I've been thinking about them for years!!!

Edit: oh gosh darn it, books 3-8 are the ones missing! rude!!!

[Siiri Ahlqvist · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kiva ja nopealukuinen kirja. Olen lukenut vain yhden Replican lapsuudessani, mutten onnistunut löytämään muita osia silloin. Nyt vuosien jälkeen on sitten mahdollisuus lukea tämäkin sarja, ja nyt ehkä saan jotain enemmän irti Amystä, vaikkei näitä välttämättä tarvitsekkaan lukea järjetyksessä.

[Jonathan Pongratz · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5

Holy mackerel, this book was a ton of fun and then some!

In this novel we follow a young girl named Amy. In the past she's been a typical middle school student, but lately that seems to be changing. Recurring nightmares, a strange man taking photos of her, even her mom is acting strange. But more disturbing than any of that, Amy can do anything she sets her mind to with absolute perfection, even things she's never tried before. What's going on with her? Can she figure it out before her life falls apart?

I know I've said it before, but this book is amazing! So many things just worked for it.

Amy was a fun main character to follow around. She's curious, headstrong, and questions authority, all traits that I really enjoyed seeing, especially at this series' time of publication. She had a ton of progression and really wrestled with some inner and outer demons in this book.

Her mom and best friend Tasha were also well developed, and even the snotty nemesis Jeanine was a fun character to see Amy interact with.

The writing was super easy to read and flowed expertly. I didn't want to put this book down, and when I did I missed it.

The plot was a roller coaster of mystery. On one hand, there's the strange ability Amy seems to have. Then you've got her mom and other people around her acting weird. It created this really nice balance of curious things. I will admit that some of the clues and revelations seemed a little obvious, but I had an absolute blast. In fact, I loved it so much I bought the next four books. I can't wait to continue this fun thrilling series!

[xXDyingxInside-83Xx · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book Replica:Amy,number 7 is one of my 10 favorite
book I've read in all my life.The book is about this
12-year-old "perfect" girl who lives with her mom.She
has an autobiography she needs to write and the problem
is that she does not know anything of her past.She asks
her mom, she gets nervous and doesn't say anything.There
are many strange things happening in her neighborhood
and in her school.Weird letters mailed toher,strange
photographer following and taking pictures of her,answering every question,teachers ask her she knows something is happening.the setting mostly takes place in her school,
home and gymnastics,but of course a "detective" needs to investigate her case,so the book(Replica:Amy,number 7)has much more settings than those that I listed.
I like the book Replica,book 1:Amy,number seven,because
of it's good sense of adventure,science-fiction,and mystery.I think Marilyn Kaye wrote the book because of her love of Biology,and adventure.The main character of the
book(Amy)has to deal with jealousy,truth,"excellence",and fear. WHY? Because of the past she does not know,
and not knowing how to control it.This is a book I can recommend to anybody!A book you do not want to miss!!!

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the Replica series. I'm not sure how far I got? Maybe to book 19 or ? You do have to read them in order otherwise I don't think you'll know whats going on.

The idea behind Amy's character was very interesting and intriguing to me.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

I used to be hooked on the whole series. A re-read is in order soon.

[Tiffany Spencer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amy Number Seven
Amy finds herself in an unfamiliar place. Yet, she knows she’s been there before. She’s enclosed in glass but she feels safe. Then she realizes there’s a fire behind the glass. She wakes up (trembling), She’s safe in her room. Amy gets up and goes to the kitchen. She especially notes a picture of her father (Steven Chandler) who died in an accident that involved fire. We see that Amy’s always had questions about him, but her mother has always given her vague answers. Amy’s friend (Tasha) once told her that the reason for her dreams might be a full moon, so she looks out the window to see if there is one. Instead, she sees a man across the street holding a camera. He takes a picture. Amy drops the glass and screams. This awakens her mother. She tells her mother what happened but when her mother rushes to the window the man is gone. Her mother wants to know if she had the dream, but she lies. She asks her mother why she doesn’t talk about her father and her mother says she just doesn’t like reliving the past. Later, Amy lays in the bed thinking why doesn’t her mother like thinking of her father? Was their marriage bad? Still, that’s not a reason why she can’t talk to Amy about him who has no memories of him at all.

On the way, Tasha points out a new neighbor (Monica Jackson) whose an artist. They talk about Amy’s dream. Then Amy mentions the nervous way her mother has been acting. Then they start talking about a girl in their class (Jeanine) whose invited them to a party (probably because of her mother). When they get to school (now joined by Eric Tasha’s brother) Amy notices the same man she saw the night before taking pictures of students as they enter the school.

Mrs. Weller gives the assignment to write an autobiography. She says to talk about their relatives and research their earlier years. They can talk about their growth, hobbies, special interest, what they want to accomplish, etc. Mrs. Weller to speak with her in private after class. She tells her essay on Helen Keller was so outstanding she wonders if it’s plagiarized. Later, Amy tells Tasha nothings ever happened to her for her to write about. She doesn’t even have any relatives that she knows of. To top that off there are no pictures. Her mother says they all burned up in a fire. Her mother is the only one that can tell her anything and she’s not exactly an open book when it comes to the past. Tasha suggest she go to her pediatrician, but Amy realizes she doesn’t have (never has had) a doctor. Tasha says she had to have one because it’s a requirement to start school. She says all the records are stored in the school office. So, Tasha suggests that the next time there’s a facility meeting they should sneak in and take a look at her folder.

(Earlier it should be noted that Tasha’s brother comments on how well Amy can run and should join the track team). Amy also (in gymnastics) executes a perfect move (twice and distracted). Her mother gives her a forced smile when Tasha gushes over her performance Amy tries to dig around for details about her mother and father but she gets nothing. Her baby book doesn’t give her anything either. It’s generic. So, she starts up again questioning her mother. She asks what hospital she was born in and her mother says she doesn’t know. It was crazy back then with the fire and her dad’s death. She asks about the pediatrician. She says she had one when she was a baby but after that, she was so healthy, she didn’t see a reason. But she claims she had checkups. It’s then she decides to look at her records.

At the end of the chapter, two men meet. One man tells the director he thinks he found one of em, but his evidence isn’t sufficent enough. So, the director tells the man to keep following her. Monica pays them a visit. Monica seems to know Nancy from art classes at UCLA. Then they start to reminisce about their hippie days and catch up. She knows Steve too and calls him “Steve Anderson”. Nancy explains this off as her keeping her maiden name. Amy tries to get more details but retrievably Monica dint’ know him that well.

Tasha agrees to help Amy sneak into the office if she’ll go with her to have a dental checkout. The dentist gives Amy a perfect report on her teeth. Amy finds her folder. It’s empty. A man appears and asks what they’re doing. He makes a move toward them. He takes the empty folder and looks up at Amy with an interested look. He replaces the folder. Another woman shows up. It’s the Principals. The strange man answers and gives a reasonable excuse (that one is missing a watch and they wanted to see the Lost and Found files). So, they’re dismissed and then they take off running. They wonder who the name is and then remember the name “Devon”. He’s the new assistant principal. They both agree it’s weird he covered for them, but Amy dismisses it because her mind is on why her file was empty and how she’ll do her essay.

The next day, they’re still talking about the assistant principal. Tasha wants to know if she told her mother about the file. She says no. She even asked if she had any grandparents on her father’s side. Her mother said no he was an orphan. At gymnastics, Janine discovers a weird crescent-shaped birthmark on Amy’s back. In class she gives another series of perfect performances. Oddly the same man shows up that’s seen photographing the students. He says he’s from a popular teen magazine, but the Coach chews him out and he leaves. Amy though is the only one who overhears the conversation and has to tell Tasha what was said.

The Coach tells her he wants to put her in competitions. Maybe even nationally. When Amy gets home there’s a note that says it might be in her best interest to keep her talents to herself. She might be in danger. Amy decides not to tell her mother about the mark or the letter (She figures it's just Janine pranking her). When she tells her mother about gymnastics, she says she doesn’t want Amy to compete because she “doesn’t believe in competition between young people”. Soon after, she sees her mother crying.

So, Amy comes up with a plan to get her mother a friend so she’ll lessen up. Monica will make the perfect friend so she goes over and tells Monica she thinks her mom is lonely and she says she’ll invite her to go to some gallery openings and museum shows with her. When she gets back, her mom is hysterical and tells her never run off like that again. We over hear another conversation with the director (and the photographer) who’s shown the birth mark, but he says it's not enough. He needs a hair sample.

The next day, Amy mentions to her teacher she’s having a problem with the assignment. She tells her she doesn’t know her father, can’t find her birth certificate, and her mother isn’t any help. She also tells her folder was empty. So, they go to the office. Surprisingly her folder is now full. After school, we’re told by Tasha a string of instances where Amy was perfect. Even at Tasha’s house while playing basketball with Eric she doesn’t miss a shot. On the way to the mall, she even sees a sign that’s miles up the road that even Tasha’s mom can’t see They Past Eastside Hospital, and remembering that it was listed on her birth certificate as the place she was born Amy points it out. Only the date on the hospital says it was founded two years AFTER she was born.

When Amy gets home, she gets a letter saying she won a third-place prize of a free haircut for a lottery. Amy goes on the internet and finds a site that finds missing persons. With the little information she knows she fills out a form. Her mother flips out about the haircut and Amy brings up Tasha’s theory about her father trying to kidnap her for ransom. But her mother shuts it down by showing Amy her father’s death certificate. she’s. Later on at Tasha’s,, Amy thinks of the name Jelenski and thinks of the Dr.’s name that signed her certificate. So, she looks up his name in the phone book. The woman who answers the phone says that he was never an obstetrician and he’s no longer living. Amy, Eric, and Tasha visit the house the next day and it’s empty. Yet in the bathroom they find a pill bottle that was filled by him the day before.

At school, Amy isn’t paying attention but is able to answer a hard math equation without calculation, pull up the pages for the answers in her mind for a geography test, conjugate French verbs, and climb a rope. Later she tells Tasha, she got a note telling her it might be best if she keeps ALL her talents to herself The director and the unnamed man talk about using another method to get Amy’s hair without kidnapping her (They don’t want to get the authorities involved). The next day, Amy gets another note that gives the same warning and a coupon to get a free manicure. Later, they find out from Monica her mother’s lab blew up (in the summer). Because Nancy is tight-tipped about it, maybe she was pregnant at the time. Amy says she was born in August and she wasn’t born in Washing. She was born in LA.. Later snooping in her mother’s office, she finds her baby bracelet with her name, no last name, and the number seven.

Since Tasha didn’t get a advertisement offering free nails, Amy gives her (hers). But when “Gloria” finds out the advertisement wasn’t sent to her (calming it was only sent to “A’s”) she refuses to do her nails. A “health inspector” shows up and Amy overhears her tell Gloria she has her eyes on her and her whole organization. At the party, Amy is able to perform the moves perfectly that the professionals are doing. The photographer shows up and Amy thinks Jeanine hired him. Only she says she didn’t. Amy finds herself bleeding from a knee injury. Eric tackles the man and takes his camera. Amy's knee stops bleeding. There isn’t even a mark. When they have the pictures developed, they’re all of her. He even has one of her birthmark. That night, Amy gets a letter back from the State of California that says there are no records of anyone born fitting what’s indicated in the records. The director says that they’ll next move on to getting a dentist.


At school, one of her teachers gives her a message that indicates she has a dental problem that must be treated immediately. In the chair she hears the words (through the haze of the gas) “mutation” “genetic makeup” “not knowing how she’ll respond to the radiation” “chromosomal damage” Mystikal (uh a voice in her heat that I like to imagine sounds like him)) screams. “DANGER! DANGER!” The Coach appears and chases the fake dentist off and Nancy’s mom shows up and embraces Amy. Nancy goes to pick up Amy from gymnastics and Tasha tells her about the note. Amy wants to know how she knew she was in danger. She says “a mother’s intuition”. After this, Amy’s mom tells her they have to move but she can’t answer any of Amy’s questions. Amy looks through her mother’s personal files and finds .. no evidence of pregnancy or childbirth.

Nancy finally reveals back when she was in DC she was involved with a highly confidential project and was the assistant of Dr. Jeleski. Their project was called “Crescent”. They used the genetic DNA from humans with superior genes and created embroyos from them (clones). Them called them “Amys”. It was discovered that an organization wanted to create a master race so they destroyed all the evidence on paper, but they couldn’t kill all the Amies. So they set a device to explode and set fire to all the of em. But Nancy ran back and saved Amy. She had no intention of keeping her but grew attached. She says that the dentist is probably one of the people from that organization. Nancy receives a call and hears a voice that says she’ll have to learn to protect herself. It sounds like the new principal. After this, her mom confirms they’re staying.

The next day she finds out the new assistant principal has quit. The director meets with the others and decides not to give up on the mission.

My Thoughts
I really enjoyed this a lot because it was different than most series books I’ve read! It doesn’t follow the typical cliché things in pre-teen books. Amy is into gymnastics and got at a few sports. But it doesn’t waste a lot of time on that. It doesn’t waste time on her and Tasha fawning over the most gorgeous boy in class. Amy was different but she was different in the way that she wasn’t just “the new student” or the “other” student. And I could relate a lot to Amy. No, I’m not a clone (at least I don’t think I am, but it has been said that we all have a clone somewhere out there in the universe). But there are times when I’ve felt “not normal.” A lot of it has to do with the illness I have. Some times I’ll wish that the things that don’t tend to bother other people didn’t affect me so much. So I think anyone that’s a little “different” could relate to this story. Even though the “mystery” wasn’t really all that hard to guess (even just from looking at the cover) there was still enough intrigue in the story to keep it interesting. I’m sure there are other books out there that have cloning in the plot butI think this is the first one I’ve read. I also want to commend it for dealing with a science fiction plot line and not getting to bogged down with technical jargon and keeping it simple to understand and follow. I thought the clues were good (if not repetitive. We get it she’s perfect) and the reveal was a decent one. It left some good questions. What will this organization try next? Did any of the other Amys survive? Who really was Mr. Devon? Will the organization succeed in tracking Amy? What then? Will they take her somewhere and use her to make other clones down the line? So, I can’t wait to read the next book to see where it goes.

Rating: 8

[Alanna McFall · Rating 3 out of 5]

18. A children’s book: Amy, Number Seven (Replica #1) by Marilyn Kaye

List Progress: 17/30

My roommate and I are both big fans of the children’s series Animorphs by K.A. Applegate, the sci-fi war story published by Scholastic from 1996 to 2001. We both read them as children when they were coming out and have a full collection in our apartment. But alongside them is a collection of the Replica series, which I never encountered before but which she has fond memories of picking up on the same days that Animorphs came out (and the cover of this 1998 book could not be trying any harder to look like Animorphs). So I figured I would try the first of this 28 book series, Amy, Number Seven, telling the story of Amy Candler, a twelve year old girl starting to realize she has exceptional abilities and a mysterious past. It’s interesting, fine, but nothing that jumped out at me particularly strongly.

My opinion on this book, as a thirty year old woman, should not be taken with any sort of authority. I imagine I would have enjoyed it well enough as a kid, but when I compare it to series such as Animorphs and Everworld, those have the benefit of decades’ worth of nostalgia. But Amy, Number Seven doesn’t have nearly as rich of a hook as series such as those. Amy spends the whole book being baffled that she is suddenly smarter, stronger, and more capable than ever before, but the explanation for this change comes in a rush right at the end. This slow creeping fear does help ground you in Amy as a character, but doesn’t give a rush of adventure to propel you forward. The threats against Amy feel very grounded and real-world, sometimes to an uneasy degree, such as a sketchy photographer taking photos of her at gymnastics. The preteen characters explicitly wonder if he’s a pedophile, which is an interesting question to raise, but not a particularly exciting one. As an adult, I was skeeved out, but I imagine as a child I would have been more bored.

There’s nothing terrible in this book, and I was impressed by the direct ways the characters and the narrative talk about the puberty parallels with her powers. It is a refreshingly blunt take on a story like this. But on the whole, the hook wasn’t enough to pull me forward, and I probably won’t be reading any more. If there is stronger stuff down the line, all the better for it, but this one wasn’t for me.

Would I Recommend It: Not really, but with more of a shrug than anything

[Ember Air · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this series for the first time when I was eleven, and I loved it. I was hooked instantly and finished the first book the day I got it from the library. Unfortunately, like a lot of small-town libraries, they only had the first few books in the series (which went on to have over 20!), so I never got a chance to see how the story ended. Years passed, and now I work in a library that has the ability to do inter-library loans and was so excited to find out that I finally have a way to know how the story ends! So, I officially restarted the series, and even with knowing what was going to happen, and being older than the writing was intended for, I loved it! It is definitely an addicting and fun story! I can't wait to continue!

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I was a kid my dad would take me to the mall every Thursday (his payday) and we would stop by Borders and Waldenbooks so I could pick out a new book, and then we'd go by Taco Bell for dinner.

Those trips are some of my favorite memories, and Replica is a core part of that because for three years or so every time we'd get to the book store I'd look for the next book and read it that night (my dad would have to guide me through the mall because I couldn't wait to get home).

This series is definitely a nostalgia 5/5 for me and I'm sure it would still hold up as a fun middle grade read.

[Dominique · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my comfort book series, so I am going to be biased and nostalgic and find positives about all of the books even if some of them don’t hold up in 2025 (you’ve been warned). I used to love going to the Scholastic Book Fair Days of yesteryear and grabbing each new edition. I was always sad that no one ever heard of the series.

I revisit the first book often as a standalone — and it still holds up. My only “older” age critique — Amy should’ve been aged up — twelve years old feels too young for all of her incredible adventures.

Super excited to see so many folks here who have read the books and have left reviews. This will be my first time rereading the entire series in 2025 and I can’t wait to see what I remember.

[Bernie4444 · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good begging to an intriguing series.

You take a little "Alex Mack." Throw in some "Anna to the Infinite Power." Add some good writing and unique twists, and you have Amy. Marilyn Kaye does a good job of fleshing out her characters.

Amy bends over backward to excel in gymnastics and does so too well. The organization thinks she is picture-perfect and tries to take some to prove it. A school assignment (autobiography) leads to Amy finding out (maybe) about her past. The process of finding out with help from her friends starts this series of sinister mysteries.

[Josefin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jag läste den här när jag var tonåring. Då hade jag ingen aning om att det var första delen av 24 😅 Nu är jag inställd på att läsa alla. Jag gillar visst att läsa om tonåringar som upptäcker att de är klonade. (Läste nyss Klonad av Carol Matas). De var faktiskt väldigt lika, med den skillnaden att i Matas bok "föds" hon med näst in till superkrafter och i den här uppträder krafterna i puberteten. Men Matas är en trilogi, jag kommer läsa de andra två snart. Och det här är som sagt 24 böcker så jag förväntar mig att de i nästkommande böcker skiljer sig mycket från varandra.

[Arska-täti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amy Candler on täydellinen 12-vuotias koulutyttö, itse asiassa liiankin täydellinen. Hän liikkuu kuin huippu-urheilija, näkee ja kuulee hätkähdyttävän hyvin ja tietää vastaukset kaikkiin opettajan kysymyksiin. Mutta miksi joku ottaa Amysta vaivihkaa valokuvia? Miksi hänen äitinsä käyttäytyy oudosti? Miksi Amy saa nimettömiä kirjeitä, joissa häntä kehotetaan salaamaan poikkeukselliset kykynsä? Mitä outoa Amyn menneisyydessä on?

[Danielle Russell · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was my JAM in middle school! I remember absolutely loving the Replica series as a tween, and it was fun to revisit the series.

I still enjoyed the plot as an adult, but I did feel like the pacing was slow. It takes quite a while to figure out what is really going on, and then once we do, the book is over. I haven't quite figured out if I will read the 2nd book. I guess it depends on if it ever shows up on my Libby app.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I think of 4th grade, this book series stands out. It was my absolute favorite and an introduction to my love of sci-fi. When I found it on kindle, I had to revisit it, though I shelved it immediately and didn't come back around until recently. I wasn't expecting much, but I found it entertaining again and plan to keep rereading the series - perfect nostalgic escapism for a crazy time.

[CassDamm · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 ✨

So I read this series in sixth grade and although I remembered basically nothing about it, I remember being completely obsessed with it because I thought it was the greatest thing ever.

Anyway, randomly stumbled upon it at goodwill the other day and imagine the nostalgia.

It wasn’t the best thing in existence. But like, I’m also 30 not 12. So, can I really judge it too harsh lol

[Amy Veeres · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this in middle school. The librarian suggested it as a series about the ethics of cloning and genetic maniulation. I felt misled when I found out it's fiction, but wound up loving it. Buffy was too satanic for my parents, so this was the next-best thing, I reasoned.

It's, uh. *Totally* a coincidence that I named myself Amy when I transitioned.

[a_cappella · Rating 3 out of 5]

Przypomniało mi się, że czytałam te serię, kiedy byłam w szkole podstawowej i postanowiłam do niej wrócić. Pomysł ciekawy, konstrukcja dość prosta (mam wrażenie, że typowa dla książek młodzieżowych późnych lat dziewięćdziesiątych / wczesnych dwutysięcznych), ale historia na tyle wciągająca, że będę kontynuować - póki co dobrze się bawię.