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Mirror Vision
Seventeen-year-old Kay has never seen the sky. She has lived her entire life in a “self-contained living environment” called Module 17. She has no clue what cars are, or mountains, or birds, or trees stretching out as far as the eye can see. She has never been to school, never solved an algebra problem, and she can’t read – she doesn’t even know what reading is! And she has absolutely no idea that there is such a thing as the “opposite sex.”
Seventeen-year-old Katherine Marcellus, who prefers to be called Kate, has lived her entire life in California, the daughter of a computer magnate and his high society wife. Kate is months away from graduating from high school, but Mrs. Marcellus isn’t pleased with her sullen, disagreeable daughter, who wears the wrong clothes, eats too many candy bars, and hangs around with a low-class boy driving an unsuitable car.
When Mrs. Marcellus insists on activating the “substitution clause” in her contract with Replications, Inc., Kay and Kate find themselves taken from everything they’ve ever known and thrown into worlds neither knew existed. Kay must learn the truth about the place she has always called Home, and Kate must face the reality of her mother’s ultimate betrayal.
Seventeen-year-old Katherine Marcellus, who prefers to be called Kate, has lived her entire life in California, the daughter of a computer magnate and his high society wife. Kate is months away from graduating from high school, but Mrs. Marcellus isn’t pleased with her sullen, disagreeable daughter, who wears the wrong clothes, eats too many candy bars, and hangs around with a low-class boy driving an unsuitable car.
When Mrs. Marcellus insists on activating the “substitution clause” in her contract with Replications, Inc., Kay and Kate find themselves taken from everything they’ve ever known and thrown into worlds neither knew existed. Kay must learn the truth about the place she has always called Home, and Kate must face the reality of her mother’s ultimate betrayal.
339 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 11, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 29, 2019
In this provocative story, the lives of two teenage girls from very different worlds intersect. Kate is the only child of wealthy parents, her mother a society snob who is endlessly disappointed with her rebellious, slovenly, overweight, socially inept daughter. Kay is actually Kate's twin, a clone living in Module 17 at the complex of Replications, Inc. Kay has no awareness that a world exists outside the complex; only her girl companions, her Module supervisor, and their limited activities make up her world. But she knows there is something outside the Red Door, through which girls "transition" when they reach 17, and through which some get "called" for mysterious purposes, and might—or might not—return.
Kate's parents contracted with Replications, Inc. to produce the clone Kay in case some body parts might be needed later. This legal business considered the clones non-human property that was patented, even embedding serial numbers in their DNA. Usually a complete substitution of clone for actual child was limited to under 3 years of age, due to things like crib death. But Kate's mother decides to activate her substitution clause, to acquire an acceptable daughter for socially critical graduation and debutante events. Under pressure, the company complies and a fascinating story unfolds. Kate finds herself in Module 17; Kay ends up in a strange, overwhelming situation she cannot comprehend. Replications psychologist Blake is called on to orient Kay and turn her into a Kate-substitute, a touching process that is complicated by Kate's boyfriend showing up and getting involved.
Both Kay and Kate disrupt their new worlds, leading to a crisis at Replications. Exciting action encompasses both girls escaping with Blake and the boyfriend, their schemes to release the girls in Module 17, and Replications staff attempting to capture the girls and restore order using whatever means necessary, including eliminating the clone. Issues of the humanity and legal rights of human clones arise in thoughtful ways. Both girls shift their perspectives and grow in character, leading to an unexpected and heartening ending. But the story felt unfinished: how would the potential resolution be accomplished? Despite leaving me wanting more, this was a wonderful, imaginative, thought-provoking story well worth reading.
Kate's parents contracted with Replications, Inc. to produce the clone Kay in case some body parts might be needed later. This legal business considered the clones non-human property that was patented, even embedding serial numbers in their DNA. Usually a complete substitution of clone for actual child was limited to under 3 years of age, due to things like crib death. But Kate's mother decides to activate her substitution clause, to acquire an acceptable daughter for socially critical graduation and debutante events. Under pressure, the company complies and a fascinating story unfolds. Kate finds herself in Module 17; Kay ends up in a strange, overwhelming situation she cannot comprehend. Replications psychologist Blake is called on to orient Kay and turn her into a Kate-substitute, a touching process that is complicated by Kate's boyfriend showing up and getting involved.
Both Kay and Kate disrupt their new worlds, leading to a crisis at Replications. Exciting action encompasses both girls escaping with Blake and the boyfriend, their schemes to release the girls in Module 17, and Replications staff attempting to capture the girls and restore order using whatever means necessary, including eliminating the clone. Issues of the humanity and legal rights of human clones arise in thoughtful ways. Both girls shift their perspectives and grow in character, leading to an unexpected and heartening ending. But the story felt unfinished: how would the potential resolution be accomplished? Despite leaving me wanting more, this was a wonderful, imaginative, thought-provoking story well worth reading.
August 14, 2016
Replicating People
Kathy Cunningham’s Mirror Vision is a fascinating book of ideas with interesting characters and an ingenious and compelling plot.
***SPOILERS AHEAD***
In Mirror Vision, Kathy Cunningham has created a world in which humans are cloned—replicated—so that the copy can be used to provide spare parts, organs, and blood for their free recipients until they are eighteen. The “replicates” are stored in buildings cut off from knowledge of the outside world. They grow up with other “reps,” uneducated and ignorant, but well-fed and relatively happy with their friends. Replications, Inc., the giant corporation that stores the reps, considers them to be inhuman property—chattel—that they can dispose of when necessary. Kate Marcellus, a high school senior, has antagonized her mother to the point that Mrs. Marcellus activates her “substitution clause” and replaces Kate with her replicate, Kay. Kate enters the Replications storage buildings with the reps. The story moves with intrigue and suspense and describes what human cloning might be like and the slavery that might result, in which the human replicates are locked away from free society, denied education, and can be murdered with impunity.
***END SPOILERS***
I highly recommend this entertaining book for young adults of all ages. --Richard Morris, Author of the novel Canoedling in Cleveland
Kathy Cunningham’s Mirror Vision is a fascinating book of ideas with interesting characters and an ingenious and compelling plot.
***SPOILERS AHEAD***
In Mirror Vision, Kathy Cunningham has created a world in which humans are cloned—replicated—so that the copy can be used to provide spare parts, organs, and blood for their free recipients until they are eighteen. The “replicates” are stored in buildings cut off from knowledge of the outside world. They grow up with other “reps,” uneducated and ignorant, but well-fed and relatively happy with their friends. Replications, Inc., the giant corporation that stores the reps, considers them to be inhuman property—chattel—that they can dispose of when necessary. Kate Marcellus, a high school senior, has antagonized her mother to the point that Mrs. Marcellus activates her “substitution clause” and replaces Kate with her replicate, Kay. Kate enters the Replications storage buildings with the reps. The story moves with intrigue and suspense and describes what human cloning might be like and the slavery that might result, in which the human replicates are locked away from free society, denied education, and can be murdered with impunity.
***END SPOILERS***
I highly recommend this entertaining book for young adults of all ages. --Richard Morris, Author of the novel Canoedling in Cleveland
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews