Unique

by Alison Allen-Gray

Improve your English, and reading, skills with unabridged contemporary literature. Dominic finds the photograph in his granddad's loft. When his parents refuse to tell him anything, Dominic starts to seal out the truth for himself. Uncovering a horrific secret he unleashes a chain of events that will have far-reaching and disastrous consequences.

Genres: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Fiction, Mystery, Dystopia

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Alison Allen-Gray was brought up in the wilds of Suffolk, where an inspirational primary school teacher helped her to manage the interruption that school posed to the important business of having adventures. Whilst studying for a degree in English and Drama Alison and her friends converted an old chapel into a performance venue and spent long summers doing children's shows and taking plays to the Edinburgh Fringe.

After university Alison co-founded a performing arts centre and co-wrote two children's musicals. She spent the next 10 years developing her acting career, performing in theatres all over the country, mainly in children's theatre. She continued her writing for children and her first picture book was shortlisted for The Children's Book Award. Since 1999 Alison has been working as a magazine editor which she says has taught her a thing or two about cutting!

Alison lives with her partner and her ginger cat and is interested in many things - almost anything in fact, except football and housework.

Her novel, Unique, was shortlisted for the 2004 Booktrust Teenage Prize

Reviews

[Emily May · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn't bad at all, quite an easy enjoyable read and fairly typical of what you'd expect from a young adult science fiction story.

I liked the ethical questions about scientific advances and the different philosophical viewpoints of the religious and the non-believers, some were nothing like what we would expect them to be. However, the author spent the first half of the book trying to create some mystery around the circumstances of Dominic's secret brother's life and death, this would have been fine if the book wasn't called 'unique' and the protagonist hadn't already found a photo album with pictures of a boy who looked exactly like him but was supposedly just his brother who died in the year before he was born. You'd have to be an idiot not to guess what was going on.

As for Dominic, I felt sorry for him on occasion but, overall, I found him quite a boring and uninventive character. The author was trying to say something about individualism in this novel and make Dominic (2) a unique person that could shine apart from his brother without turning into a psychological as well as a biological clone. The point seemed rather void to me when Dominic didn't have much of a personality - isn't that ruining the whole moral of the story?

The best character by far was 'Pops'. I loved his ramblings and his occasional insane nonsense that he would spurt out; like near the end of the book when he's rushing through the house and shouts "fish balls", he's a bit of light entertainment in an otherwise serious young-adult novel.

Definitely interesting and enjoyable on the whole, I might have a look at some of the author's other writings.

[Joshua Allerton · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's actually really hard to fault this book. It is written in a way that ensures you only put the book down when you upmost have to. It asks those ethical questions will leaves you thinking for days and still you will be indecisive. An amazing book, one which I would recommend to anyone.

[Annerie RooibosReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very very interesting read, although, I would not classify this as a thriller as it says on the book.

This is about a boy who finds out that he's a clone of his dead brother. The book focuses on his life, how he feels about being cloned, him finding his own uniqueness and all the morals that goes along with cloning humans.

I love how the author focuses on his struggles about finding himself and being true to himself.

From a psychological point of view this book is spot on in its theory of human cloning in regards to the brain and personality not being able to be cloned.

All in all, I really enjoyed this book and would definitely pick up another book from this author.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dominic Gorden's life suddenly takes a shocking turn. Whilst Painting at his Grandad's house he discovers an old family photo album, with pictures of him inside. Thats what he thinks, until he turns the last page and finds himself 5 years older than he acctually is. Then the word 'Brother' flickers across his mind. And his life is changed forever.

A few days later he is on a train heading to Cambridge Univercity, where he has found out it is where his brother studied and died. There he meets his brother's best friend, Giles and his wife, Becky, who was once his brother (also called Domonic's) girlfriend. Unable to come to terms with himself, he meets his brothers Tutor, Professer Holt. She is the worlds greatest scientist, and so was his brother. Imogen (Professer Holt) lets him come back to her house with her and her husband and lets him selep there the night.

Later on, as Dominic gets up to get a glass of water, he overhears them talking. 'Why did your baby have to turn up now??' That solved it. Imogen was his real Mum. It did make sense... she had been on holiday with his parents just before Dominic was born.... With a desperate surge he called Giles and he met him at Cambridge Uni. But then, Imogen turns up and when Dom questions her about the baby, the real truth comes out....

His Mum and Dad could not come to terms with their perfect son's death. They had employed Imogen to clone the dead Dominic to make the Dominic that lives today. Basiccly, he is living inside his brothers dead body. He was only made to keep the memorys of the long dead Nick (his brothers nick-name) alive. Imogen knows that if this comes out in the press she will be executed. Felling lost and emotionless, Dom plans to go up to Scotland with Giles and Becky. Suddenly, out of the blue, his evil father turns up and tells him he's taking him to Australia. In one last frantic surge he runs away again up to Scotland to meet Giles and Becky, who only want whats best for him.

After a couple of weeks living with Baecky and Giles, Dom gets a mysterious call from Imogen, telling him that he is in danger and he needs to meet her urgently. As Dom heads out to find her, he is cornered by a journalist, who knew his brother Nick and has suspected something fishey. As Dom trys to hide on a cliff ledge, the reporter follows him and threatens to tell the newspaper about this. As Dom thinks he is defeated, Imogen turns up and snatches the journalist's phone away from her. They have a shouting row, and, at the end of it, as they are on the ledge of a mountain, they accidently thow themselves to their death. Dom feels so guilty that, he thinks he ought to let the police know the hole story. As the last lines of the book read: 'My experiences are all Unique and Unrepeatable, Like cloud-shadows on mountains or flames in a fire.

[Bethany · Rating 5 out of 5]

really really good. Its starts of with this boy called Dominic who has an alcoholic mum and a millionaire dad who expects to much of him. He then looks at his family photos at his grandads house and realises his mum and dad is holding another child that looks like him. He thinks its his brother but then he meets his 'brothers' university mates and knows there very edgy around him. He then meets his 'brothers' tutor, Professor Imogen Holt, and overhears a conversation between her and her husband that he's her child. He thinks she his is mother but then she tells him that when his brother died she cloned him and that clone is him. He then runs away from everything his parents, Imogen and the media and from cambridge with the possibly that somebody who knows his face. Except a journalist girlfriend of his brothers recoqnizes his face and hunts him down threatening to sell his story to newspapers across the world. It is a haunting but good story that was hard to put down. 5* for the book!

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really amazing. I loved the point of view with which the author analyzed that complex subject, and even if I loved Imogen's character, I think it's the only way it could have ended, and it was perfectly fine by me. I loved the story, and every character as well. Well done Alison A.G. !

[Adam Marischuk · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book suffers from progeria, which is bad for high-school/young adult literature, but fatal when the underlying story is weak to begin.

This book was assigned to my high school class and fits all the young-adult stereotypes. The characters are rather bland, predictable and one-dimensional. The setting is a distopia future (2017!) where cloning is banned with the penalty of death in the EU for those violators of the universal prohibition.

The themes of cloning, medical ethics and teenagers searching for their own unique personalities reads as if the author only has a very passing knowledge of medicine and ethics, and a complete lack of knowledge of law and politics. The idea of the EU executing anyone for cloning is laughable in a world where convicted terrorists are given reparation money for being detained by other governments.

The one thing that the author did convey well was teenage angst and though the parents were flat characters, the emotional tension did reflect some genuine feeling. This can only be explained either as an accident, or perhaps the author herself has some underlying issues with her parents left unresolved from her adolescence.

[Beth McCaffrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember reading this book when I was in junior high school. It was set as a class read, where we would read the book aloud bit by bit and dissect the text for meaning - probably meant to make sure we understood the context of what was happening in the book and find a deeper meaning. All that usual stuff. Well, I couldn't just leave it at that. I begged the teacher to let me take the book home, devoured the rest of it in one night, went in the next day and was able to give the teacher an essay on the book by the end of that week. It's been probably about 16/17 years since then and I still think about this book. I actually bought a copy of it for my own home library years later. I think this book is why I'm obsessed with the tv show Orphan Black, and why I can't be satisfied by any other book of a similar plot - they just don't compare! (feel free to give recommendations if you have any!)

[Yazlina Saduri · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's really not one of the boring books despite the drab looking cover. As always, I read the title and that's all before I just read the whole book. Didn't even read that blurb on the cover page. I think the suspense build up is very good, I never thought Dom is anywhere within the unnatural twin-kids industry until after that 3am outburst at Imogean's house. Dominic seems very cool for his age but definitely still a young adult, curious and stubborn. I thought the incident which brings the end of the chase is too convenient. Did Dom's dad really give up? That simple? Anyway, overall a good read for me.

[libs :p · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Read for Spookathon 2019*

Wow. I really liked this book.
I loved the characterisation in this book. I felt that it was really strong and the author was able to create an entirely different cast of characters which each had unique flaws and ambitions.

I also loved the overall themes and the social commentary that the author has used throughout this book. It comments on things such as what makes us human and the ethical nature of some events that happen.

Dominic was a character that was easy to root for. You wanted to help him find out the truth.

Unique really was a... unique story and I am so glad that I have read it.

[Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

So happy I read this novel in my literature class with my seventh graders this spring!
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This thought-provoking narrative was full of plot twists and it made me learn a lot about my students’ thoughts in such an interesting way!
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The story is about a young boy, Dominic, who discovers that he has an older brother he doesn’t know about. On his journey to discover who his brother is, he learns much more about himself!
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I can’t wait to complete the last few chapters with my students and see if they like the ending as much as I do!
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Perfect for teens to discuss politics, science, family, and justice. 💕

[Georgia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I mean I enjoyed it at first but it became a real struggle to read by the end. I think i just kind of fell out of love with it and then didn't care for it at all. It's not really my normal genre so I'm not completely surprised that I wasn't interested in it really.
I don't think it's a bad book but just wasn't for me and I wouldn't really recommend it to my friends.
The only reason I really pushed through was because i was quite close to the end and I needed another book to complete my goal.

[Anika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meiner Meinung nach ein sehr spannende Buch. Der Plot schien teilweise etwas zu wenig ausgearbeitet und zu voraussehbar, aber alles in allem habe ich die Lektüre sehr genossen und konnte das Buch kaum weglegen, sodass es schnell gelesen war.

[Lara Vehar · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one was mildly interesting. The premise was okay but the book was full of YA tropes and I hated how the main character barely had to work for the answers he seeked, everybody just gave them to him without asking. It was just ... boring and bland which is a shame because the premise has a lot of potential to be interesting. And the awkward translation didn't help either.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this in class with my middle schoolers. The idea of cloning was intriguing but they felt it was uneventful half way through; they believe alot could have been worked on to make it more intriguing.

[mariona · Rating 3 out of 5]

la idea de que ell sigui un clon i tot aixo mha agradat
pero es nota que es un llibre per gent mes jove i no mha agradat gens que pintin a un noi de 15 anys com que pot fer el que vulgui i que es el mes guai de tots
no te sentit
pero me lhe llegit en angles pq era lectura obligatoria i prou be

[Carmen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was very fun and very interesting from a psychological and bioethical pov. I also really appreciated that it had the exact right number of pages, I feel like many authors would have extended it completely unnecessarily. It was just right.

[Ingrid Parada · Rating 4 out of 5]

All of us are unique and irrepetible

[Lilian · Rating 5 out of 5]

The plot was quite interesting though the personality of Dominic made me cringe every single time he talked because he sounded a lot like a arrogant and selfish 12 year old then a 15 year old.

[S.BH · Rating 3 out of 5]

Une lecture divertissante.

[Luciaa1812 · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is very good

[Sarah Basford · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting and thought provoking despite major flaws.

[Marianne Théberge · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

[Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was alright, definitely aimed at the younger generation. There were elements that were beautifully written, the author knows how to get inside a characters head and emotions.

[Ama · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it, I liked the message, but it needed more development on the end (& self-acceptance)

[Victoria-Melita Zammit · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think the first time I’d heard of this book was when I was quite young, secondary school age for sure. I remember seeing a friend of mine with this book in her hand and she had told me that it was pretty good, and I believed her because why wouldn’t I? I was a young child who devoured books like there was no tomorrow and I was always on the look-out for my next read. So I kept it in mind for years, eventually buying it and then reading it years later, when I was definitely past being the target audience and age group for this book.
Although, it did help me surpass my reading goal from last year, so there’s that!
It’s not a terrible book, I’ll give you that. As an undergraduate student I was heavily invested in the TV show Orphan Black, and still do think it’s one of the best TV shows of the 2010s. This book rekindled a love of that TV show in me again, reminding me that I’ve always loved the concept of cloning and genetics.
Unique is the story of a young boy, Dominic, who finds out through his ailing grandfather that he had an older brother who died years before he was born. Dominic’s parents, very wealthy individuals, are trying to push Dominic into entering the scientific field, hoping for their son to achieve success there, but he is more interested in painting and being an artist, causing them immense disappointment. And when he finds out that he had an older brother who was very intelligent and invested in the medical field, he suddenly realizes why. But it all goes a step further when Dominic finds out that he’s not actually a younger sibling, but a clone of a boy who died in an unfortunate accident, and the product of an experiment to see if greatness could be replicated.
Is the story somewhat predictable? Completely. It’s a great read for young adults who have a budding interest in biology
But does it raise amazing questions? Absolutely.
The whole point of the story is that Dominic is his own person, a boy with his own ambitions and dreams and nothing like his ‘older brother’, the person he was cloned from. Dominic wants to break away from the wishes his parents have for him, wants to build his own life independently of the shadow of his genetic parent, but can’t because his parents have placed a burden of expectations on him that he doesn’t deserve. And this book perfectly highlights what everyone gets wrong about cloning.
The logic behind cloning is easy enough – if you take something and duplicate it, it’ll be the same. But people fail to realize that that only means on a genetic level, and not on any other level. While there will be some common traits, of course, such as physical appearances, there are also a lot of factors that come into the people we grow up to become which have nothing to do with genetics and all about how we’re raised – the Nature versus Nurture argument. And this book is the perfect fictional example of that.
Dominic, cloned and made into the spitting genetic image of his brother, grows up with a father who places a lot of emotional pressure on him, a mother who is heartbroken over the loss of her son, and a grandfather who is trying to bury it all within his mind, and all of this causes him to become a completely different person, one who inevitably becomes a disappointment.
So what did I ultimately think of this book? As a book, it gets a 3/5 from me. But as a concept, and as a way of working with the question of cloning, it definitely gets a 5/5, especially considering its target audience.

[Connie-Sue · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don’t recommend this. It’s got a good storyline which is dragged in for so long and also has a very rushed ending. I was expecting more at the ending and was very disappointed that it had stopped at such a halt. The story drags in and repeats itself a lot... Not enjoyable

[Louisa · Rating 1 out of 5]

YO BORRY!
This was the worst book I have ever read.
Before I opened the book it was obvious what the major storyline was. It wasn't written that well and the storyline was predictable and boring.
To be fair, it was probably that people in my English class were actually surprised by the turn of events even after the title and the blurb and all of the glaringly blatant hints throughout the first few chapters practically spelling it out for their puny minds which really made me angry and made me dislike the book a whole lot more. Also I had to do a long essay which consisted of me complaining about it during the Christmas holidays. The teacher never even took it in. Thanks for wasting my Christmas. It was depressing enough already without writing that stupid essay. And I got a lower grade than everybody else spouting the same nonsense about 'changing nature' in a debate we had to partake in about...'changing nature'. I had a nice thing going on about the intricacies of cloning a mammoth and the purpose of lab rats and the history of GM bananas. Remember these are the same people who were genuinely surprised by what happened in the book.
What I'm trying to say is that the book isn't great but I dislike it more than I should because it has personally wronged me on several occasions. And I am a bitter fool.
This good enough for you?

[Kaushila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dominic has always been a disappointment to his ambitious father, but he has never understood why. Then he discovers that he had an older brother who died before he was born. Where his brother was a brilliant academic and scientist, Dominic prefers to 'waste' his time painting. His father cannot forgive him for it. Dominic decides to try to find out about his brother, but he discovers more than he bargained for. Their father had Dominic's dead brother cloned, and Dominic is the result. How can he live with this mind-blowing discovery? If the truth is ever made public, it could put people's lives in danger - including his own.


I liked this book cos the plot was good and the i felt that the character relationship were devolved fully and that plot was good and kept me on egde until i found out what the secret that nearly everyone in the book wanted to it to be kept from Dominic. i like the ending as i felt that was the right way for the story to end. i finished this book in a couple of day.

[Farida El kholy]

really really good. Its starts of with this boy called Dominic who has an alcoholic mum and a millionaire dad who expects to much of him. He then looks at his family photos at his grandads house and realises his mum and dad is holding another child that looks like him. He thinks its his brother but then he meets his 'brothers' university mates and knows there very edgy around him. He then meets his 'brothers' tutor, Professor Imogen Holt, and overhears a conversation between her and her husband that he's her child. He thinks she his is mother but then she tells him that when his brother died she cloned him and that clone is him. He then runs away from everything his parents, Imogen and the media and from cambridge with the possibly that somebody who knows his face. Except a journalist girlfriend of his brothers recoqnizes his face and hunts him down threatening to sell his story to newspapers across the world. It is a haunting but good story that was hard to put down. 5* for the book! :)