This week's novel, Chance, is the second in author Matthew Fitzsimmons' Constance series, the first of which was reviewed in late October. Cloning remains at the center of the story, as a young man attempts to find out what happened to him and his brother during a kidnapping gone wrong.
The Situation: It is the year 2042, and Chance is about the perform the latest in what has become his annual stunts. Sometimes they go right, but more often they go wrong, and this one certainly can. But Chance and his family have a policy at Palingenesis, the company the keeps their clones on standby should one of them meet an untimely demise, something that Chance has done many times by now. His audience cannot get enough of his antics, while his critics point out the only reason he is able to be so reckless is because he is one of the 1%. Chance has heard it all, and he does not care. For him, any caring about what he should be doing to live a productive life went out the window five years ago, when he died the first time in botched kidnapping.
The Problem: Chance is obsessive about making and keeping his appointments at Palingenesis, making sure his clones will always be as up to date as possible on their memories, should his next stunt go wrong. He also makes sure his daily existence is well-documented and backed up, until one of his clones erases everything, after seemingly committing a horrible crime. When Chance wakes up in a new clone body, he has no idea what happened, and those that have always been against cloning now have a new reason to protest. All he knows is this has something to do with abduction that changed his life forever, and if he is to get answers, he must work fast and do what he can before he is arrested.
Genre, Themes, History: This is a science fiction novel set only two years after the first one, in 2042. After a landmark Supreme Court case, clones now have legal standing at the federal level, and any state's anti-cloning laws have now been done away with, therefore making the issue even more divisive. Enter Chance Harker, a 21 year-old influencer who has made a career out of exploiting the new technology, only being able to do so because his family is wealthy. Taking place in and around Los Angeles, the story follows Chance as he attempts to make a life for himself, but due to what happened five years ago, he exists in a cloud of resentment, anger, pride, and self-loathing. And many of the issues surrounding cloning that were brought up in the first book are expanded upon even further in this one.
My Verdict: This book contains the same fast-paced narrative style as the first one, as seemingly every chapter reveals a new detail, or twist to the story that changes what the audience thought they knew about where the story was going. It mainly falls under science fiction, but just like the first book, it is also part suspense thriller and part murder mystery, while asking the important questions when it comes the issue of cloning human beings. Chance is incredibly unlikeable in the beginning, but he knows it, and he does not care...but he does care, kind of. It is a complicated character that at first glance is simply a spoiled rich kid, but the layers get pulled back as the story moves forward, and I think I like it even better than the first book.
Favorite Moment: Picking out a favorite moment with a book like this is near impossible, because almost every moment is a spoiler. At some point, Chance stops being a careless jerk and turns into a sympathetic human being, and it was nice to actually care about what happens to him towards the end.
Favorite Character: Con D'Arcy, the main character from the first book, makes an appearance in this one and plays an important role in helping Chance get the answers he is looking for.
Recommended Reading: I once again recommend Six Wakes by Mur Lafferty.
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