Book Review: Models and Citizens

As current conversations about the benefits and dangers of artificial intelligence swirl online, the idea of cloning is a fascinating one. Sweet so clearly painted a picture of what the not-so-distant future could look like that I found it completely believable. He captured the greediness of large corporations who could essentially modify and clone their ideal workers, paying them a fraction of the cost of their human counterparts. He imagined groups such as the Human Pride Movement that could form and claim “birthright superiority,” quickly morphing into nothing more than another hate group. He even explored the political and legal aspects of clone ownership and protection.

Sweet is skilled in creating beautifully flawed characters who must overcome their weaknesses and examine their own motivations as they determine the value of another human being’s life, whether clone or natural born. Perhaps the best example of this is Harper, who struggles with high anxiety making even day-to-day functioning overwhelming. Yet, she digs her heels in and boldly faces down a powerful corporation in an attempt to free Ordell from slavery.