Date of publication : August 2005
About the author
Haddix was born April 9, 1964 In Washington Court House, Ohio
She grew up on a farm where her father was a farmer and her mother was a nurse
She has three siblings, an older brother, a younger brother and a younger sister.
She went to Miami university (the one in Ohio) and got her bachelors degree in English/journalism, English/creative writing, and history.
Why does she write?
She love making up stories and playing around with words and imagining interesting people in interesting situations.
This story is told in a first person point of view.
The setting takes place in sanderfield , Illinois, starting off with the main character and Bethany and her parents in the car.
Bethany Cole - The protagonist of the novel, Bethany is 12 years old at the beginning of the novel. She has hazel eyes and blonde hair. She is Elizabeth's younger sister and clone,
Walter Krull - Walter is Bethany's father. Throughout the novel, he goes by "Walter Cole." He was paid to create a clone of Dalton Van Dyne, but when Van Dyne was jailed, he used the money to clone his deceased daughter, Elizabeth.
Hillary Krull - Hillary is Bethany's mother. Throughout the novel, she goes by "Hillary Cole." She seems unbalanced and calls Bethany at random intervals while Bethany is at Myrlie's. During these calls, she has a habit of thinking that Bethany is Elizabeth. Hillary feels guilty for the deaths of Elizabeth and Myrlie's husband because she was driving the car when it crashed.
Short summary
The story is about a girl named Bethany Cole who soon learns that there is a secret about her, that her parents have never told her. She is dropped off at her "aunts" house that she has never met before. She heard her dad say something on the phone "she doesn't know anything about Elizabeth". Her aunt had to end up telling her that there was a car crash which her mother was in with her sister (which she never knew she had) and she died. Later on her dad was paid to make a clone of dalton van dyne, but when he was put in jail he ended up making a clone of his dead daughter.
What I liked about it - how it always kept me courious! Even throughout the whole book I always thought that I knew the answer but never did.