The Secret

"Inquiring and intelligent . . . The Secret is a meditation on that central puzzle of human life, the puzzle of identity." --The Washington Post "An intelligent and delightfully bizarre excursion into ethical and philosophical issues raised by technology." --Elle

"THE COMPELLING STORY OF AN INDIVIDUAL GIRL TRYING TO FIND OUT THE TRUTH ABOUT HERSELF." --The Independent

"Hoffman's consistent sensitivity is informed by her wide erudition. . . . The Secret is compelling throughout for Hoffman's prose, for her insights on identity, for her reflections on history." --The New York Times Book Review

"Hoffman brilliantly meditates on [a] mystery in her auspicious fiction debut. . . . This is a novel of ideas in the tradition of 1984 and Brave New World." --Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Hoffman's . . . multilayered, cautionary 'fable' of genetic engineering in the near future proves compelling, in both its cool intelligence and its insistent moral questioning. . . . The Secret is intriguing and deeply sinister, even as it ultimately affirms those mysteries of life and human freedom that still elude us." --The Guardian

"VERY MUCH RECOMMENDED . . .[A] thoughtful, philosophical treatment of the devastating effects a wholly fatherless state can trigger. An uneasy look at the potential fallout from biological tampering, this first novel . . . is ripe for lively book discussion." --Library Journal

"A serious, intelligent, psychological novel which will enhance Hoffman's reputation for wise words gracefully expressed." --Financial Times

"Hoffman sketches a creepily plausible near-future in which her protagonist experiences a very 21st-century identity crisis." --Kirkus Reviews

"A modern allegory somewhere between Frankenstein, the golems of Jewish folklore, and Blade Runner." --Independent on Sunday