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ceena's review against another edition
*I received this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
DNF @ 7%
By 7% we should know what species or whatever the main character is and who the "outside world" means. Yet, I'm still so confused by these big ticket items, while I know little details for sure... since they've been repeated. Family issues, Mean step-mother, and "special" girl who is an outcast -- these things I understand, but I know nothing else.
Also, setting. Yes, the book takes place in Texas, but is it OUR reality? is this in the future?
I know 7% is too early to give up on a book, but there was ample opportunity to explain something about the book. Honestly, the whole first scene took place in mist in my mind, because I had no idea why they were where they were or anything else.
While I am one who likes minimal description usually, this is just no description, replaced with empty words.
DNF @ 7%
By 7% we should know what species or whatever the main character is and who the "outside world" means. Yet, I'm still so confused by these big ticket items, while I know little details for sure... since they've been repeated. Family issues, Mean step-mother, and "special" girl who is an outcast -- these things I understand, but I know nothing else.
Also, setting. Yes, the book takes place in Texas, but is it OUR reality? is this in the future?
I know 7% is too early to give up on a book, but there was ample opportunity to explain something about the book. Honestly, the whole first scene took place in mist in my mind, because I had no idea why they were where they were or anything else.
While I am one who likes minimal description usually, this is just no description, replaced with empty words.
debtat2's review against another edition
3.0
This book is all about finding your place in life, about the choices we make and their consequences and how much we are willing to risk for the people we love .
Julia Jaynes and her family are part of a race of super-evolved humans who have to suppress their abilities from outsiders in order to keep from being discovered.
Julia Jaynes is the daughter of leader Novak, but he is more than a father; he is leader of a group of people called the Puras who have extraordinary powers, and he and his leadership team are trying to keep everyone safe from the rest of the world. They are a highly evolved race of human beings. Julia, her family, and a small group of others live amongst ordinary normal humans. They stick together keeping their talents hidden from the humans while living in plain view.
One day while out in public, Julia accidentally exposes a little too much of her abilities. In punishment for saving her younger sister from drowning she is relegated from a select Prep School to public Austin high school with strict instructions to blend in and make sure she appears as a normal high school kid until further notice!
It’s was hard enough at their super elite private school where their father’s money means something, so public school proves a challenge.
Julia realises she can read the mind of a boy named John and before they both realise it, they are developing feelings for each other, becoming friends and then lovers. Now she must decide if John is worth the risk of permanent banishment.
There are some interesting twists and sub-plots, especially at the end and the many twists help bring that realization that your actions can really change the way you and others perceive the world around you.
This is definitely a book for Twilight and Fallen fans.
This book will be published on 3 Oct 2017
Julia Jaynes and her family are part of a race of super-evolved humans who have to suppress their abilities from outsiders in order to keep from being discovered.
Julia Jaynes is the daughter of leader Novak, but he is more than a father; he is leader of a group of people called the Puras who have extraordinary powers, and he and his leadership team are trying to keep everyone safe from the rest of the world. They are a highly evolved race of human beings. Julia, her family, and a small group of others live amongst ordinary normal humans. They stick together keeping their talents hidden from the humans while living in plain view.
One day while out in public, Julia accidentally exposes a little too much of her abilities. In punishment for saving her younger sister from drowning she is relegated from a select Prep School to public Austin high school with strict instructions to blend in and make sure she appears as a normal high school kid until further notice!
It’s was hard enough at their super elite private school where their father’s money means something, so public school proves a challenge.
Julia realises she can read the mind of a boy named John and before they both realise it, they are developing feelings for each other, becoming friends and then lovers. Now she must decide if John is worth the risk of permanent banishment.
There are some interesting twists and sub-plots, especially at the end and the many twists help bring that realization that your actions can really change the way you and others perceive the world around you.
This is definitely a book for Twilight and Fallen fans.
This book will be published on 3 Oct 2017
kelly_reads_books's review against another edition
4.0
This story was a surprise. As a YA book I thought it would be juvenile but it was very well written with lovable characters with a twist.
I cannot wait for book 2!
I cannot wait for book 2!
ameserole's review against another edition
3.0
Second time read. First time review.
Select was interesting. I feel like I liked it a heck of lot more the first time I read it.. but since I never actually wrote a review back in April - I felt like I should dive back into it beforehand. So like I said earlier.. it was interesting enough to keep me turning the pages BUT I did also find myself getting bored with it.
The characters were just okay. I did like Julia and John together though and I really hope that their characters grow a lot more in the next book. Liv, Julia's half-sister, was an okay kind of character but there were definitely times where she kind of rubbed the wrong way. I completely hated their parents Victoria and Novak. They just felt so creepy and I didn't really feel the love between them.
Besides the whole creepy family dynamic, I guess this book sort of had a "love triangle"? Angus - Liv - Julia because Julia had a crush on Angus for like EVER.. yet Angus and Liv dated. Then John came into the picture and everything was good for Julia. Well, until things sort of hit the fan. Liv and Angus broke up and he got jealous that Julia was with John. In the end, I didn't like that little shit head for ruining things and I still hope that Julia and John are still together in the next book.
Other than the whole romance, this book gave hints about this new world/place for them to move to. Think of it as like a cult ... but for special people with special abilities. The adults only care about getting more kids for their family line (which was creepy) and the kids were sort of separated into groups (like divergent - I guess) and forced to adapt. Again, it was a weird book and I'm probably the worst person to describe this world right now because I just want to go to sleep.
Overall, I honestly can't say anything other than it being interesting. I really hope that the second book is bit more entertaining and can hold my interest longer than 10 seconds. Here's to hoping!
Select was interesting. I feel like I liked it a heck of lot more the first time I read it.. but since I never actually wrote a review back in April - I felt like I should dive back into it beforehand. So like I said earlier.. it was interesting enough to keep me turning the pages BUT I did also find myself getting bored with it.
The characters were just okay. I did like Julia and John together though and I really hope that their characters grow a lot more in the next book. Liv, Julia's half-sister, was an okay kind of character but there were definitely times where she kind of rubbed the wrong way. I completely hated their parents Victoria and Novak. They just felt so creepy and I didn't really feel the love between them.
Besides the whole creepy family dynamic, I guess this book sort of had a "love triangle"? Angus - Liv - Julia because Julia had a crush on Angus for like EVER.. yet Angus and Liv dated. Then John came into the picture and everything was good for Julia. Well, until things sort of hit the fan. Liv and Angus broke up and he got jealous that Julia was with John. In the end, I didn't like that little shit head for ruining things and I still hope that Julia and John are still together in the next book.
Other than the whole romance, this book gave hints about this new world/place for them to move to. Think of it as like a cult ... but for special people with special abilities. The adults only care about getting more kids for their family line (which was creepy) and the kids were sort of separated into groups (like divergent - I guess) and forced to adapt. Again, it was a weird book and I'm probably the worst person to describe this world right now because I just want to go to sleep.
Overall, I honestly can't say anything other than it being interesting. I really hope that the second book is bit more entertaining and can hold my interest longer than 10 seconds. Here's to hoping!
vanessa_issa's review against another edition
3.0
Thanks to Charlesbridge for the ARC via NetGalley!
Really nice book! I read it in one sitting.
The only reason I'm not giving it more stars is because it sounds a lot like other stories I've read before. It's obviously not the same thing, but it didn't bring anything new to me as a reader.
Really nice book! I read it in one sitting.
The only reason I'm not giving it more stars is because it sounds a lot like other stories I've read before. It's obviously not the same thing, but it didn't bring anything new to me as a reader.
popthebutterfly's review against another edition
4.0
Rating: 4/5
Genre: YA Fantasy
Recommended Age: 14+ (language, a mature sexual scene, trigger warnings for death and suicide-like behavior)
I received a copy of the e-book version of this book for free from NetGalley as provided by the publisher and then I won a free copy of the print arc in a giveaway. Neither of these events changed my opinion of the book.
Coming from a race of highly-evolved humans, Julia Jaynes has the perfect life. The perfect family. The perfect destiny. But there’s something rotten beneath the surface–dangerous secrets her father is keeping; abilities she was never meant to have; and an elite society of people determined to keep their talents hidden and who care nothing for the rest of humanity. So when Julia accidentally disrupts the Jaynes’ delicate anonymity, she’s banished to the one place meant to make her feel inferior: public high school.
Julia’s goal is to lay low and blend in. Then she meets him–John Ford, tennis prodigy, all-around good guy. When Julia discovers a knack for reading his mind, and also manipulating his life, school suddenly becomes a temporary escape from the cold grip of her manipulative father. But as Julia’s powers over John grow, so do her feelings. For the first time in her life, Julia begins to develop a sense of self, to question her restrictive upbringing and her family prejudices. She must decide: can a perfect love be worth more than a perfect life? – Amazon.com
Ever thought that you were different? Julia sure has and she’s already in a selective group of people! She’s a part of this culture of people who have extraordinary abilities and no we’re not talking about X-Men although it’s clear she should join them. Regardless of my stance on that topic, I believed this book will be the underdog to look out for come October. It’s a decent Halloween-type book and a good book for any YA lover. The character development is amazingly written as we learn about two characters simultaneously through Julia’s inner connection to John and all of the main and important side characters have a distinct personality. The plot is also very well done. The writer does not spend time on minute details about the mundane activities of public high school and the reader becomes involved in the core topic of the book fairly early on. The book is also very well written and it’s proving to be a very easy read. While the book is 350+ pages, I flew through the book faster than any other book I’ve ever read this year not counting Illuminae.
However, I did find some very prominent issues in the book. For starters, the whole identity of Julia and her people are not explained until very late in the book and even then there are small questions the reader is left with that are never really fully explored. The book is also paced a bit weird. The book jumps forward in time quite a bit and without warning, so the reader must remain alert throughout the book in order to avoid confusion. And there is a bit of a quasi-love triangle/square, so fair warning if you absolutely hate those.
Verdict: Overall, I thought this was an incredible book. This was definitely one of my favorite reads of 2017 and I was hooked from the get-go. I think that the book was incredibly inspirational for anyone who’s ever felt different or unwanted or has been ostracized for one reason or another. As someone who has felt that way before and still struggles with it I felt empowered by Julia and I cheered for her every difficult step of the way. I hope you feel the same towards her because I strongly urge anyone who likes YA Fantasy to take a few days to read this book.
Genre: YA Fantasy
Recommended Age: 14+ (language, a mature sexual scene, trigger warnings for death and suicide-like behavior)
I received a copy of the e-book version of this book for free from NetGalley as provided by the publisher and then I won a free copy of the print arc in a giveaway. Neither of these events changed my opinion of the book.
Coming from a race of highly-evolved humans, Julia Jaynes has the perfect life. The perfect family. The perfect destiny. But there’s something rotten beneath the surface–dangerous secrets her father is keeping; abilities she was never meant to have; and an elite society of people determined to keep their talents hidden and who care nothing for the rest of humanity. So when Julia accidentally disrupts the Jaynes’ delicate anonymity, she’s banished to the one place meant to make her feel inferior: public high school.
Julia’s goal is to lay low and blend in. Then she meets him–John Ford, tennis prodigy, all-around good guy. When Julia discovers a knack for reading his mind, and also manipulating his life, school suddenly becomes a temporary escape from the cold grip of her manipulative father. But as Julia’s powers over John grow, so do her feelings. For the first time in her life, Julia begins to develop a sense of self, to question her restrictive upbringing and her family prejudices. She must decide: can a perfect love be worth more than a perfect life? – Amazon.com
Ever thought that you were different? Julia sure has and she’s already in a selective group of people! She’s a part of this culture of people who have extraordinary abilities and no we’re not talking about X-Men although it’s clear she should join them. Regardless of my stance on that topic, I believed this book will be the underdog to look out for come October. It’s a decent Halloween-type book and a good book for any YA lover. The character development is amazingly written as we learn about two characters simultaneously through Julia’s inner connection to John and all of the main and important side characters have a distinct personality. The plot is also very well done. The writer does not spend time on minute details about the mundane activities of public high school and the reader becomes involved in the core topic of the book fairly early on. The book is also very well written and it’s proving to be a very easy read. While the book is 350+ pages, I flew through the book faster than any other book I’ve ever read this year not counting Illuminae.
However, I did find some very prominent issues in the book. For starters, the whole identity of Julia and her people are not explained until very late in the book and even then there are small questions the reader is left with that are never really fully explored. The book is also paced a bit weird. The book jumps forward in time quite a bit and without warning, so the reader must remain alert throughout the book in order to avoid confusion. And there is a bit of a quasi-love triangle/square, so fair warning if you absolutely hate those.
Verdict: Overall, I thought this was an incredible book. This was definitely one of my favorite reads of 2017 and I was hooked from the get-go. I think that the book was incredibly inspirational for anyone who’s ever felt different or unwanted or has been ostracized for one reason or another. As someone who has felt that way before and still struggles with it I felt empowered by Julia and I cheered for her every difficult step of the way. I hope you feel the same towards her because I strongly urge anyone who likes YA Fantasy to take a few days to read this book.
sc104906's review against another edition
3.0
Julia is part of an advanced race of humans, who are able to push their bodies to limits beyond that of a typical human. This group of super humans hides within plain sight. When Julia uses her abilities to save her sister, she is isolated from the group and sent to the local public high school. While interacting with the outsiders, Julia realizes that she can read John's mind. This new ability draws her to John and romantic sparks fly.
This is told in the vein of a vampire/fallen angel story. It will appeal to those who enjoy this type of novel, but isn't a stellar example of it. The superhumans were not likeable, even to an extent, Julia. I did find John enjoyable, but he wasn't as developed.
This is told in the vein of a vampire/fallen angel story. It will appeal to those who enjoy this type of novel, but isn't a stellar example of it. The superhumans were not likeable, even to an extent, Julia. I did find John enjoyable, but he wasn't as developed.
alexperc_92's review against another edition
3.0
Eh it was a good book but not with the anticipated hype I had for it. I will read the second book though, since I want to know what will happen.
nukie19's review against another edition
3.0
I suspect Weisenberg started with a really interesting idea, but she definitely didn't follow-through on the sci-fi aspect. It honestly reads a lot more like a mediocre YA romance which wasn't what I was in the mood for right now. I am going to read the follow-up and hope that maybe there will be a lot more explanations for what is actually going on with everyone, so I'll report back in a few days.