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Founder
They've been waiting for decades. Hidden deep in the Amazon. Financed by thousands. A colony called Founder. And one girl is about to unravel it all. Founder is suitable for ages 14 and up. Contains mature themes, but no strong language or sexual content.
- GenresBook Club
284 pages, Paperback
First published May 29, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
October 14, 2011
The first few chapters are completely confusing but in a good way. It's like those movies where you see snippets of what's happening to different characters, and it all seems totally unrelated but you know it's all going to jell together somehow. And it does.
I hadn't a clue where this was going and it was such a fascinating reveal when I finally got it. If you've read some reviews that explain the premise, you'll know what I'm talking about, but for those who haven't I won't spoil it. Suffice it to say it melds the world's wartime past into the present.
It's written from two points of view - Marta, a teen girl in a remote Amazon village, and Lara, a young American woman who ends up traveling to the village with her family. Two gutsy, smart, admirable heroines who speak from extremely different perspectives and cultural backgrounds.
FOUNDER's solid cast of secondary characters easily grow on you, but be prepared for some heart-breaking loss along the way. There's no language or sex but you will find violence and mankind's horrifying behavior, along with some uplifting testimony to the beauty of the human spirit.
I know I'm not giving you much specifics to go on, but I don't want to spoil the discovery of the main plot line. There's no paranormal aspect, just an intense, intriguing grab-bag of history, mystery, danger, revolution, psychological manipulation, and flat out Coo-Coo-for-Cocoa-Puffs crazies.
An engaging, thought-provoking adventure, and considering that it's loosely based on true events, at times a downright chilling tale.
I hadn't a clue where this was going and it was such a fascinating reveal when I finally got it. If you've read some reviews that explain the premise, you'll know what I'm talking about, but for those who haven't I won't spoil it. Suffice it to say it melds the world's wartime past into the present.
It's written from two points of view - Marta, a teen girl in a remote Amazon village, and Lara, a young American woman who ends up traveling to the village with her family. Two gutsy, smart, admirable heroines who speak from extremely different perspectives and cultural backgrounds.
FOUNDER's solid cast of secondary characters easily grow on you, but be prepared for some heart-breaking loss along the way. There's no language or sex but you will find violence and mankind's horrifying behavior, along with some uplifting testimony to the beauty of the human spirit.
I know I'm not giving you much specifics to go on, but I don't want to spoil the discovery of the main plot line. There's no paranormal aspect, just an intense, intriguing grab-bag of history, mystery, danger, revolution, psychological manipulation, and flat out Coo-Coo-for-Cocoa-Puffs crazies.
An engaging, thought-provoking adventure, and considering that it's loosely based on true events, at times a downright chilling tale.
October 18, 2011
Founder was not anything like what I expected. I thought I would find a tribal society ruled by the girl on the front cover totally untouched by the human race. You know those tribes they always talk about on Discovery channel where they find indigenous people who have never seen a white person before. This wasn't that story. This was the opposite. This was a story of an Aryan race, a white supremacist group trying to make a completely pure group of blonde haired blue eyed people while weeding out the darker skinned, brown eyed, brown haired "Untouchables".
They live in seclusion in the jungles of Brazil and only a select few know that WWII was lost and that the world, for the most part, is free.
I knew the Untouchables were going to find out eventually that the real world wasn't like they thought it was and I couldn't wait to see it happen, but the way things happened was so surprising. Marta is one of the narrators of the story. She is an untouchable, dark hair and eyes, but her mother was a pure, the Fuhrer's wife. So she is allowed certain freedoms and protections that other untouchables, don't have. Days in the village are spent drilling for war, a war that will never come, and for the untouchables, doing chores for the pures.
Lara, a blonde haired, blue eyed flight attendant living in Redlands, California with her husband Sergio, is the other narrator of the story. She knows nothing of the Aryan nation in the jungles of Brazil. But through a series of coincidences and tragedies she comes to know of them or figure out about them and she, her mother and Sergio set out on a dangerous journey to look for them.
Marta, because of the way she was raised, is hard and used to taking orders so she always does as she is told. She doesn't want trouble in her village. She's afraid of change. She doesn't want anyone to be hurt, but she's outraged at some of the things that have happened behind her back. But she's scared, too. Because she's believed everything she's been told. All the propaganda.
Lara has been raised free and allowed to choose who to love and finds this Aryan race appalling. She wants to do something about it. Her sense of right and wrong drives her to the Brazilian jungle to find Marta's village Founder and let them know the truth.
This novel is so unpredictable and unforgettable. I loved reading it. I read it in one sitting. When Marta talks to one of the Pure guards, Henrik, I can't help but picture the guard in The Sound of Music. I received the paperback copy of the book in an incredible presentation and the book was very well edited. No mistakes that I saw. The writing is done very well, just enough description to know what it looks like and feels like, but not overdone. There is a good balance of dialogue and action and it's good to be inside of Marta's head to understand what she's thinking, why she makes the choices she does. Ms. Long's writing style is easy to read, it flows nicely.
There is some violence in the novel and some mature themes but it was never overly violent.
The ending is left open so I think there will be more novels to come. I hope so!
They live in seclusion in the jungles of Brazil and only a select few know that WWII was lost and that the world, for the most part, is free.
I knew the Untouchables were going to find out eventually that the real world wasn't like they thought it was and I couldn't wait to see it happen, but the way things happened was so surprising. Marta is one of the narrators of the story. She is an untouchable, dark hair and eyes, but her mother was a pure, the Fuhrer's wife. So she is allowed certain freedoms and protections that other untouchables, don't have. Days in the village are spent drilling for war, a war that will never come, and for the untouchables, doing chores for the pures.
Lara, a blonde haired, blue eyed flight attendant living in Redlands, California with her husband Sergio, is the other narrator of the story. She knows nothing of the Aryan nation in the jungles of Brazil. But through a series of coincidences and tragedies she comes to know of them or figure out about them and she, her mother and Sergio set out on a dangerous journey to look for them.
Marta, because of the way she was raised, is hard and used to taking orders so she always does as she is told. She doesn't want trouble in her village. She's afraid of change. She doesn't want anyone to be hurt, but she's outraged at some of the things that have happened behind her back. But she's scared, too. Because she's believed everything she's been told. All the propaganda.
Lara has been raised free and allowed to choose who to love and finds this Aryan race appalling. She wants to do something about it. Her sense of right and wrong drives her to the Brazilian jungle to find Marta's village Founder and let them know the truth.
This novel is so unpredictable and unforgettable. I loved reading it. I read it in one sitting. When Marta talks to one of the Pure guards, Henrik, I can't help but picture the guard in The Sound of Music. I received the paperback copy of the book in an incredible presentation and the book was very well edited. No mistakes that I saw. The writing is done very well, just enough description to know what it looks like and feels like, but not overdone. There is a good balance of dialogue and action and it's good to be inside of Marta's head to understand what she's thinking, why she makes the choices she does. Ms. Long's writing style is easy to read, it flows nicely.
There is some violence in the novel and some mature themes but it was never overly violent.
The ending is left open so I think there will be more novels to come. I hope so!
November 13, 2011
Founder takes us into a world where a colony of people is hidden deep in the Amazon. They are divided into two sects. The Untouchable and the Pure. They live with the beliefs that carrying a genetic code equaling blond hair, blue eyes, and light skin makes you worth more. Those born without the desired traits are cast off and labeled Untouchable. Isolated from the outside world with the exception of care packages from their “Patron”. They believe they are being trained for a war to help protect the Aryan race.
Founder’s POV alternates between an Untouchable named Marta and an American woman named Lara. Lara has discovered her family has a link to this mysterious community in Brazil after her estranged aunt passes away. She decides to attempt to visit the area with the help of her mom and husband. This is a story full of an equal measure of both hope and tragedy. I enjoyed Marta and Lara’s takes on life both inside and outside the colony. You must read about how the author came up with the idea for this book. It makes the entire premise all the more disturbing.
The plot of Founder is fast paced and packed with twists and turns. Just when you think the characters have toppled all obstacles another presents itself. The cast of secondary characters is also a great addition to the novel. I enjoyed the amount of development that went into everyone we meet in the book. The ending was executed wonderfully and sets us up for the next book in this series.
I feel Founder can easily appeal to both teen and adult readers. It does contain violence and some scenes that are disturbing. The story is a true fight for survival at times. I’m so impressed by this fascinating tale L. M Long has created. I look forward to seeing where she takes us next.
Founder’s POV alternates between an Untouchable named Marta and an American woman named Lara. Lara has discovered her family has a link to this mysterious community in Brazil after her estranged aunt passes away. She decides to attempt to visit the area with the help of her mom and husband. This is a story full of an equal measure of both hope and tragedy. I enjoyed Marta and Lara’s takes on life both inside and outside the colony. You must read about how the author came up with the idea for this book. It makes the entire premise all the more disturbing.
The plot of Founder is fast paced and packed with twists and turns. Just when you think the characters have toppled all obstacles another presents itself. The cast of secondary characters is also a great addition to the novel. I enjoyed the amount of development that went into everyone we meet in the book. The ending was executed wonderfully and sets us up for the next book in this series.
I feel Founder can easily appeal to both teen and adult readers. It does contain violence and some scenes that are disturbing. The story is a true fight for survival at times. I’m so impressed by this fascinating tale L. M Long has created. I look forward to seeing where she takes us next.
June 17, 2011
I really enjoyed this book. I wasn't expecting to love it as much as I did. Visual. The main characters are easily lovable and I regretted the end of the storyline. Thank goodness there are more in this series. There were some typographical errors that didn't get caught, a little distracting, but I got over it quickly because the story is so engaging.
Marta, is a citizen of an Aryan colony hidden deep in the Amazon jungle. She has been raised with generations with this culture and doesn't know any different. Until Lara, a flight attendant, decides to help her mom discover her family secrets. The journey to discover the past brings tragedy and choices that will affect the lives of the entire colony. Consequences beyond anyone's control. Easy and fast read that will entertain YA Readers and "seasoned" readers alike. Very enjoyable!
Marta, is a citizen of an Aryan colony hidden deep in the Amazon jungle. She has been raised with generations with this culture and doesn't know any different. Until Lara, a flight attendant, decides to help her mom discover her family secrets. The journey to discover the past brings tragedy and choices that will affect the lives of the entire colony. Consequences beyond anyone's control. Easy and fast read that will entertain YA Readers and "seasoned" readers alike. Very enjoyable!
June 23, 2012
I have to admit up front that I was extremely bothered by the fragmented sentences in the writing and I think that held me back from really immersing myself in the novel and characters. I learned in the acknowledgements that the author initially had a struggle with run-on sentences so I understand her writing compensation. The story was interesting but I don't know if I will continue with the series.
June 20, 2011
Great premise! What an interesting way to introduce the ideology of WWII to young readers. Even to me racism to that degree seems like too long ago and so far away. How could that have even happened? Founder gives you a glimpse into that world and what it takes to overcome it. I could not put this book down. Great read.
October 30, 2012
Three chapters in, I was confused and intrigued. Five chapters in, I couldn’t put the book down. Twenty Nine chapter in, I was needing the second book to be in my hands immediately. This book is written from two character’s perspectives, each living in a completely different world. Lara is a flight attendant who gets more than she bargains for when her mother visits an Aunt she never knew, taking her family on a journey deep inside the Amazon jungle to discover a colony that has been hidden for decades. Marta is a girl who lives in a colony called Founder and is unaware of the world that exists outside of it. Both will have their world collide and the events that occur will forever change their lives.
I LOVED this book. I’m so thankful that it is a trilogy and am anxious to see what happens next. Founder is definitely a book that paints a picture in the reader’s mind and in my opinion would make an excellent movie. The characters are very easy to relate to, even when you can’t imagine living their type of lifestyle. LM Long does a great job of keeping the reader’s attention by capturing the emotion of the characters. I could feel their excitement, love, terror and heartbreak throughout the entire book. I can’t wait to read the second book in this series and continue on the adventure of Founder.
Via http://thereadiacs.com
I LOVED this book. I’m so thankful that it is a trilogy and am anxious to see what happens next. Founder is definitely a book that paints a picture in the reader’s mind and in my opinion would make an excellent movie. The characters are very easy to relate to, even when you can’t imagine living their type of lifestyle. LM Long does a great job of keeping the reader’s attention by capturing the emotion of the characters. I could feel their excitement, love, terror and heartbreak throughout the entire book. I can’t wait to read the second book in this series and continue on the adventure of Founder.
Via http://thereadiacs.com
January 1, 2016
This is a fascinating story, and made even more so when you consider that it’s (loosely) based on a true event! How people could buy into everything those in power are selling is just mind-boggling! But it’s also understanding. It’s all these people have ever known. I really don’t want to say too much, but suffice it to say that the story is very interesting and compelling, and the characters – especially Marta and Lara (the two from whose point of view we follow the tale) – are interesting people. Marta’s struggles and confusion are evident, as is Lara’s anguish. Very well done.
Unfortunately, lots of grammatical errors left me frustrated – very frustrated. Unfortunately, these problems are throughout the book and did hinder my complete enjoyment of the book. I believe that, if these issues were fixed, this would be a top-notch read.
Despite those issues, I would recommend this book to others. And I’m looking forward to Heritage, the next book in the Patron Identity Series – with an expected release in November.
Unfortunately, lots of grammatical errors left me frustrated – very frustrated. Unfortunately, these problems are throughout the book and did hinder my complete enjoyment of the book. I believe that, if these issues were fixed, this would be a top-notch read.
Despite those issues, I would recommend this book to others. And I’m looking forward to Heritage, the next book in the Patron Identity Series – with an expected release in November.
March 15, 2014
I found the story and general premise really intriguing, but it didn't actually all come together for me. I had a very difficult time with several key character's motivations just not feeling believable and several key events that just came out of the blue without justification from the story or the world the author created. There were a whole lot of sentence fragments, punctuation errors and even word errors (such as using 'too' instead of 'to' or using 'usurp' as a noun instead of a verb.). This was really distracting for me from the very beginning and probably influenced my experience with the rest of the book to a certain degree as well.
March 13, 2014
I wanted to like this book, but I had difficulty with the characters and their motivations. The ending felt too rushed and in some ways unrealistic. I found the grammatical errors distracting. The premise of the book is fantastic and I think that with a little more polish, this could be an engaging and amazing read.
June 25, 2011
I had the privilege of reading an early version, and loved it then. Now it's been tweaked and fine tuned to an amazing adventure. Very well written with beautifully descriptive language. Loved the fast paced excitement of the plot, and the characters were easy to get to know and love. Well done!
February 2, 2015
Interesting plot: white supremacists have been breeding a superior race in the Brazilian forest since WWII. Some Americans find out about them and go start a revolution. But that's about it. The characters were not well-differentiated, and the story lacked depth. It would make a good movie.
October 11, 2014
Such a good premise for a book but so poorly written. Several huge typos and hard to follow.
April 3, 2014
I really enjoyed this book. It presented a different look on old thoughts and choices.
I am really sad I missed book club.
I am really sad I missed book club.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews