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Wheels
Librarian's Note: This is an alternate cover edition
ASIN: B007RGPGH2
For McKenzie Wu, discovering she has a superpower is anything but super! Molecules rearrange themselves to suit her slightest wish, but only at the most inconvenient times. If that weren't enough, she’s been dreaming about an accident; one she’s had no memory of until now and, if true, means McKenzie is responsible for her mother’s death.
When McKenzie stumbles upon a portal, transporting her and her friend Hayes to the tiny planet of Circanthos, she learns the inhabitants believe she is the “One” destined to save them from H.G. Wells, a name that sounds strangely familiar, and his Tsendi warriors. But while her newfound ability might give her superhero status back on Earth, halfway across the galaxy it’s commonplace—all Circanthians can particle-weave—and if they can’t stop H.G. Wells, what can she hope to do?
With the portal closed and no idea how to get home, McKenzie must learn to use a power she does not want and accept her mysterious past, or risk losing everything—her father’s love, her new alien friends and the boy.
Wheels is a sci-fi adventure filled with mystery and romance—a coming-of-age tale that proves it takes more than super powers to save a planet.
ASIN: B007RGPGH2
For McKenzie Wu, discovering she has a superpower is anything but super! Molecules rearrange themselves to suit her slightest wish, but only at the most inconvenient times. If that weren't enough, she’s been dreaming about an accident; one she’s had no memory of until now and, if true, means McKenzie is responsible for her mother’s death.
When McKenzie stumbles upon a portal, transporting her and her friend Hayes to the tiny planet of Circanthos, she learns the inhabitants believe she is the “One” destined to save them from H.G. Wells, a name that sounds strangely familiar, and his Tsendi warriors. But while her newfound ability might give her superhero status back on Earth, halfway across the galaxy it’s commonplace—all Circanthians can particle-weave—and if they can’t stop H.G. Wells, what can she hope to do?
With the portal closed and no idea how to get home, McKenzie must learn to use a power she does not want and accept her mysterious past, or risk losing everything—her father’s love, her new alien friends and the boy.
Wheels is a sci-fi adventure filled with mystery and romance—a coming-of-age tale that proves it takes more than super powers to save a planet.
328 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2012
2 people are currently reading
117 people want to read
About the author
Lorijo Metz
42 books53 followersLorijo Metz lives with her husband and little brown dog in the great state of Indiana. Though she has a degree in acting and directing, she much prefers the anonymity of the keyboard, allowing her characters to revel in the spotlight while she sits quietly sipping tea or coffee, nibbling on cookies, and dreaming up ways to complicate their lives.
WHEELS, Lorijo's middle-grade, Science Fiction, Adventure, which reviewers say is, "Brilliant," "Whacky, loads of fun," and "...one I know I'll reread," was awarded a stipend from ACX, Amazon's audible division. Look for it on Amazon.com, Audible.com and iTunes in time for the 2014 holiday season.
In 2013, Lorijo made her début as a lyricist. She wrote the lyrics for the title track on PUPPY DOG JIG, performed by children's singer and songwriter Owen Duggan on his newest CD.
You can find out more about Lorijo by visiting one of these sites:
My Website & Blog: https://ljmetz.com
On Twitter: http://twitter.com/ScifiWriterMom
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LorijoMetz
Love, Light, and Laughter :)
WHEELS, Lorijo's middle-grade, Science Fiction, Adventure, which reviewers say is, "Brilliant," "Whacky, loads of fun," and "...one I know I'll reread," was awarded a stipend from ACX, Amazon's audible division. Look for it on Amazon.com, Audible.com and iTunes in time for the 2014 holiday season.
In 2013, Lorijo made her début as a lyricist. She wrote the lyrics for the title track on PUPPY DOG JIG, performed by children's singer and songwriter Owen Duggan on his newest CD.
You can find out more about Lorijo by visiting one of these sites:
My Website & Blog: https://ljmetz.com
On Twitter: http://twitter.com/ScifiWriterMom
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LorijoMetz
Love, Light, and Laughter :)
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
October 23, 2012
Wheels is one of the most imaginative books I have ever read. The world-building here is phenomenal, with attention to every detail, alien names for alien things, and not one but two entirely imagined races. It's clear that Lorijo Metz was drawn into the world she was creating. And to be honest, I was as well.
She addresses a lot of things that aren't often put in books:
The main character is female, and disabled, and a sports star.
The main female and male characters are bound by friendship and a mutual need to survive, not by romance.
The science is shown, not told.
The more ancient characters are not doddering grandmothers, but wise elders.
It's YA science fiction, not fantasy.
I really liked the book for those reasons, as well as for being very complete and steady in its pacing. The sole issue I had with the both was that often times things would happen with no purpose behind them (i.e. a character action or exclamation would come across as totally out of the blue, and the 'evil' character was a bit too translucent and one-dimensional), which is a flaw of narration sometimes.
She addresses a lot of things that aren't often put in books:
The main character is female, and disabled, and a sports star.
The main female and male characters are bound by friendship and a mutual need to survive, not by romance.
The science is shown, not told.
The more ancient characters are not doddering grandmothers, but wise elders.
It's YA science fiction, not fantasy.
I really liked the book for those reasons, as well as for being very complete and steady in its pacing. The sole issue I had with the both was that often times things would happen with no purpose behind them (i.e. a character action or exclamation would come across as totally out of the blue, and the 'evil' character was a bit too translucent and one-dimensional), which is a flaw of narration sometimes.
May 11, 2012
Full review and author interview posted here: http://www.pocketfulofbooks.com/2012/...
The world building and imagination that went into the creation of this book is astounding. The author creates a whole new planet with two alien races and a whole host of colourful characters! There are alien foods, alien sports, alien foliage, alien customs and even an alien religion. The aliens believe in the Great Creator who, instead of living in the sky, lives in the Lapis Sea. They call their creator 'Concentric' which was quite funny because instead of saying 'Oh God' they say 'Concentric help us!' and invoke Concentric when in distress, how we would with God. It was fascinating to read and I loved the world the author created. I especially loved the 'poonchi' which is similar to a dog but shaped like a bowling ball with spikes. It sounds adorable and I want one. I also really loved a food they had- a kind of berry which taste nice or horrible depending on your mood. I thought that was very Harry Potter-esque and something you would get from Honeydukes!
The way the author writes about time travel and travelling through space is really original and not cliche, and is very unearthly and unusual! It is rare to find a new way of describing time travel as it has already been written about so much before, so I thought that was really interesting. I also loved the concept of 'particle weaving' which is being able to move particles into new shapes using your mind. I would love to have that power, and have always wanted something along those lines since I read 'Matilda' as a child! I think Green Lantern also does something similar so maybe he comes from Circanthos too!
I loved the main characters. McKenzie is really likeable; even more so because she is quite flawed, especially at the beginning, and matures throughout the novel. She starts off very independent, feisty, obnoxious and bossy and she becomes a lot more soft, vulnerable and more of a team player. Her strange mixture of looks also make her stand out; she is Chinese with bright red hair and emerald eyes. The boy she travels with, Rudy Hayes, is quite adorable. His lop-sided grin and cheeky banter with McKenzie made him a believable love interest and their flirtation is very cute and not over the top. I probably would've liked more of it, but I was glad the author didn't make it overly smushy or cheesy.
I really loved the format of the book. It is written from many different perspectives: we have third person from McKenzie, Revolvos, Hayes and Provost, then we have Julianne Well's diary, Well's diary, Krumm's log, and the interview transcripts of Krumm interrogating the characters. I'm sure I've missed some out too! This book has so many different elements and I absolutely loved that- I like it when authors do something different with the way they present the story and it made me want to keep reading.
It's funny that this the second book I read this year that featured H.G Wells as a main character! The first was 'Map of Time' by Felix Palmer which I absolutely detested...it was awful. I'm happy to say that this book was so much better, even though H.G Wells is very villainous in this one! He is very aggressive and is definitely working along the principles of the Great British Empire in the way he tryies to civilise the primitive Tsendi people. Other characters provide the comic relief to balance the meanness and cruelty of Wells and his henchmen: McKenzie's father travelling with Revolvos and Provost (two aliens) is hilarious- they all bicker and banter and vie to be the most pompous!
There are not many downsides to this book but there were a few negatives. I did find the time travel stuff a bit too confusing at first, and I got confused between cortexes and gates. I felt things got a bit blurred and my eyes started glazing over! It all gets heaped on pretty quickly too so my brain couldn't process it. It does feel like a bit of a sci-fi info dump at times, where names and places and character names all sound the same and I found it an information overload. However, this is a very small part of the novel and, as the book goes on, it became a lot clearer in my head! However, all this is probably more the fault of my brain than the author and because I don't read very much sci-fi!
Overall, I loved most aspects of this book and thought it was brilliantly written. It is well-paced and interesting, the characters are believable (even though some have wheels!) and the dialogue is well written. The world building and imagination is intense and an impressive feat! It is one I know I'll re-read, which isn't something I say about a lot of books.
The world building and imagination that went into the creation of this book is astounding. The author creates a whole new planet with two alien races and a whole host of colourful characters! There are alien foods, alien sports, alien foliage, alien customs and even an alien religion. The aliens believe in the Great Creator who, instead of living in the sky, lives in the Lapis Sea. They call their creator 'Concentric' which was quite funny because instead of saying 'Oh God' they say 'Concentric help us!' and invoke Concentric when in distress, how we would with God. It was fascinating to read and I loved the world the author created. I especially loved the 'poonchi' which is similar to a dog but shaped like a bowling ball with spikes. It sounds adorable and I want one. I also really loved a food they had- a kind of berry which taste nice or horrible depending on your mood. I thought that was very Harry Potter-esque and something you would get from Honeydukes!
The way the author writes about time travel and travelling through space is really original and not cliche, and is very unearthly and unusual! It is rare to find a new way of describing time travel as it has already been written about so much before, so I thought that was really interesting. I also loved the concept of 'particle weaving' which is being able to move particles into new shapes using your mind. I would love to have that power, and have always wanted something along those lines since I read 'Matilda' as a child! I think Green Lantern also does something similar so maybe he comes from Circanthos too!
I loved the main characters. McKenzie is really likeable; even more so because she is quite flawed, especially at the beginning, and matures throughout the novel. She starts off very independent, feisty, obnoxious and bossy and she becomes a lot more soft, vulnerable and more of a team player. Her strange mixture of looks also make her stand out; she is Chinese with bright red hair and emerald eyes. The boy she travels with, Rudy Hayes, is quite adorable. His lop-sided grin and cheeky banter with McKenzie made him a believable love interest and their flirtation is very cute and not over the top. I probably would've liked more of it, but I was glad the author didn't make it overly smushy or cheesy.
I really loved the format of the book. It is written from many different perspectives: we have third person from McKenzie, Revolvos, Hayes and Provost, then we have Julianne Well's diary, Well's diary, Krumm's log, and the interview transcripts of Krumm interrogating the characters. I'm sure I've missed some out too! This book has so many different elements and I absolutely loved that- I like it when authors do something different with the way they present the story and it made me want to keep reading.
It's funny that this the second book I read this year that featured H.G Wells as a main character! The first was 'Map of Time' by Felix Palmer which I absolutely detested...it was awful. I'm happy to say that this book was so much better, even though H.G Wells is very villainous in this one! He is very aggressive and is definitely working along the principles of the Great British Empire in the way he tryies to civilise the primitive Tsendi people. Other characters provide the comic relief to balance the meanness and cruelty of Wells and his henchmen: McKenzie's father travelling with Revolvos and Provost (two aliens) is hilarious- they all bicker and banter and vie to be the most pompous!
There are not many downsides to this book but there were a few negatives. I did find the time travel stuff a bit too confusing at first, and I got confused between cortexes and gates. I felt things got a bit blurred and my eyes started glazing over! It all gets heaped on pretty quickly too so my brain couldn't process it. It does feel like a bit of a sci-fi info dump at times, where names and places and character names all sound the same and I found it an information overload. However, this is a very small part of the novel and, as the book goes on, it became a lot clearer in my head! However, all this is probably more the fault of my brain than the author and because I don't read very much sci-fi!
Overall, I loved most aspects of this book and thought it was brilliantly written. It is well-paced and interesting, the characters are believable (even though some have wheels!) and the dialogue is well written. The world building and imagination is intense and an impressive feat! It is one I know I'll re-read, which isn't something I say about a lot of books.
November 14, 2012
This was another one of those surprisingly good reads that I've been encountering more and more frequently lately and I absolutely love that. Nothing is better than going into a book interested and curious then finding out that you're enjoying a book more than you thought you might.
What impressed me the most about Wheels was the extreme amount of details that the author Lorijo Metz was able to incorporate into her novel. Since this is a sci-fi novel I knew going into it that there would be a fair amount of world building but I didn't expect it to work so cohesively with the plot, I loved that about it though because I really enjoy when authors make such a huge effort on that front. I enjoy learning as much as I can about the world that the story is set in because if you have crappy world building skills then your story just doesn't work as well. Lucky me though, because Lorijo had a real knack for this.
As much as I loved the world building and how impressed I was by it, my favourite thing about the novel over all was Mckenzie Wu. Rarely do you find a YA novel with a wheelchair bound teenager as the saviour of an entire world. I thought that was pretty kick ass because of that unique aspect and because maybe it will open up the eyes of other readers who may in turn one day pen their own novels with diverse characters like McKenzie. I was so glad Mckenzie was such a strong character though and I loved her whole attitude towards everything.
Just because she was in a wheelchair she didn't let it get her down too much, and she wasn't boring either plus I liked that her relationship with the male lead wasn't a case of insta love and was based more on mutual respect and admiration not just a doddering teen romance.
The alien races were also very well thought out and I was impressed that Lorijo made time to create alien religions and gods into the story. I thought that was a nice added touch because those details gave the aliens as well as the story an added complexity.
Overall this was a well written story with many elements of H.G. Wells's famous novel The Time Machine mixed in just enough without being a complete re-write of the story. There were a couple of grammatical errors in the book but besides that this was a good novel and one that I hope leads Lorijo into writing a series based on it. It definitely has the potential.
If you enjoy young adult novels ad especially young adult novels with a science fiction theme I really recommend reading this book. It's well worth the read.
*I received a complementary copy of this book in exchange for my FREE and HONEST review.
What impressed me the most about Wheels was the extreme amount of details that the author Lorijo Metz was able to incorporate into her novel. Since this is a sci-fi novel I knew going into it that there would be a fair amount of world building but I didn't expect it to work so cohesively with the plot, I loved that about it though because I really enjoy when authors make such a huge effort on that front. I enjoy learning as much as I can about the world that the story is set in because if you have crappy world building skills then your story just doesn't work as well. Lucky me though, because Lorijo had a real knack for this.
As much as I loved the world building and how impressed I was by it, my favourite thing about the novel over all was Mckenzie Wu. Rarely do you find a YA novel with a wheelchair bound teenager as the saviour of an entire world. I thought that was pretty kick ass because of that unique aspect and because maybe it will open up the eyes of other readers who may in turn one day pen their own novels with diverse characters like McKenzie. I was so glad Mckenzie was such a strong character though and I loved her whole attitude towards everything.
Just because she was in a wheelchair she didn't let it get her down too much, and she wasn't boring either plus I liked that her relationship with the male lead wasn't a case of insta love and was based more on mutual respect and admiration not just a doddering teen romance.
The alien races were also very well thought out and I was impressed that Lorijo made time to create alien religions and gods into the story. I thought that was a nice added touch because those details gave the aliens as well as the story an added complexity.
Overall this was a well written story with many elements of H.G. Wells's famous novel The Time Machine mixed in just enough without being a complete re-write of the story. There were a couple of grammatical errors in the book but besides that this was a good novel and one that I hope leads Lorijo into writing a series based on it. It definitely has the potential.
If you enjoy young adult novels ad especially young adult novels with a science fiction theme I really recommend reading this book. It's well worth the read.
*I received a complementary copy of this book in exchange for my FREE and HONEST review.
November 22, 2012
I've really only got one thing to say: I'm completely wowed. The summary seemed promising and the book completely satisfied my expectations. It is a quick, humourous, action-packed read, and I loved it in spite of the fact that I'm not the biggest fan of science fiction. The only problem I had with the book was the editing (or the noticeable lack thereof.) That's something that can really turn me off a book and I wish there were no overlooked errors.
That being said, this is one of the most innovative books I have read in a while. The world (well, worlds) built is so intricate and every detail is carefully planned out; I couldn't imagine how much effort went into it. I like the author's writing style and how she employed all the five senses to aptly describe just about anything. I find science fiction hard to get involved in, but that was never a problem with this book. I got sucked right into the world and let me tell you, it was fabulous. The characters were rounded and so, realistic and I found it easy to relate to McKenzie. And I absolutely loved the switching perspectives; very few authors can handle them so well. The were some typical Young Adult novel elements, but nothing was overly cliched.
All in all, this book is something I'd recommend you to read, if you like science fiction, fast-paced books or young adult novels.
That being said, this is one of the most innovative books I have read in a while. The world (well, worlds) built is so intricate and every detail is carefully planned out; I couldn't imagine how much effort went into it. I like the author's writing style and how she employed all the five senses to aptly describe just about anything. I find science fiction hard to get involved in, but that was never a problem with this book. I got sucked right into the world and let me tell you, it was fabulous. The characters were rounded and so, realistic and I found it easy to relate to McKenzie. And I absolutely loved the switching perspectives; very few authors can handle them so well. The were some typical Young Adult novel elements, but nothing was overly cliched.
All in all, this book is something I'd recommend you to read, if you like science fiction, fast-paced books or young adult novels.
November 27, 2012
After being sent to the principal’s office, McKenzie Wu is snooping where she shouldn’t be and the next thing she knows she is being sent on a whirlwind adventure involving some long lost ancestors of hers.
I thought this was a very enjoyable read. The beginning was a little tough, I had trouble figuring out what was going on and who thee characters were and a lot was happening very fast. But once I got into the meat of the story I really stared enjoying it. I wasn’t a huge fan of the interviews by the FBI agent and other letters scattered throughout the book, I didn’t think they added much to what was already a good story. Something about Metz’s writing style is very light and almost always bordering on humorous. I loved this aspect of it because it was very different from other authors I’ve read. I also loved how she wound HG Wells into the book as a main character; it was just another element of fun in this book. If you like science fiction and want an author with a light and humorous voice (something you don’t always see in sci-fi) you should read this book!
For a more in depth and personal review see my blog:
http://explanniefyfed.blogspot.com/20...
I thought this was a very enjoyable read. The beginning was a little tough, I had trouble figuring out what was going on and who thee characters were and a lot was happening very fast. But once I got into the meat of the story I really stared enjoying it. I wasn’t a huge fan of the interviews by the FBI agent and other letters scattered throughout the book, I didn’t think they added much to what was already a good story. Something about Metz’s writing style is very light and almost always bordering on humorous. I loved this aspect of it because it was very different from other authors I’ve read. I also loved how she wound HG Wells into the book as a main character; it was just another element of fun in this book. If you like science fiction and want an author with a light and humorous voice (something you don’t always see in sci-fi) you should read this book!
For a more in depth and personal review see my blog:
http://explanniefyfed.blogspot.com/20...
August 18, 2012
What a wonderful book. I do hope there will be more in this series. It was a delightful universe that Lorijo Metz created. It was superb that Ms. Metz could bring in wheelchair bound high schooler and make her the savior of a planet. A couple planets, really. And not only was the handicapped girl more than capable, she fit in with a gusto! Because of all of this, and especially the world building, this may be my most favorite book ever. It may equal or surpass Tangleshock by Steve Games.
I think I will have to buy the tree copy of this book so I can keep the glossary ever close when (and I do mean WHEN) I read it again. I want to visit with Micky D again and again!
I think I will have to buy the tree copy of this book so I can keep the glossary ever close when (and I do mean WHEN) I read it again. I want to visit with Micky D again and again!
January 29, 2013
While it doesn't usually bode well when the author has to provide a disclaimer at the beginning of the book so that readers don't get confused, I just loved this book. I thought that the writing was great and the story excellent. It just sucked you in right away and wouldn't let you go! I highly recommend it.
August 2, 2012
Ok This book has such an amazing story! I loved the different yet similar language the Circanthian's used! The characters are totally likeable! A great read! :-) (-:
Want to read
August 19, 2012Sounds intriguing. Sci-fi.
February 2, 2020
"Christmas came early for me this year - Wheels is an incredible sci-fi adventure novel! And I enjoyed reading it. A lot! It’s just so amazing! Well done, Lorijo. :)" – Ara of My Book and My Coffee
Full review here: https://www.mybookandmycoffee.com/201...
Full review here: https://www.mybookandmycoffee.com/201...
October 7, 2013
A truly good and entertaining YA sci-fi with some of the most imaginable world-building I've read in a long time. The main character is a 14yr old handicapped/wheel-chair bound basketball star who is smart and witty and yet flawed in such an interesting way. I enjoyed the author's deft, light-hearted and humorous writing style and I look forward to reading her next sci-fi/fantasy novel.
August 25, 2012
An interesting Sci-Fi story weaving H. G. Wells' time machine into the plot. Unfortunately I detected 6 errors, half of them homonyms which keeps this book out of the 5 star category for me. I can forward the errors to the author upon request.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews