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The Last Year #1
Whispers in Autumn
In 2015, a race of alien Others conquered Earth. They enslaved humanity not by force, but through an aggressive mind control that turned people into contented, unquestioning robots.
Except sixteen-year-old Althea isn’t content at all, and she doesn’t need the mysterious note inside her locket to tell her she’s Something Else. It also warns her to trust no one, so she hides the pieces that make her different, even though it means being alone.
The autumn she meets Lucas, everything changes.
Althea and Lucas are immune to the alien mind control, and together they search for the reason why. What they uncover is a stunning truth the Others never anticipated, one with the potential to free the brainwashed human race.
It’s not who they are that makes them special, but what.
And what they are is a threat. One the Others are determined to eliminate for good.
Except sixteen-year-old Althea isn’t content at all, and she doesn’t need the mysterious note inside her locket to tell her she’s Something Else. It also warns her to trust no one, so she hides the pieces that make her different, even though it means being alone.
The autumn she meets Lucas, everything changes.
Althea and Lucas are immune to the alien mind control, and together they search for the reason why. What they uncover is a stunning truth the Others never anticipated, one with the potential to free the brainwashed human race.
It’s not who they are that makes them special, but what.
And what they are is a threat. One the Others are determined to eliminate for good.
420 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 21, 2012
229 people are currently reading
5689 people want to read
About the author
Trisha Leigh
13 books519 followersTrisha Leigh is a product of the Midwest, which means it’s pop, not soda, garage sales, not tag sales, and you guys as opposed to y’all. Most of the time. She’s been writing seriously for five years now, and has published 4 young adult novels and 4 new adult novels (under her pen name Lyla Payne). Her favorite things, in no particular order, include: reading, Game of Thrones, Hershey’s kisses, reading, her dogs (Yoda and Jilly), summer, movies, reading, Jude Law, coffee, and rewatching WB series from the 90’s-00’s.
Her family is made up of farmers and/or almost rock stars from Iowa, people who numerous, loud, full of love, and the kind of people that make the world better. Trisha tries her best to honor them, and the lessons they’ve taught, through characters and stories—made up, of course, but true enough in their way.
Trisha is the author of THE LAST YEAR series and the WHITMAN UNIVERSITY books. She’s represented by Kathleen Rushall at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.
Her family is made up of farmers and/or almost rock stars from Iowa, people who numerous, loud, full of love, and the kind of people that make the world better. Trisha tries her best to honor them, and the lessons they’ve taught, through characters and stories—made up, of course, but true enough in their way.
Trisha is the author of THE LAST YEAR series and the WHITMAN UNIVERSITY books. She’s represented by Kathleen Rushall at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 366 reviews
February 22, 2022
WOW. I didn’t expect to love this book as much as I did! It was pure amazingness!
So we follow this girl Althea who travels to a new home and new parents and friends and reality every season! A while ago these people called the Others invaded their land and turned everyone into robots almost. Everyone has a veil from the truth basically. That the Others are taking over their land and controlling them. But Althea is different. She is immune to it all and tries to act normal to stay hidden. She also has powers.
She feels like she is alone and is dealing with so much until she meets this boy Lucas that’s exactly like her. They both received a message of some sorts when they first started traveling to different seasons that tells them that there are more people like them. And that they may be the only way to stop the others.
SPOLIERS ARE INCLOSED BY RED HEARTS. so if you see red hearts scroll till you see red hearts again and read below
INTERVIEWER: Hello Zoe. It seems you have requested to review this book?
ME: Yes, yes I have.
INTERVIEWER: alright I’ll just ask you some questions like normal.
INTERVIEWER: what were your thoughts on the characters?
ME: Althea is the main character and you just can’t help feel sorry for her. 🥺I wanted to cry for her sometimes. She is a good character but I feel like we’ll get more character development in the next books. Cause she basically keeps changing identities this whole time. Now Lucas😏 haha HA. LUCAS. LUKEY (yah ik it’s cringe) MY LOVE IS PURE BEAUTIFULNESS. I need him to be real. He is just...EEEEEE😆😍😆 I love him. He is so lovable. He is kind protective and charming!
INTERVIEWER: what were your thoughts on the relationships?
ME: I ship Luthea so much🥰 I mean Althea back off he is mine😘 but I mean I ship them still😂 They weren’t sappy or rushed. They were good :)
INTERVIEWER: what were ur thoughts on any deaths?
ME: well I mean there was a death. Meh. And there was another death. But it wasn’t a death. Says the last page of the book...
INTERVIEWER: was it a good cliffhanger?
ME: UMMM YES??? It has be begging for December to come so I can read the next one! It was the perfect way to end it. Couldn’t think of a better cliffhanger for this book!
INTERVIEWER: how was the ending?
ME: it was great! I’m totally hooked! It keeps you guessing for sure!
INTERVIEWER: Who was your favorite character?
ME: HAHAHAHA LUCAS😐
INTERVIEWER: did the story keep you guessing?
ME: Towards the last part YES!
INTERVIEWER: What was your favorite part?
ME: when Lucas asks if he can kiss Althea😭 who does that?!? Perfect men that’s who.
INTERVIEWER: did you laugh or cry?
ME: no laughing or crying. But I cried inside for Althea.
INTERVIEWER: did the story grip you?
ME: Incredibly!
INTERVIEWER: was there any sexual content?
ME: no it’s a very clean book :P couple kisses here and there.
INTERVIEWER: who would u suggest this to?
ME: EVERYONE. any SciFi lover for sure. Or anyone that likes idk...time travel? There was no time travel in here but it was similar in a way.
INTERVIEWER: thank you. That will be all. I’ll be happy to see you in your next review.
ME: thank you :) see you next time!
So we follow this girl Althea who travels to a new home and new parents and friends and reality every season! A while ago these people called the Others invaded their land and turned everyone into robots almost. Everyone has a veil from the truth basically. That the Others are taking over their land and controlling them. But Althea is different. She is immune to it all and tries to act normal to stay hidden. She also has powers.
She feels like she is alone and is dealing with so much until she meets this boy Lucas that’s exactly like her. They both received a message of some sorts when they first started traveling to different seasons that tells them that there are more people like them. And that they may be the only way to stop the others.
SPOLIERS ARE INCLOSED BY RED HEARTS. so if you see red hearts scroll till you see red hearts again and read below
INTERVIEWER: Hello Zoe. It seems you have requested to review this book?
ME: Yes, yes I have.
INTERVIEWER: alright I’ll just ask you some questions like normal.
INTERVIEWER: what were your thoughts on the characters?
ME: Althea is the main character and you just can’t help feel sorry for her. 🥺I wanted to cry for her sometimes. She is a good character but I feel like we’ll get more character development in the next books. Cause she basically keeps changing identities this whole time. Now Lucas😏 haha HA. LUCAS. LUKEY (yah ik it’s cringe) MY LOVE IS PURE BEAUTIFULNESS. I need him to be real. He is just...EEEEEE😆😍😆 I love him. He is so lovable. He is kind protective and charming!
INTERVIEWER: what were your thoughts on the relationships?
ME: I ship Luthea so much🥰 I mean Althea back off he is mine😘 but I mean I ship them still😂 They weren’t sappy or rushed. They were good :)
INTERVIEWER: what were ur thoughts on any deaths?
ME: well I mean there was a death. Meh. And there was another death. But it wasn’t a death. Says the last page of the book...
INTERVIEWER: was it a good cliffhanger?
ME: UMMM YES??? It has be begging for December to come so I can read the next one! It was the perfect way to end it. Couldn’t think of a better cliffhanger for this book!
INTERVIEWER: how was the ending?
ME: it was great! I’m totally hooked! It keeps you guessing for sure!
INTERVIEWER: Who was your favorite character?
ME: HAHAHAHA LUCAS😐
INTERVIEWER: did the story keep you guessing?
ME: Towards the last part YES!
INTERVIEWER: What was your favorite part?
ME: when Lucas asks if he can kiss Althea😭 who does that?!? Perfect men that’s who.
INTERVIEWER: did you laugh or cry?
ME: no laughing or crying. But I cried inside for Althea.
INTERVIEWER: did the story grip you?
ME: Incredibly!
INTERVIEWER: was there any sexual content?
ME: no it’s a very clean book :P couple kisses here and there.
INTERVIEWER: who would u suggest this to?
ME: EVERYONE. any SciFi lover for sure. Or anyone that likes idk...time travel? There was no time travel in here but it was similar in a way.
INTERVIEWER: thank you. That will be all. I’ll be happy to see you in your next review.
ME: thank you :) see you next time!
February 22, 2013
You know what? I don't read too many self-pubs, because there are so many that are poorly edited or have truly nightmare-inducing covers. I could never make it a policy to not read any, though, because there are self-published authors like Trisha Leigh who totally work it. She has amazing covers (the four covers for the series fit together to make a face) and her books have been edited. I had no issues reading this and didn't stumble across any glaring errors.
On top of being well-written and edited, Whispers in Autumn has one of the strangest, most unique premises I've encountered in dystopian fiction, which, believe me, is saying something. Perhaps most obviously, there are the aliens. Earth has been taken over by an alien race that keeps moving around, as it uses up home-world after home-world. These aliens, called simply Others, have strict control over human society, regulating marriages, the number of children couples can have, education, what people can eat, and anything else you can think of. Everyone thinks the Others are wonderful, never questioning their role, but Althea has begun to wonder.
Of course, Althea isn't like everyone else. She's not just one person, but three. She has three families and three identities. No, she's not living a secret triple life or anything, at least not the way you might be thinking. During the fall, she lives with the Morgans, and she spends winter and spring with other families. Althea cannot control when the change happens, nor does she no why. She just knows that she's different, Dissident, because of the note in her locket.
Though I cannot deny that this is a concept that's hard to wrap my mind around, I also appreciate the freshness, and definitely kept flipping pages to figure out what the heck is going on. Leigh doesn't have every answer for the reader yet, but it's clear that she's thought things through, and I have hopes that the world building will be logical unto itself. The season-changing elements are actually rather mythological almost in their origin, which is really cool.
What left me cold was Lucas. Sorry, I couldn't resist, because Lucas has cold skin. Actually, it's the characters as a whole, not that they left me cold exactly, but that I'm not really engaged with them. Perhaps because their lives are so alien (man, I am hilarious today!) or maybe it's that they engage in very few everyday, low stress activities to ground me in their reality. I like Lucas and Althea, but I'm not emotionally attached to them, and the other characters are pretty flat. Also, while I'm grateful Lucas and Althea are avoiding instalove, I'm not really feeling the connection between them at this point.
Trisha Leigh's Whispers in Autumn is a quality self-published novel with an original plot and a mystery that will leave the reader wanting to know more. I will definitely be moving on to the next installment, because Leigh still has my curiosity fully-engaged!
On top of being well-written and edited, Whispers in Autumn has one of the strangest, most unique premises I've encountered in dystopian fiction, which, believe me, is saying something. Perhaps most obviously, there are the aliens. Earth has been taken over by an alien race that keeps moving around, as it uses up home-world after home-world. These aliens, called simply Others, have strict control over human society, regulating marriages, the number of children couples can have, education, what people can eat, and anything else you can think of. Everyone thinks the Others are wonderful, never questioning their role, but Althea has begun to wonder.
Of course, Althea isn't like everyone else. She's not just one person, but three. She has three families and three identities. No, she's not living a secret triple life or anything, at least not the way you might be thinking. During the fall, she lives with the Morgans, and she spends winter and spring with other families. Althea cannot control when the change happens, nor does she no why. She just knows that she's different, Dissident, because of the note in her locket.
Though I cannot deny that this is a concept that's hard to wrap my mind around, I also appreciate the freshness, and definitely kept flipping pages to figure out what the heck is going on. Leigh doesn't have every answer for the reader yet, but it's clear that she's thought things through, and I have hopes that the world building will be logical unto itself. The season-changing elements are actually rather mythological almost in their origin, which is really cool.
What left me cold was Lucas. Sorry, I couldn't resist, because Lucas has cold skin. Actually, it's the characters as a whole, not that they left me cold exactly, but that I'm not really engaged with them. Perhaps because their lives are so alien (man, I am hilarious today!) or maybe it's that they engage in very few everyday, low stress activities to ground me in their reality. I like Lucas and Althea, but I'm not emotionally attached to them, and the other characters are pretty flat. Also, while I'm grateful Lucas and Althea are avoiding instalove, I'm not really feeling the connection between them at this point.
Trisha Leigh's Whispers in Autumn is a quality self-published novel with an original plot and a mystery that will leave the reader wanting to know more. I will definitely be moving on to the next installment, because Leigh still has my curiosity fully-engaged!
July 28, 2015
(I received this free on Amazon )
WOW! This book was hot and cold like Katy Perry's song!
I had no expectations of this book except that I really loved the book and was captivated by it (I am a cover person, I love book covers!)
The beginning of this book was really slow paced, some of the things Althea talked about went over my head, I had to read the passage a few times to make sure I understood it correctly. The pace zoomed off when enters Lucas who smells like Pine (anybody else smell pine right now?)
I really enjoyed the chemistry between Althea and Lucas and watching how their relationship developed. I liked how they both stood with one another in adversity. I am so so so so so thankful for the author not separating them at the moment! I really did dislike Deshi, I can't say
he is my favourite character but I have a sense of Deshi becoming a significant character as the plot progresses!
Lucas and Althea remind me a lot of Elsa and Jack frost especially the way both of their eyes are blue but not in comparison to their powers!
I can't wait to read the next book!
July 29, 2012
Althea is one of those characters that you can't help but feel sorry for. She's a girl who lives in a world full of unknowing, always happy people. I would find it a tad creepy if everyone around me were stripped of all emotion except happiness and I'm over here like, "I'm sad!" I'm sure that's how Althea felt. ;) She also has no idea whatsoever WHY she's different. And she's given super difficult instructions. She's not to trust anyone but then again, there are people out there like her. CONFLICT! I imagine it also gets pretty darn lonely when everyone sees you as the social outcast.
Lucas, Lucas, Lucas. *sigh* That boy. <3 He is swoooony! And every single time I read about him I never get bored! What I absolutely adore about him is the fact that he's willing to protect Althea no matter what. He wants to find answers for the both of them. It made me all happy inside to see that Althea was no longer alone. And it helps just a tad that the person who is the same as her just so happens to be a super cute guy. But I mean, who really notices stuff like that? Come on now.. ;) Lucas also helps Althea learn that outside the boundary isn't as bad as the Others make it seem. Both Althea and Lucas together create an awesome team! The Others better not mess with them! ;)
Goodness gracious were there some heartfelt moments in this book. I'm pretty sure I cried like three times. Something I loved about this book was that it wasn't like other dystopian books. Dystopian has gotten really popular and I've been getting a tad tired of it. But Whispers in Autumn is far from normal dystopian. And don't let the word "alien" scare you off. ;) There are no green creatures with big heads and huge bug eyes.
There were also times where I wanted to scream for Althea and Lucas to JUST KISS ALREADY. For cereal! In this book it seems that in the future things take a step back and become less modern. It is unacceptable to show any affection towards someone until they're partnered. So, sadly there isn't really a good time to do something like that.
Over all, this book is FANTABULOUS!
Lucas, Lucas, Lucas. *sigh* That boy. <3 He is swoooony! And every single time I read about him I never get bored! What I absolutely adore about him is the fact that he's willing to protect Althea no matter what. He wants to find answers for the both of them. It made me all happy inside to see that Althea was no longer alone. And it helps just a tad that the person who is the same as her just so happens to be a super cute guy. But I mean, who really notices stuff like that? Come on now.. ;) Lucas also helps Althea learn that outside the boundary isn't as bad as the Others make it seem. Both Althea and Lucas together create an awesome team! The Others better not mess with them! ;)
Goodness gracious were there some heartfelt moments in this book. I'm pretty sure I cried like three times. Something I loved about this book was that it wasn't like other dystopian books. Dystopian has gotten really popular and I've been getting a tad tired of it. But Whispers in Autumn is far from normal dystopian. And don't let the word "alien" scare you off. ;) There are no green creatures with big heads and huge bug eyes.
There were also times where I wanted to scream for Althea and Lucas to JUST KISS ALREADY. For cereal! In this book it seems that in the future things take a step back and become less modern. It is unacceptable to show any affection towards someone until they're partnered. So, sadly there isn't really a good time to do something like that.
Over all, this book is FANTABULOUS!
March 2, 2021
pers in Autumn
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis as part of the ‘Last Year’ blog tour. Thanks to Trisha Leigh.)
16-year-old Althea has secrets. Firstly, she’s not really Althea Morgan, in fact she doesn’t know who she really is at all. And secondly, she’s not like all the other humans either.
Althea lives in a society where humans are brainwashed by alien life forms known simply as ‘others’. The Others seal the humans in an area surrounded by electric fences, claiming to be protecting them from the animals outside who carry disease. Humans are paired up at 16, are allowed one child to each pair, and always have a smile on their faces. They never feel emotion, not fear, or love, joy, or pain. It’s all bottled up inside and purged once a year by the others.
Althea is different though. The other teenagers at school look through her as if she’s not really there, they never really see her. Althea feels all the emotions that the other humans don’t, but more than anything she feels alone. Althea has a message inside her necklace that tells her that she is different and that she needs to hide this. Althea doesn’t really know what the message is about, but she knows to take its advice.
Another strange thing about Althea is that she ‘travels’. She spends springtime with the Hammonds, Autumn with the Morgans, and winter with the Clarks in Iowa. Each time she travels and wakes up in a different place Althea feels more alone than ever – who or what is she? Why does she travel between the seasons this way? Why has she never seen summer? And why does she heat up enough to melt things when she feels strong emotion?
Change is in store for Althea though with the appearance of a boy at school who smells strangely of pine, and she wonders if he is maybe like her. He seems to feel emotions too, and he isn’t like the other humans, he doesn’t always have a smile on his face.
But what is Althea really? Is Lucas really the same as her? Who are the ‘others’, and what are they doing here? And what will happen to Althea if the others realise how different she is?
I loved this book. The writing was just beautiful and flowed so well. The story was well paced, and had plenty of mystery, and even a touch of romance. The world building in this dystopian society was complex and well-thought out. There were several differences between this society and ours, and even different words for things, eg: school was called ‘cell’ (a much better description if you ask me!)
The storyline in this book was complex too, there were so many things that made Althea different, and made her life different that it is difficult to explain them concisely!
I loved Althea and Lucas, they were both just great characters, and both had their own problems, their own quirks, and their own way of dealing with things. The subtle romance between them was beautifully done, and totally left me wanting more! I loved all the little quirks each had, and how they learned to use their differences to help themselves, and I loved the constant ‘threat’ from the ‘others’. It was also great how Althea and Lucas had finally found each other, and weren’t quite so alone any more.
Overall; I loved this book, it’s one of the best that I have read this year! If you like books like ‘the hunger games’ you’ll love this!
9 out of 10.
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis as part of the ‘Last Year’ blog tour. Thanks to Trisha Leigh.)
16-year-old Althea has secrets. Firstly, she’s not really Althea Morgan, in fact she doesn’t know who she really is at all. And secondly, she’s not like all the other humans either.
Althea lives in a society where humans are brainwashed by alien life forms known simply as ‘others’. The Others seal the humans in an area surrounded by electric fences, claiming to be protecting them from the animals outside who carry disease. Humans are paired up at 16, are allowed one child to each pair, and always have a smile on their faces. They never feel emotion, not fear, or love, joy, or pain. It’s all bottled up inside and purged once a year by the others.
Althea is different though. The other teenagers at school look through her as if she’s not really there, they never really see her. Althea feels all the emotions that the other humans don’t, but more than anything she feels alone. Althea has a message inside her necklace that tells her that she is different and that she needs to hide this. Althea doesn’t really know what the message is about, but she knows to take its advice.
Another strange thing about Althea is that she ‘travels’. She spends springtime with the Hammonds, Autumn with the Morgans, and winter with the Clarks in Iowa. Each time she travels and wakes up in a different place Althea feels more alone than ever – who or what is she? Why does she travel between the seasons this way? Why has she never seen summer? And why does she heat up enough to melt things when she feels strong emotion?
Change is in store for Althea though with the appearance of a boy at school who smells strangely of pine, and she wonders if he is maybe like her. He seems to feel emotions too, and he isn’t like the other humans, he doesn’t always have a smile on his face.
But what is Althea really? Is Lucas really the same as her? Who are the ‘others’, and what are they doing here? And what will happen to Althea if the others realise how different she is?
I loved this book. The writing was just beautiful and flowed so well. The story was well paced, and had plenty of mystery, and even a touch of romance. The world building in this dystopian society was complex and well-thought out. There were several differences between this society and ours, and even different words for things, eg: school was called ‘cell’ (a much better description if you ask me!)
The storyline in this book was complex too, there were so many things that made Althea different, and made her life different that it is difficult to explain them concisely!
I loved Althea and Lucas, they were both just great characters, and both had their own problems, their own quirks, and their own way of dealing with things. The subtle romance between them was beautifully done, and totally left me wanting more! I loved all the little quirks each had, and how they learned to use their differences to help themselves, and I loved the constant ‘threat’ from the ‘others’. It was also great how Althea and Lucas had finally found each other, and weren’t quite so alone any more.
Overall; I loved this book, it’s one of the best that I have read this year! If you like books like ‘the hunger games’ you’ll love this!
9 out of 10.
March 19, 2020
2015: This is the second time I've read this, and I remembered it pretty well, that ending was so good though!
July 24, 2012
Whispers in Autumn is a young adult dsytopian science fiction, but don't let that moniker scare you. While that might be it's label, Whispers in Autumn is really the story of a teenage girl who has always known that she is different. Only her difference doesn't just make her lonely, it's dangerous. The locket she wears around her neck with a note tucked inside proves it. It tells her that she's Something Else, there are more like her, but to trust no one. In Althea's world, people are dutiful and calm and Althea has spent her entire life hiding that she is neither. She's accepted that this is her life until things begin to change. The Wardens have suddenly announced that they will begin to question students in Althea's grade.
And while her head is swimming with worry that she will be found out, she meets Lucas. She notices right away that Lucas isn't quite "normal" either, but she's been told not to trust anyone. Could he be like her? And what about the new boy Deshi? As the autumn progresses, Althea searches for answers because trying to blend in with the rest of society is no longer an option. The Others are trying to search her out and she has to find out why.
Whispers in Autumn is not only a gripping story but beautifully well written. Trisha effortlessly blends gorgeous prose with sci fi, dystopian, romance, and a mystery so that you no longer see the monikers but just the story: A girl who not only wants to survive but wants to belong somewhere.
And while her head is swimming with worry that she will be found out, she meets Lucas. She notices right away that Lucas isn't quite "normal" either, but she's been told not to trust anyone. Could he be like her? And what about the new boy Deshi? As the autumn progresses, Althea searches for answers because trying to blend in with the rest of society is no longer an option. The Others are trying to search her out and she has to find out why.
Whispers in Autumn is not only a gripping story but beautifully well written. Trisha effortlessly blends gorgeous prose with sci fi, dystopian, romance, and a mystery so that you no longer see the monikers but just the story: A girl who not only wants to survive but wants to belong somewhere.
September 26, 2012
Plot: 4 1/2 stars
Characters: 4 1/2 stars
Style: 4 1/2 stars
Pace: 5 stars
A friend spotlighted this on her blog, and the cover caught my attention. I don't read a lot of self published books, because the quality on most tends to make me want to stab someone with my red pen. This book is a happy exception! I had almost no urge to grab a red pen, and when I did, it was just for slightly awkward phrasing in two small spots, not for typos!! Given as this happens frequently even with traditionally published, even big name authors, this is a fairly large miracle Trisha has pulled off here! Soon as I finished it? I immediately ran and bought the next one.
If you like dystopians, try this one.
Characters: 4 1/2 stars
Style: 4 1/2 stars
Pace: 5 stars
A friend spotlighted this on her blog, and the cover caught my attention. I don't read a lot of self published books, because the quality on most tends to make me want to stab someone with my red pen. This book is a happy exception! I had almost no urge to grab a red pen, and when I did, it was just for slightly awkward phrasing in two small spots, not for typos!! Given as this happens frequently even with traditionally published, even big name authors, this is a fairly large miracle Trisha has pulled off here! Soon as I finished it? I immediately ran and bought the next one.
If you like dystopians, try this one.
March 25, 2019
This was an interesting sci-fi fantasy. Our main character is Althea, who jumps/travels between seasons. She has some cryptic message in her necklace that says she is a "Dissident" and not to trust anyone. Meanwhile, she goes through the motions of going to school like a normal girl. Only her society is far from normal. It is clear that some alien race, the Others, have taken over Earth and the remaining humans are kept in these strange little towns where everyone is happy and content to live within the strict instructions of the Others. Althea doesn't seem to be as affected as the rest of the population. When Wardens come to her school looking for someone/something, Althea begins to suspect it might be her. She also meets someone that might be like her, Lucas, but struggles with her decision to trust him or not.
Great first book in the series. It took a little while to build up steam but I was hooked in the middle. It has a bit of a Divergent feel to it but is younger YA. It has a lot less heavy politics and at the moment is only at the crushes and kisses level of hormones. I wish I had read it more closely to remember if it had any bad language - I don't think it did - as it might be a good series to recommend to the librarian of our middle school. I plan on reading the next one soon.
Great first book in the series. It took a little while to build up steam but I was hooked in the middle. It has a bit of a Divergent feel to it but is younger YA. It has a lot less heavy politics and at the moment is only at the crushes and kisses level of hormones. I wish I had read it more closely to remember if it had any bad language - I don't think it did - as it might be a good series to recommend to the librarian of our middle school. I plan on reading the next one soon.
August 15, 2012
Luc de Clapiers once said that:
“Emotions have taught mankind to reason.”
Emotions are defined as: Any of the particular feelings that characterize such a state of mind, such as joy, anger, love, hate, horror, etc.
So imgine for a second if you were stripped of yours. Imagine that you walked through life in a bubble, completly oblivious to changes, or at the very least incapable of responding to them? Sort of like being a robot without all of those pesky wires.
People around you die, or disappear and you are void of any natural response. Even if they are related to you. Nothing. Nada. You retain your pleasant manner and happy smiles and go about your day as if your new born child wasn’t stripped from your hands.
Not a pretty picture right? To be unable to reason with the circumstances that surround you. Void of attachements and feelings.
Now imagine if there was a way to correct all of that. Put back one of lifes most basic but important characteristics. Would you want to? What if it came at a cost? How much would you be willing to pay?
“In 2015, a race of alien Others conquered Earth. They enslaved humanity not by force, but through an aggressive mind control that turned people into contented, unquestioning robots.
Except sixteen-year-old Althea isn’t content at all, and she doesn’t need the mysterious note inside her locket to tell her she’s Something Else. It also warns her to trust no one, so she hides the pieces that make her different, even though it means being alone.
The autumn she meets Lucas, everything changes.
Althea and Lucas are immune to the alien mind control, and together they search for the reason why. What they uncover is a stunning truth the Others never anticipated, one with the potential to free the brainwashed human race.
It’s not who they are that makes them special, but what.
And what they are is a threat. One the Others are determined to eliminate for good.”
While I enjoyed Leigh’s rather interesting alien filled jaunt into dystopian literature it did not come without reservations. First of all being the mix of two very complicated genres.
Science fiction is based (mostly) around scientific or technological advances and major social or environmental changes.
Dystopian literature is a genre that explore social and political structures.
When written out they don’t sound all that difficult to combine. A little tech talk here, an evil government there. No problem. But in the case of “Whispers in Autumn” the choice to combine these two very complicated genres almost backfired.
Why?
Because in order to establish both these elements in the story, societies had to be formed. Technology had to be advanced, and sub-races had to be establish. AKA information overload. For the first 40% of this novel there were so many half references and vernacular idiosyncrasies that I found it tough to keep up with them all. Althea was all but invisible to her peers until 65% and Leigh never even gave a hint as to why. The first few pages focused soley on season hoping, but we are clueless as to what that actually is (even though it is continually brought up) until almost 70%. Because of this (and a startling lack of external dialogue until almost 50%) I found my “give-a-crap” meter at almost a zero when it came to caring about the plot.
Thankfully, three quarters of the way through I finally saw what Leigh was trying to accomplish….and it was pretty interesting. Here was (ultimately) a dystopian society (in it’s most basic form) structured by aliens. NOT THE GOVERNMENT.
And their way of keeping everyone in check?
Not by mind control, or at least not in the fashion you would expect, but by controlling/eliminating the human races emotions. No emotions, no rational thought. Who is going to fight back when they don’t think they have anything to fight back about?
It was not until I checked out of my own head that I began to appreciate the picture Leigh was trying to paint. And though it was flawed in more than one place (for instance the connection between Althea and Lucas, which ran more in the direction of cute versus engaging) I appreciated the effort (Leigh) put forth in trying to create something new.
With a little more focus on characters and a little less info hoping this could have been a solid win for dystopian lovers everywhere. As it stands…it was an interesting book. I didn’t love it. I didn’t hate it. And I look forward to seeing what Ms. Leigh can pull out of her hat for the next installment (now that her debut butterflies have flown the coop.)
Happy Reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: “The advantage of emotions is that they lead us astray.” - Oscar Wilde
“Emotions have taught mankind to reason.”
Emotions are defined as: Any of the particular feelings that characterize such a state of mind, such as joy, anger, love, hate, horror, etc.
So imgine for a second if you were stripped of yours. Imagine that you walked through life in a bubble, completly oblivious to changes, or at the very least incapable of responding to them? Sort of like being a robot without all of those pesky wires.
People around you die, or disappear and you are void of any natural response. Even if they are related to you. Nothing. Nada. You retain your pleasant manner and happy smiles and go about your day as if your new born child wasn’t stripped from your hands.
Not a pretty picture right? To be unable to reason with the circumstances that surround you. Void of attachements and feelings.
Now imagine if there was a way to correct all of that. Put back one of lifes most basic but important characteristics. Would you want to? What if it came at a cost? How much would you be willing to pay?
“In 2015, a race of alien Others conquered Earth. They enslaved humanity not by force, but through an aggressive mind control that turned people into contented, unquestioning robots.
Except sixteen-year-old Althea isn’t content at all, and she doesn’t need the mysterious note inside her locket to tell her she’s Something Else. It also warns her to trust no one, so she hides the pieces that make her different, even though it means being alone.
The autumn she meets Lucas, everything changes.
Althea and Lucas are immune to the alien mind control, and together they search for the reason why. What they uncover is a stunning truth the Others never anticipated, one with the potential to free the brainwashed human race.
It’s not who they are that makes them special, but what.
And what they are is a threat. One the Others are determined to eliminate for good.”
While I enjoyed Leigh’s rather interesting alien filled jaunt into dystopian literature it did not come without reservations. First of all being the mix of two very complicated genres.
Science fiction is based (mostly) around scientific or technological advances and major social or environmental changes.
Dystopian literature is a genre that explore social and political structures.
When written out they don’t sound all that difficult to combine. A little tech talk here, an evil government there. No problem. But in the case of “Whispers in Autumn” the choice to combine these two very complicated genres almost backfired.
Why?
Because in order to establish both these elements in the story, societies had to be formed. Technology had to be advanced, and sub-races had to be establish. AKA information overload. For the first 40% of this novel there were so many half references and vernacular idiosyncrasies that I found it tough to keep up with them all. Althea was all but invisible to her peers until 65% and Leigh never even gave a hint as to why. The first few pages focused soley on season hoping, but we are clueless as to what that actually is (even though it is continually brought up) until almost 70%. Because of this (and a startling lack of external dialogue until almost 50%) I found my “give-a-crap” meter at almost a zero when it came to caring about the plot.
Thankfully, three quarters of the way through I finally saw what Leigh was trying to accomplish….and it was pretty interesting. Here was (ultimately) a dystopian society (in it’s most basic form) structured by aliens. NOT THE GOVERNMENT.
And their way of keeping everyone in check?
Not by mind control, or at least not in the fashion you would expect, but by controlling/eliminating the human races emotions. No emotions, no rational thought. Who is going to fight back when they don’t think they have anything to fight back about?
It was not until I checked out of my own head that I began to appreciate the picture Leigh was trying to paint. And though it was flawed in more than one place (for instance the connection between Althea and Lucas, which ran more in the direction of cute versus engaging) I appreciated the effort (Leigh) put forth in trying to create something new.
With a little more focus on characters and a little less info hoping this could have been a solid win for dystopian lovers everywhere. As it stands…it was an interesting book. I didn’t love it. I didn’t hate it. And I look forward to seeing what Ms. Leigh can pull out of her hat for the next installment (now that her debut butterflies have flown the coop.)
Happy Reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: “The advantage of emotions is that they lead us astray.” - Oscar Wilde
February 8, 2017
Reader thoughts: The idea was good.
There was too much talking and speculating in the story (sloooow speculating). I had things figured out by 10% of the way through, and the characters didn't even guess these things until 70% of the way through. Short-sighted characters don't sit well with me. Also, it just took too long for the story to get moving. It felt like scenes accomplished only one thing, if that, and they should really try to do several things.
I felt really detached from the characters, even the MC. She randomly doesn't know certain things (like the word for "tears") and randomly knows other things (like "death" and "fear" and "hate" and such). Her relationship with Lukas felt rushed, once they started to trust each other. If they've never seen adults kiss in public, why would they try it? How do they suddenly know how to act like "normal" passionate teenagers around each other?. Lukas seemed kind of weak, compared to his potential.
Their powers were nicely contained at first, limited. Then
Writer thoughts: And it doesn't make sense why the Others let the humans live at all, or why they have human shape. Or what resource they're stealing from the earth. Or why more humans haven't retaliated.
There were times when the tenses switched.
These are things writers need to be careful with.
There was too much talking and speculating in the story (sloooow speculating). I had things figured out by 10% of the way through, and the characters didn't even guess these things until 70% of the way through. Short-sighted characters don't sit well with me. Also, it just took too long for the story to get moving. It felt like scenes accomplished only one thing, if that, and they should really try to do several things.
I felt really detached from the characters, even the MC. She randomly doesn't know certain things (like the word for "tears") and randomly knows other things (like "death" and "fear" and "hate" and such). Her relationship with Lukas felt rushed, once they started to trust each other. If they've never seen adults kiss in public, why would they try it? How do they suddenly know how to act like "normal" passionate teenagers around each other?. Lukas seemed kind of weak, compared to his potential.
Their powers were nicely contained at first, limited. Then
Writer thoughts: And it doesn't make sense why the Others let the humans live at all, or why they have human shape. Or what resource they're stealing from the earth. Or why more humans haven't retaliated.
There were times when the tenses switched.
These are things writers need to be careful with.
July 9, 2015
The world is very interesting, at first i couldn't really understand what was happening but once i understood i could not stop reading. Imagining the scenarios was kind of creepy, i think it was because of the smiles and the same houses and everything was always time coordinated.
I liked Althea, it most have been so sad to grow up jumping from family to family and have barely no friends. She didn't annoy me, because of her some people were determined broken but i can understand her, she is sick of all the pretending and being controlled by the Others.
I didn't trust Lucas right way, i think her note also affected me. Once thing started to pick up the pace i trusted him more and more and now i actually want them to stay together. I guessed what he was from the beginning but that didn't ruin anything for me
The ending was super awesome, I hope that the person who wrote the note is alive because i really liked her and i don't want anything to happen to her.
I liked Althea, it most have been so sad to grow up jumping from family to family and have barely no friends. She didn't annoy me, because of her some people were determined broken but i can understand her, she is sick of all the pretending and being controlled by the Others.
I didn't trust Lucas right way, i think her note also affected me. Once thing started to pick up the pace i trusted him more and more and now i actually want them to stay together. I guessed what he was from the beginning but that didn't ruin anything for me
The ending was super awesome, I hope that the person who wrote the note is alive because i really liked her and i don't want anything to happen to her.
May 6, 2015
Althea Morgan sometimes finds herself wishing that she had someone to talk to, but the locket that someone named 'Ko' left with her prohibits her to, telling her to keep her secrets and not to trust anyone or anything. She tries to stay away from the Wardens- aliens that control humans- and her new classmates, Lucas and Deshi. Althea knows that she can't keep her secrets forever, but she sure will try. This is a story of survival, secrets and freedom.
dnf
March 26, 2020I dnfed this book roughly 32 pages in. Even though I did not finish it, it is handy for me to know why I did not finish it so here I go.
I remember first adding this book to my TBR in 2013 and how intrigued I was. I remembering asking Barnes & Noble is they had a copy (and of course they didn't), getting the ebook instead, and then adding the book to my monthly TBR. But then the book kept getting pushed off my TBR. I'm not sure why I never got to reading it, maybe I was just so much more focused on my physical TBR, but whatever happened, it took me over seven years to get to this book.
Which is a shame because now I don't want to read this book. In 2013, I was in high school. I loved reading dystopian books, especially with aliens! Now, I'm an adult, graduated from college, and I am sick and tired of dystopians. That's the main reason why I DNfed this book. The book has an interesting concept. Our MC, Althea, switches families every season (with the exception of summer), living pieces of three different lives. No one seems to notice this oddity, and no one seems to notice her. I would've loved this book to focus on this idea, but instead, it turned into a cliche dystopian, full of mind-control humans which no freedom. Our MC is Special and I got tired of hearing about how Special she is. Every other word starts with a Capital Letter for Emphasis. I also saw some warning signs for some insta-love.
So, if I read it when I first got this book I probably would have enjoyed it, but now it's just not for me.
I remember first adding this book to my TBR in 2013 and how intrigued I was. I remembering asking Barnes & Noble is they had a copy (and of course they didn't), getting the ebook instead, and then adding the book to my monthly TBR. But then the book kept getting pushed off my TBR. I'm not sure why I never got to reading it, maybe I was just so much more focused on my physical TBR, but whatever happened, it took me over seven years to get to this book.
Which is a shame because now I don't want to read this book. In 2013, I was in high school. I loved reading dystopian books, especially with aliens! Now, I'm an adult, graduated from college, and I am sick and tired of dystopians. That's the main reason why I DNfed this book. The book has an interesting concept. Our MC, Althea, switches families every season (with the exception of summer), living pieces of three different lives. No one seems to notice this oddity, and no one seems to notice her. I would've loved this book to focus on this idea, but instead, it turned into a cliche dystopian, full of mind-control humans which no freedom. Our MC is Special and I got tired of hearing about how Special she is. Every other word starts with a Capital Letter for Emphasis. I also saw some warning signs for some insta-love.
So, if I read it when I first got this book I probably would have enjoyed it, but now it's just not for me.
September 29, 2014
4.5 stars!
NO human on Earth is anything but serene, content, pleased. Except me.
The year is 2015 and a race of alien Others have invaded Earth. They have enslaved humanity by using mind control which has reduced all of mankind to content, happy robots.
All but sixteen year old Althea.
Althea isn't sure why, but she is considered Something Else... she's not controlled by the aliens but she has to hide because if she's found out, she isn't sure what will happen to her.
A mysterious note inside her locket tells her that she should trust no one and so she doesn't. Suddenly she's back in Autumn and meets Lucas. Lucas seems to be like her, different and someone that she could lean on and not be alone anymore.
When they finally realize their importance and how to work together, they are on a search to find out why they are different.
I was immediately hooked on this series. I know, you're thinking Aliens...
but in all seriousness, the aliens aren't green little martian people. I promise.
I'm going to keep a lot of specifics vague because the way this story weaves it's way is incredible. I can't give you a lot of details because anything I say, could potentially impact the story.
What I can say is this... The characters are incredibly written, the story, while dystopian in nature, is incredibly unique and different and I was wonderfully surprised by it. I was hooked from the very beginning turning page after page to find out what the hell was going on. The struggle that Althea goes through to try and come to terms with what/who she is, was written so well.
It's often crossed my mind, the obvious question that if I'm different - Dissident - does that mean I'm not human? And if I'm not... what am I? I'm nowhere near perfect enough to be Other, but the fact that I feel everything doesn't make a great case for my humanity either.
And Lucas... I really liked him from the very beginning, and even though Althea fights it, she likes him too.
I make a mental note to avoid looking at his smile if I intend to utter intelligible language afterward.
This is a definite must read if you're looking for something dystopian but unique. The third book in this series was recently released and I'm going to jump back into the second as soon as I can. I'm excited to see where Leigh takes both Lucas and Althea!
This review can be found on my blog, Fic Fare:
NO human on Earth is anything but serene, content, pleased. Except me.
The year is 2015 and a race of alien Others have invaded Earth. They have enslaved humanity by using mind control which has reduced all of mankind to content, happy robots.
All but sixteen year old Althea.
Althea isn't sure why, but she is considered Something Else... she's not controlled by the aliens but she has to hide because if she's found out, she isn't sure what will happen to her.
A mysterious note inside her locket tells her that she should trust no one and so she doesn't. Suddenly she's back in Autumn and meets Lucas. Lucas seems to be like her, different and someone that she could lean on and not be alone anymore.
When they finally realize their importance and how to work together, they are on a search to find out why they are different.
I was immediately hooked on this series. I know, you're thinking Aliens...
but in all seriousness, the aliens aren't green little martian people. I promise.
I'm going to keep a lot of specifics vague because the way this story weaves it's way is incredible. I can't give you a lot of details because anything I say, could potentially impact the story.
What I can say is this... The characters are incredibly written, the story, while dystopian in nature, is incredibly unique and different and I was wonderfully surprised by it. I was hooked from the very beginning turning page after page to find out what the hell was going on. The struggle that Althea goes through to try and come to terms with what/who she is, was written so well.
It's often crossed my mind, the obvious question that if I'm different - Dissident - does that mean I'm not human? And if I'm not... what am I? I'm nowhere near perfect enough to be Other, but the fact that I feel everything doesn't make a great case for my humanity either.
And Lucas... I really liked him from the very beginning, and even though Althea fights it, she likes him too.
I make a mental note to avoid looking at his smile if I intend to utter intelligible language afterward.
This is a definite must read if you're looking for something dystopian but unique. The third book in this series was recently released and I'm going to jump back into the second as soon as I can. I'm excited to see where Leigh takes both Lucas and Althea!
This review can be found on my blog, Fic Fare:
July 14, 2012
I was offered a free copy of this book from the author. But before I took her up on it, I waffled for a while, wondering if this was the kind of book I was going to be racing home to read or one I was going to throw in the corner and try to forget about. Obviously, I accepted, because there was enough intrigue from the above synopsis that got my attention.
I ended up really liking it. The story throws you headlong into it with no explanations to start off. You're in Althea's world whether you like it or not. It's not until later chapters (2&3) that you really start understanding what's going on.
I wasn't sold on the alien aspect of the story until I was well into it. Aliens and I don't really mesh anyway, but this was pulled of in a well-thought-through way that was convincing and brought a new level of mystery to the story.
I found parts of the story to be predictable, but oddly enough, not in a bad way. I tend to think critically about stories as I read to figure out what will come next, so I put a few plot puzzle pieces together and saw what would happen. I don't expect everyone will see these, but if you like to twist the story around in your head to see what could happen, you'll probably see some of these. I say this wasn't a bad thing because it never detracted from the story. These "predictable" parts are rarely obvious to the point of belittling you when it's finally revealed. You have to be inside the story and the characters enough to see these. For that reason, I found this to be an asset to the story.
Althea...what do I want to say about her? Hmm...I don't think initially I was completely rooting for her. That could have just been a side-effect of not knowing what was going on yet. Once I started to understand the kinds of things she has to do to stay hidden from the aliens' attention, I started to respect her a little more. By the end, yeah, I was pretty well on her side. Lucas I liked from shortly after his introduction.
It's an interesting story, filled with mystery and suspense, but also cute characters and evil villains. It vaguely reminded me of both The Hunger Games (in the way the government controlled virtually everything they could) and Divergent (in that there are some people who choose to disobey this government in their own special ways).
I ended up really liking it. The story throws you headlong into it with no explanations to start off. You're in Althea's world whether you like it or not. It's not until later chapters (2&3) that you really start understanding what's going on.
I wasn't sold on the alien aspect of the story until I was well into it. Aliens and I don't really mesh anyway, but this was pulled of in a well-thought-through way that was convincing and brought a new level of mystery to the story.
I found parts of the story to be predictable, but oddly enough, not in a bad way. I tend to think critically about stories as I read to figure out what will come next, so I put a few plot puzzle pieces together and saw what would happen. I don't expect everyone will see these, but if you like to twist the story around in your head to see what could happen, you'll probably see some of these. I say this wasn't a bad thing because it never detracted from the story. These "predictable" parts are rarely obvious to the point of belittling you when it's finally revealed. You have to be inside the story and the characters enough to see these. For that reason, I found this to be an asset to the story.
Althea...what do I want to say about her? Hmm...I don't think initially I was completely rooting for her. That could have just been a side-effect of not knowing what was going on yet. Once I started to understand the kinds of things she has to do to stay hidden from the aliens' attention, I started to respect her a little more. By the end, yeah, I was pretty well on her side. Lucas I liked from shortly after his introduction.
It's an interesting story, filled with mystery and suspense, but also cute characters and evil villains. It vaguely reminded me of both The Hunger Games (in the way the government controlled virtually everything they could) and Divergent (in that there are some people who choose to disobey this government in their own special ways).
September 24, 2012
This is a really cool sci-fi dystopian. I love the world that Trisha Leigh created. And by love I mean that I am totally terrified of it but the academic in me is totally fascinated by the idea. I think that anyone that likes science fiction, fantasy, or dystopian needs to get their hands on this series, asap.
Althea is the main character here and she is just the perfect mix, of spunky, smart, and relatable. I fell in love with her. She is someone that I would always want on my side. She is a real fighter, and so very loyal. I can't even imagine the kind of life she has to live. It must be so hard knowing you are different and never really being able to have true friends or to put down real roots anywhere. I loved how the idea of seasons was interwoven throughout the book. It is such a cool plot idea, and it worked perfectly for the story, I thought.
I liked Lucas pretty much right away. I remember thinking a bunch of times throughout the book, "Lucas, I like you so much I really hope you don't disappoint me." Because such a huge theme of the book was the paranoid atmosphere and the trust no one motto for Althea. But Lucas didn't disappoint, he really seems like a great guy.
Whispers in Autumn is the start to an awesome series! I can just tell. I know I have heard of a few other YA books out last year and this one that surrounded around some form of control over the people so they are fake happy/complacent. But I Whispers in Autumn is really well done, and I didn't feel like the plot was overdone. It was done in a very new way. The writing is excellent, and the story just draws you in until you can't stop reading. I can't wait for the second book!
Althea is the main character here and she is just the perfect mix, of spunky, smart, and relatable. I fell in love with her. She is someone that I would always want on my side. She is a real fighter, and so very loyal. I can't even imagine the kind of life she has to live. It must be so hard knowing you are different and never really being able to have true friends or to put down real roots anywhere. I loved how the idea of seasons was interwoven throughout the book. It is such a cool plot idea, and it worked perfectly for the story, I thought.
I liked Lucas pretty much right away. I remember thinking a bunch of times throughout the book, "Lucas, I like you so much I really hope you don't disappoint me." Because such a huge theme of the book was the paranoid atmosphere and the trust no one motto for Althea. But Lucas didn't disappoint, he really seems like a great guy.
Whispers in Autumn is the start to an awesome series! I can just tell. I know I have heard of a few other YA books out last year and this one that surrounded around some form of control over the people so they are fake happy/complacent. But I Whispers in Autumn is really well done, and I didn't feel like the plot was overdone. It was done in a very new way. The writing is excellent, and the story just draws you in until you can't stop reading. I can't wait for the second book!
September 26, 2012
First I would like to Thank AToMR Tours for allowing me to read and review this book. I have to say that I have not read a lot of dystopian or sci-fi books but this one is at the top for me. I loved how it had everything from action, to romance to fighting to survive. The book cover does this book justice as well which is big for me because I really love when the book cover screams read me read me!
Imagine it the year 2015 and the world has been taken over by Aliens. Well that is reality for Althea and the world but Althea has a secret she will share with no one. The Aliens have taken over the humans minds and control them to do what they want the humans to do. Althea has a secret though and that secret is that she can not be controlled by the aliens. She pretends to be controlled like everyone else but she can see the truth and she is going to search for the answers as to why she is different.
Then she meets Lucas. At first she does not trust Lucas but soon she finds that Lucas id just like her and he can't be controlled by the Aliens either. Together they go on a search for the reason why they can't be controlled. What they find can kill them and free the human race from the Aliens but they will have to be careful as to how to go about doing this. One slip and they could be killed. The Others are always watching and they will do whatever it takes to rule over the human race. What will Althea and Lucas do? Will they be able to expose the Aliens? Will they be able to free their family and friends from the mind control?
Come along for the greatest dystopian slash sci-fi read of 2012!
Imagine it the year 2015 and the world has been taken over by Aliens. Well that is reality for Althea and the world but Althea has a secret she will share with no one. The Aliens have taken over the humans minds and control them to do what they want the humans to do. Althea has a secret though and that secret is that she can not be controlled by the aliens. She pretends to be controlled like everyone else but she can see the truth and she is going to search for the answers as to why she is different.
Then she meets Lucas. At first she does not trust Lucas but soon she finds that Lucas id just like her and he can't be controlled by the Aliens either. Together they go on a search for the reason why they can't be controlled. What they find can kill them and free the human race from the Aliens but they will have to be careful as to how to go about doing this. One slip and they could be killed. The Others are always watching and they will do whatever it takes to rule over the human race. What will Althea and Lucas do? Will they be able to expose the Aliens? Will they be able to free their family and friends from the mind control?
Come along for the greatest dystopian slash sci-fi read of 2012!
February 26, 2015
I just re-read this book as it was the BOTM in the Pro-Active Destruction group.
I have to say that I enjoyed it even more this second read. I cant say any more about the book than I did in my original review (see below) without using spoilers. So I will say this, if you have this book sitting on your to read list, you may wish to cue it up because it is a good read!
-----
First Read Nov. 6th 2013
I read this book on and off while reading other books. This book held its own and pulled my attention back to it time and time again.
It was easy for me to bond with the character Althea right off. She seemed sad but solidly independent.
I liked the way the story unfolded by showing events in Althea life while sharing her thoughts of alienation towards those events at the same time.
The world within this book was well thought out.
The settings were nicely described. I could easily see the cookie cutter houses with their 'Stepford wives' like citizens going about their predetermined days and it was all a bit too creepy.
While I am not much into 'young teen romance', I found the relationship between Althea and Lucas to be bearable, not over done with teen angst. I actually found myself hoping the young couple would be able to stay together.
As I was reaching the ending, I kept stopping to check on how many pages were left and panicking a little.
This book concluded with a 'safe for now' ending but with many loose ends for the sequel(s) to resolve.
I will be reading on in this series as I am hooked into the story.
I recommend this book to lovers of Science Fiction, Dystopian, Alien invasion, and young adult readers.
I have to say that I enjoyed it even more this second read. I cant say any more about the book than I did in my original review (see below) without using spoilers. So I will say this, if you have this book sitting on your to read list, you may wish to cue it up because it is a good read!
-----
First Read Nov. 6th 2013
I read this book on and off while reading other books. This book held its own and pulled my attention back to it time and time again.
It was easy for me to bond with the character Althea right off. She seemed sad but solidly independent.
I liked the way the story unfolded by showing events in Althea life while sharing her thoughts of alienation towards those events at the same time.
The world within this book was well thought out.
The settings were nicely described. I could easily see the cookie cutter houses with their 'Stepford wives' like citizens going about their predetermined days and it was all a bit too creepy.
While I am not much into 'young teen romance', I found the relationship between Althea and Lucas to be bearable, not over done with teen angst. I actually found myself hoping the young couple would be able to stay together.
As I was reaching the ending, I kept stopping to check on how many pages were left and panicking a little.
This book concluded with a 'safe for now' ending but with many loose ends for the sequel(s) to resolve.
I will be reading on in this series as I am hooked into the story.
I recommend this book to lovers of Science Fiction, Dystopian, Alien invasion, and young adult readers.
August 17, 2012
I didn't read the synopsis of this book before I read it. I just opened it and started reading. I'm glad I did. I'm not really big on alien books so it was nice to find myself out of my comfort zone and into a book I might not have picked up in other circumstances. I was intrigued from the first page. I wanted to know who Althea was and why her life was so mixed up. I was scared for her through the whole book. Actually the whole book spooked me a little; in a good way. How freaked out would you be if an alien race took over and everyone around you acted like Stepford wives?! She has to be on her guard at all times to protect herself. What a relief it was when she found Lucas and realized they had so much in common. The story was well paced. I was a bit skeptical about some parts of the book. One being, how Althea survived her early years with out going insane or being discovered.
It did have me wondering...is it better to live in ignorance of what is happening around or to you; or is it better to know and try to fight back?
It did have me wondering...is it better to live in ignorance of what is happening around or to you; or is it better to know and try to fight back?
December 8, 2012
Althea doesn't seem to fit anywhere. She has no friends whatsoever, her classmates look right through her and her parents barely acknowledge her presence.She feels awkward and lonely, completely different from the people around her : a wallflower with some weird perks.
Then she meets Lucas, a boy just like her and the two of them find out that to everything there is a season
This would be a typical teenage story if it didn't involve an alien invasion, mind control, fantasy and a dystopian society which makes the book different and interesting.
I like Althea and her mixed feelings, she doesn't know how to handle the situation but eventually she manages to cope with everything. Lucas , however, is much more confident and apparently finds it easier to deal with what they find out.But they belong together, they need each other after being alone and feeling lonely for many years.
I think this is the kind of book that could make a great movie.There is mystery, action and romance and the plot is entertaining.
www.theleisurediaries.blogspot.com
Then she meets Lucas, a boy just like her and the two of them find out that to everything there is a season
This would be a typical teenage story if it didn't involve an alien invasion, mind control, fantasy and a dystopian society which makes the book different and interesting.
I like Althea and her mixed feelings, she doesn't know how to handle the situation but eventually she manages to cope with everything. Lucas , however, is much more confident and apparently finds it easier to deal with what they find out.But they belong together, they need each other after being alone and feeling lonely for many years.
I think this is the kind of book that could make a great movie.There is mystery, action and romance and the plot is entertaining.
www.theleisurediaries.blogspot.com
January 14, 2016
I'm surprised by how much I liked this. Whispers in Autumn is my first book by Trisha Leigh, and while some of the elements of the story aren't unique, the author manages to take them a put her own fresh spin on them. The plot was imaginative and interesting and I really liked Althea and Lucas.
If I have anything to complain about, it's that I got a bit impatient with it taking the MCs a while to come to conclusions about things that seemed obvious to me and making a couple of really unwise decisions. But even with that, those things were realistic for the characters, because no matter what else, Althea & Lucas are just teenagers. They've been existing outside of everyone else, alone in a crowd knowing that they were different and having to hide it, without anyone to talk to about it.
Though it didn't exactly end on a cliffhanger, the ending sure hooked me. I need to know what happens, so on to the next!
If I have anything to complain about, it's that I got a bit impatient with it taking the MCs a while to come to conclusions about things that seemed obvious to me and making a couple of really unwise decisions. But even with that, those things were realistic for the characters, because no matter what else, Althea & Lucas are just teenagers. They've been existing outside of everyone else, alone in a crowd knowing that they were different and having to hide it, without anyone to talk to about it.
Though it didn't exactly end on a cliffhanger, the ending sure hooked me. I need to know what happens, so on to the next!
August 12, 2015
Sixteen year old Althea has always known she was different. She has never seen summer. She also gets "moved" from family to family and wakes up in different houses for different seasons. She has a different family for spring, fall and winter. This autumn she learns why she can feel and have emotions that other humans don't. Earth has been taken over by a group called "Others" and the people have been brainwashed to live unaware and cooperative. She also meets Lucas who is like her. It is the first part of their story to save the humans on Earth.
The books starts off interesting and it is an easy read and flows well. It is just not over the top great. I am not sure if I will read the rest of the series but it wasn't bad.
The books starts off interesting and it is an easy read and flows well. It is just not over the top great. I am not sure if I will read the rest of the series but it wasn't bad.
September 5, 2016
Good book, but unfortunately, it took much time to finish it because of unplanned events.
Book's general consept is kinda like Maze Runner, or Divergent (more like the latter), but still quite different story. At the beginning, I expected more season traveling, but it only happened twice. Still the lack of the season traveling conpensated with interesting plot.
Most interested part was where Althea and Lucas's true identity was revealed. Who would think aliens could have feelings and would suffer because of love. That was very touching. I liked Fire, Flacara, even though her daughter might not like her.
And Deshi. I hope he is okay, the real he, not disguised Chief. I liked him without knowing him. And wonder who is the fourth Dissident.
Book's general consept is kinda like Maze Runner, or Divergent (more like the latter), but still quite different story. At the beginning, I expected more season traveling, but it only happened twice. Still the lack of the season traveling conpensated with interesting plot.
Most interested part was where Althea and Lucas's true identity was revealed. Who would think aliens could have feelings and would suffer because of love. That was very touching. I liked Fire, Flacara, even though her daughter might not like her.
And Deshi. I hope he is okay, the real he, not disguised Chief. I liked him without knowing him. And wonder who is the fourth Dissident.
October 27, 2013
Whispers in Autumn was a good read, but at times, it was really slow.
I felt really sorry for Althea, it can't have been easy for her living three different lives.
She must have been so confused over how to act in different places, especially as a child.
I really liked the relationship between her and Lucas. They were really good together.
The ending was really good, and did leave me wanting the second book. I just hope that one isn't as slow as this one!
I felt really sorry for Althea, it can't have been easy for her living three different lives.
She must have been so confused over how to act in different places, especially as a child.
I really liked the relationship between her and Lucas. They were really good together.
The ending was really good, and did leave me wanting the second book. I just hope that one isn't as slow as this one!
August 26, 2012
Can I just say that I love this cover. LOVE IT. This was a wonderful and fast read. I can't wait for the next book.
March 25, 2015
SOOOOOO GOOD. This has become one my new favorites. It's fast paced and awesome and has this amazingly built world. The characters were beautifully made and OMG it was so good!!!!!
December 23, 2015
3.8 Stars
This book was interesting to read.
I liked the characters.
I liked the bad guy.
Although I could predict things early on, it was a fun ride.
This book was interesting to read.
I liked the characters.
I liked the bad guy.
Although I could predict things early on, it was a fun ride.
April 10, 2018
Exciting first book.
This is my first from this writer, and four at the start to a series this is a really good. I like how we learn more about the reason for why things are happening, but also that they have to discover their own powers. I think it’s really cool. I also find that the main characters can be a bit underwhelming at heart, but someone in the middle of the story they start picking up and be a little bit more adventurous. It’s a slow build overall, but definitely worth the read
This is my first from this writer, and four at the start to a series this is a really good. I like how we learn more about the reason for why things are happening, but also that they have to discover their own powers. I think it’s really cool. I also find that the main characters can be a bit underwhelming at heart, but someone in the middle of the story they start picking up and be a little bit more adventurous. It’s a slow build overall, but definitely worth the read
April 14, 2017
Fue un poco confuso al principio. Todo lo de las estaciones no está como muy bien explicado. Fue interesante y sí te mantiene en vilo, pero siento que debió haber explicado un poco más las cosas. Quiero saber más de los elementales, ¿los encontrarán?
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