Emma King’s life is fairly ordinary, with the exception of one extraordinary aspect. She is plagued with the rare ability to feel a person's emotions with a simple touch. Any sensation she feels becomes amplified to almost unbearable levels. Emma has learned to keep her hands to herself and her emotions under wraps.
But when quiet, good-looking Gage Parmer moves to town, everything changes, and for the first time in her life, Emma loosens the chains that hold her emotions in check and prepares herself for the whirlwind that is to come. Mysteriously lacking in emotions, Gage tells Emma an incredible story that pulls her into his world of impossibilities. At first, she refuses to believe. But when she puts his words to the test, she discovers that his world is also hers.
Soon she will be forced to use her ability in an attempt to destroy an ancient evil that has defied death and ruled the centuries in a reign of terror.
They are called… The Cadence.
In the end, she has only one weapon and one chance to defeat the Cadence, break their circle of power, and restore hope.
Casey Hays lives in New Mexico with her husband and two children. She is a former high school English teacher turned YA and NA author. She loves Young Adult Fiction as well as historical, supernatural, fantasy sci-fi, and dystopian--all with a twist of romance. She is the author of six books. Her short story "Edge of a Promise" is featured in the collaborative anthology PREP FOR DOOM, published June 18, 2015. Currently, she is working on a series of novellas for Arrow's Flight, as well as her latest YA paranormal romance series, Firebloods, based on the legend of the Phoenix.
When Casey isn't writing, you'll find her in Zumba class, skiing the slopes, or singing at the top of her lungs. She loves Jesus Christ and never passes up a good cup of coffee.
I do not know where to start with this book! I am normally not a reader of young adult books but I was so glad I read this book. I believe this book has a good message whether intentional or not. It is a story of teens and adults who embrace their uniqueness to fight back the evil that seeks to suck them dry of their unique heightened senses for their own gain. I believe this is an important message for today's teens as we see so many heartbreaking stories of bullying and suicides that result from bullying. I believe that the novel shows how family is not a bond formed only by blood but with those who come into your life and have a positive impact on your life.
Aside from what I believe the message of the book was about it was a good read. There were a few editorial misses but nothing too serious. I did feel that the book started a little slow but as you progress the story does build. I can tell for me if I really like a book when I do not want to read how the story ends because I do not want the story to end if that makes any sense. This book had that affect on me! I was a bit disappointed that at the climax of the book that the descriptive writing wasn't taken up a notch but I was still very pleased.
I am hoping this is a trilogy because I want to know what happens to the characters in more detail after their epic battle. The writer definetly has something to build on and the writing will probably get better as the series (I HOPE IT'S A SERIES) progresses.
Ahh such a good book! I couldn't put it down as the Gathering day was approaching. A really good novel with its own creative twist :D
You can find this review and others on my co-owned blog link: Boricuan Bookworms
I like superpowers and all things related to having abilities out of the ordinary. And this book made it to the list of my favorite including those.
In most stories where the heroine has one of these strange abilities, the most common thing is that she likes her power, embraces it, either because she's had it her whole life, or has recently acquainted it. But Emma is very different in that aspect, going to the point of almost fearing what she can do. Also in a lot of stories with people that have special abilities, they are very bizarre and completely in the fictional world. Here Casey Hays stays with something more simple. She uses powers of the five senses, plus one. Smell, Sight, Touch, Sound, Taste, and the Six Sense or Third Eye. I found it all to be well explained and interesting to know more about. Really liked it :)
The plot and writing style were amazing. There was a mix of mysteriousness in the story as things developed slowly or fast, depending on the situation. I admit there was a point where I got a bit bored because the passing felt dragged on, but after two days of letting the book rest, I had to keep reading fast to know what was going to happen. I couldn't get enough information, not until the story ended, which at a point I didn't because it was so good. And the plot twists, wow, they were so unexpected and very much welcomed when they came. And the mysteriousness GOSH! I kept guessing all over the book what was each character's paper, who was the bad guy, who could be a traitor, and who was Emma's dad. Amazing.
The characters were easy to know. There are times in some books where I simply forget how each character looks like, how they behave in some situations, that kind of thing. I know only the basic outline of them, mostly because there are a lot. But here each character is presented on their own accord, not all at once. And they leave in you a mark, something shocking that guarantees that you do not forget them. They were funny, infuriating, dreamy, frustrating, people I'd love to know in real life. At least the people who are in Emma's circle, Gage, Emma's friend, and her dad. Cos the other weird and bad people nuh-huh stay away.
For being Casey Hays first debut novel, she did it really well. The story was easy to get sucked into, to feel what the characters were feeling, to suffer for them, to laugh with them; all very vivid and amazing. Unfortunately, I have no idea of there will be a sequel to this book, or anything related to the abilities topic. If there are, I'd love to read it because this book was beyond to what I expected. it not only delivers an entertainment, but a message as well. To accept yourself and everything about you, to be yourself, to embrace it; that you aren't defined by your parents actions and if you don't want to, you don't have to follow them; to follow what you truly believe in with your heart.
I will start off with the fact that I loved this book. With all the vampire, werewolf, and guardian angel type books I've been reading this was a nice change. I love the concept of individuals having an extraordinarily heightened sense, whether it be sound, sight, touch, etc. The book was very hard to put down.
I was very conflicted because I wanted to finish reading to see what was going to happen, but at the same time I didn't want the book to end. I had to let myself read a few chapters at a time, so the story would last. It did take me about four days to finish and that's only because I had the strength (or the tiredness) to stop and go to sleep.
I loved the relationship between Emma and her brothers. You could sense the connection they had. Jay was almost as one with Emma. They knew each other so well and had a bond that no one could ever break, not even Miranda. Pastor was the protective older brother. These three, although fostered by King, were like a real family. It was not like a typical foster home.
Emma and Ginger's relationship was fun as well. They were complete opposites in their teenage years, but since they had become friends when they were young they grew together and kept their friendship growing. Them being total opposites of each other made them perfect together, they completed each other. That was until Gage come along.
I could tell there was something special about him when he first showed up in homeroom. He was staring at Emma like he knew her and knew about her gift. I loved Gage, he was perfect for Emma. Their relationship was so fun to watch and evolve.
I loved how Casey used the six senses as the gift these people had. It's interesting to think how it would be to have extra sensitive touch or sight. I can't imagine how hard it would be to have Emma's gift. Casey does a good job at explaining how hard it is for Emma though. When she starts explaining the sensations and emotions I could almost imagine what it would be like.
Overall this was a very well written story with a great plot and great characters. I would recommend reading this book.
Emma Kings lives with her adoptive father and 3 other kids all of whom are unique in their own ways. Emma has the ability to feel(touch) things and know what they are feeling or just right down to the texture of things (because of this gift, her tolerance to elements/pain is very low). Two of the other kids who live with her is Pastor who can hear further than anyone else and Jay who can see things. Emma's life is "normal" as can be until Gage shows up and tells her that there is more to their gifts than they know about. They are a part of a Circle that will have to go tho the Gathering and hopefully be the first Circle to defeat the long living Cadence.
Right from the beginning I felt some sort of connection with Emma. I'm not sure what exactly pulled me to her, perhaps it was how she kept to her self except for those that were really close to her. So when Gage came into her life and she felt a special "spark" with him, I knew he was going to have an integral part of her life :) Emma finds out that her, Pastor and Jay are part of a Circle (a group of 6 individuals with special abilities...touch, hearing, sight, smell, taste, and seer (sixth sense) who will be summounded to the Gathering. The Gathering was initiated by the original Circle, known as The Cadence to try and break the circles as they are trying to fill the last spot in the Candence so that their powers can be beyond what is imaginable. Emma learns about herself, her friends and what truly is important to her throughout the story.
The story line moved smoothly and I didn't seem like their was a lull or information overload throughout the story. I definitely would recommend this book to my friends to read!
I really liked this book. It is very well written, with the plot running smoothly from beginning to end. You can tell the author took a lot of time and care writing this.
I'm not sure what genre to put it under. I think it's classified as paranormal, but it felt more like a sci-fi fantasy novel, reminding me very much of The Heir Chronicles by Cinda Williams Chima, who is one of my favorite fantasy writers.
It's about a group of foster children who all have special abilities, like super eye sight, overly sensitive hearing, or as in the case with the main character, Emma, has the ability to feel what people are feeling through touching them.
Emma's ability proves to be a problem for her as she is often overwhelmed with the intensity of others emotions, and this in turn, makes her introverted.
When Gage comes into the picture, Emma along with her foster siblings, learn why they have these powers and why it is so important for them to understand them and use them together.
I loved where the author took the characters, and how they developed as a team/family. I really enjoyed the romantic elements in the book. They were believable and felt real since they weren't perfect. There was real depth to the characters and their struggles.
And I really loved that the entire story was told in one book, (although I suspect the story will be continued.) It was so nice to feel like I started and finished the main story in one book, that stands alone. And if there is a sequel, it will probably be able to stand alone also. Very nicely done Ms. Hays
The Cadence is fantastic!!!! Not only that, it is ORIGINAL.
I absolutely love the whole concept of the book, where this group of young adults has different heightened sense. It's based on the Touch, See, Feel, Smell and etc.
I love how the story started with Emma King (I feel your pain) and her character development in the story really made me love this character to the core. She started out okay but in the end, she took charge and showed who's boss.
Basically, The Cadence, as the title shows, is a group of bad guy who, of course, wants more power for world domination and bla bla bla. So, this group of young people somehow ended up with each other on circumstances unknown to us mere humans. They are all drawn together into a Circle where they would be complete. When they are finally complete, they will have to face The Cadence, the ultra-evil group of humans who are not humans anymore.
I love this book because the writing style got to me, the story hooked me in and of course, every YA book in the world has a character where the the main character (Emma) would fall undeniably in love with that guy even though he acts like a prick, being all bad-ass and stuff.
There's no other words to describe this book than awesome. Even if there is, I'll still stick with awesome.
This book has had many reviews which give an outline of the characters and events that take place in the story so I won’t repeat that here but will only give my impressions. The Cadence is a great young adult book which veers off the beaten path of the typical supernatural romance in that the supernatural elements do not involve the typical vampires, werewolves and other such nonsense but supernaturally amplified senses such as super sight and super hearing. I really liked that aspect as it makes the story much more believable. The book is written in the first person and follows Emma, a girl with the gift of touch, and we see, hear, feel and touch everything through her. Since her ability to touch not only includes physical touch but also an emotional sensation we are in for one wild ride. Hays displays an excellent ability to describe human emotion including the rollercoaster swings of joy, despair, happiness and fear that can ripple through a young teenage girl in love with an older man while going through all the emotional pushing, pulling and tugging of high school friends, enemies, parents, siblings and competitors for her man. There is a light Christian element to the book but besides the Author’s note at the beginning it is not overbearing and any non-Christian looking for a young adult supernatural romance with engaging characters should enjoy this book.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Honestly, I was surprised how much I enjoyed this book. I found the tale of people with powers over the senses different and exciting. The main character Emma was wholly interesting. I loved her story with King and Gage.
What I loved most about this story was how a group of people seemingly unrelated to each other became a family. It really is a testament that families can be made up by those who we love around us and not just blood. I absolutely loved that part.
I also really liked how Emma spoke. When a character would say something Emma almost always asked the question swirling around in my head. This wasn't a story about a girl who was different and just accepted fate. She asked questions, she wondered, she was real.
I enjoyed the writing style, although there were a few typos that can easily be fixed. The cover isn't my favorite and I don't think it conveys anything about the story, but that shouldn't deter you from checking this out. Hays has created a fully enveloped world of characters who I'm hoping to definitely see again.
It is hard to know where to start with a book that moves you in ways this one moved me.
If you are looking for an epic story, this is one you can't pass up.
I knew I was in for a treat with the Acknowledgements. This amazing author, Casey Hays, thanks not only her family, but she thanks her Savior, Jesus Christ. "He deserves credit for every blessing, every encounter, every talent I possess." I don't know about you, but that set the stage for my reception of this book. It doesn't matter what religion Ms. Hayes is -- she has it right. And I was willing to bet my time reading, this is a book she'd not be ashamed of sharing with Jesus.
As the story unfolds, a new boy at school named Gage enters the picture. He tells Emma a remarkable tale about The Gathering, and what it means to her, her loved one's, as well as countless others. Not only does Emma learn that she has some say in controlling her emotions -- they don't control her, she learns that even in the darkest hour there is hope.
I received a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.
The teen novel, 'The Cadence,' by Casey Hayes, is an original work of supernatural fiction/teen drama that is set primarily in a beach front community in California. The story revolves around a small group of high school aged foster children with supernatural gifts.
The book is well thought out and has a solid, carefully developed story with well developed and believable characters that make the story compelling and often heartfelt. I actually found it to be an enjoyable read that brought back many memories of high school, but I also felt that the plot was slow to develop and the major conflict seemed somewhat brief by comparison.
The book was well written with only half a dozen or so very minor typos throughout the book, though I did find some of the dialog to be overly predictable, if not redundant.
As a teen novel, I thought that this was an excellent book that I would recommend to my own teens.
Thanks to the author who gave me a free copy of this book for an unbiased review. This story began as most typical supernatural books. A girl with a secret, a new mysterious boy in school with eyes only for her. My favorite part was where the English teacher brought an eyeball to class to demonstrate Odin's sacrifice for wisdom. I wanted the whole book to be her sacrifice for wisdom, and maybe it was, but not quite as embellished as I would have liked. My least favorite part of this story would have to be the romance. I understand why the hero's distant the whole time, but it made it impossible for me to find him very compelling. There couldn't be tension between them with his apathy.
I really liked the premise, the circles of senses, and enjoyed the very well-written high school scenes. It was certainly worth reading.
I know, it took me forever to finish this book & from the time I started till I finished I read other books. I'm sorry, I have a problem when it comes to books. Anyway, I got a free copy of this AMAZING novel because I agreed to RaR and I must say, I LOVED this book! The plot was amazing, the characters were well developed & likeable (some Hateable), there was a little romance, so moments where you had to reread to truly grasp what just happened & a few times I wanted to throw my Nook:) I loved the ending & I was hooked from the very first sentence. This book is a breath of fresh air, has action, suspense, romance & even some evil villains. I defiantly recommend reading this novel
I LOVED The Cadence. It was an amazing book that I could read over and over again. It is one of my favorites now, up there with The Twilight Saga and The Hunger Games. I was never bored with the book; there were never chapters that were hard to get through. I was attached to this book from the begining. It is a great book that everone would love. GO READ IT!!!!!!!!
I was blessed with a free copy of this book, and have chosen of my own volition to share my review with you!
Another hit from Casey Hays. Fantastic character development! Many twists and turns in the plot line. Loved, loved, loved that it was a clean read which had not objectionable material; while having a fantastic story.
What to do, when you discover that the fate of many rests on your shoulders? The main character in this tale faces just that dilemma. She has a gift, and must defeat the Cadence to return their rightful gifts. This story is long, but well worth the time!
The failed books that I’ve read over the last few days have been putting a lot of strain on my reading career. And it really taught me 2 lessons, never sign up for an ARR again and fight temptation. Of course, there’s always the option of DNFing a book but when you sign up for an ARR, it’s your word of honor that is at stake. Thus, no matter how the book irked me, I would read it until the last page. *sighs* Just so you know, my OCness makes me a masochist.
Anyway, when I thought that my reading future is bleak when it comes to ARR books, The Cadence immediately saved me from cementing my views about them. Would it be too much to say that The Cadence entertained me with awesome goodness?
Yes, the story was somewhat predictable. But it was delivered beautifully. The pacing wasn’t rushed giving you time to adjust and take in the events without suffering from major dizziness or confusion. Also, the mystery surrounding The Cadence and Emma’s powers were revealed in small increments all throughout the story that it was hard to accuse the book of being an info dump. The overall concept was generally good, it managed to pull me in with the entire enigma that heightened senses brought.
Even the characters were fully developed. I admit that I hated Emma King at the beginning because for a brief period of time, she insensibly lost her head and instantly decided to stalk Gage Parmer. I breathed after she managed to pull herself together. Guess what, people? Emma wasn’t a Mary Sue. I would never sue her for lacking sel-preservation skills. She is always cautious that sometimes, it’s already annoying. But I rather deal with her than Bella Swan or any derivative of Mary Sue. And I love Gage Parmer, he was consistent throughout the whole story and no plot device has been set up to instantly cure his little problem. There’s also the adorable King family members. Jay was awesome and Pastor, King, and Sabrina as well. As for Ginger the bestfriend, she felt authentic with her being flirty and happy go lucky. I just wished that I have seen a little more about Alexis/Miranda’s life as well as her parent’s. But the information given was generally good to understand the lives of these villains.
What I love most about this book was how it tackled the romance thing. The romance in the book is very clear but unlike a lot of Y/A stories out there, it didn’t dominate the whole point of the story. Thank heavens for little mercy.
Though the ending was somewhat expected, I still find myself satisfied. It nicely wrapped up all the loose ends and well, who wouldn’t love seeing the heroine finally getting the “yes” of her one true love?
You might wonder why I didn’t give this book a five, I was actually tempted. But as I’ve said, the story was kind of predictable. And the twist also suffered the same thing. I knew that it was coming especially that the hints were really clear. So, here’s my lovely four for you, The Cadence. And I hope that you are a series because I would totally watch out and buy your sequel. :D
Note: A free copy was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
I didn't much care for this novel. I like the idea of a character who is unable to feel emotions. That was interesting.
I found some really annoying plot choices and found myself rolling my eyes several times with the stale dialogue. I also never really bought into the premise of the major conflict in the story and found the climax to be a little strange, maybe unbelievable.
But don't judge the author too harshly. Her second novel, The Breeder, was better.
This novel was an absolute pleasure to read. In fact, I typically don't read fiction, but I was highly enthralled by the character development of this book. Fully intend to read Ms. Hays' future book. This is a must read if you enjoy Young Adult Supernatural themes. And even if you don't!
An interesting YA novel about the gathering of a group to fight evil using their enhanced sense. For example, the main character's enhanced sense is touch.