What do you think?
Rate this book
Rememberers by C. Edward Baldwin
In this theological, supernatural thriller, 19-year-old Kallie Hunt's everyday moments begin feeling all too familiar. She has a sense that she'd lived them before. But that was crazy, right? Deja vu. That was kid's stuff, right? Been there, done that, impossible. You got one shot at this life thing. One shot. You lived. You died. End of story. But if that was true, then why would the government be interested in her? Why would priests literally be stalking her? How could a small town girl possibly have anything to do with saving humanity from terrorists and demons? And pray-tell, what does any of it have to do with her first love? For Kallie Hunt, there would be no simple answers. Besides, nothing in life was ever really simple. Not good. Not evil. Not even love...Combining elements of religions as varied as Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Wicca, Rememberers, takes urban fantasy to new levels.
Paperback
First published June 1, 2015
4 people are currently reading
1698 people want to read
About the author
C. Edward Baldwin
11 books41 followersC. Edward Baldwin is originally from Lumberton, North Carolina. His debut novel, Fathers House was published in 2013. He has a BA degree in Communications from North Carolina A&T State University and a MA in English from East Carolina University. He's married to the beautiful Natasha and they are the proud parents of two boys. The Baldwins currently reside in Raleigh, NC.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
May 31, 2017
Brilliant and it was so wonderfully written. A suspense shrouded in fantasy, Rememberers is a must read!
My Rating: 5 stars
My Rating: 5 stars
April 26, 2015
My fist note on this book was OMG THIS IS SO GROSS I LOVE IT! With the caps and all.
My second Oh, apparently there's a body attached to the head. Too bad.
Yeah, I thought there was a head detached from its body. And yes, I was disappointed when I found out the body was actually there. Don't blame me for having such a fucked up mind. Blame the weird books I've read, my weird friends, or, at the very least, my parents for having conceived me (I just grossed myself out) without the neurons necessary to function like a normal human being. (But what is normal, really ? <-- Philosophical thought of the day.)
Now, tell me, when you read this,
A shadow of a person's head stretched across the length of the basketball court
do you assume there's a body attached to the head ?
Moving on from the disappointing head with body.
I don't know how much of this I've read since it's been so long and my e-reader likes to reset himself (evil things, those) but everything I've read was about a fucking priest.
I don't like books with priests. They always end up being religious and, being young and all, I hate God.
Where was I ? Oh, annoying priests. I didn't want a book about religion.
You see, the blurb talks about a girl who can remember things. Now, correct me if i'm wrong, (which I'm not, because I know everything) but catholic priests are, by definition, male.
So I decided not to finish the book. Because I was greatly disappointed about the head.
My second Oh, apparently there's a body attached to the head. Too bad.
Yeah, I thought there was a head detached from its body. And yes, I was disappointed when I found out the body was actually there. Don't blame me for having such a fucked up mind. Blame the weird books I've read, my weird friends, or, at the very least, my parents for having conceived me (I just grossed myself out) without the neurons necessary to function like a normal human being. (But what is normal, really ? <-- Philosophical thought of the day.)
Now, tell me, when you read this,
A shadow of a person's head stretched across the length of the basketball court
do you assume there's a body attached to the head ?
Moving on from the disappointing head with body.
I don't know how much of this I've read since it's been so long and my e-reader likes to reset himself (evil things, those) but everything I've read was about a fucking priest.
I don't like books with priests. They always end up being religious and, being young and all, I hate God.
Where was I ? Oh, annoying priests. I didn't want a book about religion.
You see, the blurb talks about a girl who can remember things. Now, correct me if i'm wrong, (which I'm not, because I know everything) but catholic priests are, by definition, male.
So I decided not to finish the book. Because I was greatly disappointed about the head.
June 9, 2015
www.melissa413readsalot.blogspot.com
I won this book through a Good Reads First Reads Giveaway.
It took me some time to sort my feelings about this book. I almost gave it a two star rating but there are some good concepts of the book and I really hate giving low ratings unless I just really hate a book.
This book is labeled as an urban fantasy, which I do not believe it should be in this genre of books. I think this is one of the reasons the book kept throwing me off. It's seem more of like a theological thriller.
Kallie has what she these deja vu moments through out her day. Now I can't go into that too much without giving out some major spoilers and I'm just not going to do that. Kallie falls in love with Seth and the have a really different ending together than I would have thought in a million years.
So without giving out any clues as to who is what in the book I'm going to give a wide variety of what you will find in this book. You have Catholic priests, demon possession, reincarnation, terrorist plots, and psychics. I know I'm leaving some stuff out, but that is all I can manage at this point. I did like a few of the characters as well.
I want to try to read this book again at a later date with a different view coming into the read.
I would like to thank the author for a copy of this book.
I won this book through a Good Reads First Reads Giveaway.
It took me some time to sort my feelings about this book. I almost gave it a two star rating but there are some good concepts of the book and I really hate giving low ratings unless I just really hate a book.
This book is labeled as an urban fantasy, which I do not believe it should be in this genre of books. I think this is one of the reasons the book kept throwing me off. It's seem more of like a theological thriller.
Kallie has what she these deja vu moments through out her day. Now I can't go into that too much without giving out some major spoilers and I'm just not going to do that. Kallie falls in love with Seth and the have a really different ending together than I would have thought in a million years.
So without giving out any clues as to who is what in the book I'm going to give a wide variety of what you will find in this book. You have Catholic priests, demon possession, reincarnation, terrorist plots, and psychics. I know I'm leaving some stuff out, but that is all I can manage at this point. I did like a few of the characters as well.
I want to try to read this book again at a later date with a different view coming into the read.
I would like to thank the author for a copy of this book.
May 8, 2015
This review has also been posted on Devin's Book Hub.
In Rememberers, 19-year-old Kallie Hunt has been experiencing deja vu sensations. She feels like she’s lived through a moment before, and can “see” what happens before it actually happens. But how is that possible? Is something wrong with her? And why is the government and a few priests be following her around, telling her she needs to save the world from demons? Things are about to get weird…
Having recently read Fathers House by C. Edward Baldwin, I figured I would give his new book Rememberers a shot.
Overall, the story was alright. It was a bit of a page turner, but didn’t feel meaty enough to me. The book’s concept was intriguing: time is a cycle rather than linear like we think it is, so she has already lived through the moment before, and she is recalling a previous life. As the book advances, Kallie and her friends find out more about this and what exactly both the government and the priests want from her. Who’s telling the truth to her, and who’s lying?
Aside from that, though. it was meh. I felt distant from the characters, they weren’t super developed. I didn’t think the book was boring, but it wasn’t extremely exciting either, hence why I say it didn’t feel meaty enough.
While not necessarily Christian fiction, the novel does incorporate God and some pieces of religion, although it is in no way forcing a religion upon the reader. It’s just all part of the plot, which makes sense to me and it isn’t a turn off of any kind. I have seen a few gripes about that, which is a little head scratching to me, but hey – whatever floats the reader’s boat.
Rememberers will be getting a sequel next year as it is part of a series, so I look forward to checking that when it’s out. Hopefully I find it a big more engaging and thrilling than this one.
Note: I had received a copy of this book from StoryCartel.
In Rememberers, 19-year-old Kallie Hunt has been experiencing deja vu sensations. She feels like she’s lived through a moment before, and can “see” what happens before it actually happens. But how is that possible? Is something wrong with her? And why is the government and a few priests be following her around, telling her she needs to save the world from demons? Things are about to get weird…
Having recently read Fathers House by C. Edward Baldwin, I figured I would give his new book Rememberers a shot.
Overall, the story was alright. It was a bit of a page turner, but didn’t feel meaty enough to me. The book’s concept was intriguing: time is a cycle rather than linear like we think it is, so she has already lived through the moment before, and she is recalling a previous life. As the book advances, Kallie and her friends find out more about this and what exactly both the government and the priests want from her. Who’s telling the truth to her, and who’s lying?
Aside from that, though. it was meh. I felt distant from the characters, they weren’t super developed. I didn’t think the book was boring, but it wasn’t extremely exciting either, hence why I say it didn’t feel meaty enough.
While not necessarily Christian fiction, the novel does incorporate God and some pieces of religion, although it is in no way forcing a religion upon the reader. It’s just all part of the plot, which makes sense to me and it isn’t a turn off of any kind. I have seen a few gripes about that, which is a little head scratching to me, but hey – whatever floats the reader’s boat.
Rememberers will be getting a sequel next year as it is part of a series, so I look forward to checking that when it’s out. Hopefully I find it a big more engaging and thrilling than this one.
Note: I had received a copy of this book from StoryCartel.
April 12, 2016
https://anaslair.wordpress.com/2015/0...
When I first saw this title on Netgalley, I thought the cover was quite immature, but I was very intrigued by the premise. I am a sucker for people who have brains that work differently from common folks', and then the deja vus... Matrix, anyone?
So I picked this up and, as I started reading, I was intrigued. A priest who could have played basketball professionally. An agent coming to interview him because his business card was found at a murder scene. The priest's evasive answers... Although I was a bit annoyed with the dialogue, since the priest seemed to repeat everything the agent said, I supposed that is what people do when trying to hide something.
And boy, was he ever. He has a discussion on the phone about Rememberers, people who can basically predict catastrophes, and the secret group which controls this knowledge and how to deal with it. I was engaged, but there was something about the writing that just did not me to be fully there; maybe it was all the backstory - I wished it could have been more weaved into the action. But I wanted to know more.
However, the more I read, the more I realized the narrative just did not have the power to reel me in. The writing felt clumsy and awkward; it was green, juvenile, repetitive.
Small example: "No," she reiterated, "my sensations aren't related to grief." She paused again, this time making it the terminus point. She didn't know what else to say. She was only certain that the sensations weren't related to grief.
Things that had been said in previous chapters were extensively repeated in the beginning of following ones.
A lot of words were used when they could and should have been abbreviated.
At times, there were way too many adverbs and adjectives.
Then the plot... First of all, when she gets to Dr Frost's, Kallie wants answers, help on why she has these sensations. We are told close to nothing of what their first talk is like, if Kallie even mentioned that her teacher referred her there; the time immediately fast-forwards, and the next minute she is already their test subject! She is agreeing to all sorts of things without the slightest hint of conflict.
I think that is one of the main things that was off to me in this book. Lack of conflict. Everything was easy and bland, even when the action was faster paced.
Like her thing with Seth. What is her deal with him? One minute she gets all flushed near him and has this major crush, the next she is all nonchalant about it. The guy has obviously been into her for a while but apparently she has been in her own little bubble fantasizing about how dreamy he is.
Or has she? Maybe she only remembers she has a thing for him when he's nearby? Even when they have a date it's like it's no big deal. And then they have a huge fight and when they make up they are visiting each other's families?? I just don't get any of it. That last bit in particular struck me as an excuse to get Kallie to talk to a so-called normal clergyman about eternal return and other developments in the plot later on. Not well achieved, in my opinion.
The story didn't flow. I felt like I was being fed chunks of this, then chunks of that, a lot of information being dumped and never in a natural way.
Even the premise which got me so interested - the deja vu thing - did not feel well-developed. I never really got that wonderful feeling of duality between being in reality and the visions at the same time, although there were attempts to convey it.
I just could not accurately tell what Kellie was seeing and how she was reacting in the 'real world'. I thought it was so weird that no one around her seemed to notice any changes on her. We are basically told she panics during the attacks but don't actually see it - she looks around and everyone is minding their own business.
Since the beginning of the book, lots of telling and not enough showing put me off, big time. But I trudged on.
Grudgingly.
There wasn't much to the story. The demons mentioned in the blurb, for instance, only come up around 70% of the book, and it all seems to appear a bit out of nowhere, the why and how never fully explained. A portal opened. That's all.
The progress of Kallie's ability was also very sudden. I did not get what the priming technique consisted of, and I felt everything that happened after that was utterly abrupt. One minute she can't deal or control any of it and the next she seems to be fully able to master it.
She closed her eyes, thought fiftieth floor, and suddenly she was there (...)
Swag did explain that is what it would feel like, but it just seemed overly simplistic to me, like the author was taking the easy way out of explaining something which could be amazing. And I got that feeling so many times throughout the book.
And this is around the time where I grew from bored to angry. I was appalled when I found the author constantly acknowledging, or rather giving heads up, to what had made me completely lose any interest in the narrative, besides all the telling instead of showing.
As my example above, where Swag 'warned' Kellie developing her ability would be incredibly easy, there's also this: Calling them out had seemed so ridiculously simple(...). Them, referring to the demons. I was like... Gee, really? What in this book did not sound ridiculously simple? From Kallie figuring out how to do whatever she needed to do, to then doing it (Kallie's moves were fluid, matrix-like, and came in droves - this on the first minutes of her very first fight), to being just so darn perfect! Seriously: she looks absolutely gorgeous without any make-up whatsoever, is envied by her room mates because she can get ready in less than 15 minutes, seems to be admired by many people (including boys), dealt perfectly with losing her mother and never having met her father - anything you can think of, she is perfect and everything comes easily to her.
There were so many plot holes I don't even know where to begin. I will try to state a few, but please don't read them if you intend to read the book, because the following text contains major spoilers.
As you can imagine, by this point I was pretty upset. Constantly being told something is happening because someone says so, with not even a hint to why, let alone a full explanation, I actually felt offended. As a reader, I did not feel respected. I felt like I was being fed completely undeveloped concepts and premises and expected to just take it. I honestly felt I absolutely wasted my time reading this book.
And then there were all the ludicrous theories.
And the ending... Oh the ending. Perfect to such a bland book, I suppose.
So in a nutshell, I do not recommend this book. There are good things in it, of course, or at least hints to interesting things, like the idea of a secret religious organization, eternal return, remembering, deja-vus and whatnot, but the concepts are never fully developed.
Also, there are plenty of paranormal books out there with characters you can actually relate to, they are well-developed as well as the world where action takes place. Sadly, this is not one of those books.
Note: It seems I am the first reviewer who has actually finished the book to give it 1 star, at least on GR. But I feel I have to be true to the experience it gave me and unfortunately it just was not a positive one. I hope I have justified my rating well enough.
Disclaimer: I would like to thank the publisher and Netgalley for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
When I first saw this title on Netgalley, I thought the cover was quite immature, but I was very intrigued by the premise. I am a sucker for people who have brains that work differently from common folks', and then the deja vus... Matrix, anyone?
So I picked this up and, as I started reading, I was intrigued. A priest who could have played basketball professionally. An agent coming to interview him because his business card was found at a murder scene. The priest's evasive answers... Although I was a bit annoyed with the dialogue, since the priest seemed to repeat everything the agent said, I supposed that is what people do when trying to hide something.
And boy, was he ever. He has a discussion on the phone about Rememberers, people who can basically predict catastrophes, and the secret group which controls this knowledge and how to deal with it. I was engaged, but there was something about the writing that just did not me to be fully there; maybe it was all the backstory - I wished it could have been more weaved into the action. But I wanted to know more.
However, the more I read, the more I realized the narrative just did not have the power to reel me in. The writing felt clumsy and awkward; it was green, juvenile, repetitive.
Small example: "No," she reiterated, "my sensations aren't related to grief." She paused again, this time making it the terminus point. She didn't know what else to say. She was only certain that the sensations weren't related to grief.
Things that had been said in previous chapters were extensively repeated in the beginning of following ones.
A lot of words were used when they could and should have been abbreviated.
At times, there were way too many adverbs and adjectives.
Then the plot... First of all, when she gets to Dr Frost's, Kallie wants answers, help on why she has these sensations. We are told close to nothing of what their first talk is like, if Kallie even mentioned that her teacher referred her there; the time immediately fast-forwards, and the next minute she is already their test subject! She is agreeing to all sorts of things without the slightest hint of conflict.
I think that is one of the main things that was off to me in this book. Lack of conflict. Everything was easy and bland, even when the action was faster paced.
Like her thing with Seth. What is her deal with him? One minute she gets all flushed near him and has this major crush, the next she is all nonchalant about it. The guy has obviously been into her for a while but apparently she has been in her own little bubble fantasizing about how dreamy he is.
Or has she? Maybe she only remembers she has a thing for him when he's nearby? Even when they have a date it's like it's no big deal. And then they have a huge fight and when they make up they are visiting each other's families?? I just don't get any of it. That last bit in particular struck me as an excuse to get Kallie to talk to a so-called normal clergyman about eternal return and other developments in the plot later on. Not well achieved, in my opinion.
The story didn't flow. I felt like I was being fed chunks of this, then chunks of that, a lot of information being dumped and never in a natural way.
Even the premise which got me so interested - the deja vu thing - did not feel well-developed. I never really got that wonderful feeling of duality between being in reality and the visions at the same time, although there were attempts to convey it.
I just could not accurately tell what Kellie was seeing and how she was reacting in the 'real world'. I thought it was so weird that no one around her seemed to notice any changes on her. We are basically told she panics during the attacks but don't actually see it - she looks around and everyone is minding their own business.
Since the beginning of the book, lots of telling and not enough showing put me off, big time. But I trudged on.
Grudgingly.
There wasn't much to the story. The demons mentioned in the blurb, for instance, only come up around 70% of the book, and it all seems to appear a bit out of nowhere, the why and how never fully explained. A portal opened. That's all.
The progress of Kallie's ability was also very sudden. I did not get what the priming technique consisted of, and I felt everything that happened after that was utterly abrupt. One minute she can't deal or control any of it and the next she seems to be fully able to master it.
She closed her eyes, thought fiftieth floor, and suddenly she was there (...)
Swag did explain that is what it would feel like, but it just seemed overly simplistic to me, like the author was taking the easy way out of explaining something which could be amazing. And I got that feeling so many times throughout the book.
And this is around the time where I grew from bored to angry. I was appalled when I found the author constantly acknowledging, or rather giving heads up, to what had made me completely lose any interest in the narrative, besides all the telling instead of showing.
As my example above, where Swag 'warned' Kellie developing her ability would be incredibly easy, there's also this: Calling them out had seemed so ridiculously simple(...). Them, referring to the demons. I was like... Gee, really? What in this book did not sound ridiculously simple? From Kallie figuring out how to do whatever she needed to do, to then doing it (Kallie's moves were fluid, matrix-like, and came in droves - this on the first minutes of her very first fight), to being just so darn perfect! Seriously: she looks absolutely gorgeous without any make-up whatsoever, is envied by her room mates because she can get ready in less than 15 minutes, seems to be admired by many people (including boys), dealt perfectly with losing her mother and never having met her father - anything you can think of, she is perfect and everything comes easily to her.
There were so many plot holes I don't even know where to begin. I will try to state a few, but please don't read them if you intend to read the book, because the following text contains major spoilers.
As you can imagine, by this point I was pretty upset. Constantly being told something is happening because someone says so, with not even a hint to why, let alone a full explanation, I actually felt offended. As a reader, I did not feel respected. I felt like I was being fed completely undeveloped concepts and premises and expected to just take it. I honestly felt I absolutely wasted my time reading this book.
And then there were all the ludicrous theories.
And the ending... Oh the ending. Perfect to such a bland book, I suppose.
So in a nutshell, I do not recommend this book. There are good things in it, of course, or at least hints to interesting things, like the idea of a secret religious organization, eternal return, remembering, deja-vus and whatnot, but the concepts are never fully developed.
Also, there are plenty of paranormal books out there with characters you can actually relate to, they are well-developed as well as the world where action takes place. Sadly, this is not one of those books.
Note: It seems I am the first reviewer who has actually finished the book to give it 1 star, at least on GR. But I feel I have to be true to the experience it gave me and unfortunately it just was not a positive one. I hope I have justified my rating well enough.
Disclaimer: I would like to thank the publisher and Netgalley for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
April 8, 2015
** I was given an advance reader copy of this book from LibraryThing and C.Edward Baldwin in exchange for an honest review**
On the whole, this book was an enjoyable read. The premise of the book was interesting and original and I found the story engaging. Given the book's blurb, I was a bit disappointed that the truth behind the terrorists' murders was revealed so early on. Personally, I would've preferred to be left in the dark a bit longer as to what was going on, adding a greater sense of mystery/suspense to the novel. The book explores some interesting concepts which I will not elaborate on here as I do not want to spoil the book for others. Some of these concepts/ideas were new to me which helped add to the novelty of the story. While I understand that the author needed to explain certain concepts (i.e, what a rememberer is), I felt that some of these explanations were a bit forced and did not fit well within the story. Perhaps if they had been worded more naturally or revealed more gradually rather than in large chunks of text, they would've worked better. Further, as a female reader, some of the actions and descriptions of the female characters grated on me a bit (yes, teenage girls can be boy crazy, but marriage and romance is not all that they think about, is it, or am I too old to remember?). Anyway, on the whole it was an entertaining read and I would be interested to read the sequel. (3.5 stars)
On the whole, this book was an enjoyable read. The premise of the book was interesting and original and I found the story engaging. Given the book's blurb, I was a bit disappointed that the truth behind the terrorists' murders was revealed so early on. Personally, I would've preferred to be left in the dark a bit longer as to what was going on, adding a greater sense of mystery/suspense to the novel. The book explores some interesting concepts which I will not elaborate on here as I do not want to spoil the book for others. Some of these concepts/ideas were new to me which helped add to the novelty of the story. While I understand that the author needed to explain certain concepts (i.e, what a rememberer is), I felt that some of these explanations were a bit forced and did not fit well within the story. Perhaps if they had been worded more naturally or revealed more gradually rather than in large chunks of text, they would've worked better. Further, as a female reader, some of the actions and descriptions of the female characters grated on me a bit (yes, teenage girls can be boy crazy, but marriage and romance is not all that they think about, is it, or am I too old to remember?). Anyway, on the whole it was an entertaining read and I would be interested to read the sequel. (3.5 stars)
April 14, 2015
Review:
I received this book from NetGalley for review.
I went into this book expecting nothing. The synopsis sounded like this book would be enjoyable. I was left with a 'meh' feeling at the end. The writing was a little dry, as well as many of the characters. I should have known this book wasn't for me with it's Da Vinci Code comparison, both books had ties to religious themes with a forced plot that wasn't as engaging as promised.
I had a hard time caring about any of the characters struggles, since they were all pretty boring and dry, or just unrealistic. The female character got on my nerves more than once for various reasons. And at times it almost felt like there were two separate stories that were haphazardly mashed together to create this book.
The end of this book was rushed and a little sloppy. If you were a huge fan of the Da Vinci Code, you will like this book.
I received this book from NetGalley for review.
I went into this book expecting nothing. The synopsis sounded like this book would be enjoyable. I was left with a 'meh' feeling at the end. The writing was a little dry, as well as many of the characters. I should have known this book wasn't for me with it's Da Vinci Code comparison, both books had ties to religious themes with a forced plot that wasn't as engaging as promised.
I had a hard time caring about any of the characters struggles, since they were all pretty boring and dry, or just unrealistic. The female character got on my nerves more than once for various reasons. And at times it almost felt like there were two separate stories that were haphazardly mashed together to create this book.
The end of this book was rushed and a little sloppy. If you were a huge fan of the Da Vinci Code, you will like this book.
did-not-finish
April 7, 2021This book was a free ARC, provided by Netgalley, thank you!
When the main character finally raised her head towards the end of the second chapter, I felt like reading the latest Dan Brown or James Rollins, but not a UF novel with a strong, female lead.
The prose feels overly descriptiv, telling us every little breath or move each character is taking. Together with the third-person narrative this does not make for a very lively read.
At about 10% into the book and yet another chapter introducing a random new character, I have no interest in it whatsoever. The writing feels stilted, the story is not getting off the ground and I expected something completely different from the blurb, namely fast-paced Urban Fantasy. Which this is not.
I am not going to rate this book, as I only read about 10% of it.
When the main character finally raised her head towards the end of the second chapter, I felt like reading the latest Dan Brown or James Rollins, but not a UF novel with a strong, female lead.
The prose feels overly descriptiv, telling us every little breath or move each character is taking. Together with the third-person narrative this does not make for a very lively read.
At about 10% into the book and yet another chapter introducing a random new character, I have no interest in it whatsoever. The writing feels stilted, the story is not getting off the ground and I expected something completely different from the blurb, namely fast-paced Urban Fantasy. Which this is not.
I am not going to rate this book, as I only read about 10% of it.
May 28, 2015
***I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***
I was excited to read this one based on the synopsis, but I really had a hard time getting into it. Especially near the beginning, there was a lot of jumping back and forth between different sets of characters and different locales. This was a little confusing, since even the characters you were becoming familiar with weren't always in an expected location when you went back to them. I also felt that Kallie acted immature even for a college student, and her interactions with her new boyfriend Seth were somewhat strange. All of these things made it difficult for me to stick with and finish this one. Overall, the writing style just did not keep me engaged, or motivate me to finish the book. Read more at The Book's the Thing.
I was excited to read this one based on the synopsis, but I really had a hard time getting into it. Especially near the beginning, there was a lot of jumping back and forth between different sets of characters and different locales. This was a little confusing, since even the characters you were becoming familiar with weren't always in an expected location when you went back to them. I also felt that Kallie acted immature even for a college student, and her interactions with her new boyfriend Seth were somewhat strange. All of these things made it difficult for me to stick with and finish this one. Overall, the writing style just did not keep me engaged, or motivate me to finish the book. Read more at The Book's the Thing.
May 7, 2015
Received from Netgallery for an honest review. I really struggled with the first third of this book. I was getting confused about the characters and agencies involved and was beginning to wonder if I was actually going to have to give up. Fortunately it did pick up and the second bit was much better and more gripping. I’m not sure about the ending. It seemed a bit too simple. If I could I’d give this book three and a half stars but as halves aren’t allowed I’ve given it three. It has a sequel- will I read it? I’m undecided at the moment.
April 23, 2015
I really tried to get into this book, but I just never could. It had a lot of religious-like mumbo jumbo that I didn't like, and distracted me from the story. I think it would have been better to let the characters, through action, explain the background ideas instead of constantly preaching them.
April 15, 2015
This smartly written, thought-provoking novel is a must read for any fan of fiction. A unique blend of all my favorite literary genres mystery and suspense it's no wonder I loved it. Very highly recommended.
July 29, 2022
I bought this book from the author a few years ago at a convention where we had a really nice chat. As an artist, supporting other artists is something I try to do so I bought this one from him. I completely forgot about getting it until a distinctive bookmark fell out from @Cavitycolors. I would have read and reviewed it sooner had I remembered. It was a great read and kept me fully engrossed until the end. It could have been edited better but my rating is based on how much I enjoyed it and if I would read another by him and I will definitely check out his other works. All in all it was a quick, easy fun read that takes you on a ride so if you like urban fantasy then you should pick up a copy.
July 12, 2015
*I received the ebook version of this from a giveaway on LibraryThing.
**This will also be posted on Booklikess.
Rememberers was not what I expected it to be. I expected it to be more of the fantasy genre. Instead, it's all about religion, science, psychology, terrorists, demons, God and Adam & Eve. We mainly follow Kallie, a nineteen-year-old college student who experiences daily feelings of deja vu, and who ends up immersed in the world of religion and the evil that goes with the good. She also ends up being of interest to two catholic figures and an ICE agent. So obviously, nothing is as it seems.
First though, I just want to say one thing about the religion: I was often bored while reading the religion parts. Mainly because much was repeated, but also because it happened so often I just found myself eager for that part to be over. And it's not like I have anything against religion; my grandparents are highly religious and strongly believe in God. But there was just so much of it. And I get that religion plays a huge part for the novel, but reading many things over and over again just in different words did not appeal to me. Other then that, though, Rememberers proved to be an interesting read.
I really like the idea behind the Rememberers and their powers. I especially love how there are past lives and they way that plays a part in the story. Reading about Kallie and seeing her perspectives change and her mind grow stronger was just so fascinating, especially because she can tear into those dang demons for three hours straight. I mean, it's action, and I love me some action. I also love how we got to go into minds other than Kallie's though, so we could make up our own theories about what these other people plan do to with her. I actually enjoyed reading about her interactions with certain people, because we readers know some of the characters she hangs out with don't have good intentions, and she herself doesn't know. So to see her try and piece it together, to see her friends piece it together, is interesting because we get to see how their minds work. All in all, I really like the writing and the way it all mapped out.
The characters (the religious figures, anyway) were not what I would have expected. It was good though. I think my favourite character would have to be Johnny Swag (because that last name, yo), because he's so dark and creepy and scarily brilliant. If he were a real person that I knew, I would probably be terrified of him, considering what he is capable of. And I know he wasn't in his right mind (if you've read Rememberers, you'll know what I'm taking about) but still, to be how he is and not see any wrong... It was just really fascinating to see him plan and take action.
I don't have much else to say. I would recommend this to those who don't mind religious talk, or books that are based on religion.
**This will also be posted on Booklikess.
Rememberers was not what I expected it to be. I expected it to be more of the fantasy genre. Instead, it's all about religion, science, psychology, terrorists, demons, God and Adam & Eve. We mainly follow Kallie, a nineteen-year-old college student who experiences daily feelings of deja vu, and who ends up immersed in the world of religion and the evil that goes with the good. She also ends up being of interest to two catholic figures and an ICE agent. So obviously, nothing is as it seems.
First though, I just want to say one thing about the religion: I was often bored while reading the religion parts. Mainly because much was repeated, but also because it happened so often I just found myself eager for that part to be over. And it's not like I have anything against religion; my grandparents are highly religious and strongly believe in God. But there was just so much of it. And I get that religion plays a huge part for the novel, but reading many things over and over again just in different words did not appeal to me. Other then that, though, Rememberers proved to be an interesting read.
I really like the idea behind the Rememberers and their powers. I especially love how there are past lives and they way that plays a part in the story. Reading about Kallie and seeing her perspectives change and her mind grow stronger was just so fascinating, especially because she can tear into those dang demons for three hours straight. I mean, it's action, and I love me some action. I also love how we got to go into minds other than Kallie's though, so we could make up our own theories about what these other people plan do to with her. I actually enjoyed reading about her interactions with certain people, because we readers know some of the characters she hangs out with don't have good intentions, and she herself doesn't know. So to see her try and piece it together, to see her friends piece it together, is interesting because we get to see how their minds work. All in all, I really like the writing and the way it all mapped out.
The characters (the religious figures, anyway) were not what I would have expected. It was good though. I think my favourite character would have to be Johnny Swag (because that last name, yo), because he's so dark and creepy and scarily brilliant. If he were a real person that I knew, I would probably be terrified of him, considering what he is capable of. And I know he wasn't in his right mind (if you've read Rememberers, you'll know what I'm taking about) but still, to be how he is and not see any wrong... It was just really fascinating to see him plan and take action.
I don't have much else to say. I would recommend this to those who don't mind religious talk, or books that are based on religion.
June 1, 2015
My Musings :
Deja vu
The single word which made me take a second look at the book. I read this book solely for the premise of the heroine, Kallie being haunted by familiar events unfolding in her life. And the other questions and mysteries associated with her was secondary.
So was I right to base my expectation on a single word? Read on to know more.
The starting of the book was engaging. The life of Kallie is outlined piece by piece while at the same time, the death of a stranger is being investigated. How Kallie is entwined with the situation and how she impacts it forms the base of the story. The whodunnit was engrossing in the starting chapters but it was revealed too soon about the terrorists and their anti society.
The plot actually has a religious slant to it. It is no where mentioned in the blurb but at the same time, I wasn't put off by it. It flowed and connected well with the tale. There is a religious connotation to each and every event in the book. I didn't find it preachy though. The pace was steady and the characters enacted their roles well. But I did find few things repetitive, which kind of distracted me while reading the book. The scenes flowed well for me to form the big picture.
The concept of time being a circle and not linear is unique. But it also goes with the deja vu theory. The author has spent some time explaining it in the book, which makes sense in an abstract way. After all it is a fantasy book! I did question it being a fantasy tale because it was like no other fantasy genre book. I would not classify it as such. Another thing which didn't go well with the story was the book cover. I think the author could have gotten an image depicting the story better.
Kallie does good as the main protagonist but my favourite was Johnny. He gets a 11 on a scale of 10 for pure evilness. Then there's Father McCarthy and his "slavery" near the end of the book made me so sad and mad! Josh was another favourite of mine. I can never resist a nerd. Seth was the completing part of the puzzle. He was always in a confused state regarding Kallie throughout the book.
Till the ending, which was kind of unexpected, I didn't know we were going to go to the beginning of the story of Mankind. That was one surprise twist which I didn't foresee. I wasn't per se disappointed but I got something different than my expectation and that too in a partly good way.
So would I consider reading the next book? Definitely at least to know what happens to Seth and Kallie. Would I recommend it to others? I would say that if you don't mind religious references and love to read out of the box ideas then this book might appeal to you.
My one line review : If Adam and Eve had a turn against Satan....
My rating : 3.5/5
My reread factor : 3/5
Floryie @ http://thebookdrealms.blogspot.com
Deja vu
The single word which made me take a second look at the book. I read this book solely for the premise of the heroine, Kallie being haunted by familiar events unfolding in her life. And the other questions and mysteries associated with her was secondary.
So was I right to base my expectation on a single word? Read on to know more.
The starting of the book was engaging. The life of Kallie is outlined piece by piece while at the same time, the death of a stranger is being investigated. How Kallie is entwined with the situation and how she impacts it forms the base of the story. The whodunnit was engrossing in the starting chapters but it was revealed too soon about the terrorists and their anti society.
The plot actually has a religious slant to it. It is no where mentioned in the blurb but at the same time, I wasn't put off by it. It flowed and connected well with the tale. There is a religious connotation to each and every event in the book. I didn't find it preachy though. The pace was steady and the characters enacted their roles well. But I did find few things repetitive, which kind of distracted me while reading the book. The scenes flowed well for me to form the big picture.
The concept of time being a circle and not linear is unique. But it also goes with the deja vu theory. The author has spent some time explaining it in the book, which makes sense in an abstract way. After all it is a fantasy book! I did question it being a fantasy tale because it was like no other fantasy genre book. I would not classify it as such. Another thing which didn't go well with the story was the book cover. I think the author could have gotten an image depicting the story better.
Kallie does good as the main protagonist but my favourite was Johnny. He gets a 11 on a scale of 10 for pure evilness. Then there's Father McCarthy and his "slavery" near the end of the book made me so sad and mad! Josh was another favourite of mine. I can never resist a nerd. Seth was the completing part of the puzzle. He was always in a confused state regarding Kallie throughout the book.
Till the ending, which was kind of unexpected, I didn't know we were going to go to the beginning of the story of Mankind. That was one surprise twist which I didn't foresee. I wasn't per se disappointed but I got something different than my expectation and that too in a partly good way.
So would I consider reading the next book? Definitely at least to know what happens to Seth and Kallie. Would I recommend it to others? I would say that if you don't mind religious references and love to read out of the box ideas then this book might appeal to you.
My one line review : If Adam and Eve had a turn against Satan....
My rating : 3.5/5
My reread factor : 3/5
Floryie @ http://thebookdrealms.blogspot.com
June 23, 2015
Spoilers ahead…
I had never heard of eternal return before I read this book. Initially, I would have probably guessed that eternal return was an insurance company for the 65 years and old crowd that advertises on late night TV or during commercial breaks for reruns of the Golden Girls. But the idea is much more complicated than that.
What if time is not a straight line that runs from the beginning of the universe to the end? What if time is a circle and we keep reliving the entire thing over and over again? Everything would begin at big bang and then the dinosaurs would rule the earth. In time, man would make an appearance. Eons later, he would rule the earth, and then would eventually cause his own destruction and the end to everything. Then time would start over again. Now imagine that there are people along the way that can remember bits and pieces of the past cycle and can stop bad things from happening all over again. These are the rememberers.
I enjoyed this premise from the start and loved getting to know Kallie, a young college student showing signs of being a rememberer. I fell a little bit in love with Father Frank McCarthy, a young priest who forgoes an NBA career to serve God and help others build their remembering ability. Now if the author had only stopped there and continued to build his ideas and conspiracy theories through several additional books instead of cramming everything into one novel. But we had the FBI agents, a rogue rememberer, the gates of hell, demon possession of the people of Philadelphia, a part-rememberer psychic who writes the Book of Origins that documents the events of each life cycle, a charismatic young minister, and, of course, Lucifer. I was overwhelmed by the depth of the storylines and amount of information crammed into a 350 page space. The author was not able to do them all justice and could have easily evolved many of these themes over several books. But what saved it was the surprise twist at end that tied all these different storylines together as best as it could. I don’t know how, but it worked and I loved it.
This book was full of Christian history and doctrine but it is not a Christian book. I read some reviews that slammed it for being “too Christian.” The author did an excellent job at explaining several of the important aspects of the Christian faith but it was only used to create the background and add context. I never felt it got “preachy.”
So if you like books with a lot of deep ideas that ask life probing questions, this book is for you.
To see my entire review go to: wp.me/p5Q4Dh-g0
* Review copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I had never heard of eternal return before I read this book. Initially, I would have probably guessed that eternal return was an insurance company for the 65 years and old crowd that advertises on late night TV or during commercial breaks for reruns of the Golden Girls. But the idea is much more complicated than that.
What if time is not a straight line that runs from the beginning of the universe to the end? What if time is a circle and we keep reliving the entire thing over and over again? Everything would begin at big bang and then the dinosaurs would rule the earth. In time, man would make an appearance. Eons later, he would rule the earth, and then would eventually cause his own destruction and the end to everything. Then time would start over again. Now imagine that there are people along the way that can remember bits and pieces of the past cycle and can stop bad things from happening all over again. These are the rememberers.
I enjoyed this premise from the start and loved getting to know Kallie, a young college student showing signs of being a rememberer. I fell a little bit in love with Father Frank McCarthy, a young priest who forgoes an NBA career to serve God and help others build their remembering ability. Now if the author had only stopped there and continued to build his ideas and conspiracy theories through several additional books instead of cramming everything into one novel. But we had the FBI agents, a rogue rememberer, the gates of hell, demon possession of the people of Philadelphia, a part-rememberer psychic who writes the Book of Origins that documents the events of each life cycle, a charismatic young minister, and, of course, Lucifer. I was overwhelmed by the depth of the storylines and amount of information crammed into a 350 page space. The author was not able to do them all justice and could have easily evolved many of these themes over several books. But what saved it was the surprise twist at end that tied all these different storylines together as best as it could. I don’t know how, but it worked and I loved it.
This book was full of Christian history and doctrine but it is not a Christian book. I read some reviews that slammed it for being “too Christian.” The author did an excellent job at explaining several of the important aspects of the Christian faith but it was only used to create the background and add context. I never felt it got “preachy.”
So if you like books with a lot of deep ideas that ask life probing questions, this book is for you.
To see my entire review go to: wp.me/p5Q4Dh-g0
* Review copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 5, 2015
Have you ever experienced Deja Vu? What if that Deja Vu actually meant something? Something potentially life altering? How would you know? And what could you possibly do about it?
Kallie Hunt seems like a typical college student. She isn’t sure what she wants to do with her life and hasn’t even chosen a major in college yet.
The death of her mother a year earlier from brain cancer had left Kallie with her grandmother as her only relative. Well, she has a father, but since she’s only spoken to him three times in her entire life, he does not count.
When Kallie begins experiencing almost daily feelings of deja vu, she is understandably concerned that she might have inherited brain cancer from her mother.
Dennard Bennett is an ICE agent. ICE stands for Department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. His job entails investigating anything he or his department believes could be a threat to national security. ICE is a direct result of the passing of The Patriot Act that came into being after 9/11.
Father Frank McCarthy is a Catholic priest who gave up what could have been an extremely profitable career in the NBA to follow his “calling” to God.
Reverend Johnny Swag is the charismatic preacher for the New Vibe Community Church located near Kallie’s college.
What ties these people together will surprise you. Together they are all needed and will ultimately save or destroy hundreds, if not thousands of lives.
You will need to read “Rememberers” to find out how!
This is quite the book. I’m not sure what I initially thought this book would be like, but it turned out to be an even better read than I had hoped.
This book is intelligently written and will challenge the reader’s beliefs in many ways.
I do not want to give away too much of the plot with this review, but I definitely recommend this book to lovers of many different types of fiction. There are historical aspects, religious aspects, mysterious happenings, shades of the paranormal, romance and more.
To read more of my reviews visit http://amiesbookreviews.wordpress.com
Kallie Hunt seems like a typical college student. She isn’t sure what she wants to do with her life and hasn’t even chosen a major in college yet.
The death of her mother a year earlier from brain cancer had left Kallie with her grandmother as her only relative. Well, she has a father, but since she’s only spoken to him three times in her entire life, he does not count.
When Kallie begins experiencing almost daily feelings of deja vu, she is understandably concerned that she might have inherited brain cancer from her mother.
Dennard Bennett is an ICE agent. ICE stands for Department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. His job entails investigating anything he or his department believes could be a threat to national security. ICE is a direct result of the passing of The Patriot Act that came into being after 9/11.
Father Frank McCarthy is a Catholic priest who gave up what could have been an extremely profitable career in the NBA to follow his “calling” to God.
Reverend Johnny Swag is the charismatic preacher for the New Vibe Community Church located near Kallie’s college.
What ties these people together will surprise you. Together they are all needed and will ultimately save or destroy hundreds, if not thousands of lives.
You will need to read “Rememberers” to find out how!
This is quite the book. I’m not sure what I initially thought this book would be like, but it turned out to be an even better read than I had hoped.
This book is intelligently written and will challenge the reader’s beliefs in many ways.
I do not want to give away too much of the plot with this review, but I definitely recommend this book to lovers of many different types of fiction. There are historical aspects, religious aspects, mysterious happenings, shades of the paranormal, romance and more.
To read more of my reviews visit http://amiesbookreviews.wordpress.com
July 6, 2017
Wow! What a fascinating novel! Kali is finally getting back to her normal life after her mother's death from brain cancer. She is going to college when she starts having déjà vu experiences upon awaking in the morning. Why? What is causing this? The feelings are so intense that she mentions it to her grandmother. Her grandmother asks if she is going to church and who her minister is. Her grandmother calls Father Swagg and asks him to help her daughter. Meanwhile Kalli has met a boy named Seth who she likes. She also discovers a project at her college that is studying déjà vu where she meets Josh who is fascinated with her experiences. Kalli becomes more insecure and goes to see a psychic hoping to understand her déjà vu. She finds that there is a belief that time is a circle not linear. As she learns about her déjà vu she starts remembering more and more. So much more happens in this urban fantasy, that my review would turn into a book! There is a secret society, the FBI, demons, the goddess Kali, the original Adam and Eve, and angels in this mysterious yet compelling novel.
It is an urban fantasy that takes place in contemporary time. In the beginning of this novel, it starts off giving you just enough information about Kalli to make you want to know more about her. The author engages you with his writing in a suspenseful style. By the end of the book, you will be wanting volume two of "Rememberers" in print now! It is a fascinating story, don't miss out!
Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book free from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I was not obliged to write a favorable review, or even any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
It is an urban fantasy that takes place in contemporary time. In the beginning of this novel, it starts off giving you just enough information about Kalli to make you want to know more about her. The author engages you with his writing in a suspenseful style. By the end of the book, you will be wanting volume two of "Rememberers" in print now! It is a fascinating story, don't miss out!
Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book free from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I was not obliged to write a favorable review, or even any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
May 10, 2015
I can't help but wonder if this book might find its way to a readership which will appreciate it more if the description mentioned how heavily theology will be featured. I expected to read a book with a paranormal and urban fantasy combination featuring characters with the ability to see activities which would cause harm and danger to people and change those situations before they happened. Specifically terrorist threats. I got some of that, but much more of the Christian faith reasons for why deja vu happens to some people and how they can alter the future by acting on those visions. Yet having a member of this super deja vu capable Rememberer group will kill the terrorist as the preferred method for stopping the event. It is an odd mixture and one which didn't mix well for me. Then the book just went right off the rails when I got about half way into it, plus with an ending that felt unsatisfactory because it was so terribly predictable.
This is one of those books where a super secret society is operating within a world wide religious group and one of the first things that happens is that all the secrecy is blown apart by disclosing the secret bits to a young woman who immediately tells some of her friends. Well, there goes your secret organization but no one hardly seems to notice. The book may be difficult for some religious readers to enjoy if they find themselves disagreeing with the philosophical and theological arguments presented in long portions of the narrative. According to the information in the book, there will be a second book in the series titled Killing God scheduled for 2016.
I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.
This is one of those books where a super secret society is operating within a world wide religious group and one of the first things that happens is that all the secrecy is blown apart by disclosing the secret bits to a young woman who immediately tells some of her friends. Well, there goes your secret organization but no one hardly seems to notice. The book may be difficult for some religious readers to enjoy if they find themselves disagreeing with the philosophical and theological arguments presented in long portions of the narrative. According to the information in the book, there will be a second book in the series titled Killing God scheduled for 2016.
I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley.
March 5, 2015
Disclaimer: This is the first book I'm reviewing for NetGalley, a website that allows authors to release books early to reviewers. NetGalley gave me a copy of the book for this purpose.
"The Rememberers" by C. Edward Baldwin offers readers a glimpse into a world where a few select people can remember the future. Yes, I know that it sounds a bit crazy and a few times while reading the story I felt as if I was watching "The Matrix", when Neo is asked to choose the red pill or the blue pill. Only instead of Neo, we have Kallie being asked to forgot what she knows about reality.
The book begins with readers meeting Kallie, a college student who is coping with the recent-ish death of her mother and a growing number of occurrences of déjà vu. In an effort to understand her problem, she goes to a university group that studies mental phenomena.
While this is going on, the author twines another plot thread with a secret organization, a government official who believes in psychic abilities, and two priests. I won't go into more details, because I don't want to ruin the story.
While I enjoyed reading the first 9/10s of the book, the very last part felt very rushed, as if the author was working on a deadline and didn't have time to write the scenes out. The characters go flat, the action is told to the readers instead of shown, and then BOOM! The book is over. I still recommend reading the book, if you enjoy urban fantasies. Just remember that the ending isn't as good as the beginning.
"The Rememberers" by C. Edward Baldwin offers readers a glimpse into a world where a few select people can remember the future. Yes, I know that it sounds a bit crazy and a few times while reading the story I felt as if I was watching "The Matrix", when Neo is asked to choose the red pill or the blue pill. Only instead of Neo, we have Kallie being asked to forgot what she knows about reality.
The book begins with readers meeting Kallie, a college student who is coping with the recent-ish death of her mother and a growing number of occurrences of déjà vu. In an effort to understand her problem, she goes to a university group that studies mental phenomena.
While this is going on, the author twines another plot thread with a secret organization, a government official who believes in psychic abilities, and two priests. I won't go into more details, because I don't want to ruin the story.
While I enjoyed reading the first 9/10s of the book, the very last part felt very rushed, as if the author was working on a deadline and didn't have time to write the scenes out. The characters go flat, the action is told to the readers instead of shown, and then BOOM! The book is over. I still recommend reading the book, if you enjoy urban fantasies. Just remember that the ending isn't as good as the beginning.
August 12, 2015
(
I received this book free from the Author in exchange for my honest review
)
2.5 Stars
This book started out good, it peaked my interest and the mystery was alluring, but it fell hard. The writing was repetitive and to be honest noting of important happens until the last 30% of the book, and it just kind of, happens.
I felt that I was being told the story instead of getting absorb into it. I had to keep putting the book down because I was just not feeling it. The world building was, factual and two dimensional. It was like reading an assessment report, no pop, no ump.
I wasn't a fan of Kallie, things were just too easy for her, and in all she was border line Mary-sue. And that first damn line, what do normal collage girls think about, boys. I was in collage, sure boys where somewhere in the long list of worries, like how I was going to pay for food/booze. But not a constant thought. That turned me off from her, and ruin it for me for the rest of the book.
The premises for this story is quite intriguing, and original. There was lots of potential and still is. I believe this story can be a easy 10 with a little more work and clear up.
Through I did not like this read, I do recommend it. As I said the plot is original and quite unusual, with a mystery that will keep you guessing.
I would like to thank C. Edward Baldwin for letting my experience his work.
Happy Reading
-Emily
2.5 Stars
This book started out good, it peaked my interest and the mystery was alluring, but it fell hard. The writing was repetitive and to be honest noting of important happens until the last 30% of the book, and it just kind of, happens.
I felt that I was being told the story instead of getting absorb into it. I had to keep putting the book down because I was just not feeling it. The world building was, factual and two dimensional. It was like reading an assessment report, no pop, no ump.
I wasn't a fan of Kallie, things were just too easy for her, and in all she was border line Mary-sue. And that first damn line, what do normal collage girls think about, boys. I was in collage, sure boys where somewhere in the long list of worries, like how I was going to pay for food/booze. But not a constant thought. That turned me off from her, and ruin it for me for the rest of the book.
The premises for this story is quite intriguing, and original. There was lots of potential and still is. I believe this story can be a easy 10 with a little more work and clear up.
Through I did not like this read, I do recommend it. As I said the plot is original and quite unusual, with a mystery that will keep you guessing.
I would like to thank C. Edward Baldwin for letting my experience his work.
Happy Reading
-Emily
January 20, 2016
I got this book through Story Cartel and I've been listening to it being read via Voice Dream on my iPhone. I like the main character and have become invested in her role in the story. Finding it interesting how the religious belief thing is pervasive in the story. The book highlights the ridiculous beliefs people can have and follow blindly. There is the arm twisting from the family and blatant lies by the religious characters to get the main character to join in there evil doing. It's interesting how she would rather believe men of the cloth rather than the government guy who doesn't have any axe to grind. He is only there to find the truth in a X-Files type role.
Enjoying the story except for the repetition of the word sensations to name her deja vu experiences. A bit of judicious work with a thesaurus would have been good there. It does seem a bit preachy sometimes, but then with the religion background and occult there was bound to be some of that. Certainly confirms me as an atheist listening to the way the characters are swayed by the church rubbish.
After writing this I listened to some more of the story and it got so preachy I am considering not reading any more. I want story not discussions on the theory of magic as followed by the christian cult.
Enjoying the story except for the repetition of the word sensations to name her deja vu experiences. A bit of judicious work with a thesaurus would have been good there. It does seem a bit preachy sometimes, but then with the religion background and occult there was bound to be some of that. Certainly confirms me as an atheist listening to the way the characters are swayed by the church rubbish.
After writing this I listened to some more of the story and it got so preachy I am considering not reading any more. I want story not discussions on the theory of magic as followed by the christian cult.
April 29, 2015
This sounded like my sort of book.
“For 19-year-old Kallie Hunt, everyday moments began feeling all too familiar. She had a sense that she'd lived them before. But that was crazy, right? Deja vu.”
Unfortunately, the book starts with a Catholic priest and a security agent discussing the death of a terrorist, and quickly moves into the realms of secret organisations in the Church. Dan Brown territory.
When we finally meet Kallie, who has recently lost her mother to cancer, she is worried that the Deja vu is a symptom of a brain tumour or cancer. Her visions are of things that are going to happen, rather than what has happened and so she is a “Remberer”, and of interest to various parties.
Kallie is like no student I have met, one smile from a boy is enough for her to decide that he is “the one”, and she has a strange relationship with her fellow students.
We now learn that time is circular, not linear, and portals can be opened to let demons in, and some people can control the future. Then it gets biblical, too.
The story as a whole was an enjoyable romp, just suspend disbelief, and don’t question the logic of what is happening.
I received this book from Netgalley in return for an honest review.
“For 19-year-old Kallie Hunt, everyday moments began feeling all too familiar. She had a sense that she'd lived them before. But that was crazy, right? Deja vu.”
Unfortunately, the book starts with a Catholic priest and a security agent discussing the death of a terrorist, and quickly moves into the realms of secret organisations in the Church. Dan Brown territory.
When we finally meet Kallie, who has recently lost her mother to cancer, she is worried that the Deja vu is a symptom of a brain tumour or cancer. Her visions are of things that are going to happen, rather than what has happened and so she is a “Remberer”, and of interest to various parties.
Kallie is like no student I have met, one smile from a boy is enough for her to decide that he is “the one”, and she has a strange relationship with her fellow students.
We now learn that time is circular, not linear, and portals can be opened to let demons in, and some people can control the future. Then it gets biblical, too.
The story as a whole was an enjoyable romp, just suspend disbelief, and don’t question the logic of what is happening.
I received this book from Netgalley in return for an honest review.
June 14, 2015
This book was not what I expected. It was intriguing in the beginning reminding me almost of Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code with the religion and mystery but more supernatural. I have to admit that it took me longer to read this book because there were a lot of parts just explaining religion. Considering this book is heavily made up with religious context and philosophy I get it.
This book focuses on 19 year old Kallie and her weird episodes of déjà vu which captures the attention of three unlikely people at a pivotal time in her life. Father McCarthy, Reverend Johnny Swag (interesting name for a pastor) and ICE agent Dennard Bennett. It seems to take a while to get to some interesting parts because a lot of things have to be explained to her, and she has to figure out who to believe, as well as find out what is really going on with her. Once this is all explained though it gets really interesting.
I was really impressed with the depth of research that was put into this book, and how well the author made everything fit together into an intriguing story. I had to do some research on my own to see what other information was out there about this remembering phenomenon, and eternal return. If this interests you then, I recommend you try this book.
This book focuses on 19 year old Kallie and her weird episodes of déjà vu which captures the attention of three unlikely people at a pivotal time in her life. Father McCarthy, Reverend Johnny Swag (interesting name for a pastor) and ICE agent Dennard Bennett. It seems to take a while to get to some interesting parts because a lot of things have to be explained to her, and she has to figure out who to believe, as well as find out what is really going on with her. Once this is all explained though it gets really interesting.
I was really impressed with the depth of research that was put into this book, and how well the author made everything fit together into an intriguing story. I had to do some research on my own to see what other information was out there about this remembering phenomenon, and eternal return. If this interests you then, I recommend you try this book.
April 27, 2015
I received a free ebook of this title from NetGalley.
This is going to be one of my rare did-not-finish books. When I read the blurb about this book and saw the cover, I was expecting an urban fantasy with a female main character. I'm 20% of the way through the book and so far what I have is a middle-aged priest and a DaVinci Code-esque plot. I think that's fine, if that's what you're into, but it's not at all what I was looking for or what the information in the book's listing conveyed.
For what it's worth, I did read (and manage to finish) both the DaVinci Code and Angels & Demons several years ago, but I still couldn't bring myself to push through this one. All the religious references were heavy handed and the tone of the book thus far seems to be shoving an intense faith down the reader's throat. No thank you, not for me. There are plenty of authors who manage to include faith and religious material in their books without beating their readers over the head with it (Rita Mae Brown, one of my favorite mystery authors, comes to mind.) The tone and direction of this book may change at some point, but unfortunately I'm not interested enough to keep reading and find out.
This is going to be one of my rare did-not-finish books. When I read the blurb about this book and saw the cover, I was expecting an urban fantasy with a female main character. I'm 20% of the way through the book and so far what I have is a middle-aged priest and a DaVinci Code-esque plot. I think that's fine, if that's what you're into, but it's not at all what I was looking for or what the information in the book's listing conveyed.
For what it's worth, I did read (and manage to finish) both the DaVinci Code and Angels & Demons several years ago, but I still couldn't bring myself to push through this one. All the religious references were heavy handed and the tone of the book thus far seems to be shoving an intense faith down the reader's throat. No thank you, not for me. There are plenty of authors who manage to include faith and religious material in their books without beating their readers over the head with it (Rita Mae Brown, one of my favorite mystery authors, comes to mind.) The tone and direction of this book may change at some point, but unfortunately I'm not interested enough to keep reading and find out.
June 5, 2015
What started out as an interesting concept in the beginning turned stupid by the end. I do not know what C. Edward Baldwin was thinking, but you take a curious hypothesis about time being circular and not linear, churches coming together to work this out, terrorists that want to change outcomes, people that can remember prior cycles, Government agencies trying to get a handle on this and rogue operatives that are not who or what they seem, and you have the beginning of a very good thriller. Unfortunately, the author messed this up.
By the end, I could not wait for the book to be over, to find that one redeeming quality and I was still at a loss. Guess I should have used my own intuition and realized that when I began forcing myself to read I should have just put it away and never looked back.
Granted, there was a rainbows and unicorn moment, but it was so overly done it was laughable. The book was a complete waste of time and I suggest that you run away from it as quickly as possible.
By the end, I could not wait for the book to be over, to find that one redeeming quality and I was still at a loss. Guess I should have used my own intuition and realized that when I began forcing myself to read I should have just put it away and never looked back.
Granted, there was a rainbows and unicorn moment, but it was so overly done it was laughable. The book was a complete waste of time and I suggest that you run away from it as quickly as possible.
March 17, 2020
DNF - 3%
WARNING: INFORMATION OVERLOAD. I didn't even get through the first chapter because there was already MAJOR info dump. My brain can only process so much details, reading paragraph after paragraph of explanations just caused white noise in my mind. All I could hear in my head was blah, blah, BLECH to be honest.
I really wanted to get into this book because it seemed like a mystery I definitely wanted to solve but the writing style and world-building are not working for me. The first chapter is already a drag, although I don't know if it's actually really long but it certainly felt like it. It doesn't even start by following the POV of the main character, Kallie Hunt, which made it even more confusing. Call me a quitter but
Late but thanks to Ink & Stone Publishing and NetGalley for giving me access to an eARC.
WARNING: INFORMATION OVERLOAD. I didn't even get through the first chapter because there was already MAJOR info dump. My brain can only process so much details, reading paragraph after paragraph of explanations just caused white noise in my mind. All I could hear in my head was blah, blah, BLECH to be honest.
I really wanted to get into this book because it seemed like a mystery I definitely wanted to solve but the writing style and world-building are not working for me. The first chapter is already a drag, although I don't know if it's actually really long but it certainly felt like it. It doesn't even start by following the POV of the main character, Kallie Hunt, which made it even more confusing. Call me a quitter but
Late but thanks to Ink & Stone Publishing and NetGalley for giving me access to an eARC.
June 30, 2015
I enjoyed The Rememberers, by C. Edward Baldwin. I didn’t have any preconceived notions, not being familiar with Mr. Baldwin’s work. The story seemed to be presented as some sort of precognition based on reliving lives, similar to Replay, by Ken Grimwood, The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August, by Claire North, or even Edge of Tomorrow, starring Tom Cruise.
The book appeared to begin this way, but about two-thirds it started reading more like an episode of Supernatural, with demon gates, possessions, and a healthy dose of religious secrecy. I’ve enjoyed Supernatural, and thusly liked The Rememberers.
The story telling flowed seamlessly and the chapter lengths accommodated shorter reading periods. Kallie Hunt was a very likable character, and by far my favorite of the cast of characters.
Fans of the television show, Supernatural, will enjoy this book.
The book appeared to begin this way, but about two-thirds it started reading more like an episode of Supernatural, with demon gates, possessions, and a healthy dose of religious secrecy. I’ve enjoyed Supernatural, and thusly liked The Rememberers.
The story telling flowed seamlessly and the chapter lengths accommodated shorter reading periods. Kallie Hunt was a very likable character, and by far my favorite of the cast of characters.
Fans of the television show, Supernatural, will enjoy this book.
May 3, 2023
The playlist:
1. Back to Life - Soul II Soul
2. If This Is It - Huey Lewis & the News
3. Love is a Battlefield - Pat Benatar
4. You Blinded Me With Science - Thomas Dolby
5. Let's Dance - David Bowie
6. Set Adrift on Memory Bliss - P.M. Dawn
7. I'd Die Without U - P.M. Dawn
8. You Gotta Be - Desiree
9. Hopeless - Dionne Farris
10. I Know - Dionne Farris
11. Next Lifetime - Eryka Badu
12. The Light - Common
13. I would Die 4 U - Prince
14. Genius of Love - Tom Tom Club
15. Fantasy - Mariah Carey
16. Always Be My Baby - Mariah Carey
17. Fantasy - Earth, Wind, & Fire
18. I wish - Skee-Lo
19. I Try - Macy Gray
20. 1999 - Prince
1. Back to Life - Soul II Soul
2. If This Is It - Huey Lewis & the News
3. Love is a Battlefield - Pat Benatar
4. You Blinded Me With Science - Thomas Dolby
5. Let's Dance - David Bowie
6. Set Adrift on Memory Bliss - P.M. Dawn
7. I'd Die Without U - P.M. Dawn
8. You Gotta Be - Desiree
9. Hopeless - Dionne Farris
10. I Know - Dionne Farris
11. Next Lifetime - Eryka Badu
12. The Light - Common
13. I would Die 4 U - Prince
14. Genius of Love - Tom Tom Club
15. Fantasy - Mariah Carey
16. Always Be My Baby - Mariah Carey
17. Fantasy - Earth, Wind, & Fire
18. I wish - Skee-Lo
19. I Try - Macy Gray
20. 1999 - Prince
May 3, 2015
One of the best books i have ever read.. Everything went smoothly and consistently creating curiosity..
This book was wonderful, absolutely fantastic! I adored it!
I went into this book thinking "oh, this seems like it will be a nice story." And, wow, this book exceed my expectations and blow me away. This smartly written, thought-provoking novel is a must read for any fan of fiction.
5/5
Thanks to Netgalley for a copy!
This book was wonderful, absolutely fantastic! I adored it!
I went into this book thinking "oh, this seems like it will be a nice story." And, wow, this book exceed my expectations and blow me away. This smartly written, thought-provoking novel is a must read for any fan of fiction.
5/5
Thanks to Netgalley for a copy!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews