What do you think?
Rate this book
Breeders #1.1
Nessa
Eighteen-year-old Nessa knows what it’s like to be an endangered species. Growing up in a dying world where nine out of ten babies are born male, she survives by trusting no one. When Marlin, the nineteen-year-old gunslinger with the sky-blue eyes, kills the man who has been keeping her enslaved, Nessa decides this handsome stranger might be her meal ticket. What she doesn’t realize is love is still possible, even in their decimated world. When Nessa discovers she’s pregnant with Marlin’s child, her difficult life now teeters on a knife’s edge. Can she bear to bring a child into their shattered world? Better yet, can Marlin keep them safe from those that hunt Nessa?
A companion story to The Breeders, this prequel novelette (34 pages or 10,000 words) explores the origins of two important characters and gives a deeper look into their background. It contains minor spoilers to the novel and is intended for mature teens and adults.
A companion story to The Breeders, this prequel novelette (34 pages or 10,000 words) explores the origins of two important characters and gives a deeper look into their background. It contains minor spoilers to the novel and is intended for mature teens and adults.
34 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 1, 2013
13 people are currently reading
478 people want to read
About the author
Katie French
62 books411 followersKatie French is an Amazon best-selling author in Young Adult dystopian romance. Her book, The Breeders, has had nearly 50,000 downloads and counting and was a semi-finalist in the 2014 Kindle Book Awards. It's currently free on Amazon. She also has a kids series starting with Portia Parrott and the Great Kitten Rescue for ages 5-9.
She works as a high school English teacher, a job that she loves even when it exhausts her. In her free time she writes manically, reads great books, and takes care of her two beautiful and crazy children. She aspires to spend as much time in yoga pants as possible. You can join her mailing list at www.katiefrenchbooks.com and receive two free full-length novels. Contact her at katie@katiefrenchbooks.com.
She works as a high school English teacher, a job that she loves even when it exhausts her. In her free time she writes manically, reads great books, and takes care of her two beautiful and crazy children. She aspires to spend as much time in yoga pants as possible. You can join her mailing list at www.katiefrenchbooks.com and receive two free full-length novels. Contact her at katie@katiefrenchbooks.com.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
February 23, 2013
MY REVIEW
I bought this book whilst part way through reading The Breeders. I knew by that point in The Breeders Bk#1 that I would want to read everything and anything in this. The other series I have been like this with is the Delirium Series by Lauren Oliver and of course my most favourite Series ever The Demon Trappers by Jana Oliver. Anyhow back to this review I bought this novella from Amazon for 77p which personally I feel is the perfect price for a novella (if not free of course). I have paid more than 77p for a novella but I don’t like it!
The cover is a great depiction of the missed childhood that females have in the world featured in this book. The colouring of the cover is dark, and grey and kind of depressing, just like a females prospects in life.
So the blurb of this novella tells us this short tale is about Nessa, and what has happened and what happens to her throughout her life from basically being a slave to a guy named “Big Mike” to being rescued by a gun toting handsome guy called Marlin, through to her having a child ....and ...well I don’t want to give away everything do I?
Lets just say that Nessa hasn’t had a great start in life, then when Marlin comes along she doesn’t know whether to trust this handsome rugged guy or maybe try and use him to stay away from the Breeders. Maybe this guy Marlin can protect her, he is a pretty good shot with a gun.
All seems to be going well, hiding out form the Breeders, kept safe by Marlin, al be it in a strange and not so nice place to be staying. Then Nessa finds out she is pregnant. . . will Marlin want a baby? What if he doesn’t will he sell her to the Breeders? How can she run from the Breeders when she is physically too big to run?
This short novella is written in the same well written style and fast pace as the book The Breeders. I loved it. Without giving spoilers its difficult to explain the other reason I loved it, Mmm lets just say you learn more about two characters who are in The Breeders in this novella and lots of questions are answered as well as you being given the reasons for their maybe strange actions in The Breeders. You definitely need to read The Breeders first and then this novella. Reading the novella would give you too much knowledge when you got to a certain part in The Breeders when you “meet” Nessa.
So did I enjoy the novella? Yes Would I recommend? Yes after reading The Breeders. Would I read more in this series? Definitely, ye please whenever there is more available to read .....! Would I read other novels/novellas by Katie French? I would certainly take a good look at them so I guess the answer is yes
I bought this book whilst part way through reading The Breeders. I knew by that point in The Breeders Bk#1 that I would want to read everything and anything in this. The other series I have been like this with is the Delirium Series by Lauren Oliver and of course my most favourite Series ever The Demon Trappers by Jana Oliver. Anyhow back to this review I bought this novella from Amazon for 77p which personally I feel is the perfect price for a novella (if not free of course). I have paid more than 77p for a novella but I don’t like it!
The cover is a great depiction of the missed childhood that females have in the world featured in this book. The colouring of the cover is dark, and grey and kind of depressing, just like a females prospects in life.
So the blurb of this novella tells us this short tale is about Nessa, and what has happened and what happens to her throughout her life from basically being a slave to a guy named “Big Mike” to being rescued by a gun toting handsome guy called Marlin, through to her having a child ....and ...well I don’t want to give away everything do I?
Lets just say that Nessa hasn’t had a great start in life, then when Marlin comes along she doesn’t know whether to trust this handsome rugged guy or maybe try and use him to stay away from the Breeders. Maybe this guy Marlin can protect her, he is a pretty good shot with a gun.
All seems to be going well, hiding out form the Breeders, kept safe by Marlin, al be it in a strange and not so nice place to be staying. Then Nessa finds out she is pregnant. . . will Marlin want a baby? What if he doesn’t will he sell her to the Breeders? How can she run from the Breeders when she is physically too big to run?
This short novella is written in the same well written style and fast pace as the book The Breeders. I loved it. Without giving spoilers its difficult to explain the other reason I loved it, Mmm lets just say you learn more about two characters who are in The Breeders in this novella and lots of questions are answered as well as you being given the reasons for their maybe strange actions in The Breeders. You definitely need to read The Breeders first and then this novella. Reading the novella would give you too much knowledge when you got to a certain part in The Breeders when you “meet” Nessa.
So did I enjoy the novella? Yes Would I recommend? Yes after reading The Breeders. Would I read more in this series? Definitely, ye please whenever there is more available to read .....! Would I read other novels/novellas by Katie French? I would certainly take a good look at them so I guess the answer is yes
February 5, 2013
Of course I liked it. I wrote it.
September 2, 2013
Short Story/Novella Rating 2 Stars
Author Rating 2 Stars
Total 2 Just Was Not for me Stars
I am giving this book 2 stars only because I have not read the first one yet and there is just a slight hope that if I would have read that first it would have gotten another star. I did not connect with the characters or the author. The story was not interesting and I felt like I was in a world of cluelessness (new word) the entire time I was reading this. I got to the end which was shocking but, I do not like to leave something unfinished although I probably will not read any more of this series and I am glad that this was a freebie.
Author Rating 2 Stars
Total 2 Just Was Not for me Stars
I am giving this book 2 stars only because I have not read the first one yet and there is just a slight hope that if I would have read that first it would have gotten another star. I did not connect with the characters or the author. The story was not interesting and I felt like I was in a world of cluelessness (new word) the entire time I was reading this. I got to the end which was shocking but, I do not like to leave something unfinished although I probably will not read any more of this series and I am glad that this was a freebie.
February 11, 2013
I haven't read Breeders yet but after reading this novella I will be downloading it next time I want a new dystopian book to read. The premise behind the story reminds me very much of Margaret Atwoods The Handmaids Tale, with a scary vision of a future where women are rare, exploited & used to breed from.
Generally I'm not keen on novellas as I find myself drawn into a story which then ends too abruptly, but this works as a prequel for the main book. It is well written and can be read in a night. I will happily recommend it for fans of the genre.
Generally I'm not keen on novellas as I find myself drawn into a story which then ends too abruptly, but this works as a prequel for the main book. It is well written and can be read in a night. I will happily recommend it for fans of the genre.
March 2, 2013
A perfect microcosm of The Breeders world.
Compelling from the first page to the last. I had previously read The Breeders, but would have enjoyed Nessa whether I had read The Breeders or not. The world of Nessa is harsh and brutal, and Nessa doesn't hold back. If anything it's more gritty, disturbing, and terrifying than The Breeders. I definitely wouldn't want to be a female in this world :).
Dystopian fiction at its finest. I highly recommend.
Compelling from the first page to the last. I had previously read The Breeders, but would have enjoyed Nessa whether I had read The Breeders or not. The world of Nessa is harsh and brutal, and Nessa doesn't hold back. If anything it's more gritty, disturbing, and terrifying than The Breeders. I definitely wouldn't want to be a female in this world :).
Dystopian fiction at its finest. I highly recommend.
March 5, 2013
An amazing companion to French's novel The Breeders. A heart-wrenching tale of barbarity, hope and desperation in a future where fertile women are an endangered species. French has molded YA sci-fi dystopia into a modern version of the western.
May 19, 2013
Girl in love with her violent rapist, because he kisses and "looks after" her, in a misogynist dystopia. Really doesn't work for me, especially as it hits one if my other big triggers (botched abortion). Well written, though.
December 9, 2019
Actually a little bit better than the first, so its a 2.5!
June 17, 2013
Nessa lives in a world where women are all but extinct and nine out ten babies born are male. Women who are of breeding age are taken away by the Breeders to a hospital to be used as a breeding machine. Women are worth a large amount of money. Some men if they find a woman will take her and sell her to the Breeders and some will hold them hostage for their own needs. Nessa doesn't know who to trust or if there is anyone she can trust. Big Mike kept Nessa tied up and treated her like a slave and used her for several months. Along came Marlin who rescued her from Big Mike she wasn't sure if she was any better off or not but at least she had better sleeping accommodations.
When Nessa became pregnant she hid it from Marlin she didn't know what he would do. She was afraid that he would leave her or maybe even be mad at her and hit her. How wrong she was, Marlin was very happy about the baby he would say "my boy". Nessa finally realized that what she was feeling for Marlin was love. She had gone and fell in love with him. She never thought that she would ever love anyone. She didn't think that there was a man left alive that was nice enough to love and she never thought she would love someone. No wonder she felt like this with all that she had endured through her life. Always having to hide and stay away from people knowing they would sell her.
I love reading about this world where women are almost an endangered species. I love the world that Katie French has created. I can't image living in a world where women didn't have to wear makeup or dress up to impress men or to get men to want them. A world where women ran away from and hide from men. I am still waiting for the next book in the Breeders series and can't wait to read it. I know that it will be as good as The Breeders and Nessa's story.
When Nessa became pregnant she hid it from Marlin she didn't know what he would do. She was afraid that he would leave her or maybe even be mad at her and hit her. How wrong she was, Marlin was very happy about the baby he would say "my boy". Nessa finally realized that what she was feeling for Marlin was love. She had gone and fell in love with him. She never thought that she would ever love anyone. She didn't think that there was a man left alive that was nice enough to love and she never thought she would love someone. No wonder she felt like this with all that she had endured through her life. Always having to hide and stay away from people knowing they would sell her.
I love reading about this world where women are almost an endangered species. I love the world that Katie French has created. I can't image living in a world where women didn't have to wear makeup or dress up to impress men or to get men to want them. A world where women ran away from and hide from men. I am still waiting for the next book in the Breeders series and can't wait to read it. I know that it will be as good as The Breeders and Nessa's story.
April 10, 2016
Nessa is used to being hunted and taken advantage of, being one of the rarest commodities in the world. She doesn’t expect to find kindness, and especially not love, but she finds both and spends a few blissful months in the arms of Marlin. Nothing last forever and she has to make a choice, it might be the hardest choice to make but she wants to do it with dignity.
Having read the first three books in the series before this novella I was thrilled to find that it enriches the books that I’ve already read. Nessa is an integral part of the dystopian world and to find out how she came to join the Breeders was brilliant. The story is exciting and I had to read it all in one setting. If a reader picks this book up before reading the first in the series then it would definitely hook them into the epic series.
Having read the first three books in the series before this novella I was thrilled to find that it enriches the books that I’ve already read. Nessa is an integral part of the dystopian world and to find out how she came to join the Breeders was brilliant. The story is exciting and I had to read it all in one setting. If a reader picks this book up before reading the first in the series then it would definitely hook them into the epic series.
April 5, 2013
I am giving this novella 3 stars because I accidentally read it before the book and it didn't make much sense. I have a feeling the impact would have been stronger if I read it in order. Maybe I would have gotten the connection between Nessa and Marlin, which I didn't. Or the feeling of the world where women were rare.
It seemed to lack the punch I think I would have gotten if I read the first book.
I also have a hard time with the western-ish spoken language. I am not sure how to exactly say that but for example - with is wit, or for is spelled out fir, to show you the character has a twange.
It seemed to lack the punch I think I would have gotten if I read the first book.
I also have a hard time with the western-ish spoken language. I am not sure how to exactly say that but for example - with is wit, or for is spelled out fir, to show you the character has a twange.
April 11, 2013
In an extremely harsh world where females are rare, men are ruthless, violent and (mis)treat the remaining woman as commodities or objects rather than human beings. Morals are nonexistent and compassion is scarce. Because Marlin has been conditioned to think of women this way, and because Nessa is determined to do what it takes to survive, this is not your typical romance. It's dark, and unsettling, and controversial. Not having read Breeders yet, I'm definitely intrigued, and I want to know more about this world... and how it became this broken.
*** Mature content and themes.
*** Mature content and themes.
June 14, 2016
Never had a chance
With the way Nessa's life began she really never had a chance to become a good person. She suffered months of rape abuse before Marlin found and loved her. But, of course, that love was short-lived when the Breeders caught up to them and he was forced to let her go. Nessa was also forced to leave her newborn son behind. The abuse from before and leaving her new family ruined whatever chance of being a loving and compassionate person she had in her . Couple that with the knowledge she had gleaned from the books Marlin brought her and she became the cold calculating monster her son finally meets and despises. This is a Must Read series!!!
With the way Nessa's life began she really never had a chance to become a good person. She suffered months of rape abuse before Marlin found and loved her. But, of course, that love was short-lived when the Breeders caught up to them and he was forced to let her go. Nessa was also forced to leave her newborn son behind. The abuse from before and leaving her new family ruined whatever chance of being a loving and compassionate person she had in her . Couple that with the knowledge she had gleaned from the books Marlin brought her and she became the cold calculating monster her son finally meets and despises. This is a Must Read series!!!
May 26, 2015
Message: A Breeders Story:(A Prepuel to The Breeders
Wow! This story is amazing. Nessa is an amazing character. Her life has been so horrible and sad. Marlin is the first man that has treated her with any bit of kindness. I couldn't believe it could end so horrible. I was bawling like a baby. No way could you not read the rest of the series to find out what's going to happen. You have to read this series.
Wow! This story is amazing. Nessa is an amazing character. Her life has been so horrible and sad. Marlin is the first man that has treated her with any bit of kindness. I couldn't believe it could end so horrible. I was bawling like a baby. No way could you not read the rest of the series to find out what's going to happen. You have to read this series.
March 12, 2017
Exciting and heartbreaking
I read this after finishing the first full length novel, The Breeders. Marlin isn't a hero in that one and neither is Nessa. This story was so heartbreaking because they were once young and in love. Nessa had to leave her son and go with the breeders when her son was only 3 days old.
This was written well and the dialogue was gritty and authentic. Loved it!
I read this after finishing the first full length novel, The Breeders. Marlin isn't a hero in that one and neither is Nessa. This story was so heartbreaking because they were once young and in love. Nessa had to leave her son and go with the breeders when her son was only 3 days old.
This was written well and the dialogue was gritty and authentic. Loved it!
March 11, 2013
Unfortunately, I liked this short story better than The Breeders itself. It gives a nice little background of Nessa, a character who shows up briefly at the end of The Breeders. I think it gives very good insight into the character and why/how she chose to be who she is in The Breeders and do what she does.
June 2, 2013
I liked this book almost as much as the breeders. I just wish they had given more of nessa's story. Like what happened after she was taken by then breeders, how long it took for her to be put in charge, if she was forced to have more babies. But I did thouroughly enjoy this book and it was a fast read.
May 26, 2014
In this story we meet Nessa. If you've read The Breeders already, then you will recognize who this is; if you haven't, I recommend you read The Breeders first.
Nessa lives in a world where women are on the verge of extinction and hunted. She meets a man who at first just wants to use her, but then a relationship forms. When the Breeders come for her, well she choose love or safety?
Nessa lives in a world where women are on the verge of extinction and hunted. She meets a man who at first just wants to use her, but then a relationship forms. When the Breeders come for her, well she choose love or safety?
March 22, 2013
What a worthless story. Usually I find these stories add or clarify something from the main book. This did not. I'm not sure what the point of it was. And it was RIFE with errors. It's only 39 pages! Give me a break.
January 8, 2014
Prequel to the breeders series
I'm giving this three stars because it opened a whole other story but still didn't connect the dots for me! Some things I learned from book 1 about Nessa didn't connect in this novella. Maybe book 2 will reveal the rest for me.
I'm giving this three stars because it opened a whole other story but still didn't connect the dots for me! Some things I learned from book 1 about Nessa didn't connect in this novella. Maybe book 2 will reveal the rest for me.
March 26, 2015
I enjoyed this short prequel - giving a glimpse into what made Nessa into what she is today. I would have liked to know a bit more about her upbringing, but the love story with the father of her child and her voracious reading while pregnant explained a lot.
April 17, 2013
I guess I should have read the reviews and read Breeders first. Alas, I didn't but I could follow the story. I'm not sure i will continue on with the series. I guess time will tell.
April 23, 2013
read this amazing story in an hour and ....YES.....I am hooked!
May 12, 2013
It was ok
June 1, 2013
Free 6/1/13
April 10, 2014
This was a prequel to The Breeders. It does explain the story ofClay who was Nessa's son in this novella.
June 3, 2013
Interesting twist on typical dystopian YA.
June 3, 2013
Loved this short story... Would love to see more and looking forward to "the Breeders"..
June 7, 2013
I really liked this short story in the Breeders world. It was nice to see how things came to be.
June 7, 2013
A great short story to read after you've read The Breeders.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews