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The Body Electric
THE BODY ELECTRIC by Allie Duzett
Lena Clark, a small-town teenager, falls for a stranger with a mysterious past—and a frightening present. Before she knows it, she is a target, wrapped up in his quest to escape the wrath of a jealous queen from a world Lena never believed existed…
Lena Clark’s high school world comes crashing apart when she discovers that the most popular jock in school—her boyfriend!—has been cheating on her. In the aftermath of the drama, she meets Zach Zuson, a newcomer to her small Colorado town. It’s clear that he’s it’s in the way he talks, and the way he moves, and the way he looks at her as if he’s hiding something. And then, it’s in the way he singlehandedly strangles a full-grown mountain lion to death right before her eyes. Next thing you know, an ancient monster is attacking them. Suddenly, life for Lena is a lot more complicated than she ever imagined it could be.
When Zach decides to put an end to the attempts on his life for once and for all, Lena gets dragged along, eventually ending up alone at the party of the century. Little does she know that this party is attended by bloodthirsty killers, or that a jealous queen has made Lena a target, too. Now Lena must find the strength to survive.
About Allie
The Body Electric is Allie Duzett's debut novel. She is a graduate of Brigham Young University's environmental science program, where she basically studied dirt. She lives with her husband and baby in Maryland, and has a passion for YA fiction. Read more about her and her super interesting life at allieduzett.blogspot.com.
Lena Clark, a small-town teenager, falls for a stranger with a mysterious past—and a frightening present. Before she knows it, she is a target, wrapped up in his quest to escape the wrath of a jealous queen from a world Lena never believed existed…
Lena Clark’s high school world comes crashing apart when she discovers that the most popular jock in school—her boyfriend!—has been cheating on her. In the aftermath of the drama, she meets Zach Zuson, a newcomer to her small Colorado town. It’s clear that he’s it’s in the way he talks, and the way he moves, and the way he looks at her as if he’s hiding something. And then, it’s in the way he singlehandedly strangles a full-grown mountain lion to death right before her eyes. Next thing you know, an ancient monster is attacking them. Suddenly, life for Lena is a lot more complicated than she ever imagined it could be.
When Zach decides to put an end to the attempts on his life for once and for all, Lena gets dragged along, eventually ending up alone at the party of the century. Little does she know that this party is attended by bloodthirsty killers, or that a jealous queen has made Lena a target, too. Now Lena must find the strength to survive.
About Allie
The Body Electric is Allie Duzett's debut novel. She is a graduate of Brigham Young University's environmental science program, where she basically studied dirt. She lives with her husband and baby in Maryland, and has a passion for YA fiction. Read more about her and her super interesting life at allieduzett.blogspot.com.
- GenresYoung Adult
252 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 27, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
March 2, 2013
I've always had an interest in Greek mythology, although Roman is perhaps just as interesting but less focused on. So, when I received this book, I was thrilled at the prospects of the story because it centered on something that I have spent a lot of time reading about. It never ceases to amaze me that people can bring to life so many different aspects of this mythology and how each is as unique as the rest. I adore the way she brought to life the Gods in a way that can be comparable to Percy Jackson but still maintains its own spin. The story was beautifully written and captured the story of a girl caught in an immortal struggle between a demigod that shouldn't exist and a queen determined to make sure he no longer does.
Lena surprised me, to be honest. I am very used to the whole idea of someone being self-centered and selfish in the young adult genre. But instead she seems to be keenly aware of everything around her, which leads her to refusing to kiss the hottest guy in school. She knows when things don't feel quite right and sticks to her beliefs, even when she doesn't know what they are yet. In the story, she didn't anticipate meeting a boy who could capture her so completely (although the word "love" doesn't frequent this book between the two) and yet, she knows that there is something different about him -- something that could very well prevent their relationship from blossoming like it should. I think it is her lack of selfishness near the end of the novel, even if there is still a hint of it, is what really made her a likable character.
I loved the whole concept of Zach. There something about him that while he is a mythical character of sorts, he seems very real throughout the story. I definitely liked that he was down to earth and relatable to the extent that I honestly enjoyed reading about him and of course, Lena. I was a little worried at first when she was introduced as having a boyfriend but then Zach came along and let's be honest here, if I had a choice between demigod and well average boy, there really wouldn't be a choice, now would there?
One thing I always worry about in young adult novels is how the family of the characters is portrayed by the authors. I think it says a lot about the author and the book when the family is written just right. Her family is kind of great. They support Lena and don't come off like tyrants whose sole goal in the novel is to ruin the main character's life. It's like we as readers got hung up on the whole Romeo and Juliet sort of family dynamic and lost something very important along the way: not all families suck. I get it, teenagers hate the world (families included) but if the story's good enough, do you think the readers need one more reason to look at their families like they suck?
I've already mentioned how much I liked the Greek Gods during the course of the story. This includes, I suppose, the villain of the novel. The interpretation of the Gods used during the novel was relatable and clung to some of the mythology that surrounded those particular Gods. It was great seeing how the author viewed them and put them on paper.
Overall, this was an awesome story. I hope that a sequel will come along because truth be told, the ending was somewhat of a cliffhanger and left me wanting more.
Lena surprised me, to be honest. I am very used to the whole idea of someone being self-centered and selfish in the young adult genre. But instead she seems to be keenly aware of everything around her, which leads her to refusing to kiss the hottest guy in school. She knows when things don't feel quite right and sticks to her beliefs, even when she doesn't know what they are yet. In the story, she didn't anticipate meeting a boy who could capture her so completely (although the word "love" doesn't frequent this book between the two) and yet, she knows that there is something different about him -- something that could very well prevent their relationship from blossoming like it should. I think it is her lack of selfishness near the end of the novel, even if there is still a hint of it, is what really made her a likable character.
I loved the whole concept of Zach. There something about him that while he is a mythical character of sorts, he seems very real throughout the story. I definitely liked that he was down to earth and relatable to the extent that I honestly enjoyed reading about him and of course, Lena. I was a little worried at first when she was introduced as having a boyfriend but then Zach came along and let's be honest here, if I had a choice between demigod and well average boy, there really wouldn't be a choice, now would there?
One thing I always worry about in young adult novels is how the family of the characters is portrayed by the authors. I think it says a lot about the author and the book when the family is written just right. Her family is kind of great. They support Lena and don't come off like tyrants whose sole goal in the novel is to ruin the main character's life. It's like we as readers got hung up on the whole Romeo and Juliet sort of family dynamic and lost something very important along the way: not all families suck. I get it, teenagers hate the world (families included) but if the story's good enough, do you think the readers need one more reason to look at their families like they suck?
I've already mentioned how much I liked the Greek Gods during the course of the story. This includes, I suppose, the villain of the novel. The interpretation of the Gods used during the novel was relatable and clung to some of the mythology that surrounded those particular Gods. It was great seeing how the author viewed them and put them on paper.
Overall, this was an awesome story. I hope that a sequel will come along because truth be told, the ending was somewhat of a cliffhanger and left me wanting more.
March 13, 2013
When a handsome stranger bumps into Lena in the local video store, she's not quite sure how to respond to him. He's tall and handsome, but he also just knocked her down so hard that she suffered bruises to her hands and wrists. Zach, the stranger, asks Lena if he can take her to dinner so that he can make it up to her. Lena accepts his offer, and she quickly learns that there is more to Zach and his weird, non-worldly ways. Along the way Lena learns that Zach is from Mount Jepson and is probably not quite human. Lena accepts this fact without much hesitation, and the real journey of this book begins.
As a reader of many genres of books, the summary of this book seemed promising. I found myself drawn to figure out what was happening with Zach and Lena. Unfortunately, the author introduces Zach's mythological background and assumes the reader has knowledge of several mythological characters. Mythology was not my favorite reading in high school or college, so I trudged through the book and found myself skipping ahead to the ending. At the end, I did not feel compelled to immediately add this series to my list of favorites.
I liked this book ok...maybe it was just the rush of all things mythological that caused me to not be completely satisfied in the end.
If you enjoy mythology, you will enjoy this book. If not, then this book is probably not for you.
As a reader of many genres of books, the summary of this book seemed promising. I found myself drawn to figure out what was happening with Zach and Lena. Unfortunately, the author introduces Zach's mythological background and assumes the reader has knowledge of several mythological characters. Mythology was not my favorite reading in high school or college, so I trudged through the book and found myself skipping ahead to the ending. At the end, I did not feel compelled to immediately add this series to my list of favorites.
I liked this book ok...maybe it was just the rush of all things mythological that caused me to not be completely satisfied in the end.
If you enjoy mythology, you will enjoy this book. If not, then this book is probably not for you.
April 29, 2013
**Warning: Some (minimal) Spoilers**
The Body Electric is the story of seventeen year-old Helena Clark who lives in a small town in Colorado. Helena describes herself as average in everything, but we see through her interactions with others that at the end of the day she's kind, sweet, and good, if not great friend. True to teenage drama, when she discovers her boyfriend is cheating on her, she turns to her best friend Marg, only to discover that Marg isn't the friend Helena thought she was. The usual teenage angst is complicated by the new boy in town, Zach Zuson; a strong, handsome stranger who lives out his expensive car, and is anything but average.
The attraction between Helena and Zach, that starts out as mainly physical with Helena trying to make her ex jealous, but it gradually matures into a deeper emotional connection.
The book was a little too predictable for me. It was easy to figure out what would happen in the following chapters either by foreshadowing or by just having one of those do-not-go-down-that-dark-alley-i-am-sure-there-is-someone-waiting-for-you-in-there moments. Additionally, Helena seemed to fall back on the whole "i'm just an average person" too much for my taste. That being said, I did finish the book in one sitting and am excited to see where the story goes in the second installment.
The Body Electric is the story of seventeen year-old Helena Clark who lives in a small town in Colorado. Helena describes herself as average in everything, but we see through her interactions with others that at the end of the day she's kind, sweet, and good, if not great friend. True to teenage drama, when she discovers her boyfriend is cheating on her, she turns to her best friend Marg, only to discover that Marg isn't the friend Helena thought she was. The usual teenage angst is complicated by the new boy in town, Zach Zuson; a strong, handsome stranger who lives out his expensive car, and is anything but average.
The attraction between Helena and Zach, that starts out as mainly physical with Helena trying to make her ex jealous, but it gradually matures into a deeper emotional connection.
The book was a little too predictable for me. It was easy to figure out what would happen in the following chapters either by foreshadowing or by just having one of those do-not-go-down-that-dark-alley-i-am-sure-there-is-someone-waiting-for-you-in-there moments. Additionally, Helena seemed to fall back on the whole "i'm just an average person" too much for my taste. That being said, I did finish the book in one sitting and am excited to see where the story goes in the second installment.
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March 24, 2013I won an early review copy of this book on Library Thing. This review is for the ebook version.
Warning: some spoilers may be possible, although I’ll try to keep them limited.
The Body Electric is the story of seventeen year-old Helena Clark. She lives in a small town in Colorado where she has one friend, one boyfriend, three siblings and two parents.
Lena describes herself as average in everything, yet she is friendly, kind, sweet, and a good friend. When she discovers her boyfriend is cheating on her, she turns to her friend Marg for comfort. The usual teenage angst is complicated by the new boy in town, eighteen year-old Zach Zuson; a strong, handsome stranger with some unusual abilities who lives out of his expensive car.
The attraction between Lena and Zach, that starts out as a purely physical phenomena, gradually matures into a deeper emotional connection. However, Zach has secrets that complicate both their lives.
This book is nicely written with lively, engaging characters. It started out a little slow, but once Zach was on the scene, the pace picked up nicely.
–Paul
Warning: some spoilers may be possible, although I’ll try to keep them limited.
The Body Electric is the story of seventeen year-old Helena Clark. She lives in a small town in Colorado where she has one friend, one boyfriend, three siblings and two parents.
Lena describes herself as average in everything, yet she is friendly, kind, sweet, and a good friend. When she discovers her boyfriend is cheating on her, she turns to her friend Marg for comfort. The usual teenage angst is complicated by the new boy in town, eighteen year-old Zach Zuson; a strong, handsome stranger with some unusual abilities who lives out of his expensive car.
The attraction between Lena and Zach, that starts out as a purely physical phenomena, gradually matures into a deeper emotional connection. However, Zach has secrets that complicate both their lives.
This book is nicely written with lively, engaging characters. It started out a little slow, but once Zach was on the scene, the pace picked up nicely.
–Paul
August 16, 2013
Lena Clark thought everything was going well with her relationship with Tobias (Tobe) until he started pressuring her to do things she didn't want to do. Then Lena discovered what lying cheating jerk Tobe really was and thought her best friend Marg would be there for her~fat chance of that happening. Lena gets an unexpected surprise when Zachary (Zach) Zuson knocks her over at the local video store. Zach is everything that Tobe is not and thensome. Marg doesn't believe that Zach exists despite Lena's attempts to prove otherwise. There is definitely something different about Zach but Lena isn't sure what it is. Will Lena see Marg's true colors? What is so special about Zach? Can Lena admit she's attracted to Zach? Your answers await you in The Body Electric.
I'm a big fan of mythology and this plays into that like. I at first thought Lena to be a clueless heroine but the opposite is true. Zach isn't your typical hero just a down to earth guy that happens to be a demigod. Zach's ability and personality shine thru the whole book. I definitely hope the author continues writing more books in this series.
I'm a big fan of mythology and this plays into that like. I at first thought Lena to be a clueless heroine but the opposite is true. Zach isn't your typical hero just a down to earth guy that happens to be a demigod. Zach's ability and personality shine thru the whole book. I definitely hope the author continues writing more books in this series.
July 22, 2013
At first when I started this book, I feared it would be another vampire novel. Just like in Twilight, the main character, Lena Clark, finds herself attracted to a mysterious young man with unknown origins but unusual strength. Thankfully, this was not a Twilight parody, but the beginning of an enthralling adventure with the newest member of the Greek Pantheon: Zach Zuson.
I could totally relate to Lena, who by her own account is an average girl just looking for a little bit of love. I knew I was invested in the story when I got upset at Lena for thinking she wasn't beautiful or special enough to be admired, though that's any easy mistake to make when your first boyfriend, who's also the hottest guy in school, dumps you. But who could be more swoon-worthy than the next man to enter Lena's life: Zach--buff hero but true gentleman?
The Greek mythology references that Allie Duzett pulls together to tell Zach's story are spot on. This book is a must-read to capture the beginning of Zach and Lena's epic story.
I could totally relate to Lena, who by her own account is an average girl just looking for a little bit of love. I knew I was invested in the story when I got upset at Lena for thinking she wasn't beautiful or special enough to be admired, though that's any easy mistake to make when your first boyfriend, who's also the hottest guy in school, dumps you. But who could be more swoon-worthy than the next man to enter Lena's life: Zach--buff hero but true gentleman?
The Greek mythology references that Allie Duzett pulls together to tell Zach's story are spot on. This book is a must-read to capture the beginning of Zach and Lena's epic story.
September 3, 2013
I was given this book to read in advance - and I have to admit that it got placed on the TBR shelf for far too long. Allie Duzett is a friend of mine and I was so excited that she finally got printed! I've always loved her writing and really did look forward to this new YA novel.
I will admit that when I started reading this book I had no idea what it was about. I didn't re-read the synopsis, I just jumped right in. :o) In a lot of ways, I am glad that I did that because I had no expectations and I could just let the characters tell me there story.
This was a good book. In my opinion, it was a little young for what I usually like to read, but it was still a great read. It left me on a cliff hanger that has me so excited for the next installment. :) Enjoy it! This book will take you on a great ride!
I will admit that when I started reading this book I had no idea what it was about. I didn't re-read the synopsis, I just jumped right in. :o) In a lot of ways, I am glad that I did that because I had no expectations and I could just let the characters tell me there story.
This was a good book. In my opinion, it was a little young for what I usually like to read, but it was still a great read. It left me on a cliff hanger that has me so excited for the next installment. :) Enjoy it! This book will take you on a great ride!
February 28, 2013
First impressions well written with good characters and an interesting plot. A likeable lead female though her constant referrals how ordinary she was did get a little annoying. She was smart and seemed to react sensibly to finding herself in impossible other worldly situations.
The love interest was equally likeable and not full of himself which was refreshing. The paranormal aspect of the story was Greek mythology which was handled well.
Though it did seem to take a while to get to the this guy isn't human thing then everything kind of happened all at once during the second half of story.
Over all well written, edited properly and every enjoyable. I will be looking forward to the other books in this series.
The love interest was equally likeable and not full of himself which was refreshing. The paranormal aspect of the story was Greek mythology which was handled well.
Though it did seem to take a while to get to the this guy isn't human thing then everything kind of happened all at once during the second half of story.
Over all well written, edited properly and every enjoyable. I will be looking forward to the other books in this series.
April 10, 2013
A solid first novel! It took several chapters to pull me in completely, but once Zach was firmly in the picture things picked up. The heroine is level-headed, though a bit insecure, and the hero is adorably naive. Their romance is refreshingly sweet.
I'm always interested in different interpretations of mythological figures, and I'm excited to see what other characters will be popping up in future installments. The fates in particular were creepily wonderful.
The story ended with several tantalizing story plots that I'm eager to see resolved in the rest of the series!
I'm always interested in different interpretations of mythological figures, and I'm excited to see what other characters will be popping up in future installments. The fates in particular were creepily wonderful.
The story ended with several tantalizing story plots that I'm eager to see resolved in the rest of the series!
May 17, 2013
The Body Electric reads thematically like a cross between Twilight and Percy Jackson, but with a much more likeable female lead. Lena Clark, self-defined average girl from small-town Colorado, meets a stranger and slowly falls for him. Along the way, we see character growth and charming situations. Very true-to-life for teens and a refreshingly non-jaded heroine.
July 1, 2014
I am not sure how I purchased this book for Kindle. I think a friend recommended it.
I will start with what I liked.
It was clean. The story was pretty adventurous.
I didn't love how it was written. Just maybe could have used a better editor.
But if you are up for a clean, adventurous YA novel, this would fit the bill.
I will start with what I liked.
It was clean. The story was pretty adventurous.
I didn't love how it was written. Just maybe could have used a better editor.
But if you are up for a clean, adventurous YA novel, this would fit the bill.
May 7, 2013
An interesting story filled with teen angst and the inner struggle that results from a break-up. Takes an unexpected twist into a world of fantasy and mythology. I am curious to see where Miss Duzett takes the characters in her next installment.
September 29, 2013
I liked this a lot. I was ready to jump right into the next book in the series, but alas, it is not yet out. A lot of fun and likeable characters.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews