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Unleashed
Six mismatched students at Deacon Proprietary are about to discover the demonic legend of their school's origin is actually true. Not only have they obtained amazing powers, but they've also unleashed the demonic Horde. Now it's up to these six high school freshmen to stop the Horde before its evil spreads throughout the school and beyond.
- GenresFantasy
170 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 20, 2013
9 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Hartz
22 books14 followersJennifer Hartz is the author of over a dozen novels spanning the speculative genres and covering multiple age ranges. From demon-fighting teen superheroes, to fantasy lands with mythical creates, to Biblical historical fiction, Jennifer runs the gambit with the tales she weaves. Formally an eductor, Jennifer now spends her days homeschooling her children. Recently, she’s donned the hat of Editor-in-Chief for Shelves of Shalom Publishing. Outside of writing, editing, and teaching, Jennifer loves spending time with her family, in depth Torah and Bible studies, conspiracy theory rabbit holes, everything Irish, and (even though the NFL is most likely rigged) watching Pittsburgh Steelers football. Learn more about Jennifer at her website: www.jenniferhartz.online
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
July 13, 2015
Deacon Preparatory School is a private school with a past that should have remained hidden. And after six freshmen hear about the legend of demons that is a part of their school’s history, they find themselves exposed to its true secrets.
The students carry their own secrets and insecurities, but they’re developing strengths they can’t imagine. Suddenly the students find themselves changing, in some unexpected ways.
Shelly is an introvert who’d rather blend in to the scenery. She’s insecure. Though she’s unable to see her own self clearly, she’s able to view the others with kindness and understanding.
Mike, Shelly’s twin brother, is friendly and popular, a natural athlete with a great sense of humor.
His friend, Jimmy, is smart, good-looking, charismatic, and equally popular. He hides his compassion and caring nature behind an I-don’t-care attitude.
Maggie, one of Shelly’s best friends, is an artist, with unique flair for standing out in a crowd, and a keen eye for the world, and the people, around her. She is confidently Christian and as outgoing, with her snarky personality, as Shelly is shy.
Shelly’s other best friend is Cooper. Afflicted with a severe case of Tourette’s Syndrome, his brave intentions are often crushed by his weakened and out of control body.
Then there is Caitlyn, new to the school and as nice as she is pretty, though she faces her own insecurities.
The magic that is changing them creates an unlikely bond, and the strange developments only serve to strengthen it. And as they face those changes, they have one another to lean on.
Just when they’re getting comfortable with themselves again, they discover another world. A world where demons exist, and soon they realize those demons are all around them. And the demons are after their new-found powers.
The first demon they fight boasts that he’ll kill them all, and take all of their powers. They fight for all they are worth, using their strengths to finally kill the demon. His last words are a warning: they’d unleashed the horde.
And soon the demons are attacking. As the attacks continue, the demons become more difficult to fight. Then the teens discover their powers are growing to meet their need for them. They find themselves fighting a war they aren’t sure they can win, and it’ll take more than they have to triumph over the battles they face.
Review
I enjoyed this simply written YA novel, geared toward younger teens. It's told in the voice of each of the characters, which adds depth to the story, though it was jarring in the shift. The first in a series, it is about 6 teenagers coming of age in the midst of a spiritual war. I enjoy the different personalities of each of the teenagers, especially as they grow into their powers and themselves. Jennifer Hartz manages to bring a sense of religion into the book through Maggie, whose knowledge of scripture is what is able to kill the demons. It’s brought in naturally and doesn’t feel overly preachy in the way Hartz handled it. Not only do I look forward to reading more in the series, it’s a series I’d share with my kids.
The students carry their own secrets and insecurities, but they’re developing strengths they can’t imagine. Suddenly the students find themselves changing, in some unexpected ways.
Shelly is an introvert who’d rather blend in to the scenery. She’s insecure. Though she’s unable to see her own self clearly, she’s able to view the others with kindness and understanding.
Mike, Shelly’s twin brother, is friendly and popular, a natural athlete with a great sense of humor.
His friend, Jimmy, is smart, good-looking, charismatic, and equally popular. He hides his compassion and caring nature behind an I-don’t-care attitude.
Maggie, one of Shelly’s best friends, is an artist, with unique flair for standing out in a crowd, and a keen eye for the world, and the people, around her. She is confidently Christian and as outgoing, with her snarky personality, as Shelly is shy.
Shelly’s other best friend is Cooper. Afflicted with a severe case of Tourette’s Syndrome, his brave intentions are often crushed by his weakened and out of control body.
Then there is Caitlyn, new to the school and as nice as she is pretty, though she faces her own insecurities.
The magic that is changing them creates an unlikely bond, and the strange developments only serve to strengthen it. And as they face those changes, they have one another to lean on.
Just when they’re getting comfortable with themselves again, they discover another world. A world where demons exist, and soon they realize those demons are all around them. And the demons are after their new-found powers.
The first demon they fight boasts that he’ll kill them all, and take all of their powers. They fight for all they are worth, using their strengths to finally kill the demon. His last words are a warning: they’d unleashed the horde.
And soon the demons are attacking. As the attacks continue, the demons become more difficult to fight. Then the teens discover their powers are growing to meet their need for them. They find themselves fighting a war they aren’t sure they can win, and it’ll take more than they have to triumph over the battles they face.
Review
I enjoyed this simply written YA novel, geared toward younger teens. It's told in the voice of each of the characters, which adds depth to the story, though it was jarring in the shift. The first in a series, it is about 6 teenagers coming of age in the midst of a spiritual war. I enjoy the different personalities of each of the teenagers, especially as they grow into their powers and themselves. Jennifer Hartz manages to bring a sense of religion into the book through Maggie, whose knowledge of scripture is what is able to kill the demons. It’s brought in naturally and doesn’t feel overly preachy in the way Hartz handled it. Not only do I look forward to reading more in the series, it’s a series I’d share with my kids.
October 4, 2013
Jennifer Hartz is one of my favorite authors, so I was very excited when I found out that she was venturing into the YA genre. I've been reading more and more YA and I just can't get enough of it! It's also a super hero-type story! It's a combination that I found to be pretty awesome. And don't even get me started on the cover. I love the comic book look to it :D
One thing I liked was how the story shifted between each of the 6 high schoolers. I know this would probably be a bad thing if the author didn't do it just right. Trying to keep track of who's who could be distracting and take away from the story, but I thought in this case Jennifer made the story flow effortlessly. Getting multiple perspectives made reading it all the more interesting and fun.
Out of the 6 main characters, Caitlyn was my favorite. I can't exactly pin point what it was about her, I just really liked her from the start. Maybe it was that I could relate to her being insecure. Feeling like she wasn't good enough, or that people still saw her the way she was and not being able to move on from it. I loved seeing her confidence grow a bit more by the end of the story. I also thought the rest of the characters were great. I liked that each of them had their own unique voice that allows us to really get into their heads and see how much they grew throughout the story.
This book has so many different elements mixed into it. There's a little paranormal here, lots of action there, and some sweet romance sprinkled on top. This isn't considered Christian fiction, but there are some Biblical elements in there. One of the characters is Christian and she does quote scripture to fight off the demons. Speaking of the scenes where they're fighting demons, they were pretty creepy and intense! I was actually glad the story wasn't as dark as I had expected. So there you go, Jenn has done it again! I thought this was a great start to the Heroes of the Horde series and I cannot wait for book 2!
Oh and one thing I do want to warn readers about is that there is one heated scene between one of the characters, Jimmy, and his girlfriend. But they're interrupted before anything happens, I'm glad it didn't go further than it did :) As far as I can remember, that was the only scene like that. I just thought I'd mention that as a warning.
Please note: I received a PDF copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
One thing I liked was how the story shifted between each of the 6 high schoolers. I know this would probably be a bad thing if the author didn't do it just right. Trying to keep track of who's who could be distracting and take away from the story, but I thought in this case Jennifer made the story flow effortlessly. Getting multiple perspectives made reading it all the more interesting and fun.
Out of the 6 main characters, Caitlyn was my favorite. I can't exactly pin point what it was about her, I just really liked her from the start. Maybe it was that I could relate to her being insecure. Feeling like she wasn't good enough, or that people still saw her the way she was and not being able to move on from it. I loved seeing her confidence grow a bit more by the end of the story. I also thought the rest of the characters were great. I liked that each of them had their own unique voice that allows us to really get into their heads and see how much they grew throughout the story.
This book has so many different elements mixed into it. There's a little paranormal here, lots of action there, and some sweet romance sprinkled on top. This isn't considered Christian fiction, but there are some Biblical elements in there. One of the characters is Christian and she does quote scripture to fight off the demons. Speaking of the scenes where they're fighting demons, they were pretty creepy and intense! I was actually glad the story wasn't as dark as I had expected. So there you go, Jenn has done it again! I thought this was a great start to the Heroes of the Horde series and I cannot wait for book 2!
Oh and one thing I do want to warn readers about is that there is one heated scene between one of the characters, Jimmy, and his girlfriend. But they're interrupted before anything happens, I'm glad it didn't go further than it did :) As far as I can remember, that was the only scene like that. I just thought I'd mention that as a warning.
Please note: I received a PDF copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
July 14, 2013
Before we talk about anything else, can we just look at that cover? Look at how it looks just like a comic book, which is what this book has the feel of - that book totally encompasses what this book is about and the general feel of it which is light, fun but full of awesome. I wouldn't advise anyone who is looking for a deep, dark superhero style book to read Unleashed however if you're looking for a lighthearted book and want superpowers, this is just for you. I personally just loved watching all of the characters learn about their powers and loved watching this group of unique people band together for a common cause.
This book follows six different characters who group together to use their newly acquired super-powers to battle a series of demons intent on killing them and stealing their powers. Whilst certain characters appealed to me more (I loved Shelly but thought Caitlyn needed more work) I think that each character was explored enough to become likable and even though it's a short book and the narration changes I managed to connect to most of the characters. Each character had their own back story to make them stand out and honestly I really can't fault the characters in this book. There is some romance, but you don't really see it happen aside from with Cooper and Shelly. Mike and Caitlyn become a couple and there is some jealousy however this all kind of appears out of nowhere, I really don't think this book needed romance though since the awesome superhero-ness of it all was enough for me.
Hartz is a good writer, but I think this book needed a little more editing, as some parts of the book just didn't sound right and there were a few typing and grammar errors in places. This doesn't really bother me, however some readers may find this a bit of a distraction at times, so be warned. I really did feel like Hartz's writing really fitted the tone of the book though, and each character had a unique feel to their pages.
If I could find just one thing that kind of bothered me, it's that sometimes the characters seem older than fourteen to fifteen years old. I know that kids are growing up quicker these days and know all about the rules of intimacy, but when Jimmy is making out with his girlfriend and he talks about his top button being undone, it didn't seem like something I could see him doing.
Overall, Unleashed was a really fun yet action packed read and I just can't wait to read the rest of the Heroes of the Horde series.
Overall Rating: A-
This book follows six different characters who group together to use their newly acquired super-powers to battle a series of demons intent on killing them and stealing their powers. Whilst certain characters appealed to me more (I loved Shelly but thought Caitlyn needed more work) I think that each character was explored enough to become likable and even though it's a short book and the narration changes I managed to connect to most of the characters. Each character had their own back story to make them stand out and honestly I really can't fault the characters in this book. There is some romance, but you don't really see it happen aside from with Cooper and Shelly. Mike and Caitlyn become a couple and there is some jealousy however this all kind of appears out of nowhere, I really don't think this book needed romance though since the awesome superhero-ness of it all was enough for me.
Hartz is a good writer, but I think this book needed a little more editing, as some parts of the book just didn't sound right and there were a few typing and grammar errors in places. This doesn't really bother me, however some readers may find this a bit of a distraction at times, so be warned. I really did feel like Hartz's writing really fitted the tone of the book though, and each character had a unique feel to their pages.
If I could find just one thing that kind of bothered me, it's that sometimes the characters seem older than fourteen to fifteen years old. I know that kids are growing up quicker these days and know all about the rules of intimacy, but when Jimmy is making out with his girlfriend and he talks about his top button being undone, it didn't seem like something I could see him doing.
Overall, Unleashed was a really fun yet action packed read and I just can't wait to read the rest of the Heroes of the Horde series.
Overall Rating: A-
August 18, 2014
Strong language: Mild
Drugs: None
Violence: Some, semi-comic
Sexual content: None
I received a copy of Heroes of the Horde: Unleashed, in return for an unbiased review.
This novel covers a group of six High School kids, a mix of misfits and popular ones, who accidentally invoke the school's myth of how it got its name and each end up with powers far beyond the norm. these vary from fire to mental powers and even the ability to use scripture to protect themselves from the demons they find in the world around them.
This was a fun, light read, with the characters not taking themselves or what they could do too seriously. At first I was confused however as it was written in first person but seemed to jump between the members of the group. A note to readers out there: unlike me actually READ the text above the story as it says the name of the character. I did find the switching between the six characters a bit disturbing to making a connection emotionally, however they were very much in tune with each other which helped.
As for the characters themselves I could write tomes on them. Each one had a different outlook and past that I think defined what powers they got. You had:
Shelly, your average girly girl with a side of read your mind
Mike, Shelley's twin who's naturally bouncier than his basketball and seems to get the power of flubber!
Cooper, the kind, relatable strongman
Jimmy, comes across as too cool for school, but a potential leader
Maggie, the Christian who serves up flambé demon with what she's learned in bible studies
And Caitlyn, the new girl trying to change her image to not be the school punch bag she's been in her past
I felt the text could have done with a final edit as some things read a bit flat and cardboard, particularly conversations amongst the group. Emotion was also an issue at times, particularly during life or death battles. But it was a light hearted novel, designed more for the beach than University study, so I'll give it more of a pass on that than I would in a LotR rewrite.
Overall this was a light break from some of the books I've read of late and I was always eager to get back to it. I would recommend it to youths and people looking for a different sort of superhero novel, as well as people that just want to kick back and relax.
Due to a group of minor issues I give it a 3.5 but will upgrade that to a 4 for the sake or reviewing sites
Drugs: None
Violence: Some, semi-comic
Sexual content: None
I received a copy of Heroes of the Horde: Unleashed, in return for an unbiased review.
This novel covers a group of six High School kids, a mix of misfits and popular ones, who accidentally invoke the school's myth of how it got its name and each end up with powers far beyond the norm. these vary from fire to mental powers and even the ability to use scripture to protect themselves from the demons they find in the world around them.
This was a fun, light read, with the characters not taking themselves or what they could do too seriously. At first I was confused however as it was written in first person but seemed to jump between the members of the group. A note to readers out there: unlike me actually READ the text above the story as it says the name of the character. I did find the switching between the six characters a bit disturbing to making a connection emotionally, however they were very much in tune with each other which helped.
As for the characters themselves I could write tomes on them. Each one had a different outlook and past that I think defined what powers they got. You had:
Shelly, your average girly girl with a side of read your mind
Mike, Shelley's twin who's naturally bouncier than his basketball and seems to get the power of flubber!
Cooper, the kind, relatable strongman
Jimmy, comes across as too cool for school, but a potential leader
Maggie, the Christian who serves up flambé demon with what she's learned in bible studies
And Caitlyn, the new girl trying to change her image to not be the school punch bag she's been in her past
I felt the text could have done with a final edit as some things read a bit flat and cardboard, particularly conversations amongst the group. Emotion was also an issue at times, particularly during life or death battles. But it was a light hearted novel, designed more for the beach than University study, so I'll give it more of a pass on that than I would in a LotR rewrite.
Overall this was a light break from some of the books I've read of late and I was always eager to get back to it. I would recommend it to youths and people looking for a different sort of superhero novel, as well as people that just want to kick back and relax.
Due to a group of minor issues I give it a 3.5 but will upgrade that to a 4 for the sake or reviewing sites
August 10, 2013
I know I may not be the only one thinking about this but the cover of this book is so cartoonish that it is highly intriguing. I don’t think that I have read a book with such a cover like this for my interest to read the book to become present like it did for this book. I love the cover and overall the book struck gold for me.
So it is interesting how this story is created. It is short but to the point. We are shifted around the different characters which makes the story flow easier. I felt that this book still needed more but from the action, adventure, to the paranormal the author brought, this was a book worth reading.
The story is spilt up into six different perspectives and I just have to say how I felt the story flowed perfectly chapter to chapter. Each character I felt brought something to the story and made the story more compelling. I felt that even though the story was short, we were still able to learn about the characters enough to keep interest.
There are some things that I hope for the story to have in the next book, and I feel although there were some things that I wished were different the book overall captured my attention to keep reading. Ms. Hartz is a writer to keep an eye out for and I am excited to see what she comes out with next.
I give the book 4 bites!
So it is interesting how this story is created. It is short but to the point. We are shifted around the different characters which makes the story flow easier. I felt that this book still needed more but from the action, adventure, to the paranormal the author brought, this was a book worth reading.
The story is spilt up into six different perspectives and I just have to say how I felt the story flowed perfectly chapter to chapter. Each character I felt brought something to the story and made the story more compelling. I felt that even though the story was short, we were still able to learn about the characters enough to keep interest.
There are some things that I hope for the story to have in the next book, and I feel although there were some things that I wished were different the book overall captured my attention to keep reading. Ms. Hartz is a writer to keep an eye out for and I am excited to see what she comes out with next.
I give the book 4 bites!
September 25, 2015
Unleashed
Six mismatched students at Deacon Proprietary are about to discover the demonic legend of their school's origin is actually true. Not only have they obtained amazing powers, but they've also unleashed the demonic Horde. Now it's up to these six high school freshmen to stop the Horde before its evil spreads throughout the school and beyond.
(Blurb from Goodreads)
Unleashed was an interesting book about kids who acquired super powers with which to fight demons.
Characters
The characters were pretty good. I liked that they were all unique, and not exactly the same. Unfortunately, they were not very round characters.
Plot
The plot did not flow well. Each chapter was from a different character's perspective (in first person, which I found jarring), and even within the chapter the plot jumped.
Overall thoughts
The dating. Ugh. I mean really, in ninth grade? Also, it was riddled with typos. Other than that, it was ok.
Would I recommend it? No
Would I let my kids read it? I would let them, if they wanted to, once they were in high school
Would I read the other books in the series? Maybe
Overall Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review.
Six mismatched students at Deacon Proprietary are about to discover the demonic legend of their school's origin is actually true. Not only have they obtained amazing powers, but they've also unleashed the demonic Horde. Now it's up to these six high school freshmen to stop the Horde before its evil spreads throughout the school and beyond.
(Blurb from Goodreads)
Unleashed was an interesting book about kids who acquired super powers with which to fight demons.
Characters
The characters were pretty good. I liked that they were all unique, and not exactly the same. Unfortunately, they were not very round characters.
Plot
The plot did not flow well. Each chapter was from a different character's perspective (in first person, which I found jarring), and even within the chapter the plot jumped.
Overall thoughts
The dating. Ugh. I mean really, in ninth grade? Also, it was riddled with typos. Other than that, it was ok.
Would I recommend it? No
Would I let my kids read it? I would let them, if they wanted to, once they were in high school
Would I read the other books in the series? Maybe
Overall Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review.
February 20, 2015
I enjoyed this introduction to Jennifer's YA series! I liked getting to meet an all new cast of diverse characters, they were all really cool and I really enjoyed watching their powers develop! I've never really been much into superheroes, but I really loved these characters. I loved that one of the characters shared my name-Caitlyn-even the exact same spelling, I thought that was super cool! I'm not sure who my favorite character was, maybe Maggie. Because each chapter was told in first person by one of the six main characters, I sometimes had trouble remembering who was talking, but it wasn't a huge problem. There are no sex scenes in this book but there were two scenes that were a bit too intimate for my taste, it especially made me a bit uncomfortable because the characters were only fourteen years old. For this reason I wouldn't recommend this book to young teens. While I didn't love this book as much as Jennifer's Future Savior series, I did really enjoy this book and look forward to reading the following installments at some point!
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, just my honest opinion which I have done. All thoughts and opinions are one hundred percent my own.
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, just my honest opinion which I have done. All thoughts and opinions are one hundred percent my own.
Read
June 18, 2013This was awesome. Really.
Can we just start by discussing the fabulous cover that this book has? I don't know what it is that caught my eye...Maybe the awesome colors? I don't know, but I really think so. What I do care about is the fact that I decided to read this book, because I really, really enjoyed it. The right amount of action and the right amount of romance.
Unleashed is about six different freshmen who discover that their school has some historic secrets and legends, when they get different powers. They must now take care of these.
One of my favorite characters was Jimmy. He was so chill and just knew how to lead when a leader was needed, and of course, confident and comfortable with who he was. I also really liked Caitlyn and Mike. Both very cute characters.
Unleashed is a relatively short book, but I enjoyed it very much and I strongly recommend it to those who are looking for a light and action-filled story. I can't wait for the second book in the Heroes of the Horde series!
Can we just start by discussing the fabulous cover that this book has? I don't know what it is that caught my eye...Maybe the awesome colors? I don't know, but I really think so. What I do care about is the fact that I decided to read this book, because I really, really enjoyed it. The right amount of action and the right amount of romance.
Unleashed is about six different freshmen who discover that their school has some historic secrets and legends, when they get different powers. They must now take care of these.
One of my favorite characters was Jimmy. He was so chill and just knew how to lead when a leader was needed, and of course, confident and comfortable with who he was. I also really liked Caitlyn and Mike. Both very cute characters.
Unleashed is a relatively short book, but I enjoyed it very much and I strongly recommend it to those who are looking for a light and action-filled story. I can't wait for the second book in the Heroes of the Horde series!
April 16, 2014
If you love superheroes, action/adventure, & God, then this is the book for you! It starts of introducing you to 6 average teenagers attending the same high school, with pretty much nothing in common, until everything changes after they hear a story concerning their school's origins on Halloween. After that, these "Heroes of the Horde", as they call themselves, start to discover their true potential & how they can truly help others. It is a must-read and couldn't put down!
April 21, 2014
This was such a good book.. It brought me back to when I was young and read comics featuring heroes.
The 6 students who develop super powers through an accident are easy to like, and the book flows along nicely with no slow spots.
There is quite a bit of humour in the book, so it was entertaining as well as being just an all around good read.
The 6 students who develop super powers through an accident are easy to like, and the book flows along nicely with no slow spots.
There is quite a bit of humour in the book, so it was entertaining as well as being just an all around good read.
August 5, 2014
The book was okay, but I felt it was lacking in some areas (such as an overarching plot or a focused antagonist; the "horde of demons" with their random attacks were too random, especially for a first outing). The prolonged backstory infodumps in the early chapters were also problematic for me.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews