The Remarkables

The Remarkable Owen Johnson #1

by A.D. Elliott

Owen Johnson's day was progressing just as it did for most other teenagers. By lunchtime he had climbed a tall building using abilities usually reserved for superheroes; he had flirted with the girl he had secretly adored for years; he had come home to find his dad had been kidnapped and a mysterious stranger standing in his living room; and finally he had been rescued by the elderly woman from next door who had suddenly revealed that she had the power to launch people through the air.

"The Remarkables" introduces Owen Johnson to the world of a group of seemingly ageless war heroes, each possessing unique gifts that had been used to fight evil. Now they must help Owen find his dad, and uncover a new threat to our way of life. Along their journey Owen slowly starts to learn the secrets of his past, and discovers surprising truths about himself and those that he thought he knew; some of which he is glad to learn, some he may wish that he had not.

Genres: Fantasy, Superheroes

287 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 9, 2013

About the author

A.D. Elliott wasn't born in the wagon of a travelling show, nor did his momma dance for money and papa rarely preached gospel or sold bottles of Dr Good. He was brought up in the countryside and read from an early age, usually ignoring whatever genre was appropriate for his age (a trend he has tried to continue throughout his life).

Over the years he has spent more time than is probably considered healthy in reading books, and has just finished and published his first book, The Remarkables.

He lives somewhere that is just left of the 21st century with his wife, daughter, and a couple of cats.

Reviews

[Branwen Sedai *of the Brown Ajah* · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book in return for my honest review. Thanks, A.D.! :)

When Owen Johnson comes home from school to find out that his father had been kidnapped, he must learn to trust his superpowers and the powers of the Remarkables, others with unique gifts. This book was a fast paced, action packed, superhero book that literally kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. What a wild ride!

Character wise, although my favorite was most definitely Myrtle, I did enjoy Owen as well. He seemed like a normal teenager to me, albeit one with extraordinary powers! I liked that we got to see him and his feelings for Kate, as well as how he worried over what was happening to his father. It brought him down to a more 'human' level, so to speak, and made him more identifiable. But also, like I said, Myrtle was so awesome! I almost wish she could have her own book because she was just such a kickass character! The storyline moved pretty quickly, which I enjoy with a book such as this. It kept my heart pumping and my brain excited for more! The back story of some of the characters was just so intriguing, and it really made me hope for a sequel!

Writing wise, I was pretty happy with this book! There were a few typos, which were to be expected, but nothing that really threw me out of the books reality or halted my reading process. There is some humor in this book as well, which made me really happy! I love stories like this with humor, it was very reminiscent of the Percy Jackson series, which made me love it even more. The author hinted at some things and left little tidbits about some of the characters (such as Clive) that really made me even more interested in this world and what happened to some of the characters in the past. In my opinion, there could be countless books in this type of series, and it reminded me of 'The Avengers' or 'The Justice League' in terms of different worlds and realities. Very interesting stuff!

All in all, this book was a real pleasure to read and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys fast paced superhero/action adventure young adult books!

[Alyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from the group Lovers of Paranormal in exchange for an honest review.

This book was epic, I really really liked it. It was incredibly unique, I've never encountered a book anything like this one before.

The characters in this book each possess "powers" of sorts, all of which are connected to countless other universes (the book explains it very clearly), so cool! On top of that, the plot twists and turns enough to keep you enthralled. I also enjoyed the fact that this book has a very good balance between the action and the character development. Often times I find books to be staggered heavily in one direction.

I found the characters (both young and old) to be highly entertaining and refreshing. Their constant banter back and forth was quite hilarious at times. Though I would have to say my two favorite characters were Fafnir and the crazy cow.

The only bad thing I would have to say about the book was the traitor. I knew exactly who it would be and had a fairly accurate guess as to what they would do, the moment they were introduced. I wish it would have been more obscured by her words and actions. But hey, you can't have everything and I suppose it's okay because it's not the big twist anyways :)

Overall, I would give this book an 8/10 and I will be recommending it to anyone I can. It is most definitely worth the read!

[Johnny · Rating 5 out of 5]

A.D. Elliott has written a fun and exciting story in The Remarkables. I found the characters easy to like. Owen is the picked-on kid that finds himself in possession of special powers. At first he is afraid of these powers, and also thinks them weak compared to other powers in the book, but learns they are rare and actually come in pretty handy. The other characters were fantastic too. Ken, Clive, and Fafnir create an air of youthfulness with their jibes and quirky attitudes, even though the youngest of them is 131 years old. Mrs. Argyle is a fierce old lady that holds the group together through the sheer force of her will. Katie as a love interest to Owen is great because they both have so much in common; powers, both lost parents, and they have known each other since they were babies. I appreciate the slow build of a relationship between these two and how it can be increased in future books. I know the next book in the series is due out soon and I'll definitely be reading it.

[Sammi · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off, let me explain my rating of 3.5 stars. I just want to make it abundantly clear this is a GOOD scoring, not a bad scoring. I would give it a 4 star (which is the same as alot of the books i love) however there are few parts of the book i fell out with. Firstly, there are a few spelling errors. I’m not gonna be pedantic and start listing these out (im not THAT ocd), however, i think with a little tidying up this novel could indeed be ‘Remarkable’… (sorry, that was lame.) A few areas of the storyline did lul at some point, but nothing ghastly enough to make me put it down for an unmentionable amount of time.


I would have loved to have seen more character development, they all had so much potential and i expecialy liked Mrs Argyle. Although, not sure if this is because she had the most face time out of everyone, so her personality was able to evolve. She really cracked me up.

Owen, i found a little bit wet. I had the impression he was the main character but he didn’t really have any strong traits which drew me too him. He wasnt even a knob so i couldn’t hate him either. The only real emotion i could draw from him was his ‘tingly feelings’ toward Kate & he occasionaly worried about his Dad. I also think Kate could have maybe been a little more sassy or headstrong, would have matched her particular power nicely. I think some aspects would have worked better with less thinking paragraphs and more interaction between the characters.

Kates sister Fiona i think should have been featured earlier. It would have been great to have her built as a more solid character, give you time to love her before the betrayal for maximum impact. I wanted to be able to shout into the kindle ‘you nasty lying cheating betch’, alas i didn’t care enough. Since she first walked onto the pages i could sense treachery. In one way, this is a very good thing as the emotion and general vibe was given off VERY nicely indeed, however i feel it could have been delivered with a little more oompfh! Hence an earlier meeting would have been ace.


Once i reached the end it was obvious there is a second book on the cards, which also makes me think it would have been cool to have saved some of the characters for this installment. I felt like too many key people were introduced in such a short amount of time that i didn’t really get to know them very well, they all seemed like awesome people which is why i feel like this is a shame. Clive for example has an ACE power, he seems like a right character but he was left out alot of the time. I think Myrtle (the kick-ass cow) had more feature time then Clive and she couldnt even talk lol. I’m hoping we get to see him alot more in the second novel.

This brings me nicely onto the super powers! I LOVE the concept of ‘reaching’ into another world. It’s so much more original then other super power books i’ve read and does make this a stand alone concept. There are of course the elementals, wind/water/fire, these powers are used by drawing the active elements from another time and place in another world. Then there are powers like Owens, which to be fair to the guy, its a pretty cool power. He has the ability to reach his hands into another place and grab onto rock faces/solid objects. Not only this but when he’s doing it he also is granted super strength to his body, so he can carry people and be like – Batman, eat your heart out! Rockclimbing in mid air!! Katy also has the spectacular ability to punch stuff, REALLY hard. I tell you what, if that was me i would have abused that ability to high heaven, that would be SO fun!!!

My biggest end of book gripe was the UNKNOWN!!! Argh, i still wanna know how the majority of the characters got their powers, and who these ‘supernatural government’ type peeps are, from what i can gather, they are utter a-holes. Gutted, oh well, i hope book 2 is out real soon. Presuming there is a book 2. One can hope!

[Sandy S · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars


THE REMARKABLES is the first storyline in A.D.Elliott’s YA sci-fi/fantasy series focusing on sixteen year old Owen Johnson and a group of gifted men and women who call themselves The Remarkables. Not quite the X-men or Marvel Comic heroes, The Remarkables have certain abilities that allow them to pull their powers from the elements such as wind, fire and water. Owen Johnson is about to learn what it really means to be special.

The Remarkables is a super hero storyline but not one that involves costumes or over-the-top abilities. Many are gifted with psychic powers while others have the ability to pull their strengths and gifts from other worlds. The group has been hunted for decades but with Owen’s full potential about to be revealed, they can no longer hide in plain sight as Owen has become the number one Remarkable on the hit list of super heroes. On the run, Owen and the others will find themselves pulled into a struggle of good vs evil.


The storyline reads more like a middle grade novel rather than young adult. This is an adventure storyline where the young hero must use his powers to save the people that he knows and loves, but in true super hero storylines, it is never that easy.

Many secondary characters are introduced whose backstory and history were only hinted at or alluded to. There are many unexplained scenarios about The Remarkables that have yet to be answered and this left me with some issues of coherency and cohesion. I kept asking myself-How and Why -but apparently The Remarkables is the first book in a series (by virtue of the ending) and hopefully many of the questions and unknowns will be answered in the next book.

Overall, THE REMARKABLES is a cute adventure storyline but one that I believe will be of interest to a select audience-perhaps young boys and girls who dream that they too will one day be able to fly and walk through walls. If you have a tween who likes to read stories of adventure, science fiction and super heroes with magical abilities then The Remarkables is the perfect summer read.

see all of my reviews at : www.thereadingcafe.com

[Jennifer Priester · Rating 4 out of 5]

To start off with, this book is very fast paced. Throughout the book are some very funny moments. The humor is incorporated throughout the book much like in Rick Riordan's "Percy Jackson" and "Heroes of Olympus" series.
I like how most of the characters in the book have powers of some kind, although most have only one ability.
This isn't a superhero story in the sense most people are used to. Although the heroes all have superpowers, they don't have costumes or secret identities, and the goal is to simply save the boy, Owen's, dad, though it does get bigger than that.
I really liked how the characters; including a cow in the book, are all very unique. Each character with powers has a different ability. Two of these characters, Mrs. Argyle, and Ken, reminded me of the benders in the "Avatar: The Last Airbender" and "Legend of Korra" TV shows, except the way their abilities work are very different.
For anyone that has read a lot of comic books, such as: "Justice League" should easily be able to recognize and understand the idea of infinite Earths, as mentioned in the book. Unfortunately, because I am very familiar with this concept, I can't say whether the explanations are easily understandable to anyone new to the idea.
The only problems I had with this book is that there appeared to be some minor typo's and some words are spelled differently than what I am used to seeing, so although I'm not saying they are wrong, I did find it to be a little distracting.
Because my problems were so minor I never felt like they took anything away from the overall story.
If done right, I think this book would make a really good movie. It is so easy to imagine it as one while reading.

[Trevor Armitage · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished this book after pickling it up for free off Amazon. Wow! What an original concept. Superheroes in literature are usually corny and far too Marvel-esque. The Remarkables are surprisingly grounded (most of the time!) and there's a normality about the superpowers that they have. This isn't a criticism, as I really liked how there might be a chance that your next door neighbor or classmate might have the ability to fly or engulf you in flames.

My only criticisms would be the occasional stray word that seemed out of place and the speed of the plot. It's by no means a short book, but a lot happens! I guess that's a refreshing change from some of the more plodding books out there though. Other than that, the characters are great and their hinted at back-story is intriguing.

The ending is cool, and (hopefully!) sets up nicely for a sequel. If there is a follow up: more Myrtle! She's the most kick ass character in a book I've read this year. I'd also like to see a bit of the WW2 antics that some of the characters apparently got up to. Like what they did to that German submarine (the author is such a tease) and the past of the character of Clive, which seems a bit shady.

Overall, the best surprise I've had reading this year.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

R2R LoP: The Remarkables

I received a free copy, through LoP, in exchange for a review.

Owen is like so many other teenager; fights with his brother, has issues with people at school and has a best friend, who happens to be a girl. No big deal, until one day, it became one. All of a sudden, he was able to climb up huge buildings, with no effort, something the likes of only superheros could do. Then, things go haywire. His neighbor, who he thought was a little old lady, comes to the rescue, showing extreme strength, cunning and surprisingly, what one would call super hero powers. This is just the introduction to the group labeled “The Remarkables,” seemingly normal people, with non-normal powers. Now, the old team are being hunted or recruited, to the organization, but to what end?

'So after decades of being one step ahead of those that he had thus far avoided so expertly, this morning he was now a matter of footsteps away from one of his old employers. The very people whom he had helped to win a war, but now wanted to trap and imprison him like a laboratory rat.'

It's rare when I give a 5 star rating, but this was such a fun and interesting story and I was so thrilled with the story line. I really cannot wait to see what happens with this misfit crew of people!

[Maria Dodd · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given this book in exchange for an honest review by the author and Lovers of Paranormal.

Firstly I have to say that this book was so much better than I expected from the title and the references to superheroes.

The Remarkables was a well thought out and well written story, although there were a few typos and editing errors they didn't detract too much from the tale.

The concept of the characters' powers being accessed from other worlds was interesting. The characters were likable and well formed, even the cow! Owen, a teenager, just discovering he has special talents, being rescued and helped by his elderly lady neighbour reminded me somewhat of Harry Potter but there were no other similarities.

The characters had back stories which gave them depth and linked them together, I look forward to finding out more in the next book, Reaching Out. Without giving too much away I had guessed at the Trilby character's identity during the fight with the alien creature and can't wait for some more answers to that in the next book (hopefully) !

Finally...don't be put off by the title if you are in doubt, give it a go. I thoroughly enjoyed the book.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It had some really good characters.

Owen after only just receiving his " special abilities" where as he can reach into other worlds and grab onto things, kinda like flying, swinging. Mrs Argylle, the next door neighbour can produce wind enabling her to fly amongst other things and Ken her brother who can produce water. They are joined by others along the way even Ken's cow Myrtle who has special abilities too is just great.

They set out to rescue Owens dad after he is kidnapped by The Remnant, who also want Owen and the others to help them, which cannot be good.

I do hope there will be a sequel, I would love to find out a little more about Mrs Argylle's and Ken's earlier escapades and about Owen's mum.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review (LOP)

[J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given these books (The Remarkables and Reaching Out) in exchange for an honest review for LoP. A chance encounter with a meteor or a gift from beyond? Extraordinary talents are bestowed on certain members of the human race and some of our beloved animals as well. This is a British novel which gives a different slant on things. Hang on for a funny, wild ride. Very interesting characters and humorous situations. Manipulation by government and secret war weapons drive many into hiding. Enjoyable and worth the read. Difficult read on leading character Owen – sometimes immature for age and other times wise beyond his years. Editing needs work. The second book (Reaching Out) answers many questions and the actions really picks up.

[Abigail · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given this book in exchange for an honest review by Lovers of Paranormal. I really enjoyed this book a lot. I felt like it gave me a great background to all of the characters. While reading it I thought it seemed like a cross between Harry Potter and X-Men a little bit. I love the characters the author created for these novels, I hope that we should see much more of them in the future. All I can say is, onto the next book, because I can't wait to start it.

[Connie Bale · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the most enjoyable reads I've had in a long time. The plot whizzes along at a breakneck pace, and I loved all of the characters (especially Myrtle). My only complaints are the occasional typing mishap and the lack of sequel. Work on it please, Mr Author!

[Camilla Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, this felt like one of those thrilling almost heist-like plots that drags you along at a high pace while you're still trying to piece everything together, topped with sass and humour. I really enjoyed reading it and it was a quick read that fit perfectly into my schedule.

The characters are all quirky in their own ways, which sometimes feels a little overwhelming, but it was rare that it got in the way for the plot progression's smoothness, in my opinion. They are distinguishable, quite lovely in their own ways, but some definitely get more "airtime" than others, which is a pity as by the end there were people, whom I weren't as sure of where to place anymore as I generally just have a horrific short-term memory.

The plot was intriguing and I just can't pass on a "superhero" type book, like, superpowers has always been a childhood fantasy for me and this just fed that memory. It really appealed to the more childish side of me and those fantasies, but it wasn't so childish that I felt out of place reading it.

The majority of my score is based off the plot as the book is considerably more based around the plot with added quirky characters than the other way around. As I'm a person who is often able to finish things for the sake of the plot if nothing else, even if I'm not into the main character, this book perhaps appealed more to me because of its focus on plot.

Just an enjoyable read in general!

[Ruby Ridge · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fairly ordinary novel of folks with powers, I shall not go out of my way to get the next in the series though if it is a free download I may read it.
Mundane

[Samuel Sylvester · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm equal parts entertained and disgusted. The book had an interesting premiss, but was so confusing. To this moment, at the end of the book, I still don't have any idea what is going on.

It was like I knew what was going on, because as a reader reading the book, I could see where it could go following typical stories. But it wasn't explained. Our main character had a ton of questions, most of which were to the point but some obvious ones weren't asked. And when he asked, he was told to have some faith and trust everyone. Which he does. Blindly. (In his defence, the "good guys" were saving his life and the "bad guys" were pointing guns at him so...) Despite having the "good guys" constantly talking behind his back or over his head, or even right in front of him about how important it is for him to "know the truth" and how "it's wrong to keep this or that from him" but still go for telling him selected truths.*Looks expectantly at characters*.... Oh yeah, we didn't even tell any "selected truths" to him did we? Nope.

And he was promised that his father was going to explain everything to him later. Well to be fair, it was more like "It's your farther's right to tell you what he thinks you should know, you owe him that much to hear what he has to say".

Apparently, he has nothing to say. Because in the last three pages of the book after being reunited for half-an-hour, not a word of explanation was uttered.

And we keep on being all mysterious about how the "bad guys" are going to tell him warped versions of the truth leading him astray and then there are these other "good guys" (who...aren't good??) who will also tell him half truths to warp him into an obedient servant to their cause. Which is what exactly??

And if it's so bad for him to be told half truths by both other parties, oh here's a thought, WHY DON'T YOU TELL HIM SOMETHING, ANYTHING, SO HE DOESN'T GET MISLEAD!! But noo, let's send him off to the good-bad guys to train without a scrap of information and then say when he's gone;

“Do you think this is wise?” asked Ken. “Sending them both to those who are, for all intents and purposes, just as dangerous as those we’ve just escaped from?”
“Our options were somewhat limited,” replied Christopher, “but your sister has a way with people; she’ll keep them in line.”
Ken raised his eyebrows, not convinced that the faith in his sister’s diplomatic skills was entirely justified. “Maybe, but they are likely to discover certain facts that could lead them to harbour an intense hatred towards you both.”
“Perhaps, but in time they’ll understand that what we did was for the best,” Christopher replied, sighing.”

Excerpt From: The Remarkables

Yeah that sounds like a plan alright. Not.

Really I didn't like this book at all. It was predictable, slow paced, there was barely any plot, if not solely because there wasn't enough information for one, and just a poor quality. The only, THE ONLY the only reason I would read the next one is to see what Owen could possibly do with the ability to grab rocks. I suppose that we could do something with whatever "open portals" thing we have going on. But I'm not getting my hopes up.

[Charles Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Teenager Owen Johnson has a secret – one that at first even he doesn’t understand. He has the amazing ability to do things that should be physically impossible. And, there’s that blue glow that appears when he does them. For a young man about to finish school it’s truly a perplexing situation. Only the old lady, Mrs. Argyle, seems to understand, until Owen meets Ken. It seems that the three of them all have these remarkable abilities.
A.D. Elliott’s The Remarkables, which I received a free review copy of, is the tale of how Owen learns to live with his powers. A well-told tale that is part fantasy, part science fiction, and totally entertaining – despite a few grammatical glitches in the opening chapters. You’ll be swept along in suspense as Owen and his friends contend with the mysterious Trilby.
Elliott does a good job of creating a situation which makes it easy to suspend disbelief. A fantastic – no, remarkable – tale that will entertain readers of all ages.