Freaks

by Lisa M. Forester

Nobody's perfect... or are they?

Abigail always knew that she was different, but what she didn't know was just how different.

That was until her 16th birthday, when her parent's revealed a devastating secret that confirmed her worst fears and changed her life forever.

Abigail is an Allelobrid: one of five children born as a result of their parents illegal science experiment in genetic engineering. The aim: to create a perfect human.

Yet perfection comes at a price.

Forced into a life on the run, Abigail finds love, danger and an organisation that will stop at nothing to get what they want.

When lives are at risk and freedom is threatened - could being perfect be enough to survive?

Genres: Science Fiction

234 pages, Paperback

First published November 23, 2013

About the author

Lisa M. Forester is a Young Adult fiction author living in the North West of England and her debut novel ‘Freaks’ is due for release on the 28th of November 2013.

She has lived on a diet of books since she was six (when she was handed an Enid Blyton story for the very first time) and she constantly lives in hope that reading will become an Olympic sport. After being inspired to write by the plethora of amazing YA writers that exist across the globe, she put pen to paper and produced ‘Freaks’ – which I am sure she would very much love you to read.

She would also, most probably, very much like to be your friend on goodreads.

You can also find Lisa on Twitter: @lisamforester

Reviews

[Bex Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I honestly do not know where to begin describing how incredible thought out and addictive this book was. I saw the book in my college library and knowing it was written by a fellow student in my college I thought I would give it a read. Borrowing the book I thought, 'Well it looks pretty bad outside but I'll give it a try...'

This story inside was the definition of not judging a book by its cover. Since I was twelve I've read over 300 books. Many of these have been highly famous series such as Fifty Shades, Harry Potter, Twilight ect. These I feel are brilliant examples of books in which left the same (if not more tbh) appetite for more. Lisa Forster writes her characters beautifully as if appearing to be there herself. I finished the book in two sittings because I simply could not put it down. Frankly Lisa Forester has inspired my to carry on moving away from block busters books and read what feels right.

Abbie and everyone else in the book felt so real to myself by the end of the last page that I was able to think whilst lying in bed what they would do next and what they look like; amongst how they will develop in the squeal.

All I can say is that anyone who is debating on reading this book beware of the fact that you will become whole hartingly in love with each character and will repeat reading the book until the pages have worn away.

[Zoe Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Firstly, I would like to say what an awesome debut Freaks is. Seriously now, I was hooked right from the start. The synopsis is enough to make me want to read the book and it really is a page turner, I didn’t want to put it down and I wouldn’t have if I didn’t have to go to that thing called work. It was all I thought about, and I couldn’t wait to leave work and curl up in bed to finish off Abigail’s story.

Lisa has included everything I love in a book. A great story line packed of adventure and action and of course, a bit of romance thrown into it for good measure. I hardly ever read YA, no less Sci-Fi YA, but I was so glad to put down my smutty books and indulged in Freaks. It’s the perfect spice to add to the mixture of leaving behind NA for a little while.

For a debut, in my opinion, Lisa has it spot-on. Her characters all have their own personality, they all shine in their own ways and of course, that is what you expect from a story, and you cant help but love and hate the characters you are ‘supposed’ to. The story develops each time you turn a page and as I told you, I was hooked, wanting to know who the other Allelobrids or as Abbie calls them ‘Freaks’ were, where they were from, why they had to go on the run and when you get to these scenes, you want to know how their lives are going to turn out – will they have to keep on running or be out of danger at last from the people who want them. Well, you’ll have to wait and see, but there is a book two coming out! THANK GOD because that ending killed me.

Freaks is about, well five freaks. Abigail is a super ‘human’, her parents designed her to never get ill, to be super smart, to be athletic…basically the perfect ‘human being.’ On her 16th birthday, her parents tell her the truth about herself, that she was illegally made in America, made to perfection but now they are in hiding as the head of the experiment wants to kidnap all five of them to perform experiments on them. So they fled.

Abigail goes in search of what ‘Allelobrids’ are but despite how smart she is, she’s made one mistake. One email turns to conversations and finding the other three Allelobrids but what starts out as wanting to know who and where the others are, ends up with her running away to save someone, which in turn puts herself and others in danger. Along the way, she faces danger, meets the other Allelobrids and finds love with Max, another Allelobrid. What starts out as an adventure, may end in disaster.

I really really liked Abbie. Not one for friends, she just exists in school. People leave her alone and her only friend is gay…he just hasn’t told her yet. After finding out all about herself and finding the others, she feels inadequate to them – they are all modified to be gorgeous, to look like supermodels and Abbie feels average but that is what makes her special…especially to Max who would rather be average than supermodelly. Abbie is spunky and strong willed but she doesn’t give herself credit to this part of her. It’s cut off but when faced with danger, she puts herself forward to be the one in charge of the three of them, she risks her life to save Dylan – the last Allelobrid who is in captive and walks straight into the factory where he and the person who wants them, is situated.

You watch Abbie grow, you watch her come out of her shell, take charge – something she would never do – watch her risk her life for the other guys and of course, watch her fall for Max. Their friendship / relationship was so cute to read and watch unfold. From being the first two to find each other, the first ones to meet and then to go in a limbo of their feelings coming out, you could see that Max adores Abbie, that he wanted to be the one to risk his life for them, but Abbie stood her ground and how Max and Abbie fell asleep holding hands…oh god, my heart was bursting for them.

The action was constantly there, the fear but courage of Abbie was admirable, the way she communicated with Dylan and let him know that he was going to be saved and safe, along with his parents warmed my heart and how they all stuck together to help him, making plans to get Dylan and his parents out, how to get rid of the bad guy and not live in fear anymore. But nothing is ever simple….

I, for one, really enjoyed Freaks. For a first novel, it is one that should be given a read and if you are like me and just read the same genre, its refreshing to read another genre and I was glad this was another YA book that I loved.

Please give me Book two soon though Lisa…I NEED to know what in the hell is going to happen after an ending like THAT!

[Ivette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here's my review, as written on my blog:

The Story:
Abigail isn't the girl who she thought she was, she's different. She always knew she was different, but she don't know why. Her parents always told her to be smart but not too smart. Be good but not too good.
She didn't understand them at all.

On her 16th birthday, her parents tell her she's an Allelobrid. She was born in a lab. Her parents tried to create the perfect human. They succeeded, with other parents as well who also created 4 Allelobrids.
But they are on the run forever now. Some bad humans are still looking for them, because they did something illegal. That's why they are always asking Abigail to keep back on school so she (and they, too) will stay low on the radar.
When Abigail heard this, she wants to know where the other 4 children are, also born in that lab. It's a dangerous journey, which starts when she get an email from one of the other children.
And what's that with the big boss of the lab, who's looking for these kids and will do everything he can to get them in his hands?

I like the way how Lisa is telling the story. She describes a lot of details but not all of them, so you still can use your imagination to create and see the scene in your head in your way.
Sometimes I was reading and I looked up and thought: where am I? Where are THEY?
When I hadn't time to read, I was wondering what would happen next. You think you know which way the story will go, but there were some awesome twists in the story which kept me reading, reading, reading.


The Powers of an Allelobrid
Abigail asks herself lots of questions which I would ask myself if I was in the same situation as her. It's like she was searching for her real me, like she lost herself into darkness and tried to make a light to see herself again.
The way she keeps on asking and asking questions to herself but also to the other people around her, it's her curiousity. It's her "freak-thing", it makes her unique.
Abigail keeps asking 'what if... what if... what if."
She wants to know everything. I think she wants because she need things to hold on to, and needs facts to help herself to find herself back.

On the other hand there was Max. An Allelobrid as well, the first Allelobrid Abigail ever talked to.
He is a smart guy, he is always planning everything. He wants to plan how they will get from Point 1 to Point 2. Everything must be planned.
I thought they were pretty the same, but also different. Abigail and Max, I mean. One is asking, other is planning. It may be sounds like they are control-freaks, but I think that's their Allelobrid-power.
It shows you can try to get everything perfect, but I think no one is perfect, because no one knows what perfection is. You can try to create perfection, but there will always be a thing that would be "too" perfect. Like the questioning and planning everything. It's too much. But they had found a way for theirselfs to handle this, because they just want one thing:

They want to be normal. They are like pieces of a puzzle, they completely fit together. One has this thing, other has this thing and when you put their powers together, it's ok. It's good to be normal.


Overall
It shows the readers of the book it's good to be normal. Perfection isn't everything in the world, it's just good to be normal so you can learn to be better, but still stay normal without getting crazy.
I think that's the power of the book. I told about Abigail and Max because they were the characters I was in love with the whole story. The other characters are great too, but I think Abigail and Max are the characters who are more growing and growing in the story. They had the most depth in my eyes.

Score
I gave this book 4,5 stars, because it was a thrilling ride. It's a sci-fi-like story, with an edge of a thriller in it on the end. I fell in love with Abigail and Max.
And I want the next book already! Because that ending...!!


I hope you liked my review. Don't be too hard for me, since it was my first (longer) review (and in English!) ever! :)

[Stormy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review first appeared on Book.Blog.Bake.

I don’t really participate in blog tours often unless I REALLY think I’ll like a book. The summary of Freaks intrigued me–at first glance, it seems like a pretty standard YA science fiction book, but it also seemed to hint that there might be more to this story. And it does play on a lot of familiar story elements, but Freaks definitely captivated me.

The highlight of this book by far is the pacing. It’s such an action-packed ride that kept me turning the pages. I finally tore myself away while reading, but it was difficult. From the very beginning, I was left wanting to know what happened next. Event after event happens and it all flows pretty logically, but sometimes I barely had time to absorb what had just happened before the characters were off to the next thing, and I really enjoyed that.

I wasn’t quite sure how I felt about Abigail for awhile. It took a bit to warm up to her as the main character just because as an Allelobrid, she’s so good at everything she does and while things aren’t exactly easy for her, she definitely struggles less than most people would. It’s a bit hard to really sympathize with her character, and I thought I would just have to satisfy myself with the action of the story. However, about halfway through Abigail really started to be a bit more human towards me. The romance in this book is pretty subtle and not the focus at all(HOORAY for that), but in this case I really liked it because I think it went quite a way into humanizing Abigail a little bit. It’s such a human, teenager thing to deal with, Allelobrid or not.

I mentioned this a little bit already, but I thought this plot was super intriguing. There’s so much YA science fiction right now and it wasn’t the most original plot at its core, but it was full of twists and turns, especially in the latter half. One or two things I saw coming but there were plenty of parts that took me completely by surprised. The last four or five chapters were by far the best. I was intrigued from the beginning but there was one point about halfway through where something happens and my reaction was “YES. This book means business! CHARACTERS BEWARE.” As always, I love when I feel like characters are actually jeopardized, weird and cynical reader that I am, so after that point, I was completely on board.

I really only had two minor problems with Freaks. The first is that the book is in first person POV from Abigail’s perspective, which is great, but it read a little younger than her actual age. Her dialogue and actions were so mature and I definitely cheered her on, but her inner thoughts and monologues made me think her age should be bump a year or two down. I just couldn’t quite see that pattern from a sixteen-year-old. The other was a plot device used towards the end of the book that I’ve always hated, though I don’t really want to say too much about it since it happened towards the end. I almost considered dropping another star for that alone, but luckily the last five pages of the book DEFINITELY made up for it.

Final Impression: Freaks was an action-packed YA science fiction novel that kept me turning the pages for sure! It wasn’t perfect and I had some minor issues, but on the whole I really enjoyed it. I liked the mixing of some quite standard YA Sci-fi plot devices with some original twists.

Note:: I was given an electronic advanced copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Jack · Rating 1 out of 5]

If I could sum up Freaks in one word, that word would be enjoyable. It’s one quick, fun, action-packed roller coaster of a book. Not the most unique of stories, but with refreshing characters and realistic dialogue, Freaks is definitely a sci-fi to look out for.

Suspenseful, quick-paced, full of twists. Freaks is everything you’d ask for in a YA thriller. Thrown straight into the action from the first chapter, the story hits the ground running. But the beginning felt slightly rushed. The ‘big reveal’ during the first few pages was too sudden. The story behind story behind how the ‘Freaks’ were created was achingly unrealistic, but for some reason I connected to that backstory and liked the idea of it. I would have like a bit more development with Abigail’s background and just general life during the beginning of the novel. Overall though, the story was gripping. Very difficult to put down once started! The dialogue was full of wit and relatable. The plot development was superb, even if it moved a bit too quickly at times. A gem of a story.

The characters are the most likeable aspect of Freaks. Each having distinct personalities, glowing with likability, and just being generally awesome. I thought that Abigail’s constant asking of questions to herself became a bit irritating, but overall she was a fantastic protagonist. Her character developed brilliantly, and her POV was perfect for the story line. A great set of compelling and relatable characters.

The story of Freaks is that of a YA novel, but the writing resembles that of an MG novel. The description needed to be developed on and the rhythm needed to work too, but the story was carried along nicely and the character development was wonderful. I found some parts terribly unrealistic, and unrealism is one of my pet peeves. For example, if the other allelobroid’s could find each other so quickly and easily, how could it have taken years of difficulty for the scientists? Just a little annoyance for me, personally. I loved the length of the chapters, it suited the plot perfectly. The writing did feel fresh, overall, but I would have liked a bit more quality with that aspect.

Overall Freaks is a fantastic, enjoyable novel. I can’t get over how great the experience of reading it was. Was it perfect? No. But the whole atmosphere of the book makes it definitely worth the read. I adored the characters, the plot was marvellous and overall Freaks was a spectacular novel.

For book reviews and more, please visit my book blog, The Book Stop

[Katie Lou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed at: http://queenofteenfiction.blogspot.co.uk

*This book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.*

I love it when a book jumps out and throws action, adventure, drama and romance, oh and science at me all at once. And that’s certainly what Freaks did. Combined with a unique plot and a fantastic array of characters, Freaks is definitely a book to get excited about.

The story follows Abbie as she discovers a secret that her parents have kept from her throughout her whole life. She is and Allelobrid. A human created, in a science experiment, to be prefect.

Now, I’m going to keep this review as spoiler free as possible, because I want all you to go and read this fabulous book. So, I’m going to tell you why I loved it and why you should, too.

First of all, Abbie is an amazing protagonist. I’m fussy with lead female characters because I like them a little feisty. I like them a little brave and able to stand up for themselves, and Abbie is all of that and more. She’s an extremely realistic character and she’s also entertaining in her narration of the story, which makes reading from her perspective all the more enjoyable.

The other Allelobrids are equally as great characters as she is. I don’t want to sit here and gush over how much I love Max, but you know I’m going to. I would like a 6 foot Australian Allelobrid of my own please. I loved him from the moment he sent his first cryptic message to Abbie. I loved how they bonded during the course of the story and found myself looking forward to the dialogue between them because it was so great.

The science side of the story is perfectly written. The way it’s explained sucks you into believing that this could actually happen, that Allelobrids could easily be out there. The plot is exciting from start to finish, with plenty of little twists to keep you from wanting to put the book down.

The plot twist near to the end of the story was what drove me to give the book five stars, because I honestly didn’t expect it. When I think back now, I can see the hinting of it appear in the story but I was clueless until it was revealed.

Then there’s the ending. Oh my God, why would you do this to me, Lisa? How can you end it like that? I’m going to be tearing my hair out until I get book two!

It’s hard to believe that this is a debut novel. The writing is fabulous and it’s definitely got me excited for more. If you like a story that has a bit of everything to offer, this is one for you to read. Just go read it, okay? And then come back here and get excited with me about it.

[Alexa (Alexa Loves Books) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite frankly, Freaks possessed a lot of the elements that I've come to expect from books of its kind: a main character who discovers that there's something special about her that she shares with only a select group of individuals, a mission that's life or death and some twisted conspiracy to tie it all together. Forester took advantage of these familiar elements, however, and slid us into a story that's entirely her own creation. With a plot that's tightly woven (even though certain parts felt typical, or even predictable), and characters that were reasonably interesting, this book was a quick, easy read.

The story is simple enough to grasp right from the get-go. With her words, Forester presents us with the information we need in a matter-of-fact way. While I normally appreciate more complexity in my books, I surprisingly didn't mind the easy way this one read. It was a nice break from my normal reads! Plus, there were still bits that caught me off guard, which I really wasn't expecting. Overall, it's a fairly straightforward tale, but mostly in a way that feels comfortable and familiar.

I personally wish that there had been a little more character development, however. While I did get a good idea of who Abigail was, her enemies and her friends and family, it still felt very basic. It wouldn't have hurt to learn more about each person's personalities, as well as having an even deeper emotional connection with each of them.

I liked Freaks. Familiar tropes were used, and the story was pretty basic. But the fact that I still wanted to find out what happened to everyone is testament to the story's ability to snag my interest, and hold on to it. My final verdict? Sometimes, familiar and recognizable is exactly what you need to read -- and I think that was the case, for me, with Freaks.

(originally posted on Alexa Loves Books)

[Sharon Chapter One, Page One.. · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fantastic, page turning, action packed debut novel from Lisa! I loved the idea Lisa created when she wrote Freaks. Sixteen years ago, scientists experimented in trying to create the ‘ultimate’ human being – sixteen years on, these confused young ‘beings’ find out just what they are.

It’s such a believable idea and one I was excited to read about. Freaks is a gripping read from start to finish. It has lots of excitement and on-the-edge-of-your-seat moments, as well as a little love and a lot of strong friendships.

I liked Abigail and her insecurities. She was a normal teenager who was used to just being told she was special. Once she found out the truth of who she really was, I enjoyed her journey. Abigail seemed to grow up during her adventure and meeting the other Allelobrids. She was very unsure of herself and even more so when she met the other Allelobrids – they had been created to look perfect, whereas Abbie’s scientist parents deliberately created her to look as average as possible. But Abbie was very strong willed and a lot braver than she gave herself credit for. She became a voice that the others listened to and I liked the friendships all the ‘freaks’ formed.

I loved Dylan and how he was introduced, with the obvious mistrust the teenagers had of him initially. He soon became essential to their quest and I liked his sweet, kind nature – and the little surprise about him you read later on! Nice touch Lisa!

All of the characters were likeable and written in without too much preamble. I’m not a fan of too much information about every character, unless it’s vital to the story, so I was pleased that this read flowed well and drew the reader in throughout, with it’s fast pace and gripping action.

All in all Freaks was an immensely enjoyable, fantastic debut novel by Lisa M. Forester and I very much look forward to her next book!

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

DISCLAIMER: I received an eARC copy in exchange for an honest review!

When I found out that Lisa self-published FREAKS, I honestly didn't know just how good it was going to be, but it exceeded my expectations and more! It was one of those books that made you lie to yourself (saying that you were only going to read just "one more chapter") until you finish the book to realize that it's already morning.

When I first read the summary, I thought that Allelobrids were like genetically-modified superheros and it wasn't until I read the book that I realized that they were better. I loved how she made Allelobrids "normal" but with enhanced looks, abilities, and intelligence that would make them a genius in our eyes but not superheros.

FREAKS was chapter after chapter of nonstop action and thriller. Lisa wrote an amazing story that will make you turn the pages to find out what happens next. I will admit that, looking back, some of the events seemed obvious, but the way Lisa wrote the scenes helped me to escape into her story.

With that said, I loved Abby! I loved her voice and I loved the gradual character change/arc that she undergoes as she finds the strength in herself that she previously didn't think she had before.

However, compared to Abby, a lot of the characters kind of seemed one-dimensional or it seemed as though they were only there to help propel the story forward (which is why I had to take off a star) but it wasn't bad enough to prevent me from enjoying the book.

With that said, FREAKS was a delightful debut (and the start of an excellent series)!

Originally reviewed at http://reader.christiney.com

[Zili · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars in my Sky!

I've always found the idea of growing/creating designer babies really sinister. Well in FREAKS Lisa M Forester takes the idea and wraps it up in an imaginative and extremely sinister YA bundle!

16-year-old Abigail has always been different from other kids and has recently discovered why; she was created in a science lab using her parents DNA. Abigail is one of five babies engineered with the aim of being the world's first perfect children called Allelobrid's.

FREAKS follows Abigail as she uncovers the truth about her mysterious 'birth' and as she sets out to find answers. The Frankenstein comparisons were very apt (clever Lisa) and I kept thinking about the evil 'Skins' from Roswell High in the pod person scene.

I found Abigail really likeable; she's witty and courageous yet vulnerable and naive. She makes a good lead character because she never came across as annoying. I really like Max and Dylan but remain undecided about Bradley and the girls.

I really enjoyed FREAKS and found the story engaging without being too heavy on the sci-fi. BUT that ending!? Naughty Lisa!

I received a copy of FREAKS in exchange of an honest review!

Also reviewed on my blog Zili in the Sky

[Gemma · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars!!

This book is amazing! It's such an original concept and I loved every minute of it. It was such a page turner.

Abbie and Max are amazing and I can't wait to find out how their relationship pans out. I can't wait for book two. I can't believe it ended in a cliffhanger!!!!! How frustrating but I'm very excited for book two

[Victorialovesbooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

http://victorialovesbooks.wordpress.c...

[Rumpled Sheets Blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review to follow...