Essentia

Essentia #1 - 3

by G.M. Whitley

When Lucy, age 5, informs her mother that she is an alien, Maya does what any sensible mother would do: She asks what kind.

Maya is wholly unprepared for Lucy's response.

Growing frustrated with her limited vocabulary, Lucy spends months studying a dictionary before telling her mother exactly how she is an alien.

Impressed with Lucy's creativity, Maya records the elaborate story and puts it up on YouTube. She is both excited and perturbed when the video goes viral and her daughter becomes an Internet star.

Essentia is the tale of a little girl's unshakable belief and a mother trying do what is best for her child in the face of mounting evidence that perhaps, just maybe, her daughter is telling the truth.

Genres: Science Fiction, Paranormal

202 pages, Paperback

First published September 12, 2014

About the author

Guang Ming Whitley makes her home in Charleston, South Carolina. Her children’s middle names are, respectively, Aenea, Ender, Seldon, and Deckard.

Reviews

[Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I couldn't decide on four stars or three stars. I loved it so much in the beginning that I couldn't put it down. But at one point when Lucy had them all leave the bodies and it went into all of this consensus stuff it lost my interest a little. It did pick back up toward the end for me and I enjoyed it.

I wonder if this is going to be a series as it was left open to be one if the author feels like it.

I was surprised that another family member ended up being essentia.

It was definately different and cool in it's own way. I would like to read a sequel to it to see where it might lead in the future.

I would recommend to Sci-Fi fans :)

Ok, well I just noticed it says 1-3 so I'm guessing these were a smaller series of books at one time. Either way, they are good :)

[Megan · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was such a great idea! Perhaps it was due to reading it in a Kindle format, but the story felt jumpy and disjointed. The plot had many holes and there were so many unanswered questions. The last section of the book had too much going on. I thought the factions were really neat, but there was no development—the story skipped from one to another leaving me feeling disoriented. I could have also used some more clarification on the difference between imbued, disimbued, activated, and dormant. All the politics concerning Consensus was also confusing. Again, this book has a very intriguing premise; it needed direction and editing.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely LOVED this book! I read it in less than 24 hours despite 2 sick kiddos and mommy duties. The next day, my teenage daughter devoured it! It is a fabulous book. It really makes you think "what if" in various scenarios. I don't believe in aliens inhabiting our planet. However, if I thought it possible, this book would have left me pondering all kinds of possibilities! It was original.
I am a real stickler for typos, and there were very few. I find the use of profanity to be juvenile and unnecessary in most situations; very rarely is it applied appropriately. It was only used half a dozen times in this book, but it seemed to be used as a shock factor that seemed to interrupt rather than enhance the fluidity of the book.

[Sara Best · Rating 4 out of 5]

This fascinating book was one I got through Goodreads First Reads. It was an intriguing and thought provoking tale making me consider the theological implications of aliens. The mother's perspective was heart wrenching and really makes one think about "what if..." and the price to be paid if you accept something as true which most would reject.

[Rebecca A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing story of little girl who reveals to her mother that she's an alien, and she has a mission on earth. Excellent world-building,and the characters stay with you. Looking forward to more from G.M. Whitley!

[Carrieuoregon · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Fast paced and interesting. I didn't like the last third quite as well as the first two, but kept me really engaged!