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The Psion Chronicles #1
Freaks of Nature
The global Ebola-X pandemic of 2022 lasted five months, two weeks, and six days before a cure could be found. In its wake, it left a generation of psionic freaks, who can turn a single thought into a weapon...or worse. Fifteen-year-old Devon McWilliams is one of those freaks, but Devon rates a big fat zero on the scale of cool psychic abilities. Days after escaping from his psionic detainment facility, the military intercepts him. Regaining consciousness, Devon finds himself restrained aboard a military airship headed toward certain death. Aboard this one-way flight to doom are six other psions. One of them, a telepath named Bai Lee Chen, claims to have the means to escape. All the others have to do is convince her that they're worthy of freedom by allowing her to telepathically replay their memories. The last thing Devon wants to do is reveal his useless plant-talking prowess to this destroy-you-with-a-thought crew. To complicate matters further, he's crushing hard on Alya, the group's lovely healer. Devon knows he must keep his wits about him if he's going to survive this wild ride. And that's going to be a tricky thing to do around a telepath who seems to have a diabolical agenda all her own."
240 pages, Paperback
First published May 5, 2015
2 people are currently reading
473 people want to read
About the author
Wendy Brotherlin
2 books16 followersWendy Brotherlin is a screenwriter, music enthusiast and all around geek-goddess. She earned a Masters in Screenwriting at the University of Southern California and went on to write for children’s television including Nickelodeon’s ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE DARK?. Today, she lives in Manchester, Maine with her husband and two little super-heroes-in-training. FREAKS OF NATURE is her first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
April 3, 2018
I’ve been on a super powers kick lately, so when I read the unique premise of Freaks of Nature I couldn’t resist. And I wasn’t disappointed!
The good:
The main story is told by Devon in third person, but the flashbacks are told in first, which easily could’ve been confusing but actually worked well. The voices of the five points of view were unique enough that I didn’t confuse them. (Though it probably helped that I didn’t put the book down much)
The world felt very dystopian. (Maybe not for the teens, there was little illusion of good there) It must be hard to come up with original super powers and most of them had been done before, but they weren’t boring and they all had something special about them. The psi-blade was the most unique, creating weapons and armor from their bodies, but my favorite was the plant talker.
I also liked Devon’s personality best, (which is good since he’s the main character) he’d been bullied relentlessly for his lame power at the facility, but he was still a strong good person. He’s also the funniest, though most of the humor comes from his ability. (I loved the personalities of the plants!)
Nevada, a senator’s daughter who acts out for attention came off a bit mean at first, but she was really a nice girl. I appreciated that in her flashback she was still true to herself and a bit abrasive at times.
Alya the Romanian healer was a sweet girl and I liked her connection to Devon.
There was a little romance and considering they’d only really known each other a few hours (circumstances notwithstanding) it did feel a bit fast, but it was sweet, so I liked it.
The plot was fast paced and there were really only a couple of parts that I wanted to go a little faster.
The Bad:
Vahn’s point of view was the most exciting, but it was also the longest. (A little too long if you ask me.) The action was well done, it was just missing that ‘the character comes up with something cool/smart to win’. The author tried, but it fell a bit flat for me.
The other point of view I didn’t care for was Miguel’s, but his was short and all of his preying was in italics so it was easy to skip. (Miguel is very religious and if he didn’t have super powers he’d have been a padre)
Overall: A quick fun book that was part super powers and part dystopian. (In feel)
Point of View: Third (Devon) First (Vahn, Nevada, Alya, Miguel, Devon)
Predictability: 3 out of 5 (Where 1 is totally unpredictable and 5 is I knew what was going to happen way ahead of time.)
Source: Netgalley
My Rating: 8/10 Stars
The good:
The main story is told by Devon in third person, but the flashbacks are told in first, which easily could’ve been confusing but actually worked well. The voices of the five points of view were unique enough that I didn’t confuse them. (Though it probably helped that I didn’t put the book down much)
The world felt very dystopian. (Maybe not for the teens, there was little illusion of good there) It must be hard to come up with original super powers and most of them had been done before, but they weren’t boring and they all had something special about them. The psi-blade was the most unique, creating weapons and armor from their bodies, but my favorite was the plant talker.
I also liked Devon’s personality best, (which is good since he’s the main character) he’d been bullied relentlessly for his lame power at the facility, but he was still a strong good person. He’s also the funniest, though most of the humor comes from his ability. (I loved the personalities of the plants!)
Nevada, a senator’s daughter who acts out for attention came off a bit mean at first, but she was really a nice girl. I appreciated that in her flashback she was still true to herself and a bit abrasive at times.
Alya the Romanian healer was a sweet girl and I liked her connection to Devon.
There was a little romance and considering they’d only really known each other a few hours (circumstances notwithstanding) it did feel a bit fast, but it was sweet, so I liked it.
The plot was fast paced and there were really only a couple of parts that I wanted to go a little faster.
The Bad:
Vahn’s point of view was the most exciting, but it was also the longest. (A little too long if you ask me.) The action was well done, it was just missing that ‘the character comes up with something cool/smart to win’. The author tried, but it fell a bit flat for me.
The other point of view I didn’t care for was Miguel’s, but his was short and all of his preying was in italics so it was easy to skip. (Miguel is very religious and if he didn’t have super powers he’d have been a padre)
Overall: A quick fun book that was part super powers and part dystopian. (In feel)
Point of View: Third (Devon) First (Vahn, Nevada, Alya, Miguel, Devon)
Predictability: 3 out of 5 (Where 1 is totally unpredictable and 5 is I knew what was going to happen way ahead of time.)
Source: Netgalley
My Rating: 8/10 Stars
March 19, 2015
Just read the ARC for Freaks of Nature written by my friend, Wendy Brotherlin. It's a very exciting read and beginning to a new series. Wendy has created a whole new class of superhero in the Psions. Her action scenes are written with incredible attention to detail and the results aren't always what you expect, which is great. This first book gives us multiple stories that introduce us to most of the main characters, all of whom have their own distinct back stories and settings. It's a very unique structure that was surprising at first, but once I got it I went with it and really enjoyed it.
My one criticism is that I don't know exactly who the book is targeted to. The overall story, action and style feels middle grade, but some of the concepts, language and character interactions are definitely YA. So it often straddles the line between both schools. But that's okay. That's pretty much what my books do!
It's a very promising beginning and I'm looking forward to reading about what happens to the Psions. Well done, Wendy!
My one criticism is that I don't know exactly who the book is targeted to. The overall story, action and style feels middle grade, but some of the concepts, language and character interactions are definitely YA. So it often straddles the line between both schools. But that's okay. That's pretty much what my books do!
It's a very promising beginning and I'm looking forward to reading about what happens to the Psions. Well done, Wendy!
May 4, 2015
This is a fast-moving, action-filled piece of futuristic sci-fi in which a group of teenage psions must learn to trust each other if they have any hope of escaping a terrible fate. The psions themselves appeared as a result of some strange chemistry following a vaccine to protect against Ebola X. No one knows how it happened or why, all that anyone knows is that each psion has strange starburst eyes – and even stranger powers.
I really enjoyed this book. It’s a fast read that kept me guessing throughout (often how can this possibly end, it’s running out of space!) and I really loved the range of psionic powers that the characters have. There are the usual psychic staples like telepathy, telekinesis and healing, but then there’s Devon who talks to plants, or Vahn whose can both cover himself in armour and project bladed weapons. There are also psi canons, who do pretty much what their name suggests, as well as more elemental themes such as Nevada/Alison’s windwalking talents. They’re clever and interesting and fun and powerful and I loved learning more about each of them.
Then there are the characters. For the most part Devon is the main pov, a teenager who grew up in a loving home before he was taken away to be housed with other psions, who bullied and belittled him, and who thinks his powers are utterly useless. He is the perfect definition of low self-esteem, yet there’s so much more to him than he gives himself credit for – which comes across markedly when he’s dealing with the others. He does also have a slightly off-putting habit of judging every girl he meets purely by her looks. I know this is fairly normal for a teenage boy, but it gets a bit wearing when he constantly thinks about how hot this or that girl is – often while cuddling up with another.
Beyond Devon the rest of the characters are a varied bunch – all of whom we get to know better through first person replays of the memories leading up to their escapes. I really liked Vahn, the big, soldier type who wanted to escape purely to find the girl he loves. There’s also Nevada/Alison, who’s rude and confrontational most of the time, but definitely has reasons for being that way. There’s also young Miguel, who may be quiet and small, but is possibly the strongest of all of them. Add in the Romanian twins and the powerful telepath and kick-ass Bai Lee, and there’s always something going on.
Living in a world where the baseline (non-psion) population fear and hate them, these teenagers know all about betrayal and mistrust, and the plot weaves deftly between each story, drawing the characters together through their shared experiences as they plan for an escape. I really liked how each was given a chance to show both their talents and their strengths, even the ones amongst them who didn’t necessarily look strong or powerful. And I absolutely loved any time Devon spoke to plants – the trees in particular were just lovely. The only thing that fell a little flat for me was the end. It just… drifted off, leaving me unsure if there’s going to be more – I certainly hope so.
Clever, action-packed, enjoyable and easy to read, I liked this a lot. I look forward to reading more psion adventures soon.
(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)
I really enjoyed this book. It’s a fast read that kept me guessing throughout (often how can this possibly end, it’s running out of space!) and I really loved the range of psionic powers that the characters have. There are the usual psychic staples like telepathy, telekinesis and healing, but then there’s Devon who talks to plants, or Vahn whose can both cover himself in armour and project bladed weapons. There are also psi canons, who do pretty much what their name suggests, as well as more elemental themes such as Nevada/Alison’s windwalking talents. They’re clever and interesting and fun and powerful and I loved learning more about each of them.
Then there are the characters. For the most part Devon is the main pov, a teenager who grew up in a loving home before he was taken away to be housed with other psions, who bullied and belittled him, and who thinks his powers are utterly useless. He is the perfect definition of low self-esteem, yet there’s so much more to him than he gives himself credit for – which comes across markedly when he’s dealing with the others. He does also have a slightly off-putting habit of judging every girl he meets purely by her looks. I know this is fairly normal for a teenage boy, but it gets a bit wearing when he constantly thinks about how hot this or that girl is – often while cuddling up with another.
Beyond Devon the rest of the characters are a varied bunch – all of whom we get to know better through first person replays of the memories leading up to their escapes. I really liked Vahn, the big, soldier type who wanted to escape purely to find the girl he loves. There’s also Nevada/Alison, who’s rude and confrontational most of the time, but definitely has reasons for being that way. There’s also young Miguel, who may be quiet and small, but is possibly the strongest of all of them. Add in the Romanian twins and the powerful telepath and kick-ass Bai Lee, and there’s always something going on.
Living in a world where the baseline (non-psion) population fear and hate them, these teenagers know all about betrayal and mistrust, and the plot weaves deftly between each story, drawing the characters together through their shared experiences as they plan for an escape. I really liked how each was given a chance to show both their talents and their strengths, even the ones amongst them who didn’t necessarily look strong or powerful. And I absolutely loved any time Devon spoke to plants – the trees in particular were just lovely. The only thing that fell a little flat for me was the end. It just… drifted off, leaving me unsure if there’s going to be more – I certainly hope so.
Clever, action-packed, enjoyable and easy to read, I liked this a lot. I look forward to reading more psion adventures soon.
(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)
June 12, 2014
I was privileged to read an advanced copy of this book and all I can say is WOW!!!
When the rest of the world gets the chance to check out Brotherlin's world, they will be hooked.
I can't wait to share my enthusiasm with everyone else and I'm glad to say I am ahead of the curve on this one!!!
When the rest of the world gets the chance to check out Brotherlin's world, they will be hooked.
I can't wait to share my enthusiasm with everyone else and I'm glad to say I am ahead of the curve on this one!!!
May 5, 2015
Thanks to NetGalley and the Spencer Hill Press for letting me read FREAKS OF NATURE by Wendy Brotherlin! I have to say, I was simply amazed when I got to the end of the book and read that it was Ms. Brotherlin's FIRST novel. I am so impressed with her writing ability and maturity, I truly thought she had been publishing for some time and I just hadn't heard of her yet!
I think the world that Ms. Brotherlin created is fascinating, though I definitely want to know more (and I can only assume there is a sequel in the works...?). The characters that we encounter are very well-drawn, each different from the other and with a unique voice and psionic talent. I could clearly picture every character in my head, as well as every setting and scene to which we were introduced. Not all authors can make you "see" the book in your mind's eye as you're reading, and I give props to the author for her ability to do this for me!
I quite liked the structure of the novel as well. For reasons that become obvious when you read the book, we are introduced to each of the 7 main characters' stories in a series of vignettes or short stories - as I write this, I'm thinking of THE CANTERBURY TALES as a fair comparison in terms of structure. This format worked very well in FREAKS because we have a rather large group of characters and we need to get to know each of them in detail and find out what has brought them to the point where they all meet. The way the individual stories are told, in first person flashback-style scenes, is perfect because we can "become" each of the characters for that length of time. It brought a sense of real-ness and urgency to each story, in my opinion. I found that I really liked each of the characters (except the baddie, of course), and I liked hearing each unique voice as their story played out. My favorites would be Devon (our main main character, if you will), Vahn, and Nevada. Actually the only one I thought was kind of weak was Alya... and I wonder if my opinion is colored by the fact that she is portrayed as weak during the time we meet her (ie, she is ill), unlike all the others.
If I had to say anything negative about this book, it would be that the climax didn't come until the VERY end, and then it was over so quickly that if you blinked you might miss it! After I got to about 85-90% and we were STILL in the character-recall process, I started worrying that there would be a cliffhanger with absolutely no resolution to the immediate story. Thankfully, that was not the case; there was actually a conflict and resolution but, again, it was so quick and rather un-detailed that it felt too hurried and rushed. The one other negative, in my opinion, is the insta-love that happens - I don't really care for that in the books I read, and I think this "romance" happened WAY too quickly. But, it plays only a small role, at least in this book, so I can look past it easily enough.
When all is said and done, I'd give FREAKS OF NATURE a 3 1/2-star rating, which I've rounded up to 4 since I can't do halves. I enjoyed reading this book and think it's great for anyone who likes YA stories with paranormal/supernatural elements. The different types of psionic talents Ms. Brotherlin created were all really fascinating to read about (I'd want to be a psi-blade!), and the characters are very well written. It seems clear that this is the first in a series, based on the detailed setup and explanation of the world we are introduced to, and I would definitely read on in the series to see what the characters face next. I'm also intrigued by the implication that the origin of their psionic talents may not be what they've always been told....
Thanks again to SHP and NetGalley!
I think the world that Ms. Brotherlin created is fascinating, though I definitely want to know more (and I can only assume there is a sequel in the works...?). The characters that we encounter are very well-drawn, each different from the other and with a unique voice and psionic talent. I could clearly picture every character in my head, as well as every setting and scene to which we were introduced. Not all authors can make you "see" the book in your mind's eye as you're reading, and I give props to the author for her ability to do this for me!
I quite liked the structure of the novel as well. For reasons that become obvious when you read the book, we are introduced to each of the 7 main characters' stories in a series of vignettes or short stories - as I write this, I'm thinking of THE CANTERBURY TALES as a fair comparison in terms of structure. This format worked very well in FREAKS because we have a rather large group of characters and we need to get to know each of them in detail and find out what has brought them to the point where they all meet. The way the individual stories are told, in first person flashback-style scenes, is perfect because we can "become" each of the characters for that length of time. It brought a sense of real-ness and urgency to each story, in my opinion. I found that I really liked each of the characters (except the baddie, of course), and I liked hearing each unique voice as their story played out. My favorites would be Devon (our main main character, if you will), Vahn, and Nevada. Actually the only one I thought was kind of weak was Alya... and I wonder if my opinion is colored by the fact that she is portrayed as weak during the time we meet her (ie, she is ill), unlike all the others.
If I had to say anything negative about this book, it would be that the climax didn't come until the VERY end, and then it was over so quickly that if you blinked you might miss it! After I got to about 85-90% and we were STILL in the character-recall process, I started worrying that there would be a cliffhanger with absolutely no resolution to the immediate story. Thankfully, that was not the case; there was actually a conflict and resolution but, again, it was so quick and rather un-detailed that it felt too hurried and rushed. The one other negative, in my opinion, is the insta-love that happens - I don't really care for that in the books I read, and I think this "romance" happened WAY too quickly. But, it plays only a small role, at least in this book, so I can look past it easily enough.
When all is said and done, I'd give FREAKS OF NATURE a 3 1/2-star rating, which I've rounded up to 4 since I can't do halves. I enjoyed reading this book and think it's great for anyone who likes YA stories with paranormal/supernatural elements. The different types of psionic talents Ms. Brotherlin created were all really fascinating to read about (I'd want to be a psi-blade!), and the characters are very well written. It seems clear that this is the first in a series, based on the detailed setup and explanation of the world we are introduced to, and I would definitely read on in the series to see what the characters face next. I'm also intrigued by the implication that the origin of their psionic talents may not be what they've always been told....
Thanks again to SHP and NetGalley!
May 11, 2015
What a disappointment....
If I am going to read a book about a character called Devon, I expect the majority of the story to be about said character, or told through his eyes. I did not get that here.
What I got was fifty pages of Devon to start off with, along with an introduction to the merry bad of misfits, and then I got slammed with fifty pages of Vahn's story. Vahn, who had said maybe 2 sentences in the book, now gets fifty whole pages to himself, when he is meant to be a secondary character.
Sure, his story was interesting and helped to paint a picture of the Psions life from a different perspective, but fifty entire pages? That is 1/4 of the book!
Then from pages 106 - 164, we are bombarded with Nevada's story, then Alya's, then Miguel's. That equals more than half of the entire book, not from Devon's perspective.
I had no sense of connection to Devon as a result of never actually seeing things from his point of view. So I did not really care what happened to him, what his motivations were, or even if this entire thing was real.
Add to this his "insta-love" with Alya, and attraction to anything female that moved in this book... and he wasn't a character I wanted to root for, or cared about in any capacity.
This was an interesting concept, and besides my critique of the character development, it was a well written debut, that just failed in its execution of the story, in my humble opinion.
Such a gorgeous cover, I'm sad that the story inside did not grab me like the cover did.
This is not what I hoped it would be,
1.5 Stars.
Thank you kindly to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.
If I am going to read a book about a character called Devon, I expect the majority of the story to be about said character, or told through his eyes. I did not get that here.
What I got was fifty pages of Devon to start off with, along with an introduction to the merry bad of misfits, and then I got slammed with fifty pages of Vahn's story. Vahn, who had said maybe 2 sentences in the book, now gets fifty whole pages to himself, when he is meant to be a secondary character.
Sure, his story was interesting and helped to paint a picture of the Psions life from a different perspective, but fifty entire pages? That is 1/4 of the book!
Then from pages 106 - 164, we are bombarded with Nevada's story, then Alya's, then Miguel's. That equals more than half of the entire book, not from Devon's perspective.
I had no sense of connection to Devon as a result of never actually seeing things from his point of view. So I did not really care what happened to him, what his motivations were, or even if this entire thing was real.
Add to this his "insta-love" with Alya, and attraction to anything female that moved in this book... and he wasn't a character I wanted to root for, or cared about in any capacity.
This was an interesting concept, and besides my critique of the character development, it was a well written debut, that just failed in its execution of the story, in my humble opinion.
Such a gorgeous cover, I'm sad that the story inside did not grab me like the cover did.
This is not what I hoped it would be,
1.5 Stars.
Thank you kindly to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.
January 11, 2016
Book Review originally published here: http://www.iheartreading.net/reviews/...
A great YA superhero / scifi novel. Devon was my favorite of all the characters, and I loved his quirky sense of humor. The plot was unique and entertaining, and not predictable at all. I’d like to read another psion adventure soon, so I’m looking forward to the next book.
A great YA superhero / scifi novel. Devon was my favorite of all the characters, and I loved his quirky sense of humor. The plot was unique and entertaining, and not predictable at all. I’d like to read another psion adventure soon, so I’m looking forward to the next book.
June 24, 2015
This book felt a little on the younger end of YA then I usually read. That said, it was very entertaining. I'm still undecided about the format, (multiple perspectives). There were some characters I loved enough to wish the book had been told from their POV rather than Devon's. I'll definitely check out the next one, especially if it ends up being told from one of the best characters.
June 6, 2015
Freaks of Nature by Wendy Brotherlin takes place in a world were an Ebola epidemic ran rampant through the population. A cure was found and society was saved. However, a strange side effect began showing up in some of the children of the survivors. These children were normal in most ways, except that they had brigh, unnaturally blue eyes. As the kid's aged, they began to develop psionic powers, from reading minds to making weapons with a thought. The story follows Devon McWilliams, a psionic kid with the ability to talk to plants. He escapes from his special school for children with powers and is quickly intercepted by the government. Worried that he will soon be killed or kept as a captive, he must join up with a few other captured kids and find a way to escape.
I liked the idea of Freaks of Nature from the start. I'm a sucker for books about kids with special powers, maybe because I always wanted some myself. Finding out that Devon's power was to talk to plants was a great incentive to read as well, since I think that would be fascinating ability. I had high hopes for this book and that it would lead to a great new series for me to look forward to.
The Good
There were a few aspects of Freaks of Nature that I enjoyed. First and foremost, I loved the chapters where we got to read about Devon communicating with plants. This was great. Each plant has its own type of personality. For instance, trees are very wise while grass simply screams and screams whenever it's stepped on. I loved the idea of what you could do if you could talk to plants. Unfortunately, the majority of the book does not delve into this.
I also enjoyed the explanation of the powers and I liked the array of things that the kids could do. There weren't that many new ideas, as far as powers go, but they all seemed well developed. There were a few abilities that had a nice newness to them as well. Some kids can form weapons and shields using only their minds. These show up as visible energy in whatever shape they choose. There is also a kid with the ability to link other people's minds and allow them to talk together in a mindscape, away from prying eyes and ears in the physical world. I imagine more interesting powers will show up in future books.
The Bad
Sadly, there were a lot of things in Freaks of Nature that I didn't enjoy as much. The worst aspect of the book is the entire format of it. The book starts off following Devon as he escapes his school but, once he meets the other "freaks", it switches to chapters from each of their point of views. We get to see the story of each of these kids and how they ended up where they are. This is a good idea in concept and I get where the author was going with it, but I felt that jumping around between so many characters in one short book didn't allow any of them to really be fleshed out properly. Devon, especially, had issues. He is the main character and he becomes the leader of the group but you don't get enough time with him and his story to really feel that he is a leader or that the deserves to make any decisions.
Another issue I had with the book was the insta-love going on. First of all, Devon is attracted to each and every girl he sees. I get that he's a teenager but I wouldn't think a kid in a life or death situation would be waxing poetic in his head about every hot girl in the room. This was annoying enough but, once Devon meets one of the kids he has to band up with, it's love at first site. Not only is he attracted to her but she is apparently into him literally from minute one. She acts like he is a hero and like she knows everything about him and how he's a great person within two seconds of meeting him. It's weird and totally unrealistic. Any time these two characters interacted in the book, I wanted to roll my eyes.
I could have also done with more world building. If you're going to make a book that follows up after an Ebola epidemic nearly decimated the world, I would think you'd have some more background and details about that. Other than mentioning that the cure probably caused these psionic kids to be born , there's no details about how that happened, what happened during the epidemic, or how the world changed. The world seems to be exactly as it always was, with the addition of powerful kids and the schools they go to. I'm sure there is more going in on the world that is different from before the plague, but it's not described at all. The entire epidemic thing could have been skipped over entirely for all the difference it made in the story.
The Verdict
This book is not bad but it's not great. The idea behind it is promising and some of the characters are interesting enough that I might want to learn more about them in a longer book. I enjoyed the powers and I really liked the ability to talk to plants. The negative aspects of the book really brought it down for me though and I would only recommend it if the synopsis really seems to hit some chord for you.
I liked the idea of Freaks of Nature from the start. I'm a sucker for books about kids with special powers, maybe because I always wanted some myself. Finding out that Devon's power was to talk to plants was a great incentive to read as well, since I think that would be fascinating ability. I had high hopes for this book and that it would lead to a great new series for me to look forward to.
The Good
There were a few aspects of Freaks of Nature that I enjoyed. First and foremost, I loved the chapters where we got to read about Devon communicating with plants. This was great. Each plant has its own type of personality. For instance, trees are very wise while grass simply screams and screams whenever it's stepped on. I loved the idea of what you could do if you could talk to plants. Unfortunately, the majority of the book does not delve into this.
I also enjoyed the explanation of the powers and I liked the array of things that the kids could do. There weren't that many new ideas, as far as powers go, but they all seemed well developed. There were a few abilities that had a nice newness to them as well. Some kids can form weapons and shields using only their minds. These show up as visible energy in whatever shape they choose. There is also a kid with the ability to link other people's minds and allow them to talk together in a mindscape, away from prying eyes and ears in the physical world. I imagine more interesting powers will show up in future books.
The Bad
Sadly, there were a lot of things in Freaks of Nature that I didn't enjoy as much. The worst aspect of the book is the entire format of it. The book starts off following Devon as he escapes his school but, once he meets the other "freaks", it switches to chapters from each of their point of views. We get to see the story of each of these kids and how they ended up where they are. This is a good idea in concept and I get where the author was going with it, but I felt that jumping around between so many characters in one short book didn't allow any of them to really be fleshed out properly. Devon, especially, had issues. He is the main character and he becomes the leader of the group but you don't get enough time with him and his story to really feel that he is a leader or that the deserves to make any decisions.
Another issue I had with the book was the insta-love going on. First of all, Devon is attracted to each and every girl he sees. I get that he's a teenager but I wouldn't think a kid in a life or death situation would be waxing poetic in his head about every hot girl in the room. This was annoying enough but, once Devon meets one of the kids he has to band up with, it's love at first site. Not only is he attracted to her but she is apparently into him literally from minute one. She acts like he is a hero and like she knows everything about him and how he's a great person within two seconds of meeting him. It's weird and totally unrealistic. Any time these two characters interacted in the book, I wanted to roll my eyes.
I could have also done with more world building. If you're going to make a book that follows up after an Ebola epidemic nearly decimated the world, I would think you'd have some more background and details about that. Other than mentioning that the cure probably caused these psionic kids to be born , there's no details about how that happened, what happened during the epidemic, or how the world changed. The world seems to be exactly as it always was, with the addition of powerful kids and the schools they go to. I'm sure there is more going in on the world that is different from before the plague, but it's not described at all. The entire epidemic thing could have been skipped over entirely for all the difference it made in the story.
The Verdict
This book is not bad but it's not great. The idea behind it is promising and some of the characters are interesting enough that I might want to learn more about them in a longer book. I enjoyed the powers and I really liked the ability to talk to plants. The negative aspects of the book really brought it down for me though and I would only recommend it if the synopsis really seems to hit some chord for you.
August 20, 2015
This review was originally posted on Books and Ladders
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Okay I am going to be honest, until I hit 90% of the story, I wasn't sure what the plot was. Yeah, okay they were "captured by the feds" and to get their freedom, they had to tell their stories. But I thought that wouldn't be enough to carry an entire story. And I was right, even though that was the entire story.
We start off with Devon getting captured and meeting the rest of the rag tag crew that is also captured by feds. Then Bai Lee challenges them to replay their memories of right before they escaped/got captured in order to determine if she would help them escape the confinements of the feds and help them be free. And then the rest of the book was hearing everyone else's stories.
Vahn starts with his story which was the longest and by far my favourite. It is always nice to have a bit of role reversal and having the guy escape to find the girl rather than the other way around. Vahn is super powerful and has a strong personality. He is a natural born leader (and personally I think he would have made a better leader than Devon). I do hope he finds Emily and doesn't die.
Nevada/Alison was interesting but I would have liked more of an explanation of the rest of her back story. I feel like it was a weird place to start when it could have expanded on her father using her for political gains and all three of her marriages. It seemed like a cheap look into a fraction of her life rather than actually giving her a chance to define herself. Considering how long Vahn's story was, I was a little disappointed that Nevada's story wasn't longer than what it was.
Alya and Alek were not interesting to me at all. She can heal and he has dual ability. They felt like bad knock offs of the Maximoff twins from the X-Men. And Alya and Devon having instalove made me want to vomit. It wasn't even good instalove, it was more like, "oh she is pretty and doesn't want to kill me so I am going to fall in love with her" on Devon's part. And who knows what she was thinking but a month in and they are full of love and happiness and it made zero sense to me.
Devon was pretty boring to me. Of course he was going to be their leader and have this super awesome ability that he thought was lame because how else do you make a good protagonist? I would have liked it so much better if he had an ability and was like, oh yeah I rock and this power rocks but I still have a heart underneath it all and can lead this group. That would have made him more interesting. As it stands, he was kind of whiny and then had this pep talk about how awesome he was because he could talk to plants and tried to save his friends, etc. I wasn't a fan.
I wish Miguel's story had been longer. I wanted to learn about how he learned to control his power enough that he could cross the border undetected because that would be a feat. Even if he did follow that girl's instructions, it still would have been extremely difficult for him to cross the border.
What I'm saying here seems to be repetitive: I wanted more. And I am being this repetitive because each story was similar in a sense -- something tragic happened to these people and they had to find a way out, but the author gave minimal explanation as to how that happened.
I'm not really sure where the story can go from here except to a revolution/government take down story line. I secretly want the next book to just be how these psion people are living on the outskirts and not being detected. How they have to pick up and move when the government gets too close, etc. I want the nitty gritty of this world because we got the nitty gritty details of five lives and how this world affected them. I want to see the rest of it. That would be cool to me.
Overall: 3/5. I did enjoy it, there was a lot of interesting characters and they had diverse back stories so there was never a dull moment. However, there wasn't much to go on and the only action happened in the last 10 pages of the novel and was really rushed.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Okay I am going to be honest, until I hit 90% of the story, I wasn't sure what the plot was. Yeah, okay they were "captured by the feds" and to get their freedom, they had to tell their stories. But I thought that wouldn't be enough to carry an entire story. And I was right, even though that was the entire story.
We start off with Devon getting captured and meeting the rest of the rag tag crew that is also captured by feds. Then Bai Lee challenges them to replay their memories of right before they escaped/got captured in order to determine if she would help them escape the confinements of the feds and help them be free. And then the rest of the book was hearing everyone else's stories.
Vahn starts with his story which was the longest and by far my favourite. It is always nice to have a bit of role reversal and having the guy escape to find the girl rather than the other way around. Vahn is super powerful and has a strong personality. He is a natural born leader (and personally I think he would have made a better leader than Devon). I do hope he finds Emily and doesn't die.
Nevada/Alison was interesting but I would have liked more of an explanation of the rest of her back story. I feel like it was a weird place to start when it could have expanded on her father using her for political gains and all three of her marriages. It seemed like a cheap look into a fraction of her life rather than actually giving her a chance to define herself. Considering how long Vahn's story was, I was a little disappointed that Nevada's story wasn't longer than what it was.
Alya and Alek were not interesting to me at all. She can heal and he has dual ability. They felt like bad knock offs of the Maximoff twins from the X-Men. And Alya and Devon having instalove made me want to vomit. It wasn't even good instalove, it was more like, "oh she is pretty and doesn't want to kill me so I am going to fall in love with her" on Devon's part. And who knows what she was thinking but a month in and they are full of love and happiness and it made zero sense to me.
Devon was pretty boring to me. Of course he was going to be their leader and have this super awesome ability that he thought was lame because how else do you make a good protagonist? I would have liked it so much better if he had an ability and was like, oh yeah I rock and this power rocks but I still have a heart underneath it all and can lead this group. That would have made him more interesting. As it stands, he was kind of whiny and then had this pep talk about how awesome he was because he could talk to plants and tried to save his friends, etc. I wasn't a fan.
I wish Miguel's story had been longer. I wanted to learn about how he learned to control his power enough that he could cross the border undetected because that would be a feat. Even if he did follow that girl's instructions, it still would have been extremely difficult for him to cross the border.
What I'm saying here seems to be repetitive: I wanted more. And I am being this repetitive because each story was similar in a sense -- something tragic happened to these people and they had to find a way out, but the author gave minimal explanation as to how that happened.
I'm not really sure where the story can go from here except to a revolution/government take down story line. I secretly want the next book to just be how these psion people are living on the outskirts and not being detected. How they have to pick up and move when the government gets too close, etc. I want the nitty gritty of this world because we got the nitty gritty details of five lives and how this world affected them. I want to see the rest of it. That would be cool to me.
Overall: 3/5. I did enjoy it, there was a lot of interesting characters and they had diverse back stories so there was never a dull moment. However, there wasn't much to go on and the only action happened in the last 10 pages of the novel and was really rushed.
June 2, 2015
3.5 stars
Freaks of Nature by Wendy Brotherlin
(I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This review will also be posted in http://www.bookaholicfairies.blogspot...)
Synopsis:
Devon McWilliams is a psion - a person born with starburst eyes - which is a side-effect of the cure for the Ebola-X virus that wiped out millions of people during its outbreak.
These psions have amazing abilities (think X-Men) which they can use as a weapon. Unfortunately for Devon, he has been gifted with a lame power - he can talk to plants (kinda like a plant whisperer or something.)
Devon, also known as "Plant Boy", is the laughing stock of the psionic facility where he was detained. But despite this, he became the first person to successfully escape the facility, or so he thought, because he was then captured by the military. He, along with his fellow captives must now join forces and learn to trust each other if they have any hope of escaping what can potentially be their worst nightmare.
But not everything is what is seems. Someone is not who they think him/her to be. And if they want to taste the freedom that they so desire, they must need to flush out the enemy from their midst. And fast, because time is ticking...
My thoughts for the book:
It took me awhile to get into the story (and by a while, I mean a month, Haha). I honestly thought it was boring.
In my defense, even the protagonist thinks he is boring. That he has nothing to offer anyone, which made me believe him as well. (Kudos to the author for making the narration so believable!).
All characters have their own share of heartbreak and hardships that they went through because of who and what they are. They all suffered.
I wish I could know more about them.
When the antagonist was revealed I was really surprised. I wanted to know what happened to him , how he became what he is, what struggles he had to endure that he was completely overcome by it.
I still have a few questions that hopefully will be answered in the next book of the series.
- Who is the leader of the "Network"?
- Is there a plan to release all the other psions in captivity?
- Where did the psions' gifts come from? Is it really a side effect of the vaccine for the Ebola-X pandemic? Or was it something else entirely?
PS. I honestly thought that Devon is a pervert. Read the story and you'll know why.
Freaks of Nature by Wendy Brotherlin
(I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This review will also be posted in http://www.bookaholicfairies.blogspot...)
Synopsis:
Devon McWilliams is a psion - a person born with starburst eyes - which is a side-effect of the cure for the Ebola-X virus that wiped out millions of people during its outbreak.
These psions have amazing abilities (think X-Men) which they can use as a weapon. Unfortunately for Devon, he has been gifted with a lame power - he can talk to plants (kinda like a plant whisperer or something.)
Devon, also known as "Plant Boy", is the laughing stock of the psionic facility where he was detained. But despite this, he became the first person to successfully escape the facility, or so he thought, because he was then captured by the military. He, along with his fellow captives must now join forces and learn to trust each other if they have any hope of escaping what can potentially be their worst nightmare.
But not everything is what is seems. Someone is not who they think him/her to be. And if they want to taste the freedom that they so desire, they must need to flush out the enemy from their midst. And fast, because time is ticking...
My thoughts for the book:
It took me awhile to get into the story (and by a while, I mean a month, Haha). I honestly thought it was boring.
In my defense, even the protagonist thinks he is boring. That he has nothing to offer anyone, which made me believe him as well. (Kudos to the author for making the narration so believable!).
All characters have their own share of heartbreak and hardships that they went through because of who and what they are. They all suffered.
I wish I could know more about them.
When the antagonist was revealed I was really surprised. I wanted to know what happened to him , how he became what he is, what struggles he had to endure that he was completely overcome by it.
I still have a few questions that hopefully will be answered in the next book of the series.
- Who is the leader of the "Network"?
- Is there a plan to release all the other psions in captivity?
- Where did the psions' gifts come from? Is it really a side effect of the vaccine for the Ebola-X pandemic? Or was it something else entirely?
PS. I honestly thought that Devon is a pervert. Read the story and you'll know why.
August 3, 2015
ORIGINAL POST: http://www.nerdprobs.com/books/book-r...
**A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review."
Picking up this book was a bit of a surprise for me. This is not a typical book I would choose to read over other options I seem to be drawn towards. However, I wanted to step out of my comfort zone and the synopsis drew me in. This sounded like a post-apocalyptic type story without the zombies. I was all for it.
Wendy Brotherlin writes a story about learning to be yourself, trusting others to accept you, and battling your way to safety when people are out to get you. I loved this book about halfway in. I really started getting into it and enjoying the stories being told and the characters showing us a bit more about themselves. I will be honest and say the first part of this book was hard to get into. I was confused (and maybe that was the point) and frustrated by the lack of understanding. I also found some of the unnecessary comments from characters towards the opposite sex a bit of a turnoff. Not that they were inappropriate, but I felt they were unnecessary and added nothing but a immature point-of-view to the story. With that said, I loved the little messages written between the lines of this story. The main character, Devon, struggled with self-acceptance, which made it hard to allow others to accept him. His fear of rejection was felt all the way to your bones. In the end, Brotherlin does a wonderful job of making it clear that sometimes acceptance will come at the most unexpected times and places.
Originally I was going to give this book three stars. As the second half of the book hit I was drawn in though. I wanted to know how it was going to end and find out what happen to these characters I was beginning to become attached to. You instantly pick your favorite and suspect something bad from a few others. The way Brotherlin wrote these characters was intriguing and meant to leave you wanting more. I’m eager to see what happens in book two of the Psion series. A gradual build, but well deserved four stars.
**A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review."
Picking up this book was a bit of a surprise for me. This is not a typical book I would choose to read over other options I seem to be drawn towards. However, I wanted to step out of my comfort zone and the synopsis drew me in. This sounded like a post-apocalyptic type story without the zombies. I was all for it.
Wendy Brotherlin writes a story about learning to be yourself, trusting others to accept you, and battling your way to safety when people are out to get you. I loved this book about halfway in. I really started getting into it and enjoying the stories being told and the characters showing us a bit more about themselves. I will be honest and say the first part of this book was hard to get into. I was confused (and maybe that was the point) and frustrated by the lack of understanding. I also found some of the unnecessary comments from characters towards the opposite sex a bit of a turnoff. Not that they were inappropriate, but I felt they were unnecessary and added nothing but a immature point-of-view to the story. With that said, I loved the little messages written between the lines of this story. The main character, Devon, struggled with self-acceptance, which made it hard to allow others to accept him. His fear of rejection was felt all the way to your bones. In the end, Brotherlin does a wonderful job of making it clear that sometimes acceptance will come at the most unexpected times and places.
Originally I was going to give this book three stars. As the second half of the book hit I was drawn in though. I wanted to know how it was going to end and find out what happen to these characters I was beginning to become attached to. You instantly pick your favorite and suspect something bad from a few others. The way Brotherlin wrote these characters was intriguing and meant to leave you wanting more. I’m eager to see what happens in book two of the Psion series. A gradual build, but well deserved four stars.
December 8, 2015
I received a free copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest rview.
This book sounded so promising. It had such an interesting premise. And it disappointed me so bitterly. It's set in the future. The Ebola-X epidemic has killed many, many people until a cure could be found - and in consequence of said cure, some children with extraordinary abilities have been born. Children with psychic abilities. Children that can be turned into a weapon. And the main character Devon has the ability to talk to plants, which he thinks is kind of lame.
Oh, it sounded so good. I wanted it to be good. The beginning was promising, but after 7% or so it all went downhill. I was bored all the time. There was no plot, not really. The way of storytelling was SO WEIRD to me. One person's story after the other were told with no real breaks in between? It just didn't really make sense to me, so I am very sorry to say this but I cannot give this book more than 2 stars.
This book sounded so promising. It had such an interesting premise. And it disappointed me so bitterly. It's set in the future. The Ebola-X epidemic has killed many, many people until a cure could be found - and in consequence of said cure, some children with extraordinary abilities have been born. Children with psychic abilities. Children that can be turned into a weapon. And the main character Devon has the ability to talk to plants, which he thinks is kind of lame.
Oh, it sounded so good. I wanted it to be good. The beginning was promising, but after 7% or so it all went downhill. I was bored all the time. There was no plot, not really. The way of storytelling was SO WEIRD to me. One person's story after the other were told with no real breaks in between? It just didn't really make sense to me, so I am very sorry to say this but I cannot give this book more than 2 stars.
August 20, 2015
The 411 by Maria
This was a really fast moving book. The action and detail was really fun to read. It reads like you are watching a movie.
I loved the characters in this science fiction book by Are You Afraid of the Dark writer Wendy Brotherlin. We are huge fans of the Nick show and I knew I would love this book going in.
Devon is our main character. He is just one of the psionic freaks who must fight to stay alive after being captured by the military.
Each of the psionic's have various supernatural talents such as moving earth, talking to plants, mind reading, and more.
Any lover of science fiction will love this interesting take on a world after global pandemic.
Really quick read but completely action packed. My favorite parts are of Devon and the plants. Really genius writing.
This was a really fast moving book. The action and detail was really fun to read. It reads like you are watching a movie.
I loved the characters in this science fiction book by Are You Afraid of the Dark writer Wendy Brotherlin. We are huge fans of the Nick show and I knew I would love this book going in.
Devon is our main character. He is just one of the psionic freaks who must fight to stay alive after being captured by the military.
Each of the psionic's have various supernatural talents such as moving earth, talking to plants, mind reading, and more.
Any lover of science fiction will love this interesting take on a world after global pandemic.
Really quick read but completely action packed. My favorite parts are of Devon and the plants. Really genius writing.
November 25, 2017
We get introduced to a somewhat dark world in the near future which involves a generation of teenage kids having been inadvertently genetically altered due to an unforeseen mutation that takes effect after a global virus occurs. We're thrown into this world of freaks as you're taken along for a ride in the mind of each character and the history of their secrets through a series of short stories. I enjoyed the vivid detail and rich character building as you get to experience what each of these kids has had to endure and how they ended up where the story begins; just when you think you have some idea of what's going on, you're thrown for a loop and an unexpected, yet pleasant ending is unveiled.
February 13, 2017
Freaks of Nature by Wendy Brotherlin is not what I expected. Going by the blurb, it's a story about fifteen-year-old Devon McWilliams. He doesn't have the best psychic abilities, in his opinion, so he escapes from the psionic detainment facility. This book starts out strong for the first eleven pages. We meet Devon, we watch him escape, then he's caught. That is where the story stops being about Devon, for the most part. We're introduced to several characters, but Devon is no longer the main character. The execution of this story fell very flat for me. I never really got to know Devon, which was disheartening. The story is fairly well written, but not enough to redeem itself from the lack of story development. I won this book in a giveaway and all opinions are my own.
November 27, 2015
The author has given her characters all a voice, pushing forward in the time of ultimate survival. If sci-fi, dipped with a little bit of coming of age is your interest, then this is one to check out.
For the rest of the review, simply follow the link: http://www.aleisuremoment.com/2015/05...
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September 7, 2015DNF at page 27.
Gorgeous cover and an intriguing premise, but this book didn't work for me. It started off strong with an action sequence, but when Devon got thrown together with other people, I found the dialogue painfully cheesy. I think this book might appeal to young teens, although there is a significant amount of profanity.
Gorgeous cover and an intriguing premise, but this book didn't work for me. It started off strong with an action sequence, but when Devon got thrown together with other people, I found the dialogue painfully cheesy. I think this book might appeal to young teens, although there is a significant amount of profanity.
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