Inhuman

by Heather Quinto

Annemarie was never accepted by her parents, and she felt alone amongst her friends until she met those who could identify with her inhuman abilities. Annemarie was yanked from the world she thought she knew, and was introduced to a world thought to be impossible. Now she must struggle to learn to gain control of who and what she really is before time runs out for her and her new found friends.

204 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 6, 2014

About the author

Heather Quinto resides in Fresno, California, and is an online undergraduate student majoring in Creative Writing at Southern New Hampshire University. She is a self-published author of the paranormal series, Inhuman. She is currently working on the second book in the series, which should be released in Fall 2015.

Heather always had a strong urge to write and create imaginative stories ever since she could pick up a pencil. She started off by drawing picture books when she was four years old, and began writing short stories when she was eight years old. Heather’s main inspiration behind writing is to be able to leave the greatest impact on whoever picks up one of her books by influencing a more positive and spiritual outlook on life. She strives to create fresh and original stories that grasps a reader’s attention, and hooks them with her strong and compassionate characters. Heather brings in unique storylines that no one has ever read before, and this is what caters to her originality. Her writing uses humor to teach self-confidence by encouraging her readers to laugh at themselves every once in a while. She accomplishes this by having her characters react in a comical and humorous way to embarrassing moments and certain hardships. She writes of relatable hardships that help her readers feel less alone, and makes them feel more accepted.

Although, Heather’s current target audience are teens, she doesn’t stick to one given genre or age group. Her genre varies from book to book. She’s written science fiction novels, mystery novels, romance novels, fantasy novels, thriller novels, and many more. Heather’s ultimate goal is to be a major impact on the world for the better. She hopes that her books challenge others to think both philosophically and spiritually. She also strives to eventually make a comfortable living off of being a full time writer. Once Heather finishes her book series, she will be working on publishing her science fiction novel.

Reviews

[StarWrittenBooks · Rating 1 out of 5]

This reads like really bad Wattpad fanfiction. No offense to the author, but I couldn't get past the first chapter on the sampler.
From what I read, the author barely describes the setting and her use of dialogue made me confused. I could not tell which character was speaking because the whole conversation is placed within one whole paragraph.
Also as soon as that Aaron guy is introduced in the first chapter, they kiss a few paragraphs later.
To the author, I suggest that you save up for an editor, or use a critique partner next time you write. It would do you some good. There are plenty of critique partners out there!
Also I felt that Annamarie was a Mary-Sue based on the synopsis alone.
Overall, I felt the story was rushed and messy. Sorry.

[Kristin Eoff · Rating 2 out of 5]

I applaud the author for her efforts to write and self-publish her first book. However, I was confused starting on the first page because there was no exposition. The writing style uses mostly simple sentences, and the dialogue is confusing. I think the book could be improved by descriptions to introduce the setting, by better introductions of the characters, by the use of more figurative language, by the addition of complex sentences to vary the narration, and by some good editing and proofreading. I can't comment on the plot because I did not finish the book.

[Heather Quinto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed by Tracy A. Fischer for Readers' Favorite

I just finished reading Inhuman, the first book by debut author Heather Quinto, and all I can say is that I am certainly impressed. This book follows the story of Annemarie, a young woman who is not accepted by her family, not even by her own parents. However, she is doing her best to deal with the unusual gifts she’s been given. Gifts that few, not even Annemarie herself, understand. Shapeshifters, werewolves, skinwalkers, angels, demons and more make up just some of the characters Annemarie comes into contact with and desperately needs to learn about, so she can better understand herself. Couple this with normal high school intrigue and Annemarie’s first blush with love, and this book is one that will draw you in from the beginning.

Heather Quinto's writing style is so wonderfully aligned with the thoughts and emotions that one would expect a young adult reader to have. Inhuman is a great debut novel with an interesting and engaging storyline. This would appeal to any young adult who loves fantasy and paranormal fiction, with a healthy dose of romance thrown in. Think the Twilight series if you need books to compare this to. I did find some issues with grammar, but not enough to keep me from reading. All in all, Heather Quinto’s debut novel, Inhuman, is a wonderful first work, and I look forward to much more from this author in the future!