Voices

Reincarnation #1

by R.E. Rowe

In a small town in Arkansas, two lives that seemingly have nothing in common will converge and change each other forever. A brilliant but tormented street artist and an ex-track star whose career was cut short by a heart condition.

Aimee DeLuca had a promising athletic career before her heart gave out during a high school track and field contest. Aimee struggles to find her way after spending time with a deceased grandmother during a near death experience. Reizo Rush is a street artist whose torment fuels his desire to add color to the gray walls of the city. But Reizo's tagging and the two voices only he hears land him in perpetual trouble with both his teachers and the law. 

During a chance encounter, the two quickly find out they have much more in common than love. When they stumble upon a century-old storm cellar hidden underground on Aimee’s uncle’s ranch, they unearth a cellar full of artifacts and a hundred-year-old Will. Once the news of the discovery leaks out, a drug-dealing teen and a mysterious soul named General are determined to bury the truth along with anyone who gets in their way.

Genres: Young Adult, Mystery

309 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 22, 2015

About the author

When Rick isn’t dreaming, you’ll find him trying to discover why, figuring out how, uncovering ancient mysteries, writing a crazy fun middle-grade or young adult novel, inventing something seriously cool, or learning something new. He enjoys participating in science camps, writing conferences and talking to groups about creative topics such as the process of inventing, building worlds for science fiction and fantasy stories, and the importance of dreaming big.

Rick is a lifelong inventor and a named inventor on over one hundred patents. He has degrees in Avionics Systems Technology, Computer Science and an MBA from Florida Institute of Technology. His experience includes a wide range of engineering, technology development and management roles ranging from space systems to gaming systems. He is a proud member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), the Delta Mu Delta Honor Society, and the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society.

Reviews

[Gel · Rating 3 out of 5]

READ MY REVIEW ON MY BLOG
http://thebookishangel.wordpress.com

Copy provided by Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.

The cover for Voices by R. E. Rowe is pretty good. It could use some more sass but I like that the book cover is connected to the actual story. The first chapter is interesting so it got me to reading more of the book but it was super sloooooow. I don’t like slow beginnings. Nothing was happening for, like, half the book. There’s that romance thingy and yes, it was insta-love. Fortunately, the insta-love did not annoy me that much, I’d say it was okay. The two main characters, Aimee and Reizo, are so sweet to each other and they are so cute together. They paint together, how cuuuuute is that? I also had ‘All The Bright Places’ vibe in the beginning of the book but they’re really different books.

When I was about 58% into the story, real stuff began to happen. For me, the whole Zeke Sarov thingy was a little too dramatic and unrealistic. I couldn’t quite connect to the characters; I just want to finish the book to know the ‘The Cloud’ part. I don’t care what happens to the characters. The ending did shock me a little though and it was a little heartbreaking. I want to know what happens in the second book because Voices ended with a cliffhanger but I don’t think I would read the second book immediately.

Voices is quite an interesting book because it deals with reincarnation. I think it was my first time (if I’m not wrong???) to read a book that has reincarnation thingy in it and I’d say reading Voices is an okay experience for me. If you want a light but mysterious read, then add Voices to your TBR now! :)

[Frannie Pan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hardly managed to reach the end of this nightmare and I wish I didn't. At first I was annoyed by the unrealisticness of the characters and the lack of stuff happening; but the ending was flat insulting and absolutely unnecessary.

This was supposed to be a book about reincarnation. Uhm.. well, where was this so called reincarnation? I didn't see it.
All I did see were two teenagers, an ex-track girl who stopped competing for a heart problem and a tagger guy that hears two distinct voices in his head and makes graffiti on walls, falling in love at first sight. It was the worst case of insta-love ever. The moment they see each other, Aimee's life changed (from what I don't know) and Reizo gave up his plan of killing himself. WHAT?!
I don't even want to make a comment on my last statement, otherwise I'll get incredibly mad for nothing and it's not worth it.
Reizo hears two voices in his head. Why? Guess we'll never know. His mother has a son who might be slightly crazy but she doesn't check if he takes his pills and leaves him all day alone. Sure, he'll definitely get better that way, good job.
Oh, and how could I forget about a 16 yo acting like a mafia guy bossing around grown-ups as if he owned the world? Because yes, there's also russian mob in this book. What, are you surprised? It seems totally plausible to me.
As I said, totally realistic characters and situations! (How could I live without sarcasm)

As if this wasn't enough, Reizo and Aimee bored me out of my mind. They're thoughts were a CD stuck on repeat and I just don't get what the point of it all was. It was plain ridiculous and it had poor taste. Really wish I had DNFed it when I had the chance.


*thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book*

[Valentina Markasović · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of the ebook

I'll admit that what first attracted me to the book is the charming cover. I just love the colours and the atmosphere it creates. I was happy to discover more illustrations of this kind incorporated in the book.

But let's focus on what's really important for a book to work: the characters and the plot. The main focus is definitely on the characters and their feelings. Unfortunately, two main figures, Aimee and Reizo, are basically one person. Their love for each other is instantaneous. Even their hobbies (painting and tagging) are similar. I'd say that's because they're soul-mates, but the last few chapters partially cancelled that theory.

As for the other characters, they were pretty realistic, with a couple of exceptions (Mrs. Crowley who accidentally, but conveniently gives Aimee and Reizo all the information they need).

The plot, once it actually begins, was interesting enough for me to continue reading. However, there were very many unanswered questions through-out the book, and they weren't resolved in the end. I realize this is a trilogy, but nothing was explained. Why did Reizo hear voices? Who is the General? Carmina? What is happening?

I think the ending would have left me more emotional if I managed to connect with the characters a bit more.

Find my review on the blog, too

[Sofia The Great · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 1/2 Platypires for Voices by R.E.Rowe

Voices is an original story that was really quite interesting to read. I liked that Reizo was not your typical male lead. He's a guy dealing with a mental illness that causes him to hear multiple voices. The only outlet he has is his art. Tagging his town with his street art is his only joy in life till he meets Aimee. She comes with her own set of issues after surviving a near death experience. Their love of art and innocence is what really drew me to them. I liked their build up and how they balanced each other out.
Voices also had a paranormal aspect that I liked which is what made it unique. My only complaint is that some parts felt kinda far fetched even with it being a paranormal book. Basically the "bad guys" seem like a stretch for me but it did make it more of a page turner. I wanted to know what else was going to happen.
Overall this was a good book that left me wanting to read the next book in the series. I would recommend this novel to fans of paranormal YA.

[Cindy Tiley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing...

I was blown away by this book. It starts out as a typical 'kids who don't fit in find each other book' and then the plot twists start...bam...bam....bam! I can't say much about specifics without giving too much away, but the characters are real, the setting could be anywhere in middle America and that just makes the other elements have more impact. I picked it up because of the two main characters being artists from different backgrounds- just mildly curious- and ended up reading the whole thing in one sitting. I so, so, need to read the next book!

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was drawn to this book because of the art aspect. I really enjoyed that part of it, but became interested in the story too. I was glad to see the two main characters bond, since they both seemed to be so alone. I had the feeling there was more to the voices that Reizo heard. I also didn't quite understand the "General" portions of the story. I look forward to reading the second book in the series, "Whispers", in order to get a better understanding of the voices and the "General".

[Cassandra Wilson-Sparks · Rating 5 out of 5]

*I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
The story of Ames and Reiz is one that was beautiful, heart breaking, upsetting, and loving all at the same time. So much happened in this book that I cannot say very much without giving spoilers, which is something that I do not do in reviews. But what I CAN say is…this is an AWESOME story that you will not be disappointed in reading!! Definitely 5 STARS!

[D.J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This multiple character viewpoint novel has an original plot-line. The compelling story moves along at a fast pace and explores the complexities of families, friends, mental health, life after death and, most complicated of all, trust. as i write this I am aware that this may seem a lot to cover in one novel but I was left feeling that justice had been done to all of these threads.

I was given a copy of this novel by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

[Sara Akers · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book totally wasn't what I expected, but I'm glad I read it. It did rush information at times and kinda left of with a cliff hanger. The main characters were amazing and unique. Definitely a great mix of love, action, poetry, art, and meaning of life.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very insightful and intriguing. Great love story.

[mirba · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is good. Really good.
It works well, is emotionally intense and the storyline is not as obvious as you would think in the first chapter.

[Mary Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book. Starts slow but later I could not put it down. Nothing at all like I generally read!

[Vicki Scullion · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this science fiction YA novel. The characters were well-developed and there was a lot of action. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

[Dallas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good, will read the rest of the series.

[Wortmagie · Rating 1 out of 5]

„Voices“ von R.E. Rowe erhielt ich via Netgalley. Anders als sonst musste ich mich für dieses Buch nicht bewerben, da es ein „Read Now“ – Exemplar ist, das ich auf meinen Kindle laden konnte, ohne die Bestätigung des Verlages abzuwarten. Ich weiß nicht, wieso einige Bücher sozusagen verschenkt werden, während andere eine Bewerbung verlangen. Vermutlich liegt dieser Strategie eine spezielle Vereinbarung zwischen Verlag, Autor_in und Netgalley zugrunde. Für neue Autor_innen ist das vielleicht eine praktikable Möglichkeit, etwas Bekanntheit zu erlangen, denn welcher Bücherwurm kann gratis Literatur schon widerstehen? Bezüglich R.E. Rowe hat das für mich auf jeden Fall funktioniert, schließlich kannte ich diesen Autor nicht, bis ich „Voices“ bei Netgalley entdeckte.

43 Minuten. So lange war Aimee klinisch tot. Ihre Nahtoderfahrung veränderte ihr Leben. Was ihr einst wichtig war, erscheint ihr nun unbedeutend und klein, denn seit ihrem Herzstillstand verfügt sie über eine fantastische, aber erschreckende Fähigkeit: sie kann die Gefühle und Energien der Menschen um sie herum wahrnehmen. Meist überwältigen sie die Empfindungen der anderen, weshalb sie den Kontakt meidet und sich zurückzieht. Bis sie Reizo kennenlernt. Reizos Energie fasziniert sie, obwohl er selbst ein Außenseiter ist. Er leidet unter Schizophrenie, hört Stimmen und gerät dadurch oft in Schwierigkeiten. Sie spüren sie sofort, dass sie etwas verbindet und finden heraus, dass ihre Familien auf eine fast vergessene, gemeinsame Vergangenheit zurückblicken. Doch als sie in einem Sturmkeller ein altes Testament entdecken, geraten sie in einen Strudel der Gewalt, der ihre junge Liebe auf die Probe stellt. Werden Aimee und Reizo auch im Angesicht höchster Gefahr zueinanderstehen?

Ich sage euch, was ich von „Voices“ halte: es ist sinnloser, übertriebener, unzusammenhängender Quatsch. Lasst die Finger davon. Ich erläutere euch sofort, wie dieses vernichtende Urteil zu Stande kommt, doch vorher sehe ich es als meine Pflicht an, euch vor Spoilern in dieser Rezension zu warnen. Ich werde inhaltliche Details verraten. Meiner Meinung nach spielt das allerdings überhaupt keine Rolle, denn wenn es nach mir geht, werdet ihr „Voices“ niemals lesen.
Erstaunlicherweise beginnt das Buch ganz nett. Die erste Hälfte ist zart und lieblich; ich lernte Aimee und Reizo kennen, aus deren jeweiliger Perspektive die Geschichte abwechselnd erzählt wird. Aimee ist ein sanftes Mädchen, deren überraschender Herzinfarkt ihre Karriere als Starläuferin ihrer High-School beendete. Sie war gezwungen, die Laufschuhe an den Nagel zu hängen. Dadurch stellte sie allerdings fest, dass sie ein beachtliches künstlerisches Talent besitzt. Die Kunst ist der Auslöser für ihre Freundschaft mit Reizo. Dieser ist ein berühmt-berüchtigter Straßenkünstler, der es sich zur Aufgabe gemacht hat, der Welt etwas mehr Farbe zu verleihen. Dafür ist er sogar bereit, die Stimmen in seinem Kopf zu akzeptieren. Seine Schizophrenie wäre medikamentös behandelbar, nur dämpfen die Medikamente sein Talent. Nimmt er sie ein, kann er nicht zeichnen, also verzichtet er darauf. Natürlich ohne das Wissen seiner Mutter oder seines Arztes. Ich kann nicht sagen, ob Reizos Beziehung zu den beiden Stimmen, die er tagein, tagaus hört, realistisch dargestellt ist. Es ist sehr schwer, sich in seine Lage zu versetzen, weil sich ein gesunder Mensch wohl kaum vorstellen kann, wie es ist, wenn man mit den eigenen Gedanken nicht allein ist. Die Stimmen selbst erschienen mir jedoch nicht „normal“. Ich glaube, sie gehören zur übergeordneten Handlung der Reihe, denn R.E. Rowe lässt sie ein paar Andeutungen machen, die sie mit den kurzen Zwischenkapiteln des Buches in Verbindung bringen. Diese zeigen eine Art PC-Log, das die Befehle einer unbekannten Person protokolliert und sind absolut unverständlich. R.E. Rowe erklärt weder ihren Wert für die Handlung, noch erläutert er, was dort überhaupt zu sehen ist. Meiner Meinung nach sind sie daher völlig überflüssig. Diese Zwischenkapitel sind jedoch lediglich der Anfang vom Ende. Ab der zweiten Hälfte gingen aus irgendeinem Grund sämtliche Pferde und Zebras mit Rowe durch. Was als süße, mysteriöse Geschichte einer aufblühenden Liebe begann, entwickelte sich rasant zu einem absurden Höllenritt in den Unsinn. Das Testament, das unser Pärchen in dem Sturmkeller findet, ist der letzte Wille eines Vorfahren von Reizo, der den Landbesitz ihrer Stadt umverteilt. Selbstverständlich gibt es Leute, denen das überhaupt nicht in den Kram passt. Diese Leute sind – und jetzt kommt’s – Teil der russischen Mafia. Die Russenmafia. Ich wollte meinen Augen kaum trauen. Wie kam Rowe nur auf diese abwegige, lächerliche Idee? Ich dachte, es sollte in dem Roman um Reinkarnation gehen, denn schließlich heißt die Reihe „Reincarnation“, doch stattdessen ging es plötzlich um Drogen, Waffen und lebensbedrohliche Situationen. Knall auf Fall drehte sich die Geschichte um 180 Grad, wurde unrealistisch, heftig, krass und abgedreht. Möglicherweise dachte R.E. Rowe, seine Handlung vertrüge einen Actionkick – eine kolossale Fehleinschätzung meiner Meinung nach. Ich hätte diese Wandlung nie und nimmer gebraucht, ganz im Gegenteil, mir gefiel die ruhige, behutsame Aura der Geschichte. Was hat sich der Autor nur dabei gedacht? Was hat er seiner Geschichte angetan? Mir fehlen die Worte, um meine Enttäuschung und Entrüstung angemessen zu beschreiben.

Ich glaube, mir ist noch kein Buch untergekommen, das dermaßen gespalten ist wie „Voices“ von R.E. Rowe. Die Handlung der zweiten Hälfte steht in keinerlei logischem Zusammenhang mit der ersten Hälfte, fast, als gehörten sie zu zwei unterschiedlichen Geschichten. „Voices“ ist katastrophal unausgeglichen und ich muss euch wirklich vehement davon abraten, es zu lesen. Mit solchem Quatsch verschwendet ihr nur eure kostbare Lesezeit.

Vielen Dank an Netgalley und Tree Lovers Press für die Bereitstellung dieses Rezensionsexemplar im Austausch für eine ehrliche Rezension!

[sharon peart · Rating 2 out of 5]

Is It Supernatural or Electronic

This was a difficult story to follow. Too many characters and too much activity. I couldn't figure out the genre of the book and even if it was supposed to be mixed, it still was not clear. The idea to connect the supernatural, metaphysical, digital ( w.r.t. the "cloud") , mental health issues, the Russian mafia and drug running seems like an overkill.

[Dixie Goode · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn't a book that I will remember for long I suspect, given that I was halfway through it and then set it down and forgot I had been reading it. It originally caught my attention because I love coming of age stories and reincarnation stories that suggest a full circle closure of something started in the past, but I think maybe even though this book was well written and had interestingly developed characters, it tried to have too many different elements and didn't focus enough on what its goal was. I never really understood the parts of the book with the log in and the cloud storage and the general. I was lost by the bracelets and the trackers. I loved the descriptions of the street murals and the pond and the history and interaction between the voices in his head. All in all, I think this would be a tighter, more compelling story with less competing elements.

[Carla J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the start of something good

It takes a really good plot to hold my interest, especially when the whole storyline is predicated on the premise of reincarnation which I emphatically do not believe in.
The Characters are really true to life. The subplots are realistic, the mystical aspect is toned down
If those parts were gone this book would still be an "on the edge of your seat" thriller. However those mystical bits are weaving another layer into the story that is just as nerve racking as all the rest.
As the beginning of a trilogy, this book reaches out and grabs you by the imagination and won't let go.

[Anne Monteith · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought this was a story about reincarnation but it seems more like a story about a boy who hears voices. I know that his is a YA story and that usually doesn’t detract me but I found this book to be slow and it failed to hold my attention. I’ve picked it up several times over the last few weeks before I finally finished it tonight. While it had some interesting parts it was too easy to walk away from and will be quickly forgotten.

2/5 STARS **Receiving a digital ARC from the publisher via NetGalley did not influence my rating or review of this book; all opinions are my own.**

[Andrea · Rating 2 out of 5]

The romance was great. The art was great. The characters were so amazing! The sci-fi detracted from the story for me. By the end, the sci-fi ruined the story. I am disappointed, but I understand the necessity of it to move the story forward. It won't be a story that I am interested in reading.
And my review would not be complete without admitting that I do have a theological issue with the way death, the afterlife, and the soul are presented. It ends up rather depressing I think.

[Brandy ONeal · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was a slow starter. For a long time I wasn't sure I would finish it. Very interesting story line that still doesn't quite make sense but almost. The whole "login:" parts through me for a loop I didn't really understand them. you'll understand what I mean when you read it. Overall it was enjoyable, not something I read every day.

[Teresa Valentic · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a nice love story a And I liked the reincarnation aspect however I felt the sci fi portions detracted a bit. Perhaps that portion of the story should have been expanded so that it meshed with the story more

[Sarah Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the story, though the sci-fi was a bit much. Liked the characters and the hook was great. in the end, the sci-fi lost me... however, since the characters were fairly developed, I'd be interested in the 2nd book.

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely kept my attention but was also easy to walk away from.

[Teresa]

** E-Arc provided by Netgalley **

[Anah Rose]

A wonderful take on a schizophrenic tale.

[Ash Kemp]

DNF

[Valentina · Rating 1 out of 5]

This could have been a great book.

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I have mixed feelings about the book because of the whole "general" portion within the content, it ended with many unanswered issues that leave me wanting to read more.

[Terry]

Read. Not reviewed.