What do you think?
Rate this book
In The Beginning There Was Us
What would you do if you were God? If you had the power to not only give life, but take it away in the blink of an eye? These are the questions that haunt fifteen-year-old Abbey Baxter after she resurrects a boy, long lost to the ages.
The achingly beautiful and eternally melancholy Cole not only serves as a welcome distraction from her long-time crush, Elwin, but also eases the heartache that persists since the sudden passing of her younger brother, Junior, four years earlier.
As the intrigue of her relationship with Cole deepens, so too does the mystery that surrounds a growing phenomenon sweeping through her small West Virginian town, transforming the lives of its residents. Around her, two bedroom cottages are transforming into mansions without explanation and residents are waking up to bank balances that have tripled overnight, all under the watchful gaze of the sinister American Laboratory for Particle Physics, located on the outskirts of town.
As Abbey searches for answers in a bid to solve the mystery in partnership with Elwin, she’s forced into a realization that that some things are better left buried, including her newfound love, Cole.
This cautionary tale of heartache and obsession explores the endless possibilities of the universe and its devastating impact on two young lovers from different worlds.
The achingly beautiful and eternally melancholy Cole not only serves as a welcome distraction from her long-time crush, Elwin, but also eases the heartache that persists since the sudden passing of her younger brother, Junior, four years earlier.
As the intrigue of her relationship with Cole deepens, so too does the mystery that surrounds a growing phenomenon sweeping through her small West Virginian town, transforming the lives of its residents. Around her, two bedroom cottages are transforming into mansions without explanation and residents are waking up to bank balances that have tripled overnight, all under the watchful gaze of the sinister American Laboratory for Particle Physics, located on the outskirts of town.
As Abbey searches for answers in a bid to solve the mystery in partnership with Elwin, she’s forced into a realization that that some things are better left buried, including her newfound love, Cole.
This cautionary tale of heartache and obsession explores the endless possibilities of the universe and its devastating impact on two young lovers from different worlds.
299 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 26, 2015
30 people want to read
About the author
Ingrid Jonach
7 books65 followersIngrid Jonach writes books for kids and teens. Her debut young adult novel When the World was Flat (and we were in love) was released in September 2013 by global imprint Strange Chemistry and was later re-released as an ebook along with her latest YA novel In The Beginning There Was Us.
She is also the author of the picture book A Lot of Things and the chapter books The Frank Frankie and Frankie goes to France published by Pan Macmillan Australia.
Ingrid has worked as a journalist and public relations consultant, and has a Bachelor of Arts in Professional Writing with Honors in Communications.
She lives down under — in Canberra, Australia.
She is also the author of the picture book A Lot of Things and the chapter books The Frank Frankie and Frankie goes to France published by Pan Macmillan Australia.
Ingrid has worked as a journalist and public relations consultant, and has a Bachelor of Arts in Professional Writing with Honors in Communications.
She lives down under — in Canberra, Australia.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
July 4, 2015
This review appears at Book Nerd Reviews.
I am going to start by saying this: I dislike science in general. I like that it exists, but I often switch off when people start talking about it (which happens often where I work). My understanding of science is from The Big Bang Theory, the stuff that I cannot ignore at work, and the understanding that I really hated my high school science teacher. So, for these reasons, I generally don’t love science fiction novels or stories that include science…. but Ingrid Jonach’s stories are definitely an exception to the rule!
As with When the World Was Flat (and were in love), Ingrid has weaved science into her storyline without putting off those of us who dislike sciencey type stuff. With her effortless writing style, unique characters and intricate storyline, Ingrid will pull you in with her words and demand that you feel the emotions of the story.
What would you do if you were God? Well, Abbey creates a distraction from her grief-filled life by bringing back a boy long lost in the Italian Renaissance. The boy of her dreams, Cole, comes to life with the stroke of a brush and pulls Abbey away from the grief over the loss of her brother and her yearning for her best friend’s brother, Elwin.
But being God isn’t all it is cracked up to be, and cracks certainly start emerging as Abbey, and others in her small town, start to realise that their dreams can come at a very high price. Playing God does not come without consequences.
I actually found Abbey to be a pretty unlikeable character for the most part. I found her need for escapism annoying and her inability to question things frustrating…. but doesn’t that just make the story all the more interesting? I actually don’t mind not connecting to the main protagonist sometimes, and this storyline is certainly strong enough to support this type of character. In fact, I think that was really the point – Abbey was uncertain, elusive, unsure, timid, scared, obsessive and broken – but all this doesn’t mean she is weak, she still has the capability to be somebody’s God… and playing God can just be as disastrous for those with good intentions, as it can be as those with bad ones.
Don’t get me wrong, Abbey did have some good traits. Abbey was caring, loyal and intelligent (besides her preference of living in denial). This is one thing that I love about Ingrid’s writing – her characters are complex. Every character has his or her strengths and weaknesses, and I think that this is particularly shown in In the Beginning There Was Us. There are times where you see that the evil that hurts you doesn’t necessarily come from other people, that it can come from deep within yourself.
The relationships within the story are as equally complex as the characters themselves. There are so many dimensions within the relationships, and they are always rotating and evolving. Within these relationships there are many aspects of love, deceit, protection, abuse, truth, willingness, honestly, desire, regret, friendship, lies and manipulation. I absolutely adored the complexities within each character and their relationships.
I stand by statement in my review of When the World Was Flat, Ingrid’s stories are “are appealing and she shows great promise of bring some true originality to YA”. In the Beginning There Was Us is another great example of this – Ingrid creates a world full of possibilities and shows us devastation and determination. And that sometimes we can be our own worst enemy.
I thoroughly enjoyed this refreshing and compelling story all the way to the very end. I will admit, the ending did make break my heart a little. I have already expressed my deep hurt over this with the author (hi Ingrid!), and although it hurt, I felt that the ending was true to story (but you are still evil and I am still upset with you Ingrid). But ultimately, this is a story of possibilities, and that includes mystery, deceit, friendship, truth, distraction, strength, denial, courage and heartache.
I am going to start by saying this: I dislike science in general. I like that it exists, but I often switch off when people start talking about it (which happens often where I work). My understanding of science is from The Big Bang Theory, the stuff that I cannot ignore at work, and the understanding that I really hated my high school science teacher. So, for these reasons, I generally don’t love science fiction novels or stories that include science…. but Ingrid Jonach’s stories are definitely an exception to the rule!
As with When the World Was Flat (and were in love), Ingrid has weaved science into her storyline without putting off those of us who dislike sciencey type stuff. With her effortless writing style, unique characters and intricate storyline, Ingrid will pull you in with her words and demand that you feel the emotions of the story.
What would you do if you were God? Well, Abbey creates a distraction from her grief-filled life by bringing back a boy long lost in the Italian Renaissance. The boy of her dreams, Cole, comes to life with the stroke of a brush and pulls Abbey away from the grief over the loss of her brother and her yearning for her best friend’s brother, Elwin.
But being God isn’t all it is cracked up to be, and cracks certainly start emerging as Abbey, and others in her small town, start to realise that their dreams can come at a very high price. Playing God does not come without consequences.
I actually found Abbey to be a pretty unlikeable character for the most part. I found her need for escapism annoying and her inability to question things frustrating…. but doesn’t that just make the story all the more interesting? I actually don’t mind not connecting to the main protagonist sometimes, and this storyline is certainly strong enough to support this type of character. In fact, I think that was really the point – Abbey was uncertain, elusive, unsure, timid, scared, obsessive and broken – but all this doesn’t mean she is weak, she still has the capability to be somebody’s God… and playing God can just be as disastrous for those with good intentions, as it can be as those with bad ones.
Don’t get me wrong, Abbey did have some good traits. Abbey was caring, loyal and intelligent (besides her preference of living in denial). This is one thing that I love about Ingrid’s writing – her characters are complex. Every character has his or her strengths and weaknesses, and I think that this is particularly shown in In the Beginning There Was Us. There are times where you see that the evil that hurts you doesn’t necessarily come from other people, that it can come from deep within yourself.
The relationships within the story are as equally complex as the characters themselves. There are so many dimensions within the relationships, and they are always rotating and evolving. Within these relationships there are many aspects of love, deceit, protection, abuse, truth, willingness, honestly, desire, regret, friendship, lies and manipulation. I absolutely adored the complexities within each character and their relationships.
I stand by statement in my review of When the World Was Flat, Ingrid’s stories are “are appealing and she shows great promise of bring some true originality to YA”. In the Beginning There Was Us is another great example of this – Ingrid creates a world full of possibilities and shows us devastation and determination. And that sometimes we can be our own worst enemy.
I thoroughly enjoyed this refreshing and compelling story all the way to the very end. I will admit, the ending did make break my heart a little. I have already expressed my deep hurt over this with the author (hi Ingrid!), and although it hurt, I felt that the ending was true to story (but you are still evil and I am still upset with you Ingrid). But ultimately, this is a story of possibilities, and that includes mystery, deceit, friendship, truth, distraction, strength, denial, courage and heartache.
December 28, 2015
I received an eBook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT
What's with that ending?!
FULL REVIEW POSTED ON MY BLOG : NERDYCHAMPAGNE!! Bonus! There's a fabulous going on right now so make sure you visit!
Overall, this book is written greatly. I have pointed out how life slips off of the sentences and characters some times already and I’m tired of repeating myself. I generally think this novel is sad. I feel like the ending was a bit rushed but at the same it was on purpose. I think that’s the beauty of Ingrid’s writing. I can’t get enough but it is what it is done just like it’s supposed to be. The characters were unique and weird and I love them. Of course, except for Abbey’s family. I CAN’T WITH THEM RIGHT NOW SHUT UP. This book showed a lot of potential on just how far Science can really take us. But you know what they say, you can never really measure the power of human brain. Right now, it’s unlikely but it is definitely possible. Which makes this book real scary. As I said, this is a sad novel. That ending broke my heart. And maybe, really, friends are more like family than the people you are genetically connected to.
WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT
What's with that ending?!
FULL REVIEW POSTED ON MY BLOG : NERDYCHAMPAGNE!! Bonus! There's a fabulous going on right now so make sure you visit!
Overall, this book is written greatly. I have pointed out how life slips off of the sentences and characters some times already and I’m tired of repeating myself. I generally think this novel is sad. I feel like the ending was a bit rushed but at the same it was on purpose. I think that’s the beauty of Ingrid’s writing. I can’t get enough but it is what it is done just like it’s supposed to be. The characters were unique and weird and I love them. Of course, except for Abbey’s family. I CAN’T WITH THEM RIGHT NOW SHUT UP. This book showed a lot of potential on just how far Science can really take us. But you know what they say, you can never really measure the power of human brain. Right now, it’s unlikely but it is definitely possible. Which makes this book real scary. As I said, this is a sad novel. That ending broke my heart. And maybe, really, friends are more like family than the people you are genetically connected to.
July 1, 2015
Full review coming soon, but oh my goodness you need this book!
UPDATE:
This review and more can be found at The A P Book Club!
*I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*
When the World Was Flat (and we were in love) was an incredible book, and when I finished it, I figured that would be it. Everything wrapped up nicely and it was very self-contained, and I was ok with that. But then! I learned that Ingrid was writing a whole collection of books set in the same world, and In The Beginning There Was Us would be the second book. So, of course, I knew I had to read this book ASAP! And I am so, so glad that I did.
In The Beginning There Was Us is completely different from When the World Was Flat - the situations are completely different, the sci-fi aspect is new and unique, and even the romance has a different tone about it. I even felt like this book was darker than its predecessor, and that there was much more going on here that could have huge consequences to the world outside. I did enjoy though that there are similarities between them, including characters, that connected them across this huge universe.
I really enjoyed how the science aspect was worked into this book. Most people today have at least heard of CERN and their Large Hadron Collider, as well as the existence and hunt for the "God particle," but Ingrid puts her own spin on these real-life things and theories and turns them into something completely unique. In this alternate history, things went wrong with the particle accelerator in Europe, and most of the continent had to be quarantined. Now, Abbey's dad is working on a particle accelerator in the US and might be doing things that are illegal on an international scale. There's not much explanation of the science and the theories until near the end of the book, but I really enjoyed how they were presented and explained. Even though I'm not a physicist, I was able to follow all of it and it at least made sense.
Aside from the science, Ingrid has this incredible way with words that just makes the characters come to life and the world seem to leap from the pages. I could see all of Abbey's paintings perfectly in my mind, and I could imagine exactly what Cole looks like just from the descriptions of him. I could also feel everything that Abbey was feeling - her excitement, her fear, her apprehension, her sadness, and her loneliness. I often found myself forgetting that Abbey is only fifteen, since she's been through so much in her lifetime that she definitely seemed and acted older.
At first, I thought that her relationship with Cole would be good for her. He really treats her well and brings her out of her shell. But then things take a turn for the worse, and Abbey can't control him anymore. Or maybe she controls him too much, which makes him resent her. The way their relationship develops and changes over the course of the book was so interesting to follow, and I found myself on the edge of my seat, frantically turning pages just to find out what was going to happen next. Cole is so unpredictable that I also was afraid for Abbey. And the whole time, I was totally rooting for her and Elwin to get together, even though he's several years older and her best friend's brother. But Elwin is incredible!
I really just loved everything about this book. Even though the ending almost made me scream out loud, because how can you leave things that way?! I kept trying to turn pages, hoping more would appear and set my mind (and heart) at ease, but Ingrid just couldn't let me have that little bit of peace!
This book is every bit as gorgeous as When the World Was Flat, and if you're looking for a YA sci-fi romance, you should really start reading these books ASAP. You could even start with In The Beginning There Was Us, since you don't need to know anything about the other book to fall into this world, but it's fun to see the things the books have in common. Even if you aren't big on the sci-fi aspect, this book tells the story of an incredible romance with its ups and downs and has complex characters that will stick with you well past the end (talk about a book hangover!). 5/5, for sure.
UPDATE:
This review and more can be found at The A P Book Club!
*I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*
When the World Was Flat (and we were in love) was an incredible book, and when I finished it, I figured that would be it. Everything wrapped up nicely and it was very self-contained, and I was ok with that. But then! I learned that Ingrid was writing a whole collection of books set in the same world, and In The Beginning There Was Us would be the second book. So, of course, I knew I had to read this book ASAP! And I am so, so glad that I did.
In The Beginning There Was Us is completely different from When the World Was Flat - the situations are completely different, the sci-fi aspect is new and unique, and even the romance has a different tone about it. I even felt like this book was darker than its predecessor, and that there was much more going on here that could have huge consequences to the world outside. I did enjoy though that there are similarities between them, including characters, that connected them across this huge universe.
I really enjoyed how the science aspect was worked into this book. Most people today have at least heard of CERN and their Large Hadron Collider, as well as the existence and hunt for the "God particle," but Ingrid puts her own spin on these real-life things and theories and turns them into something completely unique. In this alternate history, things went wrong with the particle accelerator in Europe, and most of the continent had to be quarantined. Now, Abbey's dad is working on a particle accelerator in the US and might be doing things that are illegal on an international scale. There's not much explanation of the science and the theories until near the end of the book, but I really enjoyed how they were presented and explained. Even though I'm not a physicist, I was able to follow all of it and it at least made sense.
Aside from the science, Ingrid has this incredible way with words that just makes the characters come to life and the world seem to leap from the pages. I could see all of Abbey's paintings perfectly in my mind, and I could imagine exactly what Cole looks like just from the descriptions of him. I could also feel everything that Abbey was feeling - her excitement, her fear, her apprehension, her sadness, and her loneliness. I often found myself forgetting that Abbey is only fifteen, since she's been through so much in her lifetime that she definitely seemed and acted older.
At first, I thought that her relationship with Cole would be good for her. He really treats her well and brings her out of her shell. But then things take a turn for the worse, and Abbey can't control him anymore. Or maybe she controls him too much, which makes him resent her. The way their relationship develops and changes over the course of the book was so interesting to follow, and I found myself on the edge of my seat, frantically turning pages just to find out what was going to happen next. Cole is so unpredictable that I also was afraid for Abbey. And the whole time, I was totally rooting for her and Elwin to get together, even though he's several years older and her best friend's brother. But Elwin is incredible!
I really just loved everything about this book. Even though the ending almost made me scream out loud, because how can you leave things that way?! I kept trying to turn pages, hoping more would appear and set my mind (and heart) at ease, but Ingrid just couldn't let me have that little bit of peace!
This book is every bit as gorgeous as When the World Was Flat, and if you're looking for a YA sci-fi romance, you should really start reading these books ASAP. You could even start with In The Beginning There Was Us, since you don't need to know anything about the other book to fall into this world, but it's fun to see the things the books have in common. Even if you aren't big on the sci-fi aspect, this book tells the story of an incredible romance with its ups and downs and has complex characters that will stick with you well past the end (talk about a book hangover!). 5/5, for sure.
September 23, 2015
Boricuan Bookworms- Book Reviews.
I think that while this book had a great premise, I couldn’t really get into it because I disliked the main characters.
I didn’t like Abbey, who was completely insufferable. I didn’t like Cole, who was a manipulative psychopath, I didn’t like Abbey’s parents, or her best friend, I think the only person I truly liked was Ethan, and it’s because we barely see any story from him.
The problem with this book for me was definitely the romance. The romance between Abbey/Cole is terrifying to say the least. It’s completely co-dependent, and downright unhealthy. Cole would manipulate Abbey, and Abbey would just take it just because Cole was her “perfect guy”. I know there’s an explanation behind this behavior, but it made me sick. Even thinking about the romance now gives me chills, and not the good kind.
Writing this review makes me incredibly sad because I loved loved loved the first book the author wrote, and this book was supposed to be a part of the same “universe”.
And honestly, if you set the romance aside, the book is totally engrossing. I’m a science geek at heart, so all the science talk was so interesting for me! I loved all the 'Higgs Bosom' talk because I actually studied this in college, so I can tell a great amount of research was done.
I’ll also admit that I would love to read the next book in the series. This book picked up considerably towards the end, and it gave us all the answers we were looking for, while also packing an adrenaline filled punch that I really enjoyed.
Overall, the main character and the romance really set the book’s quality down for me, but the science elements made me keep reading. If you can’t connect to the romance, I know you’ll at least connect to the sci-fi elements!
I’d like to thank the author for providing a copy of this book for my honest and unbiased review.
My Amazon Review.
I think that while this book had a great premise, I couldn’t really get into it because I disliked the main characters.
I didn’t like Abbey, who was completely insufferable. I didn’t like Cole, who was a manipulative psychopath, I didn’t like Abbey’s parents, or her best friend, I think the only person I truly liked was Ethan, and it’s because we barely see any story from him.
The problem with this book for me was definitely the romance. The romance between Abbey/Cole is terrifying to say the least. It’s completely co-dependent, and downright unhealthy. Cole would manipulate Abbey, and Abbey would just take it just because Cole was her “perfect guy”. I know there’s an explanation behind this behavior, but it made me sick. Even thinking about the romance now gives me chills, and not the good kind.
Writing this review makes me incredibly sad because I loved loved loved the first book the author wrote, and this book was supposed to be a part of the same “universe”.
And honestly, if you set the romance aside, the book is totally engrossing. I’m a science geek at heart, so all the science talk was so interesting for me! I loved all the 'Higgs Bosom' talk because I actually studied this in college, so I can tell a great amount of research was done.
I’ll also admit that I would love to read the next book in the series. This book picked up considerably towards the end, and it gave us all the answers we were looking for, while also packing an adrenaline filled punch that I really enjoyed.
Overall, the main character and the romance really set the book’s quality down for me, but the science elements made me keep reading. If you can’t connect to the romance, I know you’ll at least connect to the sci-fi elements!
I’d like to thank the author for providing a copy of this book for my honest and unbiased review.
My Amazon Review.
August 8, 2015
Ringrazio Dianne di “Oops i read a book again” e Ingrid Jonach per avermi regalato la possibilità di leggere questo libro in cambio della mia onesta opinione.
Recensione anche sul mio blog:
http://pleaseanotherbook.tumblr.com/p...
Vi avevo già parlato di “In the beginning there was us” di Ingrid Jonach nella mia tappa del Blog Tour, in cui potete leggere anche un estratto. Per una volta mi sono lasciata affascinare dalla trama, da quell’acceleratore di particelle che è sempre stata una delle mie fisse, da quando ne ho visto uno dal vivo, nel centro di ricerca di Frascati e da allora vorrei lavorarci. Gli acceleratori di particelle, fanno collidere particelle elementari e quello del CERN ha permesso diverse scoperte interessanti. Ma questa è un’altra storia (ed ecco che emerge il mio lato nerd e ingegneristico). La meccanica quantistica e la fisica delle particelle elementari mi hanno sempre affascinato e leggerne in libri a sfondo sci-fi mi gasa immensamente. Purtroppo il libro non mi ha convinto del tutto, una lettura carina ma un po’ troppo young adult per i miei gusti.
Che cosa fareste se foste Dio? Se aveste il potere non solo di dare la vita, ma di toglierla in un batter d’occhio? Queste sono le domande che affliggono la quindicenne Abby Baxter dopo che ha resuscitato un ragazzo, perso molti anni fa. Il bellissimo e eternamente malinconico Cole non solo serve come distrazione, per la sua cotta di vecchia data Elwin, ma attenua il dolore che persiste fin dalla morte improvvisa del fratello minore Junior, quattro anni prima. Mentre l’intrigo della sua relazione con Cole si approfondisce, così succede anche al mistero che si sviluppa intorno ai crescenti fenomeni che investono la sua piccola città del West Virginia, trasformando le vite dei suoi residenti. Attorno a lei, cottage di due stanze si trasformano in ville senza nessuna spiegazione e gli abitanti si svegliano con i risparmi in banca triplicano nel corso di una notte, tutto sotto l’occhio vigile del sinistro Laboratorio americano di particelle fisiche, localizzato nella periferia della città. Mentre Abby cerca risposte per risolvere il mistero con l’aiuto di Elwin, è costretta a rendersi conto che alcune cose è meglio lasciarle sepolte, incluso il suo nuovo amore, Cole.
Questo racconto di dolore e ossessione esplora le possibilità senza fine dell’universo e i suoi devastanti effetti su due giovani innamorati di due mondi diversi.
È affascinante scoprire come certe scoperte scientifiche possano risuonare nella mente degli scrittori e permettere loro di creare storie interessanti e originali, applicazioni che decisamente non sarebbero mai venute in mente agli scienziati che le hanno portate avanti. La fantasia di chi scrive scorre libera, senza costrizione, in modi unici. La Jonach di certo non si lascia fermare da niente, ed elabora una teoria abbastanza convincente in grado di sostenere l’impianto narrativo. La parte sci-fi è sviluppata al punto giusto, lasciando la protagonista a lottare per scoprire il mistero che circonda la sua città, mentre la gente scompare e le stranezze aumentano. È proprio Abby a raccontare in prima persona la vicenda, cercando di spiegarsi come sia possibile che il suo paese sia stato sconvolto così. In un’ambientazione post-apocalittica e futuristica in cui l’Europa è stata spazzata via da un esperimento del CERN che ha avuto tragiche conseguenze in mondo che è sopravvissuto alla terza guerra mondiale. La scienza non sembra aver fatto molti passi in avanti a livello di tecnologia spiccia e troviamo alcune incongruenze. Abby è una quindicenne, abbastanza ingenua e spensierata, che pensa al primo bacio e alle partite di pallavolo, con una famiglia sconvolta dalla morte del fratello. E improvvisamente nella sua vita compare Cole. Un po’ Dorian Gray, un po’ fantasma, un po’ congettura, Cole è una presenza apparentemente rassicurante ed effettivamente inquietante. Cole è fatto della materia dei pensieri di Abby, ma scoprirne le origini diventa stupefacente. Abby si accorge che le cose non sono così semplici, che la bellezza e la prodezza di Cole devono arrivare da qualche parte. E mentre Cole diventa sempre più pericoloso, la ragazza deve fare i conti con l’assenza del padre, e la depressione della madre, nonché la follia della sua migliore amica, una macchietta che la mette nei guai. Le due seguono il classico schema dei romanzi ya. Se Abby è innocente, studiosa, ama dipingere e passare le sue serate a guardare film sul divano sgranocchiando popcorn, Mali è ricca, bellissima, estroversa, si veste alla moda, un po’ svampita, poco interessata alla scuola, e desiderosa di partecipare a tutte le feste che ci sono in circolazione. Il tutto viene condito con la cotta di Abby per Elwin, il fratello maggiore di Mali, che le fa da tutore mentre i loro genitori non si sa dove sono. Abby e Elwin si ritrovano ad indagare su cosa sta succedendo ad Albert Falls, lui studente universitario di Fisica, bellissimo e geniaccio, lei impacciata e con pessimi voti scolastici, in un ammassarsi di indizi che porteranno allo svelamento finale. L’intreccio regge abbastanza, nonostante gli stereotipi perpetrati dai personaggi.
L’ambientazione è la classica, quella di una piccola cittadina Albert Falls, dal nome decisamente profetico, nel west Virginia, piena di pregiudizi, con poche descrizioni essenziali, che si perde nei meandri del laboratorio, che emerge, inquietantissimo e pericoloso, con i suoi segreti da svelare.
Il particolare da non dimenticare? Un portachiavi…
Una storia avvincente, interpretata da personaggi mediocri, uno sfondo avvincente, con un mistero da scoprire, una protagonista troppo ingenua e un corollario affascinante, con un acceleratore di particelle a fare il bello e il cattivo tempo. Una lettura senza troppe pretese.
Buona lettura guys!
Recensione anche sul mio blog:
http://pleaseanotherbook.tumblr.com/p...
Vi avevo già parlato di “In the beginning there was us” di Ingrid Jonach nella mia tappa del Blog Tour, in cui potete leggere anche un estratto. Per una volta mi sono lasciata affascinare dalla trama, da quell’acceleratore di particelle che è sempre stata una delle mie fisse, da quando ne ho visto uno dal vivo, nel centro di ricerca di Frascati e da allora vorrei lavorarci. Gli acceleratori di particelle, fanno collidere particelle elementari e quello del CERN ha permesso diverse scoperte interessanti. Ma questa è un’altra storia (ed ecco che emerge il mio lato nerd e ingegneristico). La meccanica quantistica e la fisica delle particelle elementari mi hanno sempre affascinato e leggerne in libri a sfondo sci-fi mi gasa immensamente. Purtroppo il libro non mi ha convinto del tutto, una lettura carina ma un po’ troppo young adult per i miei gusti.
Che cosa fareste se foste Dio? Se aveste il potere non solo di dare la vita, ma di toglierla in un batter d’occhio? Queste sono le domande che affliggono la quindicenne Abby Baxter dopo che ha resuscitato un ragazzo, perso molti anni fa. Il bellissimo e eternamente malinconico Cole non solo serve come distrazione, per la sua cotta di vecchia data Elwin, ma attenua il dolore che persiste fin dalla morte improvvisa del fratello minore Junior, quattro anni prima. Mentre l’intrigo della sua relazione con Cole si approfondisce, così succede anche al mistero che si sviluppa intorno ai crescenti fenomeni che investono la sua piccola città del West Virginia, trasformando le vite dei suoi residenti. Attorno a lei, cottage di due stanze si trasformano in ville senza nessuna spiegazione e gli abitanti si svegliano con i risparmi in banca triplicano nel corso di una notte, tutto sotto l’occhio vigile del sinistro Laboratorio americano di particelle fisiche, localizzato nella periferia della città. Mentre Abby cerca risposte per risolvere il mistero con l’aiuto di Elwin, è costretta a rendersi conto che alcune cose è meglio lasciarle sepolte, incluso il suo nuovo amore, Cole.
Questo racconto di dolore e ossessione esplora le possibilità senza fine dell’universo e i suoi devastanti effetti su due giovani innamorati di due mondi diversi.
È affascinante scoprire come certe scoperte scientifiche possano risuonare nella mente degli scrittori e permettere loro di creare storie interessanti e originali, applicazioni che decisamente non sarebbero mai venute in mente agli scienziati che le hanno portate avanti. La fantasia di chi scrive scorre libera, senza costrizione, in modi unici. La Jonach di certo non si lascia fermare da niente, ed elabora una teoria abbastanza convincente in grado di sostenere l’impianto narrativo. La parte sci-fi è sviluppata al punto giusto, lasciando la protagonista a lottare per scoprire il mistero che circonda la sua città, mentre la gente scompare e le stranezze aumentano. È proprio Abby a raccontare in prima persona la vicenda, cercando di spiegarsi come sia possibile che il suo paese sia stato sconvolto così. In un’ambientazione post-apocalittica e futuristica in cui l’Europa è stata spazzata via da un esperimento del CERN che ha avuto tragiche conseguenze in mondo che è sopravvissuto alla terza guerra mondiale. La scienza non sembra aver fatto molti passi in avanti a livello di tecnologia spiccia e troviamo alcune incongruenze. Abby è una quindicenne, abbastanza ingenua e spensierata, che pensa al primo bacio e alle partite di pallavolo, con una famiglia sconvolta dalla morte del fratello. E improvvisamente nella sua vita compare Cole. Un po’ Dorian Gray, un po’ fantasma, un po’ congettura, Cole è una presenza apparentemente rassicurante ed effettivamente inquietante. Cole è fatto della materia dei pensieri di Abby, ma scoprirne le origini diventa stupefacente. Abby si accorge che le cose non sono così semplici, che la bellezza e la prodezza di Cole devono arrivare da qualche parte. E mentre Cole diventa sempre più pericoloso, la ragazza deve fare i conti con l’assenza del padre, e la depressione della madre, nonché la follia della sua migliore amica, una macchietta che la mette nei guai. Le due seguono il classico schema dei romanzi ya. Se Abby è innocente, studiosa, ama dipingere e passare le sue serate a guardare film sul divano sgranocchiando popcorn, Mali è ricca, bellissima, estroversa, si veste alla moda, un po’ svampita, poco interessata alla scuola, e desiderosa di partecipare a tutte le feste che ci sono in circolazione. Il tutto viene condito con la cotta di Abby per Elwin, il fratello maggiore di Mali, che le fa da tutore mentre i loro genitori non si sa dove sono. Abby e Elwin si ritrovano ad indagare su cosa sta succedendo ad Albert Falls, lui studente universitario di Fisica, bellissimo e geniaccio, lei impacciata e con pessimi voti scolastici, in un ammassarsi di indizi che porteranno allo svelamento finale. L’intreccio regge abbastanza, nonostante gli stereotipi perpetrati dai personaggi.
L’ambientazione è la classica, quella di una piccola cittadina Albert Falls, dal nome decisamente profetico, nel west Virginia, piena di pregiudizi, con poche descrizioni essenziali, che si perde nei meandri del laboratorio, che emerge, inquietantissimo e pericoloso, con i suoi segreti da svelare.
Il particolare da non dimenticare? Un portachiavi…
Una storia avvincente, interpretata da personaggi mediocri, uno sfondo avvincente, con un mistero da scoprire, una protagonista troppo ingenua e un corollario affascinante, con un acceleratore di particelle a fare il bello e il cattivo tempo. Una lettura senza troppe pretese.
Buona lettura guys!
April 29, 2015
I loved this story. It's sweet and gut-wrenchingly sad. I really felt for Abbey and her mother particularly. Nice one, Ingrid. Cant wait to read the next instalment.
August 11, 2016
***Also posted on RurouniJenniReads***
I started reading this book with a feeling of immense excitement BECAUSE...
I think this is my very first sci-fi YA read! Meanwhile, it's the second book of Ingrid Jonach for her Other World Collection. This collection consists of young adult novels with re-imagined histories and possible scientific explanations for the inexplicable in a contemporary setting. See Ingrid's guest post in the blog HERE where she explained why she loves writing this genre.
Abbey Baxter is a fifteen-year old daughter of a depressed ex-teacher turned housewife mother and a workaholic scientist father. Her father works for a Laboratory in fictional Albert Falls tinkering in a particle that’s seemingly causing some anomalies in their town. Because her parents does not always seem to be around, she always locks herself in her art studio or hangs out with her bestfriend, Mali, whose older brother, Elwin, Abbey has a long-time crush on. But Elwin does not seem to care for Abbey that way. Soon, Abbey found herself inadvertently conjuring through a painting, a handsome boy she named Cole. Cole looks up to Abbey as his god. Abbey on the other hand is smitten by Cole. And thus, started this dangerous relationship and the consequences that came with playing god.
Okay, I will be upfront and honest with my general reaction with the book: it was an okay read for me. My favorite part was the ending because it was brilliantly haunting and unexpected. I also like some funny dialogue sections between Abbey and Mali. And I especially enjoyed Ingrid’s fine writing skills in depicting certain scenes. There are times when she could make something from the pages feel real. One example for me was when the heroine was thrown down the ground and felt myself wincing on the imaginary pain while reading.
One thing that thew me off though was the sluggish development of the story. It’s almost already 60% in with my reading when things started to really pick up. Most parts in the beginning and in the middle are overshadowed by romance and love triangle. Some swoon-loving readers might like this, but it’s just not for me.
Also, I have issues on the believability of some things in this alternate world and history:
-First example, Europe was wiped out before our story began because a group of OVER A THOUSAND scientists and engineers agree to turn the particle in question into a weapon of mass destruction. Upon reading this, I was like WOAH, that was a lot of unethical and unthinking scientists and engineers over there!
-Then there was this time when Abbey willed Cole (through her thoughts) to take a vacation in Alaska only to pull him out of there the next minute and have him appear back in Albert Falls to fulfill boyfriend duties. Yes, points for swoon but this is just so physically impossible for me. Shush, Abbey, don’t try to convince me that you have a monopoly of the god particle!
-Also, Abbey seems to have used up all her time sulking in her art studio, doing part-time job at a bookstore, hanging out, sleeping over and reluctant partying and I wonder, WHAT ABOUT SCHOOL?! Teens in real life spend most of their time in school, right? There sure were sparse mentions of school (that mostly refer to previous school years) but no actual scene in school or actual schoolwork. I’m aware that the town was in lockdown for the most part but it did not say clearly whether school was out or not. And if school was out, should they at least must have a massive amount of take-home schoolworks to do? I might have said “school” way too much, I’m stopping this right here.
All in all, I think some unique-seeking readers will probably love ITBTWU. As for me, despite some of my issues, I am still delighted that I got to check it out BECAUSE YOU, GUYS...
Seriously, this book stirred in me some real newfound curiosity in science (googled lots of jargons while reading) AND raw cravings for more sci-fi reads. So, what sci-fi book should I devour next? Hit me up with your recs in the comments.
I started reading this book with a feeling of immense excitement BECAUSE...
I think this is my very first sci-fi YA read! Meanwhile, it's the second book of Ingrid Jonach for her Other World Collection. This collection consists of young adult novels with re-imagined histories and possible scientific explanations for the inexplicable in a contemporary setting. See Ingrid's guest post in the blog HERE where she explained why she loves writing this genre.
Abbey Baxter is a fifteen-year old daughter of a depressed ex-teacher turned housewife mother and a workaholic scientist father. Her father works for a Laboratory in fictional Albert Falls tinkering in a particle that’s seemingly causing some anomalies in their town. Because her parents does not always seem to be around, she always locks herself in her art studio or hangs out with her bestfriend, Mali, whose older brother, Elwin, Abbey has a long-time crush on. But Elwin does not seem to care for Abbey that way. Soon, Abbey found herself inadvertently conjuring through a painting, a handsome boy she named Cole. Cole looks up to Abbey as his god. Abbey on the other hand is smitten by Cole. And thus, started this dangerous relationship and the consequences that came with playing god.
Okay, I will be upfront and honest with my general reaction with the book: it was an okay read for me. My favorite part was the ending because it was brilliantly haunting and unexpected. I also like some funny dialogue sections between Abbey and Mali. And I especially enjoyed Ingrid’s fine writing skills in depicting certain scenes. There are times when she could make something from the pages feel real. One example for me was when the heroine was thrown down the ground and felt myself wincing on the imaginary pain while reading.
One thing that thew me off though was the sluggish development of the story. It’s almost already 60% in with my reading when things started to really pick up. Most parts in the beginning and in the middle are overshadowed by romance and love triangle. Some swoon-loving readers might like this, but it’s just not for me.
Also, I have issues on the believability of some things in this alternate world and history:
-First example, Europe was wiped out before our story began because a group of OVER A THOUSAND scientists and engineers agree to turn the particle in question into a weapon of mass destruction. Upon reading this, I was like WOAH, that was a lot of unethical and unthinking scientists and engineers over there!
-Then there was this time when Abbey willed Cole (through her thoughts) to take a vacation in Alaska only to pull him out of there the next minute and have him appear back in Albert Falls to fulfill boyfriend duties. Yes, points for swoon but this is just so physically impossible for me. Shush, Abbey, don’t try to convince me that you have a monopoly of the god particle!
-Also, Abbey seems to have used up all her time sulking in her art studio, doing part-time job at a bookstore, hanging out, sleeping over and reluctant partying and I wonder, WHAT ABOUT SCHOOL?! Teens in real life spend most of their time in school, right? There sure were sparse mentions of school (that mostly refer to previous school years) but no actual scene in school or actual schoolwork. I’m aware that the town was in lockdown for the most part but it did not say clearly whether school was out or not. And if school was out, should they at least must have a massive amount of take-home schoolworks to do? I might have said “school” way too much, I’m stopping this right here.
All in all, I think some unique-seeking readers will probably love ITBTWU. As for me, despite some of my issues, I am still delighted that I got to check it out BECAUSE YOU, GUYS...
Seriously, this book stirred in me some real newfound curiosity in science (googled lots of jargons while reading) AND raw cravings for more sci-fi reads. So, what sci-fi book should I devour next? Hit me up with your recs in the comments.
July 28, 2015
I'll be honest, this book was not for me. I started in several months ago and read about a hundred pages of it...then it got pushed aside in favor of other books I was also reading.
The idea is a novel one for YA, and I appreciate that. But things moved too quickly without any explanation...events almost happened randomly, it seemed to me.
Unfortunately the story dragged for me and I couldn't pull myself out of the quicksand to get it finished.
The idea is a novel one for YA, and I appreciate that. But things moved too quickly without any explanation...events almost happened randomly, it seemed to me.
Unfortunately the story dragged for me and I couldn't pull myself out of the quicksand to get it finished.
October 9, 2015
Review to come!
May 24, 2015
Review to come; rating might change.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews