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The Wolfe Experiment
What if, as a child, you could move the world with your mind? Think of the possibilities. But what if you couldn’t control it, and buildings toppled in your sleep? Think of the consequences.
Ethan and Tilly Wolfe are special. It’s a cruel, devastating kind of special that causes death and destruction in equal measure. Nobody is safe. Not even those who love them.
Ethan is the older sibling, his telekinetic gift powerful but controllable. But Tilly is young, emotionally fragile and unable to stop the physical and mental damage she unleashes on other people with barely a thought.
And all it takes is a thought.
Pursued by the military, shunned by the authorities and running for their lives, this is the story of a medical experiment gone hideously wrong, and the lives of the two children trying to put it right.
Ethan and Tilly Wolfe are special. It’s a cruel, devastating kind of special that causes death and destruction in equal measure. Nobody is safe. Not even those who love them.
Ethan is the older sibling, his telekinetic gift powerful but controllable. But Tilly is young, emotionally fragile and unable to stop the physical and mental damage she unleashes on other people with barely a thought.
And all it takes is a thought.
Pursued by the military, shunned by the authorities and running for their lives, this is the story of a medical experiment gone hideously wrong, and the lives of the two children trying to put it right.
290 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 24, 2017
4 people are currently reading
13 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
April 27, 2017
I read this in paperback. I loved this different story. Ethan and Tilly Wolfe are special. Ethan the older brother has a powerful gift. Tilly is the the young sister, she is emotionally fragile and unable to stop the physical and mental damage she unleashes on other people. The Wolfe children to some were dangerous. A bully at school knew that there was something weird about the Wolfe children. Ethan and Tilly's parents are dead . They are taken to a secure children's home under the care with a psychologist. From the children's home they are both taken to another temporary accommodation The Facility at Porton Down Defence Science and technology Laboratory. Ethan and Tilly in there are put through some test. Ethan makes a plan for him and Tilly to escape them. Loved every page.
December 29, 2017
3.5 stars!
This was a fast paced novel, perfect for all your thriller junkies out there, as well as having some emotional bits to it too. If you like novels about family and siblings, this is one to pick up!
This book was half for me, and half not for me. While it was fast paced and thrilling, as I’ve said beforehand, it also lost my attention in some parts, but these are mainly due to my own personal preference. The issue for me what that this was quite an emotional novel about the journey Ethan and Tilly go through after the death of their parents, and for me, this domestic angle got kind of boring, (we all know I hate a domestic thriller)!
The action is the book is certainly non-stop, I’ve seen another reviewer liken it to a “darker X-Men”, and I would have to agree!
The writing, for a debut, is superb and I can’t fault the author on his ability to conjure up a story. Characters are well developed and settings are easily brought to life in your mind. Speech is also mostly plausible, which is fantastic, as there is nothing worse than unbelievable conversations in books, my only qualm would be that Tilly spoke very intelligently for a young girl. Especially for a girl who was so childish in other aspects, such as her crying all of the time.
This book would be great for those of you looking for a heart-warming, sci fi, action adventure novel, but for me, it didn’t quite fit into my genre preferences.
Thanks to R W Adams for offering me a chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
This was a fast paced novel, perfect for all your thriller junkies out there, as well as having some emotional bits to it too. If you like novels about family and siblings, this is one to pick up!
This book was half for me, and half not for me. While it was fast paced and thrilling, as I’ve said beforehand, it also lost my attention in some parts, but these are mainly due to my own personal preference. The issue for me what that this was quite an emotional novel about the journey Ethan and Tilly go through after the death of their parents, and for me, this domestic angle got kind of boring, (we all know I hate a domestic thriller)!
The action is the book is certainly non-stop, I’ve seen another reviewer liken it to a “darker X-Men”, and I would have to agree!
The writing, for a debut, is superb and I can’t fault the author on his ability to conjure up a story. Characters are well developed and settings are easily brought to life in your mind. Speech is also mostly plausible, which is fantastic, as there is nothing worse than unbelievable conversations in books, my only qualm would be that Tilly spoke very intelligently for a young girl. Especially for a girl who was so childish in other aspects, such as her crying all of the time.
This book would be great for those of you looking for a heart-warming, sci fi, action adventure novel, but for me, it didn’t quite fit into my genre preferences.
Thanks to R W Adams for offering me a chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
August 17, 2017
I’ve been quietly shelving this review for a while because I didn’t think I could do the book justice. You see, I don’t read an awful lot of thrillers and I’d be comparing it to more historical examples or films. For example, Stephen King’s novel Carrie is a close analogue because that also showed a timid child under tremendous social pressure, but with a hidden storm inside them, letting out a catastrophically primal, Tunguska tree-flattening wave of rage that clears an area which will subsequently only be referred to by radius. What’s the common noun for children who do this? A circumference? On this occasion, defence establishment researchers are interested in these special children. Who needs TNT? As a reader, I’m thinking who needs the military? I’d be happy enough to drop them off at a children’s party, set up my deck chair and popcorn on the other side of the street and wait for the bump.
“It was all put down to misadventure” – and that’s one of the things; most of the original incidents that the author deploys to gradually reveal their untameable power get blamed on other people, whether attributed to shoddy playground equipment, cowboy builders, bad policing or collapses at the wheel. The knock on effects are immense in broken careers, bankrupt businesses and even confidence in government. The domino human impact is one aspect the author shows which other thriller writers don’t do very well. This one actually makes you feel sorry for them. Who can forget the scene in Austin Powers where an apple pie wife and kids are so looking forward to Daddy coming home and so explain to the camera that he’d been thrilled to get his new job as a henchman and Dr Evil is such a good employer, what with the time off and a full family dental plan… Indeed, there are consequences for years after an incident, from financial hardship to incapacity or mental health. This isn’t an attempt to stop you working as henchlings, my advice being take what jobs you can find, but it’s more to make the point that this book deals with the implications of events intelligently.
I’ve heard, and forgotten, surprising figures for the level of fatalities from putting on socks at the top of the stairs but Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA) statistics also show that 5,310 people in the UK were hospitalised by their trousers (2004); 87,000 from gardening with 5,300 hospitalisations attributed to flower pots (2007) – nearly twice as many as to hedge trimmers; sofas accounted for 43,173 (2002); and “food wrap rage” [trying to remove cellophane wrappers] caused 67,000 hospital-level accidents (2004). The world is dangerous enough without supercharged catastrophe-inducing children on the loose. Fiction and reality both have the capacity to make us nervous. I’m going to be very careful with my hair brush now (1,394).
What is a freak accident then, versus supernatural intervention into physical reality? This has been considered before, in the categorisation of events that might be miracles. Sooner or later, everything that can possibly happen will happen. Probability indicates how infrequently it will happen but has a harder time dictating where and when. So many variables, including non-physical perception. If the side of a barn falls down on you, yet you walk away unscathed because you went through the gap of the window, you might suffer from the delusion you have a protective sprite or a lucky super-power but it’s more likely to be a point on the probability arc. Witches have been burned before because cows stopped producing milk, which we now associate with pre-scientific stupidity, which in turn is why a couple of children who are depicted as able to cause critical damage with the power of their minds would for sure get away with it for a reasonably long period of time. The benefit of the doubt in physical causes is down to Occam’s razor, even when a human jury try to assess the probable; a mathematical function. You shrink what is known to fit the most likely explanation, the occamy petronus of probability in fiction. I don’t know why I thought of that.
It isn’t a magical power here though, is it? Telekinesis, physical change through thought, has been studied for ages and remains scientifically unproven (the James Randi Foundation will give you a prize of several million dollars if you can prove a single supernatural thing is true). In this story, the prolonged exposure of a developing brain to experimental chemicals has induced a condition even more devastating than bi-polar, which the research concerns a treatment for. Well done, knowledge moves forward and pushes the darkness back (one humungous, sterile blast zone at a time).
When offered a copy for review, I was delighted to see it delved into the secret and apparently shady activities of the Defence Science Technology Laboratories (DSTL) at Porton Down and their sponsorship and partnerships with universities in biological and chemical research. The reason that’s fun is that I’ve spoken to DSTL people forming links at my own university, as they do in the book at UCL, so there I was chatting about plague etc., as you do, and I’m now thinking I can wind one of them up with it until it turns into the talk of the (open)secret base. I do this for the public good, of course, to keep them in touch with their even more scary employers (the taxpayer). I have been told that people who work in DSTL buildings, which do not appear on any map, have no idea what happens in any of the other buildings on the site, suggesting the “talk of the establishment” is all but zero, so my inflammatory plan will inevitably fizzle.
80% of garden event accident claims are attributable to drunk men in charge of barbecues (source: More Than, insurers). Average damage £383. When the 20% women join the party though, their claims average £525. "It looks out, luv. Put some petrol on it".
To my knowledge, DSTL haven’t been picked on before to fulfil the role of villain. In truth, I suspect that’s because most people think they’re doing a good job, proactively protecting the population from some pretty disgusting potential eventualities that might come to Britain from the real world (which is out there somewhere, apparently, lurking near those dragons and sea creatures printed on the edge of the map, if you ignore the one on Cornwall). I feel sorry for their researchers really as they can’t publish anything, leading to their full career CVs looking unemployably thin.
Then again, conspiracy gossip and suspension of disbelief in a story of this calibre is the best kind of fuel for an entertaining read. Scepticism generally wins the day by pulling the accusation apart until the box with “Facts” written on it looks devoid and collapses under the weight of its own shame BUT sceptics in charge of the world would severely limit the story-teller’s art and we’d be stuck with a single book that’s the only one you can read called “What’s Real” – and bang goes human imagination. That’s worse. Much worse.
Back to reality. 3 claims for whiplash injuries were made by car drivers who were shunted by lamas in safari parks (More Than, 2012).
I had to assess this according to whether it fulfilled its remit as a thriller, not according to whether it was the kind of thing I’d personally twist and shout to. Classic thrillers are about intense nervous tension, creating an anxious state in the reader’s mind, shock, chases, accidents (some deliberate), fear etc. and all that happens to characters drawn well enough for the reader to make a solid connection to, so when they run for their lives the reader feels the pace of their heart quicken and when they survive at the end the reader feels the relief that they have endured a laborious effort. The reader has been with them all along and this novel delivers that feeling 100 percent.
To be subjective for a second, I’m trying to calm down and lose my anxiety, so the author has done a brilliant job of transmitting mental strain and turning me haywire. Are you a rollercoaster person? If not, you can’t criticise the rollercoaster for fulfilling its purpose. The scorpion stings, so don’t be surprised. That’s what this book is, a strong thriller which keeps you junked up on tension… I’ve read this for you, even though that mark of appeal is hard for me to process. I therefore identify it objectively as an excellent thriller. Personally, I’m emotionally giddy, coupled with the handicap of a strong long-term memory which makes it hard to let go and I sometimes I wish I could be more like my father. “Who the hell are you and how did you get a key?”
“It was all put down to misadventure” – and that’s one of the things; most of the original incidents that the author deploys to gradually reveal their untameable power get blamed on other people, whether attributed to shoddy playground equipment, cowboy builders, bad policing or collapses at the wheel. The knock on effects are immense in broken careers, bankrupt businesses and even confidence in government. The domino human impact is one aspect the author shows which other thriller writers don’t do very well. This one actually makes you feel sorry for them. Who can forget the scene in Austin Powers where an apple pie wife and kids are so looking forward to Daddy coming home and so explain to the camera that he’d been thrilled to get his new job as a henchman and Dr Evil is such a good employer, what with the time off and a full family dental plan… Indeed, there are consequences for years after an incident, from financial hardship to incapacity or mental health. This isn’t an attempt to stop you working as henchlings, my advice being take what jobs you can find, but it’s more to make the point that this book deals with the implications of events intelligently.
I’ve heard, and forgotten, surprising figures for the level of fatalities from putting on socks at the top of the stairs but Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA) statistics also show that 5,310 people in the UK were hospitalised by their trousers (2004); 87,000 from gardening with 5,300 hospitalisations attributed to flower pots (2007) – nearly twice as many as to hedge trimmers; sofas accounted for 43,173 (2002); and “food wrap rage” [trying to remove cellophane wrappers] caused 67,000 hospital-level accidents (2004). The world is dangerous enough without supercharged catastrophe-inducing children on the loose. Fiction and reality both have the capacity to make us nervous. I’m going to be very careful with my hair brush now (1,394).
What is a freak accident then, versus supernatural intervention into physical reality? This has been considered before, in the categorisation of events that might be miracles. Sooner or later, everything that can possibly happen will happen. Probability indicates how infrequently it will happen but has a harder time dictating where and when. So many variables, including non-physical perception. If the side of a barn falls down on you, yet you walk away unscathed because you went through the gap of the window, you might suffer from the delusion you have a protective sprite or a lucky super-power but it’s more likely to be a point on the probability arc. Witches have been burned before because cows stopped producing milk, which we now associate with pre-scientific stupidity, which in turn is why a couple of children who are depicted as able to cause critical damage with the power of their minds would for sure get away with it for a reasonably long period of time. The benefit of the doubt in physical causes is down to Occam’s razor, even when a human jury try to assess the probable; a mathematical function. You shrink what is known to fit the most likely explanation, the occamy petronus of probability in fiction. I don’t know why I thought of that.
It isn’t a magical power here though, is it? Telekinesis, physical change through thought, has been studied for ages and remains scientifically unproven (the James Randi Foundation will give you a prize of several million dollars if you can prove a single supernatural thing is true). In this story, the prolonged exposure of a developing brain to experimental chemicals has induced a condition even more devastating than bi-polar, which the research concerns a treatment for. Well done, knowledge moves forward and pushes the darkness back (one humungous, sterile blast zone at a time).
When offered a copy for review, I was delighted to see it delved into the secret and apparently shady activities of the Defence Science Technology Laboratories (DSTL) at Porton Down and their sponsorship and partnerships with universities in biological and chemical research. The reason that’s fun is that I’ve spoken to DSTL people forming links at my own university, as they do in the book at UCL, so there I was chatting about plague etc., as you do, and I’m now thinking I can wind one of them up with it until it turns into the talk of the (open)secret base. I do this for the public good, of course, to keep them in touch with their even more scary employers (the taxpayer). I have been told that people who work in DSTL buildings, which do not appear on any map, have no idea what happens in any of the other buildings on the site, suggesting the “talk of the establishment” is all but zero, so my inflammatory plan will inevitably fizzle.
80% of garden event accident claims are attributable to drunk men in charge of barbecues (source: More Than, insurers). Average damage £383. When the 20% women join the party though, their claims average £525. "It looks out, luv. Put some petrol on it".
To my knowledge, DSTL haven’t been picked on before to fulfil the role of villain. In truth, I suspect that’s because most people think they’re doing a good job, proactively protecting the population from some pretty disgusting potential eventualities that might come to Britain from the real world (which is out there somewhere, apparently, lurking near those dragons and sea creatures printed on the edge of the map, if you ignore the one on Cornwall). I feel sorry for their researchers really as they can’t publish anything, leading to their full career CVs looking unemployably thin.
Then again, conspiracy gossip and suspension of disbelief in a story of this calibre is the best kind of fuel for an entertaining read. Scepticism generally wins the day by pulling the accusation apart until the box with “Facts” written on it looks devoid and collapses under the weight of its own shame BUT sceptics in charge of the world would severely limit the story-teller’s art and we’d be stuck with a single book that’s the only one you can read called “What’s Real” – and bang goes human imagination. That’s worse. Much worse.
Back to reality. 3 claims for whiplash injuries were made by car drivers who were shunted by lamas in safari parks (More Than, 2012).
I had to assess this according to whether it fulfilled its remit as a thriller, not according to whether it was the kind of thing I’d personally twist and shout to. Classic thrillers are about intense nervous tension, creating an anxious state in the reader’s mind, shock, chases, accidents (some deliberate), fear etc. and all that happens to characters drawn well enough for the reader to make a solid connection to, so when they run for their lives the reader feels the pace of their heart quicken and when they survive at the end the reader feels the relief that they have endured a laborious effort. The reader has been with them all along and this novel delivers that feeling 100 percent.
To be subjective for a second, I’m trying to calm down and lose my anxiety, so the author has done a brilliant job of transmitting mental strain and turning me haywire. Are you a rollercoaster person? If not, you can’t criticise the rollercoaster for fulfilling its purpose. The scorpion stings, so don’t be surprised. That’s what this book is, a strong thriller which keeps you junked up on tension… I’ve read this for you, even though that mark of appeal is hard for me to process. I therefore identify it objectively as an excellent thriller. Personally, I’m emotionally giddy, coupled with the handicap of a strong long-term memory which makes it hard to let go and I sometimes I wish I could be more like my father. “Who the hell are you and how did you get a key?”
June 6, 2017
The Wolfe Experiment by R.W. Adams, 288 pages, March 23rd, 2017, Genre: Psychic/Suspense. Warning: May Contain Spoilers.
The Wolfe Experiment by R.W. Adams is a suspenseful tale of survival and psychic ability. Written in third person omniscient point of view, we’re shown an aggressive, corrupt world in which only those who have the most destructive weapons matter and decent people are merely tools for those who govern them. This corruption is made possible by those among the masses who support it and those who are indifferent to it, as well as those who individually choose to join corrupt forces for their own ends.
The Wolfes, a married couple doing scientific research into pharmaceuticals to treat bipolar in children, slide down that slippery slope of doing some evil to effect a greater good. However, this is merely what they tell themselves to be able to sleep at night. In truth, they are obsessed with completing their research and will do anything to see it to its fruition. When they cannot acquire young enough subjects for their trials, they experiment on their own children; Ethan from age three and Tilly from birth. However, they no longer seek to treat bipolar kids. Instead, they stumbled on a far more miraculous effect of the drugs they created and seek to perfect them. Tilly falls asleep on a car ride during which Ethan is supposed to keep her awake. Her power activates in her sleep, causing massive damage and killing their parents in a car accident. The siblings are moved around to various homes in the social services system. At each one, an incident occurs due to their psychic abilities, and their worker Sarah must find a new home for them. After a particular incident, the military decides it wants its ‘weapons’ back, as they are a product of their funding of their deceased parents’ research. A cat and mouse race ensues as the kids are on the streets and on the run from the military and its researchers.
This story is tragic. The novel jumps between different scenes in their lives until it reaches its inevitable conclusion. I couldn’t help but feel sadness and sympathy for these children and root for them to find a place where they would find love, security, happiness, and peace. At the same time, I recognized that innocents were being harmed each step of the way as they were forced to survive alone or fight against the aggressors. I often wondered how differently things may have been for them if enough people had known, had cared, and had intervened.
The plot was straightforward but intriguing. Characters were believable, having their own personal or professional motivations. The book was well-written. I enjoyed the storytelling style, especially in regard to showing facets in the lives of the siblings in a more relevant order than strict chronology. I’d recommend this book to those who enjoy science fiction and suspense.
The Wolfe Experiment by R.W. Adams is a suspenseful tale of survival and psychic ability. Written in third person omniscient point of view, we’re shown an aggressive, corrupt world in which only those who have the most destructive weapons matter and decent people are merely tools for those who govern them. This corruption is made possible by those among the masses who support it and those who are indifferent to it, as well as those who individually choose to join corrupt forces for their own ends.
The Wolfes, a married couple doing scientific research into pharmaceuticals to treat bipolar in children, slide down that slippery slope of doing some evil to effect a greater good. However, this is merely what they tell themselves to be able to sleep at night. In truth, they are obsessed with completing their research and will do anything to see it to its fruition. When they cannot acquire young enough subjects for their trials, they experiment on their own children; Ethan from age three and Tilly from birth. However, they no longer seek to treat bipolar kids. Instead, they stumbled on a far more miraculous effect of the drugs they created and seek to perfect them. Tilly falls asleep on a car ride during which Ethan is supposed to keep her awake. Her power activates in her sleep, causing massive damage and killing their parents in a car accident. The siblings are moved around to various homes in the social services system. At each one, an incident occurs due to their psychic abilities, and their worker Sarah must find a new home for them. After a particular incident, the military decides it wants its ‘weapons’ back, as they are a product of their funding of their deceased parents’ research. A cat and mouse race ensues as the kids are on the streets and on the run from the military and its researchers.
This story is tragic. The novel jumps between different scenes in their lives until it reaches its inevitable conclusion. I couldn’t help but feel sadness and sympathy for these children and root for them to find a place where they would find love, security, happiness, and peace. At the same time, I recognized that innocents were being harmed each step of the way as they were forced to survive alone or fight against the aggressors. I often wondered how differently things may have been for them if enough people had known, had cared, and had intervened.
The plot was straightforward but intriguing. Characters were believable, having their own personal or professional motivations. The book was well-written. I enjoyed the storytelling style, especially in regard to showing facets in the lives of the siblings in a more relevant order than strict chronology. I’d recommend this book to those who enjoy science fiction and suspense.
January 13, 2018
Read this review and more on my blog at [Roxie Writes].
‘The Wolfe Experiment’ by R.W. Adams
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
Finished on January 10, 2018
GIVEN A FREE COPY IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW
FREE on Kindle Unlimited | $.99 on Kindle | $7.99 in Paperback
BOOK DESCRIPTION:
What if, as a child, you could move the world with your mind? Think of the possibilities. But what if you couldn’t control it, and buildings toppled in your sleep? Think of the consequences.
Ethan and Tilly Wolfe are special. They’re telekinetic, but it isn’t as awesome as it sounds. Their abilities put anyone and everyone in their lives in danger. No one is safe.
Ethan, the older sibling, is able to control his gift, but Tilly has no control at all. She’s young, emotional, traumatized, and able to move things with her mind -- all making for a human time bomb.
Pursued by the military, shunned by the authorities and running for their lives, this is the story of a medical experiment gone hideously wrong, and the lives of the two children trying to put it right.
MY REVIEW:
I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
‘The Wolfe Experiment’ is a wild ride! It’s emotionally charged, fast-paced, and full of action.
The Wolfe children are incredibly close. Nothing can come between them, and they’ll keep their secrets, always. Both “gifted” with the ability to move objects -- even the biggest, heaviest ones around -- with nothing more than a thought, they make an unstoppable pair.
But Tilly is dangerous. She cannot control her ability. It gets worse and more unpredictable in her sleep or when she is upset. And their life doesn’t allow for much of anything except stress.
The relationship between Tilly and Ethan is lovely. Ethan takes care of his sister, working as hard as he can to protect her both from those outside of themselves who want to hurt her and from herself.
But Ethan is only one boy. He’s still a kid himself who’s struggling to come to terms with their life and his own ability.
My heart broke for both of these kids throughout this book. They are both good -- so good -- but their ability has made them targets for the rest of the world. These two kids go through so much, but their relationship only grows stronger.
I especially loved the sort of power these two kids have. Telekinesis isn’t a new concept, but Adams has made it his own in Tilly and Ethan.
This is a perfect meld of thriller and science fiction. If you like one or the other, you should give this book a go!
‘The Wolfe Experiment’ by R.W. Adams
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
Finished on January 10, 2018
GIVEN A FREE COPY IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW
FREE on Kindle Unlimited | $.99 on Kindle | $7.99 in Paperback
BOOK DESCRIPTION:
What if, as a child, you could move the world with your mind? Think of the possibilities. But what if you couldn’t control it, and buildings toppled in your sleep? Think of the consequences.
Ethan and Tilly Wolfe are special. They’re telekinetic, but it isn’t as awesome as it sounds. Their abilities put anyone and everyone in their lives in danger. No one is safe.
Ethan, the older sibling, is able to control his gift, but Tilly has no control at all. She’s young, emotional, traumatized, and able to move things with her mind -- all making for a human time bomb.
Pursued by the military, shunned by the authorities and running for their lives, this is the story of a medical experiment gone hideously wrong, and the lives of the two children trying to put it right.
MY REVIEW:
I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
‘The Wolfe Experiment’ is a wild ride! It’s emotionally charged, fast-paced, and full of action.
The Wolfe children are incredibly close. Nothing can come between them, and they’ll keep their secrets, always. Both “gifted” with the ability to move objects -- even the biggest, heaviest ones around -- with nothing more than a thought, they make an unstoppable pair.
But Tilly is dangerous. She cannot control her ability. It gets worse and more unpredictable in her sleep or when she is upset. And their life doesn’t allow for much of anything except stress.
The relationship between Tilly and Ethan is lovely. Ethan takes care of his sister, working as hard as he can to protect her both from those outside of themselves who want to hurt her and from herself.
But Ethan is only one boy. He’s still a kid himself who’s struggling to come to terms with their life and his own ability.
My heart broke for both of these kids throughout this book. They are both good -- so good -- but their ability has made them targets for the rest of the world. These two kids go through so much, but their relationship only grows stronger.
I especially loved the sort of power these two kids have. Telekinesis isn’t a new concept, but Adams has made it his own in Tilly and Ethan.
This is a perfect meld of thriller and science fiction. If you like one or the other, you should give this book a go!
May 19, 2017
If you're looking for an adventure that doesn't stop, then the Wolfe Experiment is for you.
Siblings Tilly and Ethan know they're different. They've got powers no one else has. They made a pact not to tell anyone. Except people know. And that doesn't bode well for the two youngsters. Given their ages, things do go a bit better than expected. But not by much.
The opening is well done. It immediately engages the reader and plants pleasant images in their head. Then it's all downhill from there. The kids can't catch a break. Their struggle is an emotional one, but also a mysterious one. Nothing is as it seems as they try to survive and cure themselves. Readers find their hearts breaking the longer things go on.
Characterization was fantastic. The kids felt like kids. They acted like kids and reacted like kids should. Both felt very different, and they had their own branching storylines. Minor characters were alive and well, all important to advancing the plot. And oh, boy. The plot was a tightly knit one. It made sense. It progressed well and in a logical manner. My only complaint was that Ethan's situations got a little repetitive. So, for a while there, things got a little predictable. The situations themselves weren't, but the actions and resolutions were. In spite of that, I see how they served to further the plot and pull the curtains back on the mystery.
The writing style fit the narrative. It was fast-paced, almost constant action. During the brief interludes, exposition and background information wound up presented. The story eased us into getting to know the characters. There was a lot of information to take in, but it never felt overwhelming. Things came full circle by the end. And boy did it end with the biggest, most perfect cliffhanger. It leaves the readers feeling hungry for more. It's so frustrating, but in a good way. There's questions that need answers, but it doesn't leave the story incomplete. In fact, it sets thing up in a beautiful way for a sequel.
This was an awesome story from beginning to end. Well-crafted, thought out, and executed. The characters drove the story forward at all times. Not once did things feel convoluted or out of place. It was emotional. While predictable in some areas, it still managed to surprise and entertain. I can't wait to get my hands on the sequel. There's got to be a sequel...right?
Siblings Tilly and Ethan know they're different. They've got powers no one else has. They made a pact not to tell anyone. Except people know. And that doesn't bode well for the two youngsters. Given their ages, things do go a bit better than expected. But not by much.
The opening is well done. It immediately engages the reader and plants pleasant images in their head. Then it's all downhill from there. The kids can't catch a break. Their struggle is an emotional one, but also a mysterious one. Nothing is as it seems as they try to survive and cure themselves. Readers find their hearts breaking the longer things go on.
Characterization was fantastic. The kids felt like kids. They acted like kids and reacted like kids should. Both felt very different, and they had their own branching storylines. Minor characters were alive and well, all important to advancing the plot. And oh, boy. The plot was a tightly knit one. It made sense. It progressed well and in a logical manner. My only complaint was that Ethan's situations got a little repetitive. So, for a while there, things got a little predictable. The situations themselves weren't, but the actions and resolutions were. In spite of that, I see how they served to further the plot and pull the curtains back on the mystery.
The writing style fit the narrative. It was fast-paced, almost constant action. During the brief interludes, exposition and background information wound up presented. The story eased us into getting to know the characters. There was a lot of information to take in, but it never felt overwhelming. Things came full circle by the end. And boy did it end with the biggest, most perfect cliffhanger. It leaves the readers feeling hungry for more. It's so frustrating, but in a good way. There's questions that need answers, but it doesn't leave the story incomplete. In fact, it sets thing up in a beautiful way for a sequel.
This was an awesome story from beginning to end. Well-crafted, thought out, and executed. The characters drove the story forward at all times. Not once did things feel convoluted or out of place. It was emotional. While predictable in some areas, it still managed to surprise and entertain. I can't wait to get my hands on the sequel. There's got to be a sequel...right?
October 19, 2017
Ethan and his younger sister, Tilly, are orphaned after a traffic accident that kills their parents. They end up in the system, bouncing from foster home to secure home to foster home, trailed by a series of horrific incidents that have no logical connection to the two children. Their parents, both doctors, had been medicating them from an early age, and now, Ethan gradually realises that without whatever it was their parents had been giving them, Tilly is liable to bring the house down – literally – every time she falls asleep.
The Wolfe Experiment explores the world from various points in Ethan’s life and largely from Ethan’s viewpoint; hopping from his childhood with his parents through several foster homes to finally going on the run from the social system, the military, and the police with a sister in desperate need of expert care. The writing of the book is technically strong, which I always appreciate, but I found the story a little difficult for me to get into. Some of that may have been the hopping back and forth along Ethan’s timeline, which in places had me reflexively checking the date in the chapter header rather than staying immersed in the plot, and some of it was that Ethan felt like something of an empty vessel, by which I mean he was the main protagonist, but what the reader gets is a lot of dialogue, descriptions of events, and not a lot that actually fleshed Ethan out as a person for me. However, I have to give credit where credit is due on the plot twist; it’s well foreshadowed and handled.
Reviewed for By Rite of Word.
The Wolfe Experiment explores the world from various points in Ethan’s life and largely from Ethan’s viewpoint; hopping from his childhood with his parents through several foster homes to finally going on the run from the social system, the military, and the police with a sister in desperate need of expert care. The writing of the book is technically strong, which I always appreciate, but I found the story a little difficult for me to get into. Some of that may have been the hopping back and forth along Ethan’s timeline, which in places had me reflexively checking the date in the chapter header rather than staying immersed in the plot, and some of it was that Ethan felt like something of an empty vessel, by which I mean he was the main protagonist, but what the reader gets is a lot of dialogue, descriptions of events, and not a lot that actually fleshed Ethan out as a person for me. However, I have to give credit where credit is due on the plot twist; it’s well foreshadowed and handled.
Reviewed for By Rite of Word.
July 29, 2017
Telekinetic kids cause mayhem, are pursued by evil military.
As a result of their parents’ dodgy medical experiments, Tilly and Ethan Wolfe have powerful telekinetic abilities. Unfortunately, Tilly is not in control of her powers and tends to leave a trail of corpses and collapsed buildings behind her, especially when she gets upset. So while the reader naturally sympathises with the poor kids, one also feels some sympathy for the military types who want to lock them up. Although they also want to exploit them and cover up the secret experimental programme that created them.
Anyway, the result is a very engaging and readable thriller, though don’t expect a happy ending. It’s well written and well edited, with very few errors.
As a result of their parents’ dodgy medical experiments, Tilly and Ethan Wolfe have powerful telekinetic abilities. Unfortunately, Tilly is not in control of her powers and tends to leave a trail of corpses and collapsed buildings behind her, especially when she gets upset. So while the reader naturally sympathises with the poor kids, one also feels some sympathy for the military types who want to lock them up. Although they also want to exploit them and cover up the secret experimental programme that created them.
Anyway, the result is a very engaging and readable thriller, though don’t expect a happy ending. It’s well written and well edited, with very few errors.
September 24, 2017
(Actual rating: 4.5/5)
The Wolfe Experiment is an emotional rollercoaster packed meticulously in a science fiction thriller package. The balance between emotionally charged scenarios and action scenes made this novel an overall page-turner. If science fiction and thriller novel is something up your alley and you like an exhilarating book you don’t want to put down, give this one a try.
Read my full review at UndergroundBookReviews(dot)org!
The Wolfe Experiment is an emotional rollercoaster packed meticulously in a science fiction thriller package. The balance between emotionally charged scenarios and action scenes made this novel an overall page-turner. If science fiction and thriller novel is something up your alley and you like an exhilarating book you don’t want to put down, give this one a try.
Read my full review at UndergroundBookReviews(dot)org!
June 10, 2017
Very intriguing.
Tilly and Ethan grabbed my attention straight away.
The plot of this story was not what I expected, so was happily surprised.
Great for fans who love a good thriller.
Tilly and Ethan grabbed my attention straight away.
The plot of this story was not what I expected, so was happily surprised.
Great for fans who love a good thriller.
December 10, 2018
Goes down as another off my 2018 Bookworm Bingo Challenge – A mystery or thriller. Intriguing right from the start with the way the story leads you and how Ethan and Tilly cope, or in this case don’t cope, with the skills that are growing inside them. Good mix of present day and past events that slowly create the thriller ride you are being taken on.
Ethan’s parents always told him that he needed to protect his sister and above all else keep their secret safe. Ethan and his sister Tilly are special. They have gifts and think that their parents are trying to help find a cure for them but when they die in a car crash it stops there and they don’t know what way to turn. Ethan is older and seems to be able to control his gift but Tilly is so much younger and her emotions take over making it harder to control. Even more when she is asleep and nightmares take hold, which can end up causing accidents without meaning to. After becoming orphans they start to bounce around foster care, homes and back again. They never stay somewhere for long as events and accidents seem to arise around them. Their social worker Sarah seems to easily find a connection with them and they trust her but only to a point, not enough to tell their secret, well not yet anyway. With more incidents occurring closer together they seem to catch the attention of the people their parents were going to work for.
Their parents it seemed were doing experiments on children to help with curing bipolar. The same ones they appeared to be doing on their own children from a young age. This research was what the MoD wanted them to expand on. Seems there were side effects with some of the trials they had children take part in and they thought that these side effects might be able to be used as a weapon. With the telekinetic abilities that the Wolfe children start show, whether they are completely aware of them or not, they pose to be useful to the MoD. They need to be contained and looked into but with being children and in care it needs to be done legally, well to a point.
The main people after them when it becomes clear they have some telekinetic abilities are Dr. Lewis and his superior the Colonel. When the Wolfe children get taken to the facility the tests start and only get more frustrating. Dr. Lewis and his team want to see whether they have abilities, if the parents really did try the meds on them, but they don’t play ball. Seems they needed to push the right buttons to get the reaction they want but the moment its done Ethan knows he needs to get Tilly to safety away from them. They wanted a show of what these children could do and they sure get it when a hole gets blasted through a wall. Escape was the easy bit but surviving is another thing entirely.
Still such young ages living on the streets was never going to be easy. Friends are hard to come by and also dangerous to keep as their safety is always at the front of their minds. With triggers for incidents coming quicker with buildings moving in Tilly’s sleep the trackers close in faster. The Colonel wants the situation to be handled and quickly without a major incident taking place but it seems that the methods Dr. Lewis uses aren’t the best. With these children’s gifts emotions are key and if Tilly gets scared and starts to cry you kind of need to run in the opposite direction as fast as you can. Though with how strong she is even that might not help. Dangers are coming in from many angles and they don’t know which way to turn. The story comes full circle ending in the place it began but it seems they should have been more careful of what they say in front of Ethan. His trigger was always going to be Tilly, he was going to do anything to protect her and once he really tap’s into his gifts he’s the one they need to watch out for.
Kind of leaves the story on a bit of a cliff hanger as you are not 100% clear on what happens with the children. I mean you sort of know what awaits them but with Ethan’s gift on full charge you just don’t know what he would have been capable of. Also a bit of an open end with the epilogue with where the story might go from there and what they really think these children might be capable of. They want them as weapons but when so you have test subjects so young you can’t be sure you can control them. Emotions are key and this thriller puts you through a lot of them.
Good style of writing that hooks you from the start. Suspenseful and thriller ride you are taken on from the very start. The Wolfe children were created but only just coming to realize it. If the can control themselves they can live normal lives but with being seen as weapons they can’t run far without others on their tales. They need to stay one step ahead if they want to get out alive.
I received a copy of this book from the author for my honest review.
https://readingnook84.wordpress.com/2...
Ethan’s parents always told him that he needed to protect his sister and above all else keep their secret safe. Ethan and his sister Tilly are special. They have gifts and think that their parents are trying to help find a cure for them but when they die in a car crash it stops there and they don’t know what way to turn. Ethan is older and seems to be able to control his gift but Tilly is so much younger and her emotions take over making it harder to control. Even more when she is asleep and nightmares take hold, which can end up causing accidents without meaning to. After becoming orphans they start to bounce around foster care, homes and back again. They never stay somewhere for long as events and accidents seem to arise around them. Their social worker Sarah seems to easily find a connection with them and they trust her but only to a point, not enough to tell their secret, well not yet anyway. With more incidents occurring closer together they seem to catch the attention of the people their parents were going to work for.
Their parents it seemed were doing experiments on children to help with curing bipolar. The same ones they appeared to be doing on their own children from a young age. This research was what the MoD wanted them to expand on. Seems there were side effects with some of the trials they had children take part in and they thought that these side effects might be able to be used as a weapon. With the telekinetic abilities that the Wolfe children start show, whether they are completely aware of them or not, they pose to be useful to the MoD. They need to be contained and looked into but with being children and in care it needs to be done legally, well to a point.
The main people after them when it becomes clear they have some telekinetic abilities are Dr. Lewis and his superior the Colonel. When the Wolfe children get taken to the facility the tests start and only get more frustrating. Dr. Lewis and his team want to see whether they have abilities, if the parents really did try the meds on them, but they don’t play ball. Seems they needed to push the right buttons to get the reaction they want but the moment its done Ethan knows he needs to get Tilly to safety away from them. They wanted a show of what these children could do and they sure get it when a hole gets blasted through a wall. Escape was the easy bit but surviving is another thing entirely.
Still such young ages living on the streets was never going to be easy. Friends are hard to come by and also dangerous to keep as their safety is always at the front of their minds. With triggers for incidents coming quicker with buildings moving in Tilly’s sleep the trackers close in faster. The Colonel wants the situation to be handled and quickly without a major incident taking place but it seems that the methods Dr. Lewis uses aren’t the best. With these children’s gifts emotions are key and if Tilly gets scared and starts to cry you kind of need to run in the opposite direction as fast as you can. Though with how strong she is even that might not help. Dangers are coming in from many angles and they don’t know which way to turn. The story comes full circle ending in the place it began but it seems they should have been more careful of what they say in front of Ethan. His trigger was always going to be Tilly, he was going to do anything to protect her and once he really tap’s into his gifts he’s the one they need to watch out for.
Kind of leaves the story on a bit of a cliff hanger as you are not 100% clear on what happens with the children. I mean you sort of know what awaits them but with Ethan’s gift on full charge you just don’t know what he would have been capable of. Also a bit of an open end with the epilogue with where the story might go from there and what they really think these children might be capable of. They want them as weapons but when so you have test subjects so young you can’t be sure you can control them. Emotions are key and this thriller puts you through a lot of them.
Good style of writing that hooks you from the start. Suspenseful and thriller ride you are taken on from the very start. The Wolfe children were created but only just coming to realize it. If the can control themselves they can live normal lives but with being seen as weapons they can’t run far without others on their tales. They need to stay one step ahead if they want to get out alive.
I received a copy of this book from the author for my honest review.
https://readingnook84.wordpress.com/2...
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