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Reborn #1
Renee
A captivating sci-fi novel of one woman's battle to survive against all odds.
“TOTALLY UNEXPECTED AND BLEW MY MIND… TOUCHED ME IN WAYS FEW BOOKS HAVE.” – Goodreads Reviewer
“GRABBED ME FROM THE VERY BEGINNING AND DID NOT LET GO.” – Goodreads Reviewer
“AN ENGROSSING TIME TRAVEL TALE.” – Goodreads Reviewer
“A FANTASTIC WORK OF SCIENCE FICTION... A CAPTIVATING STORY LINE.” – Goodreads Reviewer
On a brisk fall morning while out for a jog, Renee blacks out and disappears without a trace. One millennium in the future, a team of scientists stare in horror at the bloodied corpse that materializes in their lab. Breaking the trance, an assistant darts forward to scan the body's oxygen levels. "It's alive!" she yells desperately. Stunned by their discovery, the team fights to keep her alive. Yet their fragile guest begins to awaken genetic memories they had long forgotten, setting in motion an unstoppable chain of events.
“TOTALLY UNEXPECTED AND BLEW MY MIND… TOUCHED ME IN WAYS FEW BOOKS HAVE.” – Goodreads Reviewer
“GRABBED ME FROM THE VERY BEGINNING AND DID NOT LET GO.” – Goodreads Reviewer
“AN ENGROSSING TIME TRAVEL TALE.” – Goodreads Reviewer
“A FANTASTIC WORK OF SCIENCE FICTION... A CAPTIVATING STORY LINE.” – Goodreads Reviewer
On a brisk fall morning while out for a jog, Renee blacks out and disappears without a trace. One millennium in the future, a team of scientists stare in horror at the bloodied corpse that materializes in their lab. Breaking the trance, an assistant darts forward to scan the body's oxygen levels. "It's alive!" she yells desperately. Stunned by their discovery, the team fights to keep her alive. Yet their fragile guest begins to awaken genetic memories they had long forgotten, setting in motion an unstoppable chain of events.
323 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 5, 2017
7 people are currently reading
1913 people want to read
About the author
Jessica Eise
8 books50 followersJessica Eise, PhD, is a social scientist, writer and public speaker who specializes in strategic communication. Her primary areas of expertise include climate change, food security, agriculture and mitigation of global chronic stressors. Jessica’s work has appeared in scholarly articles as well as popular press publications, including CNBC, Salon, MarketWatch and Thomson Reuters Foundation News, amongst others. Her books include How to Feed the World (Island Press, 2018), The Communication Scarcity in Agriculture (Routledge, 2017) and other works. Jessica has a master’s in Journalism and International Relations from New York University and formerly worked in international media production, new media and strategic communication.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
March 25, 2018
This is a very rounded up 3. More like 2.4. The ideas were really good, there was pretty good world building. But there was a TON of telling instead of showing. This feels like a really good first draft. If she had added some material of seeing what the 3034 society was like, when it was actually functioning like they all said it did, instead of every single character acting contrary to what was supposedly accepted as how society behaved. Seriously every character that had a name, kept saying how what they were doing was so out of character for their society and so against their social norms. Well, since we didn't see any actual character (with a name) acting according to the norms, they can't really be very strong norms, can they? This book, redone to show their society enough that it means something when the main characters all ditch it, would have been powerful and exciting. This almost feels like the second book in the series, where they all rebel, except we didn't get the first book where it showed (not just told us) what they were rebelling against.
November 6, 2017
I've never written a review before; but this book was causing a buzz in my local community and so I decided to check it out -- and I'm glad I did.
So now I'm writing a review because it is a fun must-read for all my friends now.
Honestly, I was concerned about reading it because I am not usually drawn to science fiction, but this was so well-written, I barely even thought it was fiction, much less science fiction.
I was swept into a whole other dimension.
While I believe "Renee" should be made into a movie -- and soon!, I don't think anyone should see a visual rendition of "Renee" without having read it first -- for the subtlety of thought and perception.
It's one of those books you get to read every few years where you think, "THIS is worth slogging through all those other books that weren't so great..."
It's tight, it's consistent, it's imaginative, and it has all the elements of a great story! A real page turner.
So now I'm writing a review because it is a fun must-read for all my friends now.
Honestly, I was concerned about reading it because I am not usually drawn to science fiction, but this was so well-written, I barely even thought it was fiction, much less science fiction.
I was swept into a whole other dimension.
While I believe "Renee" should be made into a movie -- and soon!, I don't think anyone should see a visual rendition of "Renee" without having read it first -- for the subtlety of thought and perception.
It's one of those books you get to read every few years where you think, "THIS is worth slogging through all those other books that weren't so great..."
It's tight, it's consistent, it's imaginative, and it has all the elements of a great story! A real page turner.
October 29, 2017
This book is reams better than I had anticipated. I had expected a fairly standard sci-fi story but this was much more involved and interesting than that. Entwined in the plot was a lot of social messaging regarding maintaining societal harmony, genetic traits determining one's destiny and undisputed hierarchical authority. This was all wrapped in an engrossing time travel tale populated with an extremely interesting cast of characters. I can only hope that that there is a next book so we can follow 'the team' as they adapt to Continent 7.
I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway for this honest review.
I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway for this honest review.
February 12, 2018
What a fantastic work of science fiction! I loved this and am really hoping Ms. Eise will be turning this into a series (it was a bit of a cliffhanger, so I’m guessing so?!?). Fingers crossed as I really want to know what happens with Renee and the crew.
A young woman-Renee - is yanked forward in time via a faulty experiment by a grouping of experimental science over 1,000 years in the future. Her arrival changes the lives of several people she encounters.
A creative and interesting view of humanity’s future, and a captivating story line. Would definitely recommend to fellow sci-fi fans.
I received this book for free through Goodreads Giveaways. My opinions are my own.
A young woman-Renee - is yanked forward in time via a faulty experiment by a grouping of experimental science over 1,000 years in the future. Her arrival changes the lives of several people she encounters.
A creative and interesting view of humanity’s future, and a captivating story line. Would definitely recommend to fellow sci-fi fans.
I received this book for free through Goodreads Giveaways. My opinions are my own.
April 6, 2018
This genre is out of my usually reading realm but I thought I would try and am very pleased that I did! Renee is a book for adults and young adults. I love the intelligence used in the writing. How the characters are so individual yet they are a perfect team. I am obviously not a writer so please bare with me in this review. So many books in the last few months have been good but this one held me. Can not wait for the next one!
April 12, 2018
I couldn't put this book down! Instantly, I was into this story. I am really hoping for more from Ms. Jessica Eise!
July 6, 2019
I loved this book! I need to buy book 2 and start ASAP. This drew me in very quickly and kept my interest. I loved the concept and the characters.
September 24, 2017
After the first chapter, I wasn't able to put it down. The future Earth society is richly detailed, especially the characters' psyches and biology. As a reader, I bonded with these people who seemed so much like me, yet so alien. The story presents dilemmas and dangers that kept me turning the pages.
Character development, plot-line, and overall writing are very good. The futuristic detail is very consistent. Like all good science fiction, this book made me think about the future, particularly how society and our planet's conditions can push human evolution. A great read!
Character development, plot-line, and overall writing are very good. The futuristic detail is very consistent. Like all good science fiction, this book made me think about the future, particularly how society and our planet's conditions can push human evolution. A great read!
July 31, 2018
Loved it! Fast moving. Love the sci-fi/futuristic setting but a plot that is relevant to current events.
Other than that, I too noticed a few spelling errors and a handful of mistaking rotations for orbits and vice versa. Other than those very minor errors, the writing and the story are captivating!
Other than that, I too noticed a few spelling errors and a handful of mistaking rotations for orbits and vice versa. Other than those very minor errors, the writing and the story are captivating!
February 2, 2018
I received this kindle book through a giveaway featured on Goodreads in exchange for my honest review.
I am going to be honest. I did NOT expect this book to be what it was about! Reading the blurb/description, I knew a bit of what I was in for but it was so much more than what I thought I was in for. This book really grabbed me from the very beginning and did not let go. I had trouble sleeping one night and had already started the book. In the middle of the night I started reading again and did not stop until I finished the entire thing. Definitely recommend!
Just a few cons though: some mistakes here and there in spelling and I think there were a few instances where the author meant to use the word 'rotations' for days and instead used 'orbits'? I'm uncertain if I may have read that incorrectly but because of it, I would continuously stop reading to question the word which would throw me out of the story itself for a few seconds. Also, I felt that the ending was a bit abrupt; I wanted to read more about the continent and what it was like there. But that's just my personal wish so take it or leave it!
Also, someone (another reader) mentioned making a movie out of this? I would watch that in a heartbeat!!
All in all, great story, fast-moving, didn't let up and I loved it! Thank you for an awesome read!
I am going to be honest. I did NOT expect this book to be what it was about! Reading the blurb/description, I knew a bit of what I was in for but it was so much more than what I thought I was in for. This book really grabbed me from the very beginning and did not let go. I had trouble sleeping one night and had already started the book. In the middle of the night I started reading again and did not stop until I finished the entire thing. Definitely recommend!
Just a few cons though: some mistakes here and there in spelling and I think there were a few instances where the author meant to use the word 'rotations' for days and instead used 'orbits'? I'm uncertain if I may have read that incorrectly but because of it, I would continuously stop reading to question the word which would throw me out of the story itself for a few seconds. Also, I felt that the ending was a bit abrupt; I wanted to read more about the continent and what it was like there. But that's just my personal wish so take it or leave it!
Also, someone (another reader) mentioned making a movie out of this? I would watch that in a heartbeat!!
All in all, great story, fast-moving, didn't let up and I loved it! Thank you for an awesome read!
August 26, 2020
I received this book in a Goodreads Give-Away and am posting an honest review.
Oh my gosh.....
What can I say?
It has been a very long time since a book has pulled me in as quickly as this one did. I could not put it down and had to know what is next.
If you like fiction with some sci-fi and time travel, this is totally worth reading.
I am hooked and had to buy the sequel as soon as I finished the first book.
I'm only sad that there isn't a third book waiting after the second one.
I would really love to see this turned into a movie. Seeing the characters come to life would be incredible.
Oh my gosh.....
What can I say?
It has been a very long time since a book has pulled me in as quickly as this one did. I could not put it down and had to know what is next.
If you like fiction with some sci-fi and time travel, this is totally worth reading.
I am hooked and had to buy the sequel as soon as I finished the first book.
I'm only sad that there isn't a third book waiting after the second one.
I would really love to see this turned into a movie. Seeing the characters come to life would be incredible.
December 28, 2021
This was a nice surprise. Hard scifi is one of my favorite genres, and I was glad the focus here was on culture and sociology and psychology, with no focus on weapons and tech. It reminded me a little of The Color of Distance by Amy Thomson in that it was about learning about another culture. There are of course many other such novels, but I read that one recently.
I like the author's imagination. She did a really nice job of portraying the characters and settings. I can bored and switch between books, but I stayed with this one. It would make an interesting film. Recommended (except for the cliffhanger ending).
I like the author's imagination. She did a really nice job of portraying the characters and settings. I can bored and switch between books, but I stayed with this one. It would make an interesting film. Recommended (except for the cliffhanger ending).
February 28, 2018
Sci-Fi Read
I won this book through a Goodreads Giveaway. Although this is not the typical type of book that I read, I found myself enjoying the story and becoming invested in the characters. About halfway through the book, I guessed what was going to happen which caused me to lose a little interest. The pace really picked up at that point. The ending was disappointing as it was abrupt and a cliffhanger. This is what caused me to give 2 starts instead of 3. Is there another book to continue the story?
I won this book through a Goodreads Giveaway. Although this is not the typical type of book that I read, I found myself enjoying the story and becoming invested in the characters. About halfway through the book, I guessed what was going to happen which caused me to lose a little interest. The pace really picked up at that point. The ending was disappointing as it was abrupt and a cliffhanger. This is what caused me to give 2 starts instead of 3. Is there another book to continue the story?
March 29, 2018
I received this book from a Goodreads giveaway. The book starts off strong. You understand the future immediately even if the characters are a little less fleshed out. Renee was fine, nothing about her stood out in the beginning. Once she got to the future and interacted with the other characters she came much more into her own. I found the premise more intriguing than the actual story. I feel like this should have ether been a short short or it needed to be longer. The end felt very rushed. I was taken enough by the writing that I would be interested to read more by this author.
June 24, 2019
One morning Renee leaves for a jog and never returns. In the future a group of scientists find a corpse and are confused but try to revive it. If you are a sci fi fan you will really enjoy this book. I don't want to give too much away so you will have to read Renee to find out what transpires. I want to thank Good Reads for the opportunity of receiving an advanced copy of this book. I have already passed this on to a friend.
March 24, 2021
I’m not a big sci fi reader, but I was interested by the plot. Overall, I liked a lot about the book. I thought Renee was a decent narrator and interesting.
Didn’t expect a super weird sex scene and an awkward pregnancy. 🤷🏻♀️
It ends on a cliff hanger. I will likely pick up the sequel at some point, but I’m also not dying to know what happens next.
I received a copy of this book from a Goodreads giveaway.
Didn’t expect a super weird sex scene and an awkward pregnancy. 🤷🏻♀️
It ends on a cliff hanger. I will likely pick up the sequel at some point, but I’m also not dying to know what happens next.
I received a copy of this book from a Goodreads giveaway.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 26, 2017
I received a copy of this book through Goodreads Giveaway.
I have to be honest, I was unsure about this book. The plot line sounded awesome, but I've read enough indie works to know that there are usually editing issues, in both plot and grammar. It took all of two pages of Renee to allay my fears.
This book is truly reminiscent of one of my favorites, Left Hand of Darkness, but I think it is actually more accessible as social commentary because of the incredibly real titular character. Remaining (normal) human throughout, Renee actually reacted to her environment the way a real person would. She experienced sheer panic after discovering she was 1,000 years in the future. She laughed awkwardly in serious situations. She despaired and she adjusted and she stayed true to herself. It wasn't until meeting Renee that I realized how little I connect with the majority of heroines in fantasy and science fiction literature. They're always kickass, clever, take charge super-women. Don't get me wrong, I love a sassy female lead who can punch a man in the throat, but that isn't the only kind of strong and that also isn't me. Renee was strong AND she was a real person with insecurities and emotions. She wasn't the stereotypical survivor, but she still adapted and survived. I really appreciate the Jessica Eise wrote about "normal" woman who found internal strength.
Because this book was so heavy (in a good way) on character growth and social commentary, the world building came second, which definitely made some of the plot difficult to follow. This is where heavier editing would have been helpful (there was a lot of conversation that was virtually repeated multiple times, plot lines that could be adjusted, and small mistakes like home vs hone and incorrect names). I think that if this book was picked up by a publishing company and was given its due attention and advertisement, it would be hugely successful.
Side note: as an evolutionary biologist, 1000 years is not nearly enough time for humans to have become noticeably physiologically different from current humans, even with the described events that caused a genetic bottleneck. And from a historical perspective, we have knowledge about culture and customs (or at least we think we do) of civilizations that died out thousands of years ago, so humans a millennium from now should not be completely unaware of modern human life. I cringed every time the thousand year gap was mentioned, but, since I really enjoyed this book, I just pretended that it was 100,000+ years in the future.
I have to be honest, I was unsure about this book. The plot line sounded awesome, but I've read enough indie works to know that there are usually editing issues, in both plot and grammar. It took all of two pages of Renee to allay my fears.
This book is truly reminiscent of one of my favorites, Left Hand of Darkness, but I think it is actually more accessible as social commentary because of the incredibly real titular character. Remaining (normal) human throughout, Renee actually reacted to her environment the way a real person would. She experienced sheer panic after discovering she was 1,000 years in the future. She laughed awkwardly in serious situations. She despaired and she adjusted and she stayed true to herself. It wasn't until meeting Renee that I realized how little I connect with the majority of heroines in fantasy and science fiction literature. They're always kickass, clever, take charge super-women. Don't get me wrong, I love a sassy female lead who can punch a man in the throat, but that isn't the only kind of strong and that also isn't me. Renee was strong AND she was a real person with insecurities and emotions. She wasn't the stereotypical survivor, but she still adapted and survived. I really appreciate the Jessica Eise wrote about "normal" woman who found internal strength.
Because this book was so heavy (in a good way) on character growth and social commentary, the world building came second, which definitely made some of the plot difficult to follow. This is where heavier editing would have been helpful (there was a lot of conversation that was virtually repeated multiple times, plot lines that could be adjusted, and small mistakes like home vs hone and incorrect names). I think that if this book was picked up by a publishing company and was given its due attention and advertisement, it would be hugely successful.
Side note: as an evolutionary biologist, 1000 years is not nearly enough time for humans to have become noticeably physiologically different from current humans, even with the described events that caused a genetic bottleneck. And from a historical perspective, we have knowledge about culture and customs (or at least we think we do) of civilizations that died out thousands of years ago, so humans a millennium from now should not be completely unaware of modern human life. I cringed every time the thousand year gap was mentioned, but, since I really enjoyed this book, I just pretended that it was 100,000+ years in the future.
June 29, 2018
I liked the premise and it carried a lot of interesting ideas about the future of the human race. I also appreciate the shots at PhD life in Indiana. Carried the MHC idea a bit far though. Her clear rational scientist adults acted a lot like hormonal teenagers. Which might have been the point, still, I read it in a single day so that’s a thing.
May 20, 2019
This was a great book. The book is intriguing at first and I wasn't sure if it was going in a direction I liked. It turned out to be a really great book and I can't wait to read the next one as soon as I get my hands on it. Easy and quick read. I did absolutely love the almost cliche romance in the middle of it.
October 10, 2017
I enjoyed this book very much. I'm not sure that a sequel would be a great idea. The story was great and the writing quite good, so maybe she could pull it off;though the ending leaves it up to us to imagine....which can be a really good thing in this case. Only my humble opinion.
February 26, 2018
An entertaining time-traveling space drama that looks at the themes of fitting in, dystopian future, and humanity. Action and sci-fi combined with a study of society and what makes us human. Light, easy read but still page turning. Enjoyable!
July 20, 2018
Renee was an enjoyable story from start to finish and I was left anxiously waiting for the next part of the story. The character development and dialog was engaging and the underlying premise provided an interesting world in which the story developed. I definitely recommend this book.
July 21, 2018
Great book by a Purdue grad. Storyline keeps you interested and it is a quick moving read. I can't wait for the next book in this series. Many avenues for Mone before and after books. I continue to follow Jessica's writing. Glad I found here at the comic Con in Indy.
June 4, 2019
It was outstanding and amazing! I’m usually not huge on science fiction novels, but this one blew me out of the water! From start to finish, I was completely enthralled by the complex plot and believable characters! A classic science fiction novel in the making! A must read!!
June 24, 2019
Renee was a unique read, unlike any other book I've read. While I cant say it's a 'OMG you have to read this', I can honestly say I couldn't wait to pick up the book each night... and I want to read the next book to see what happens with the characters.
June 25, 2019
A fantastic scifi story to end all scifi stories A.wpman frpm the 21st vemtiru os mistakenly drawn onto the 31st cemtury. The teactipms of himams from the 41sy centiry.teally are the story. This os pne pf the nest scifi stories I have ever trad. Now I want tp tead tje rest of the series
April 3, 2018
A bit slow at the beginning, but it drew me in. A good read!
Well done, a sci-fi dystopia. A few typos, but a driving plot. I recommend it to anyone looking for something new.
Well done, a sci-fi dystopia. A few typos, but a driving plot. I recommend it to anyone looking for something new.
July 13, 2018
I was blown away by this book - amazing sci-fi read ! Can’t wait to read the sequel this fall!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 25, 2019
Absolutely loved it! Great story line, great story telling. I will be looking for the sequel.
Thanks for a wonderful read, Jessica!
Thanks for a wonderful read, Jessica!
August 2, 2019
3.5 stars
Slow start. I had trouble connecting with Renee. But the book picked up in the second half and I couldn’t put it down.
Slow start. I had trouble connecting with Renee. But the book picked up in the second half and I couldn’t put it down.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews