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Subterranean Series #1
Sunscorched
Death in daylight. Danger at dark.
Life can't possibly get more treacherous than a violent sun allergy in a solar-blighted world. At least that's what seventeen-year-old Nori Chisholm thought before news of an impending sunscorch delivered her death sentence.
Desperate to survive the scorch, she's forced to shelter underground and discovers a secret subterranean world where life is hard, and so are the people. Betrayed and left for dead by the man who pledged to help her, Nori is sold to a gritty pit fighting ring. There she makes a friend--and plenty of enemies.
Speeding by motorcycle through the underground world, Nori makes a shocking discovery that shatters everything she thought she knew. Can she use the knowledge to save what's left of the world?
Winner of the Rosemary Award for excellence in young adult fiction, Sunscorched is a tale of survival and self-discovery at breakneck speed. Fans of Bella Forrest and Marie Lu, who crave dangerous heroes and dark secrets, will love the Sunscorched world.
Life can't possibly get more treacherous than a violent sun allergy in a solar-blighted world. At least that's what seventeen-year-old Nori Chisholm thought before news of an impending sunscorch delivered her death sentence.
Desperate to survive the scorch, she's forced to shelter underground and discovers a secret subterranean world where life is hard, and so are the people. Betrayed and left for dead by the man who pledged to help her, Nori is sold to a gritty pit fighting ring. There she makes a friend--and plenty of enemies.
Speeding by motorcycle through the underground world, Nori makes a shocking discovery that shatters everything she thought she knew. Can she use the knowledge to save what's left of the world?
Winner of the Rosemary Award for excellence in young adult fiction, Sunscorched is a tale of survival and self-discovery at breakneck speed. Fans of Bella Forrest and Marie Lu, who crave dangerous heroes and dark secrets, will love the Sunscorched world.
344 pages, Paperback
First published October 23, 2018
16 people are currently reading
206 people want to read
About the author
Jen Crane
7 books176 followersJen Crane has published six novels, including Sunscorched, winner of the Rosemary Award for excellence in young adult fiction, and Rare Form, an Amazon #1 Bestseller.
Raised on a working cattle ranch, Jen grew up around open skies and untamed beauty. Storytelling came naturally. She writes with equal parts heart and grit, blending the wildness of nature with the wonder of the unknown.
Jen has a master’s degree and spent years in government and nonprofit work before deciding life was far too real for nonfiction. Now she creates immersive worlds and unforgettable characters where anything is possible.
She lives in the South with her family and too many pets.
Connect with Jen on any social media
@JenCraneBooks
Sign up to receive sneak peeks, news, and giveaways at bit.ly/Jen_Crane_Newsletter
Raised on a working cattle ranch, Jen grew up around open skies and untamed beauty. Storytelling came naturally. She writes with equal parts heart and grit, blending the wildness of nature with the wonder of the unknown.
Jen has a master’s degree and spent years in government and nonprofit work before deciding life was far too real for nonfiction. Now she creates immersive worlds and unforgettable characters where anything is possible.
She lives in the South with her family and too many pets.
Connect with Jen on any social media
@JenCraneBooks
Sign up to receive sneak peeks, news, and giveaways at bit.ly/Jen_Crane_Newsletter
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
November 4, 2018
I found Sunscorched to be a really interesting read with plenty to catch and retain my attention.
A new author for me but one I would be happy to read again.
This is essentially a clean Dystopian YA Read with elements of suspense and a smidgen of romance.
On a whole, this is more of a suspensful read than a romantic one though.
Told mainly from a teenage Nori's POV with a couple of sidesteps this is a story that keeps you on your toes throughout.
Set in a future of frightening possibilities this is one tale that you could easily see occurring.
Fantastic world building and told with such imagination Sunscorched is a story that captured and held my attention so easily.
To think of a whole hidden subterranean belowground was mind binding to behold and the author has managed to bring this scenario to life so splendidly describing this with such a vivid accuracy that it was ever so easy to imagine.
This is one story that I am happy to give a thumbs up to really enjoyed myself with this.
I voluntary reviewed an Arc of Sunscorched, A Post-Apocalyptic Thriller (Subterranean Series, Book 1)
All opinions expressed are entirely my own.
Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
www.beckiebookworm.com
October 5, 2018
OMG what a horrible and beautiful world you have brought to us...I absolutely love Nori and I can not wait for her story to unfold. Grant and Kade may by far be my next favorite but Oh My Cooper ah Cooper you stole my heart and I believe you to be a white knight in shining armor.
October 30, 2018
Sunscorched is an intense and gripping dystopian thriller novel that had me glued to my e-reader and reading fervently till the very end.
The plot wasn't confirming to a general cliche that many dystopian novels seem too get sucked into but was pretty interesting and gripping with it's own plot twists that got me almost every time.
Sunscorched has a powerful narrator in the form of 17 year old Nori Chrisholm who starts off as a determined but scared and feeble character but evolves into a strong and clever fighter whom you don't want to mess with. But I liked the fact that this doesn't mean the author completely erases the softer sides of Nori to portray a fighter - she is complete in her own way.
Read the full review on my blog here ---->https://itsnotjustfiction.wordpress.c...
The plot wasn't confirming to a general cliche that many dystopian novels seem too get sucked into but was pretty interesting and gripping with it's own plot twists that got me almost every time.
Sunscorched has a powerful narrator in the form of 17 year old Nori Chrisholm who starts off as a determined but scared and feeble character but evolves into a strong and clever fighter whom you don't want to mess with. But I liked the fact that this doesn't mean the author completely erases the softer sides of Nori to portray a fighter - she is complete in her own way.
Read the full review on my blog here ---->https://itsnotjustfiction.wordpress.c...
October 14, 2018
I really enjoyed reading this book. Nori is cursed with a very real allergy to the sun...if she ventures outdoors in daylight, she dies; she only goes out to enjoy a few hours of dark before the sun rises again. When news of another sunscorch hits the town, she is entrusted into the care (or lack thereof) of an individual that they think can get her to a safe location before the danger strikes, but her story is just unfolding in this book. I would recommend this story to fans of urban fantasy and dystopian style novels.
October 21, 2018
Loved this book. The story kept me guessing and shocked me a couple of times. Can't wait for the next one!
November 4, 2018
Y'all know I love dystopian novels and this ain't no disappointment. Actually you know what, dystopian fiction can never go wrong with me :).
This starts off with the main character with a special ability to see clearly in dark but can't really feel sunlight or even under sunlight at all after the first ever sunscorch. As Nori definitely cannot survive another sunscorch with her special condition, her parents decide to let her go underground for a while till the sunscorch is over.
I love Nori and Kade's platonic friendship, at first I ship them both but after discovering that he's gay the ship sinked. So my current ship is Nori and Connor ( please let the ship sail) Even most dystopian fiction plot is similar this novel's ploy is unique. NOT to mention the major plot twist at the end. I definitely need the second book as soon as it is released.
IT DOES NOT DISAPPOINT HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!!!!!
This starts off with the main character with a special ability to see clearly in dark but can't really feel sunlight or even under sunlight at all after the first ever sunscorch. As Nori definitely cannot survive another sunscorch with her special condition, her parents decide to let her go underground for a while till the sunscorch is over.
I love Nori and Kade's platonic friendship, at first I ship them both but after discovering that he's gay the ship sinked. So my current ship is Nori and Connor ( please let the ship sail) Even most dystopian fiction plot is similar this novel's ploy is unique. NOT to mention the major plot twist at the end. I definitely need the second book as soon as it is released.
IT DOES NOT DISAPPOINT HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!!!!!
October 24, 2018
I was excited to dive into this story because I wanted to see how Crane developed the world and what she did with it, I wasn't let down.
We dive right in from page one, getting to know Nori, her struggles and seeing the state of the world she lives in. But things are about to get worse for Nori, because in an effort to save her - her parents unknowingly send her into a different world - one that is even harsher than what she left but one where she faces different obstacles. As she's told more than once in this new world - Trust no One. Once introduced to Cooper - I had to wonder what his story was and who he would really turn out to be, friend or foe.
Crane delivers a thrilling ride within the pages of Sunscorched, one filled with intriguing characters a world that is harsh and scary, but also makes you wonder what if, and a storyline that will have you asking questions, holding your breath, and digging deeper with each flip of the page.
If you are looking for a new dysotpian read with its own unique twists and turns. If you want a story that will have you questioning lots and send theories spinning in your brain, dive into this Subterranean world and find yourself lost with Nori and Cooper.
We dive right in from page one, getting to know Nori, her struggles and seeing the state of the world she lives in. But things are about to get worse for Nori, because in an effort to save her - her parents unknowingly send her into a different world - one that is even harsher than what she left but one where she faces different obstacles. As she's told more than once in this new world - Trust no One. Once introduced to Cooper - I had to wonder what his story was and who he would really turn out to be, friend or foe.
Crane delivers a thrilling ride within the pages of Sunscorched, one filled with intriguing characters a world that is harsh and scary, but also makes you wonder what if, and a storyline that will have you asking questions, holding your breath, and digging deeper with each flip of the page.
If you are looking for a new dysotpian read with its own unique twists and turns. If you want a story that will have you questioning lots and send theories spinning in your brain, dive into this Subterranean world and find yourself lost with Nori and Cooper.
October 23, 2018
In Sunscorched, unique dystopian scifi series opener by Jen Crane, Nori is a teen who has a strange condition that keeps her housebound most of the time.
The book opens a twelve years after the Scorch, an event where the sun’s effects suddenly became intense. Billions of people died during the Scorch, and since then Nori has become very sensitive to sunlight, resulting in burns and pain at the slightest hint of the sun’s rays.
Nori’s only escape are her nightly runs. During the hour or two of darkness, she can get outside her house and escape the watchful eyes of her parents for a little while. But even this is becoming a problem. Another scorch is predicted and Nori won’t survive even in her special basement bunker. Her only possible escape is in one of the communities rumored to exist underground, if her parents can find a way to get her there.
I very much enjoyed this book, the world building is complex and has a lot of depth. Characters are relatable even though the situation is strange. As Nori strikes out on her own to find safety in a hostile situation, she grows and finds much about herself and the world. She makes allies who have their own mysterious past histories. Good dystopian fiction makes us think about what people will do to survive, the good and the bad, and this book does not disappoint.
The book opens a twelve years after the Scorch, an event where the sun’s effects suddenly became intense. Billions of people died during the Scorch, and since then Nori has become very sensitive to sunlight, resulting in burns and pain at the slightest hint of the sun’s rays.
Nori’s only escape are her nightly runs. During the hour or two of darkness, she can get outside her house and escape the watchful eyes of her parents for a little while. But even this is becoming a problem. Another scorch is predicted and Nori won’t survive even in her special basement bunker. Her only possible escape is in one of the communities rumored to exist underground, if her parents can find a way to get her there.
I very much enjoyed this book, the world building is complex and has a lot of depth. Characters are relatable even though the situation is strange. As Nori strikes out on her own to find safety in a hostile situation, she grows and finds much about herself and the world. She makes allies who have their own mysterious past histories. Good dystopian fiction makes us think about what people will do to survive, the good and the bad, and this book does not disappoint.
October 21, 2018
Great read. Really enjoyed it and cannot wait to read the next one!
October 25, 2018
Wow! What has happened to the Earth as we know it? A sunscorch has changed everything. The Earth's tilt, the amount of daylight vs darkness, and for Nori... how to survive it all with a deadly allergy to the sun. I was immediately intrigued within the first few pages. Jen Crane did a great job at juuuust giving me enough to spark my curiousity that later, fueled my desire to learn more. So much so, I can't wait for the next one! Go ahead and read it. you'll THINK you've figured everything out until you're fed the truth and left picking up your jaw from the floor! My favorite kind of read.
November 5, 2018
Nori is stuck between her protected childhood with her loving parents and wanting to go out, live her life and survive The Scorch! The book follows her treacherous journey both above and below ground - meeting people, trusting people, taking risks and learning from her mistakes. The author does a great job of giving us characters to love AND hate. Lovers of fantasy and sci-fi will be hooked!
October 25, 2018
I enjoyed the storyline and the characters. She has lived such a restricted life and goes on quite an adventure. I liked Nori and her determination. It is a well written story that offers a good reading experience.
I am voluntarily reviewing a copy I received.
I am voluntarily reviewing a copy I received.
October 31, 2018
Seventeen-year-old Nori Chisholm can’t go out in the daytime as she is allergic to the sun. If she is caught out in the daylight she will burn to death. No she is not a vampire; no she is just a normal girl who has to live in the dark. Nori likes to run but can only go out at night if she wants to live and she only has a few hours of dark so she has to make her journeys short and sweet. The dark may keep Nori alive but there are things in the dark that can cause her harm like other humans that are out for their selves only.
Nori and her family get word of a sunscorch on its way that will be the end of Nori’s life. Nori is forced to take cover underground until the sunscorch is over. Nori finds a whole new world underground that she had no idea exists. Nori and her parents thinks she will be safe with the guy they hire to show her where to go and show her around but when they get underground he abandons her. The people who find her sells her to this guy who takes humans as slave and fights them.
Nori meets this big guy who takes a liking to her and helps to protect her from others who may harm her. I fell in love with Kade from the beginning and was hoping that Nori and Kade would be a couple but Kade already has someone special in his life. But never fear Kade is not the only dude that Nori meets. Nori has more people on her side than she ever knew. There are more people out there with good hearts than she ever thought possible.
While underground secrets start to unfold and Nori starts to see the truth behind what makes their world the way it is and that danger for everyone above is in imminent danger and that things are not as they seem. Nori and her new friends are racing against the clock to make it above ground to save the people.
I love stories like Sunscorched and the worlds they live in like the post-apocalyptic. The world that was created for Sunscorched was unlike any I have read before and I can’t wait to see what the author has in store for the next book.
I would highly recommend Sunscorched to all fans of the post-apocalyptic worlds and thrillers as well.
Nori and her family get word of a sunscorch on its way that will be the end of Nori’s life. Nori is forced to take cover underground until the sunscorch is over. Nori finds a whole new world underground that she had no idea exists. Nori and her parents thinks she will be safe with the guy they hire to show her where to go and show her around but when they get underground he abandons her. The people who find her sells her to this guy who takes humans as slave and fights them.
Nori meets this big guy who takes a liking to her and helps to protect her from others who may harm her. I fell in love with Kade from the beginning and was hoping that Nori and Kade would be a couple but Kade already has someone special in his life. But never fear Kade is not the only dude that Nori meets. Nori has more people on her side than she ever knew. There are more people out there with good hearts than she ever thought possible.
While underground secrets start to unfold and Nori starts to see the truth behind what makes their world the way it is and that danger for everyone above is in imminent danger and that things are not as they seem. Nori and her new friends are racing against the clock to make it above ground to save the people.
I love stories like Sunscorched and the worlds they live in like the post-apocalyptic. The world that was created for Sunscorched was unlike any I have read before and I can’t wait to see what the author has in store for the next book.
I would highly recommend Sunscorched to all fans of the post-apocalyptic worlds and thrillers as well.
October 23, 2018
I read Jen Crane’s original series when it came out and was very excited to learn that she was writing a new one. Sunscorched does not disappoint. It is a great story with interesting characters especially Nori. Her resilience is amazing. This book is for anyone who likes YA and/or post-apocalyptic literature.I can’t wait to read the next book!
October 23, 2018
I am so intrigued with this author. The way she brings the characters to life. She never fails to deliver a story that will have you hooked from the start to finish. I can not wait to see what the future holds for Nori.
November 3, 2018
If you've missed a good environmental dystopia as much as I, then you should add this little harsh and darkly book to your wishlist. Sunscorched is a tale of survival in a menacing world in which Nori must learnt to navigate while figuring out her place in the world and facing dark secrets that will shatter the world she has always known.
Pros
The Underground. I love this Mad Max-esque world. Dirty and dangerous towns, fighting pits and motorcycles that travel through claustrophobic tunnels. Vicious and deadly people live in these tunnels and underground towns - it's a world in which the strongest survives. However, there are also beautiful places in this dark and violent world, such as an hidden lake and open pond in where one could gaze the stars. I should also mention the above world. After an environmental catastrophe named sunscorch burnt everything, the world became a wasteland: a desert with high temperatures with only a few nightly hours. It's an interesting concept that makes wonder how the world will turn up if one isn't careful.
Nori. There's so much character growing! After the first sunscorch killed her brothers, Nori is raised in a bell jar - she became deadly allergic to the sun (it burns and scars her skin), but she won night vision. I'm hoping to learn a lot more about her strange condition in the following book. Her parents love her (I quite enjoyed the chapter's in her father's POV) and even though they don't want to lose her, they sent her to an underground world, which they knew nothing about, in order to save her life. Even though Nori starts her journey as a naive young girl, she soon shows her sassiness and strength and that she won't back down to no one. She will not be pushed around and will do everything in her power to get back to her family. Even if it means putting herself in harm's way.
Kade. He's such a cute friendly giant in dire need of a big hug.
Cons
The timeline. Twelve years before the novel's beginning, a sunscorch destroyed life on earth (plants, animals and most human population died after the world burnt down). Which makes a little surprising when you discover an underground city, which could never have been built in twelve years, whose inhabitants have never seen the sun and don't believe the surface is suitable for living. Later, it's revealed the why, but I wish the timeline had been explained earlier in the story. Just a quick explanation with no spoilers because the lack of it made the timeline a little bit difficult to understand.
Thank you to YA Bound Books Tours and the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
Tânia @MyLovelySecret
Pros
The Underground. I love this Mad Max-esque world. Dirty and dangerous towns, fighting pits and motorcycles that travel through claustrophobic tunnels. Vicious and deadly people live in these tunnels and underground towns - it's a world in which the strongest survives. However, there are also beautiful places in this dark and violent world, such as an hidden lake and open pond in where one could gaze the stars. I should also mention the above world. After an environmental catastrophe named sunscorch burnt everything, the world became a wasteland: a desert with high temperatures with only a few nightly hours. It's an interesting concept that makes wonder how the world will turn up if one isn't careful.
Nori. There's so much character growing! After the first sunscorch killed her brothers, Nori is raised in a bell jar - she became deadly allergic to the sun (it burns and scars her skin), but she won night vision. I'm hoping to learn a lot more about her strange condition in the following book. Her parents love her (I quite enjoyed the chapter's in her father's POV) and even though they don't want to lose her, they sent her to an underground world, which they knew nothing about, in order to save her life. Even though Nori starts her journey as a naive young girl, she soon shows her sassiness and strength and that she won't back down to no one. She will not be pushed around and will do everything in her power to get back to her family. Even if it means putting herself in harm's way.
Kade. He's such a cute friendly giant in dire need of a big hug.
Cons
The timeline. Twelve years before the novel's beginning, a sunscorch destroyed life on earth (plants, animals and most human population died after the world burnt down). Which makes a little surprising when you discover an underground city, which could never have been built in twelve years, whose inhabitants have never seen the sun and don't believe the surface is suitable for living. Later, it's revealed the why, but I wish the timeline had been explained earlier in the story. Just a quick explanation with no spoilers because the lack of it made the timeline a little bit difficult to understand.
Thank you to YA Bound Books Tours and the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
Tânia @MyLovelySecret
December 17, 2018
I received an ARC in exchange of honest review.
It’s amazing right from the start. There I said it. I rarely fall so hard for books (last time I checked it’s only Harry Potter & Ready Player One), but Jen Crane did such an amazing job with this book. This if my first time to read her work and it won’t be the last time, for sure. I really amazed with almost every aspects of this book. The story, the characters, the writing style, everything is so good.
(Full review)
It’s amazing right from the start. There I said it. I rarely fall so hard for books (last time I checked it’s only Harry Potter & Ready Player One), but Jen Crane did such an amazing job with this book. This if my first time to read her work and it won’t be the last time, for sure. I really amazed with almost every aspects of this book. The story, the characters, the writing style, everything is so good.
(Full review)
January 16, 2019
The concept was very interesting to me, but the execution left a bit to be desired for me. It took awhile for me to care about any of the characters, and the various details and intricacies of the world building were incomplete. Something would be mentioned, almost as though foreshadowing some later event, then nothing would ever come of it. There was a lot of sugar-coating, things going a bit too easily and conveniently, which I enjoy when it happens to me in real life but find incredibly boring in novels.
December 18, 2018
I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
After reading the summary of this story I decided to give it a shot. Nori cannot go out into the sunlight or it would mean death, so she enjoys the very limited time she has of darkness on her runs. I figured that this story could go one of two ways, it could be well done or poorly done. With this in mind, I braced myself as I began reading. My worries turned out to be in vain, this story was far better than I anticipated.
I have been burnt out on dystopian/post-apocalyptic stories for a while now but Sunscorched has brought me back! I enjoyed getting to connect with all the characters (both good and bad). They were relatable and helped to pull you into the story. Learning more about the complex world that Crane has built was one of my favorite parts, she leaves you thinking about it even after you have finished. This gave me exactly what I have been looking for from a dystopian story and I am impatiently waiting for more.
After reading the summary of this story I decided to give it a shot. Nori cannot go out into the sunlight or it would mean death, so she enjoys the very limited time she has of darkness on her runs. I figured that this story could go one of two ways, it could be well done or poorly done. With this in mind, I braced myself as I began reading. My worries turned out to be in vain, this story was far better than I anticipated.
I have been burnt out on dystopian/post-apocalyptic stories for a while now but Sunscorched has brought me back! I enjoyed getting to connect with all the characters (both good and bad). They were relatable and helped to pull you into the story. Learning more about the complex world that Crane has built was one of my favorite parts, she leaves you thinking about it even after you have finished. This gave me exactly what I have been looking for from a dystopian story and I am impatiently waiting for more.
March 1, 2019
DNF, stopped at chapter 5.
Interesting concept, but not my cup of tea with the initial plot. Was trying to give it a chance, but it failed to catch my interest.
Interesting concept, but not my cup of tea with the initial plot. Was trying to give it a chance, but it failed to catch my interest.
Read
May 7, 2022dnf @ 60 pages, the writing style was too young for me if that makes sense. and i didn’t like the concept enough to stick with it
May 8, 2019
Need more details...
Lots to enjoy about this story! The idea behind going underground and the events that transpired were enjoyable. My favorite part was finding the wonderfully accommodating underground refuge set up with modern amenities. I felt the last 10% was rushed and not enough time and details givento fully develop the characters actions and events.
Lots to enjoy about this story! The idea behind going underground and the events that transpired were enjoyable. My favorite part was finding the wonderfully accommodating underground refuge set up with modern amenities. I felt the last 10% was rushed and not enough time and details givento fully develop the characters actions and events.
January 18, 2019
Good scary book!
Scary because the wild revelation at the end of the book has psychotic mad men written all over it! Nori is a survivor of the first sun scorch but when exposed to even normal sun she BURNS!
Scary because the wild revelation at the end of the book has psychotic mad men written all over it! Nori is a survivor of the first sun scorch but when exposed to even normal sun she BURNS!
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews