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Tallah
With her father gone and her newfound abilities barely under control, twelve-year-old Tallah lives alone on the streets, shoplifting for food, fending off predators, and trying to steer clear of law enforcement. Torn between using her powers to lash out at the world, to seize control of her situation, or to make herself invisible, Tallah is lost, adrift without a guide—until she meets a girl around her age named Harmony, who also lives on the streets.
Over time, Tallah grows to trust Harmony enough to reveal the secret of her abilities. But as the pair grows closer, Harmony’s darker motivations become clear, culminating in an act of betrayal that ultimately leads Tallah to turn her back on the whole of humanity—including her own. Consumed by anger, Tallah embarks on an odyssey of destruction, unleashing the full force of her volatile powers, which puts her on a collision course with the authorities, bent on her destruction. In the end, Tallah’s only hope for redemption lies in the promise of a new town, a new civilization—a utopia she can create on her own. But before she can build her future, she needs to reckon with the ghosts of her past.
- GenresScience Fiction
207 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 1, 2020
About the author
Jonathan R. Miller
11 books94 followers"Though his books are labeled literary thrillers, Miller is most concerned with his characters, who struggle with issues of discrimination, identity, ideological rigidity, and belonging."
- Poets & Writers Magazine
"The protagonist's story feels light-years from the typical hero's journey, consistently focusing on more existential themes—and the result is something unusually unsettling and unforgettable. A strange, inventive tale that evolves into a challenging and rewarding odyssey."
- Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"A bold, cerebral, and unnervingly intimate exploration of what happens when the need to make the world better collides with the corruptive pull of control. Miller balances cerebral depth with raw emotion, crafting a story that lingers long after the final page."
- BookTrib.
"Miller's skillful economy of language and penchant for playing the cards close to the vest — or chest plate — works to his advantage as the tale picks up momentum/mayhem and puts an intriguing, nonstereotyped lead character through pitfalls and deadly perils of parahumanity. Ghost in the Shell fans will have a blast."
- Kirkus Reviews
"A truly layered piece of fiction"
- ABC's news magazine program, "CityLine"
"High-tech thrillers with complex characters"
- San Jose Mercury News
"A lean, well-oiled narrative"
- Kirkus Reviews
Otherwise Award nominee and Kirkus Best Indie Books of 2025 honoree Jonathan R. Miller is an author of "magical realism" literary fiction novels, as well as sci-fi thrillers featuring diverse, complex characters.
Miller was born in Illinois, lived in New Mexico for most of his childhood, and then became a California transplant after undergraduate school at Stanford University. He was an 8th-grade teacher for 7 years in the Oakland public school system, and has worked as a writer/marketer in the San Francisco Bay Area ever since.
Miller's own multiracial heritage has had a strong influence on his thought processes and writing approach. His novels deftly explore issues of identity while providing storylines that are layered, thought-provoking, and moving.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
April 3, 2021
I have never felt so genuinely both bored and confused by a book in my life. I absolutely hated Tallah. Like, hated her so much. I didn't understand any of her motives at any point in time (which is the same problem at had with her in the first book). Everything she said and did was so excessive . None of the interactions in this book made sense. Everything was incredibly over the top and unrealistic. People don't just go around swearing and yelling at each other because they meet eyes in a library. Also, the ending of this book was a giant question mark for me??? Why are dust particles suddenly sentient beings? What are they doing??? Why did the book end with this? I don't know man, this book was whack and annoying and I really didn't like it, oops.
January 11, 2021
I received this, along with the first book, in a Goodreads Giveaway.
I liked this book a lot better than the first, perhaps because the premise was more interesting to me. I still had a few problems with the way things were said, and I think the book could have used a good editor. But I did not force myself to read and review this as a courtesy to the author, not at all - I found myself thinking about the story while I wasn't reading, wondering what would happen to Tallah and those around her. I was interested, and still am, actually.
The idea of a city, independent of the US, which is completely black-owned and black-run, is a really interesting idea, and one that I enjoyed seeing explored here. I know that I would support such a city, if it ever were to come about. I appreciated seeing how some land was given back to the Native people who first lived there - likely a much larger percentage of land than the US government has ever given back.
I did wonder a couple times - Tallah skipped over some birthdays, and it was written in a way that triggered an "error" alarm in my head. I'm not sure if it was a mistake, or if it was purposeful, but on one page she mentions being almost 14 or something along those lines, and then the very next chapter opens with her not even noticing her 15th birthday pass by. Where did that year go?? This happened at least one other time as well, and it was jarring. Instead of just slipping in a new age casually, I would rather have an explicit statement telling me that a year passed uneventfully or something like that.
To conclude: I don't know if reading the first book in order to get to this one is worth it, but it might not be so bad to just read this one - and then if you're interested in Tallah's backstory, you could go back to the first book. But the premise of an entirely black US territory/city was definitely interesting, and the unfolding of Tallah's (and Bel's) abilities was more compelling than her father's. The main and side characters had good, believable depth, which I appreciate. 3.5/5 stars.
I liked this book a lot better than the first, perhaps because the premise was more interesting to me. I still had a few problems with the way things were said, and I think the book could have used a good editor. But I did not force myself to read and review this as a courtesy to the author, not at all - I found myself thinking about the story while I wasn't reading, wondering what would happen to Tallah and those around her. I was interested, and still am, actually.
The idea of a city, independent of the US, which is completely black-owned and black-run, is a really interesting idea, and one that I enjoyed seeing explored here. I know that I would support such a city, if it ever were to come about. I appreciated seeing how some land was given back to the Native people who first lived there - likely a much larger percentage of land than the US government has ever given back.
I did wonder a couple times - Tallah skipped over some birthdays, and it was written in a way that triggered an "error" alarm in my head. I'm not sure if it was a mistake, or if it was purposeful, but on one page she mentions being almost 14 or something along those lines, and then the very next chapter opens with her not even noticing her 15th birthday pass by. Where did that year go?? This happened at least one other time as well, and it was jarring. Instead of just slipping in a new age casually, I would rather have an explicit statement telling me that a year passed uneventfully or something like that.
To conclude: I don't know if reading the first book in order to get to this one is worth it, but it might not be so bad to just read this one - and then if you're interested in Tallah's backstory, you could go back to the first book. But the premise of an entirely black US territory/city was definitely interesting, and the unfolding of Tallah's (and Bel's) abilities was more compelling than her father's. The main and side characters had good, believable depth, which I appreciate. 3.5/5 stars.
December 5, 2020
I received a copy of this book for free in a Goodreads giveaway.
Well, I had actually won the giveaway for Gravity Breaker, the previous book in this series, but I also received this sequel. After the first chapter, set decades after the events of the first book, we then go back to what happened to lead up to that point. Tallah, daughter of Isaac, after fleeing the facility she flees at the end of the first book, uses her gravity-manipulating powers to survive in California, and then later in Florida. The parts in California were mostly like the teenager version of Isaac discovering and developing his powers in the first book; Tallah steals things to sustain herself, and starts to experiment more and more with her powers. She discovers how to make herself and other things invisible by manipulating dust, in a way that never seemed quite clear, but then again this book isn't exactly supposed to be realistic. But then she goes a bit crazy, severing people's fingers (which seems to be a continuing, disturbing obsession with her), and then leveling hundreds of thousands of acres of national forest, in a fit of rage. The book just went completely off the rails for me then, with Tallah's recklessness causing multiple deaths, but somehow with an entire town developing around her. I appreciate that this book was trying to tackle these big issues of systemic racism, environmentalism, and the police, but it seems to take on too much, in too few pages. An entire community seems to magically spring up by the hands of a teenager in a matter of pages, and even though this is a story of a girl with superpowers, it's still baffling how, with no high school education or knowledge of basic city planning or anything about local government, a teenage girl manages to create an entire functional society. More detail about how this society managed to develop would have helped create more of a believable setting, even with the supernatural elements involved. There are also a lot of lists sprinkled into the text, which is a trend continued from the first book, and I found it distracting.
Well, I had actually won the giveaway for Gravity Breaker, the previous book in this series, but I also received this sequel. After the first chapter, set decades after the events of the first book, we then go back to what happened to lead up to that point. Tallah, daughter of Isaac, after fleeing the facility she flees at the end of the first book, uses her gravity-manipulating powers to survive in California, and then later in Florida. The parts in California were mostly like the teenager version of Isaac discovering and developing his powers in the first book; Tallah steals things to sustain herself, and starts to experiment more and more with her powers. She discovers how to make herself and other things invisible by manipulating dust, in a way that never seemed quite clear, but then again this book isn't exactly supposed to be realistic. But then she goes a bit crazy, severing people's fingers (which seems to be a continuing, disturbing obsession with her), and then leveling hundreds of thousands of acres of national forest, in a fit of rage. The book just went completely off the rails for me then, with Tallah's recklessness causing multiple deaths, but somehow with an entire town developing around her. I appreciate that this book was trying to tackle these big issues of systemic racism, environmentalism, and the police, but it seems to take on too much, in too few pages. An entire community seems to magically spring up by the hands of a teenager in a matter of pages, and even though this is a story of a girl with superpowers, it's still baffling how, with no high school education or knowledge of basic city planning or anything about local government, a teenage girl manages to create an entire functional society. More detail about how this society managed to develop would have helped create more of a believable setting, even with the supernatural elements involved. There are also a lot of lists sprinkled into the text, which is a trend continued from the first book, and I found it distracting.
October 22, 2020
(Note: The following includes spoilers for "Gravity Breaker".)
Tallah Williams was just 11 when her father was killed by a police officer in front of her. She used her powers to kill that officer, a visceral reaction to what happened to her father. No one knew she also had powers, so the officer's death was blamed on her father. Now she's homeless, with no family, and just her powers to help her survive.
Living in a tent on a vacant lot with another teenager, Tallah explores her powers, learning ways to survive. Eventually she and Harmony move to Florida and have a falling out. Tallah takes our her rage and frustration in the midst of a National Forest, clearing a huge swath of the old growth forest. From that destruction a new community arises, a home created for and by blacks, who come from all over the country to build a place where they can live without fear.
The issues of systemic racism and inherent bias are never far below the surface of this book, although it is superficially just a story of survival. On top of that, the very idea of superpowers is explored, with questions raised about whether the costs of such powers are worth the benefits. This is a heavy novel, exploring many deep issues, but ending on a hopeful note.
Tallah Williams was just 11 when her father was killed by a police officer in front of her. She used her powers to kill that officer, a visceral reaction to what happened to her father. No one knew she also had powers, so the officer's death was blamed on her father. Now she's homeless, with no family, and just her powers to help her survive.
Living in a tent on a vacant lot with another teenager, Tallah explores her powers, learning ways to survive. Eventually she and Harmony move to Florida and have a falling out. Tallah takes our her rage and frustration in the midst of a National Forest, clearing a huge swath of the old growth forest. From that destruction a new community arises, a home created for and by blacks, who come from all over the country to build a place where they can live without fear.
The issues of systemic racism and inherent bias are never far below the surface of this book, although it is superficially just a story of survival. On top of that, the very idea of superpowers is explored, with questions raised about whether the costs of such powers are worth the benefits. This is a heavy novel, exploring many deep issues, but ending on a hopeful note.
September 17, 2020
I was chosen to receive this book by entering a goodreads drawing.
Tallah is the sequel to Gravity Breaker which I would recommend reading before this book is read. The story telling is quite good and descriptions are vivid enough so that there is no problem getting into the story. The subject matter is very timely but I found the extreme anger and poor impulse control of the main character disturbing. I realize when all the destruction occurs Tallah is young but still the violence is a bit over the top and her inability to be truthful is disappointing. I liked the book but the sense of despair was impossible to overlook.
Tallah is the sequel to Gravity Breaker which I would recommend reading before this book is read. The story telling is quite good and descriptions are vivid enough so that there is no problem getting into the story. The subject matter is very timely but I found the extreme anger and poor impulse control of the main character disturbing. I realize when all the destruction occurs Tallah is young but still the violence is a bit over the top and her inability to be truthful is disappointing. I liked the book but the sense of despair was impossible to overlook.
December 31, 2023
I think it's likely that I must have gotten this paperback copy from a Goodreads giveaway. I saw other reviews on Goodreads which said that this was the origin of the book, and I don't think that I would have purchased this book in paperback.
I liked this final read of 2023 dealing with a paranormally gifted girl for the most part. I was intending to give it four stars when the plot took a turn in what I considered the wrong direction toward the end. So I docked a star from the rating.
I liked this final read of 2023 dealing with a paranormally gifted girl for the most part. I was intending to give it four stars when the plot took a turn in what I considered the wrong direction toward the end. So I docked a star from the rating.
December 24, 2017
Stunning
A truly stunning sequel. A beautiful synthesis of science fiction and race treatise. If you read the first book this is a definite must read. Even better than its predecessor.
A truly stunning sequel. A beautiful synthesis of science fiction and race treatise. If you read the first book this is a definite must read. Even better than its predecessor.
March 5, 2019
Fun to read.
December 29, 2020
This book seems to fall short from the first one. If it wasn't for the other character 'Bel' especially at the end it wouldn't be worth reading. Just a book about a spoiled brat that thinks she is owed and thinks it's alright to steal and destroy
January 21, 2017
I received this book for free and have chosen to give my honest opinion about it.
Just like the first, this book brings the same blend of amazing characters and great story, Tallah is surprisingly likeable, this definitely lives up to the same high standards as the first one!
Just like the first, this book brings the same blend of amazing characters and great story, Tallah is surprisingly likeable, this definitely lives up to the same high standards as the first one!
November 15, 2020
I was surprised to be given the sequel to Gravity Breaker which I won through Goodreads.
With Isaac no longer around, Tallah is on her own at the age of twelve. She has seen enough racism to now that being Black makes her invisible to some and a target for others. But she has super powers like her Dad and learns to become literally invisible. She teams up with a white rich girl who rebels against her parents through drugs, sex, alcohol and living rough with Tallah. When Harmony tries to set Tallah up as a enforcer for her drug dealer, Tallah leaves in a rage as she realizes that everyone she meets is trying to use her for their own ends. Tallah's rage takes over and she destroys part of a national forest to create her own oasis. Eventually this becomes Fort Mose, a haven for Black people.
With Isaac no longer around, Tallah is on her own at the age of twelve. She has seen enough racism to now that being Black makes her invisible to some and a target for others. But she has super powers like her Dad and learns to become literally invisible. She teams up with a white rich girl who rebels against her parents through drugs, sex, alcohol and living rough with Tallah. When Harmony tries to set Tallah up as a enforcer for her drug dealer, Tallah leaves in a rage as she realizes that everyone she meets is trying to use her for their own ends. Tallah's rage takes over and she destroys part of a national forest to create her own oasis. Eventually this becomes Fort Mose, a haven for Black people.
November 2, 2016
I received a copy of Tallahassee in the mail from the publisher with no advance notice, so thank you!
Tallah is the sequel to Gravity Breaker. It tells the story of a father and daughter with gravity weilding powers. Tallah is a stronger novel than Gravity Breaker. Tallah's journey from homeless child to founder of a new black community with the aid of her powers is gripping.
Just as in the previous novel, I felt that some of the plot was too convenient without background information, however the story was very cinematic and would make a great film. I would love to see both novels published in one volume because I think this would be better served as a single story. Overall an awesome book that subverts the superhero genre and shows a creative and enthrallingly important story.
Tallah is the sequel to Gravity Breaker. It tells the story of a father and daughter with gravity weilding powers. Tallah is a stronger novel than Gravity Breaker. Tallah's journey from homeless child to founder of a new black community with the aid of her powers is gripping.
Just as in the previous novel, I felt that some of the plot was too convenient without background information, however the story was very cinematic and would make a great film. I would love to see both novels published in one volume because I think this would be better served as a single story. Overall an awesome book that subverts the superhero genre and shows a creative and enthrallingly important story.
October 23, 2016
I read "Gravity Breaker," and I liked it a lot (4 of 5 stars), but I feel as though "Tallah" is where the true story lies in this saga. This book follows the daughter of Isaac, the hero from the original. I can't say anything without giving away spoilers about both the first book and this one, so I will stop here. I will conclude by saying this book is excellent. Great characters (really nicely done), very unusual/original story, and actually very emotional some times. Bravo. Well done. This is my fourth book by Miller (frend, gravity breaker, the delivery, and this one), and I am a fan.
October 23, 2016
Let me start by saying this book is crazy real for a sci-fi book, and the issues are spot on. I want to take my review for gravity breaker and paste it here because this book is everything that book was, and much more. I am blown oout of the water, out of my seat, out of everything. As a woman of color, this really spoke to me by the way, but I think anyone could read this story and enjoy it (and maybe even learn something). Exciting and informative at the same time. I want to say more but it is hard to do without doing spoilers (which I hate doing). Very satisfying ending to the story of isaac and tallah. I love this author
October 23, 2016
Wow. Mind blowing. I would guess this book will not be for everyone but I though it was amazing. Totally orignial and the characters (esp. the main character but also Harmony) were well developed. some of the best characterization I've ever seen actually. Much better than the prequel, I must say, even though I did enjoy Gravity Breaker as well.
November 1, 2016
Loved Gravity Breaker so much. Tallah surpasses it in being such a great story. Kept me guessing throughout from start to finish. I like being surprised and this book did that many times. Great story with a great ending. Jonathan Miller has created another story with such feeling. I highly recommend Tallah.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews