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The Void
Which would you choose—save your sister or save the world?
Emma Edsel’s first priority has always been protecting her blind sister Carla. So when Carla begins to develop science-defying abilities that threaten her life, Emma will stop at nothing to save her. With nowhere else to turn, she seeks help from Mitchell, the new boy at school who seems to know much more about it than he will admit.
After his last mission went horribly awry, Mitchell Banks is relieved to have a simple task: seal a small, accidental portal between Earth and other worlds in the multiverse. He didn’t count on his growing feelings for Emma—and the dangerous levels of dimension energy contaminating Carla.
Carla knows the voice in her head is evil. Manipulative. Feeding her with a strange energy she can control. She doesn’t know that she is the key to a coming global catastrophe and Mitchell’s boss will use any means possible to prevent it…including blackmailing him into murdering her.
Emma Edsel’s first priority has always been protecting her blind sister Carla. So when Carla begins to develop science-defying abilities that threaten her life, Emma will stop at nothing to save her. With nowhere else to turn, she seeks help from Mitchell, the new boy at school who seems to know much more about it than he will admit.
After his last mission went horribly awry, Mitchell Banks is relieved to have a simple task: seal a small, accidental portal between Earth and other worlds in the multiverse. He didn’t count on his growing feelings for Emma—and the dangerous levels of dimension energy contaminating Carla.
Carla knows the voice in her head is evil. Manipulative. Feeding her with a strange energy she can control. She doesn’t know that she is the key to a coming global catastrophe and Mitchell’s boss will use any means possible to prevent it…including blackmailing him into murdering her.
247 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 26, 2020
25 people want to read
About the author
Morgan Elizabeth Huneke
15 books100 followersMorgan Elizabeth Huneke fell in love with sci-fi and fantasy at age seven when she first read A Wrinkle in Time and The Chronicles of Narnia. In the time since, she's spent an inordinate amount of time exploring new realms and bygone eras through countless books, movies, and TV shows. She also spends a great deal of time talking to her imaginary friends and writing down their stories in books such as the Time Captives fantasy trilogy and Twisted Dreams, a sci-fi/fantasy Sleeping Beauty novella. On the occasion she remembers she lives in Georgia in the 21st century, she can be found playing and teaching violin and piano, singing along to Disney and Broadway soundtracks, turning pirouettes in the kitchen, and studying for her degree in elementary education. You can find her online at www.morganhuneke.com.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
October 29, 2020
The Void is a young adult novel with a lot of heart and soul and a light sci-fi twist. Emma Edsel is a normal teenager navigating high school and dealing with her difficult family situation. However, the new guy at school is more than a new crush. Something seems up with him, and it seems to be connected with the strange things happening to Emma’s little sister.
This book had me at the edge of my seat. It is so tense, and there is so much on the line for the characters. Don’t let this book’s billing as a young adult read dismiss it as shallow. It is packed with depth and real stakes and consequences for the characters. I was tearing up at one point. It is a great read for all ages!
This book had me at the edge of my seat. It is so tense, and there is so much on the line for the characters. Don’t let this book’s billing as a young adult read dismiss it as shallow. It is packed with depth and real stakes and consequences for the characters. I was tearing up at one point. It is a great read for all ages!
February 14, 2021
A solid story with an effective message of sacrifice, doing the right thing even when it's difficult, and learning to make the most of the life you're given. It also has some decent disability rep that I know the author researched to the best of her ability.
I did love Mitchell, Brian, and Carla, I did sympathize with Emma. My heartstrings were pulled by the story.
Unfortunately, I do have some wibbly issues that knocked a star - any one of them, I would have overlooked, but they did add up.
Firstly, I'm not a fan of multiple first person. I've rarely seen it done effectively. This wasn't the worst offender, but I still feel like this is a writing trend that needs to be stopped.
Second ... there are two secondary characters who I really struggled with their characterization and motivation, and both felt more like plot devices to shove the story forward than they did actual characters, and those were Emma's best friend and Mitchell's boss. Grace, the friend ... was one of those bubbly people who never has a care in the world ... and she never got any form of depth. She spent most of the book pretty much bullying Emma into going on a date, and then she had another moment later on with social media that was also unappreciated. I kept waiting for her to develop any form of depth (because most people who are that maniacally bubbly, it's usually because they're compensating for something going on at home), and while I understand she's trying to help Emma the best she can, we did eventually find out why she has the loyalty to Emma she has, and she did sober up as things got tense at the end ... depth never really came? And so it just came out as a contrast of someone who has the world on their shoulder and is depressed and someone who hasn't a care in the world and is a walking explosion of rainbow. And as someone who's lived in shoes very similar to Emma's and came out with a personality more like Grace's ... it just didn't feel balanced to me, and I wound up spending most of the book wanted to throw Grace out the window, and I went back and forth on whether or not Emma needed tossed out with her, or if she needed wrapped up in a big snuggly blanket with a mug of hot cocoa.
Boss, on the other hand ... fails to be an effective villain in the fact that she ultimately has a motive that makes sense, it's never given the chance to be sympathetic. Mitchell spends the whole book caught in her crossfire, and so the debate of "Are regulations necessary or should we go to any lengths to get the job done if it will save people" loses its impact because, from the start, the story voices a resounding NO because she's already gone too far.
And, finally, the ending, which I'm going to put in spoilers my full thoughts, but, without spoilers ... It was effective and I didn't hate it, it didn't sit well with me for a couple reasons, one of which is the fact that it has an unintentional message that is potentially dangerous to an already vulnerable group of people, and I would NOT recommend this book to anyone who struggles with suicidal thoughts due to feeling like/not wanting to be a burden to the people around them.
There was also an offhand comment that Emma made about removing Carla from the toxic environment of their household, and I just wanted to sit her down with a "nah, girl, your house isn't toxic, it's dysfunctional. Very big difference. Your dad has a lot on his shoulders, too, give him a break." And the comment was made a bit more glaring as "toxicity" then went on to be used recurringly due to Carla's portal energy being dangerous to those around her.
In all, I don't not recommend the book - I appreciate it for being a story that got the author out of a depressive bout of writer's block, and I can tell that a lot of work and care went into the story. It's the story of the author's heart, and I really hate that I didn't like it. If the premise sounds intriguing and you don't mind the issues I have with it, then by all means go read it. I just felt like needed a bit more nuance and that ending had an unintentionally dangerous underlying message.
And, as a message to anyone who does struggle feeling like the world is on their shoulders/feeling like they're a burden to the people around them, you are not alone, and you do deserve life. We serve a God who holds the world in His hands. He will take care of us when no one else will, and as long as He has us on this earth, then He has a role for us to play. To die is gain, but to live is Christ. Don't be afraid to go to Him in prayer and give Him your burdens. Don't be afraid to seek out a support network to support you, because there are people - professionals and friends alike - who are ready and willing to give you the support you need.
I did love Mitchell, Brian, and Carla, I did sympathize with Emma. My heartstrings were pulled by the story.
Unfortunately, I do have some wibbly issues that knocked a star - any one of them, I would have overlooked, but they did add up.
Firstly, I'm not a fan of multiple first person. I've rarely seen it done effectively. This wasn't the worst offender, but I still feel like this is a writing trend that needs to be stopped.
Second ... there are two secondary characters who I really struggled with their characterization and motivation, and both felt more like plot devices to shove the story forward than they did actual characters, and those were Emma's best friend and Mitchell's boss. Grace, the friend ... was one of those bubbly people who never has a care in the world ... and she never got any form of depth. She spent most of the book pretty much bullying Emma into going on a date, and then she had another moment later on with social media that was also unappreciated. I kept waiting for her to develop any form of depth (because most people who are that maniacally bubbly, it's usually because they're compensating for something going on at home), and while I understand she's trying to help Emma the best she can, we did eventually find out why she has the loyalty to Emma she has, and she did sober up as things got tense at the end ... depth never really came? And so it just came out as a contrast of someone who has the world on their shoulder and is depressed and someone who hasn't a care in the world and is a walking explosion of rainbow. And as someone who's lived in shoes very similar to Emma's and came out with a personality more like Grace's ... it just didn't feel balanced to me, and I wound up spending most of the book wanted to throw Grace out the window, and I went back and forth on whether or not Emma needed tossed out with her, or if she needed wrapped up in a big snuggly blanket with a mug of hot cocoa.
Boss, on the other hand ... fails to be an effective villain in the fact that she ultimately has a motive that makes sense, it's never given the chance to be sympathetic. Mitchell spends the whole book caught in her crossfire, and so the debate of "Are regulations necessary or should we go to any lengths to get the job done if it will save people" loses its impact because, from the start, the story voices a resounding NO because she's already gone too far.
And, finally, the ending, which I'm going to put in spoilers my full thoughts, but, without spoilers ... It was effective and I didn't hate it, it didn't sit well with me for a couple reasons, one of which is the fact that it has an unintentional message that is potentially dangerous to an already vulnerable group of people, and I would NOT recommend this book to anyone who struggles with suicidal thoughts due to feeling like/not wanting to be a burden to the people around them.
There was also an offhand comment that Emma made about removing Carla from the toxic environment of their household, and I just wanted to sit her down with a "nah, girl, your house isn't toxic, it's dysfunctional. Very big difference. Your dad has a lot on his shoulders, too, give him a break." And the comment was made a bit more glaring as "toxicity" then went on to be used recurringly due to Carla's portal energy being dangerous to those around her.
In all, I don't not recommend the book - I appreciate it for being a story that got the author out of a depressive bout of writer's block, and I can tell that a lot of work and care went into the story. It's the story of the author's heart, and I really hate that I didn't like it. If the premise sounds intriguing and you don't mind the issues I have with it, then by all means go read it. I just felt like needed a bit more nuance and that ending had an unintentionally dangerous underlying message.
And, as a message to anyone who does struggle feeling like the world is on their shoulders/feeling like they're a burden to the people around them, you are not alone, and you do deserve life. We serve a God who holds the world in His hands. He will take care of us when no one else will, and as long as He has us on this earth, then He has a role for us to play. To die is gain, but to live is Christ. Don't be afraid to go to Him in prayer and give Him your burdens. Don't be afraid to seek out a support network to support you, because there are people - professionals and friends alike - who are ready and willing to give you the support you need.
May 6, 2021
4.5 stars // read May 2021
thoughts:
-Despite my initial misgivings at the beginning of the story (there are few things that are more unrelatable and uninteresting to me than high school drama) I stuck with it because of the interesting premise. And then the plot hooked me, and somehow along the way the characters became real too and by the end I was blinking away tears.
-Characters- Emma's personality could have been very unlikable, but it makes sense given her completely dysfunctional family and I love how she grows over the course of the book. Clara (one of the main characters) is blind, and we get to read from her POV. I really liked how her blindness is handled and it was super interesting to experience her perspective. Mitchell.... 💕 Grace was far from perfect, but she balanced the characters out and I ended up liking her.
-Christianity aspect- I have a sneaking suspicion that some people would call this book preachy. Yes, it does talk openly about Christianity, but I thought that it was well done and addresses some hard topics.
-this is a very minor thing but it made me so happy at the end when Emma got to hear Mitchell's voice without the translator...
-the ending is practically begging for a sequel. Even if the main characters aren't featured as prominently, I do hope that the author will explore Acktorek and the multiverse more in upcoming works.
content: mild
thoughts:
-Despite my initial misgivings at the beginning of the story (there are few things that are more unrelatable and uninteresting to me than high school drama) I stuck with it because of the interesting premise. And then the plot hooked me, and somehow along the way the characters became real too and by the end I was blinking away tears.
-Characters- Emma's personality could have been very unlikable, but it makes sense given her completely dysfunctional family and I love how she grows over the course of the book. Clara (one of the main characters) is blind, and we get to read from her POV. I really liked how her blindness is handled and it was super interesting to experience her perspective. Mitchell.... 💕 Grace was far from perfect, but she balanced the characters out and I ended up liking her.
-Christianity aspect- I have a sneaking suspicion that some people would call this book preachy. Yes, it does talk openly about Christianity, but I thought that it was well done and addresses some hard topics.
-this is a very minor thing but it made me so happy at the end when Emma got to hear Mitchell's voice without the translator...
-the ending is practically begging for a sequel. Even if the main characters aren't featured as prominently, I do hope that the author will explore Acktorek and the multiverse more in upcoming works.
content: mild
November 2, 2020
I don't even know how to begin describing just how good this book is. The characters were very real, and even through their flaws I could still connect to them.
The plot was gripping and kept me on the edge of my seat, it was a thrilling ride to the very end. And, oh, that ending! I can't go into detail for SPOILERS, but even though I wish things could have been different it was the ending this story needed.
Very few stories can make me show emotion even if I truly feel it, but this one pulled at my heartstrings through the entire journey, so far as to make me shed a few tears, and if I continue talking about this I'm going to spoil the ending.
Just go read this for yourselves! I cannot recommend this book enough!
NOTE: I recieved this book from the author in exchange for an honest review, all opinions are my own.
The plot was gripping and kept me on the edge of my seat, it was a thrilling ride to the very end. And, oh, that ending! I can't go into detail for SPOILERS, but even though I wish things could have been different it was the ending this story needed.
Very few stories can make me show emotion even if I truly feel it, but this one pulled at my heartstrings through the entire journey, so far as to make me shed a few tears, and if I continue talking about this I'm going to spoil the ending.
Just go read this for yourselves! I cannot recommend this book enough!
NOTE: I recieved this book from the author in exchange for an honest review, all opinions are my own.
August 27, 2020
(Placeholder rating until I read the finalized version)
Full review to come at publication :)
Full review to come at publication :)
August 31, 2024
I thoroughly enjoyed this and I will be reading the rest of the series
June 17, 2021
Awesome
Really good clean book. Very exciting although sad. I wish there were more but I guess I just have to wait. I enjoyed the ultimate lesson of sacrifice for others. It truly makes one think. I highly recommend this book.
Really good clean book. Very exciting although sad. I wish there were more but I guess I just have to wait. I enjoyed the ultimate lesson of sacrifice for others. It truly makes one think. I highly recommend this book.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews