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Torn
Earth, Water, Fire, Air join forces as four.
When six to Appalachian go, rising evil to true water show.
Hurry, make haste, go now, for world to fear may bow down.
In a world that is falling apart, four Tribes war with each other for leadership. The Elements, who are forced to fight, lose more courage everyday. Mortals flee their homes in lieu of natural disasters. The saving grace is a prophecy. The fate of the Tribes and the human race hangs in the balance of the sacred words being carried out.
Seventeen-year-old Remy Castillo had somewhat of a normal life, fighting for the Water Tribe in Northern Colorado. Now he finds himself the ring leader of a quest to fulfill a prophecy, alongside three enemy Elements. This not only breaks the sacred Tribe code, but also arouses the unwanted eyes of a powerful leader and the forces of darkness itself. As time runs out, Remy is forced to make life changing decisions that end in an epic confrontation between bravery and fear. Will Remy be able to use this prophecy to bring the Tribes together rather than tear them apart?
When six to Appalachian go, rising evil to true water show.
Hurry, make haste, go now, for world to fear may bow down.
In a world that is falling apart, four Tribes war with each other for leadership. The Elements, who are forced to fight, lose more courage everyday. Mortals flee their homes in lieu of natural disasters. The saving grace is a prophecy. The fate of the Tribes and the human race hangs in the balance of the sacred words being carried out.
Seventeen-year-old Remy Castillo had somewhat of a normal life, fighting for the Water Tribe in Northern Colorado. Now he finds himself the ring leader of a quest to fulfill a prophecy, alongside three enemy Elements. This not only breaks the sacred Tribe code, but also arouses the unwanted eyes of a powerful leader and the forces of darkness itself. As time runs out, Remy is forced to make life changing decisions that end in an epic confrontation between bravery and fear. Will Remy be able to use this prophecy to bring the Tribes together rather than tear them apart?
- GenresDystopia
140 pages, Paperback
First published October 3, 2022
58 people want to read
About the author
Kayla Jones
3 books19 followersKayla Jones is an emerging teen author of novels that combine high stakes, authentic characters, and themes surrounding life’s greatest struggles and triumphs. Torn is Kayla’s first book. When she is not writing, Kayla is reading, catching up with friends over coffee, having a movie marathon, or playing her guitar as a worship leader. Kayla now resides in the mountains of Colorado, with her family, two cats, dog, and flock of chickens.
If you want to stay in the loop with Kayla, you can join her mailing list, found on kaylaruthjones.com . If you want to peek into Kayla’s life, you can follow her on Instagram at @kayla_jones_writes_ .
If you want to stay in the loop with Kayla, you can join her mailing list, found on kaylaruthjones.com . If you want to peek into Kayla’s life, you can follow her on Instagram at @kayla_jones_writes_ .
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
April 28, 2022
Gritty, fast-paced, with didn’t-see-that-coming plot twists, Torn is a stunning debut. I’ve never been the biggest fan of novellas, mainly because everything happens so fast. However, the author did an incredible job of balancing plot development and character development. Each chapter left me hanging and wanting to read more, so I sat down and read Torn within one day. I cannot wait to see what the author writes next! If you love books that give you Marvel/The Hunger Games vibes, clean reads and characters that grab onto your heart, Torn is a must-read. It’s absolutely a five-star rating from me.
April 28, 2022
4.5 stars! ☺️
Kayla Jones’ debut novella Torn was such a fun read! With a host of believable characters, I give her immense credit for making all of their voices unique and distinguishable. Jones also did a great job of building suspense—I couldn’t stop reading because I needed to know what happened next! Jones created a unique plot that I know will appeal to many sci-if/fantasy lovers who enjoy messages of light overcoming the darkness. I really enjoyed reading this short story myself—well done, Kayla!
I can’t wait to see what you come up with next! :)
Kayla Jones’ debut novella Torn was such a fun read! With a host of believable characters, I give her immense credit for making all of their voices unique and distinguishable. Jones also did a great job of building suspense—I couldn’t stop reading because I needed to know what happened next! Jones created a unique plot that I know will appeal to many sci-if/fantasy lovers who enjoy messages of light overcoming the darkness. I really enjoyed reading this short story myself—well done, Kayla!
I can’t wait to see what you come up with next! :)
September 1, 2022
As the author, it might be strange for me to be writing a review for my own book. However, being seen as weird has never stopped me from doing anything before this. Haha!
So, I just wanted to say that Torn has been such a growing journey for me, from typing out that first outline to sending out the final copy of Torn to my ARC readers. As this was my first experience writing a book, and will be my first experiencing self-publishing, I can say that I am so glad I decided to step off of the boat and onto the waves of becoming and author.
Torn has helped me overcome my fears on a metaphorical level (the writing process and the themes I explored with this book), and on a physical level (actually writing a book and being, in the somewhat scary process, of publishing a book).
Although Torn is short, because it is a novella, I believe that it will touch many hearts in big ways. I trust that God will use the writing gift that He has given me to bring glory to Him. I pray that Torn is read by and touches those who need it.
All that to say, October 3rd is Torn's release date! So stay tuned, because I cannot wait to see what you think!! Once you have read it please leave a review on Goodreads so that I can see what you thought.
Happy waiting,
Kayla <3
Kayla Jones
Torn
So, I just wanted to say that Torn has been such a growing journey for me, from typing out that first outline to sending out the final copy of Torn to my ARC readers. As this was my first experience writing a book, and will be my first experiencing self-publishing, I can say that I am so glad I decided to step off of the boat and onto the waves of becoming and author.
Torn has helped me overcome my fears on a metaphorical level (the writing process and the themes I explored with this book), and on a physical level (actually writing a book and being, in the somewhat scary process, of publishing a book).
Although Torn is short, because it is a novella, I believe that it will touch many hearts in big ways. I trust that God will use the writing gift that He has given me to bring glory to Him. I pray that Torn is read by and touches those who need it.
All that to say, October 3rd is Torn's release date! So stay tuned, because I cannot wait to see what you think!! Once you have read it please leave a review on Goodreads so that I can see what you thought.
Happy waiting,
Kayla <3
Kayla Jones
Torn
October 7, 2022
Kayla Jones shows a lot of raw talent in her debut novella. Torn is fast paced and well written, taking the reader into the lives of several compelling characters. It held my attention and made me want to read more. I am really excited to see how Kayla's writing develops.
May 31, 2022
Kayla’s first attempt at a fantasy novella is impressive to say the least. Torn is not only entertaining and action-packed, but also thoughtful and concise. The urgency of her writing, development of characters and unique storyline really draw you into the world she created.
May 27, 2022
I was lucky to get an early copy of Torn. It is the style of a well-written Young Adult dystopian novel, yet it fools you by injecting hope and justice into the text and into your soul. I recommend it as a short novel that will keep you turning the pages and leave you with a satisfied feeling.
May 31, 2022
Jones’ wit and creativity culminate in a story filled with adventure, suspense, friendship, romance, and humor. Torn will delight readers with its exciting plot and dynamic, lovable protagonists. If Torn is any indication of Jones’ future work, the literary community has much to look forward to.
May 27, 2022
Fast, engaging read! Couldn’t put it down. Can’t wait for more from this author!
October 23, 2022
Tosses you right into the thick of things and keeps the action going all the way to the end. Such a great story of enemies to friends saving the world. Clean, fast paced, character forward fiction. Loved it!
October 21, 2022
4 stars; an enjoyable read :)
For some reason Torn makes me think of Avatar: The Last Airbender mixed with Percy Jackson mixed with a very small bit of Karate Kid. Weird description, I know XD.
The characters are a lot of fun - I think Wes is my favorite - and as a name-obsessed writer I must say I love their names. I did think the character dynamics felt slightly rushed, but since novellas are short, with less time for development, that’s probably reasonable.
I’d have to say the world building is my favorite part of Torn. It’s very intriguing, seems like the A:TLA world mixed in with ours. I felt like there could have been more exposition on it, though; I wanted more than the glimpses it was giving me and some things confused me a little. For example, I wasn’t quite clear on why the tribes were fighting and on some related spoiler-y things.
It’s also a clean read - there was no smut (one or two short kisses but very clean), and there was maybe one curse word (can’t decide whether it counts as one or not; but I don’t think it was meant as a curse word so probably not).
All in all, Torn is a solid debut and I’m excited to read Kayla’s other book, The Veil :D
For some reason Torn makes me think of Avatar: The Last Airbender mixed with Percy Jackson mixed with a very small bit of Karate Kid. Weird description, I know XD.
The characters are a lot of fun - I think Wes is my favorite - and as a name-obsessed writer I must say I love their names. I did think the character dynamics felt slightly rushed, but since novellas are short, with less time for development, that’s probably reasonable.
I’d have to say the world building is my favorite part of Torn. It’s very intriguing, seems like the A:TLA world mixed in with ours. I felt like there could have been more exposition on it, though; I wanted more than the glimpses it was giving me and some things confused me a little. For example, I wasn’t quite clear on why the tribes were fighting and on some related spoiler-y things.
It’s also a clean read - there was no smut (one or two short kisses but very clean), and there was maybe one curse word (can’t decide whether it counts as one or not; but I don’t think it was meant as a curse word so probably not).
All in all, Torn is a solid debut and I’m excited to read Kayla’s other book, The Veil :D
October 4, 2022
It's rare that I take the time to review a book beyond a simple star rating, but I felt I needed to take the time to share my thoughts on this novella. Torn was a fantastic debut from Kayla Jones. I read it in small bits over the course of 2-3 days and enjoyed it immensely. Often with debut works, the writing is sloppy and rushed, or filled with the use of the same words repeatedly. Kayla's novella was a pleasant surprise as it was well written, imaginative, and entertaining. I'm excited to see more from this author as she continues to mature in her writing.
December 31, 2022
Y’all this book was so good and a super fast read—which I had mixed feelings about. I would have LOVED to get more background information on the history of the world and the characters! The plot was amazing and the overall meaning: don’t let fear rule you, was always present and important to the story!
I loved Remy; he was an awesome narrator and a super good character!
Overall, I loved Torn and look forward to reading The Veil by Kayla Jones—as well as all of her future books!!
I loved Remy; he was an awesome narrator and a super good character!
Overall, I loved Torn and look forward to reading The Veil by Kayla Jones—as well as all of her future books!!
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January 1, 2024I appreciate the thought, creative energy, and time that went into this book. The idea had a lot of potential, and the characters were like able. I liked the Colorado locational aspect. I also appreciated having a principled young male protagonist in a YA story for a change. However, I think the thematic execution and craft fell short in the end, which made it a little hard for me to stay interested.
October 30, 2022
A fast-paced and exciting read that kept me so engaged that I read it in one sitting! Truly an amazing accomplishment for this young writer with fascinating characters and beautiful descriptions. For a novella, it was very well done but some of the character dynamics could have been explored more. But, for the length, it really was amazing and I look forward to reading more from Jones!
June 10, 2023
Read this a couple months ago and forgot to review.
Enjoyed the book :). I liked the world and the way fantasy interacted with it. It was fast-paced and the characters were interesting and well-fleshed out.
The content was clean as far as I remember. Edit: one character smokes.
Enjoyed the book :). I liked the world and the way fantasy interacted with it. It was fast-paced and the characters were interesting and well-fleshed out.
The content was clean as far as I remember. Edit: one character smokes.
December 13, 2022
This was awesome!! You could tell how much thought went into writing this book; it was so much fun to read! The characters were highly well-rounded. It truly felt like they were real-life friends in a way that I didn’t think possible. The dialogue flowed along with a natural ease. None of it felt rushed or orchestrated. It was so good!!
There were a couple of plot points that didn’t quite make sense, but this was a great story!! I would without a doubt recommend it! I can’t wait to read more of Kayla Jones’s work!
There were a couple of plot points that didn’t quite make sense, but this was a great story!! I would without a doubt recommend it! I can’t wait to read more of Kayla Jones’s work!
December 17, 2023
You're really thrown into the midst of action. I found the characters compelling and relatable, and all of them different from each other which reflects the breadth of the author's writing. I wish the novella were longer!
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews