Tara EllisRezensionen
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Many thanks once again to Tara Ellis for gifting me this book! I was looking forward to finding out if Alex, Chris, Seth, and the rest of the gang were able to save civilization. Book #3 of the Forgotten Origins trilogy is a dark, intense, detailed and emotional story, quite different from the first two books. Alex undergoes some heavy soul searching throughout, as she debates with herself about being strong enough to fight RA and his henchmen. The changes that the Holocene Virus has caused are beginning to upset her, and she is wondering if her friends still see her the same way. As the group of young adults prepare for war, they must ALL come to terms with the fact that things have changed, and may never be the same.
The story picks up after the Nephilim ship arrived on Earth. Alex and Seth are heading back to Senator Zane’s ranch on a motorcycle when a blinding flash of light illuminates the sky above them, and the motorcycle’s engine immediately stalls. The aliens have sent an EMP (electromagnetic pulse) to disable all the electronics, rendering everyone back to the 1800’s…..no electric, no cellphones, no cars. The group finds out the Senator has been moved to an Air Force base in Great Falls, Montana, and must make an arduous trek there.
Chris is butting heads with Seth along the way, with the tension intensified by the fact that Alex can get into Chris’ head, just as she can “sense” the Shiners. The relationship between all three of them ebbs and flows, with lasting results. However, they must put their differences aside and unite against the Mudameere. There is violence and bloodshed, all of which wreak havoc with Alex’s psyche. As the story progresses, she is reunited with her relatives in the biodome under the sea, is transported aboard the Nephilim ship, and tries to reason with RA and the Elders. Can she do it? Will they be able to overcome an army of Shiners and discover a cure for the Nephi2 virus? As the group fights for freedom, many answers to the questions posed in the first two novels become evident.
I especially enjoyed the development of Alex, coming into her own as a leader and a strong girl. The description of their journeys on foot and on horseback capture very well the tension and fatigue the characters were feeling, and there were plenty of “oh, NO!” moments as injuries were sustained and emotions were bared. Descent is not a sweet YA novel, but a dystopian tale, gritty and full of tension. Author Tara Ellis also raises some moral questions about stem cells and their potential, as the plot thickens. Perhaps the events in the book are not possible,in real life, but you will certainly be forced to think about an America fighting against a virus, without modern conveniences, against an enemy that you never knew existed. Pride of heritage runs deep in this book, and so there is a moral to the story: keep family and friends close, learn to rely on yourself, and never compromise your beliefs.
Want to join Alex and her friends? Complete your trilogy here.
Also, if you haven’t already, download the Kindle reading app here.
Sixteen year old Alex and her family is part of a crowd watching the Holocene meteor shower when there is an impact very close to them. Panic ensues, and everyone flees back to their houses. Inexplicably, Alex's mom starts sneezing that night, and some of her neighbors develop the flu. Alex and her younger brother stay healthy and start noticing odd behavior from those who are ill---including their mom. 80% of the world develops this flu like illness, which is followed by strange behavior. Alex fears for her own life; since she didn't become sick, she is now a target.
As she struggles to find the reasons for the flu and evade being discovered as still healthy, she encounters a diary left by her father, who was killed while on vacation in Egypt. He apparently knew that this meteor shower was going to have bad consequences, and left clues on how to combat the evil . She must decipher hieroglyphics, protect her brother Jake, and learn who she can trust. Not everything is as it seems.
With the help of her schoolmate Chris, Alex and Jake leave their city and hide away in their family cabin in the Cascade Mountains of the Pacific Northwest. Alex must find the anti-virus and save the world. Can she do it?
This book captured my interest right away, since I'm a fan of plague and pestilence. Bloodline is not your typical zombie flu storyline, but rather a poignant story of a teenage girl still mourning her dad, still feeling connected to him through his journal. The sense of isolation and bleakness really shines through here, as author Tara Ellis accurately captures Alex's thoughts and fears. Even though this is advertised as a YA novel, adults will enjoy this easy yet intriguing read. Portions of the book evoked The DaVinci Code, as the group follows clues and races against time. I also liked that the relationship between Chris and Alex seemed authentic, with a hint of teenage awkwardness and shyness.
Plot twists are not obvious, and I found myself eagerly racing through the book to see what was going to happen next. I just loved how Alex's mom got sick and how her personality changed---super creepy!
The ending of Bloodline answers some questions, but not all, and leaves the story open ended. Heritage is the second book of the Forgotten Origins trilogy, and the final novel, Descent, will be published on September 30, 2014. Click the title if you want to get your own copy...highly recommended!
Watch my blog at www.gimmethatbook.com for an EXCLUSIVE Q&A session with author Tara Ellis...coming soon!!
I received this book from author Tara Ellis in exchange for this honest review.
I listened to this book with my grandchildren in two different states. There was a total of 2 girls and 4 boys ages 4-12. We use video calling to read together.
The story begins with two 12 year old friends, Sam and Ally, arriving in Montana. They went by bus to vacation at the inn owned by Sam’s aunt and uncle. Upon arrival it becomes apparent that there won’t be cell phone service. Something that dismays one but delights the other. When a teenage boy, working at the inn, lets it slip that there is a legend attached to the inn, the adventure begins!
My grandchildren found it fascinating that the girls were allowed to go alone on a bus from California to Montana. They do not travel alone. This caused some excitement and a few questions. The cell phone being taken out caused some anxiety for the kids, too. Personally I loved that the author made a point of showing them they would not only survive without it, they would have fun. I was also impressed that the author made the point that while some people are very comfortable and even attached to social media, others are not. I always think it is important that differences be shown and accepted. The said they really liked how the author described things. They were able to picture it in their minds and watch the story unfold, which is something I have always loved about books. We all agreed the author did an excellent job with the narration. We are looking forward to the next book.
Sam and her best friend visit Sam's aunt and uncle for the summer break. They find themselves stepping in to a mystery and, of course, the two girls have to find out what's going on. The two main characters worked well together, although they were a bit two dimensional at times. But nothing that took away from the story line. The mystery itself was put together well and kept me interested. I liked the way the author spun the modern world of technology into a setting that I believe most parents would not mind their children/preteens reading.
I believe young girls will enjoy these books. I will certainly read the next book in the series. In fact, I've already got in on my device ready to read.
By: Tara Ellis
Narrated by: Tara Ellis
Series: Forgotten Origins Trilogy, Book 1
This is an audible book I requested and the review is voluntary.
I loved this teen book although I am far from being a teen. Great clean sci-fi with plenty of mystery, adventure, suspense, and action. A meteor storm brings more than thrills for the crowd, people start changing...
One of the people changing is Alex's mom. Alex's dad is dead but left her a note to open after the meteor storm. It will shock and change everything she knew. With the help of her friend, they must save the world. Great fun!
The narrator is the writer and she is excellent! Wonderful job!
Samantha Wolf Mysteries #2
By: Tara Ellis
Narrated by: Tara Ellis
This is an audible book I requested and the review is voluntary.
This is an excellent book for middle grade or preteen kids! It has a great mystery, realistic dialogue, great characters, fun action, and good morals. This has an adventure, thrills, mystery, and friendships. Loved it! The author is also the narrator which she does just as well as writing it! Wonderful!
Samantha Wolf Mystery, Book 1
By: Tara Ellis
Narrated by: Tara Ellis
This is an audible book I requested and the review is voluntary.
This was an excellent middle grade or preteen book! A great mystery with lots of clues, brave girls and a boy. Good vs evil. Happy ending. Suspense, intrigue, action, and dialogue that sounded real. I have eight grand kids and six are in this age level and I think they would love this book! The author is very talented besides being a crafty storyteller, she also narrated this book. Not everyone can do narration but she was awesome! I didn't know it was her until I checked after. Wow, awesome job! She did the voices so well. Men, women, boys, girls, all great!
Disclosure: I found it on a deal and enjoyed reading it, though nothing will ever replace Enid Blyton for me!
To be fair, Samantha does try to speak to adults about her concerns that animals are being tested at the lab, but for various reasons the adults dismiss her suspicions until it is almost too late. (This is in contrast to most teen sleuths who seem to ignore adult authority and wisdom or involving adults in their schemes.)
Book two, solid 3*. This book had some interesting turns. The first quarter of the novel was an action packed driven 5*. But then the story delved into confusing back flashes and lengthy discussions about the Nephilium, which, by the way, totally shocked me when the novels started talking about Nephilium. Didn't see that coming until it was brought up. Whoa. But I loved how the author incorporated the alien history with the pyramids and Ra. But to be honest, I was just lost with all of the alien history in the back flashes the protagonist had.
Book three, 4*. This book graciously started with a summary of everything that happened so far, in a way that, where I was lost with book two, I was now caught up to speed. And enter romantic tension! Loved the new aspect. And what to do now that an alien ship is in the atmosphere of earth? I love the path the author takes the reader on as Alex struggles with her new abilities and saving the world. Tension filled final conclusion.
Reader Rated for ages 14 for mild violence.
Just a note. The writing style of this novel took a bit of getting used to. The author used many -ing dependent clauses. Young readers probably won't notice.
Reader Rated for ages 14 for mild violence.
Reader Rated for ages 14 for mild violence.
As Alex escapes increasingly more dangerous situations, she finds out some electrifying truths about one of her companions, one of her enemies and a most startling revelation about herself. As the fate of the world hangs in the balance, Alex must question everything she's always believed about the world and her pivotal role in the life-changing events that are unfolding.
This is a wonderful series and I can't think of anything out there that is remotely like it. With a great concept and fast-moving action, Tara Ellis has created a winner with this series.
To sum up, I loved the characters, found the story interesting, and recommend it to any young reader who loves a good mystery.
Ms Ellis pulls you right into a mystery from the very first page. Not only does she have you sitting on the edge of your seat and edge of the page. But you find yourself at the point that you can not put Bloodline down until you have devoured it completely! Her writing is truly breath taking! The characters have been described so well you are able to picture them actually with having those glowing cat eyes!
This story is so shocking and makes you think that maybe it might be possible to actually happen. Even though it is fiction. But wouldn't it be amazing if something like this meteor shower actually caused a virus ?? And only people certain are affect.
Now I am not really going to give to much away about this book. Except to say the following...
You have a brother and sister whose father was murder in EGYPT.They are on a hill over looking town watching a meteor show with their mom. When all of a sudden the meteorites start falling closer and closer to them . It gets so dangerous they make a mad dash to their truck with everyone else that was watching the shower. By the time they get home their mom is sick and in the morning she is even sicker. When Alex does into town to get some food and meds for her mom she finds out that over half the town is sick with the same flu.
This book is so yummy and is such FANTASTIC SCI-FI THRILLER!! That you just have to read it!! The cover of the book has been designed with the reader in mind. Tempting you Read the book !! The blurb of the book also has been written to perfection tempting the reader. The story OMG what can I saw !!! I NEED MORE AND MORE OF ALEX, JAKE, AND CHRIS's story!!!! CAN HARDLY WAIT TO READ BOOK 2 IN THIS TRILOGY OF FORGOTTEN ORIGINS !!! I recommend this book to YA SCI FI READERS!! MisMousey gives it a firm 50 out of 5 star rating!!!
So what are you waiting for??? GET OVER TO AMAZON NOW AND GET YOUR COPY!!!
I enjoyed reading 'Bloodline'. The novel is a creative take on the usual Sci Fi invasion story. It was full of interesting twists and turns, and the plot moved quickly. It didn’t take me long to be drawn in, and I read it quite quickly. Ellis uses the tension of mystery to keep the reader engaged. Be prepared for a few surprises!
The characters were well drawn, and the strong sense of family established a solid foundation. Alex and her brother Jacob were well-developed and likeable. Unfortunately, I found many of the other characters a little flat and simplistic. This wasn’t really a problem, except for the character of Chris. It would have been nice to see him develop more. At times, he felt more like a handy plot device than a character. Hopefully this will be addressed in the next installment.
I like Ellis’s writing style. ‘Bloodline’ is an enjoyable example of a first person narrative that allows the reader insight into the feelings and thoughts of the main protagonist. I’m not usually a fan of authors who write their stories in present tense. But, in this case, it was well controlled and helped to build excitement by creating a sense of immediacy.
My only real complaint: the constant, frequent misuse of apostrophes! If, like me, you are something of a grammar nerd, be warned! I’m afraid there were moments when I wanted to get my red pen out and put a few big circles on the page.
There are times when the plot became quite complex, but generally this was handled with skill. An enjoyable SciFi read with a creative approach.
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This review originally appeared in my blog, www.gimmethatbook.com.
Heritage is book #2 of the Forgotten Origins trilogy, and it’s much deeper and more detailed than Bloodlines, book #1. The story picks up about a month after the pyramids have been activated, and the state is under martial law. Alex and Chris must reach out to the authorities and try to combat the forces of evil. The journey is difficult, as they are being stalked at every turn. Is Alex truly safe? Will she become a Shiner? And what of the mysterious Seth, of the Mudameere? His path keeps crossing Alex’s, and she can’t help but notice how handsome he is. Are they really on opposite sides…..or is their fate predetermined according to ancient Egyptian history?
Author Tara Ellis has done well with the plot exposition in Heritage. There is a great deal of action, the character development is more thorough, and the reader will learn about history and ancient beliefs, along with a bit of conspiracy theory. From the Pacific Northwest to a biodome built under the ocean, Alex and her crew will race against time to save the planet and try to convince the Nephilim that the human race should not be annihalated.
Some questions are answered, and new questions are posed. Hopefully, the answers to ALL questions will be revealed in the third and final book, Descent, published September 30th.