Review: Whispers In Autumn

Happy Wednesday!

Today, I'm hosting a review stop of a Goddess Fish tour for Whispers in Autumn by Trisha Leigh. Enjoy!

OH! And the author is giving away a few Amazon gift cards to randomly drawn commenters. Don't forget to leave your email address in the comments!

Blurb:

In 2015, a race of alien Others conquered Earth. They enslaved humanity not by force, but through an aggressive mind control that turned people into contented, unquestioning robots.

Except sixteen-year-old Althea isn’t content at all, and she doesn’t need the mysterious note inside her locket to tell her she’s Something Else. It also warns her to trust no one, so she hides the pieces that make her different, even though it means being alone.

Then she meets Lucas, everything changes.

Althea and Lucas are immune to the alien mind control, and together they search for the reason why. What they uncover is a stunning truth the Others never anticipated, one with the potential to free the brainwashed human race.

It’s not who they are that makes them special, but what.

And what they are is a threat. One the Others are determined to eliminate for good.

Review:

Whispers in Autumn follows sixteen year old Althea and her friend, Lucas, as they struggle to understand what makes them so different from the humans that surround them with creepy smiles.

The opening of the first chapter hooked me, and I read this entire book in four hours. Althea is a traveler, which means she hops from season to season and never experiences summer. She moves between several major cities that exist under the control of the Others. When she meets Lucas, her carefully constructed facade begins to shake, and we are able to watch her grow and learn to love. But the Others are onto them, and Althea's life quickly becomes a struggle to survive.

It's written in present tense, which is off putting for some but this story flows well with it. I was deeply invested in Althea, and then Lucas as well. The setting is amazingly crafted, with what should be normal activities controlled by the Others. The school known as the Cell, the Wardens, everything fell into place during the story to provide an overall amazing piece. I do wish it hadn't ended so abruptly, but I highly recommend this read.

Excerpt:

It’s early morning. It always is. The sound of movement on the floor below forces my fists to unclench, releasing the garish orange comforter wrinkled inside them. Last night I fell asleep at the Hammond’s house, where the bedding is green and spring crept toward an end. I never get used to starting over like this, but as my travels grow more frequent, a kind of numbness settles in. My feet find their way out from under the heavy down and settle into the slippers beside the bed.

As if I never left.

           

I shuffle across the thick, brown carpet and kneel on the padded window seat to peer outside. The trees are bright splotches against the vivid blue sky—some crimson, others a sunny yellow—with a few fiery oranges scattered about. Their bold colors verify my suspicions.

           

It’s autumn now.

About The Author:

Raised by a family of ex-farmers and/or almost rock stars from Northeastern Iowa, I’ve always loved to tell stories. After graduating from Texas Christian University with a degree in Film, I began to search for a way to release the voices in my head. IWhen I attempted my first YA novel, which would become Whispers in Autumn, I was hooked. I knew then my heart lay with telling stories about and for young adults, and for anyone who loves to read and recapture those fleeting “first” moments.

My spare time is spent reviewing television and movies, spending time with my large, loud, loving family, reading any book that falls into my hands, and being dragged into the fresh air by my dogs Yoda and Jilly.

Links:

http://www.trishaleigh.com

@trishaleighkc

trishaleighkc.tumblr.com

http://pinterest.com/trishaleighkc/

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/trisha.ziegenhorn

The Last Year – Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Last-Year/135691733234724

WHISPERS IN AUTUMN, my post-apocalyptic YA novel, is available for

 Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Whispers-Autumn-Last-Year-ebook/dp/B008NFVDTQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1343871707&sr=8-1&keywords=whispers+in+autumn

Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/whispers-in-autumn-trisha-leigh/1112185846?ean=9781475235944

 iBooks: http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/whispers-in-autumn/id547017689?ls=1

Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Whispers-in-Autumn/book-J98yTcHujkGR9kJkNbeM0A/page1.html?s=2W156r5aJUy25FwqT74Vcg&r=1

and in paperback!!

http://www.amazon.com/Whispers-In-Autumn-Book-Volume/dp/1475235941/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1343916972&sr=8-2&keywords=whispers+in+autumn