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All We See or Seem
Gryff’s orders lay unopened on the table.
The silent tension caused Gem to bite her lip. She tucked a loose strand of auburn hair behind her ear and shifted uneasily in the chair. Wide-eyed, Gryff sat stiffly beside her, regarding the envelope. He was like a statue—hands on his knees—staring interminably at the table.
Finally, Gem cleared her throat. Gryff jolted as if in a daze and turned to look at her. A look of uncertainty hung in his eyes. She swallowed the dry, sticky taste in her mouth and reached for his hand. It felt cold…clammy. Gem could feel the faint tremor of his fear radiating through his fingers. She took Gryff's hand between her own and squeezed, trying to infuse heat and reassurance at the same time.
"Sometimes they come back," Gem's voice was barely a whisper. It was a feeble attempt, but she was grasping at straws here.
Everyone knows.
They don't come back. Never whole, anyway.
The silent tension caused Gem to bite her lip. She tucked a loose strand of auburn hair behind her ear and shifted uneasily in the chair. Wide-eyed, Gryff sat stiffly beside her, regarding the envelope. He was like a statue—hands on his knees—staring interminably at the table.
Finally, Gem cleared her throat. Gryff jolted as if in a daze and turned to look at her. A look of uncertainty hung in his eyes. She swallowed the dry, sticky taste in her mouth and reached for his hand. It felt cold…clammy. Gem could feel the faint tremor of his fear radiating through his fingers. She took Gryff's hand between her own and squeezed, trying to infuse heat and reassurance at the same time.
"Sometimes they come back," Gem's voice was barely a whisper. It was a feeble attempt, but she was grasping at straws here.
Everyone knows.
They don't come back. Never whole, anyway.
194 pages, Paperback
First published May 27, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 16, 2012
I received this book from the nice people over at Astraea Press, for free, in exchange of an honest review.
There's something to be said about books which suck you in right from the very beginning. This was one such book.
It was exactly the right length and the way it ended made me want to get my hands on the sequel right away.
What was missing were more details about the place the stems were being kept. Yes, we were given hints that emotion wasn't encouraged but I would have liked to see a glimpse of the day to day life there.
I loved the fact that the stems were strangers to the concept of physical intimacy and all the scenes with Aaron (while he was at the hospital) left me worried about what had been done to Gryff.
I also loved the deviousness of the scientists- I mean devious scientists are the best kind!
The secret about Aaron's mom was expected but still a good one.
Can't wait to read the next one!
There's something to be said about books which suck you in right from the very beginning. This was one such book.
It was exactly the right length and the way it ended made me want to get my hands on the sequel right away.
What was missing were more details about the place the stems were being kept. Yes, we were given hints that emotion wasn't encouraged but I would have liked to see a glimpse of the day to day life there.
I loved the fact that the stems were strangers to the concept of physical intimacy and all the scenes with Aaron (while he was at the hospital) left me worried about what had been done to Gryff.
I also loved the deviousness of the scientists- I mean devious scientists are the best kind!
The secret about Aaron's mom was expected but still a good one.
Can't wait to read the next one!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 8, 2012
I received this book in a giveaway through Goodreads. When I entered the drawing I was intrigued by the synopsis but also wondered if it would be a book I would enjoy. It's often hard to tell how much I will like a book just given a few sentences and some cover art but the double-helix on the cover got me interested.
I enjoyed reading this book. It was well written and from the first couple of pages I was hooked, wondering what was happening and what was going to happen next. The author does a nice job of feeding little bits of information to the reader, never divulging the whole story line at once but rather in increments or by inference. I, as the reader, felt like I was picking up pieces of a puzzle on each page until I could put them all together at the end. The dialog was realistic and flowed well; the environment Gem and Gryff came from is well-developed and the contrast between that environment and the rest of the world was well-played. The author thought through what would be familiar to Gem and what wouldn't be familiar to her rather than expecting the reader to believe that Gem understood everything after leaving her familiar surroundings. There could have been more development in that particular area but overall it was well done.
I do have to say that in my opinion the ending fizzled. What might have been an edge-of-the-seat conclusion was instead a gentle deflating of the story. I don't know if All We See or Seem is just the first installment of a series--if so, that makes the ending of this one less disappointing. Judging by the last sentence of the book there is more to come and I look forward to reading it. I'll definitely be on the lookout for whatever is next.
I enjoyed reading this book. It was well written and from the first couple of pages I was hooked, wondering what was happening and what was going to happen next. The author does a nice job of feeding little bits of information to the reader, never divulging the whole story line at once but rather in increments or by inference. I, as the reader, felt like I was picking up pieces of a puzzle on each page until I could put them all together at the end. The dialog was realistic and flowed well; the environment Gem and Gryff came from is well-developed and the contrast between that environment and the rest of the world was well-played. The author thought through what would be familiar to Gem and what wouldn't be familiar to her rather than expecting the reader to believe that Gem understood everything after leaving her familiar surroundings. There could have been more development in that particular area but overall it was well done.
I do have to say that in my opinion the ending fizzled. What might have been an edge-of-the-seat conclusion was instead a gentle deflating of the story. I don't know if All We See or Seem is just the first installment of a series--if so, that makes the ending of this one less disappointing. Judging by the last sentence of the book there is more to come and I look forward to reading it. I'll definitely be on the lookout for whatever is next.
March 28, 2013
Before we begin it should be noted that I received this book because a very attractive woman I know won it in a FirstReads drawing. She was kind enough to pass it along to me and so I'd like to invite her over for dinner sometime so I can properly show my appreciation.
Overall I would give Sanders' offering fairly high marks. For the uninitiated to the genre it's an accessible introduction to the "Brave New World" line of science fiction. The story runs as a parallel love story and degenerate society allegory. Saying much more in specific would constitute a spoiler so I will merely end there.
I must add though that as one who was practically weened on the genre it took exactly two pages to tease out the main storyline. Within those two pages it's apparent that what we have is an intertwining of Huxley and THX 1138. Don't expect anything earthshaking here but it is a quick read even if it doesn't break any new ground. She does add a human and romantic flair that was never well executed in previous renderings of this motif.
To summarize, this is a great one-night read but not something that will have you nerding out around the water-cooler at work the next day.
Overall I would give Sanders' offering fairly high marks. For the uninitiated to the genre it's an accessible introduction to the "Brave New World" line of science fiction. The story runs as a parallel love story and degenerate society allegory. Saying much more in specific would constitute a spoiler so I will merely end there.
I must add though that as one who was practically weened on the genre it took exactly two pages to tease out the main storyline. Within those two pages it's apparent that what we have is an intertwining of Huxley and THX 1138. Don't expect anything earthshaking here but it is a quick read even if it doesn't break any new ground. She does add a human and romantic flair that was never well executed in previous renderings of this motif.
To summarize, this is a great one-night read but not something that will have you nerding out around the water-cooler at work the next day.
November 16, 2012
A beautifully written sci fi story that swung from romance to intrigue and back again. The writing style varies, too, with sections of an austere minimalism — dialogue only, no narration — that leave the reader gasping to keep up with all the packed-in meanings, followed by slow, haunting, long-distance love-dream scenes. Oh, shoot, it's hard to explain. It's beautiful and intriguing. There will be a sequel soon, right? Right? You're not just going to leave it there, are you?
August 15, 2014
Wow! Leah Sanders makes this sci-fi tale completely believable!
Read full review in the 2012 November issue of InD’tale Magazine.
Read full review in the 2012 November issue of InD’tale Magazine.
August 4, 2013
3.5 stars
I really enjoyed this book! I have have always been fascinated by the what is and can be possible concerning genetic engineering, and have always been mindful of the bio-ethics involved. This book is a moving and exciting entry into a sci-fi staple.
I will absolutely read the next installment.
I really enjoyed this book! I have have always been fascinated by the what is and can be possible concerning genetic engineering, and have always been mindful of the bio-ethics involved. This book is a moving and exciting entry into a sci-fi staple.
I will absolutely read the next installment.
August 17, 2014
Clones
Clones
pretty good similar to a few others I've read like this. clones + romance and government helping to keep it secret. looking forward to find out what going to happen next.
Clones
pretty good similar to a few others I've read like this. clones + romance and government helping to keep it secret. looking forward to find out what going to happen next.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 29, 2013
Great concept. Writing was ok. Fell apart in the details.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews