Marit WeisenbergBesprekingen

Poppy's family is on the move, again. Keeping their identity a secret, never letting anyone get to close. She's been on the run her whole life. New names, new cities, new schools. Her mom doesn't leave home ofter, her dad is always on the watch. When they settle at a new spot in California, her mom seems different. Her parents calm, practiced exterior seems frayed. Poppy, for the first time, falls in love with an impossibly handsome, privileged boy and for the first time she starts to think about her own future.
Family secrets are revealed and truths uncovered as Poppy tries to figure out who she is beyond her insular family unit.½

4 1/2 stars. I have been in a reading slump for several weeks and this book pulled me out of it. Poppy and her family have been on the run all of her life. She and her sister know better than to make friends or give out any revealing personal information. But Poppy is about to turn 18 and she wonders what will happen to her once she becomes an adult. She convinces her parents to let her go to a summer school class which gives her a glimpse of what her future could be. She meets a teacher who wants to be her mentor and a boy who could be more than a friend. Poppy begins to search for information about her parents' identities. Who are they? Why are they hiding? Unused to technology, her actions put her parents in jeopardy. How much should Poppy sacrifice for her family when she doesn't even know the truth about her parents? What about her future? And what will she decide when none of her choices give her everything she wants?½

This book is all about finding your place in life, about the choices we make and their consequences and how much we are willing to risk for the people we love .

Julia Jaynes and her family are part of a race of super-evolved humans who have to suppress their abilities from outsiders in order to keep from being discovered.

Julia Jaynes is the daughter of leader Novak, but he is more than a father; he is leader of a group of people called the Puras who have extraordinary powers, and he and his leadership team are trying to keep everyone safe from the rest of the world. They are a highly evolved race of human beings. Julia, her family, and a small group of others live amongst ordinary normal humans. They stick together keeping their talents hidden from the humans while living in plain view.

One day while out in public, Julia accidentally exposes a little too much of her abilities. In punishment for saving her younger sister from drowning she is relegated from a select Prep School to public Austin high school with strict instructions to blend in and make sure she appears as a normal high school kid until further notice!

It’s was hard enough at their super elite private school where their father’s money means something, so public school proves a challenge.

Julia realises she can read the mind of a boy named John and before they both realise it, they are developing feelings for each other, becoming friends and then lovers. Now she must decide if John is worth the risk of permanent banishment.

There are some interesting twists and sub-plots, especially at the end and the many twists help bring that realization that your actions can really change the way you and others perceive the world around you.

This is definitely a book for Twilight and Fallen fans.

This book will be published on 3 Oct 2017

What a strange and convoluted book this was!
 
I suppose I expected it to be a bit more fantastical, a bit more whimsical, a bit more sci-fi, and a lot more exciting, but... it wasn't. I started and stopped it many times because I kept getting bored.
 
I really just failed to understand a conflict early on between Julia and her father that ends up with her going to public school. I could not buy that premise and had a lot of negative feelings and questions as to why this was happening.
 
None of these characters felt particularly well developed to me. There was potential, but from a strange sibling relationship to a forced family dynamic to an almost suicidal friendgroup, all of the connections in this seemed very artificial and unreal. And don't get me started on the John/Julia thing--there was zero substance there. I couldn't get involved.
 
I like the idea of highly-evolved humans, but again, the backstory wasn't developed here and the future story wasn't really either. I think I'd be far more interested in reading about a character set in the future of these people. There was potential for a lot of commentary on the environment and on society, but these were all overlooked. It ultimately came off as having a cult-like feel and I couldn't really root for anyone.
 
There are far more exciting and engaging YA books upcoming that deal with important themes, and I'm not too fond of this one as a stand in for those.
 
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, Charlesbridge, Charlesbridge Teen, and Marit Weisenberg for this Granted Wish advanced preview copy of Select for an honest review --




I was blown away to recieve this granted wish ARC, because the art and the synopsis grabbed me from the first time I saw it available/coming soon for publication. I couldn't help feeling the tug of love, also, being a Texas, that it mentions Austin right from the get go.

While the beginning of Select is a little slow, I feel it takes its time to slowly pull you into understanding the world. How Julia's world is constructed and why it's terrible to fall from such a high height. The way the cultish, but perfect life of hers begins to slowly peel back as Julia's view point widens to the world she was dropped in, we begin to feel the eerie dangers present that were oblivious overlooked or missed in the earlier portions of Julia's life.

I like that the love story in this novel wasn't instantly everything for both of the characters. That, they like we coming into the novel, are a slow and gradual gravity toward each other. Julia because she's displaced, to this place that is supposed to cow her rebellion, and John because of the novelty of Julia, who she is, where she comes from, what she can do.

I love all the twists and turns of the secrets of the book, and I'm incredibly hesitant about how to describe them, as no one should be spoiled on getting them just the way we all did as early readers. The depths of the machine behind everything is broad and you'll find yourself gasping, horrified, disliking characters you might have liked earlier, cheering for things that come to pass the way they have to by the end.

This book was a fast, hard, love, that demanded you read it in every free second you had, and I will be picking up a copy as soon as it is available!

teen fiction - knowing that Poppy's family's precarious situation can unravel at any moment (and most likely because of something she does) is very suspenseful, but the well-paced writing also makes this hard to put down, with a sweet bit of romance rolled in.½

A dandy blend of mystery, romance, and coming of age featuring an extremely likable protagonist. Not many of us had a chance to be the best when we were teens, but most of us had daydreams of being there. Ingrid was on her way to a possible berth on the Olympic diving team, but when something happened as she began a dive, she miscalculated and hit her head, resulting in a serious concussion that is accompanied by memory loss and insomnia. Now, she feels tired all the time, can't sleep at night and feels an emptiness inside because she's afraid her dream is evaporating. Flashbacks to her younger years when she was inseparable from three boys living nearby, mysterious goings on in the abandoned house next door, a maybe relationship with Van, the boy she's liked (maybe more) for years, coupled with pieces of the event that distracted her during that fateful dive all come together to make this a most satisfying read.

Aren't you just intrigued by that premise? As soon as I read those five principles included in the summary, I knew that this was a book that I wanted to read. And I jumped at the chance to read this one not even realizing that this book was young adult which I don't usually read. Books like this could definitely change that though! I started this one on a Friday night only expecting to read a chapter or two. Before I knew it though, I was almost 35% in. This book was such a page turner (well I was swiping pages since I was reading on my e-reader). From the very beginning, I found myself completely intrigued by the premise. I kept trying to guess what her parents were running from and why. It just made for such a compelling read. I'm going to be honest that the budding romance was an element of the book that I could take or leave. I don't mean that in a bad way - it just wasn't what kept me reading and pulled me into the story. I'm also not the intended audience for this book - and I can guarantee that my daughter would be completely behind the romance that was developing. I'm actually planning on handing my copy of this book off to her because I'm absolutely sure that she would enjoy it. The one that I loved most about this book was that even with all of the unknowns and questions - the love that Poppy's family had for one another was strong and present throughout the pages of this book. It was so nice to see the love that they had for one another. I just really enjoyed this book and definitely plan on reading more by this author in the future.

Readers who enjoy young adult mysteries, suspenseful and page turning reads, or those who just want a plain good read should pick this book up!

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher. Honest thoughts are my own.

"We'll always be together."

Poppy's parents won't tell her anything about their past. Instead, they live by a set of rules designed to keep them safe - don't tell anyone your real name, your mother can never be seen in public, if anything feels off, go to the meeting place. Every time Poppy or her younger sister Emma start to get close to someone, the family packs up their bags and moves, picking up a mysterious package with new fake identities and a wad of cash. But one day, on a whim, Poppy takes a DNA test, setting into motion a chain of events she can't take back, no matter how much she might want to.

Poppy's seventeen, facing a future where she can never keep one identity long enough to finish a class, much less go to college or build a career. When she enrolls in a number theory class on a whim, she discovers how many gaps she has in her knowledge and how many opportunities she's missed by moving around so much, but she also discovers she has a keen intellect ready for the challenge of catching up, and a handsome boy in her class ready to help her discover all the things she's missed. But stopping running means giving up on her parents, a choice Poppy isn't sure she's ready to make. Poppy's determined to find out why they live the way they do and what her parents are running from.

This book is complete with tension, drama, a handsome rich boy and a star-crossed love story. The mystery of Poppy's parents' identity kept me hooked, frantically turning pages to find out what clue Poppy would discover next.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

3.5

After a serious diving injury leads to a concussion, Ingrid struggles with remembering piecing together what went wrong with that last dive that resulting in her injury. Her mind is a blank to everything surrounding it. But with a mandatory month away from the diving board hopefully, that will provide her with plenty of time to heal. Consequently, Ingrid can't seem to fall asleep. As her insomnia gets worse so does the stress and anxiety revolving around diving.

Ingrid finds an ally in her neighbor Van. Former childhood best friend and current crush, even though he's dating a girl on Ingrid's diving team. Van too is suffering from insomnia but his stems from a party where he blacked out and can't remember what happened, only that his friends are now treating him differently. So Van and Ingrid ban together to help one another and their focus turns to the abandoned house next to Ingrid's. There have been strange happenings in the house ever since the family mysteriously left if, and it's where the party took place that Van attended but can't remember.

But as the pieces start coming back for both of them and connects are formed, will they be able to rely on the truth?

The Insomniacs is the first book I've read by Merit Weisenberg. I think I was expecting the story to be a bit lighter, and was a bit surprised by the heavy topics that it tackles.

At the forefront for me was the idea of the pressure young people face to have a plan, to know their future, to excel. Ingrid was a natural diver and somewhere along the way it turned from something she did to feel closer to her father (who was also a diver and who later would leave Ingrid and her mother) to something she was the best at, something that would carry her through college and maybe into the Olympics. When she's injured and the possibility of losing all of that is in sight, it both stresses her out - what else has can she do - but also is a sense of relief - she has an excuse to slow down a bit and take time for herself for once. There's a real possibility that she may never be able to dive at the level she was before her injury, not because she can't remember events, but because there's this fear in her that wasn't present previously. I think that Merit Weisenberg does a great job of tying this into the underlining issues that Ingrid still faces from the abandonment of her father. Although they are issues she hasn't spoken about to anyone and not really even acknowledged within herself.

I liked the idea of how our mind and memories can shape our interpretations of certain situations. The subconscious picking up signs and cues. We see this develop with both Ingrid and Van as they begin to piece together the missing parts of their memories and as those pictures become whole again.

I'll say that here is where the story gets a bit too crowded with everything it's trying to do. As I think back on the story I'm trying myself to do a play-by-play and when you combine the issue of insomnia for both Van and Ingrid, add in the mysterious happenings at the house next door, plus the issues Ingrid is dealing with in going back to diving, the way things progress and connect (or disconnect) is a bit jumbled and I think Van's side of things comes out a bit weaker. To be fair, the story is told completely from Ingrid's perspective, but I feel that if focus had been mainly on her issues those could have been even stronger. There was plenty to focus and dig through for sure.

I liked the tentative romance, the childhood crush finally seeing you, former friends reconnecting, but I feel like this book is being pegged as a more romance heavy story than it is. It's sweet and does fit within the overarching story line, but for me wasn't as prevalent as I had thought it was going to be based on the blurb.

Along with everything going on, there are quite a few twists and turns in the story. Not wanting to give anything away, I could feel certain twists and turns in my gut as I read. I don't know if this was intentional tying in with the idea of subconscious feeling, or if I've read too many books where things progress in a similar way (again maybe my own subconscious hmmm), but I wasn't surprised by many of the twists.

I was mostly invested in seeing Ingrid finally open herself up. To the past with her father, to her new fears of diving, to love, to her future whatever it holds. I think seeing Ingrid hold on so tight to the control of her life, not wanting anything to slip, was the hardest part of the story to read, but it should be. Young people should not feel like they are isolated, that they need to keep the stiff upper lip. They should be able to share their hurts and dreams, fears and desires. That is what The Insomniacs was to me.
3 months ago

Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.beckiebookworm.com



🌟🌟🌟1/2 Stars
Select was such a delightful read. I was so happy to have wished for this on NetGalley and to have that wish granted was fabulous.
So Select is the first book in a new Young Adult paranormal series.
It revolves around Julia Jaynes who Comes from a race of highly-evolved humans,
This group hide in plain sight amongst the general populace who they refer to as outsiders.
Julia seems to have it all, The perfect family and lifestyle at least this is what it appears outwardly to others.
After an incident that gets this elite family group noticed Jayne is made an example of and sent to the local public high school with the outsiders and ordered to lie low, suppress and also tamp down her emerging extraordinary abilities.
Here she re-meets John Ford and the two overtime become friendly.
Now there is a lot more to this Young Adult debut novel than meets the eye, you need to look deeper beneath the layers and unravel the perfect illusion that is Julia's life.
Most of the characters that claim to care for our young Julia are toxic to her.
Her father Novak is a big old douche, manipulative, cold and cruel but with a strange ability that compels others to gravitate towards him, giving him their faith and trust, in fact, It seems to have at times an almost cultish element to some of the family's interactions.
Victoria her step-mother is a first class bitch, despite practically raising Julia from the age of Two she treats her like a second-class citizen, putting her own daughter Liv over Julia in everything.
Then there's the younger sister Liv herself, self-centred, over-entitled, little princess, I really don't like her and really wish Julia would stop making excuses for the spoilt little madam.
The bestie Angus, well I was divided in my opinion of him I'm going to see how he behaves in future as I'm pretty sure we haven't seen the last of him.
I have my eye on you boyo.
Oh, and Angus and the Lost Boys dropped poor Julia like a bad disease when she was on the out and these are meant to be her friends.
So where was I, Oh yes Julia and Ford, well these two start a fledgeling relationship filled with the usual teenage angst.
I will also say that I wasn't overly fond of the methods employed by Julia initially of reading John's mind, but gave her a temporary free pass because she's young and still learning.
In herself, Julia was a show of extremes so grown up in some ways and then so irritatingly naive and selfish in others, I myself think her privileged upbringing played a big part in shaping Julia.
And am hoping she will evolve so much more going forward.
As for John himself well he seems a very solid lad, A touch rebellious but he definitely seems to have his head screwed on right, he comes across as more grounded than Julia and more adult also.
As you can imagine this tale is not plain sailing and when its time to get out of dodge, things around Julia start to collapse like a pack of cards, decisions need making and secrets are finally revealed and on this note, I will leave it.
Select leaves us with more questions than answers.
it sets itself up for the next in this series nicely, which I will definitely be reading as I now feel so invested in this story and its many diverse characters.
This may be a Young Adult Novel but I would definitely recommend to all ages it kept my attention and I'm forty-four.
It's well written and a definite page turner, pulling the reader in.
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for providing me with a free arc of Select by Marit Wiesenberg, it was lovely of you to grant my wish.
This is my own personal unbiased opinion.



Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.beckiebookworm.com/
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/

Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.beckiebookworm.com



🌟🌟🌟1/2 Stars
Select was such a delightful read. I was so happy to have wished for this on NetGalley and to have that wish granted was fabulous.
So Select is the first book in a new Young Adult paranormal series.
It revolves around Julia Jaynes who Comes from a race of highly-evolved humans,
This group hide in plain sight amongst the general populace who they refer to as outsiders.
Julia seems to have it all, The perfect family and lifestyle at least this is what it appears outwardly to others.
After an incident that gets this elite family group noticed Jayne is made an example of and sent to the local public high school with the outsiders and ordered to lie low, suppress and also tamp down her emerging extraordinary abilities.
Here she re-meets John Ford and the two overtime become friendly.
Now there is a lot more to this Young Adult debut novel than meets the eye, you need to look deeper beneath the layers and unravel the perfect illusion that is Julia's life.
Most of the characters that claim to care for our young Julia are toxic to her.
Her father Novak is a big old douche, manipulative, cold and cruel but with a strange ability that compels others to gravitate towards him, giving him their faith and trust, in fact, It seems to have at times an almost cultish element to some of the family's interactions.
Victoria her step-mother is a first class bitch, despite practically raising Julia from the age of Two she treats her like a second-class citizen, putting her own daughter Liv over Julia in everything.
Then there's the younger sister Liv herself, self-centred, over-entitled, little princess, I really don't like her and really wish Julia would stop making excuses for the spoilt little madam.
The bestie Angus, well I was divided in my opinion of him I'm going to see how he behaves in future as I'm pretty sure we haven't seen the last of him.
I have my eye on you boyo.
Oh, and Angus and the Lost Boys dropped poor Julia like a bad disease when she was on the out and these are meant to be her friends.
So where was I, Oh yes Julia and Ford, well these two start a fledgeling relationship filled with the usual teenage angst.
I will also say that I wasn't overly fond of the methods employed by Julia initially of reading John's mind, but gave her a temporary free pass because she's young and still learning.
In herself, Julia was a show of extremes so grown up in some ways and then so irritatingly naive and selfish in others, I myself think her privileged upbringing played a big part in shaping Julia.
And am hoping she will evolve so much more going forward.
As for John himself well he seems a very solid lad, A touch rebellious but he definitely seems to have his head screwed on right, he comes across as more grounded than Julia and more adult also.
As you can imagine this tale is not plain sailing and when its time to get out of dodge, things around Julia start to collapse like a pack of cards, decisions need making and secrets are finally revealed and on this note, I will leave it.
Select leaves us with more questions than answers.
it sets itself up for the next in this series nicely, which I will definitely be reading as I now feel so invested in this story and its many diverse characters.
This may be a Young Adult Novel but I would definitely recommend to all ages it kept my attention and I'm forty-four.
It's well written and a definite page turner, pulling the reader in.
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for providing me with a free arc of Select by Marit Wiesenberg, it was lovely of you to grant my wish.
This is my own personal unbiased opinion.



Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.beckiebookworm.com/
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/

Julia Jaynes has left her family and is living in a hotel trying to suppress her abilities. Her family have disappeared, but they left her with financial support. John's abilities continue to developed even when they are separated. Angus talks her into a road trip to California where she and John plan to go to college. It's a summer of discovery and fear because her father wants John because he believes John is the answer for the group's future. Although there is currently no talk of a book three, book two won't be released until October 9, 2018 and there seems to be plenty of story to tell.

FROM AMAZON: After rejecting the cult-like influence of her father's family, Julia moves into a fancy hotel in downtown Austin. But she finds herself alone except for her boyfriend, John--and her fears. Once again she's suppressing her abilities, afraid her family will come for John when they find out he's been developing abilities of his own in her presence. The FBI is also keeping a close eye on Julia hoping she can lead them to her father, Novak, as he's wanted for questioning in his former assistant's death.

With tensions high, Julia and John agree to go separate ways for the summer, paving the way for Julia to reunite with Angus, fellow outcast. Together they set out on a road trip to California to find Julia's mom and a way into Novak's secret underground world. Along the way Julia will learn the Puri perhaps aren't the only humans evolving into something different. . . and that maybe she's the leader her people have needed all along.

Very interesting book that I found at TLA 2018. Have first two books, autographed. thoroughly enjoyed.

A select group with paranormal powers has survived for centuries by keeping their true nature secret. Now it's been seventeen years since a baby has been conceived and it's time for them to disappear from our modern, electronic world. Power corrupts and absolute power absolutely corrupts, and their leader cares nothing for anyone who does not follow his visions. His oldest daughter was conceived with a "lesser" being but he takes her to their Austin compound. As she grows up and starts to come into her powers, he selects of group of teens who are not allowed to fully develop which includes her, while her younger half sister is in the elite group. Many twists and turns to this plot and I'm so glad I have book two and don't have to wait!
A modern-day young adult retelling of Romeo and Juliet, with a supernatural twist that will appeal to fans of Ally Condie’s Matched and Kiera Cass’ The Selection

FROM AMAZON: Julia Jaynes has the perfect life. The perfect family. The perfect destiny. The daughter of a billionaire investor in Austin, Texas, it looks like Julia has it all. But there's something rotten beneath the surface—dangerous secrets her father is keeping; abilities she was never meant to have; and an elite society of highly evolved people who care nothing for the rest of humanity. So when Julia accidentally jeopardizes the delicate anonymity of her people, she's banished to the one place meant to make her feel inferior: public high school.

Julia's goal is to lay low and blend in. Then she meets him—John Ford. He’s popular, quiet, intense, and strangely compelling. Then Julia discovers she can read his mind and her world expands. Their forbidden love is powerful enough to break the conditioning that has kept Julia in the cold grip of her manipulative father. For the first time, Julia develops a sense of self and questions her restrictive upbringing and her family prejudices. She must decide how she will define herself—and whom she will betray.

So what drew me to this book in the first place was the science fiction element. Of course, from the blurb, I knew there was a fair bit of romance. What I wasn't expecting was that 90% of this novel would be romance and only 10% would be actual science fiction. That part was a big disappointment because I thought there would be more to her powers than what the author had in mind. I think if the author had spent more time developing the science fiction aspect of the story, there would have been more depth to the story. However .... I still really enjoyed the book. I usually don't like romance novels; they make me cringe with the clichéd phrases. But for some reason, this one worked. Now, I'm not saying that the romance between Josh and Julia was spot-on; there were some definite holes in the way things worked and developed between the two. But it also reminded me of my own high school experiences, the friendships that blossom into something more, and the sweetness of first love. It was cute and sweet and simple and I liked it. I also liked that the author showed how Julia was affected by the actions and thoughts of other characters. While this made the story more of a realistic fiction than science fiction, it was an aspect that was still well done. Now, if you were looking for a good science fiction novel, then this is not the one for you. I mean, it seriously has nothing to offer in terms of that genre. If you like sweet romance mixed with family drama, then you would probably enjoy this story. Because that's pretty much what it's all about. Because the science fiction part was misleading but I actually enjoyed the romance part of this story, I'm giving this a 3.5/5 stars.

I received this novel as an advanced copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

For more reviews, visit: www.veereading.wordpress.com

SELECT by Marit Weisenberg is a fast-paced, young adult fantasy.

When Julia is sent to a public high school, she tries to blend in. However she soon finds herself in a forbidden relationship that will impact her family and beyond.

Librarians will find fans of paranormal romance attracted to the love story, while fantasy lovers will enjoy the idea of the select community. The final twist will make readers wonder when the sequel will be released.

Published by Charlesbridge Teen on October 3, 2017. ARC courtesy of the publisher.

3.5 Stars
An interesting mix of supernatural teens split into different groups and how one interacts with regular high school kids. A good concept, some original ideas, and an intriguing plot, but some characters and the flow need a little more work. If you like YA Sci-fi and/or dystopias, then give this one a chance. The novel is decent enough that I am interested to know what happens next.

Net Galley Feedback½

"Select" by Marit Wiesenberg was very different than what I expected. I had assumed it would be a book about the descendants of the "Annunaki" but it turned out to be very different.
Julia is from a race of highly evolved humans who are hiding in plain sight among average humans. When she makes an ill-advised mistake that threatens to expose her group, she is "punished" by being made to go to an average high school away from everyone she knows and loves until she is in their good graces once again.
The more I read the book, the more fascinated I was with Julia's world and also Julia herself. She seems like she does not quite fit in with her group and also does not fit in with the kids at high school. She obviously has some sort of appeal with her black hair, tattoos, and tough attitude because she finds herself connected in more ways than one with a fellow high school student named John. I kept picturing Julia as Lisbeth in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoos movie. I was so involved and interested in this story that I didn't want to put it down. I am really looking forward to the second book in the series. This is a fantastic YA novel that should not be missed.
I received a copy of this book from the publishers via Netgalley for free in exchange for my honest review.

This novel was definitely different than most I’ve become accustomed to in the YA genre because it was more of a melting between Sci Fi and YA which I found intriguing and a nice change of pace.

This is supposed to be the first in a new series and Marit Weisenberg has a unique insight into the human condition that comes through her characters, their psychological development which evolves through the choices they make, and how they deal with life in general.

The only downside that I could see is the romance part between the two main characters. I can seriously see that being an either love it or hate it part of the book’s storyline because it’s classic YA. Considering what a different type of plot overall the author went for it would’ve been nice to see more depth and complexity in this area. I also wish she had tightened up the dialogue some, at times she made the characters sound older through her word choices than they were purported to be.

She has a way of creating characters you will either invest in or hate.

There are some interesting surprises and the conclusion will make you want to read the sequel when it hits. There just seemed to be a little bit of everything in this book which made it compelling enough to read, worthy of my time and curious to see where she’ll go in the second.