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    Darwin's Children
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    Darwin's Children
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    Darwin's Children
    Ebook381 pages4 hours

    Darwin's Children

    By Natasha Larry

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    Life can get pretty complicated for any seventeen-year-old girl, but for a home-schooled telepathic black girl trying to survive in a prestigious private school in small-town Jonesborough, Tennessee, it can be maddening – especially when her telepathic father keeps eavesdropping on her thoughts!

    Jaycie Lerner’s family isn’t the usual mom-dad-kid setup. Jaycie’s mom’s MIA, but Allison, her personal live-in ‘trainer,’ is more than a mom, with her own special abilities, like being able to lift cars and run incredibly fast. And Jaycie’s godfather John is more than persuasive – he can literally convince anyone to do anything.

    As far as the rest of the world’s concerned, Jaycie’s on the outside looking in. The townsfolk love Jaycie’s pediatrician father, but she doesn’t fit in with ‘normal’ kids, and she doesn’t really want to. Most of her free time is spent training to keep her telekinetic and telepathic powers under control. But there’s one thing she can’t control – and that’s her feelings, especially when her best friend Matt is nearby. If only he knew what she was truly capable of...

    Everything seems to be status quo for Jaycie until she receives a cryptic message from a stranger and meets a very unusual girl new to Jonesborough. Then all hell breaks loose!

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenumbra Publishing
    Release dateMay 10, 2011
    ISBN9781935563501
    Unavailable
    Darwin's Children
    Author

    Natasha Larry

    Natasha Larry resides in Huntsville, Alabama, with her daughter and fiancé. She graduated from Tusculum College with a B.A. in History and is currently working on getting her certificate in education. She is a self-proclaimed comic-book nerd and urban-fantasy junkie. Her poetry and short fiction has appeared in publications such as Writing Edge magazine and Escaping Elsewhere. Darwin’s Children is her first work of novel-length fiction.

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    Reviews for Darwin's Children

    3.5/5

    23 ratings9 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Very nicely done. I have to admit, at first I had my doubts. I had a difficult time getting into the story at the beginning. Since I was only one fourth of the way through, I decided to keep plugging and I'm glad I did. It turned out to be pretty entertaining.

      The characters are easily likable, especially the compassionate Jaycie. The actual plot shows up somewhere between page thirty and forty. By page sixty, the story hooks the reader. It should appeal to anyone. There's romance, family, friendship, some action, and some really cool super powers. Think X-men with evolutionary theory. Speaking of, Larry makes some nice references to philosophy, and the book really embodies those philosophies. I was particularly drawn to the relationship between Jaycie and Matt and the friendship between Jaycie and Haylee. If it sounds like it might be up your ally, than go for it. I'm recommending it.

      Prude Filter: There's not much to worry about. Some violence and a few references to sex. It's totally suitable for a teen.

      This book was provided by the author for review. I did not receive any payment in exchange for the review nor was I obligated to write a positive one. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, the book's publisher and publicist or the readers of this review. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
    • 1/5
      Due to copy and paste, formatting has been lost.I think that my problems with this book are probably pretty juvenile, but I'll start with this one: I don't believe in evolution. I'm a southern baptist kind of girl, so evolution just does not sit well for me. But for the sake of this review, I won't focus on that part. I'll focus on my other problems.The writing and dialogue were very choppy in the beginning. Towards the end it started to get better and was a lot less choppy, but it was really hard not to correct all of the "choppiness". Also, every one of the characters refer to themselves in the third person. Points of view changed in the MIDDLE of paragraphs, and that honestly confused the HECK out of me...All of the adults treat Jaycie like she's a little kid. Like her every problem and every want should be attended to immediately. And I honestly don't like that. She behaves like a little kid sometimes, so it is understandable, but still.Matt and Jaycie's relationship seemed really...I don't know. Forced, maybe? In the beginning, Matt seemed like a total sweetheart, but after he and Jaycie get together they're off picking stupid fights over silly stuff (i.e., Jaycie's not going to college), and then they make up way too quickly. Also, I don't know where I picked this up, but when a guy calls a girl "baby" all the time, it makes me think that he doesn't want to slip up and call her the wrong name. Call me crazy, y'all, but that's what I think when I hear "baby".I did like Allison, but her being the only real bright spot in the story doesn't bode well for me. Also, for argument's sake, you could say that another issue I had was the philosophy. I love philosophy, in a weird kind of way. But I couldn't help but argue with all the philosophy presented by this book. Just couldn't help it, because that's the way I am.All in all, I didn't enjoy Darwin's Children. It simply wasn't for me, but you never know what you might enjoy!
    • 1/5
      Reviewed by ValerieReview copy provided by authorWarning: Sexual abuse and violence. My Cover Thoughts: I liked the cover. Review: When I first started this book, I enjoyed getting to know the main character, Jaycie, as she discovers her special powers. Her interactions with her personal “trainer” and her father were especially entertaining. There was some light romance involving a best friend, Matt, turning into her boyfriend. The story took a different twist when a guardian popped up and told Jaycie to get a job and that’s where she meets another character, Haylee, leading a very hard life with an alcoholic mother. As the story continued, I enjoyed the developing friendship between the girls as Jaycie continues to try to figure out her relationship with her best friend/boyfriend. Without Haylee realizing it, Jaycie finds out she also has special powers and isn’t sure how to let her friend know without scaring her off. Haylee begins spending more and more time with Jaycie, including more time at her house since her mom isn’t around much. The two develop a trusting relationship and Jaycie finally tells Haylee the truth. At this point, the story took on a very disturbing twist when Jaycie finds out that Haylee was sexually abused by strangers with her father’s permission. Jaycie takes on her friend’s pain and devises a way to get revenge. I did not finish this book. The scene where Haylee was being abused was sickening and not necessary for this book to make its point. When Jaycie began plotting revenge for her friend and kidnaps the dad, I simply stopped reading it from lack of interest in where the story was going. Advice: As a young adult librarian, I do not recommend this book for young adults.
    • 4/5
      Darwin’s Children by Natasha Larry

      This is another great book that I recently was given to read and review by Natasha Larry, I was hooked right in the beginning, and the author did a terrific job describing Jaycie’s emotions and the life she leads on a daily basis. You automatically feel for Jaycie and it keeps you turning the pages as you want to know more.

      Jaycie has been homeschooled all her life but this year for some unknown reason her father decides to enrol her in a private school. Jaycie’s school life is hard she can feel emotions off her classmates and she has to keep barriers up so she doesn’t go out of her mind. On Jaycie’s first day of school she ended up freaking out hearing and feeling everyone’s emotions. So know besides feeling like an outcast’s she knows the mean girls at school thinks she is a freak. The only happiness Jaycie gets out of school is her art class where people actually talk to her. We also find out about Jaycie’s best friend Matt who attends public high school, and Jaycie still trying to figure out if Matt is just a friend or if she is in love with him.

      Jaycie is a mind reader, empathy and telekinetic with enough strength to throw you across the room. Besides dealing with school she has to come home and train with her trainer/nanny Allison who is fast has super speed and strength. Her father is also a mind reader and the strongest one around, he can and does read Jaycie mind whenever he wants. Being a teenager is hard enough imagine what it would feel like knowing your father can hear what you are thinking. Especially when she spends so much of her time thinking of Matt and trying to figure out if he feels something towards her. On top of all Jaycie’s issues she knows that her powers are going to surge soon and she doesn’t know how this will affect her.

      One day Jaycie is approached by a beautiful woman who later she finds out is a guardian, the guardian suggest to Jaycie that she should apply for a job at the Christians Book Store and befriend the young woman who works there named Haylee. Haylee is a sad withdrawn young woman who is dealing with an alcoholic mother who won’t find a job and she has some of her own deep dark secrets that she struggles with internally. Haylee has no idea that she has power inside of her.
      As Jaycie and Haylee become friends and learn to trust each other, and help each other out they become like sisters. The two of them will then encounter evil, bad fairies and then go to the vampires for help.

      This story intrigued me so much I didn’t stop reading it till I was at the end, the author created a story which leads us into a series called Darwin’s Children, which then of course I wanted to start the next book right away.

      There is twist and turns and you cheer for Jaycie, Matt and Haylee, and hoping they all get their happy ending.

      I would recommend this book to anyone who loves YA paranormal. Now I will have to go read Unnatural Law, (Darwin’s Children book 2).
    • 4/5
      Darwin's Children by Natasha Larry is a unique story about ordinary humans who just so happen to have special abilities that set them apart. For Jaycie Lerner, that means learning how to cope with her abilities while trying to fit in at a private school where everyone dislikes her. Jaycie spends almost every day training when she should be doing normal teenage stuff like having a boyfriend and hanging out with friends.Allison has filled the mother role for Jaycie ever since her real mother left her. Having spent a lifetime mastering her skills, she also fills the role of Jaycie's live-in trainer. She helps Jaycie train in everything from meditation exercises to martial arts to helping fine tune her psychic and telekinetic powers.Matt is Jaycie's best childhood friend. They have remained best friends throughout the years even if Matt doesn't know about the special powers that Jaycie has. When they both reach a point where they want to be more than friends, Jayce has to learn to control herself and continue to hide who she really is from the one person she wants to tell most.Haylee is a broken soul that has nobody in her life for support. That is until the powers that be lead Jaycie to her and with Jaycie's help, she will learn that there is more to the world that evil. Finding a home to call her own with Jaycie's family, Haylee is able to come to terms with her own powers.Natasha Larry has created a unique world and story that I enjoyed reading. The story moved along at a nice pace and only had a couple of spots where I felt that the details bogged the story down. I do wish there had been more time devoted to the development of the relationship between Jaycie and Matt as they seem to be a perfect match. The relationship felt unfinished and I hope that it will pick back up in book two.
    • 4/5
      I have to day that I really liked this story. Jaycie is gently guided to help Haylee, a seventeen year old girl that is basically supporting her and her alcoholic mother. Jaycie’s friendship helps Haylee to realize that the world is not that bad and to see that she has a special ability herself.But the big picture is that special people are around with extra ordinary abilities. Then there are Guardians that resemble angels to help guide people to create balance or Guardians that resemble fairies that can directly affect the world and protect the new people with special abilities.I do admit that Jaycie’s budding relationship with Matt was just a little annoying. But then again I’m a jaded adult too. In it’s own way it was a good beginning for Jaycie to learn was she will have to go through to be in a relationship with someone.I really liked how the people with special abilities go through surges when the brain opens up to the different abilities. I also liked how the story ending with a clear opening for future stories. This is a must read for those that like paranormal young adult stories.I received this book from Roxanne at Bewitching Book Tours for review.
    • 3/5
      I had mixed feelings about this book. The basic idea, a family and friends with super powers, isn't very unique. But the story was written in an engaging manner. The Lerner extended family is so close and loving in this book, it made me feel warm and fuzzy inside.The vampires, I didn't like. To me, they felt out of place in this story. I really didn't like their use as a punishment. I can't say more without being a spoiler to the plot, but I thought the whole thing was inappropriate. It's one thing when things are done in the heat of the moment, but a totally different issue when something is done coldly and deliberately. It makes the heroes of the story no better than the villains.Overlooking that, it's a well told story that paranormal fans should enjoy.I received this book from the author, I was not required to write a positive review.
    • 4/5
      I really enjoyed the characters in this book. They are all very likeable and well developed and interesting. Jaycie is kind of a negative thinker and a loner, but I seemed to connect with her completely. Her thoughts and situation are very well described that you can see things from her point of view and agree with her. They are all very superhuman and all seem to have a calling in life.The plot developed like cat plays with a ball of yarn. Sometimes unraveling at a slow steady pace and other times at high speed that makes your heart beat fast with anticipation. The first time we read about Jaycie and Allison's training session is when I knew that this story was going to be a good one. I didn't want to have to put it down to see what other powers Jaycie and Allison would portray throughout the story. When first going into the story I was expecting a girl and her family with special powers, but I was not expecting the introduction of other beings as well.As the book ends with a hint to the reader of another book to come, as I started to write this review, I began to enjoy the story more. In a way it's the perfect book for the first in a series. It begins with an introduction to the world and the main characters, then gradually like a ladder it builds and develops more as you read. I have read some very popular first books in which the author keeps the same pace throughout the book until the end. But this book did a great job of continuing to build deeper and becoming more intriguing as the story continues.I give this book 4 stars and hoping that I will get the opportunity to read more about Jaycie and watch her develop and use her powers to their full potential
    • 4/5
      The synopsis for Darwin’s Children was a real attention-getter for me. As you may expect from the title, the premise behind the abilities exhibited by Jaycie and her family is evolution. As humans evolve, they are able to access parts of the brain previously unused. According to Jaycie’s father, Mason, “Evolution is nature’s tool to ensure the survival of the species”. All supernatural beings (vampires, slayers, werewolves) and those with supernatural abilites (telepaths, empaths, telekenesis) are the result of evolution. Their world is all about the balance of good and evil. Darwin’s Children has winsome characters that made me like them instantly. Jaycie was smart, brave and funny. She was also a little petulant and whiny, just like any good seventeen year old! She wants to have normal teenage experiences, but it’s almost impossible as a telepath. She can barely control her mind or her body. Every time she and her best friend Matt try to take their relationship to the next level, she is likely to shatter a window with her “vibrations”. Allison, Jaycie’s nanny/trainer is a 90 year-old woman, with the body of a 20 year-old. Mason and John, Jaycie’s father and godfather are the heads of their group. Mason is lovingly devoted to his daughter, but not above eavesdropping on her thoughts. John is a second father to Jaycie and spends his time devoted to finding and researching others like them. The character of Haylee was the wildcard for me. I just never could fully like her or trust her. Haylee is an outsider like Jaycie, with extra abilities of her own, but unwilling to open up to help from Jaycie. Haylee has some dark, dark secrets. I found her storyline really disturbing, hard to read. Darwin’s Children is a layered, smart and complicated story. I really enjoyed the intelligence that was undoubtedly at work writing this book. Darwin’s Children was a book thoroughly unlike anything I’ve read before. Sure, I’ve read books about humans with super abilities, but none with so much thought, creativity and explanation behind the abilities. Although I have to admit, I got a bit lost in the explanations, especially at the end of the book. But I will definitely give the sequel a try.*I received this book from the author, in exchange for an honest review.*