Darwin's Children (Darwin's Children, #1)

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Darwin's Children (Darwin's Children #1)

by Natasha Larry (Goodreads Author)

3.88 of 5 stars 3.88 · rating details · 88 ratings · 64 reviews

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, b...more

Kindle Edition, 262 pages

Published May 10th 2010 by Penumbra Publishing

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The Day The World Went Orange by Natasha Larry

Black/Mixed Race main characters

1st out of 39 books — 47 voters

Indie Authors Everybody Should Read

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Jun 09, 2011 Laura Ashlee rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, young-adult

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, friend...more

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Sep 09, 2011 Diana rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, paranormal

The cover and description do not do it justice, it makes it sound like a simple story and it is anything but.
The way the story progresses is so great with most books the major conflict is introduce so early that it feels like it drags on or it takes a few hundred pages for anything real to happen. But with this nothing really major happens for awhile; we're just getting to know the characters and that's alright. And that's a good thing since there's actually so much going on with the characters...more

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Jan 07, 2012 Jaidis Shaw rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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...more

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Jan 11, 2013 Megan (The Book Babe) rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed-on-my-site, received-for-review

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...more

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Apr 07, 2012 Star (The Bibliophilic Book Blog) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed

Darwin's Children is a potent mix of philosophy, evolution, action, family, romance, powers, and balance. Ms. Larry has created a world and characters that speak to your heart and a philosophy of evolution and balance that speaks to your soul. As in popular stories, Jaycie and her non-traditional family are beings in the next order of evolution - telepaths, telekinetics, empaths, those with immeasurable speed and strength. As such, with great powers come great responsibility.

Sometimes it's a lit...more

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Nov 08, 2011 Paula Phillips rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I love reading novels about Teens with supernatural abilites as sometimes I wish I had a power , like telepathy or shape-shifting. In Darwin's Children we meet Jaycie , she is seventeen years old and has grown up around people with abilities from her Dad who is also telepathic - this reminded me a bit of Mel Gibson's character on the movie "What Women Want" to her personal trainer and live-in nanny Alison who though only looks in her thirties is actually ninety-two years old. For Jaycie, life ha...more

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Oct 29, 2011 Barbara Watkins rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

“Combine – Paranormal, Romance, Thrills – You get “Darwin’s Children”

‘Darwin’s Children’, by author, Natasha Larry, has all the elements needed for a thrillingly paranormal good time. The author takes the safety and security of one’s life and links potential dangers with the supernatural world – with a mixture of suspense and fear. I devoured this read in one afternoon.

Imagine being a young teenage girl home schooled for the most part of your young life, and then finding out that you are now go...more “Combine – Paranormal, Romance, Thrills – You get “Darwin’s Children”

‘Darwin’s Children’, by author, Natasha Larry, has all the elements needed for a thrillingly paranormal good time. The author takes the safety and security of one’s life and links potential dangers with the supernatural world – with a mixture of suspense and fear. I devoured this read in one afternoon.

Imagine being a young teenage girl home schooled for the most part of your young life, and then finding out that you are now going to attend an Ivy League school – sound exciting? Now imagine that this young teenage girl is unique in that she has telekinetic and telepathic powers – powers that she is desperately fighting to manage. She finds life even more demanding in that her father has the same gift, and at any given time can read her thoughts – a horror indeed! Jaycie Lerner does not fit in with the so-called ‘normal’ kids, nor does she want to. She finds her unusual gifts a blessing when it comes to manipulating her teachers by reading their thoughts, and sometimes overpowering their authority. However, having such supernatural powers does not come without its disadvantages. Besides having to keep a step ahead of her telepathic father, she yearns for a close relationship with her best friend, Matthew Carter, only to shy away from telling him her true feelings – frightened he will see her as a freak of nature.

Visiting a local jewelry shop, Jaycie has an encounter with a stranger that startles her to her core. “Buy this bracelet,” the woman tells her, “Then meet me outside.” The stranger tells her that the Christian bookstore is hiring for a part-time position and suggests that she should apply. She informs Jaycie that she will meet and befriend a young girl that works there, and in doing so their relationship will restore balance to the world – then mysteriously she disappears. Next, the reader is introduced to a character by the name of, Haylee Mitchell – a character the reader shall soon not forget. Haylee is plagued with her own demons. Forced to take care of her alcoholic mother, Haylee has relentless nightmares – or are they horrible visions of what is to come?

Vampires, fairy blood, guardian angels, magic, and the powers within the supernatural world – “Darwin’s Children” has all of these strange and mystical properties. The characters in this book are well written and the storyline flows effortlessly. I only mentioned a handful of the characters as they are many, and all play a vital part in this paranormal thriller.

Read, “Darwin’s Children,” and I believe you will agree, author, Natasha Larry, has found her forte in story telling, and it’s in the genre of paranormal suspense.
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Sep 30, 2011 aobibliophile™ rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change. - Charles Darwin

having been home-schooled most of her life, Jaycie Lerner has a hard time fitting in in a private high school where people find her strange and different. well, she is. Jaycie has telepathic and telekinetic powers. even her best friend Matt is unaware of them. through the guidance of her trainer Alison, Jaycie undergoes rigorous mental...more

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Sep 12, 2011 Romancing the Book rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal, ya

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Reviewed by Valerie
Ebook provided by author for review

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, Hayl...more

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Sep 01, 2011 Nikki rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I think as teenagers we all think our parents have some sort of mysterious mind-reading powers at some point, otherwise how can we explain how they knew when we were planning to sneak out, even though we were very quiet in making out plans. Thankfully, my mom’s skills got rusty by the time I was 15, otherwise I would have been grounded a lot more often than I was. Yes, I was one of THOSE teenagers, the kind I would never let Jake hang around with now that I’m a parent. While my mom may have occa...more I think as teenagers we all think our parents have some sort of mysterious mind-reading powers at some point, otherwise how can we explain how they knew when we were planning to sneak out, even though we were very quiet in making out plans. Thankfully, my mom’s skills got rusty by the time I was 15, otherwise I would have been grounded a lot more often than I was. Yes, I was one of THOSE teenagers, the kind I would never let Jake hang around with now that I’m a parent. While my mom may have occasionally been able to predict my moves, Jaycee’s father in Darwin’s Children can quite literally read her mind anytime he wants to. Her superhuman “nanny” can also eavesdrop from several rooms away, and her godfather can basically make anyone do anything with a single thought. Jaycee herself has quite a few tricks up her sleeve, and may very well be on her way to becoming one of the most powerful superhumans on Earth. Thank goodness they all use their powers for good!

In Darwin’s Children, 17 year old Jaycee is struggling to learn how to control her ever-strengthening powers by training with her superhuman nanny, Allison. She’s also learning how to deal with her new-found romantic feelings for her lifelong best friend, Matt, who doesn’t know that she’s a little different than other girls. On top of that, a mysterious Guardian drops in on her one day and urges her to get a job at a Christian book store and make friends with the girl that works there, Haylee. While Jaycee’s had a pretty good life so far, Haylee’s has been wrought with devastating trauma, and she definitely could use a break in her life. As the bond between the two grows stronger, Jaycee learns exactly what kind of trauma her new friend has been through, and jut how far she’ll go to protect her friend.

I really enjoyed this Darwin’s Children. It was tightly written with authentic dialogue and loads of personality. The characters of Jaycee, Haylee, Mason (Jaycee’s father), Allison, and John (Jaycee’s godfather) were developed flawlessly so that I felt I understood each one pretty well by the end of the book. The relationship between Jaycee and Matt progressed logically, and didn’t steal the focus from the true plot of the book- Jaycee’s journey of self-discover and friendship with Haylee. My only complaint is that the last part of the book, after the resolution of the major conflict, seemed to go a little fast. I understand the reasoning behind it, as it seems to be setting up what I hope will become a series, but I did feel it would have been a little better if parts of the ending were saved and fleshed out a bit for the next story. Other than that, I was completely pulled into the story and thought it was really well-written and intriguing, especially the mythology behind the different superpowers and supernatural creatures. I am really looking forward to the next book in the series (I am assuming there will be one based on the ending, if not, I hope the author will strongly consider it).(less)

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Aug 20, 2011 Dawn Vanniman rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I received a copy of DARWIN'S CHILDREN from the author for an honest review.

I was a little disappointed by the cover, it seemed very...80's to me. I felt that something more could be done to make it a bit more modern and eye catching to the YA market. I know that authors get very little say in covers, so I understand that part.

I wanted to like this book. It has people with super powers! I adore X-Men and all things super-y. But I just couldn't like Jaycie, no matter what. I couldn't like her or...more

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Aug 18, 2011 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal-series

Jaycie's got problems like any teenage girl. The school's full of mean girls, and she just might be in love with her best friend, Matt. Oh, and she's also a mind reader, an empath, and telekinetic enough to throw you across a room. She's got family issues - her dad's a whiz at mind control, her nanny/trainer Allison has super speed and strength, and her godfather John can make you believe anything he want. On top of that, she's due for a power surge any day now. Into this comes Haylee, a broken...more Jaycie's got problems like any teenage girl. The school's full of mean girls, and she just might be in love with her best friend, Matt. Oh, and she's also a mind reader, an empath, and telekinetic enough to throw you across a room. She's got family issues - her dad's a whiz at mind control, her nanny/trainer Allison has super speed and strength, and her godfather John can make you believe anything he want. On top of that, she's due for a power surge any day now. Into this comes Haylee, a broken girl who's a lot stronger than she knows. It's up to Jaycie to give Haylee the confidence she needs to accept her powers, and if some old-fashioned vengeance is called for, she's up for that, too.

This is a great book. It hooks you at the beginning and keeps reeling you in to the end. The author has a great voice for teens; they're smart and funny, but also annoying and whiny. The situations may be supernatural, but the characters could be people you know. I particularly enjoyed the kids' reactions on learning about new worlds; denial, denial, denial.

There's some original twists on mythologies here. It's all about evolution; powers adapt to fit the person as well as the problems. Vampires are highly ethical, and have developed a taste for emotions with a blood chaser. It's refreshing to see a story where the vamps don't view humans as an endless supply of Capri Suns. The fairies look like fairies - really, really big fairies you wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley.

This is the first of a series, so a lot of foundation is being laid. Some small subplots, like the pyromaniac boy, while interesting, don't particularly add to the narrative. I can only assume that they'll come into play further down the line, like the mystery of "The Core", an extra sensory link that seems to multiply powers exponentially. Matt, especially, seems to be heading for a major role; the human linchpin of an increasingly inhuman group.

There's an overarching sense of love that runs through the story. It's about a family, really, one that comes together out of need and stays together by choice. Don't pass this one up. It's full of twists and discoveries, and new friends that seem like old ones. (less)

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Aug 17, 2011 Krista (CubicleBlindness Reviews) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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 t...more

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Aug 07, 2011 Amber R at Awesomesaucebookclub rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was trapped by this book as soon as I started reading it. I, literally, couldn't put it down. I have to say that I was more than pleasantly surprised.

Jaycie is so saucy, funny, and sweet. She has an amazing support system. She needs it too with all of her amazing powers. I was impressed by her sheer strength and willpower to control everything she has going on in her head all the time.

The relationships that she has with her father, Mason, her trainer/mother figure/friend, Allison, and her go...more

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Jun 20, 2011 Shari rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed

My favorite part of Darwin's Children was the line up of amazing characters. I also really enjoyed how fresh and new this story line felt. The characters were absolutely wonderful and completely believable (well, as believable as super powered people can be). It was so refreshing to read a young adult novel that included a loving, attentive, and sweet father who also just happens to be telepathic. Jaycie is surrounded by people who love her, like her sweet and fun nanny/trainer that really acts...more

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Jun 05, 2011 Bonnie Lamer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Jaycie Lerner is not your average teenager. To begin with, she has to constantly shield her mind from the onslaught of other’s thoughts, which is not easy to do when surrounded by teenagers who practically scream their heightened emotional thoughts at her. The result is that Jaycie often reacts inappropriately to social situations and is considered an outcast and a freak by her classmates. Her home life, though, is what keeps her sane. Her telepathic father helps her learn to keep shields in pla...more Jaycie Lerner is not your average teenager. To begin with, she has to constantly shield her mind from the onslaught of other’s thoughts, which is not easy to do when surrounded by teenagers who practically scream their heightened emotional thoughts at her. The result is that Jaycie often reacts inappropriately to social situations and is considered an outcast and a freak by her classmates. Her home life, though, is what keeps her sane. Her telepathic father helps her learn to keep shields in place in her mind and Allison and John help her learn control over her other abilities. Even if sometimes their lessons are a bit on the extreme side, the bond between these people not related by blood is stronger than most families who are.

Eventually, it is Jaycie’s turn to help another understand her superhuman abilities. A lost, broken girl, who Jaycie befriends at the request of a persuasive stranger, carries dark secrets inside of herself that are tearing her apart. With the help of Jaycie and her family, this girl learns that there is more to life than the memories of pure evil she holds inside of her. And sometimes, revenge is the only way to help along recovery.

The characters in Darwin’s Children are not only powerful, they also come across as people you would love to meet at the next neighborhood barbecue. Natasha Larry has done an excellent job of making the characters stand out from those in other books with their down home style and southern manners. But as secrets unfold and revenge becomes not a wish but a must, the strength the characters show prove that they are made of stronger stuff than most people. Not to mention, their powers are most enviable – superhuman strength, mind reading, telekinesis, the power to persuade anyone of anything, and the power to make evil doers feel the pain of their actions towards others. With all of these traits rolled into one book, this is a novel that lovers of paranormal and supernatural will love.

There were a couple of things that held me back, though, from giving this book a 5 star rating instead of a 4. A lot of information was thrown out over the course of the book and sometimes this distracted me from the main story line and made some of the passages move along slower than I would have liked. Not all of the information may have been necessary to the story line, such as Jaycie’s father and John going after a fire-starter in another state. The pace of the novel seemed to waver because of these extra details from fast-paced to meandering and as much as I enjoyed it, I couldn’t help but feel that some areas of the book could have moved along a little faster towards the final showdown. The other thing that held me back was the last few chapters of the book. Although they were well written and interesting, they were a little anticlimactic after the story had already reached a stunning climax. These chapters may have been better served as the beginning of the next book in the series.

Overall, I truly enjoyed Darwin’s Children and I am grateful that the author gave me a copy to review. It definitely makes my must read book list and if there is a sequel, I’ll be reading it! I give this book a strong four stars.
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Nov 26, 2011 Lisa (Bookworm Lisa) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, received-to-review, young-adult

***3.5 stars***

This is a very interesting and creative book. It deals with paranormal traits that a few humans have evolved to balance the world from evil.

Jaycie is seventeen and dealing with her skill at telepathy and telekinesis. She is trying to fit into a private school where she has always been home schooled. She is a loner, she doesn't have many friends. Her powers make it difficult to blend when she can hear unwanted thoughts. She's falling in love with her best friend, Matt. Life is toug...more

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Aug 09, 2011 Emma (BelleBooks) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: review-copy, kindle

The author, Natasha Larry very kindly send me a copy of Darwin's Children to review.
When I first read the blurb about the book, I thought it sounded awesome, and then I saw the cover for the book.
We all know the old saying "Don't judge a book by it's cover", but I'll admit it, I do judge a book by it's cover.
Especially since entering the book blogging world, covers seem to be one of the first things that draw me into a new book, series or author. So I'll admit I was a bit disappointed when I saw...more The author, Natasha Larry very kindly send me a copy of Darwin's Children to review.
When I first read the blurb about the book, I thought it sounded awesome, and then I saw the cover for the book.
We all know the old saying "Don't judge a book by it's cover", but I'll admit it, I do judge a book by it's cover.
Especially since entering the book blogging world, covers seem to be one of the first things that draw me into a new book, series or author. So I'll admit I was a bit disappointed when I saw the cover for Darwin's Children, it didn't draw me in, captivate me, or really make me want to rush out and read it.

Let me just say, I was so very wrong about this book!
I completely fell in love with the storyline and the characters from page one!
The story follows seventeen year Jaycie, who on paper has a fairly average life.
She goes to a school that she hates and she doesn't really get along with any of her class mates, though she does have a very loving and devoted father, and her live in nanny who has become a mother figure to her over the years, Jaycie even gets a part time job in a book store. Throw in a little romance, and you have a typical high school girl, right?

But Jaycie is harbouring a massive secret, she has both telepathic and telekinetic powers, her father is the strongest telepath known in the world and her live in nanny has super strength and speed.
Trying to get through a normal day for Jaycie is almost ridiculous with her powers, she can hear all the thoughts in people's heads, which can make her completely lose control. So she needs to be extra careful at school.
When a guardian (thats sort of like an angel to you and me), tries to set Jaycie on a path to befriend a girl, she soon discovers that this girl may have powers too and doesn't know about it.

The rest of the book follows the two girls and how their relationship grows, there are a number of unexpected turns in the book which I was totally not expecting. One of them being vampires!
The book itself is well written, and although there are a few gritty issues thrown up in the book, they are dealt with in a mature and honest way, which I really liked. In some books these types of issues can make the book too dark, but I think Natasha found the perfect mix in Darwin's Child. There is also a science fiction element to the book as well, there are a few discussions about genetics and evolution. I am in no way a science girl, but the terms used were simple and easy to understand, which I really appreciated. I felt that I had more of an understanding of the background story through these little snippets of information.
The characters are very well developed, at times I actually wished these characters could be real and they would adopt me into their family. You can feel the love and devotion the family have for each other through the pages.

Overall, I loved this book! It captures so many different elements in it, family dynamics, love, romance, paranormal elements, science and genetic elements and learning to deal with your past and love who you are now!(less)

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Jun 12, 2011 Lindsay Paige added it · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed, own

Interest: Synopsis
Title Thoughts: It took me to read the ending to understand the title and it reallt fits.
Cover Thoughts: I like it and the colors surrounding her.
WARNINGS: None

I liked almost all of the characters. They really felt like a family and the love among them seemed to jump off the page. Jaycie was okay, but at times she annoyed me. She hardly ever acted her age, except for when she was the horny teenager with Matt. She was childish. I loved her humor; I just wish it could've been c...more Interest: Synopsis
Title Thoughts: It took me to read the ending to understand the title and it reallt fits.
Cover Thoughts: I like it and the colors surrounding her.
WARNINGS: None

I liked almost all of the characters. They really felt like a family and the love among them seemed to jump off the page. Jaycie was okay, but at times she annoyed me. She hardly ever acted her age, except for when she was the horny teenager with Matt. She was childish. I loved her humor; I just wish it could've been conveyed in a way that wasn't childish.

I very much loved the concept of the book and I commend Larry for thinking of something so elaborate as this. I'm impressed with how much thinking and detail had to go into this, especially for John's character and the Dey-Vah Guard. I also loved the vampires that were introduced for a short period of time. They were so brutal and ravage, yet so elegant and they brought justice.

I couldn't decide if Jaycie's "relationship" with Matt should have been more present or not. Sometimes, he was just forgotten and it was hard to see how he could have been so close to Jay, but never around. At the same time, I was pleased with how Larry did handle it towards the end to make it easier to me, as the reader, to not wonder why. (Don't want to say too much, so I'll leave it at that.)

Addict's Last Words: Darwin's Children is something that will surpass your initial expectations and will leave you satisfied, overall.

To Buy or To Borrow: This is a an either or for me.

Disclosure: I am a member of the Book Lovin' Bitches Ebook Tours and a copy was provided to me by the author. Although payment may have been received by Book Lovin' Bitches Ebook Tours, no payment was received by me in exchange for this review nor was there an obligation to write a positive one. All opinions expressed here are entirely mine 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.(less)

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Jun 10, 2011 Avery rated it 5 of 5 stars

I am not going to lie, when I saw the cover of this book I was totally thrown off by it and I was somewhat hesitant to read the book (I know, I know, the old saying, "Don't just a book by its cover", but let's be honest sometimes we do buy books based solely upon their beautiful covers- in my case it was "Nightshade" by Andrea Cremer and "The Body Finder" by Kimberly Derting- and we sometimes do bypass books because of their covers ) and it really is a shame because this book was absolutely fant...more

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Jan 10, 2012 Michelle rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: blog-tour, kindle, review-on-blog

I liked this book. I think that Jaycie is an awesome main character and her powers are so cool! She is super nice and is described as beyond beautiful, but don't start thinking her life is too perfect. Basically everyone at school dislikes her and she has to keep her powers a secret from her best friend, Matt. I liked that she was not too perfect- she still has struggles to go through and her powers are not just easy breezy fun. I was interested to see how her powers would progress and to see wh...more I liked this book. I think that Jaycie is an awesome main character and her powers are so cool! She is super nice and is described as beyond beautiful, but don't start thinking her life is too perfect. Basically everyone at school dislikes her and she has to keep her powers a secret from her best friend, Matt. I liked that she was not too perfect- she still has struggles to go through and her powers are not just easy breezy fun. I was interested to see how her powers would progress and to see what would happen. I was also really interested in Jaycie and Matt. He is just so sweet and cute, how could you not like Matt? I just wanted Jaycie to tell Matt about her powers right away.

Other than Jaycie's powers developing and Matt, the story did not hold my attention for the entire book. I was really into the book for the first 1/3 of it. I blew through that part, but then it started to drag a bit for me. I thought that it was slow in places. The storyline really interested me and I kept reading because I really wanted to find out what was going to happen, but I wasn't as absorbed in the book as I wanted to be. I caught myself skimming the page more than a few times.

I did really like the descriptions of the characters in the books. Everyone was really well described, even the minor ones. I enjoyed that because it helped me picture them, and normally with minor characters I just read their scene and then put them out of my mind. I thought this extra attention to detail was a nice touch.

Another thing I noticed was that Jaycie got pretty violent towards the end of the book. She seemed so nice and kind, and then all of a sudden she was so focused on retribution and revenge. It seemed kind of out of place for her. I liked the resolution to the conflict but it was very much an eye for an eye philosophy, so beware about that.

Overall, Darwin's Children was a good book. I enjoyed the plot and I'm going to read the next one because I want to know what is going to happen, but I didn't fall in love with the book. I just kind of liked it, no strong feelings. Maybe now that the groundwork is laid, book 2 will pick up a little. I look forward to finding out. (less)

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Mar 15, 2012 George Sirois rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

So far, I'm really enjoying this read. I love taking my time to get to know these characters inside and out and letting them take me on a journey. That's the key element to this book's success: even though Natasha wrote this, she's not the one leading me by the hand. She let you know so much about Jaycie and her family that you're ready to follow them anywhere.

I'm about halfway through now and I have no idea what's going to happen next. Love it...

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Nov 23, 2011 Lauren Murphy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal, ya

Darwin’s Children is the first book in a series about Jaycie, a teenager with telekinetic abilities. She lives with her father and her personal trainer who is more like a mother than her own, who walked out on her when she was young. Jaycie tends to socialise more with adults who have similar abilities, so when her father insists on enrolling her in a regular school after being home schooled for years, Jaycie has trouble fitting in. But that doesn’t seem to bother her, she is quite happy being t...more

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Nov 08, 2011 Heather rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011

The book Darwin's Children by Natasha Larryopens with a look at a very unique family. The Lerner's live in Jonesborough, Tennessee, a small town made up of prodominately white families. Meet Jaycie, a 17 year old black teenager who is impressively smart. She's also an empath who has a talent in telepathy and telekenesis. Her father Mason, a local doctor, is quite possibly the world's most powerdul telepath. They live with Allision, Jaycie's live in nanny. Allison is beautiful, blond, and incred...more The book Darwin's Children by Natasha Larryopens with a look at a very unique family. The Lerner's live in Jonesborough, Tennessee, a small town made up of prodominately white families. Meet Jaycie, a 17 year old black teenager who is impressively smart. She's also an empath who has a talent in telepathy and telekenesis. Her father Mason, a local doctor, is quite possibly the world's most powerdul telepath. They live with Allision, Jaycie's live in nanny. Allison is beautiful, blond, and incredibly young looking. She's also 92 year old with superhuman strength and speed. The last member of the family is John, Jaycie's godfather who has the power of persuasion.

Things are going well until Jaycie is forced to go to a prestegious high school after many years of being home schooled. The kids at school aren't sure how she's different but they know they don't want to be around her. If that's not enough, things are heating up between Jaycie and her best friend Matt. Unfortunately, when they two try to become more then friends Jaycie struggles to keep control of her telekenisis.

Everything seems so routine until a stranger delivers a message to Jaycie telling her where to get a job and then to become friends with a girl who works there. Jaycie immediately recognizes that Haylee has supernatural powers herself, though she is not yet aware of them. The continues on with Jaycie getting ready to surge into her full power, Haylee learning about her powers, and the family coming together as quite possibly the most powerful family in the entire world.

I thought the story line in this book was enjoyable. It took a look at the supernatural world through the eyes of super charged humans. The book flows easily and is a quick read. At times there are parts that are overly dramatic and seem hard to beleive but for the most part the book stays on track and is a fast paced ride through the supernatural.

I give this book 3 ½ stars out of 5 stars.

*I was given a copy of this book by the author for review. The review is based soley on my own opinion.*
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Jul 21, 2011 Andrea rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My Thoughts

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, tel...more My Thoughts

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 Darwin’s Children from the author, in exchange for an honest review. *
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Dec 11, 2011 Tana rated it 4 of 5 stars

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’...more 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).
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Nov 06, 2011 carole rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Natasha Larry is a funny and witty writer who knows exactly how to make her readers laugh out loud and also knows how to make a story so suspenseful that you're biting your nails as the pages turn. This book has the perfect balance of comedy and drama. We all know I love books with as many surprise and expected elements as possible, and Darwin's Children is one of those books! It's an amazing story filled with super powers, supernatural beings, humor, love, family, and plenty of drama.

I love boo...more Natasha Larry is a funny and witty writer who knows exactly how to make her readers laugh out loud and also knows how to make a story so suspenseful that you're biting your nails as the pages turn. This book has the perfect balance of comedy and drama. We all know I love books with as many surprise and expected elements as possible, and Darwin's Children is one of those books! It's an amazing story filled with super powers, supernatural beings, humor, love, family, and plenty of drama.

I love books with a strong central cast of characters like the Delos family in Starcrossed or the Hayward family in Eternal Eden; Darwin's Children has a close family unit like those I love. It's is a novel filled with fun dialogue and relationships that some of us can only dream of. Jaycie's family is a strange one. Yet, even with her mother out of the picture her life is not lacking in the parental department. In the story we meet Allison, her car-lifting trainer/nanny, Johnny, her "uncle" an amazing guy with powers of his own, and her doctor father Mason who has her telepathic abilities only much stronger. Together these four take on a lot in order to help others. Darwin's Children is a book much like the X-Men comics and films. It's a story about people who are born with powerful abilities and what they do with them.

Jaycie is a seventeen year old girl in a prep school in Tennessee, who on the outside might look like any other high school girl, but inside is harboring loads of secrets including being telekinetic (moving things with her mind) and psychokinetic (reading minds and transferring her thoughts into minds). Her story takes a dramatic and suspenseful turn when she begins working at a Christian Book Store. There she meets a sad girl, Haylee, who needs her help. From there this amazing story just builds and builds.

I will say my least favorite part of the book comes in the form of Matt, Jaycie's best friend from childhood. He's like any normal teenage boy, hormone driven and not very understanding. Jaycie keeps a lot of secrets from him, for obvious reasons, but he kind of just gives up on her and I wasn't and probably will never be part of team Matt. See for yourself.

It is a dark and incredibly sad book at some points. I will say that it deals with some very adult issues towards the late middle and end of the book that makes the book more for an older teen audience. I would not recommend it to those under 14 or 15. The struggles and obstacles that the characters overcome is immense, Haylee and Jaycie especially the readers see so much growth in. I loved it and can't wait to check out book 2, Unnatural Law, available now(less)

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May 19, 2011 P.N. Rasputin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Darwin’s Children is a wonderfully fresh look at a concept we all know and love: super heroes. Seriously, how many times have we all wished, dreamed and fantasized about having abilities beyond our wildest dreams? No radioactive spider bites or visitors from distant, long-dead planets here, though. With scientifically sound explanations and creatively distinct logic, Natasha Larry makes us believe that ‘superhumans’ could really walk among us. The characters are believable and, more importantly,...more

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Jul 13, 2011 Literary rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Cover

The girl on the cover has a sexy fierceness about her. When I first received the book for review and saw the cover, I wasn't sure why she had the yellow and red colors around her. I thought maybe it was her aura. After reading, though, I now know that it is a depiction of Jaycie at the highest point of her powers ... go get 'em girl! =)

Plot

Unusual, different, relatable, humorous, intriguing, empathetic ... all of these adjectives describe the story and the emotions the story can draw from y...more

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Oct 11, 2012 Lisa Markson rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Darwin's children

Lisa's review of
Darwin's Children
By Natasha Larry

I received a copy of Darwin's Children by Natasha Larry in exchange for an honest review. I loved how the author carefully developed her characters giving lifelike qualities even to the monsters of the world. This was an excellent book that gives you a glimpse into s families life when the have supernatural abilities and how it can set you apart from the rest of the world sometimes making you a freak to others. The story was fast...more

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About Natasha Larry

Natasha Larry was born and is still alive. She has an M.A. in American History, making her a professional cynic. Apart from writing the Darwin’s Children series, she is a self-proclaimed comic book nerd and urban fantasy junkie. She resides with her daughter in Alabama.

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The Day The World Went Orange (Darwin's Children, #2.5)

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Quotes from Darwin's Children

“The world has a harder time breaking a good sense of humor," John Gramm” — 7 people liked it

“Jaycie was silent for a brief moment, then looked him in the eyes and grumbled, “Her reaction is just a justification for the Noble Lie ‘Suppose now that you suddenly turn them round and make them look with pain and grief to themselves at the real images; will they believe them to be real? Will not their eyes be dazzled, and will they not try to get away from the light, to something which they are able to behold without blinking?” — 2 people liked it

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