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The Elementals (The Vespertine #3)

3.81 of 5 stars 3.81 · rating details · 42 ratings · 11 reviews

Kate Witherspoon has lived a bohemian life with her artist parents. In 1917, the new art form of the motion picture is changing entertainment—and Kate is determined to become a director.

Meanwhile, midwestern farm boy Julian Birch has inherited the wanderlust that fueled his parents’ adventures. A childhood bout with polio has left him crippled, but he refuses to let his di...more

Hardcover, 304 pages

Published June 4th 2013 by Houghton

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Jan 02, 2013 Carina Olsen rated it 5 of 5 stars

It feels like I just read The Vespertine and The Springsweet. But it's been many months. Been dying for this third and final book ever since then. While it doesn't come out until June 2013, I was lucky enough to get an review copy of it from the publisher via NetGalley. <3 And I'm so happy about that. My review won't be spoilery, but you probably shouldn't read it unless you have read the first two books in this series. Which you really must.

I have read a lot of great books. And this series i...more

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May 07, 2013 Ramie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: amazon-vine, arc, ya

When I selected this book, it wasn’t really clear that this was part of a series, one which I haven’t read. Luckily for me I didn’t realize that until I’d already started reading it and it didn’t matter.

This was the entire description I read before requesting it: “Kate Witherspoon has lived a bohemian life with her artist parents. In 1917, the new art form of the motion picture is changing entertainment—and Kate is determined to become a director.
Meanwhile, midwestern farm boy Julian Birch has...more When I selected this book, it wasn’t really clear that this was part of a series, one which I haven’t read. Luckily for me I didn’t realize that until I’d already started reading it and it didn’t matter.

This was the entire description I read before requesting it: “Kate Witherspoon has lived a bohemian life with her artist parents. In 1917, the new art form of the motion picture is changing entertainment—and Kate is determined to become a director.
Meanwhile, midwestern farm boy Julian Birch has inherited the wanderlust that fueled his parents’ adventures. A childhood bout with polio has left him crippled, but he refuses to let his disability define him.
Strangers driven by a shared vision, Kate and Julian set out separately for Los Angeles, the city of dreams. There, they each struggle to find their independence. When they finally meet, the teenage runaways realize their true magical legacy: the ability to triumph over death, and over time. But as their powerful parents before them learned, all magic comes with a price.”

The very early days of the movie industry and a magical twist? Sign me up.

For me the book didn’t really start until about 120 pages in. Up until that point it was a fairly slow story and can actually be summarized quite easily in a sentence or two. The problem is that even when the story really takes off, not much happens. I’d be okay with that if there were more character development going on, but there’s not even really that. I ended up incredibly disappointed by this book. That’s not to say it was poorly written, it wasn’t. I could see myself liking other things by this author, this one just missed the mark. Still in just a sentence or two the author can vividly show us just how much Kate loves movies and explain why she does. She can make us feel Julian’s disappointment in being treated like a burden by people he’s known for his whole life.

Being able to really connect us to the characters we most needed to identify with simply wasn’t enough. A story that should have been a “cannot put it down” for me was something I found dull and forgettable.

* Disclaimer: I received this book at no cost in order to review it. I offered no guarantee of a positive review, though I only request books I think I'll like because why read a book you think you’ll hate?(less)

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Apr 29, 2013 Ashleigh Paige rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: a-whole-new-level-of-boring, arc-via-amazon-vine, arc, crackships-are-setting-sail-here, such-a-disappointment, the-shameful-shelf-of-get-rid-of-it, whut

See more of my reviews on Birth of a New Witch! My copy was an ARC I received via Amazon Vine.

2.5 stars.

Neither The Vespertine nor The Springsweet were perfect novels, but they numbed my brain for a while and I enjoyed them for the most part. The Elementals, which focuses on the children of the heroines from each of the past two books, is in an entirely different ballpark compared to the two novels that preceded it in the trilogy. It's got an ending you won't easily forget, but that's not necess...more

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Dec 05, 2012 Maeve ~Bad Wolf~ marked it as to-read

I cannot wait! It's gonna be great! I hate rhymes!

They changed the title! Aetherborn was soooo much cooler dude!!!

Update:

Yaay!!!! Cover!!!! Whoever it is looks epic!!!!

Later...

Can I get a synopsis already? Like, you know, a general plot outline? Anyone? Please?

2 likes · like · see review

Jun 09, 2013 Sandy Shen rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: okay. finale readers

Shelves: finale, death, ghosts, historical-fiction-ya, love, love-fifty, magic, young-adult

Title" The Elementals #3
By: Saundra Mitchell
Rating: 3.5 stars

QUICKIE REVIEW

The Elementals is a continuation from the two kids of The Birches and The Witherspoons. Obviously. Anyways, Kate. She's a wild, free, and "bubbly" (as bubbly as you can get with Amelia Witherspoon.) person, who isn't afraid of anything really and holds those dear to her close to her heart. She thinks her power is useless, but it is SO AMAZING for her filming obsession. And that bitch Mollie! God! She is like one of those

...more

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Jun 15, 2013 Stacey rated it 3 of 5 stars

I loved "The Vespertine" and "The Springsweet". They were everything I ever wanted in a novel. I loved the setting and the characters. I enjoyed that although there were supernatural elements to each of the first two novels, they were about so much more. Saundra Mitchell's writing is lovely and engaging. I was swept into her world in each book.

I was thrilled about the final book being released and have anticipated it for ages. I was eager to read about the children of the heroines of the first t...more

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Jun 07, 2013 Melissa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-romance, girl-adventure-magic, boy-adventure

The first book in this series is The Springsweet and it is my favorite of all three. It tells the story of Zora and Emerson and it was perfect:} Then there is The Vespertine that answers a lot of the questions I had about Springsweet and tells the story of Zora and Amelia's friendship and Amelia and Nathaniel's love. It was also a very good book. The Elementals at first gives you a look at them together one last time before splitting apart to their separate worlds. Zora to the farm and Amelia to...more

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May 15, 2013 Jacqueline rated it 3 of 5 stars

Maybe it's because I just read The Springsweet, but The Elementals was not nearly as good. I didn't like that it was narrated in the third person from so many different people's perspectives. I also felt like there wasn't as much development of the plot as there could have been. The ending was sweet in a way, but not particularly satisfying.

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Aug 30, 2012 Tom Bombadil marked it as to-read

Ooooh, nice cover! (could do without the weird lens flare tho)

1 like · like · see review

May 13, 2012 Vickie Ramage marked it as wishlist

This has the number 1 spot on my 2013 wishlist right now!

1 like · like · see review

Mar 05, 2013 Crowinator rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: arcs, booklist-review, booklist-series-fiction-in-brief, ya, paranormal, historical, 2013-reads

Another one for the "WTF ending" shelf.

1 like · like · see review

Aug 30, 2012 Carmen marked it as to-read

I kinda liked the title Aetherborne better.....

And I like the cover of The Springsweet better.

Oh well. This cover seems much dark and mysterious, so let's see what it offers.

1 like · like · see review

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Shelves: ya

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About Saundra Mitchell

Saundra Mitchell is a longtime screenwriter and author. Random House's Delacorte Press published her debut novel, Shadowed Summer, on February 10th, 2009. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's will publish her next novel, The Vespertine in Spring 2011, with its companion novel, The Springsweet, following in Spring 2012.

For almost ten years, she was the sole screenwriter for the Book of Stories, On...more Saundra Mitchell is a longtime screenwriter and author. Random House's Delacorte Press published her debut novel, Shadowed Summer, on February 10th, 2009. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's will publish her next novel, The Vespertine in Spring 2011, with its companion novel, The Springsweet, following in Spring 2012.

For almost ten years, she was the sole screenwriter for the Book of Stories, On the Road, Fresh Films and Girls in the Director's Chair short film series. In 2008, she headed and instructed the first Fresh Films Emerging Screenwriters program, and became the Head Writer and an Executive Producer for the film series.

Shadowed Summer is the 2010 winner of The Society of Midland Authors Book Award for Children's Fiction, and a 2010 Edgar® Award Nominee. It was chosen as a Junior Library Guild selection, and an ALAN Pick in 2009. Her short story "Ready to Wear" was nominated for a 2007 Pushcart Prize after appearing in Vestal Review Issue 27. In July, 2007, her essay, "Rapid Cycling," appeared in Common Ties.

Her short story, "Management" appeared in Zen Film's anthology "Love & Sacrifice" in February, 2007, and another short, "Kissing the Dog-Faced Boy" appeared in The Summerset Review's Spring Issue, 2007. She has also published in SmokeLong Quarterly, Edgar Literary Magazine, and The Parnassus.

Other screenwriting accomplishments include scripting Scholastic's "Get Active with Widget" webisode "Treasure Hunt" and the 2006 Girls in the Director's Chair image campaign (the foundation for a national PSA in association with Women in Film.) In 2005, she concept-designed and scripted the Metro Chicago United Way's Leadership Campaign. Her first feature film, Revenge Ends, will debut on the festival circuit in 2008.

Her films have been selected for competition at many national and international film festivals, including the juried Rhode Island International Film Festival and the Chicago International Children's Film Festival. In 2006, "Goodbye, Howard" and "Last Time We Met" were selected as part of the inaugural Chicago International New Filmmakers Festival. "Goodbye, Howard" was also selected as one of the Top 4 Best of Fest at the Gen Art Film Festival in 2006.

"No. 72" and "The Super Dupers" were selected to premiere at the Los Angeles International Short Film Festival. These festivals are recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as Academy AwardTM qualifying events. Also in 2006, the 10th annual Webby Awards named Fresh Films an official honoree.

In other arenas, Ms. Mitchell was interviewed by the New York Times and the BBC for her part in exposing the Kaycee Nicole hoax, and she's been tapped by morning radio shows all over the United States as a guest expert on Urban Legends & Folklore. (less)

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The Elementals (The Vespertine #3)

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