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98th out of 794 books
—
4,496 voters
The Exceptionals
by
Erin Cashman (Goodreads Author)
Born into a famous family of exceptionally talented people, 15-year-old Claire Walker has deliberately chosen to live an average life. But everything changes the night of the Spring Fling, when her parents decide it's high time she transferred to Cambial Academy--the prestigious boarding school that her great-grandfather founded for students with supernatural abilities.
Hardcover, 236 pages
Published
February 1st 2012
by Holiday House, Inc.
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The theme is somewhat common; regular girl becomes heroine because of her supernatural talents which seemed small at first. The school is interesting in that it caters to students who have begun to develop a supernatural gift. I liked the explanation and development of the students and their gifts. Yes, it can be genetic, but really the talents are a result of students using different regions of their brains then developing it with practice. Claire's talent is understanding animals. This is uniq...more
Review Posted on Reading Lark 5/20/12: http://readinglark.blogspot.com/2012/...
Imagine that X-Men weren't mutants, but rather humans with exceptional mental talents - add in a boarding school for the gifted and a compelling mystery - and you'd walk away with The Exceptionals. I had never heard about this book until I agreed to review it for a book tour. I didn't know what to expect since it is also by a debut author. What I found between these pages took over my mind (and weekend) like a whirlwi...more
Imagine that X-Men weren't mutants, but rather humans with exceptional mental talents - add in a boarding school for the gifted and a compelling mystery - and you'd walk away with The Exceptionals. I had never heard about this book until I agreed to review it for a book tour. I didn't know what to expect since it is also by a debut author. What I found between these pages took over my mind (and weekend) like a whirlwi...more
The Exceptionals is fabulous. It is that perfect mix of fantasy, romance and suspense. It’s about fifteen year old Claire Walker, a seemingly average girl born in a family of gifted people. You see, Claire’s great-grandfather, a math and science genius, founded Cambial Academy, a school for exceptional students. There are plenty of math and science geniuses there, but there are other, more unique students too – mediums, clairvoyants, teens who can practice telekinesis. All these “powers”, aren’t...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
The Exceptionals by Erin Cashman is a fantasy adventure for pre-teens through young adult readers. The main character, Claire Walker is an ordinary high school student at public school. Her father is a professor, and her mother is the vice-principal at Cambial Academy: a boarding school for students who have special abilities and talents. The students at Cambial do not have magical abilities, but rather exceptional and sometimes a bit paranormal qualities.
I really liked Claire, and her new frien...more
I really liked Claire, and her new frien...more
Purchased - 4½ stars/5 stars
Claire Crane Walker knows she isn’t as talented as the rest of her family. Her mother is a truth seeker, her father is a math genius/code breaker, her older brother is telekinetic, and her younger sister can commune with the dead. All Claire can do is hear the thoughts of animals, a skill that makes her feel like a fraud since can’t really prove her abilities to those around her. Consequently, Claire has always resisted enrolling in Cambial, a school for the supremel...more
Claire Crane Walker knows she isn’t as talented as the rest of her family. Her mother is a truth seeker, her father is a math genius/code breaker, her older brother is telekinetic, and her younger sister can commune with the dead. All Claire can do is hear the thoughts of animals, a skill that makes her feel like a fraud since can’t really prove her abilities to those around her. Consequently, Claire has always resisted enrolling in Cambial, a school for the supremel...more
I am a big fan of books that have supernatural stuff in it, though I never would have thought so. I flew through this book within a handful of hours because this book was that good. It's obviously set up for at least a sequel, but I would love it if this became a three book series. But this is basically about a young girl who has to go to a school that she doesn't really want to go to and she doesn't really fit in. Everybody has a really cool special talent or ability, but she doesn't. She can h...more
The only reason I didn’t give this book 5 out of 5 stars is because, while I enjoyed the story, it didn’t seem so original to me.
If you like Young Adult Fiction, then this is a great book to pick up. It is a coming of age story about a girl with an unusual gift that to her, seems rather useless. She attends a school for people with special abilities but hides the fact that she even has her own "special." She is surrounded by extremely gifted friends and family who have powerful specials. But sh...more
If you like Young Adult Fiction, then this is a great book to pick up. It is a coming of age story about a girl with an unusual gift that to her, seems rather useless. She attends a school for people with special abilities but hides the fact that she even has her own "special." She is surrounded by extremely gifted friends and family who have powerful specials. But sh...more
I know most of us know who the X-men are? But what if there really was a school for gifted children, not mutants, that were "special" from others. Had unique abilities that they could work on becoming stronger at, used for good and not evil and they could attend a school designed to help them in those abilities as well as the standard high school subjects as well?
Well look no further than Cambial Academy! That's just what you will discover if you are lucky enough to be chosen to attend this scho...more
Well look no further than Cambial Academy! That's just what you will discover if you are lucky enough to be chosen to attend this scho...more
The Exceptionals, by Erin Cashman, is a fun read. Clare Walker is unusual in not be exceptional. That is because her sister, brother and parents are. That is they have special powers and all work or go to a school with others with powers. The book opens with Clare being busted for being in a car with a six pack of beer in it and even though she has not drunk any she was in the car when it was found. Her punishment is to be pulled from her old school and sent to school for exceptional with no pow...more
While Cashman gets huge kudos for a paranormal book that doesn't have a single vampire, werewolf or zombie as well as kudos for a fairly clever concept, the story itself is rather pedestrian and stale. Claire Walker is the only one in her family that doesn't have a "Special", a paranormal talent that would make her a shoo-in to Cambrial Academy, the high school for Special teens that was founded by her great-great grandfather. But of course, she does have a special talent. She can speak to anima...more
This is a condensed version of my review. To see the expanded version, please visit this link.
My Overall Thoughts/Impressions: First off, let me thank Tara and Lisa for setting up the 2012 Debut Author Challenge Book Tours. Without them, I wouldn't have got to read this novel. So thanks again!
The moment I started reading this novel, I was absolutely enthralled. As soon as I read the first page, I knew that this was a book that was going to occupy my thoughts until I finished it.
I love this ge...more
My Overall Thoughts/Impressions: First off, let me thank Tara and Lisa for setting up the 2012 Debut Author Challenge Book Tours. Without them, I wouldn't have got to read this novel. So thanks again!
The moment I started reading this novel, I was absolutely enthralled. As soon as I read the first page, I knew that this was a book that was going to occupy my thoughts until I finished it.
I love this ge...more
Claire Walker was a very interesting character. She wanted to be normal and blend in with the “normal” students at her old high school, but now she just wants to learn more about herself. She is a character that learns to be confident and is also how to action. She is a rebellious character at least with her mother, not so much her father, but that made her seem more realistic and real because we are all a little rebellious. My favorite character had to Talrin though. I loved how he stayed loyal...more
This is a book targeted to young adults but I must say that I found it to be very enjoyable. I am not usually one for books in this genre but something about the synopsis called to me and I decided to read it and I am very glad that I did. It's not a very long book and I don't think it took me much more than half an afternoon to breeze through it but I met a very intriguing cast of characters that I would very much like to meet up with again for another adventure.
The heroine, Claire is, she thin...more
The heroine, Claire is, she thin...more
I know these stories tend to be a "thing" in the supernaturally, teenage-y kind of setting, but this one was really good. I think I liked it so much because it really pulled me back to the initial awesome feeling I had reading the first couple of Harry Potter books. Now, there's not any magic or wizardry, so I'm not sure why I relate them, maybe it's the telekinetic games that are played towards the end of the term as a test for the students who "specialize" in telekinesis -- it involves getting...more
![Stacy [The Novel Life]](http://d.gr-assets.com/users/1339719326p2/3180281.jpg)
In The Exceptionals, Claire has hidden her antipath talent (communicating with animals), until circumstances force her to reveal her ability. This book has a little bit of everything, the evil scientist with crazy abilities, family drama that evokes memories of dealing with my own siblings, and a fierce, stubborn heroine who fights to save her school and its inhabitants.
I think it was Juju at Tales of Whimsy who posted about the trend of kick-ass females in young adult literature and I have to s...more
I think it was Juju at Tales of Whimsy who posted about the trend of kick-ass females in young adult literature and I have to s...more
I have just read a book named The Exceptionals, written by a Ms Erin Cashman. The book was written for teenagers (ages 11 & up) , and its been many decades since I have been a teenager. However, my granddaughter so raved about the book, I thought I'd read it. Then I could spend time discussing it with her. Well, to my surprise I loved it, Ms. Cashman has written about teenagers who can do exceptional things only to be threatened by dark forces instigated by power, envy, and madness. Then com...more
I just finished my second read of The Exceptionals, the first (hopefully of many!) titles to come from Erin Cashman. Cashman has something for every young reader here - intrigue, romance, mystery and above all, an incredibly creative and engaging narrative. As a parent of two teens, I have tried to keep up on whats out there for them to read. Cashman's entry into the genre sets a bar for others to follow.
Especially appreciated is the fact that the main character in The Exceptionals is a girl. T...more
Especially appreciated is the fact that the main character in The Exceptionals is a girl. T...more
My niece Morgan (who is in grade school) sent me a copy of The Exceptionals, which she couldn't put down. I couldn't either!
Claire, the 15-year-old protagonist, is pulled out of her regular school to attend Cambrial, a school for gifted students. And we're not talking snotty prep school gifted - these kids are gifted with things like telekinesis, clairvoyance and communicating with the dead. Claire's "special" is that she can hear animals talk ' "hungry,thirsty" - but it's nothing she can prove,...more
Claire, the 15-year-old protagonist, is pulled out of her regular school to attend Cambrial, a school for gifted students. And we're not talking snotty prep school gifted - these kids are gifted with things like telekinesis, clairvoyance and communicating with the dead. Claire's "special" is that she can hear animals talk ' "hungry,thirsty" - but it's nothing she can prove,...more
Claire’s family is well known for their connection to the Cambial Academy, a school for exceptional students. Think – Dr. Xavier’s school in X-Men, but at Cambial, the students study telekinesis, clairvoyance, and more. Claire is not thought to be exceptional since only she and her family members know she can hear animals’ voices. While she is in the woods practicing her craft and working on her drawings, she meets a mysterious young man. Then students from the school start disappearing.
Despite...more
Despite...more
Reviewed For: RJ Does Books!
Claire has a special ability, much like others in her family and community. However, she chooses to look the other way, wanting to live a "normal" life, and she does, up until something causes her parents to take her from that life and send her to Cambial Academy, a school for students like her to learn more about their abilities and strengthen them. When students start vanishing, Claire must tap into her powers and discover the true reason for these disappearances.
Th...more
Claire has a special ability, much like others in her family and community. However, she chooses to look the other way, wanting to live a "normal" life, and she does, up until something causes her parents to take her from that life and send her to Cambial Academy, a school for students like her to learn more about their abilities and strengthen them. When students start vanishing, Claire must tap into her powers and discover the true reason for these disappearances.
Th...more
I wasn’t sure I was going to like this book at first, the whole communicating with animals thing sounded a bit hokey. But I heard a lot of good things about it, so I decided to give it a try. The author had me at the prologue. I was dying to know how Claire ended up dying – and why she had no regrets. I read on, and ironically, the parts of the novel with Claire and Ferana (the hawk) ended up being some of my favorite scenes. They were absolutely magical.
The best thing about the book was the ch...more
The best thing about the book was the ch...more
I really enjoyed this book. As soon as I read the prologue I was hooked, I was dying to know how Claire ended up dying, and more interesting, why she didn't have any regrets. I am a big fan of YA fantasy, but the Exceptionals is very different. The students at Cambial Academy are Special, because they can use a greater percentage of their mind. So some are mediums, some can do telekinesis, some are math whizzes....it was really intriguing. I loved the setting, the writing is very descriptive so...more
I was fortunate enough to win this book from Goodreads but I would have been drawn to it regardless. It is right up my alley - young girl with special powers, dangerous situations, etc. Like many others, it is set a school for gifted kids. These kids' talents are called "specials" which I couldn't really get over while reading - calling them talents or gifts would make more sense. Phrases like "what is your special?" and "I need to work more on my special" abound, making me a little giggly at ti...more
If you're looking for a quick, easy read, The Exceptionals is a good choice. While I didn't find it amazing or anything, The Exceptionals was a solid read. It gets three stars from me for two reasons. First, even though I enjoyed reading it, it wasn't a story that really, to me, stood out as a 're-read'. Second, it's another book that sets up a series, which would be fine, but it doesn't look like the publisher has picked it up as a series. Don't get me wrong, there is a complete story, but even...more
The Exceptionals is a fabulous YA fantasy novel. It tells the story of Claire Walker, a fifteen year old girl. When she gets in a bit of trouble at high school, her parents force her to attend Cambial Academy, a boarding school founded by her great-grandfather, where both her parents teach. Claire hates Cambial, calling it a school for freaks. The reader soon discovers that Cambial is NOT a school for people with supernatural powers -- no wizards, werewolves or vampires here – but a school for p...more
I really liked the beginning of this book and I was all excited to read it. But what kept me from really liking this book was some of the character's reactions. (view spoiler) The story ends just as interesting as it began which was pretty good. I just hope that if the au...more
The Exceptionals is the debut novel of Erin Cashman. This is a gem of a story from start to finish, with excellent narrative flow, excitement and drama. She has managed to capture the combination of suspense, discovery, and action as well as a love interest. Her characters are all fascinating, each one with his or her own special power and the descriptions are vivid and imaginative. Claire's interaction with the animals, in particular the hawks, was especially endearing. It was a page turner as...more
This book reminds me of others, but it was good enough to stand on its own. I enjoyed teenage Claire, with the ability to hear animals, a "special" that she has hidden from her family and friends her whole life, but as she finally comes to terms with her school and family (all full of other people with exceptional talents and powers), she also comes to see that her talent is a bit more exceptional than she thought. Competently written, with many characters I cared about. 3-1/2 stars. I'm certain...more
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My debut YA novel, THE EXCEPTIONALS, is now available! I live in Massachusetts with my husband, three children, and our dog.
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Feb 07, 2013 09:00am