Fifteen-year-old Albert has just received an invitation that could transform his disappointing life completely – a chance to belong to an advanced and hidden society that only reveals itself to a select few.
Immersed in a new world of mind-boggling technology and intriguing peers, Albert will overcome his fears enough to ignore a few suspicious details. But soon he'll find his family dragged to the center of a scandal that threatens to tear them apart and erase their very identities.
A conflicted Albert must find the strength to challenge authority by relying on his newfound allies and gift for Revelation.
Prepare for adventure, humor and suspense in this fast-paced tale of a “normal” family striving for their place in a “perfect” world.
Born in Rio de Janeiro, Marcela Mariz discovered her passion for storytelling on the stage. She produced her first play at sixteen and went on to complete more than twenty theater-commissioned plays.
After graduating from law school, Marcela moved to New York to study performing arts and then to the West Coast, where she began to make her transition from theater to movies and penned her first novel — the YA sci-fi The Chosen Of Gaia.
In her spare time, Marcela likes to re-watch her favorite 80s movies and avoids one-foot wave wipeouts at her local surf spot. Let it Rain is Marcela’s second novel and is loosely inspired by a dear family friend.
Uma boa e simples leitura, bom enfatizar que se trata de uma história dedicada provavelmente ao público mais jovem, sendo ela básica e até certo ponto genérica, sendo bastante previsível porém bem escrita e gostosa de se ler para passar o tempo
Gaia is a perfect world that values the good in people and strives to advance its society. There hasn't been a serious crime in more than 200 years and no ones fears leaving their homes unlocked. The citizens of Gaia are descended from those who once lived in the legendary city of Atlantis. And then there are those very select few from Earth who were Chosen and given the opportunity to live on Gaia. Albert Klein and his family are the most recent to be Chosen to live in this perfect world. But just as there were those in Atlantis that persecuted the mystics, there are those on Gaia who persecute the Chosen.
The Kleins and their neighbors, the Beckers are two Chosen families being targeted by this clan of racial purists. Albert, with the help of his new friends, will need to overcome his fears and embrace his new found gift for Revelation to set things to rights.
The Chosen of Gaia depicts a seemingly perfect world of peace, enlightenment, and advancement. But a pretty exterior can't hide a ugly interior forever. No matter how hard or how long one strives for perfection, it cannot be achieved. As long as hate exists in the hearts of people, peace cannot be gained. This is shown through the racism and prejudice the Raif clan shows toward the Chosen. They see the Chosen as impurities that need to be purged from the Gaian society.
But there are those, like Albert, who strive to be the best they can possibly be and gain strength from the persecution they face, and become unlikely heroes to those who would face the same persecution. Albert was even dubbed "The Clumsy Chosen Hero" after his efforts to stop the Raif clan were made public. It's through people like Albert that even a small amount of peace can be obtained.
The Chosen of Gaia raises questions about the nature and hearts of the human race. Through only one person a civilization can thrive or decay, all depending on what's in their hearts and minds.
I really liked this story and the characters the live within it. I would love to see more from this world, maybe from Ruth's POV, Albert's twin sister. But if this is the end of the Chosen's story, I'm glad that it ended on a happy and hopeful note. The bad guys are punished, friendships are mended, and love brings them all together. It couldn't end in a better way.
The Chosen of Gaia by M. Mariz is a great story for young adults. It tells the story of Albert, a 15 year old boy, and the rest of his family on their adventure into an advanced society. The Gaians keep an eye out for people that meet certain requirements to bring into their society to help enrich their way of life. Despite the claims of an ideal society made by the Gaians Albert learns that there are hidden elements that don't agree with the policy of bringing in outsiders. Albert's family must keep their wits about them in order to prove their worth if they want to stay in their new home and possibly survive.
I really enjoyed many aspects of this book with the information on Atlantis being a neat addition. The pacing of this book was pretty good with twists coming at the appropriate times to spark another level of interest. The technology exhibited by the Gaians was great and had some very intriguing applications, especially the variety of changes the houses were capable of affecting.
There is a little something for everyone in this book. There is crime to solve, futuristic technology, young love, sports, action, intrigue, thrills, conspiracies, and more. If you pick up a copy of the book for yourself or your child (I'd guess middle school and above but I'm pretty bad at guessing reading levels) you won't regret it.
I received a copy of this book from a literary publicity agent in exchange for a review.
The Chosen Of Gaia ia a great read. I was excited when I was asked to read this book because I had never heard of it and I am so glad I was able to read it. This is such a great Dystopian book that I highly recommend it.
Gaia starts off with Albert and his family being chosen to to be a part of The Gaia Society. This is huge because no one can join you have to be chosen and accepted by the elders. As Albert learns everything is not what it seems he realizes he has a special gift. Albert has the gift of Revelation and once people find out things start to reveal themselves to Albert and his family.
See there are two societies The Gaia and The Raif clan. The Reif Clan believes The Chosen are impure and corrupted. They treat The chosen like they are the devil full of impurities. Albert finds out that his family is in trouble and someone wants to destroy them and erase their memories. As Albert learns to use his new gift he will have to hurry because he is in a race of time to get the revelation he needs to save his friends and family.
What will Albert do? Will he be able to save everyone? What will his revelation reveal? Come along for the greatest ride from another world where technology meets revelations. Where prejudices are the norm and change seems inevitable.
This is a great read. Perfectly balanced YA with fantasy. The idea: there is an invisible planet orbiting earth that has an almost utopian society. People from this planet visit earth and recruit families to learn from them. A family is chosen and is flown to this planet only to find that things aren't exactly perfect. The main characters are Albert, the boy named after Einstein and his sister Ruth. They are enrolled in an futuristic school and are instantly the focus because the are 'The Chosen of Gaia' M.Mariz has put together a great plot with a very fresh idea. The Young Adult aspect had me hooked as I am a sucker for books like Harry Potter and Percy Jackson. This book fits right in with these stories and is on par with them in character development and originality. I really enjoyed this book and won't hesitate to read more from this wonderful author: M. Mariz.
This tells the story of a family who is given the opportunity to travel to and live on a hidden planet near Earth..a utopia. But all is not as perfect as it seems, and the family finds themselves accused of a deadly crime. This is one of my favorite books of my recent reads.. the characters are interesting and engaging, the plot isn't too predictable or boring, the writing is well done, and the book is fun to read.
If I had anything bad to say about it, it would be this: I thought the story was a bit short. If there was a sequel to the book, it would be much more satisfying.
Overall, this was a great fantasy with a unique setting, and one that I enjoyed reading. I would highly recommend this for a good read.
I was pretty bored by this book and I wasn't a fan of the writing style. The plot's pacing seemed to go from slow to fast with awkward changes, and I didn't feel like I could connect with the POV characters. I did think that the book's premise was great, and I think that with a little practice, this author has a lot of potential to be a great writer.
The Chosen of Gaia is a fantasy of a Utopian world from the eyes of a teenager. It’s listed as YA on Goodreads, but I would definitely call it a MG read, and a very simple one at that. The story surrounds a family from Earth that is chosen to a different planet, one far more advanced then our own, in order to help it grow in terms of population, knowledge, and with their specific abilities. It is a pretty basic concept, but the downside is the execution is just as primitive.
As previously mentioned, The Chosen of Gaia reads like a MG book, and once I realized that I eventually got used to the obviousness of concepts used, and limited vocabulary to go along with it. That was fine. However, the problem comes with the extreme lack of depth of every part of the book. Characters, plot, world building, romance, it is all so… surface level.
While everyone in the family plays a role, it is the twin teenagers, Albert and Ruth, that are the main characters. Supposedly they are both 15, but Albert behaves like a 12 year-old, and Ruth more like someone around 17. Albert is your classic misfit. He’s shy, awkward around girls, slightly geeky but mostly just oafish. He’s the first, and most obvious example of how each character is little more than a trope/cliche. Ruth is the protective one, with a quick temper for those she doesn’t like, and she gets annoyed when Albert embarrasses himself, and often consequently her too. She is more practical, and a stronger character in general, and while she fills the classic “older sister/sibling” role, she does so with some personality.
Sadly those two are the highlight of their family, as the parents are 100% empty shells with singular personalities. The father is consumed with his job and doesn’t have hobbies, other interests, or any character outside of his work, and this is something actually pointed out by the book! The mother is the caring one, but she is purely there to be a wife/mom, and when her husband has issues she has a complete meltdown. They are throwaway characters, and Mariz does nothing to hide that fact.
Staying with the characters, I’ll briefly touch on the side-characters, aka the friends and love interests. While the MCs were hollow, their group of friends is even worse. Violet, Albert’s barbie-doll of a crush, does get some character development, as she shows loyalty, and sensitivity despite the implications surrounding her friends and their family. I give her some credit. Phin, Ruth’s boy toy has no personality and is only there to give her someone to latch onto, blah. Finally, Nicolaus, is the comedian of the group, and is only around to lighten the mood…which he usually fails at for the reader anyhow. His dialogue is childish and uninteresting, just like him.
You may be wondering now, why am I so character-focused in a fantasy book? Where is the cool sci-fi tech/fantasy elements? What of this new world? My answer is simple, as much as I was unimpressed by the characters, the depth of them is far greater (though still little at best for most) than the world around them, or what bit of plot actually exists.
The futuristic tech is very childlike in its focus. Clothes you can customize completely, houses that can be altered to whatever color or design you’d like at a whim, instant-food (that’s actually good and involves no cooking), and other such trivial things. Yes, there is instant-transmission styled transport, but it isn’t explained very well, and the world they are traveling in is described as a large rural community anyhow, keeping to simple and environmentally-focused lifestyle and design.
Abilities such as wiping memory, visions, mood altering, and forcing people to be their true selves are a few of the notable “powers” found in The Chosen of Gaia, and are some of the few fantastical elements in an otherwise more sci-fi type of world. There are amplifiers to boost the abilities of people, used predictably for good and for bad reasons, but most aren’t worth noting.
Then there is the previously mentioned excuse for a plot. A scandal involving Albert’s parents, the death of a leader, and a scheme to rally the people of Gaia against all of the “chosen” forces the teenage group of misfits into action. They must reveal the truth of what happened, prove the innocence of those they care about, and do it all against some mean grownups from an ancient order. While that sounds interesting, Mariz fails to give it any more depth than I did. Every detail is obvious in advance, there is no mystery to this whodunit, and silly childish schemes miraculously work by all the evidence falling in the laps of Albert and company.
A boring new world was the first disappointment, the lack of plot the most egregious error, and the mostly bland, lifeless, and cliched characters the final straw. The only positive for me with The Chosen of Gaia were the solid pacing, as it was an easy and quick read, but otherwise there just wasn’t any depth here. Everything was surface-level and because of that I didn’t care about the characters or their plight. This is not the Utopia you are looking for.
The Chosen of Gaia is a perfect example of fantasy blended with mystery. Which, as this bookworm happily found quite quickly, make for a very quick and enjoyable read. M. Mariz presents a whole new world in this book. Literally. Imagine a perfect society. One with technology far beyond our wildest dreams, and an extremely low mortality rate. Sound too good to be true? You might just be right.
Albert and his family were wonderful to follow in this story. It's not hard to choose favorites since Albert and Ruth, the two children in the family, were so vivid and unique. Albert is a boy who is used to keeping out of the spotlight. The politics of school have taught him that hiding is better than being bullied. Ruth, on the other hand,fits in wonderfully. She has friends, and popularity. However once they arrive on Gaia everything changes. I loved watching them blossom, learn to trust themselves, and one another. M. Mariz does a great job of showing how much this family truly loves one another, and it is heartwarming.
In case you're worried that this book is all sunshine and roses though, let me set you straight. Albert and his family definitely run into their fair share of problems. When something happens that rocks the small planet of Gaia, it just so happens that they are all in the middle of it. It was nice to see that this family banded together when it was necessary. It's never easy to be the new people in town, and it definitely gets even harder when you find out that people already dislike you before they even know you. Nope, no spoilers here! You'll have to read.
Although The Chosen of Gaia isn't the most complicated, or masterfully plotted book that I've read lately it was a nice change of pace. The story pretty much flies by, allowing you to get to see a new world that might just take your breath away. Overall I was fairly impressed by M. Mariz's story! I can't wait to see if there is more coming around the bend.
I won this book from the Librarything giveaway program and Im so glad I did! It was a fantastic dystopian! It was a perfect blend of fantasy, mystery, and a touch of sci-fi. The main characters are very likable and you find yourself wishing you were as lucky as them and becoming a chosen one who get's to move to Gaia and experience all this amazing advanced technology. I would love a closet that works like there's does, not to mention the flyers, personal MODs and intensifiers! Just such a fun creative world anyone would want to step in and experience. I would of gave this five stars if it wasn't for the few spelling and grammatical errors. The story itself though is a fast incredible and a must read for fantasy lovers. Young adults are sure to love this book! I would also love to see this book made into a movie!
This was an adorable, charming story that mixes the perfect amount of fantastical science fiction that is unlike any of us have ever experienced, with the inner struggles and emotional journeys that everyone experiences in life.
I loved the story, right from the first page. Mariz takes readers on a ride through family values, solid science, love on many levels, loyalty, and even touches on the importance of dreams. The journey all begins with a dream called a Revelation.
I have a Revelation: We will be seeing much more from this author. I can't wait to read the next thing she writes, myself. And I wouldn't be too surprised to see this book turned into a movie...it would be a blockbuster.
I enjoyed this book, especially the technology on Gaia. I so want a closet with swatches of fabric that I can turn into any clothing design I want. And a bedroom that I can simply tell what I want and where I want it. I found the characters likeable and interesting. And the plot was definitely an intriguing one, moving to a new planet where a 'utopian' society exists, it sounds great, but of course, no human society is perfect, not even the one on Gaia. While the writing isn't as detailed or smooth as I would like, I did enjoy this as a quick entertaining read. (And isn't that cover gorgeous?)
My best friend gave me this book and as I was making comments about it to my family as I read it, I noticed that the book disappeared because my daughter took it away from me. Later on, she admits that took it, and then my husband also take it away from her. It was funny. I ended buying 3 more of the same book because we got so into the story that no one was talking in the house, only reading the book. We simply loved it. I should make them to write a review, too, but they would never do that. So I'm writing for three of us. I totally recommend this book, but hide from your relatives or just buy more than 3.
A friend told me about the book and I got interested and decided to buy it by Amazon. I've received the book around two weeks ago, and it was so interesting that I have already read it all!!! It's that kind of book that you just can't stop reading!!! Congratulations to the author! I recommend it to everybody, but it is for sure a great option for teenagers gift during Christmas!! Hope you all also have the opportunity to enjoy it!
It was a good story with the potential to be great. The story was rushed and did not take the time to develop the ideas as well as they could have been. I liked the characters and the ideas presented though.
A great mystery for kids and younger people, It is a great book. I truly enjoyed reading. The conflict and action are nonstop. The story is well developed, complex and very entertaining.
3.5 stars this book was ok. He had some cute elements of puppy love and a little bit of suspense. The book did not pull me to want to keep reading that's why it only gets 3.5.